Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 935

“Ian?”

Hans, puzzled, tugged at Ian’s sleeve as Ian continued to stare at Berik’s back as he descended the stairs. The staff also glanced at them, signaling with their eyes, asking what to do with the thugs sprawled on the stairs.

“……”

However, Ian’s gaze remained fixed on the bottom of the stairs. Berik had long since disappeared into the crowd on the lower floor. What on earth was he thinking?

It was then.

“…Let’s go down too.”

Ian muttered, not even turning around, and descended the stairs. Hans hurriedly followed behind him.

The staff glanced at the bottom of the stairs where Ian had disappeared, then returned to their places. No one bothered to help the thugs sprawled on the stairs or worry about them.

“Go! The flank! Hit the flank, you idiot!”

“Ughhh, that bastard, he’s just getting hit!”

“Good! That’s it! Push him!”

“Kill himmm! Waaaaah!”

“Double! It’s a double! Hahaha!”

“Hey, you! If you lose here, I’ll kill you!”

The lower floor was an arena. There were large and small fighting rings everywhere, and people were packed together, shouting cheers and curses at the fighters they had bet on.

Although the crowd was much larger than upstairs, Ian’s steps were unwavering.

“Ian!”

Hans was panting, struggling to keep up with Ian. It was as if he was following something, not looking for a Black Order member. His pace was too fast.

Had he seen someone with a similar appearance? Ian kept following the red hair that appeared and disappeared in the crowd.

“Hey, Berik! Can you win today?”

“Of course!”

“Idiot, he always says that. Heh heh.”

“…I memorized your face.”

“Hey, please win today!”

“Your recent record isn’t good!”

Berik arrived at a makeshift fighting ring made of roughly woven iron bars. Some people fought on the bare ground, so he must be a fairly well-known fighter here. Ian watched Berik with his arms crossed.

“Alright, everyone who bets on Berik to win, put your money here!”

“And those who bet on Deck to win, here!”

“It’s a side bet! Bet on how long Berik will last! Three times the payout if you get it right!”

People’s hands reached out like a cornucopia, putting money into the containers. Most seemed to expect Deck to win. The containers passed in front of Ian and Hans, but they shook their heads without participating.

“Ian, aren’t you looking for the Black Order member?”

Hans whispered, staying close to Ian. Unlike the upper floor, this place was too crowded to find someone. It would be better to go back upstairs and look through the railings.

However, Ian shook his head slightly.

“I need to check something for a moment.”

“Check?”

Hans noticed that Ian was still staring at Berik. Was it because of the help he received earlier? But his expression was too serious for that.

“A long time ago-”

“Huh?”

Ian recalled the first time he met Naum, over ten years ago. The strange feeling of his senses being heightened and something in his head sending signals. That feeling was shaking Ian again.

“When I first saw Naum, you know.”

“At the Energes main gate?”

“Yeah. It’s similar to that time.”

“Who? That red-haired guy?”

Hans was surprised and looked at Berik again. There were all sorts of people in the Magic Department, but no matter how he looked at it, Berik didn’t seem like a mage.

‘Even Hyung [older brother/close male friend] didn’t seem like a mage at first…’

He realized it after seeing Hyung go to the Magic Department and hang out with mages. That there was a mysterious power that only mages shared.

They called it the sixth sense, but it was an area that Hans, as a commoner, couldn’t understand. If he had to explain it in a way that even a commoner could understand, it was like… a feeling of intertwined fate? Anyway-

“Do you feel something?”

“But it’s a little different.”

Berik gulped down a mouthful of water and stepped into the fighting ring. His opponent, Deck, was a giant, two or three times Berik’s size. It didn’t make sense to have them fight with such a size difference. Well, it was a gambling den, so it was normal for illogical things to happen.

“Berik! Please win this time! It’s my mom’s birthday tomorrow!”

“Deck! Finish him off quickly!”

“Crush that Berik bastard! Hahaha!”

A man who seemed to be Berik’s colleague whispered something in his ear. Berik nodded slightly and then tapped his cheeks, jumping in place to warm up.

On the other hand, Deck was relaxed, as if he were fighting a child, and showed no signs of tension. He seemed to be confident of victory already.

“Alright, let’s begin!”

Ding-!

As the bell rang, people’s cheers poured out. Berik and Deck circled the ring, sizing each other up. Berik was the first to attack.

Taat!

Quite agile movements. His kicks were sharp and heavy. It was not the kind of power one would expect from someone of his size.

However, Deck easily blocked it with both arms and, at the same time, punched Berik’s flank.

Thwack!

“Cough!”

As the two fighters exchanged punches and kicks, the crowd’s cheers and jeers poured out. The noise was deafening, with some urging them to finish quickly and others yelling for them to hold on.

Hans frowned at the inhumane scene, but Ian calmly watched the two fight.

“You little brat, come at me properly!”

“Damn it, who are you telling to come here-!”

Thwack! Thud!

Ian was certain that Berik was the owner of the words he had overheard before coming to the gambling den. The passerby’s mutter about his toughness was true. Deck was pushing him with tremendous force, but Berik kept charging and charging again.

‘He doesn’t seem to have a chance of winning.’

Ian looked at the man who had whispered to Berik before the match. He wasn’t watching how Berik was fighting but was checking the time on his watch. It seemed that his strategy was to bet on how long he could last and make money that way. Of course, it would be good if he won, but his attitude didn’t show any expectation of victory.

“Hurry up and finish it!”

It was then. Someone threw a dagger into the ring. No one stopped him. Not even the referee. Ian and Hans belatedly realized that there were no weapon restrictions and their eyes widened slightly.

Thud.

As Berik and Deck rushed to grab the dagger that had fallen in the middle of the ring, weapons flew in from all directions. There were daggers, axes, hammers, and even forks.

“W-well, at least there are no longswords.”

Hans swallowed hard and muttered, thinking it was a relief. There was probably no special reason. They were expensive. Too precious to throw into such entertainment.

“Haa, haa……”

Both of them ended up facing each other with daggers. Even amidst the loud noise, Berik’s rough breathing could be heard clearly. Unlike Berik, who was covered in blood, Deck only had a small cut on his lip.

Meanwhile, Ian raised an eyebrow as he watched Berik’s stance with the sword.

‘…What is it?’

He was holding it haphazardly, but his balance was solid. And above all, there was no fear felt from the tip of the sword. Even in a hopeless situation, he didn’t seem to have any fear of death, even though he could be killed in one blow.

It was a spirit that even Ian, who had just met him, had to acknowledge. It was a game where the outcome was obvious, but he could understand why the gamblers were cheering for Berik.

“You know, Berik. I really didn’t like you.”

“Really? Same here? I hated your face!”

Clang!

Clang! Clang!

The short blades made it even more precarious. If the balance of power was off even slightly, it felt like their necks or flanks could be cut at any moment, making their hearts race.

It was then.

Click.

Berik’s colleague, who had been watching the time, closed his watch and flicked his fingers. On the surface, it looked like he was cheering Berik on to get his act together, but Ian knew immediately.

‘It’s a signal.’

To finish it somehow now.

Berik, realizing this, clenched his teeth. The playing time was over. His attacks became more powerful and faster. Deck seemed slightly flustered, but in fact, he had just been having fun to boost the crowd’s response.

Clang! Clang!

Kwaaaang!

The swords clashed as if they would break, and the moment their strength gave way, punches flew at each other. Each time blood splattered, the heat intensified.

Berik’s head snapped back after being hit hard in the face, and his movements stopped, causing the crowd to hold their breath for a moment. If he fell, the game would be over.

“No, no, no!”

“Berik! Come on! Get it together!”

Berik’s upper body tilted backward, but he regained his balance and charged at Deck again.

“Uwaaaaah!”

A shout that was devoid of reason, only instinct. Deck sneered, grabbed his hair, and repeatedly punched him in the abdomen, letting out a roar.

Thwack! Thud!

“Ah, it’s over. It’s over.”

“Berik, get it together!”

“Let’s finish it, it’s been long enough!”

Deck dragged Berik, who was barely breathing, by the hair and picked up a nearby dagger. Hans closed his eyes, unable to watch, while Ian crossed his arms, his eyes fixed on the scene.

“Who is the winner today?!”

“Deck! Deck! Deck!”

Thwack!

Deck’s dagger roughly stabbed Berik’s flank. The bright red blood flowed down the fighting ring floor, which was already a mess of blood and sweat. It was a darker and stickier blood than Berik’s hair.

Thud.

“Waaaaaaah!”

The winner was decided. Deck left the ring to the cheers of the crowd, and the gamblers rushed to the staff to collect their winnings.

As the crowd quickly moved to one side, Hans grabbed Ian tightly. In the flow of the crowd, Ian stood still, staring at the fallen Berik.

“Hey, Berik.”

The man who seemed to be Berik’s colleague went up to the ring and rummaged through his pockets. He threw two gold coins and five silver coins on the ground and said goodbye.

“Good job. You lasted more than 5 minutes, so it’s double.”

“……”

“It’s your sister’s birthday this week, right? I put in some extra money, so go eat some meat.”

“…Damn it, I got stabbed, give me more money.”

“Ha, geez.”

The man chuckled, threw a couple more silver coins, and left the ring.

Berik curled up, clutching his flank where blood was gushing out. Even in that pain, his other hand was groping for the coins. Ah, he was unlucky today. It wasn’t usually this bad.

“Ha, damn it……”

His mind became hazy. This was bad. There was nothing worse than losing consciousness in the middle of a gambling den. There was no one who would take him to the hospital, and they would probably just steal his money.

As Berik struggled to stay conscious.

Swoosh.

He saw a pair of high-quality shoes. And the shadow cast over him. He couldn’t see the face clearly because of the bright lights, but it felt familiar.

“Was it Berik?”

A voice that was both monotonous and gentle.

Berik frowned.

“What, get lost……”

If they took his money, he would kill them. Damn it, Deck, that bastard, he could have won. If they fought again later, he would put two holes in his belly, no, make a hole right through it.

Ian, seeing Berik muttering to himself, suddenly remembered Barsabe’s words.

“The meeting of a mage and a magic swordsman sometimes comes as fate.”

A power that was similar to a mage but clearly different.

“Unfortunately, a magic swordsman needs a mage to activate their ki [life force/energy]. Unless they react to external stimuli, it remains dormant. That’s why many people used to die without even knowing they were magic swordsmen.”

Ian carefully knelt on one knee and grabbed Berik’s chin. He didn’t seem to be able to breathe properly, and if he left him like this, he might die.

“Hey.”

“…Get lost.”

Zhiing. Zhiing.

Ian released his magic power. It was a healing magic, but at the same time, it was a force that could touch and explode the magic power if it was dormant inside the body. Ian lowered his head, completely covering his eyes with his robe.

“……”

It flowed. Very naturally. Just like the wind sweeping across the open land, it instantly absorbed Ian’s enormous magic power.

Berik completely lost consciousness, and Ian frowned with a faint smile.

“Tsk.”

A talent who should be working gloriously in the imperial palace as a magic swordsman…

“…Why are you here?”