Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 281

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 281
Fire. Berik Departs
Jairot vaulted lightly over the railing and descended to the lower level. It was a drop of several meters, yet his movements were graceful and precise. The Imperial Guards followed slowly in his wake. Individually, each commanded considerable presence, but gathered together in their uniforms, they were overwhelming.
Naturally, all eyes turned toward them. It was the most natural flow of events. No one found it strange. Not even those conducting the examination.
“Is… is that one of the Three Captains?”
“Should we continue the examination? We can disqualify them.”
“Wait, just a moment. Hasn’t everyone stopped? Do you understand what a rare sight this is? We’d be lucky to see it once during a demon war, if at all.”
“If we’re lucky? What if we’re unlucky?”
“Then we die the moment we enter combat.”
Whispers rippled and intensified. Wasn’t the rank of Three Captains an honor bestowed only upon the strongest in the empire? The battles of ordinary Mage Knights were already breathtaking, so what of a Captain? Anticipation could not be easily contained.
“Berik.”
“Why are you calling me? I won’t perform just because you ask.”
Jairot removed his dress jacket and rolled up his sleeves. The way he fastened each button of his shirt was neat, almost reverent. The man was reckless, but after all, he was an external participant. It was the organizer’s responsibility to observe proper etiquette.
“I will perform if asked. Keep your antics reasonable, and ensure no one’s life is endangered. Remember you’ve only recently risen from your sickbed.”
“Ugh. What concern.”
Berik made a retching gesture and waved his hand dismissively. It was a clear rejection and mockery. The Guards frowned and were about to speak, but Jairot raised his hand to stop them.
“Did fighting Xiaoxi upset you that much?”
“Yeah! It was damn frustrating!”
“Do you know why I did that? And why you reacted that way?”
“No. What good would knowing do? It’s already happened.”
Zing! Zing!
Whoooosh!
Berik surged with magical power, raising his black sword high. The corners of his mouth curved upward as his crimson hair began to flutter.
Perhaps it was due to his small, pointed canines.
He looked like a demon born from a sea of flames.
“Berik, move further back! There’s no barrier there!”
“Damn it, is he listening? Has he lost his mind? Expand the barrier!”
“I-Ian!”
The mages watching from above cried out in alarm. Some turned their heads urgently toward Ian, as if begging him to stop Berik.
But it was too late. Berik soared into the air, swinging his sword. He roared his determination once more.
“I am the Captain—!”
Boom! Crash!
It happened in an instant. Jairot seized Berik’s face and released a burst of magical power, hurling him backward in the same motion.
Berik tumbled through the air from the explosion’s force and crashed against the barrier wall. Dust rose slightly. Jairot walked slowly toward him.
“This is, in name, an examination. I would appreciate your cooperation with the procedures, Participant Berik. Do not attack outside the designated area. Unlike the sparring matches you’ve had before, there are no restrictions on weapons. Forfeiture is also permitted, and should you become unable to continue fighting, I will stop the examination at my discretion.”
“Yeah. Muttering to yourself. I can’t hear a word.”
As Berik brushed off his clothes and stood, the Guard standing behind him could no longer hold back and spoke sharply. Wasn’t this insolence bordering on recklessness? It was unbearable.
“Silence! Do you have no sense of propriety, constantly overstepping your bounds? Do you not understand the dignity of the Captain’s title, you fool!”
“Fool? If I’m a fool, you’re a blockhead.”
“What, what did you say? Block… head?”
To hear such words from Berik! Romandro and Jin burst into laughter simultaneously. Berik probably didn’t realize just how spectacularly his insult had been turned back on him.
Berik pointed his sword toward the Imperial Guards and shouted.
“You should be supporting me! Think about it! If the old geezer dies here, the captain’s position opens up, right? Then instead of two promotions, we could have three! Boy, you idiots, I have to spell everything out for you. Tsk tsk.”
A miraculous display of twisted logic. The Palace Guards stood with their mouths agape, unable to hide their shock. His way of thinking was truly different. By performance standards, he seemed like he should definitely enlist in the Imperial Guards, but did they really have to accept him as a colleague?
The Palace Guards all turned to look at Jairot simultaneously. Their expressions of disgust were identical.
“This won’t do. He’s insane. This is grounds for disqualification.”
“Captain, please teach that bastard a lesson!”
“Yes, we don’t need anything else. Just beat him half to death so he can’t enlist. I’ll work twice as hard to cover for him. If possible, I’ll even return half my salary. I’m serious.”
Berik whistled and winked at the guards. Especially at the one who had offered to return half his salary—he winked at him two or three times in succession.
“I’ll remember you well. When I become captain, you’ll work for free. I’ll use that money to buy meat.”
Piiieee!
A whistle shrieked sharply, as if cutting off Berik’s words. Romandro had made the decision that with so many watching, further bickering would help neither side.
Berik said he’d been waiting for this and gripped his sword again, rushing at Jairot.
Tap tap tap!
“You know what?”
“….”
“The more holes I get in my belly, the stronger I become!?”
Crash! Bang!
Zing!
Once again, Berik’s attack halted in mid-air. Jairot had summoned his own sword.
The lightning I had witnessed in the Chetur district bloomed once more in all directions. Brilliant streaks of light swirled and gathered in his grasp, transforming into the shape of a blade.
Mana dripped downward in steady streams.
What touched the ground scattered and bounced up sporadically.
Crackle! Sizzle!
“Berik. Shut your mouth. You’ll bite your tongue.”
“You watch yourself, old timer! Cornstalk!”
Jairot knew Berik well. This understanding encompassed not just his abilities, but his character as well. A spirit that couldn’t be trampled down, couldn’t be broken—an unwavering resolve and competitive drive. And the talent that supported it all.
Talent was indeed talent. The fact that Jairot had unleashed his mana without restraint was indirect proof of his recognition of Berik.
Crash! Bang!
Clang! Clang!
Each time the two swords clashed, it seemed as though heaven and earth themselves cried out. The transparent barrier of the protective shield vibrated, creating waves of force.
Those watching from the front gradually stepped back. They had the sense that if the barrier shattered, they might very well die.
“Incredible, truly incredible.”
“The weight is different. It’s definitely, definitely distinct.”
The impact sounds came from them, yet why did a resonance bloom deep within the heart? The spectators watched their exchange without blinking an eye.
Inside, it was like a different world. Explosions of light and flame erupted, and smoke obscured the view. The figures of the two appeared and disappeared intermittently.
Berik defended, then Jairot defended, then Berik attacked, then Jairot attacked….
“Romandro. I cannot keep pace.”
“I, I cannot either, sir.”
Following with one’s eyes alone was a struggle. Yet in mere instants, they exchanged blows countless times. Each sword strike connected without wasted motion. In a way, it could be called an art form.
‘Damn it. How is he enduring this?’
Barsabe leaned her elbows against the railing and pressed her forehead with her palm. More than a minute had already passed, hadn’t it? Having sparred with Jairot several times before, I knew how long that duration truly was.
I merely managed to defend while retreating, yet Berik was launching effective counterattacks.
This was unbelievable.
“Damn. What the hell is that bastard?”
“Captain! Don’t hold back! You can’t!”
“He’s much lighter than when he first entered the Palace. Is he really the type who gets stronger when his belly gets pierced?”
“The Mages all swarmed him when he was injured and poured their mana into him. That’s why, so stop spouting such nonsense so earnestly.”
I could feel the unease spreading among my fellow Guards. In unarmed combat, weight class inevitably played a significant role, and Berik already ranked quite high among them, didn’t he? It was enough to instill subtle tension in those who had been careless, thinking him merely a top-ten contender.
Crash! Bang!
That’s when Berik’s body came flying out of the smoke and collided with the barrier. His side was slashed, and he gripped his bleeding flank tightly. Blood streamed down, soaking the floor.
“…Damn it.”
“Berik!”
“Shit, your wound’s going to open again!”
Jin and Romandro, noticing the injury, grabbed the railing and shouted. But Berik merely frowned and glared into the smoke.
That damned old bastard. If he was this strong at his age, I couldn’t imagine how powerful he must have been in his youth.
Whoosh.
Jairot emerged from the smoke. He walked forward and stood before Berik.
“…!”
“Captain!”
His left arm—his white shirt was drenched in blood. That wasn’t Berik’s blood.
“Concede, Berik.”
“Bullshit. Don’t stop me.”
Did he intend to see this through to the end?
Jairot clenched his fists and breathed heavily. He was trying to maintain composure, but it was clearly taking its toll. Berik was reckless against an immeasurable opponent, and on top of that, his stamina was exceptional.
Whoosh!
Jairot raised his sword like cracking a whip.
A full-force downward strike. Berik rolled to the side and barely evaded, but the relentless barrage left him dizzy. Blood trails were dragged across the floor in his wake.
“Damn it!”
“Shut your mouth!”
Each time Berik exerted force, blood trickled from his side. If this continued, he might end up rolling through the Magic Department corridors again for a while. Just as Romandro was about to stop him—
Slash!
“Ugh!”
Berik’s sword struck Jairot’s jaw and ear cleanly. Without missing the moment when his opponent stumbled back in shock—
“What?”
“What’s he doing?”
Berik also stepped back. Then he quickly looked upward and glanced around, spotted Ian, and leaped up.
Everyone watched in bewilderment, wondering what he was attempting.
“Ian!”
“…Berik?”
Berik hung from the railing and extended his opposite hand toward Ian. And with absolute confidence—
“Give me some mana.”
Was he really asking for mana? The Palace Guards gasped collectively in protest. They looked ready to drag him down at any moment.
“That’s against the rules! You cowardly bastard!”
“Get down! You’re disqualified if you leave the arena!”
“Hey, disqualify him already! What are you doing?”
But Berik merely scratched his ear and pretended not to hear. He simply ignored them, sniffing dismissively instead.
“Hey, you blockheads.”
“B-blockhead? Again with blockhead? You bastard!”
“Didn’t you hear what the old man said earlier? Don’t attack from outside the arena, right? I’m sitting here quietly. And he said we can use any weapons we want without restrictions, yeah?”
“How is a mana supply a weapon?”
“If it’s not a weapon, what is it then? A stick rolling around the arena becomes a weapon if you use it in a fight. If you don’t like it, do the same.”
If only they could.
Berik gestured for Ian to come closer. If he entered the Imperial Guards, especially if he became captain, Ian’s influence would only grow. That was tantamount to the Magic Department expanding its power.
In this situation, what mage would willingly infuse the Imperial Guards with their mana?
“Ian, hurry. My side hurts.”
“Berik.”
“Come on. Hurry up. I’m dying here. That old man’s surprisingly spry.”
Even mimicking his solemn tone. Ian smiled broadly and shook his head. There was no stopping him.
Whoosh.
Ian approached Berik and grabbed his arm. The mages nearby panicked and followed suit.
“Ian, sir. Is this… really alright?”
“It doesn’t violate the regulations.”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
It was more than just revealing to the world that Berik, who was entering the Imperial Guards, was Ian’s subordinate. It was putting a final seal on that fact.
Moreover, it was a declaration of war—accepting the controversy of favoritism while planting the Magic Department’s influence in the Imperial Guards.
The Magic Department was already drawing attention lately…
Zing. Zing.
Ian decisively activated his mana and transferred it to Berik. His golden eyes gleamed as his hair fluttered slightly. This wasn’t merely for Berik’s victory. It was a spark to ignite conflict.
“Go, Berik.”
“It feels great after so long!”
Thud!
Berik laughed with satisfaction and leaped down. Jairot’s crown came into view as he wiped blood away. He reflexively raised his right hand to deflect the attack, but the difference was unmistakable.
Crackle! Boom!
Jairot’s lightning-fast mana blade shattered and crumbled. Between the sparkling fragments, Jairot and Berik’s gazes locked. Berik grinned wickedly and winked with one eye.
“Old man. I told you clearly before. I’m not going easy on you.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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