Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 355

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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 355
Fire. The Beast of Burgos
A single line.
That line dividing Clippoford and Burgos had been drawn and redrawn across centuries, shifting from one side to the other.
After finally settling in one place for decades, Clippoford erected a crimson barrier as if declaring it would tolerate no further border changes, and the boundary between the two nations became starkly defined. Remarkably so.
On one side of the wall, verdant grass blades sprouted and thick tree trunks stretched like waves, while on the other, dust swirled by the wind and cracks in the earth like an elder’s wrinkles stood out prominently.
“There, something is visible.”
“From Burgos? Haven’t you heard the rumors that they’re blocking entry procedures for now?”
“Well, that’s…”
The Soldier on duty at the outpost trailed off. What appeared through the telescope was not a group of a dozen or so, but rather what seemed to be hundreds, or perhaps more. Was it an optical illusion caused by the dust?
Soon, sensing something amiss, the Clippoford Soldier hurriedly rang the bell in warning.
“An army is coming from Burgos!”
“Send urgent word to the royal palace!”
“Everyone, defend the barrier!”
I had already sensed the atmosphere of war permeating the entire nation. But I never expected them to appear so suddenly, and with such a massive force at that.
They approached the barrier with bold confidence, waving the Burgos flag, while Clippoford Soldiers raised their weapons and maintained a defensive stance.
“What is the meaning of this? They appear to be Burgos Envoys, but their numbers are excessive!”
As a Clippoford Soldier shouted, Timothy on horseback stepped forward.
“I have come to retrieve the Burgos Envoys currently at the royal palace. Since they cannot move due to illness, it is only proper that Burgos takes responsibility. Here, I have brought appropriate gifts as an apology for the trouble caused to the royal palace, along with Burgos’s finest Doctors. Open the gate.”
“That is impossible.”
“Why?”
“Why? What do you mean why?”
They claim to have come to retrieve the Burgos Envoys, but to anyone’s eyes, their intentions appear impure. Do you think we would simply open the way because you ask?
The Soldiers prioritized defending the border until reinforcements arrived from the royal palace, and locked the gate even more firmly.
“The Burgos Envoys went to Clippoford under the solemn command of Prince Damon. If something has happened to their safety, it is as if something has happened to our King. If you do not open the way, I will consider the Envoys’ lives to be in danger.”
The Clippoford Soldiers realized they were standing at a moment in history.
The prelude to war. The nightmare of the previous generation, forgotten in decades of peace, was becoming reality once more.
“What in the world is that…”
Behind the endless expanse of the Burgos army in the distance, an unfamiliar creature was visible. The distance was too great to distinguish details clearly, but by comparing it to the war chariots drawn by horses beside it, one could estimate its size.
The Clippoford Soldiers recalled that Burgos’s north bordered internal strife, followed by chaos wrought by sorcerers.
Something was coming. The Soldiers on the barrier exchanged resolute glances and drew hip flasks from their bosoms, drinking deeply.
“May this not be our last drink.”
“May we walk beneath the sunset glow of vineyards.”
Clink.
As they pledged themselves to death, Timothy, who had stepped forward, pressed again.
“Open the way. Show that there is no problem between Burgos and Clippoford. Otherwise, I will destroy this barrier by force and enter the royal palace directly to retrieve the Envoys.”
“You speak nonsense. Who would believe such words from someone wielding a sword?”
The Clippoford Soldiers tossed their empty bottles backward and wiped their mouths. And at the same time, they seized their spears and shouted.
“Get out!”
* * *
Boom!
A deafening roar suddenly erupted from somewhere, so tremendous it shook the very earth and heavens—the tremor even reached the royal palace.
Prince Noah, who had finished preparing for the battlefield, turned his head while inspecting his blade.
“What was that sound?”
“I’m not certain. I’ll investigate at once.”
“No need. I’ll go see for myself.”
“Your Highness! We are ready!”
Tap-tap-tap!
The palace soldiers charged forth in a single column, fully armed. Three advisors gestured with resolute precision, while the Cliffford banner fluttered beside them.
Boom-boom! Boom-boom!
A massive drum sounded from the palace’s highest tower—a warning to the people of the emergency and a command for the protesters to return home.
The Prince gazed toward the separate palace where his younger siblings were hidden. The children were probably pressed against the windows, imagining him where they couldn’t see. In moments like this, I truly understood it was a curse. Even as I stepped toward the battlefield, I could not see my family’s faces.
May, fully armed, spoke while holding the Prince’s helmet at her side.
“Your Highness. Let us depart.”
“Yes.”
Before the campaign, I needed to receive the King’s blessing.
The King was already waiting outside, watching the officers. He stood draped in cloth embroidered with gold, gazing down at Cliffford’s warriors. The sadness in his expression was no mere illusion. Knowing the King’s nature well, Cliffford’s officers knelt and simply bowed their heads.
“History is being written anew. Warriors of Cliffford, never forget that the lives of those dear to us rest upon the edge of your blades, that Cliffford’s land and sky rest upon the tips of your fingers, and that the fate of our nation rests upon your final breath.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“The walls of Cliffford shall not crumble. Go forth and stop Burgos’s insolent invasion, and make them answer for their transgression. Let us drink their blood like wine.”
Clang!
A disciplined salute followed. Ian’s group watched that solemn sight in silence. Berik sipped wine and muttered.
“Do we do that when we go to war too?”
“Something similar. When else would we receive the Emperor’s blessing? Especially someone like you.”
“Hey, I’m top of the selection class, so that’s why I’m saying this. If the Emperor had been in good health, he would’ve given me the award himself, not the Prime Minister.”
“I couldn’t go back then. If I had, none of this would’ve happened.”
Berik and Barsabe clashed foreheads again, neither yielding an inch.
Regardless, Heil and Akorelra watched with folded arms as the palace gates opened. The drum’s warning had been quite effective—far fewer people had gathered than before. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say their purpose had changed entirely.
“There are still quite a few people gathered.”
“The protesters have vanished. These are those who’ve come to bless the campaign.”
“Protesting one moment, blessing the next. If Burgos pushes all the way here, they’ll fight alongside us. Busy, busy indeed.”
“That’s what citizens are.”
An unprecedented tension hung over Cliffford, but Ian’s group found themselves in a different position. As outsiders, we stood one step back, merely observing.
Of course, I would help ensure Cliffford didn’t fall, but I needed to see how the border battle would unfold first.
“When do we deploy? Huh? Ian, it’s been so long—let me loosen up! When else would I get to swing around like this? Huh? Huh? Please.”
Berik pleaded with Ian, urging him to sortie quickly, but Ian signaled him to stay calm. From his demeanor, it seemed Berik cared nothing for the war’s strategy and only wanted to taste blood in real combat once more.
Heil and Akorelra shared a cigarette and grabbed him by the nape of his neck.
“Stay put. You mad dog of the Imperial Guard. Everything has its time. Got it?”
“What’d you say, you mana stone lunatic?”
“Oh my. Is the mad dog looking for a fight?”
As Akorelra’s eyes gleamed with fervor, Berik flinched. She looked ready to pull a syringe from her bosom and plunge it into an arm at any moment. That subtle madness was deeply unsettling. Berik discreetly slipped behind Ian and asked.
“So when exactly is that supposed to happen?”
“Around what Clifford considers their limit. When they judge that even one more step forward would be catastrophic, they’ll have no choice but to grasp at foreign hands. That’s when we make our move. That’s how we maximize our existence and value.”
Just then, Prince Noah led the royal procession out of the palace.
The deep call of buffalo horns echoed from all directions, and before the palace gates thrown wide open, countless citizens gathered with hands clasped in prayer. The festive atmosphere of dancing and revelry from the previous night had vanished entirely, replaced only by solemn reverence.
Whoosh.
Before Noah, helmeted and ready, departed the palace, he turned back one last time. He was looking at me. His gaze mingled worry about leaving the palace—where foreign forces were stationed—with the strange faith that we would be Clifford’s salvation.
I placed my hand over my chest in a light salute. Go swiftly to battle. Go and save your kingdom.
“Forward!”
Buuuu—
Clatter clatter!
“Yah! Victory! Our side wins!”
“Prince Noah, you’re amazing!”
With Noah’s resounding cry, the palace soldiers poured out like a retreating tide. Berik and Akorelra cheered loudly, while Heil and I watched silently from behind.
Then, the mages properly dressed and equipped emerged one by one into the open.
“Ian. We’re ready.”
“You’re truly recovered, aren’t you? We don’t need to worry?”
“That’s right. You took a small dose initially, then nothing after that, so honestly, we feel embarrassed.”
They came claiming they would save me, yet they’d been sprawled out sleeping while I moved about like this.
“Don’t speak like that. Had you not come, I’d still be lying down.”
“How much have you recovered?”
“More than half.”
I looked down at my own hands as I answered. Not complete, but enough to mediate a war between Clifford and Burgos. Soon reinforcements would arrive from Bariel as well.
“Here, just in case, each of you take one of these.”
Akorelra flicked her fingers while a cigarette dangled from her lips. She then distributed round, pill-like mana amplifiers to the mages.
“Use them in emergencies. I apologize, but this is my first time solidifying it, so I can’t guarantee there won’t be side effects. But what, you won’t die from it, right? Better than dying in war. I made these with only the minimum mana amplifier we need to return, so keep them safe!”
“You’re handing out something incredible right after waking up.”
“Consider it an honor, you fools. Hah.”
The mages secured the mana amplifiers inside their sleeves and adjusted their clothing.
I hadn’t yet received detailed reports on Burgos’s military strength. The same applied to Noah. But one thing was certain—they were targeting Bariel behind us, so they’d come with considerable force from the start.
It was only a matter of time before the border collapsed. What mattered was where Noah could hold the line.
Whoosh!
“Ian! Ian!”
Then, a mage descended from the sky. His cheeks were pallid—whether from the cold wind or something else, I couldn’t tell. He’d been watching the situation from above under my orders, but…
“Something strange is showing up?”
“Something strange?”
“At the Clifford border. On the Burgos side, we’ve spotted something unusual. It’s too organic to be a war machine, yet too massive to be a beast. We can’t see it clearly from here—should we investigate? Should we go closer?”
The mage crouched by the window frame, nodding his head. Using massive beasts in war wasn’t particularly unusual. But the way the mage was making such a fuss suggested there was something peculiar about it.
“Go and scout. Identify it and assess the situation, then return immediately. Do not engage without orders.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be back shortly!”
“Maybe it’s because he’s young—he’s still got plenty of energy left.”
“When we cycled through our mana four times, he only went through it twice.”
“Hey! Be careful! Don’t get hit by those flying arrows!”
My colleagues all cried out in worry, and the mage waved his hand before disappearing beyond the palace walls. Watching him go, Akorelra suddenly murmured as if remembering something.
“Ah, now that I think about it.”
“What is it, Akorelra?”
“The mana anomaly detector we installed at the border. Since we’ve come this far down, I suppose we should investigate it before heading back up. Though I’m not sure if circumstances will allow it.”
I rested my chin in my hand, gazing absently at the sky. My eyes slowly widened.
“A mana anomaly detector….”
“Yes. That thing. That one.”
“What was it supposed to detect again?”
Did I not know? That couldn’t be right. Akorelra shrugged and answered.
“Well, aside from mage activity, if any mana anomalies appear, it means monsters….”
The mages all turned to look at Akorelra at once. Even Berik, crunching grapes between his teeth.
In that moment, she seemed to catch on to what they were thinking, and with an “Oh!”, she snapped her fingers.
“It means there’s a possibility that monsters could appear! Jackpot!”

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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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