Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 359

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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 359
Fire. The Sorcerer from the North
The palace gates opened once more. It had been only a short time since Prince Noah departed. The citizens who witnessed this instinctively sensed that something had befallen the contingent led by the Prince, and they clasped their hands together in prayer.
May the Prince, Cliffford’s future and pride, return safely. And may those who went with him—their families, friends, and loved ones—also return unharmed.
Then.
Whoooosh.
Boom, boom—
The emergency war drums silenced all prayers.
The citizens moved urgently to their assigned roles. Some gathered food from their homes and rationed meals, others boarded up doors and windows with planks, and still others inverted farming tools against their walls to prepare for intruders. The wars their ancestors had endured had always been tavern talk, and so the people of Cliffford had unknowingly inherited those memories.
As each household constructed its own defensive line, the palace dispatched the Second Legion. Two thousand soldiers led by the General, brimming with the King’s blessing, charged down the central avenue. A purple tide surged fiercely toward the outskirts, like wine flowing from a vessel.
Clatter, clatter!
“They’re here! The General has come from the palace!”
“Reform the ranks. Each company and subordinate squad must maintain battle readiness and remain vigilant!”
Two thousand soldiers assembled near the palace and three thousand conscripted from the outskirts—five thousand in total—moved in orderly fashion with swords and shields, following their commanders’ orders.
The General dismounted and immediately ascended the city wall, receiving the salute of the Garrison Commander.
“You’ve arrived.”
“What of Burgos?”
“They’re beginning to appear within sight.”
The outer wall leading into Cliffford’s capital. The Garrison Commander overseeing it watched as the General peered through a spyglass at the advancing darkness. A dark mass approached, kicking up dust—it felt like death’s own storm drawing near. He wiped the sweat from his palm discreetly and asked the General.
“Would it not be wise to conduct a defensive siege from within the walls? The walls are high and sturdy, so we could leverage the advantages of fortification.”
“The border tried that same approach and still collapsed, which is why they’ve reached here.”
“That was because there weren’t enough troops there. With this many soldiers, defense is entirely feasible.”
“Even with many soldiers, the number that can be deployed on a wall is limited. You don’t intend to pack them in like chickens in a coop, do you? If we were meant to fight along the walls, I wouldn’t have assembled this many in the first place.”
Even from atop the wall, only the enemy’s vanguard was visible. Unlike Ian, who had immediately identified the composite monsters in the sky, accurate assessment of the overall situation was delayed.
The General solemnly announced the battle objective to all.
“Furthermore, the enemy employed the monster Baekgak to breach the barrier. If this wall falls as well, it opens a direct path to the capital itself. We will deploy soldiers outside the wall for interception. Open the gates! We construct our defense line.”
“Yes. Understood.”
“Aaaaagh!”
Crash!
The moment the Garrison Commander turned around, a man with crimson hair suddenly fell from the sky. He attempted to land properly but tumbled forward, sprawling flat on his back before the General’s feet.
Clang!
Was this an attack from Burgos? Everyone reflexively drew their blades, while Berik continuously rubbed his forehead and shouted into the air.
“Hey! Did you do that on purpose?”
“What? You said you could jump from that height.”
“I said a bit lower! Damn it!”
Following Berik’s gaze, the General and the commanders’ eyes also lifted skyward.
Mages. Then the man who fell from above must be one of Bariel’s people. Everyone relaxed and sheathed their drawn swords.
“What brings you here? We received no orders from the Prince to work with mages.”
“Ah, a messenger should arrive soon. Ian went to the palace to meet with the Prince. Look, look over there—can you see it? Or is it not visible from here?”
“I’m not certain what you mean.”
“There are composite monsters in the Burgos legion.”
Composite monsters? Was there even a creature by such a name? The General tilted his head in evident confusion.
Berik smoothed the protruding bump on his head and seized the moment to show off his knowledge.
“They mixed this and that together to make a monster. People here aren’t nearly equipped for it. Can’t even get close, right? Who among you can tear apart a bear?”
Berik grinned widely and raised his hand, but everyone merely stared down at him expressionlessly.
“Only me then. What about a lizard?”
Surely a lizard could be caught? The Garrison Commander started to raise his hand when Berik added:
“Its head’s this big and its tongue is ridiculously long—you get torn in half before you even get close.”
Well, then it can’t be caught. The Garrison Commander lowered his hand, and Berik smiled with satisfaction, crossing his arms. As if this was exactly what he wanted.
“Hehe. Can’t be helped then. Looks like I, Berik, have no choice but to help.”
“Ignore his nonsense. The reddish-brown bear is called Bergman, and the lizard is a creature known as Tiefe. Both have hides that don’t tear easily, so Ian went to take measures.”
“There’s a real one inside that body! If we don’t burst it, we can’t bring it down!”
Alerting the royal palace swiftly was the priority, but we needed an appropriate weapon capable of tearing through the composite monster’s hide. Though I didn’t know what Ian intended, he’d said he was going to meet Akorelra, so it shouldn’t be difficult to procure.
“General, you bear responsibility for Cliffford’s fate. Judge correctly and respond accordingly. We will focus on restraining the monsters until Ian returns.”
“I see. I understand roughly. Then we’ll form an attack formation centered on the monsters, and… wait a moment.”
The General unfolded a map and brought out small tactical stones.
“Where are the monsters positioned?”
“A pair here, and then another coming in a line shortly after. The stench was so severe they seemed to move clustered together rather than spread across multiple locations.”
The Mage pinpointed the composite monsters’ positions while also explaining the overall formation structure—how the left and right flanks were moving, which side bore the main concentration, and so forth.
“And there’s something I’m uncertain whether Cliffford can manage.”
“Speak freely. We have no choice but to accomplish it.”
“There must be a Sorcerer commanding those monsters somewhere. With thirty creatures, there’s at least one, possibly up to thirty. If we capture them, we might stop the control.”
But Sorcerers, unlike Mages, didn’t use mana. Thus we couldn’t track their aura, and finding them hidden among thousands of Burgos soldiers was nearly impossible.
And who knows? They might be inside the barrier.
“Are there any clues? If they’re included in their camp, we can only identify them during battle, but if they’re hiding nearby or inside, I’ll organize a special unit to investigate.”
“Unfortunately, there are no clues. Ian said that Sorcerers often have northern bloodlines mixed in, so it would help to focus on checking northerners.”
Cliffford was a homogeneous people. Especially compared to northern lineages, they had completely different appearances and characteristics. If we examined inside the barrier, we could find the Sorcerers without difficulty.
But if he was inside that legion?
“Then we just kill them all.”
Berik stood up, tapping his sword against the ground. His eyes gleamed brilliantly, sparkling with an indescribable radiance.
“Berik. We agreed we’d only deal with the monsters.”
If Mages not officially dispatched to the war between Burgos and Cliffford got involved, it could complicate matters later—both externally and internally. That was Ian’s consideration.
“I know. I’m only killing monsters, but things that get caught up in the process can’t be helped, right? It’s like picking beans out of rice while eating.”
“What kind of logic is that?”
“Delicious! If you just eat without being picky, it all gets clean anyway. Still don’t understand? You’re hopeless, hopeless.”
Crack.
Berik twisted his waist back and forth, loosening up. No matter how I looked at it, his demeanor was far too frivolous, indistinguishable from a street ruffian—was such a person really a Mage?
As the General watched the Mages with worried eyes, they laughed awkwardly.
“Yes, he’s one of ours. Despite appearances, his skills are respectable. Don’t worry about that—just do what you need to do, General. From what I heard earlier, you’re constructing a defensive line.”
“I’m Bariel, First Class!”
“Burgos continues to advance. We don’t have much time, do we?”
That’s true. Every group has its oddities. Why would Bariel’s mage division be any different? If anything, they’d have more. The General collected himself and issued orders to his subordinates.
“Open the barrier gate.”
“Yes, General.”
“Construct a defensive line, and simultaneously seal the gate from within the barrier. Since Baekgak possesses centipede-like characteristics, take measures to prevent it from climbing the walls.”
They decided to protect the barrier by digging long trenches along it and filling them with adhesive.
“The 2nd Legion constructs the defensive line, the 3rd Legion digs behind them. We need at least a hundred meters of clearance. We don’t know the force of Baekgak detonating simultaneously. Mobilize the nearby residents as well.”
This was a people who made their living tilling fields and moving earth every day. Unlike the vineyards, the ground outside the barrier was hard, but they didn’t need to farm it—just dig deep enough for the adhesive to pool. It could be completed in half a day at most.
At the General’s command, each captain moved busily, and soon the city gates swung wide open as thousands of soldiers poured out.
Creeeak!
Tap tap tap!
“The enemy will approach. When I signal, the 3rd Legion stops work and splits left and right to escort the 2nd Legion. Soldiers inside the barrier, guide the residents within and seal it firmly!”
Berik quietly chewed on dried meat placed on the table while watching the scene unfold. Against the monsters, Burgos’s forces had no choice but to move once they drew close enough. He placed one foot on the barrier wall and shouted.
“Waaah! Beautiful weather!”
“Madman. Don’t waste energy. Stay quiet.”
“Come on! I’ll slaughter every last one of you! Hahahaha!”
The soldiers working below the barrier glanced up. Seeing the eccentric’s antics somehow eased the tension.
Berik waved and laughed at the farmers watching him. Even as they swung their pickaxes frantically, they couldn’t take their eyes off Berik. Some even echoed his words, boosting morale.
“That’s right! Come and try! I’ll give you a proper beating!”
“Once we catch them, let’s pour wine up their noses while they’re still alive!”
“Ahahaha! That’d be a waste.”
“These bastards underestimated Cliffford. Just try coming! I’ll smash your faces in with pickaxes! Do you know how much strength we use every day?”
The mages sat comfortably, concentrating on their inner energy. The mana amplifier Akorelra provided was a last resort. So before facing the enemy, it was crucial to gather and elevate their strength as much as possible.
Ziiing. Zing.
Watching the mages, Berik sprawled out and examined his sword. The black blade felt far lighter than usual. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but something—a powerful aura—seemed to radiate from it in a way he couldn’t quite explain.
Sniff sniff. Berik grinned and murmured to himself.
‘You’ve sensed it too. That delicious scent.’
* * *
The Burgos forces noticed the commotion before the barrier gate after it opened. The Burgos General peered through a telescope, pondering.
He wished they could arrive before the defensive line was complete, but they had already marched relentlessly from the Burgos royal palace, crossed the border, and pierced through two villages without pause. The horses were breathing hard, and the condition of the heavily armored infantry was obvious.
‘Hurrying is best, but it’s time to rest. As long as we move before the rear guard catches up.’
“What should we do?” Timothy asked.
The General instructed his subordinate.
“Go and bring the sorcerers.”
“Yes, General.”
Soon, mounted figures advanced forward. There were seventeen of them, all men dressed like ordinary soldiers so the enemy wouldn’t notice.
“Among these, who can control the farthest distance?”
“I can, General.”
A young man nodded at the General’s call.
“You were from Astana?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Fall back to the rear and cover our flank.”
The young man bowed in acknowledgment. As he did, a necklace slipped slightly into view—a rather large crimson gemstone dangling from it.
Jewelry on the battlefield? The General shook his head in disapproval, muttering that Sorcerers were truly incomprehensible creatures, before turning his gaze forward.
Cliffford’s barrier still stood firm and unyielding.

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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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