Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 385

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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 385
Fire. Golden Arrow
Buuuu—
A buffalo horn blast rang out loudly from the Burgos encampment.
An announcement to all soldiers: their King had arrived in person, and they must rally their spirits, seize victory with certainty, and advance forward.
The main force soldiers, spread across the left and right flanks, all prostrated themselves and bowed toward the center. Timothy’s desertion was quickly pushed aside, and only the King’s participation consumed the soldiers’ minds, pounding in their hearts.
A war where the King himself participates—such a battle could only end in absolute victory. Moreover, victory would likely save their lives with high probability, allowing them to survive and return to their homeland. Together with their King.
“General! His Highness has arrived!”
“Yes. I know.”
Much time had already been wasted.
Therefore, Damon set aside formalities and ordered an immediate attack upon arrival. Every second counted to enter the capital. The same applied to the earthquake; above all, he intended to finish this before a great army arrived from Bariel.
The General gestured for the flags to be raised. Then the buffalo horn sounded again.
Buuuu—
“Maintain formation and advance!”
“Left flank, hold your shields firm and focus on defense!”
With shields held on the left and weapons on the right, advancing naturally meant the shielded left flank would inevitably meet the enemy first.
The enemy’s left flank against our left flank. Victory or defeat hinged greatly on which shields broke first, so the General commanded his soldiers to steady their formation.
The King would likely participate but not throw himself into the fray. He would simply watch from behind. If so, this was a golden opportunity to demonstrate his martial prowess directly to the King. One humiliation from Timothy’s desertion was enough.
Boom! Thud!
“What of the Sorcerers?”
“Yes. Each Sorcerer has a limited effective range for controlling Synthetic Monsters, so we’ve positioned them at appropriate intervals. Half will strike the enemy formation alongside the left flank soldiers, and half will provide support from behind.”
The General stroked his beard and picked up a cigarette. The smoke entering deep into his lungs always tasted good, but burning it while feigning death felt different. When one thought it was the last time, everything took on a deeper hue.
“You’ve considered the Mages’ attacks, I assume.”
“Yes. I’ve given the Sorcerers strict instructions. Last time, I noticed the red-haired Mage Knight didn’t pierce through the belly skin, did she? Rather than responding to each attack individually, I instructed them to cooperate and complement each other, and made them move in pairs of at least two. Since the cores can be used indefinitely as long as they aren’t destroyed, this is our strategy to leverage that advantage.”
“What of the Sorcerer Hasara?”
“Deployed to the left flank.”
“Is that so?”
“Why do you ask, sir?”
The night Timothy fled, Hasha’s Synthetic Monster caused a commotion, which delayed its discovery.
Hasha claimed it was an issue that arose when the sorcery connection was severed and reestablished, but something was certainly amiss. Even before Timothy disappeared, the General had continuously emphasized interrogating Hasha.
The General continued smoking his cigarette, then shook his head.
“Assign eyes to closely observe Hasha’s actions. If he shows any unusual behavior during combat, report it immediately, or if circumstances permit, summary execution is authorized.”
“Summary execution is….”
The subordinate hesitated in confusion.
The King was present on this battlefield. The tide of battle could turn based on the Sorcerer’s abilities, yet the General would enforce summary execution? This was entirely unlike the General’s usual conduct.
The General crushed out his cigarette and warned his subordinate.
“That’s precisely because the King is here. We cannot afford problems. Which weighs more—the advantage gained from a Sorcerer, or a stain on my honor in a battle where the King participates? Must I really spell it out?”
“No, sir. I will remember this well.”
“Good. Then, shall we?”
All preparations were complete. He reverently donned his helmet and mounted his horse.
“The Mages will arrive first.”
“Yes, General.”
“Sound the buffalo horn. Let’s move.”
“Sound the buffalo horn! We advance!”
Boooooo—
Boom! Boom boom!
Soldiers gripped shields as large as their own bodies, steeling their resolve. And among them stood the Synthetic Monsters. The stench did create some spacing between the ranks, but that was actually beneficial—it maintained the intervals necessary to withstand the Mages’ area attacks.
As the General charged forward on horseback, the soldiers began moving in formation behind him.
Clatter clatter!
“Forward!”
“Hyaaaaa!”
And in the distance, Cliffford’s violet tide became visible. To counter Burgos, they too had sent their soldiers forward. Since their primary objective was holding the barrier, their battle would unfold near the Burgos encampment.
As the horses galloped swiftly, a report came from a Subordinate.
“They’re here! The Mages!”
“The Mages are coming! Everyone, prepare!”
Whoosh!
Bariel’s Mages soared through the blue sky. They had shed their robes, momentarily confusing those trying to count their numbers.
Among the fluttering garments, a man with crimson hair descended alongside them.
“Wooaaah! I see him again!”
“He’s here! The red-haired man!”
As Berik descended toward the Synthetic Monsters without hesitation, nearby soldiers unleashed a barrage of arrows. The Idgal-coated projectiles gleamed in the sunlight, appearing like stars raining down even in broad daylight.
* * *
“Tch, too slow!”
Slash! Clang!
Berik felt his heart pounding as he swung his blade. His body was in perfect condition—arrows were visible to his eyes. It was thanks to Ian infusing him with mana, but he now realized anew that the scent of blood was stimulating him.
Crash!
“Aaaagh!”
The Burgos Soldiers raised their shields in unison to brace for Berik’s descent.
Berik’s spine struck directly against the shields, and he rolled with a sharp cry. Through the gaps, spears thrust upward relentlessly. They too were coated with Idgal.
“Kill him! Raise the spears!”
“Huh? What? Wha—?”
Berik barely maintained his balance as he ran across the shield wall, narrowly dodging the spear tips as if hopping across stepping stones.
But no matter how much he evaded, as long as he didn’t descend, he couldn’t escape their assault.
Berik unleashed his mana and drove his black blade downward. The tightly packed shield wall cracked, and he fell through to the ground below.
“Aaaagh!”
“Maintain formation!”
“You old men, make way and I’ll handle it! I will!”
“Push forward! There’s only one of him!”
“Front line, keep your shields up! What about the Mages?!”
“They’re approaching the Synthetic Monsters!”
Whoooosh!
Berik’s actions spoke louder than his words—despite claiming he wouldn’t kill if the path was cleared, he charged forward anyway.
His sword strike scattered the formation significantly, yet Berik found himself in the position of a beast fallen upon by an ant colony. With so many swarming him, countless cuts appeared across his arms and sides.
“Tch!”
Clang! Clang!
The Mages said they’d eliminate the Synthetic Monsters if I just caused enough chaos here—how much longer do I have to keep this up?
Berik leaped over the soldiers, looking toward the Synthetic Monster. But what was this?
“Hey! What are you doing?!”
“Shut up! Berik! Keep doing what you’re doing!”
“You want me to cover for them? No way! I’ll go! I’ll kill it!”
“Shut up! Follow Ian’s orders! The Mages handle the monsters!”
“Those nobles probably only know how to cut steaks with a sword! Look at them—they’re pathetic!”
“Silence!”
Two Mages were drawing magical circles in the sky, attempting to restrict the Synthetic Monster’s movements, while the remaining Mages slowly advanced, severing Tiefe’s tongue.
Frustrated by the sluggish attacks, Berik lifted his head.
“Iaaaaan! These guys are terrible with a sword! Can you hear me?! Are you nearby?!”
Clang! Clang!
“Aaaaah!”
“Don’t retreat! Retreat and face military law!”
“Advance!”
Berik searched for Ian while fighting the Soldiers, but it wasn’t easy. His only choice was to continue disrupting their formation and push toward the Synthetic Monster.
In the chaotic situation with attacks coming endlessly from front, back, and sides, Berik prepared to release his power and swing his sword again. But the trained Soldiers had already planted their shields firmly in the ground, bracing for his attack. Whether it would break through Idgal or not, they were determined to hold their ground.
“How dare you block me with that! You idiots!”
Whoooosh!
The black sword flashed brilliantly, but it failed to pierce the shield wall.
A strange current flowed between the tense Soldiers and the confident Berik. A small silence within the fierce chaos. They exchanged glances for a moment, then rushed at each other again.
“There’s a chance! Kill him!”
“Right. It’s holding. Damn. I was the fool.”
Whoooosh! Whoosh!
Blood spurted from the necks of Soldiers falling with their helmets. It was impossible to tell whether the droplets clinging to the tips of Berik’s red hair were his sweat or his enemies’ blood.
When had he last found himself in such an extreme situation? It seemed like that alley in Bratz with Ian was the first time. Back then, his power hadn’t awakened, and he didn’t have the black sword—he’d been practically drenched in blood.
“Remembering the old days… it’s not bad.”
Think of it as a month’s worth of training. Berik didn’t notice his lips curling upward as he continued to push through the gaps in the shield wall.
Around that time, Cliffford’s Soldiers were also drawing closer to Burgos’s side.
“Waaa! Let’s go! Bariel is helping us!”
“Protect your homeland with your own hands!”
“Eliminate the Intruders and safeguard the nation!”
“Waaaa!”
The General observing the overall situation frowned. The left flank was a mess because of that red-haired bastard, and the right flank?
“The right flank…”
Similarly chaotic, yet with a subtly different quality. If the left flank erupted like scattered sparks of fire, the right flank was like a cool poison that killed silently and efficiently.
Either way, the situation remained dire. We hadn’t even engaged Cliffford’s forces yet.
“Sorcerers!”
“Yes!”
As the General raised his hand and shouted, his subordinates exchanged signals. Even if we couldn’t completely annihilate Cliffford, eliminating just a few Mages would be enough to earn the King’s satisfaction.
They moved with purpose, and soon began blowing the horn that signaled the Sorcerers.
Whoosh!
The Synthetic Monster then focused intently, lowering its body to seize the Mages. The way Tiefe’s long tongue moved fluidly back and forth resembled a toad desperately trying to catch flies.
The Mages dodged the incoming Idgal arrows and Tiefe’s attacks simultaneously while pressing their own assault.
It was frustrating, but Berik’s words held merit. Without field experience—unless one worked in external operations—combat was genuinely difficult.
“Damn it!”
Just then, one Mage was caught by Tiefe. The creature seized his wrist and dragged him toward its back, about to impale him on the venomous spines. Even if it simply swallowed him, it had learned from previous penetrations to vary its tactics.
No matter how skilled a Mage might be, their body remained human. Thrown toward a back bristling with venomous spines, death would be unavoidable.
“Hah!”
“Ugh!”
Slash!
But in that instant, I severed Tiefe’s tongue in a flash. The attack was so swift that no one could follow my movements with their eyes. They could only infer my presence from the golden gleam that lingered and the trace of my hair.
“I’ve located the Sorcerers’ positions.”
I transmitted the information to the Mages through magic.
This was what everyone had been waiting for. By discerning the approximate locations of the Sorcerers through the signals given by Hasha’s Synthetic Monster and its position, we could eliminate them.
Wouldn’t it be better to have the Sorcerers bleeding rather than bursting the monster and releasing impure substances?
“Ian!”
Zing. Zing.
I activated magic circles in the sky near the Sorcerers’ positions.
To block this, a torrential rain of Idgal arrows poured down. The Mages, shielding my defenseless form, continued protecting me with their barriers.
Crash!
But at that moment.
An arrow the Mages couldn’t block grazed my shoulder. I sensed an ominous presence and turned my head.
In the distance, a yellow wave was approaching.
“…Eriponi.”
The King of Eriponi smiled, his eyes narrowing.
“Hmm. Looks like I arrived just in time. Let’s get to it quickly. There are plenty of things floating in the sky—I’ll hunt them all down.”

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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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