Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 550

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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 549
Fire. The Crack’s Fissure
“No!”
Berik stepped in front of Captain Jeirat, blocking his path. The cloth that had been tightly wrapped around his abdomen hung loose, half-unwound. Blood spilled forth in a torrent, yet Berik seemed not to care.
Instead, Captain Jeirat’s gaze was caught by the wound.
“You’re bleeding heavily, Berik.”
“Damn it, old man! What the hell can you do out there?”
“It’s not about what I can do, but what I must attempt. Count Ian didn’t anticipate this either, nor did any of the Mages. This isn’t a natural phenomenon—it’s something the Atan orchestrated. If they could cause it, we can stop it.”
“I don’t care! You could die out there! Do you understand what death means?”
Captain Jeirat laughed softly. So much time had passed. To see Berik thrashing about like this, speaking of death—it stirred something within me.
“Why, didn’t you once say it was good?”
“What?”
“If the captain’s position opens up, a subordinate can take it.”
“That’s—!”
I still remember it vividly. That reckless, wild fool thrashing about in the selection tournament, declaring he’d kill me and take the captain’s position.
Captain Jeirat slowly lowered his stance, then pressed his hand against the ground as if about to sprint forward.
“Why would I die for someone else’s benefit?”
“Old man! Damn it, no! Don’t go! Please!”
“Shut up and handle the cleanup. And—”
Zzzziiing!
Magical power surged around Captain Jeirat. All the Imperial Guards watched reverently, and Bonita placed her hand over her heart in a gesture of respect.
“Berik. Well done. Grasping your own blade is the first step as a Mage Knight. You’ll be worth watching from now on.”
“Damn it! Someone stop him! Please!”
“Berik, move aside. This is the captain’s resolve.”
Berik turned to Barsabe, seeking her help, but she shook her head.
With no choice left, the moment Berik tried to grab Captain Jeirat—
Boom!
Flash!
Captain Jeirat roared and struck the ground.
In an instant, lightning blazed from all directions, and the world alternated between darkness and blinding light. Under the torrential barrage of thunder, the demonic beasts withered and fell helplessly to ash.
As a path opened, Captain Jeirat shot through the fissure in a single breath and raced toward the hilltop to the north.
Whoooosh!
“Old man!”
“Berik, stop and draw your blade.”
“Bonita! You damn—!”
“Don’t forget Captain Jeirat’s orders.”
‘By the Emperor’s command, those who obstruct Bariel’s path shall be dealt with decisively. Remember this. We are Bariel’s heart.’
Bonita turned to address the guards, speaking calmly. Behind her, great bolts of lightning continued to strike down.
Boom!
Boom!
“Draw your swords, and we shall fulfill our duty.”
“Your command, understood.”
“Your command, understood.”
*Clang!*
They saluted Bonita, but I knew the truth—everyone’s heart was turned northward.
*Boom!*
*Screech!*
Captain Jairot pushed northward through the horde of demonic beasts. I had suspected something was amiss, but seeing the interior left me speechless.
The barrier where the Mages had stood was utterly destroyed, leaving no trace of its former shape, and the world seemed filled entirely with black filth—that vile, nauseating substance of demonic beasts.
*Uuuuung—*
*Boom! Boom!*
Jairot hurled lightning bolts in every direction, searching for a crack through which to advance. I could see the flow of the demonic beasts, but tracing it back to its source was impossible—pure chaos, with order utterly shattered.
*Crash!*
*Shriek!*
Then, amid the demonic beasts, I sensed a faint presence—a very familiar aura. Thanks to Berik.
‘The Black Swords.’
I felt a powerful gravitational pull and approached slowly. Dozens of the Atan Clan’s black swords were embedded throughout the area like tombstones over graves.
Setting aside how the rift had opened, it appeared they had been used to lure the demonic beasts outward. Jairot immediately began shattering them one by one.
*Flash! Boom!*
Once I recognized the black swords’ presence, the flow of the demonic beasts became far clearer. As each sword cooled and fell silent, the number of beasts pouring from the rift gradually diminished.
Though I could not seal the hole completely, it was meaningful. At this rate, the Imperial Guards could hold the line until the Magic Department arrived.
—Human.
“…?!”
As I relentlessly destroyed the black swords, an unpleasant voice reached my ears.
I paused only briefly before discovering a rippling shadow at my feet.
* * *
*Kyuuuuu!*
“There! A dragon! The dragon is returning!”
“Quite fast—winged creatures are unstoppable.”
“Wait? But someone is riding on its back!”
“B-Bariel armor! It must be the vanguard!”
“The dragon is landing! Everyone, fall back!”
*Whoosh!*
The dragon slid across the wide field like it was skidding, and the soldiers could not open their eyes against the billowing dust.
Apparently satisfied with the landing, Kyu exhaled a small flame and chuckled contentedly.
“Hey, are you alright?”
“My goodness, all this blood—”
The soldiers carefully lowered the people draped across the dragon’s back one by one. From the ropes bound around their torsos, it appeared they had secured themselves, but they seemed to have lost consciousness during the flight.
“Are they dead?”
“No, they’re still breathing.”
“Come to your senses! Medic! Bring the medic!”
It wasn’t as though they’d been dipped entirely in blood and pulled out—what in the world had happened to leave them in such a state? Out of hundreds of scouts, only six had returned alive.
“Xiaoxi. Over here.”
“…Is anyone conscious?”
“U-ugh….”
“Here! This soldier has regained consciousness!”
Someone shouted from the far end. A middle-aged man, he gasped for breath and barely managed to mumble. It seemed less a matter of severe physical trauma than profound psychological shock.
“Demonic beasts poured forth. A woman from behind killed all the soldiers, and in front, the demonic beasts—I thought we were dying when God saved us. Imperial Guards, I truly thought I was going to die then….”
Xiaoxi furrowed his brow. He’d suspected there might be a problem with the rift, but this was a genuine catastrophe.
“Who is this woman?”
“I-I don’t know. Her strength was superhuman, and she showed no fear in cutting down people. She seemed like a Mage, but I’m not certain.”
“A Mage.”
“It seems that woman and her associates brought the demonic beasts. The earth trembled, and from far away they came down the hillside… all my comrades died, and when I came to my senses, I was already running. With a cross carved into me. If not for a soldier who ran ahead, I would have died there too.”
A cross.
As the man’s fingertips trembled weakly while he spoke, Xiaoxi examined his body. On the left side of his neck was a cross carved as if by a blade—a mark of prayer for God’s protection against the demonic beasts.
“I understand. Focus on treatment for now.”
What of the others? Xiaoxi surveyed the soldiers with a glance. One woman and five men. Only one conscious. He committed the details to memory and turned away.
“….”
Then, his gaze lingered once more on the female soldier who lay unconscious, her head turned away. Something about her felt familiar.
But from head to toe she was drenched in blood, and her condition was so dire that it was difficult to make out her features.
“Once she regains consciousness after treatment, bring her upstairs.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Put a leash on the Dragon.”
Kyuuuu!
The Dragon thumped its tail against the ground, making pleased sounds. The soldiers hesitated, frightened.
Tap tap tap!
“Your Majesty. It is Xiaoxi. The Dragon has returned with the scout unit.”
“Speak.”
Perhaps sensing the unsettled atmosphere among the troops, the air inside the conference chamber was quite heavy. Xiaoxi bowed his head and reported to Jin.
“It appears the problem lies not with Cliffford, but with the rift in the northern territories. Demonic beasts are flooding through, and the Imperial Guards are holding the line for now. However, there seems to be a force accompanying the demonic beasts—my suspicion is that it may be the Atan Clan.”
As Jin’s expression darkened, Ian’s eyes narrowed as well. Suddenly, they recalled a history they had forgotten.
‘The Attack of the Great Demonic Beast.’
North of Bariel, the Atan Clan had once grown their forces significantly, only to be crushed and annihilated by the Imperial Guard Captain. The timing and circumstances aligned perfectly.
The tremor in the rift was surely Rutherford’s doing, and it was only natural that the Atan Clan, being used as a tool beneath him, would make an appearance.
“Of the six surviving scout soldiers, only one has regained consciousness and made a report.”
Merely six. Jin closed his eyes in sorrow, then called for Ian.
If the rift had opened, no other department could act. Only the Magic Department, and specifically Ian—the strongest among them and one who had personally experienced a rift—could provide a solution.
“Count Ian.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will go at once.”
It was fine. No problem.
If the clash between the Atan Clan and the Imperial Guards were to be etched into history, then its outcome was already determined. Ian added firmly, telling me not to worry.
“Bariel will be safe.”
His tone was resolute, without a shred of doubt, so I found myself nodding without realizing it. Yes. Bariel would be safe. Even if demonic beasts flooded the land, they wouldn’t trample a single blade of grass.
“Minister Tweller. Please organize a new unit with soldiers equipped with Dera Tribe weapons. I trust the Imperial Guards, but there will certainly be demonic beasts that slip through their lines.”
“We’ll search as we advance northward.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Forgive me, but I’ll take my leave first.”
“Count Ian.”
I called to Ian carefully.
“Everyone must return safely.”
Not just Ian, but Berik, the Imperial Guards, and all the other soldiers as well. Each and every one of them was precious to Bariel. Ian bowed his head at my words.
“I will do my best.”
How could one speak of war without death, or fierce battle without suffering? But Ian understood my heart deeply.
Because he felt the same way.
Because he had grieved for the countless lives that faded on the battlefield.
Though he might come to realize it someday in the distant future, for now he could only bow his head for me.
Whoosh!
As Ian left the tent, Zaira approached. She had been waiting for news all this time. Several mages had also awakened early, but their recovered magical power was woefully insufficient.
“Ian. What’s the matter? Yawn.”
“The noise woke me up. But you didn’t sleep either? Zaira, you too? Wow, you’ve got great stamina.”
“You all should go rest more. Akorelra!”
“Yes?”
Akorelra, who had been lounging in a hammock and swaying contentedly, lifted her head.
“How many mana amplifiers and recovery potions do we currently have available?”
“We still have plenty. About… fifteen bottles of each? The kids have already drunk enough, and we can manufacture more while traveling, so our reserves will be maintained. Oh wait. Captain Jairot took one bottle earlier, so that’s fourteen bottles.”
Ian handed over a small pouch and instructed her.
“Pack two bottles each and bring them here.”
“You’re going, Ian? Why? Did something really happen?”
“A rift has opened. I’m going to deal with it.”
A rift.
At Ian’s words, the mages except Zaira froze with their eyes wide open. Did those words really just come from Ian’s mouth? And what? He’s going to deal with it?
The combination of words that vividly brought back the trauma from ten years ago. The mages just gaped their mouths before bolting toward where the mages slept.
Crash! Bang!
They threw open the carriage door as if to break it, walked with the force of tearing through tents, drew their breath up from their core, and shouted.
“W-WAKE UP! Wake up! Wake up! Ian’s going to check out a rift!”
“Get up, you youngsters! Don’t stay sprawled out! Ian’s going to a rift! Hurry and follow!”
“…Huh? What?”
“Wipe your drool! Rub your eyes! Get up!”
“Ian’s going to a rift? I must be hearing things.”
“He’s going alone again! Snap to it!”
Ian was checking the dragon’s reins when he turned his head at the sound of footsteps rushing toward him from behind.
“P-please, Ian. Let’s go together.”
“….”
At the magicians’ quarters, the Mages came stumbling over in a disheveled state—their faces swollen, their eyes and mouths crusted with sleep.

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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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