Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 555

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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 554
Fire.
The Returnees of Astana
Save for those who had engaged in trade, most were crossing the Bariel border for the first time. This included even Emperor Jin himself. Prince Marib had undertaken a grand tour during his youth as the Crown Prince, but Jin had never had such an opportunity.
Everyone walked forward with vigor, their hearts stirring with unfamiliar emotions—the tension and excitement and wonder of leaving Bariel behind.
“Sheesh, all I see are rocky mountains.”
Berik leaned halfway out the carriage window, gazing at the landscape with a bored expression. Truly, not a single blade of grass could be found in this desolate vista.
One of the Astana delegation stewards approached on horseback, drawing his mount closer to the carriage.
“How are you feeling, sir?”
“Well enough. Haven’t been eating properly, so I’m not quite myself.”
“We’ll be meeting up with the Astana forces soon at the designated point, so please bear with us a little longer. And Count Ian.”
They peered into the carriage and called to Ian. When Ian looked up from the reports he’d been studying, they signaled to him discreetly.
“The King wishes to speak with you privately.”
“Understood. I’ll visit him once the carriage stops.”
“Very well then.”
Hasha wanted a private audience? What could this be about?
Ian nodded thoughtfully for a moment, but that was all. Just as he was about to pick up his pen again—
Whoooosh—
Whoosh—
A buffalo horn sounded clearly from far ahead. It was the signal that Astana’s reinforcements were in sight.
The soldiers, who hadn’t rested properly since crossing the border, erupted in unison with small cheers, and the Astana delegation likewise gasped with delight.
“Ah, finally I can stretch out and sleep!”
“You said it. I thought I was dying these past few days.”
“Good grief, I’m worried we’ll fall ill before we even reach Burgos. Ha ha ha!”
“But wait, could that really be the Astana reinforcements?”
“Huh? What, are you joking?”
There were roughly a hundred of them. Most were unarmed, and it appeared children were scattered among them.
They might have merely appeared that way, like Katimako, but in any case, their first impression was hardly impressive. They looked more like refugees than reinforcements. Murmurs of disappointment rippled through the soldiers.
“Summon the Astana delegation and confirm whether these are indeed the reinforcements!”
The officers were equally bewildered. Yet they maintained their composure, directing the formation and carefully observing the group that appeared to be Astana’s reinforcements.
Flutter! They responded by waving the Astana flag grandly, as if to say there was nothing to worry about.
Boom boom boom!
Rumble!
“What, what is this?”
“An earthquake! An earthquake!”
And then, the earth trembled.
Having already experienced a rift in the north, the Mages and Imperial Guards reflexively opened their magical power and stood alert. But what appeared next was—
“Whoa, whoa!”
“A monster?”
A colossal Golem.
What I had taken for part of a stone mountain was actually their head, and soon hidden hands and feet stretched forth.
Five creatures in total. It seemed they moved at regular intervals, whether a hundred-odd sorcerers were casting spells simultaneously or not.
“They are creatures that dwell beneath the Astana cliffs. We succeeded in subjugating and taming them. Given their nature, sorcery works exceptionally well on them. Though there are only five, they will be able to provide solid protection before and behind the Bariel Soldiers.”
The Astana envoy added proudly.
In truth, those hundred-odd personnel represented all the conscriptable forces Astana could muster. They were a tribal nation, after all.
Whinnnnng!
“Halt!”
“Everyone, stop!”
As the flag rose, the procession began to slow to a halt.
The closer we drew, the more I found myself speechless at the golem’s sheer size. The soldiers gazed up at it in vacant wonder, while the Astana sorcerers approached warmly to offer their greetings.
“Welcome! This is Astana!”
“Ah, Pekuriren!”
“Lord Katimako! You must have had quite the journey!”
“You’ve arrived in good time. Well done.”
“Yes, of course, my lord. And His Highness?”
An elderly man who could have died at any moment bowed respectfully to Katimako, who bore the appearance of a child. The cognitive dissonance was so jarring that the soldiers deliberately averted their gaze, focusing only on the golem.
“Pekuriren.”
“Your Highness!”
“Show proper respect. This is His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of the Great Empire of Bariel.”
As Hasha made the introduction, everyone knelt with reverent bearing and paid their respects. Click-click. The golem’s head also turned slightly, creaking softly.
“Impressive.”
Jin murmured, gazing up at the golem.
By my estimate, it was large enough to reach the tower’s waist without difficulty. I was astonished that Astana possessed such a weapon. Moreover, it made me reconsider the potential of the northern sorcerers.
“This suggests other northern sorcerers can also command creatures of this caliber?”
“Golems of this magnitude would be difficult to find, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, I am confident. In the northern territories, there is no sorcerer clan as great as Astana.”
“Your confidence brings me reassurance, and that is good.”
As Jin spoke thus, he glanced at me. It was a look suggesting I should anticipate and prepare for other possible deployments of creatures.
“Is this… Ian?”
“Yes. Minister of Magic, Ian Hielo.”
“Good heavens!”
Unlike when I extended my hand courteously, they disregarded propriety and embraced me. As if they could hardly contain their joy.
The mages gasped in surprise, and I separated them with my hands.
“What are you doing? You’ll startle Lord Ian!”
“Is this how Astana greets people?”
“Ah, forgive us. We were simply so delighted.”
“…Did we have some prior connection?”
I searched my memory, but it did not come easily. Yet they showed no sign of disappointment, grasping my hand once more.
“Back then, my family was rescued from the caravan together with His Highness… that is, Lord Hasha, and returned to Astana. We always wished to express our gratitude, and now that it has come to pass, we are truly moved.”
“My younger brother was with us too!”
“Not only did you save us, but you even provided travel expenses? Thanks to your generosity, we’ve all returned safely. I cannot thank you enough.”
Hasha was grateful, but the number of people who had returned to Astana with him was considerable. They had all benefited directly or indirectly from my kindness.
I gently patted the back of their hands in response.
“You’re too kind. I now serve the Bariel Imperial Palace, so I ask that you direct all your gratitude toward them instead. That way, I too can be truly pleased.”
“Yes, of course!”
Firm handshakes were exchanged between us.
Just then, Berik threw open the carriage door. He walked toward the Golem while clutching at his still-unhealed wound, and soon pressed his nose against its base, sniffing.
“It doesn’t smell alive. Is it a demon?”
“Think of it as a doll. Since it exists with only will and no self, once a spell is cast upon it, it rarely breaks free and can be controlled with ease. But who might you be?”
“Me? Berik.”
“Berik! Oh! Lord Berik!”
“Who did you say? Lord Berik?”
Berik smiled slightly at the unexpected reaction. Now that he thought about it, hadn’t he been there beside me when I rescued the people of Astana?
“Are you the Lord Berik who came looking for Hasha and got captured with us?”
“That’s right. That’s him. Since he can’t write, Hasha sent letters on his behalf, didn’t she?”
“What the hell! No! I wasn’t captured—I was just there! Until Ian arrived!”
“Yes, yes. Of course. I understand.”
“But why do you look like that? Thank me too!”
“I’m afraid… I cannot speak words that aren’t sincere.”
Judging by how Berik was acting up, there was no need to worry about his belly wound.
The people of Astana turned their gaze from Berik and asked.
“But what happened to the advance party? You said they would pass through this route, but we didn’t see them and thought we’d missed them. If you hadn’t sent Jeonseogoo, we would have been in chaos.”
“There were circumstances. First—”
I gestured to organize the surroundings first.
“Your Majesty. The soldiers’ fatigue has accumulated. How about we make camp here early today and depart tomorrow?”
“Good. We need to reorganize our formation with the Astana contingent anyway.”
“At our current pace, we can cross the Burgos border within three days. It’s later than scheduled, but acceptable.”
“There are no issues with food supplies?”
“That is correct.”
Everyone agreed, and we decided not to advance any further today.
Tents were pitched beneath the Golem, and the soldiers who had been fearful soon grew accustomed to it, lingering around its feet.
“So what’s its weakness anyway? The head?”
“A Golem is an aggregate of thoughts composed of inanimate matter, so even if one part is destroyed, its movement remains unaffected.”
Interesting. An opponent with no weakness? Berik’s interest suddenly piqued. He lightly extended his fist and struck the Golem’s leg, and it slowly turned its head to look down at him.
Screeeech.
“What are you looking at?”
Then the Golem slowly raised its hand.
A large shadow fell, and dirt that had accumulated on its shoulders scattered down.
What? Berik and the soldiers tensed at the sudden movement, but the Golem simply stopped with its middle finger raised.
* * *
Tap tap tap!
“We have a crisis!”
At the sudden commotion, the key figures of the anti-royalist faction glanced at the man before them.
A long cigarette holder and hair carelessly twisted into a bun. Rutherford sat across from them, examining a map.
Yet such frivolous news to report.
“What is the meaning of this fuss?”
“It appears the Atan Clan that sortied toward Bariel has been annihilated. We’ve lost contact with them, and Jeonseogoo has not returned either.”
“What? Did you say annihilated?”
“Yes, and there was a massive tremor in the northern region. Regarding this matter—”
“A rift.”
Rutherford tapped ash from his cigarette holder and replied quietly.
“The rift created a fissure—a sign from God. Pay it no mind. But if the Atan Clan was annihilated, surely their opponent suffered considerable losses as well?”
“We are still assessing the situation, but it is difficult to approach. The march of the Bariel army appears to have encountered no problems.”
“Ha! How remarkable. Those who flew so high have been annihilated. What shall we do about this?”
“It makes no sense. Were they not mages and Mage Knights? How did they die so pathetically? Unbelievable.”
“They were beasts from the start. I told you so. We should not have placed our hopes in them. Very well. This is a matter between Burgos and Bariel. The Atan merely provided justification for them, so let us consider their annihilation a blessing.”
“But still—”
As the anti-royalist faction members offered their opinions one by one, Rutherford continued to draw on his cigarette holder. Unlike his calm gaze, his jaw clenched irritably between his teeth.
“…Pay it no mind, all of you.”
God had not yet given any response. Had there been a problem, He would have answered accordingly. This was proof that my plan had no flaws, and moreover, that there was no need to waver.
“The civil war has already caused severe damage to the territories and people here, so any major battle must occur outside of Burgos.”
“A wise decision, sir!”
“It has been confirmed that the Emperor and his close associates have all left the Imperial Palace. Let us proceed with our work.”
“Ah, yes. We have already found the right person.”
Whoosh.
One of the anti-royalist faction members handed a report to Rutherford.
“A specialist in assassination. He will have no trouble taking King Damon’s life.”
One reason for the royalist faction’s consolidation was King Damon’s survival. Whether he wished it or not, he carried the bloodline of the Burgos royal family, and moreover, he served as a point of contact with Bariel, making him susceptible to their influence.
But if Damon were to die?
‘The royalist faction’s unity would crumble, and all of Burgos would stand against Bariel.’
Rutherford read through the report and nodded, as if satisfied with this arrangement.
“Send Iza.”

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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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