Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 569

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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 568
Fire. Pivot
While the three of them penetrated deep beneath the barrier, Canna and Wakion drew the enemy’s attention from outside.
They dispatched soldiers with just enough magical power to keep the wall from crumbling, buying time until Clark, the Gypsy, and the mysterious ranged attacker inside could be dealt with.
Boom! Boom!
“Ugh!”
“Come on in, yes, good! Keep coming in, damn it!”
“Grab them! Seize them and kill them!”
“Yeah! Come on!”
Just as Canna and Wakion tightened their grips on their blades and charged at the soldiers—
Among the soldiers being swept away like fallen leaves, a massive suit of black armor appeared. The very armor Ruswena had crafted from dragon scales.
Immediately after, dozens more suits of black armor poured out behind the soldier standing at the front. Canna and Wakion swallowed hard, as if expecting this very moment.
‘We can do this.’
Ten years ago, that same armor had reduced Berik and Barsabe to pulp. Back then, multiple Mage Knights had barely managed to defend against it by combining their strength, yet now they were clearly being pushed back even on defense.
The Burgos Soldiers advanced with confident laughter, one step at a time, while Canna and Wakion retreated not an inch, their hands slipping into the backs of their jackets.
“How dare you come here and cause a disturbance! I’ll tear you to shreds!”
“We’re not bad at tearing mouths open ourselves!”
“Shut it! You Bariel bastards!”
Whoosh!
What Canna and Wakion drew were special weapons crafted by the Dera Tribe. Short batons no larger than a palm, yet when swung lightly, their length doubled.
“You said this could handle that?”
“Focus!”
“Right, focus! Let’s do this!”
Though lengthened, they remained thin and unimpressive—to the eye, they looked no different from children’s toys in a game of soldiers. But there was no time for doubt.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The black armor charged forward with heavy footfalls, and the two men simultaneously split left and right to meet it.
Comrades who had eaten, slept, and crossed blades together for more than half their lives. Without any communication, Canna unleashed his full force at the right knee up to the waist, while Wakion targeted the left shoulder and head.
Clang!
Boom!
A clear, sharp sound rang out briefly, and the Mage Knights’ full power transferred through, denting the black armor in multiple places.
The two men seized the opportunity, twisting their bodies to strike again at the spots they had targeted. This time Canna aimed left, Wakion aimed right.
Crack! Screech!
Canna and Wakion’s eyes widened for a moment. The sound of the black armor shattering completely. Looking back, there wasn’t a single spot on the armor from head to toe without cracks.
The soldier inside the black armor staggered briefly, dazed from the impact reverberating from outside, then toppled forward.
“This—”
“So equipment really does make a difference.”
“Hey! Are you okay?”
“Ugh, c-come on! Kill them!”
The black-armored soldiers watching from behind hesitated, then attacked the two intruders with fierce roars.
However, by logic’s measure, all things in this world possess both strengths and weaknesses. While the countless enemy numbers at Agiare’s headquarters posed a problem, the narrow gap in the barrier preventing them from charging simultaneously was something to be grateful for.
“Let’s go! Canna!”
“Wakion!”
The two of them charged forward to meet the black-armored figures thundering toward them once more.
Right. Since I’m already dancing with blades here, why not crush Ruswena’s black-armored soldiers while we’re at it? It would weaken the enemy’s strength for the future, after all.
Shhwaaak!
‘But even with the Dera Tribe weapons, these black-armored figures feel different from before. Have we grown stronger?’
‘I heard Ruswena recklessly manufactures black armor using illegally bred dragon scales. The quality must have suffered because of it.’
‘They’re merely imitations of what came before.’
‘We can manage. We can definitely manage!’
Boom!
The two of them dispatched five black-armored soldiers in succession. Just as they wiped the sweat from their chins—
“Canna! Wakion!”
Someone called out their names.
Burgos would have no way of knowing their names, and it wasn’t the voice of their comrades either. Then it must be Clark, who had made contact with their allies, or the Gypsy.
“Where are you?!”
“Over here! To the left!”
“Damn it, I can’t see! Wakion! Find them and get them out!”
Canna gestured with her eyes, and Wakion hesitated.
“What are you doing? Go.”
“But—”
“There’s no ‘but’ during a mission.”
“…See you soon.”
“Yeah. Let’s meet again.”
Wakion ran toward the voice and soon spotted a man clutching his side, waving toward him. He seemed unable to move easily because of his injury. Wakion quickly approached and draped one of the man’s arms over his shoulder to support him.
“Clark?”
“…That’s right.”
“Looks like you met up with Berik. Come on, hold tight.”
Wakion leaped to the highest point of the barrier in one bound. And just as he was about to desperately grab the flagpole—
Boom!
The ground shook violently and something exploded.
He nearly fell, but Wakion held Clark’s body firmly and pressed himself against the wall. Now they had no choice but to shoot magical power into the sky to summon the dragon again or request the mage’s assistance….
“Huh?”
Wakion and Clark murmured simultaneously.
A blue-black smoke crept upward from underground. At first they thought there might be a fire, but it was distinctly different from an ordinary blaze.
Whoooosh—
The smoke seeped through the gaps between soldiers, crossed over the barrier, and grew denser by the moment.
While the two of them looked around in bewilderment, Ian, who had been facing off against the Ruswena Mages in the sky, sensed something amiss and turned around.
“What is that?”
“What has Rutherford done now?”
“More than that, Ian. Your wound needs immediate treatment! Blood keeps flowing from your abdomen—”
“Come this way for a moment!”
“Hold the front line! You’re doing well!”
“Yes, the Ruswena forces are distracted below! Use this opportunity to hurry!”
“Tch! So they don’t know about this either.”
“It seems Rutherford is acting alone!”
“Go now! Ian, let’s move!”
Whoosh!
The Mages who pulled me backward roughly jabbed needles into their own arms and amplified their mana. Then they casually transferred their strength to me. It was a gesture of concern, worried about my condition due to the wound on my abdomen.
I felt the warm surge of my colleagues’ mana and gently bit my lower lip. Color was gradually returning to my pale complexion.
“Phew. That’s a relief.”
“But what was that explosion anyway? And what’s with the blue-green smoke?”
To the Mages who were grumbling while watching below, I spoke quietly.
“…The Gypsy is dying.”
* * *
‘Damn bastard, I’ll kill you, ugh….’
The Gypsy crawled forward slowly, cursing Rutherford inwardly. The path she had traversed was drenched in something sticky, and the stench was so overwhelming that even her own sense of smell was becoming numb.
Soldiers passing by noticed the Gypsy, but seeing what appeared to be a grotesque monster with gills and fins crawling terribly, they dared not approach.
‘With my fins torn, I can’t even descend into the Abyss.’
The moment I step into the Abyss, setting aside the immense pain, could I even swim in it? Like the other thoughts, I too would sink and burn away the years.
The Gypsy pushed forward with her elbows, crawling bit by bit, and wondered what to do. Inside the Agarr Barrier, she couldn’t push past armed soldiers, and above all—
“So tearing just the gills doesn’t kill you right away?”
Once in Rutherford’s grasp, escape would not come easily.
The Gypsy suddenly recalled Melania and Clark, who had suggested going to Bariel’s camp together. Though they were somewhat annoying, they weren’t bad. At least not compared to Rutherford.
“Ugh, uh, u-”
“I didn’t cut your tongue. Stop whining.”
As the Gypsy choked, Rutherford pressed her head down with his foot. Then he gestured to the soldiers to bring their swords.
Shing.
All the toxin has drained out, so let it spill what’s inside cleanly. As Rutherford spoke and raised his sword—
Clang!
A sharp dagger flew in and struck his sword precisely. The soldiers immediately took a defensive stance and surrounded their master, and Rutherford turned toward where the dagger had come from. Following the trail the Gypsy had crawled, two Mage Knights had appeared.
“Rutherford!”
Barsabe and Bonita.
The two of them looked around and swallowed hard.
‘It really is Rutherford.’
They hadn’t expected to meet him so easily.
The two approached slowly, their eyes fixed on the trembling form of the Gypsy behind him.
“You seem to know me, but I do not know you.”
“I am Bonita, one of the Three Commanders of the Imperial Guards.”
“I am Barsabe of the Imperial Guards!”
“I see.”
I see. So what do you want me to do about it?
Rutherford chuckled and slung his sword across his shoulder, but Bonita spoke calmly.
“You must not kill the Gypsy. Chaos will befall the world.”
“If you’re with the Imperial Guards, I thought you’d understand what I desire.”
“It’s not what you desire—it’s what the Underworld Deity desires!”
When Bonita shouted, Rutherford’s brow hardened. What was she babbling about now? The Underworld Deity? Of Toolun?
“…Are you insane?”
“If I appear mad to you, then so be it. Because you are the mad one. Seduced by the shadow of a god, you dare blaspheme the divine, and now you endanger Gaia itself!”
“Silence!”
Rutherford could bear it no longer. As he spoke, Mage Knights came rushing down from the upper stairs—warriors from Burgos and Ruswena. They blocked the path before Rutherford, their eyes gleaming with killing intent as they leveled their blades at Bonita and Barsabe.
Tap, tap, tap!
Behind them, soldiers filled the passage completely. The corridor was narrow, leaving no escape for Bonita and Barsabe.
“Listen well. Since you too are one whose power flows from magic, I shall grant you a small mercy and explain. The god you speak of is treacherous and corrodes Gaia, so our God seeks to topple Bariel and establish a new Gaia. Truly, a grand design.”
Bonita and Barsabe glared at Rutherford with expressions of disbelief. How could one save someone so consumed by false faith? They both knew that death was the swifter end.
“And I as well!”
There was a time when I belonged to the Imperial Palace under the name Bandor, but that ending was tragic. What did it mean to serve Bariel? What could justify taking my comrades, destroying my life, and eroding my very being?
I hate and regret. I hate Bariel who commanded me, and I regret accepting him.
Zing, zing.
As Rutherford breathed heavily and spoke, Bonita and Barsabe unleashed their magical power. Even if they died here together, they had to seize this man and take him with them.
“My steps are taken to reclaim what was lost.”
“Silence! Your excuses mean nothing—you are merely a puppet of the shadow!”
Tap, tap, tap!
Thud!
“Ahhhhh!”
As Barsabe lunged forward, everything happened at once. Rutherford’s blade pierced the Gypsy’s abdomen, a Mage Knight from Burgos rushed past him, and soldiers closed in to tighten their circle.
Whoosh!
And then—
From the Gypsy’s torn abdomen, a violent force erupted, and black and blue smoke poured forth, filling the surroundings in a thick haze. The potent toxin caused darkness to descend instantly before their eyes and their insides to twist in agony.
Rutherford retreated with the protection and support of the Mage Knights, while soldiers collapsed one after another, drooling yellow foam.
“Ugh—!”
Barsabe and Bonita were no different. Both felt their consciousness fading and nodded to each other. Even if the barrier collapsed now, there was nothing to be done. They had to create a space to breathe, no matter what.
Zing! Zing!
Boom!
Bonita pressed her hands to the ground with her eyes tightly shut, and with a tremendous earthquake, sand cascaded down from the ceiling. The earth itself was splitting apart.
Rumble!
Crack! Snap! Crumble!
“Captain!”
“Barsabe! Keep your wits about you!”
“Haaaah!”
Walls and ceiling crumbled relentlessly.
The entire world was consumed by darkness.
“The barrier is collapsing! There, the northern barrier!”
Meanwhile, Jin, who had been monitoring the situation, quickly grabbed his telescope upon hearing the report. Massive clouds of sand swirled through the air, and the wall had caved in on one side.
What should we do? Everyone fell silent, waiting for Jin’s command, and he swallowed hard. Part of him wanted to order a rescue unit dispatched immediately, but….
“Redirect the soldiers northward. We advance through the collapsed barrier.”

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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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