Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 592

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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 591
Fire. An Attack from Afar
“Barsabe!”
The Imperial Guards stationed at Agiar Castle called out her name with joy, their hearts and minds united as one.
We thought you’d gone to seek glory elsewhere, how wonderful to see you awake like this, and more—their greetings poured forth as they embraced one another, tears glistening in their eyes.
“How’s your body? Can you move around?”
“Why did you come all the way here? You should keep resting in bed.”
“I heard today was the execution of Rutherford’s remnants. If I didn’t see it, I felt like my insides would turn. Besides, after lying down for days, my body feels stiff. Times like these, moving around is the right thing to do.”
“You must be crazy. Seriously, you’re not in your right mind, are you?”
“Is it proceeding inside?”
Barsabe waved her hand dismissively as if to say not to worry, and her colleagues nodded. Just moments ago, a Healing Mage had rushed in with something, which suggested something had happened, but without specific orders, they remained on standby.
“Captain Jairot is also observing.”
“Where? Over there? Can I go in now?”
“Yeah. There are others there too. We’re on duty so we can’t move around, you know?”
“Got it. Do your job well. See you later.”
As they bumped their fists together in farewell, they smiled brightly. No matter how much they had given their lives for Bariel, there were moments to be grateful for being alive. Like now.
Creak.
Barsabe entered the outer corridor leading outside with her colleague.
Behind Agiar Castle, in a space that had been used as a training ground—it was well-suited for an execution. From the tiered spectator stands, one could see their deaths at a glance, and the dry sand made it easy to clean up blood.
Above all, the place was lined with tools used somewhere between training and torture, making the proceedings convenient.
“There he is.”
When her colleague pointed with a finger to one side, Barsabe’s gaze followed.
Rutherford, who appeared to be unconscious, and the Mage healing him. And Ian, sitting impassively, watching over the scene. It was the moment Barsabe’s eyes took in the entire landscape.
Throb—!
“Ah.”
Again. Another strange pain assailing her. Her back of the head felt hollow and empty, while simultaneously a nerve-wracking ache mixed in.
As Barsabe gripped the railing and groaned, her colleague startled and supported her.
“Barsabe. What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“My head feels… strange.”
“In what way? Just sit here for a moment. I’ll go down and report this, then bring the Healing Mage right away.”
What kind of injury could bring such unpleasant pain? Barsabe had endured truly many pains in her life, but this was her first time experiencing something like this.
She tried to say something, but her colleague didn’t hear and quickly descended the stairs. Barsabe sank down, gripping only the railing, and clenched her teeth hard.
—Will you look to the side?
A captivating tone. As if someone whispered a breeze past her ear, Barsabe’s head turned of its own accord.
Terrifying. Now, more than pain, fear and dread began to dominate Barsabe. The sensation of having her body stolen while her mind remained intact. Yes. This was the despair and loss of having one’s complete self robbed away.
“This… this is…”
Her wavering eyes couldn’t find focus. Soldiers standing in dignified rows. An Officer reporting something to the Minister, Captain Jairot, Servants moving busily here and there, a Mage organizing with a stack of documents in hand. And Ian and Rutherford…
Each detail of the scene seemed to flow into Barsabe’s mind. Into that hollow, unknown space.
At the moment Barsabe pressed her forehead—
Glimmer.
Something thin glimmered in the empty air.
Sensing this unfamiliar presence, I tore my gaze away from Rutherford and immediately spotted something sparkling beneath the clear sky—something I had witnessed during the battle with the Mages and Abigaire.
Screech!
Crash! Boom!
“What—what is that?!”
“Ian? Are you alright?”
“That’s it! That’s what those Puppeteers did!”
That mysterious attack.
It plummeted toward my head in an instant, and I twisted my neck slightly to evade the ambush. The failed strike shattered the wall of the Abigaire training grounds in one blow. Had I taken the full impact, my entire body would have been obliterated, not just my head.
“A Puppeteer? One survived?”
“If there are multiple, they can conduct long-range attacks, Ian! Please give us orders!”
I rose from my seat and turned toward where the attack had come from. The force was incomparably greater and more powerful than what had pierced my abdomen before. Then, a sharp needle had punctured my belly; now it felt as though a massive iron arrow had been hurled at me.
‘According to Berik’s testimony, a Puppeteer requires two things: a perfectly realized stage and a puppet called the target. If they pinpointed my location and attacked despite us not being in combat, it’s one of two possibilities. Either they possess a “stage” that matches the interior of Abigaire Castle exactly, or…’
They’re watching directly.
For the fleeing Puppeteer, the former was nearly impossible. They had retreated in haste without time to gather anything. This was confirmed by the corpses of Puppeteers we found near the cliff. They carried nothing but Toollun passes and a small amount of gold coins.
‘Then it means they’re watching directly.’
Through Rutherford? Or the Mage Knights kneeling beside him? If it were concealment magic, I would have sensed it first.
Snap!
I flicked my fingers, signaling the soldiers to fall back. Then I draped black cloth over Rutherford and his remaining men. When the Mages asked what to do, I gestured for them to remain silent, covering my mouth.
“Stay focused. It might come again.”
“Yes, understood.”
The Mages summoned their mana, ready to deploy protective barriers at a moment’s notice, and both Tweller and Jairot drew their swords, lowering their stances. The Imperial Guards all rushed toward the interior of the castle to confirm the Emperor’s safety.
Glimmer!
“It’s coming, Ian!”
Crash!
My reaction was faster than anyone’s cry. An attack aimed at my heart came from the left. I created an Idgal barrier and easily neutralized it.
Clang!
“The speed is slower than what we saw at the barrier.”
“Yeah, now that I’m concentrating, I can see it. Last time it struck in the blink of an eye.”
“Could the distance from the caster affect the speed slightly?”
“The previous Puppeteer was inside the Abigaire castle walls, so it was relatively close. Now they’re much farther away, which might explain the reduced speed.”
“Ian! Did you hear? That theory seems plausible.”
“Yes, I agree. There’s no possibility of a Puppeteer hiding inside the castle walls. This appears to be conducted from outside, from a much greater distance.”
“We should relocate.”
“Yes, I think that’s right, but—”
If the Puppeteer could somehow see into this place through some ability, relocating would become poison instead. Without blocking their line of sight, we’d be directly revealing the castle’s layout and even the current status of Bariel’s entire forces.
“Cough, ugh!”
Rutherford, covered with the black cloth, coughed up blood repeatedly. The one who had remained with the dead Puppeteers until the end. For now, he and his remaining men are suspected to be the medium, but—
There’s one more.
The one who maintained contact with the Puppeteers until the very end.
“…Barsabe.”
“Yes? Guard Barsabe—why are you asking about her all of a sudden?”
“Has Barsabe entered the castle?”
“Ah, just a moment. Let me check and come back.”
“No! There’s no need to leave! Barsabe is here! She regained consciousness a moment ago and came to watch the execution!”
The Mage Knight descending from above informed him instead, glancing up toward the upper spectator stands. From this angle, I couldn’t see it, but from where Ian stood, it would certainly be visible. He kept calling out to Barsabe, demanding a response.
“Barsabe! I know it must be difficult to answer while in pain, but hurry!”
“…There is no one above you.”
“What? That can’t be. I just came down from there.”
The Palace Guard rushed toward the center of the training grounds in confusion. Then he froze. It was true. There was no one where there should have been.
As everyone stood bewildered, trying to comprehend what had happened, Ian shouted.
“Find Barsabe! Blindfold her eyes and cover her ears. If she resists, kill her with honor.”
“Ah….”
“Hurry! Barsabe must not see His Majesty’s location or appearance.”
The order was understood, but it took several seconds to grasp its meaning. The Mage’s face went pale, and Tweller and Captain Jairot, realizing the gravity of the situation, kicked open the door and rushed out in a single breath.
Tap, tap, tap!
Crash!
“Barsabe!”
“Guard Barsabe! Where are you?!”
Had her very consciousness been stolen? Was Barsabe no longer Barsabe? Everyone’s minds spun as they began searching the castle thoroughly. Most of them rushed toward the reception room where the Emperor was, though.
“Krkrkr, huhk.”
Rutherford’s groans transformed into laughter. So this was what the God had meant. I don’t know exactly what’s happening, but does it matter? The important thing is simply that once this woman Barsabe comes face to face with the Emperor, everything will end.
Ian descended from the platform and seized Rutherford’s throat with one hand.
“Rutherford.”
“Gack!”
“Show me everything you’re engraving about the Puppeteer—no, about Toollun—without omission.”
“Why? Will you kill me? How grateful. Then I’ll find you in my next body. And even if there is no next, I’ll laugh with joy. Because I’ve finally found the peace of the soul I’ve so desperately desired.”
“Peace of the soul?”
Ian let out a soft laugh at the empty words. Because of the black cloth covering him, only his silhouette was barely visible, but Rutherford could picture Ian’s expression. It was mockery. Sincere mockery at that.
“Ask the God whether such a thing will be granted to you.”
I had grasped a clue about Damon’s next life and Rutherford’s reincarnation. If I destroyed the Underworld Deity and went to Toollun to gather all the black seeds, I could sever their cycle of repeated lives.
Then, the God would surely verify the weight of sin that soul carries.
Thud.
As Ian released his grip, Rutherford’s body collapsed limply. He had rendered him unconscious through will and magical power alone. Ian nodded to the startled soldiers.
“Wait until the situation settles.”
Zing! Zing!
My Idgal rose around Rutherford and his remnants, creating a protective barrier. No matter where an errant attack might come from, no one could take Rutherford’s life without my consent.
* * *
“Hah, hah….”
Barsabe ran wherever her feet took her, feeling nausea. Her entire body screamed for salvation, desperate to shake off something in her mind, but she couldn’t stop. If she stopped, she felt she would truly be devoured by the mysterious presence.
Tap tap tap!
The interior of the castle, which had been quiet due to the execution, seemed to grow increasingly chaotic. I couldn’t discern the reason. I lacked even the energy to understand.
Barsabe, tears streaming down her face, rushed forward and spotted the Imperial Guards in the distance. Her colleagues, her friends, her family, and the very reason for her existence. Barsabe moved desperately, begging for help, pleading for someone to do something about this.
“Did Barsabe come this way?”
“Huh? She woke up? But why are we finding her here?”
“Your Majesty! This way! Please relocate!”
“What’s happening, Berik?”
“I don’t know. What’s wrong with her?”
“Details later—”
“Barsabe mustn’t come face to face with His Majesty—”
Whoosh!
The moment the conversation registered, Barsabe’s body rounded the corner. She realized she shouldn’t be seeing His Majesty. Yet contrary to her thoughts, her body moved by inertia, and she found herself meeting the pale faces and gazes of the Imperial Guards.
Time seemed to flow slowly. She recognized faces one by one, then Berik, and then….
‘His Majesty the Emperor.’
It was the moment Jin’s left profile began to come into view.
Snap!
“Barsabe.”
Captain Jairot pulled Barsabe’s neck from behind, covering her eyes with his other hand. Barsabe fell backward, losing her balance, and the guards drew their swords.
Screech!
And sure enough, the window behind Jin shattered. It was an attack that had failed to pinpoint the target’s exact location.
“…I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I really didn’t know. I’m sorry.”
Something had gone wrong with her body. Barsabe wept profusely, and Jairot held her head even more tightly.

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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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