Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 604

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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 603
Fire. Surrender in Blood
“Two hours. Almost there.”
The Mages checked their timepieces and gazed toward the city gates. The allotted time was nearly exhausted, yet no movement emerged from within Purpato. The Mages stationed in the sky shook their heads, signaling that there was nothing unusual to report.
“How much time remains?”
“Exactly one minute and thirty seconds.”
“Inform Minister Tweller.”
“Yes, understood.”
It meant the Imperial Defense Ministry, not the Magic Department, would lead the first strike. Whether the loophole in the oath brought by that name would prove effective remained uncertain, but if the leaders of Purpato had made such a decision, Bariel could not simply remain idle.
Just as the Mages turned to acknowledge the order, a shout pierced the air.
“A white flag has been raised on the city gates!”
“Ian! The Burgos flag has been lowered!”
The magnificent black Burgos flag that had been fluttering proudly at the very top of the gates descended, and a white flag rose in its place.
It was an unmistakable surrender. The Mages smiled and clapped each other on the shoulders, while Tweller hurried deeper into the camp to report to Jin.
“It is done! We can pass through Purpato without spilling a single drop of blood.”
“Ian, there is someone waving before the white flag. Shall we scout ahead first? It could be a trap, so it would be wise to survey the interior before passing through the gates.”
“That would be prudent.”
“Tomi! Nakina!”
“Yes, yes. We’re going. Let’s go.”
“Waaaaah!”
The cheers of the Bariel Soldiers grew louder and louder, until they shook heaven and earth with their roar. Even the most fiercely opposing enemy refused to fight before the name of Bariel and surrendered instead! The pride of being a soldier of the great empire was impossible to contain.
Zing! Zing!
Heil, Tomi, and Nakina maintained a reasonable distance as they approached the walls of Purpato. The only figure visible was a single Soldier with a vacant expression.
“I am Captain Heil, Mage of Bariel. Has Purpato decided to surrender? If this is an official position, I shall report it to His Majesty the Emperor.”
“…Yes, we have decided to surrender. We will open the gates, so Bariel shall pass through without any disturbance, as promised.”
Heil frowned, sensing something amiss. Why was it not someone named Raudan who conveyed such a critical matter, but merely this common Soldier?
Tomi and Nakina also felt the strangeness and looked around as they asked.
“Where are the other Soldiers?”
No one stood upon the walls. Not a single Purpato resident bearing weapons in fierce resistance could be seen. There was only the Soldier before them.
“We have surrendered, but we are Burgos Soldiers. Shame and guilt weigh heavily upon our hearts, and we cannot bear to witness Bariel’s entry into Purpato. You need only follow the central road through Purpato and exit through the opposite gate. If you proceed straight, you will reach Kalamata without difficulty.”
The Soldier wiped away tears, his voice trembling.
Though these were unexpected actions, they posed no significant problem from Bariel’s perspective. What did it matter whether they remained outside buildings or hid within?
The Soldier, having said all he needed to say, hastily disappeared below the city wall.
Zing! Zing!
Boom!
Heil released a gentle burst of magical power, signaling the Bariel camp. It meant the surrender was confirmed and they could proceed.
As the Soldiers approached, Heil, Tomi, and Nakina flew above Purpato, carefully inspecting for any suspicious traces.
“There really is no one. Not a single person visible on the streets.”
“They’re all hiding in buildings, aren’t they? Captain Heil, there’s nothing to worry about, right? If they suddenly rush out and attack, we’d be completely surrounded.”
“The disparity in forces is too great. Opening the gates would pose far greater danger than any ambush could justify. This Raudan—I don’t know him well, but he doesn’t seem the type to make such a foolish choice.”
“Hmm. That’s true as well. The city is smaller than expected.”
Purpato’s layout radiated outward from the central plaza in all directions. If one entered through the city gate and proceeded straight ahead, they could exit through the opposite gate—meaning all the Bariel soldiers could pass through within two hours.
Whoosh!
Heil and his two companions quickly returned and relayed Purpato’s situation to me.
Seemingly finding their actions unexpected, I too wore a puzzled expression. Throughout countless battlefields, I had accepted surrenders, but I had never encountered those who hid themselves away in seclusion. If it was due to shame, that could make sense, but….
“Understood. We advance into Purpato. Establish a tight guard around His Majesty, and have the mages assist the Imperial Guards. Maintain a protective barrier beside His Majesty as we pass through Purpato.”
“Yes, understood, Ian.”
“Move out! We enter the city!”
“Waaaaah! Bariel! Bariel!”
“Open it! Push left and right!”
The Bariel soldiers pushed the city gates open to both sides. With no bolts fastened, they opened without resistance.
As the gap widened, the interior of the city came into view. Empty. Not a single soul in sight, the Bariel soldiers found it strange yet unsettling as they set foot into Purpato.
Creak!
Boom!
“It’s quiet. Ahem.”
“Indeed. Silent as a tomb.”
“This tension is getting to me! You bastards! Kahahaha!”
“Let’s go, let’s go! Forward!”
A small city devoid of any human presence. Despite knowing the inhabitants had surrendered, the Bariel soldiers remained tense, glancing nervously about.
The Magic Department and Imperial Defense Ministry felt the same. Uncertain where or what kind of traps might await, they maintained protective barriers and cautiously advanced toward the plaza.
-Kyu?
“What’s wrong?”
Meanwhile, in Purpato’s sky, Berik rode upon Kyu’s back, surveying every corner below. But the creature, which had been flying smoothly, suddenly stopped and flared its nostrils. I tried tugging at its horns to urge it forward, but Kyu wouldn’t budge.
-Kyu kyu!
“Don’t mess around and keep going. You’ve eaten well enough, so why—”
Then Berik sensed something too and froze. Like Kyu, he stretched his neck forward and flared his nostrils.
The mages, who had been nervously patrolling, saw this and called out irritably.
“Don’t fool around! Berik!”
“No, I’m serious. Don’t you smell that?”
“…What smell?”
“It’s getting stronger.”
Could it be a toxic substance? The mages felt their spines chill as they quickly signaled toward me. Even as they did, Berik and Kyu continued flaring their nostrils, concentrating to identify the source of the smell. Metallic, sweetish, and somehow sticky—this sensation was….
Zing! Whoosh!
Upon receiving the report, I soared into the air at once. Then Berik and Kyu’s eyes snapped open simultaneously in realization.
“Berik, what is it?”
“Ian, it’s the smell of blood.”
“…Blood?”
The wind confused things. It’s definitely blood. But it’s not coming from one place—it’s emanating from all directions.”
At Berik’s words, I and the mages froze. Blood? Purpato is now silent and desolate, not a soul in sight. If blood were spilling, there could only be one reason.
‘Mass suicide.’
It was Raudan, who had cried out Ian’s name to the Guardian, declaring he would die. It was entirely possible.
What I couldn’t understand was how Berik and Kyu had managed to detect that scent. Were they truly sensitive enough to sense the death of a single person? Or perhaps….
Shrieeek!
At that moment, a whistle pierced the air. The soldiers who had entered the city had discovered something. I informed Tweller that we would move, then rushed toward the city wall.
Thud!
“What is the matter?”
“W-we came up to change the flag, but all the soldiers inside are dead.”
“….”
At the soldier’s words, I stepped inside. In an instant, the stench of blood rose powerfully. More than dozens of bodies lay sprawled, their hearts pierced through.
The shocking sight froze not only the Bariel soldiers but the Mages as well.
“…Ian. There is uneaten food on the table here. It appears to be for a ritual.”
“Did they take their own lives while praying to the Guardian?”
“Ugh, good heavens. There’s a limit to how foolish one can be.”
“Ian. I will inform Minister Tweller at once. Just in case, please order a thorough search. If this death had purpose, it’s crucial we understand what that purpose was.”
I nodded and examined the expressions of the dead. It was a peaceful death. They had clearly felt no pain even as they pierced their own hearts.
Tap tap tap!
Creak! Boom!
“There are more dead here!”
“This one took their own life as well!”
“Good heavens, th-there are ten corpses here!”
As the Bariel soldiers who received the search order flung open doors, corpses were discovered one after another. All had their hearts pierced in the same manner, suggesting they had unified their method of suicide beforehand. It was not shame at surrendering to the enemy, but rather a desire to conceal death itself.
Tens of thousands of Bariel soldiers passing through Purpato heard the reports of corpses being discovered by the search parties.
“They’re all dead? By their own hands?”
“So they’d rather die than surrender? Then why did they open the gates? If they’d just locked them and died, at least we would have had some trouble getting in.”
“It makes no sense, truly. These Burgos people.”
“Ugh. Is that blood soaked into the stairs over there?”
“Don’t look. Bad luck follows.”
The bizarre and incomprehensible madness of the Purpato people broke the momentum of the Bariel soldiers in an instant. Their vigorous strides became cautious, and the loud cheers and laughter had long since vanished.
It was then, as reports of corpse discoveries continued to echo.
“A survivor!”
News that a living Purpato person had been found. He was dragged out by the soldiers without resistance, his demeanor one of near despair.
When the soldiers pressed their blades to his neck, the man’s eyes turned fierce.
“You said you would spare us if we surrendered, so we opened the gates. Is the promise of the great Empire of Bariel lighter than the wind itself? Does the Emperor’s name carry no weight?”
“Silence!”
“Enough.”
As an agitated soldier raised his blade to strike, I stopped him. Then I looked down at the man calmly and asked.
“What discussion did you hold? We said we would spare you if you surrendered, yet I fail to understand the foolishness of choosing both surrender and death simultaneously.”
“…Do not call it foolishness. That is an insult to those who staked their lives. Simply pass through! Was not the condition to leave without disturbance?”
“The disturbance is being caused by you. With this many corpses pouring out, how can Bariel simply pass by? If you do not explain the exact circumstances, we must reconsider our agreement.”
As I spoke thus, a child came running barefoot from the building the man had emerged from. The child wept loudly, blocking his father’s path, then fell to his knees and pleaded with me.
“No! Please don’t kill my father!”
“I told you not to come out!”
“Father, no. Don’t kill him. Please. I’ll tell you everything. So just go on your way.”
The man tried to shield the boy, but the soldiers held him back. The boy wiped away his tears and steadied his voice.
“Raudan said he would take his own life first. Somewhere deep within Purpato, he said he would die calling out the name of Ian Hielo. In exchange, the rest of us would surrender and seek safety… and allow Bariel to pass through.”
“No! Shut your mouth!”
“But after he left, someone said this. It wasn’t about the promise between the Guardian and the Minister of Magic—what if we offered our own prayers to the Guardian separately?”
Ian froze. The man pressed his forehead to the ground and closed his eyes, while the boy continued to plead with his small, trembling hands.
“The dead took their own lives for that purpose. Everyone alive here has surrendered to Bariel. So please, don’t kill us and just go. Save my father. Please.”
‘If they offered separate prayers to the Guardian…’
Ian’s head turned of its own accord.
The one who commands Bariel, and Bariel itself.
If they had offered new prayers to the Guardian, then surely the object of their devotion was not himself, but…
‘Jin.’
* * *
At that very moment, in the center of Purpato’s plaza.
Jin, who had sent the search party ahead and followed leisurely behind, suddenly looked up at the massive deer statue erected in the middle of the plaza. It was beautiful, he thought briefly, but then Jin stopped short.
“Your Majesty? What’s wrong?”
“That statue…”
The deer’s eyes seemed to shimmer with light.

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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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