Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 606

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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 605. Eileen
Holy Knight.
They possessed no special powers beyond magical force, yet their souls were pure and upright—chosen to establish order in this world.
Most dwelt within temples, serving as their guardians, though to ordinary folk they remained enigmatic beings. They lacked the martial prowess of a Mage Knight, nor did they offer prayers as priests do.
But those who served the divine understood the Holy Knight’s true purpose well. Should an internal force betray divine providence rather than an external enemy, only the Holy Knight possessed the authority to strike them down.
“Ahhhhh! There!”
“It appeared! I don’t know what it is, but it’s here again!”
“Isn’t that a deer? The guardian of Purpato?”
“Damn it, don’t push! Hold the line!”
When the massive purple deer materialized, my heart thundered like nothing I’d ever felt before. It was a resonance born anew, an exultant cry from somewhere deep within my soul.
While the Bariel Soldiers retreated in terror, I found myself drawn forward as if enchanted, cutting through the current like one wading upstream.
-Eileen.
And then, a warm voice echoed in my ears.
Without thinking, I grasped my left shoulder. The cross I had carved there from the demon’s assault burned with sudden, searing heat.
My feet moved of their own accord, breaking from the formation as I crossed the center of the square. The movement was abrupt, yet in the chaos, no one moved to stop me.
-Eileen.
This voice calling my name—who could it be?
I ran in response, and soon spotted a familiar man in the distance. The silver-haired one who had followed me through Bariel’s back alleys.
Before I could wonder why he was here, I knew instinctively.
‘The Emperor.’
And the one who betrayed the divine would attempt to kill him.
Without hesitation, I drew my blade. The Soldiers guarding the Emperor moved to block me, but they froze, overwhelmed by the oppressive aura of sanctity that radiated from me.
I passed through them lightly and threw myself before the Emperor.
Clang!
It was an ordinary sword, the kind distributed to Bariel Soldiers. Yet as I met the attack threatening the Emperor, I felt my entire body bristle with sensation.
So this is what it means to cleave light. This is what it means to read the wind. And this—this is what it means to answer the call of the divine.
“…You are.”
Jin’s murmur made me turn.
The cross I had carved upon myself was now visible, and my rich brown hair whipped wildly in the wind. I could not know that in this moment, I resembled a lion that had conquered the plains.
“…Forgive my presumption.”
I bowed to the Emperor while keeping my blade raised. My heart continued to burn with fierce heat—a glorious agony that would persist until I struck down my opponent.
“Eileen. You shall assume the Emperor’s protection!”
Everyone except Ian was bewildered by my appearance. Who was this woman who had suddenly emerged to repel the guardian’s attack? And how did Ian know her?
Questions piled upon questions, but the deer’s renewed assault forced us to postpone our inquiries.
Clang!
“It comes!”
“Raise the barrier!”
“Ahhh! It breaks immediately, curse it!”
“Broken or not, keep it raised!”
Though temporary, the Mages’ barrier proved effective in slowing the deer’s assault speed, at least initially.
While Ian pressed his assault on the deer, Eileen stood before the Emperor, deflecting his relentless attacks one after another. Each time she swung her sword with all her might, her chestnut hair whipped with fierce momentum.
Whoosh.
Jin watched Eileen’s back with rapt attention. Her frame was small and delicate, yet her movements possessed the grace of a seasoned warrior. She carried a warmth far greater, far more genuine than what he had glimpsed in his dreams.
Zing! Zing!
“Huirok.”
Ian’s magic, which had paused momentarily, surged forth once more. A towering inferno engulfed him, and in an instant, it consumed every leaf that had been binding him.
His target: the deer’s golden eyes.
Ian rocketed forward and drove his fist toward the creature, flames erupting in a torrent that pierced straight through the deer’s skull.
Crash!
—…!
A single blow. The deer staggered without even a cry of agony, then collapsed.
The earth trembled from the colossal impact. Just as the legend inscribed upon the stone tablets foretold, purple fur began to drift downward. It was the harbinger of death.
Crackle! Crack!
Trees caught in the spreading flames transformed into ash that scattered through the air. The sky regained its azure hue, yet the once-thriving city was suddenly choked with acrid smoke.
The Purpato people who had rushed out stared at their homeland with vacant eyes. Everything… was burning.
“Good heavens, the city…”
“Was that… the guardian of Purpato?”
“The guardian is dead. It’s dead…”
“Don’t just stand there—fetch water!”
“It won’t help, it won’t…”
“Snap out of it! We’ll be fine! We can still protect what remains!”
They gathered water from various sources and threw it upon the flames, while the Bariel Soldiers watched with evident discomfort. They wished to help on moral grounds, but without orders, they could not act freely.
“…Organize the situation.”
Witnessing this, Jin issued his final command. It was not merely an instruction concerning the deer. The chaos was far too overwhelming; order had to be restored first.
First of all—
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Eileen, who had been quietly attempting to withdraw, froze. The mages and Mage Knights alike fixed her with curious gazes.
‘…Oh no.’
A belated sense of dread washed over her. As her wounds subsided, so too did her fervor. She had abandoned her post without authorization—a grave transgression.
“…Yes?”
“Eileen?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Jin furrowed his brow and ran a hand through his hair.
Not only had she appeared in his dreams countless times in Roberside’s stead, but now she had drawn her sword and rushed before him of her own accord. Moreover, she had continuously parried attacks that even the mages could not withstand. Was such a thing truly possible? What in the world was her true nature?
As Jin’s sigh deepened, everyone fell silent and exchanged knowing glances.
‘Why… why is he sighing?’
‘Is it because we couldn’t block the attack?’
‘Hmm. What can we do if we can’t?’
‘I don’t know. Making the impossible possible is our job anyway.’
Thump.
At that moment, Ian descended lightly, and all eyes turned toward him. Everyone’s gaze brightened with welcome at his arrival.
“Your Majesty. My apologies. I shall order the mages to extinguish the flames and collect the remains. Akorelra.”
“Yes! Lord Ian! Akorelra standing by!”
“Go and dispose of the deer’s corpse—”
“Awesome! Thank you! I’ll handle it well!”
“Akorelra! Me too! Let me carve off some meat!”
“Did a sword pierce your skull? Berik, fill your belly with other meat. That one is for research.”
“Ugh, why are you talking like that?”
“The other mages are to focus entirely on suppressing the fire.”
“Yes! We’re going! Leave it to us!”
Whoosh!
The mages scattered hastily, seizing the opportunity.
Meanwhile, Jin, who had been quietly observing Eileen, asked Ian a question.
“Count Ian. Did you know Iza’s name?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. She was a soldier who survived the battle with the great demon, so I remember her.”
“She was one of the vanguard soldiers from the northern territories?”
Jin asked as if he couldn’t believe it. And for good reason—he had personally met with every surviving soldier to commend their valor. Had he encountered her, he surely would have recognized her.
‘Ah.’
…So that’s how it was.
That female soldier beyond the veil, the one who had been hiding her body while treating her wounds—she was Eileen all along. At this truly absurd twist of fate, Jin let out a hollow laugh.
Ian observed Jin’s reaction for a moment, then spoke carefully.
“My apologies, Your Majesty. I could not speak with certainty, so I refrained from mentioning it.”
“No, no. Count Ian need not apologize. Had I been in your position, I would not have spoken either. Besides, we are in the midst of war.”
What are the Emperor and the Minister of Magic saying about me? Speaking of what? Eileen kept her head lowered, listening intently to their conversation.
“Raise your head.”
At Ian’s command, she quickly straightened her posture.
The valiant warrior from moments before had vanished without a trace, leaving only a soldier who appeared somewhat uncomfortable. Then again, which common soldier would feel at ease before the Emperor and the Minister of Magic?
“Had you been a Holy Knight, the temple would surely have opposed it. Yet despite that, what purpose lay behind enlisting as an ordinary soldier?”
Ian posed his question assuming Eileen knew her own identity. But she smiled awkwardly and shook her head.
“My apologies. I cannot explain the circumstances from moments ago. The scar carved upon my shoulder burned fiercely, and someone called my name tenderly in my ear. I had no purpose other than to punish the betrayer of God. I will not make excuses for abandoning my post.”
At this unexpected answer, Ian and Jin exchanged glances. Eileen seemed not to even know what a Holy Knight was.
“….”
All three fell silent simultaneously, stealing glances at one another.
From Jin’s perspective, she had continued to appear in his dreams in place of Roberside, and he had even encountered her at the capital, so he had been searching for her all along—but he could not easily speak of this.
Eileen, on the other hand, simply knew nothing, so she had nothing to say. She could only make this much of a guess.
‘…A Holy Knight? Could it be that I’m being reassigned to the rear?’
Being called by God was glorious, certainly, but she had no desire to be reassigned to the rear because of it. She wanted to fight at the forefront for Bariel.
‘How awkward.’
Similarly, Ian could not hastily interject, as this was a matter between Jin and Eileen. What business did a third party have inserting themselves into such a connection?
As the silence stretched on quite long, Ian, unable to bear it any longer, cleared his throat and gestured to Jin with his eyes.
“Your Majesty. Leaving the formation hardly seems like a matter of concern. The discovery of the Holy Knight will surely boost morale among the soldiers. Above all, she protected Your Majesty. A generous reward would be most fitting.”
“Ah, yes. You’re right. Is there anything you wish for?”
“Wish for, Your Majesty?”
“Anything will do.”
Eileen paused in thought for a moment, then shook her head.
“There is nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Yes. As a Bariel Soldier, protecting Your Majesty is my duty. More than that, I truly desire nothing. If I must speak, I would only ask that you reconsider any reassignment. I wish to continue fighting with my current unit.”
Jin’s mouth opened and closed without words, then he gestured in acceptance.
“…Very well. Do as you wish.”
“Thank you. Then I shall take my leave.”
May I go? Eileen glanced around nervously, and at Tweller’s nod, she bowed respectfully and withdrew.
How innocent her retreating figure seemed as she hurried away. Jin felt deflated, yet simultaneously found himself absurd. Perhaps, having seen her often in dreams, he had built some misplaced familiarity with her.
“Count Ian. We’ve extinguished all the fires. But the deer’s corpse melted away completely—there’s nothing left to salvage. It seems to have vanished entirely. What happens to the contract?”
At the report from the Mages who descended from the sky, I shrugged.
“It’s been nullified.”
During the time the contract was valid, those who prayed for my sake received fortune. But now that the deer is dead, it’s all over.
I can only hope that Philia grasped fortune during that brief window.

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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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