Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 642

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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 642. King Eldetr
A man with long teal hair lifted his gaze. A single portrait dominated the expansive wall—his predecessor, King Eriponi, who bore an uncanny resemblance to him, wore that familiar confident smile.
Ten years had passed since Eldetr ascended the throne, yet the king in the painting remained untouched by time’s decay.
“Your Majesty. It appears Kalamat has fallen completely.”
“I see.”
Eldetr responded to the report from behind as though he had anticipated it. A kingdom left masterless and crumbling—how could it possibly endure when Bariel’s Emperor and his legion of mages descended upon it?
The only glimmer of hope had been Rutherford’s occupation of Agiar, but with his fate now shrouded in uncertainty, the outcome was inevitable.
“A true pity. Had I known this would transpire, I would have withdrawn some support.”
“Enough. At that time, it was the appropriate decision. There is no folly greater than regretting the past.”
The black-armored soldiers, mages, and dragons sent to Agiar were all precious assets and military strength of Ruswena. They had scattered into nothingness, unable to overcome Bariel.
“Has there been any word from Bariel?”
“No, Your Majesty. They were preoccupied with their advance from Agiar to Kalamat.”
Since Ruswena had supported Rutherford in Agiar, Bariel would surely declare protest and retaliation. Now that Kalamat had fallen, it wouldn’t take long. This meant Ruswena’s remaining time was running short.
Eldetr handed back the report his advisor had brought and posed a question.
“What is the current growth trajectory of the dragons?”
“Thanks to the growth accelerant, they’re developing twice as fast as projected. At this rate, we’ll have approximately a hundred individuals ready for deployment by next month.”
Dragons were nearly the supreme military force, save for mages. Ordinary soldiers, even thousands of them, could not defeat a single dragon.
Moreover, dragons were useful in themselves, but their derivative effects were particularly remarkable.
“What of the black-armored soldiers?”
“They continue collecting dragon scales from those unfit for deployment. During the Agiar campaign, quality suffered due to quantity demands, but this time the purity is supreme.”
A single black-armored soldier could contend with roughly three Mage Knights. Victory or defeat would depend on tactics, but regardless, only these black-armored soldiers could fill the void of Mage Knights in Ruswena’s forces.
“Distribute them primarily to seasoned knights.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
Not mere rabble who simply grasped and swung swords, but knights capable of understanding and countering the Mage Knights’ swordplay would don the black armor. At this level, Bariel’s troops and Mage Knights were manageable.
“However, Your Majesty, the true problem lies with the mages. While we have Idgal, he can no longer provide military superiority.”
“Indeed. Ian Hielo—that is the particular concern.”
The number of mages could not compare to Bariel. Ten years prior, Ruswena’s mages had already defected en masse to Bariel.
“In the Cliffford War of old, I witnessed the mages’ power with my own eyes. We lost that war for one reason alone—the mages.”
Thus, upon ascending the throne, Eldetr immediately established the Magic Department within the royal palace. He also invested in discovering mana users throughout the realm and soon succeeded in hiring mercenary mages. As a result, while not matching the strength of ten years past, Ruswena had managed to construct a magical superpower second only to Bariel.
“Ahem. However, Your Majesty, I must apologize, but the Magic Department has submitted a request for additional funding. It appears that nearly half of the mages currently remaining in the department are not native to Ruswena, and they seem intent on raising their prices by observing the current situation.”
Then what of the mages born in Ruswena? Did they possess the will to protect their homeland with genuine love for their nation?
No. They understood from history how the royal palace had treated mages. After the previous King Eriponi’s death and the new King Eldetr’s ascension, he remained her closest confidant. Was he not a king who politically inherited Eriponi’s legacy?
“Grant them what they request.”
“But if we do, the budget will….”
“It’s fine. We need only hold out a little longer.”
Eldetr murmured thus and pressed his seal upon the approval documents.
“Until they arrive from Hawan.”
“…Understood, Your Majesty.”
It was common knowledge that Prime Minister Shatima of Hawan had been assassinated by those close to him. Yet few knew the full details of the matter. Even in Hawan, where the incident originated.
Click.
Eldetr retrieved a single letter that had been sleeping in a drawer below. It had been sent unofficially from Toollun, so it carried no diplomatic weight, yet it would profoundly influence his decision now.
‘Support for the Puppeteer, then….’
The letter detailed how Toollun would intervene depending on the situation in Hawan. If I had to guess, Shatima’s death was the work of someone held on a leash by the Puppeteer.
Eldetr traced his fingertip along the edge of the paper, gauging the situation. If the Puppeteer completed his work in Hawan and entered Ruswena, he would summon all the Mages to one place.
‘Forbidden magic. With that alone, confronting Bariel would be no impossible task.’
But the Mages would never sacrifice themselves for Ruswena. Thus, the Puppeteer’s aid was necessary. Through their intervention, Ruswena could obtain the blind loyalty of the Mages, and Toollun could achieve their shared objective—Bariel’s downfall. Though the distance between them was great, it was clear they were mutually beneficial to one another.
‘That elder who wielded forbidden magic in the Cliffford War—I remember him clearly. Even Ian Hielo couldn’t withstand it and fell. If I mobilize all the remaining Mages now and unleash forbidden magic, dealing with Bariel’s Mages would certainly be possible. Without them, Ruswena holds the advantage in overall strength.’
Eldetr turned his gaze once more toward the portrait of Eriponi. The late King who met his end in Bariel’s royal palace.
He was one who did not hesitate to perform contract magic with Mages. Now he sought to usher in a new era, yet his fundamental nature still heeded the commands of the previous generation’s King.
“By the way, what of the Mages who went up to the Great Desert?”
“No word has come yet, but there is no need for concern. How could those Cheonryeo beasts contend with Mages in the air? Once we locate their base in Cheonryeo, the plan will proceed as intended.”
There were two paths for Ruswena to enter Bariel. One through Hielo’s territory, and one through Bariel’s south.
The south bordered Cliffford, so the defenses would be considerable. Of course, that nation’s circumstances were not favorable either, but compared to the masterless frontier of Hielo, it was a force of national caliber. Thus, the only way to open a path easily was through Hielo’s domain.
‘It was said that the Cheonryeo Tribe guards Hielo. After forming an alliance with those who had been hostile, they eliminated unnecessary forces and reaped great profits. That means, without the Cheonryeo, Hielo would be nothing but an open door, wouldn’t it?’
Everything was in perfect position. The Cheonryeo lived deep within the Great Desert, so even if they were annihilated, Hielo would not learn of it immediately. They would only realize their homeland had fallen after confronting Ruswena.
“Very well. I understand. For now, grant the Mages everything they desire and bind them to the Royal Palace. It won’t take long. From Hawan to Ruswena.”
Thump!
Eldetr affixed his seal one final time and handed the documents to his Advisor. Then he surveyed the room slowly.
In one corner of the office lay a massive bow that Eriponi had used in life. As if it thirsted for blood once more.
* * *
“Ugh!”
The Mages huddled their bodies tightly, shielding their faces. They had not known the sandstorm could be so powerful and sharp. Though they closed their eyes and covered their nose and mouth with their sleeves, they could not maintain their senses against the cascading torrent of sand.
“We must retreat!”
“What? I can’t hear you! Where is everyone?”
“I’m here! Ah, wait, damn it!”
“Don’t get separated!”
Even brief communication was impossible. The moment they opened their mouths, grains of sand burrowed in.
The three Mages from Ruswena now sensed they had truly reached their limit.
‘A portal!’
They needed to open a path back. But to do so, all three would need to combine their strength, which was absolutely impossible in these conditions. First, they would need to deploy a barrier to secure space, even if only for a moment—
Zing! Zing!
The moment one Mage began to deploy a barrier.
A single Cheonryeo Tribe Warrior who had been enduring hidden within the storm noticed it and twisted his body. Then he released and applied force alternately, using the wind’s flow to move in his desired direction. Those who had lived hacking through countless sandstorms knew well how to move their bodies.
Crash!
The Cheonryeo Warrior gripping a small Idgal brought it down upon the barrier with all his might. He was permitted only one strike. Sure enough, the moment he struck, he was swept away backward by the wind, but he would crawl back again.
In that gap, the other Warriors continued shattering the barrier.
Crash! Crash!
“…!”
Thanks to the barrier, they could block some of the sandstorm. But the Mage froze solid at the sight of the Cheonryeo Warriors who kept charging and disappearing.
Eyes so relentless they seemed almost mindless. It felt like being trapped in a cage with starving beasts. If this barrier shattered, they would surely rush in and tear his limbs apart.
“I—!”
The Mages each unfurled their protective barriers. Now that our positions were established, all that remained was to summon the magic circle and open the portal. I wasn’t certain I could concentrate properly in such circumstances, but I had to succeed if I wanted to survive.
‘If only it weren’t for this storm! Those wretches would be nothing!’
Just as on that dawn when we attacked Cheonrye, a single gesture would have stolen their breath. But in this moment, as the Mages clenched their lower lips and prepared to summon the portal—
Whoooosh!
Swiiish! Swash!
The moment the magical energy sustaining the barriers dispersed, the Cheonryeo Tribe Warriors struck with a single blow. The barriers shattered into fragments, and the Mages, their postures broken, were swept away by the storm in an instant.
“Gack—!”
There was no time even to scream. Breath was stolen, vision darkened, and the entire body became powerless before nature’s fury.
Just as one Mage barely regained his senses and attempted to generate another barrier, a blurred figure appeared within the storm. Growing clearer with each passing moment—the Cheonryeo Tribe Warriors who had thrown themselves in pursuit of the Mage.
“Demosa!”
A cry so powerful and resonant it pierced through the roar of the storm. The Mage struggled desperately, but one of the Cheonryeo Tribe Warriors seized his ankle. Before the Mage could even respond with magic, the warrior crushed the bone with a single hand.
Crack!
“Aaaahhh!”
Unfortunately, the Mage’s scream was swallowed by the wind and vanished.
Then came a hand extending from above. It was Kakan. He seized the Mage by the nape of the neck, pulled him close, and bound his limbs with all his strength.
“Grraahhh!”
And gradually, he tightened the grip. As the Mage’s mouth fell open, sand poured in, and eventually he breathed his last.
When the opponent ceased to resist, Kakan released his grip and drew his dagger.
Thunk!
Then, without hesitation, he drove the blade into the dead man’s heart. Once, twice, three times. Dozens of times in succession, in place of his fallen family.
Whoosh!
Kakan, now covered in blood and sand, caught his comrade’s signal and lowered his stance. Within that sand storm, two more remained.
Without hesitation, he threw himself forward once more, and at the same moment, he felt raindrops beginning to fall one by one across his entire body.
“….”
Meanwhile, Nersaren, who had lost consciousness, carefully opened his eyes to the cold sensation awakening him. The first thing he saw was an enormous cloud shaped like a human figure.
Ah, so God has come to the desert. Nersaren slowly raised his head, wanting to fully feel the falling rainwater.

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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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