Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 656

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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 655. The Burden of the Remaining
Tomi and Nakina were taken aback by the unexpected sight. Upon emerging from the painting, they found themselves in the empty corridor of some building—a hotel, it seemed.
Though it appeared to be a hotel, there was not a single sound of human presence. Even the noise from outside was completely absent. This despite it being broad daylight with the sun high in the sky.
Had they come to the wrong place? Had something gone wrong?
“This is Merelrof, right? Is it always like this?”
“It shouldn’t be. It looks like everyone has evacuated.”
“Yet there’s not a single building destroyed.”
“That must mean the situation in Hielo was more severe. Regardless, we’ve come to the right place. This is definitely Merelrof.”
Tomi muttered while examining the address posted beside the hotel entrance.
The two quickly left the hotel. Outside was even more silent. The sky was clear and bright, yet the city below seemed to remain asleep.
“…Let’s head to Hielo first.”
“Yes. It’s to the south, so it’s that way.”
The two took flight into the sky. As Merelrof came into view, they could see smoke rising in the distance.
Hielo. At first glance, the situation was starkly different from Merelrof. Buildings lay in ruins, structures were shattered, and everything had turned to ash. The flames still burning seemed to testify that Hielo had become a complete wasteland.
“My goodness… Ian’s home…”
I began to understand why Ian hadn’t returned. He must have gone to hold accountable whoever had committed this atrocity.
At that moment, Tomi, who had been monitoring movement in Hielo’s direction, gestured to Nakina.
“Senior, over there!”
“People?”
“Yes, they appear to be Hielo estate villagers.”
A procession had reached the edge of the estate. Judging by their direction, they were attempting to move inland.
The two simultaneously descended and approached, causing the refugees to panic and flee at the sight of unfamiliar mages.
“M-Mages! They’ve come again!”
“Ahhhhh! Run! Run away!”
So enemy mages had reduced Hielo to this state. Tomi and Nakina blocked their path and calmly introduced themselves.
“It’s alright! We are subordinates of Ian. I’m Nakina, a mage of the Royal Palace’s Magic Operations Division. This is Tomi.”
“Yes. We’re from the Magic Operations Division and serve directly under Ian. We’ve come to support him. Have you all met with him?”
“Y-You’re subordinates of Ian?”
People who had begun to resist, brandishing sickles, pocket knives, and hammers, hesitated. Among them, a woman leading children stepped forward and extended her hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Hena, the butler of the Hielo residence.”
“Ah, this is our first meeting. What has happened to everyone?”
“That is…”
Hena briefly explained what had transpired. Hielo had been burned in an attack by Ruswena mages, and Ian and Berik had gone down toward the Ruswena border alone.
Tomi and Nakina exchanged glances simultaneously. No matter how capable Ian was, it would be impossible to withstand a Ruswena army that included mages.
“I understand. We apologize that we cannot assist with your evacuation. We will follow after Ian immediately.”
“By this afternoon, support from Bariel mages should arrive at the great desert adjacent to Hielo and Ruswena. There will be no further damage, so please find shelter for now and await contact.”
Hena nodded. Then, as the two prepared to leave hastily, she stopped them and made a request.
“And, if—”
“Yes, please speak.”
“If anyone encounters a Celestial Warrior, and if he is alive, please tell him that the Hielo estate villagers have safely evacuated. I beg of you.”
Her slightly trembling voice revealed her emotional state. Wasn’t Celestial Warrior and Hielo bound by more than mere alliance—weren’t they like family? She likely shared her own connection with Celestial Warrior.
Nakina patted her shoulder reassuringly.
“Of course. I swear to you, we shall return every living soul safely to their loved ones.”
“…Thank you.”
“Ah, and should you encounter anyone from Merelrof’s faction, please tell them this: Clark, whom Lady Lien seeks, is currently at Kalamata Royal Palace in Burgos. His status remains unresolved, so he will likely return through the Imperial Palace.”
“Truly?”
Hena gasped with delight. She understood well the depths of Lady Lien’s longing—a yearning that, like a forest, grew ever denser with the passage of time.
Hena nodded eagerly, her joy evident.
“Yes, I understand. I shall convey the message without fail.”
“Then I shall take my leave.”
“May fortune favor you. Please, return safely.”
“Thank you. May divine blessing be upon you all as well.”
Tomi and Nakina exchanged a light nod before soaring skyward. Among the ruins of devastation, only the Hielo mansion upon the hill remained intact.
Then, a single pigeon emerged from the mansion. By the glint of sunlight upon it, it clearly carried a mana stone.
“Tomi!”
“Yes, understood!”
At Nakina’s command, Tomi descended toward the mansion to intercept the pigeon. Given the timing, the capital likely remained unaware of Hielo’s catastrophe. Regardless of its origin, it was prudent to examine the message first.
Tap tap.
The pigeon, as if accustomed to this, perched upon the main hall’s window and pecked insistently. Tomi caught the creature, untied the message from its leg, and read it quickly.
“Ah.”
It was a letter from Philia to Nersaren.
-Nersaren. It is I, Philia. Are you well? I apologize for the lack of direct contact. Much has transpired, but all has resolved favorably. I wish the letter were larger, for there is so much to convey. Nersaren! Soon I shall descend with Roel. When I do, hold me as you always have, and stroke my hair. I yearn so for that moment when our eyes meet and we smile together—my heart grows dizzy with longing. I miss you.
With all my love, Philia.
She does not yet know what has befallen Hielo. Tomi carefully folded the letter and placed it inside the window. It would be best if Nersaren read it himself once matters were settled.
Tomi scratched the pigeon’s neck as thanks for its service, then flew back toward Nakina, who awaited him.
* * *
A violent gust erupted!
“Ian! Are you unharmed?”
Tomi and Nakina cried out simultaneously, turning toward me. A sudden whirlwind swept across my hair, and the bonds restraining me shattered and dissipated like vapor.
“Tomi, Nakina.”
“You did not return, so we came searching. Butler Hena briefed us on the situation.”
“Wow. Ruswena is no joke. When did they build up such forces? Without Countess Merelrof, this would have ended badly.”
Clash!
The two positioned themselves at my sides, engaging the Ruswena Mages. The numbers seemed roughly matched, which was fortunate, but something about those mages’ condition seemed decidedly wrong.
“Ian, could those be—”
“A puppeteer is behind them.”
“How tedious. Truly.”
Nakina ran her fingers through her short pink hair in frustration. These creatures had clung persistently since the siege of Agiar.
“We shall handle this. Ian, go!”
“Yes. Even if Senior Nakina isn’t what she once was, I’m here, so it’s manageable.”
“…Tomi. You’ve grown quite a bit, haven’t you?”
“Well, I still have a long way to go to catch up with you, Senior.”
Zing! Zing!
Whoooosh!
The two of them bumped shoulders as they took combat stances, summoning their magical power.
In response, I clenched my jaw tightly. My target wasn’t the mages directly before me, but something beyond them. It would be easier and more certain to eliminate the single puppeteer somewhere out there than to methodically deal with each soulless mage one by one.
The Ruswena mages, sensing my intention, reorganized their formation to block my path. Then they pooled their magical power together.
Zing! Zing!
「Cloud Sea」.
Tomi and Nakina rushed to break through it, but they were too late. A massive magic circle began spinning around the Ruswena mages. It had already been activated.
Whoosh!
Crash!
The clouds that had been drifting quietly gathered together and swarmed around me like a massive school of fish.
‘If I get trapped, this becomes difficult.’
Sensing this instinctively, I quickly accelerated toward the main Ruswena force, with the cloud fish and the Ruswena mages following closely behind.
“Where are you going! Tomi!”
“Yes, Senior!”
Zing!
Nakina clenched her teeth and pushed her speed to the maximum. Then she pressed close behind my back and clasped her hands together to chant a spell.
「Water Heaven」.
Massive arms stretched out behind Nakina. One wielded a blazing sword, while the other held an iron shield.
“Hyaaah!”
As Nakina let out a battle cry, her golden eyes flashed brilliantly.
At the same moment—
Boom!
The shield-wielding hand came down with all its might upon the cloud swarm.
“…!”
A deafening blast erupted, and a cutting wind scattered the ranks of the Water Heaven soldiers. When a Ruswena mage rushed in as if to interfere, the sword-wielding arm blocked his attack instead.
Clang!
「Fierce Strike」.
Tomi also unleashed his magical power in succession. His entire body immediately turned crimson with heat, steam rising from the intense warmth.
Enhanced physique. He flew toward those the shield had missed, striking each one down with his fists and eliminating them decisively.
Boom! Bang!
“Ugh….”
Meanwhile, Countess Darsi was too busy manipulating five dolls in every direction. The way she stared blankly into empty space while flailing her arms resembled a mad pianist absorbed in a performance.
Sweat dripped down along her jawline. The attacks and defenses of these mages called Tomi and Nakina were so unpredictable that even with her senses connected, it was difficult to keep up.
“Countess Darsi!”
“Shut up! Please, just shut that mouth of yours!”
When Martin shouted upon seeing me flying toward them, Countess Darsi snapped back irritably.
At the same time, problems emerged in the movements of the soldiers advancing forward.
“Ah, we cannot advance any further!”
“What are you saying!”
“The Mage Knight keeps pushing forward!”
“It’s just one man! Where are the black-armored soldiers?”
The situation above mirrored our own. Just as I had bypassed the Ruswena Mages without engaging them directly, Berik had similarly refrained from clashing with the black-armored soldiers—at least for now. His objective was to penetrate as deeply as possible into their ranks and throw their entire formation into disarray.
“Get out of the way, you small fry! Learn the value of your lives!”
“K-kill him!”
“Forward! Keep pushing! There’s only one of him!”
“Black-armored soldiers! Move to the front lines!”
Berik charged forward with a sharp cry, trampling over the soldiers’ heads and shoulders as he rushed onward. Even as the black-armored soldiers attacked in succession, he merely evaded or deflected their blows, never slowing his advance, his gaze fixed unwavering ahead.
At the end of that gaze stood Martin, and he realized it.
“Sigh.”
Countess Darsi closed her eyes tightly as if dizzy, exhaling a weary breath. Her dress was drenched in sweat.
“This won’t do.”
She severed the string of a doll she had hastily grabbed.
Ting!
“Nameless mage. I have but one question. Answer truthfully, and I shall grant you freedom. How is ‘forbidden magic’ activated? My commands aren’t working… How irritating.”
Another lie. She wiped the sweat from the back of her hand, then listened intently to the doll’s cries. Martin heard nothing, but Countess Darsi continued murmuring, conversing with the invisible entity.
“Ah, I see? Mixing blood will do it?”
Countess Darsi’s eyes gleamed. She immediately sealed all five senses of the mage who had regained consciousness, rendering him completely helpless.
At that very moment, one of the Ruswena Mages in the sky floundered and plummeted. Though he possessed sufficient magical power to fly, his panic and inability to discern up from down left him no choice but to fall.
“Ian Hielo!”
Countess Darsi cried out with a voice filled with malice, manipulating the doll’s strings. Then she selected another target and activated forbidden magic.

Zing! Zing!
A wave of blood-tinged magical energy spreading across the surroundings.
As I sensed the sinister aura emanating from behind, I reflexively halted my forward charge despite my momentum. Tomi and Nakina also stared at the Ruswena Mage with vacant expressions.
Boom!
Splurt! Bang!
The body swelled grotesquely, transforming into a bizarre form. Simultaneously, a magical force so overwhelming that merely facing it became unbearable engulfed the entire area.
It was the power of the forbidden.

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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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