Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 205

“Ugh.”

Barsabe groaned, clutching her side with her right hand. Everything was sticky and damp with sweat, blood, and the relentless downpour.

She wrung out the blood that had soaked her upper body. Even trying to use magic for first aid was futile; she had used the doppelganger technique [a magic that creates temporary copies of oneself] for too long to evade her pursuers. With no strength left, she was no different from an ordinary person.

Barsabe curled up, suppressing the pain.

‘I hope that idiot did well. Ah, this really hurts too much.’

She was hiding in a corner of an abandoned warehouse. The sound of rain pattering on the roof was particularly loud. To Barsabe, it sounded like the footsteps she had made a few hours ago. Each step she had taken with all her might to survive.

Pitter-patter!

She had lured four suits of armor to the outskirts. If she had been a little more capable, she would have sent her doppelgangers in the opposite direction to create a wider range of confusion. But reality was harsh, and Barsabe, her doppelgangers, and the armor maintained a constant distance, continuing the chase and escape.

But at some point, something felt off. It didn’t feel like a chase to kill, but rather a lure to drive her. As if they wanted her to take a different path.

‘I don’t think it was a mistake.’

Not knowing what was happening at the Imperial Palace, Barsabe had to choose whether to flee and protect herself or to take the path the pursuers were avoiding. To strike at the enemy’s vital point, she had to get close. The price was a body so broken she could barely move.

Swoosh.

She looked down at her left hand, which had no strength. Her father, Petreio’s ring, was on it.

Not long ago, she couldn’t understand her father’s resolve when he took his own life, but now she felt like she understood a little. A life where death is close for the sake of struggle. That was the life of a knight.

She kissed the ring and steeled her heart.

‘Let’s hold on a little longer. When the sun rises, people will come. If a body is found, the Imperial Guard will also come. It’s okay.’

Chetur. A region filled with manual labor factories, where goods destined for the center were stored. There were major clients like large manufacturing guilds, merchant groups, and blacksmiths, but smaller groups also formed a community, fitting the area’s characteristics.

It was clear that one of them had roots in Haiman.

‘There’s no Haiman Bank here. Yet, the people of District 3 didn’t seem surprised to see the black armor. It must mean they’ve been seen here often, and given the area’s characteristics, it’s likely related to the manufacturing of black armor.’

It was likely a place where materials were stored. If not black armor, even better. It would reveal another variable Haiman was hiding.

Barsabe repeatedly recited the best-case scenario.

A body disguised as her is quickly discovered, and the Imperial Palace uses this to conduct investigations in the vicinity. Thus, identifying the base and seizing the supplies. And then, her survival is officially confirmed.

“Hey, did you check here too?”

“No. Not that side yet.”

“You go around to the right first. I’ll go.”

“This way! Move this way!”

Splish, splash!

Then, faintly, the sound of people could be heard in the distance. It was the sound of those chasing her. It seemed her body hadn’t been found yet.

She curled up even tighter and held her breath. The night grew colder as it deepened. When her breath faintly escaped, Barsabe closed her eyes completely.

‘Damn it.’

Creak.

Pass by, pass by, she prayed as if chanting, but it was no use. The warehouse door opened carelessly, and light poured in. It was the light from the lanterns held by the pursuers. They glanced around, then roughly scattered the stored goods.

Thump! Thud!

“Be careful. It’ll be a pain if something breaks.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Barsabe was so tense she felt nauseous. All her senses were heightened. Perhaps it was to remember her last moments. Fortunately, the pursuers were about to turn away without any gain.

“It doesn’t seem to be here.”

“But is it really here?”

“I don’t know. The knights said they lost her trail nearby, and since Annie hasn’t returned, it’s suspicious.”

“It’s a pain, really. Let’s go to the next warehouse.”

“They said there’s no place she’s not injured, so she must be hiding somewhere.”

Annie. That must be the name of the woman Barsabe had dealt with. The one who attacked her as soon as they met in District 3.

She bit her lip and listened carefully. The footsteps were heading outside. Just as they were about to leave the warehouse’s eaves.

“Wait.”

A man raised his hand. And then, he glanced back with his foot. A faint red color was mixed in. She wondered if it was a color reflected by the lantern, but it didn’t seem so.

“Lift your foot.”

“Foot? Why?”

“Do you have any injuries?”

“No. Why all of a sudden?”

“……”

Instead of answering, the man drew his sword. He had stepped on the stain of someone who was injured and hiding. His companions were also surprised by his reaction and took a fighting stance.

Shing.

It was a sound she had heard hundreds, thousands of times. The sound of a sword leaving its scabbard, chillingly ringing.

Barsabe instinctively knew she had been discovered. She bit her lip and opened her eyes. This was really the end. Before they killed her, it was time to show the pride of a swordsman one last time. She wouldn’t die cowering. At least, she would decide her own death.

“Let’s see, is she here?”

Crash! Clang!

“No, then here?”

The pursuers smashed large boxes at once, swinging their swords. They cut and stabbed through the cloth-wrapped items, searching every place where Barsabe could hide.

Swoosh.

Whoosh! Crack!

“Ugh!”

Barsabe threw a dagger at the man who had his back to her. She aimed for his neck, but her body was too weak, and it missed. The dagger cut off the man’s ear and embedded itself in the wall.

Taking advantage of the gap, Barsabe quickly ran out of the warehouse. Or, she wanted to run. She was limping badly on one leg, so it was more like walking.

“Ha!”

The pursuers were surprised and tried to rush out, but they laughed when they saw her. In that state, she was no better than a rat trapped in a cage.

“Blood! Blood!”

“You won’t die, you brat. Just stop the bleeding.”

“Hey! One-shot! Just roll. That’ll be faster.”

They slowly followed Barsabe, scraping the ground with their swords. Besides the sound of rain, only the sound of wet soil being stepped on, laughter, and her rough groans could be heard.

It was a meaningless escape, but Barsabe kept walking. She thought that if she resisted outside rather than inside, someone might see her. But despite the time, no one was visible due to the bad weather.

Splish! Splash!

“Hah, hah……”

“You’re too fast. Slow down a bit!”

She could see blurry figures in the distance. People. They were all holding umbrellas and smoking. For a moment, Barsabe’s eyes widened with hope. Until she saw the black armor standing tall among the people.

Swoosh!

The pursuers slashed her from behind as if mocking her. Barsabe fell forward, collapsing. Her fist clenched tightly to endure the pain. She grabbed a handful of dirt.

“Leave the face alone. They say it’s one gold coin if we bring the head. They need to confirm the identity.”

“You. Bastards……”

“Can’t hear you? What did you say?”

Clang! Clang!

The pursuer’s sword fell straight down, aiming for Barsabe’s neck. She rolled to the side and barely parried it, and at the same time, the man with the cut ear rushed in and kicked her.

“You dare!”

“……”

“My ear!”

Thud! Thwack!

Barsabe bit her lip and suppressed her groans. She couldn’t show pain while being hit by these guys. Beric, you bastard. It wasn’t easy to clench her teeth since she didn’t have molars.

“Die! Die!”

One last strike, just one. Let’s take one more with me. It was the moment Barsabe made that resolution and gripped her sword hilt tightly.

Whoosh.

Suddenly, all the lantern lights went out.

It was a night where the moon was hidden by rain clouds. It seemed as if the world was instantly dyed in darkness.

The pursuers paused and looked at their lanterns. The glass covers were tightly sealed, but they didn’t know how they had gone out.

“Anyone have a light?”

“Why did it suddenly……”

Crash!

Then, a loud noise erupted, and a man was mercilessly crushed. As if he had been hit by a meteorite falling from the sky.

Barsabe narrowed her eyes. Her vision was blurry, and she couldn’t see properly.

“Wh-what!”

“Hey! Help here!”

And then, once more.

Crash!

A wet cloak fluttered endlessly. Barsabe unknowingly lay down and sighed in relief. Tears flowed with her sigh, but she would attribute it to the rain.

“Barsabe.”

“Ah……”

“Are you okay?”

It was her comrades. They had fully unleashed their magic, bending even the falling raindrops. The man with the cut ear had died in one blow. So brutally that even the heavy rain couldn’t wash away his blood at once.

“Ugh, ugh! Hey!”

Thud! Thud!

One by one, Imperial Guards appeared from somewhere, cutting through the rain. Their expressions were not visible in the darkness, but they were relieved at Barsabe’s survival. One comrade took off his robe and threw it to Barsabe.

“Barsabe. We’ve been looking for you.”

“Ah, everyone. Really……”

“We will die together on the battlefield. You too.”

Barsabe hugged the red cloth and lay down again. She was too weak to even lift her back. The pursuers shouted loudly at the sudden appearance of the enemies.

“Here!”

They were calling for the black armor. But that soon became their last cry, and like their comrade, their limbs were torn apart and they fell to the ground.

Whoosh.

Swoosh.

The Imperial Guards left Barsabe behind and faced the black armor. Those who had grasped the situation could be seen scattering to request reinforcements. It seemed that a rather large battle would take place in Chetur today.

Buzz. Buzz.

It was the magic armor that had defeated Liyama. The central force of the enemy that even Barsabe and Beric couldn’t defeat together.

The Imperial Guards unleashed their magic endlessly and took a fighting stance. The light they emitted glowed dimly in the rain.

“We are members of the Imperial Guard. Are you a knight belonging to the Haiman family? And did you make our Barsabe like this?”

Someone shouted, but the armor did not answer. Instead, it swung its fist wildly and charged.

Crash! Swoosh!

When his fist hit the ground, a stream of water shot up coolly. One guard grabbed Barsabe’s arm and moved her away, while the others jumped into the air and swung their swords.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Five Imperial Guards simultaneously struck the armor. Front, back, left, right, and even the top. The force came in at once, but the armor only staggered instead of falling. The guards were speechless and stepped back.

“What the-”

What was it made of…….

The armor was cracked, but it seemed that the knight inside was not affected. Everyone was regaining their stance and about to unleash another attack. Then, in the distance, black armors could be seen running, thumping.

Three in total. The ones that had chased Barsabe.

“All troops!!”

Flash-!

Boom!

Lightning and thunder raged. At the same time, Jaylott’s thunderous command fell from the sky. He was standing on the roof of the abandoned warehouse, pointing his sword at the armor.

“Captain!”

“From now on, the objective of the operation is changed.”

Buzz. Buzz.

Jaylott’s power, which was only unleashed when facing monsters. A chilling dark aura swirled around him.

“Annihilation. We will annihilate the enemies without leaving a single one.”