Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 109

A giant moon rose behind the hill. The winter night’s moon was exceptionally clear and huge, so much so that the figures of two horses galloping were silhouetted against it. They looked as if they were leaping into the moon, not just climbing the forest.

Clatter, clatter!

Unlike Ian, who was holding Hasha and urging his horse on, Beric had no inhibitions. He impatiently shook the reins and spurred his horse.

“Giddy up! Let’s go faster! The moon’s going to set!”

At this point, even if it wasn’t for Hasha, Beric felt like he knew where the bandits’ hideout was—at the end of the hill. Instinctively, it felt like the bandits’ den was just below.

Neigh!

“Wow, they’ve got a nice setup here.”

Beric looked down at the steep slope below. Old tents were nestled among the bushes, forming a small village. Ian, who had followed behind, surveyed the overall terrain and clicked his tongue.

“They’ve been wandering around robbing people, but they’ve got a good eye for land.”

The geographical conditions for hiding were almost perfect. They had to pass through an abandoned forest, dash across a hidden plain, and reach the very end to find them.

“Good. Now that we’ve confirmed their base, let’s go to Karenna and bring back some people.”

The bandits’ stolen loot was piled up in one place. And next to it was Ian’s carriage, neatly placed. It seemed like there was a separate path for the carriage to enter.

“Huh? Bring people? When are we going to do that?”

Beric’s eyes sparkled as he grabbed the hilt of his sword. He looked like he was about to draw it at any moment, and Ian shook his head.

“We don’t know how strong they are.”

“Doesn’t matter. We’re going to kill them all anyway. And even if we can let the magic stones go, what if those guys burn the documents while they’re sorting through the loot? Don’t you feel sorry for Lord Romandro?!”

“Beric, you should at least try to be believable.”

He wasn’t worried about Romandro at all; he just wanted to run wild. Ian chuckled and asked Hasha,

“Do you know where your body is?”

-Central barracks.

Hasha’s black eyes stared intently at one spot. Just then, as Beric had said, a few of the bandits were seen approaching the carriage.

“Look at that! Lord Romandro is as good as dead! He’s going to get fired with a newborn baby in his newlywed life!”

“Beric, we can’t let the bandit leader get away.”

“Yes, yes. Master, you can walk around slowly. I’ll clear the path for you.”

“…Make sure there are no problems.”

Thud!

As soon as Ian gave his permission, Beric spurred his horse and shot off like an arrow. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that he tumbled down the steep hill.

Neigh!

Contrary to the startled horse’s cry, Beric’s laughter echoed loudly in the air.

“Ah ha ha ha!”

A strange laugh in the moonlit night. The bandits who were sorting through the loot tilted their heads in confusion and looked around. In the distance, a horse was seen descending the wall.

“Huh?”

At first, they wondered what was going on. Even the guys who were resting in the barracks came out one by one and poked their heads out.

“…What is it?”

“I don’t know. Is he crazy?”

“Isn’t he one of those guys who followed us from the village?”

“There’s no guard flag [a flag used to signal a guard or patrol].”

They picked up their weapons just in case, but they weren’t really tense. They predicted that he would fall and die as soon as he hit the ground.

Crash!

As expected, the horse, unable to overcome its speed, crashed straight into a nearby tent. The things that were piled up around it tumbled over, and a cloud of dust rose, blurring their vision.

The bandits couldn’t help but sneer.

“Tsk tsk. Stupid people should die early. It’s good for humanity.”

“Hey, are you still alive?”

“Shut up. Anyway, what’s with this all of a sudden…”

Neigh!

The horse, as if it had lost its mind, staggered and ran away. It was the moment when one of the bandits cautiously approached and kicked away the debris.

Swoosh!

Beric’s sword drew a clean arc, taking the man’s breath away. The movement was so smooth that it took the bandits watching from behind a few seconds to realize what had happened.

“Th-this crazy bastard…”

Only when the pants of his comrade, who had collapsed halfway to his knees, were stained with blood did they realize. The red-haired man was not a crazy person but a mysterious intruder. The nearby bandits rushed at Beric, swinging their axes.

“Who are you?!”

Whoosh!

Boom!

The axes were thick enough to shatter most blades in one blow. But Beric easily deflected the axes, and the bewildered bandits stepped back, muttering.

“Th-that feeling just now…”

The feeling was strange. It was a smooth and slow counterattack, as if defying gravity. The bandit noticed that Beric’s red eyes were glowing. It wasn’t the moonlight.

“Alright, alright. Hands up.”

Beric grinned and pointed his sword at each of the bandits’ faces.

“Who here robbed Karenna today?”

“So, you’re from the village. Why? Are you here for revenge?”

“Was it you? Were you in the village?”

“What if I was?”

Swish!

A short, cool gust of wind. It was the power of the magic swordsman that Beric had unleashed. The magic power that Ian had given him in the village was still there.

“That means I missed someone. How annoying.”

Thud!

Beric muttered and plunged into the midst of the bandits. His sword danced with the speed of light. His clear, shining red eyes. Like those of a monster that devours beasts in the night.

“Aaaargh!”

“Die! Ah ha ha! I saw your face!”

“Damn it, everyone come out! It’s an emergency!”

“What’s all the commotion?!”

“Kkyaaa! Save me, save me-!”

The moment the merciless slaughter began.

Ian was watching the scene from the top of the hill. Hasha, who was in his arms, tilted his head in confusion, looking at Ian’s expression.

-What’s wrong?

“Hasha, doesn’t Beric remind you of anything?”

-He seems like a mess. He wouldn’t survive in Astana if he acted like that.

“That goes for Bariel too. Alright. Let’s go down slowly. Beric said he’d clear the path for us.”

Ian urged his horse on, leaving the commotion behind.

‘Even if he is a magic swordsman, Beric is going too far. He has no fear and enjoys mindless slaughter. It’s a bit strange.’

If they went to the center where everything in the world gathered, he would be able to learn more about Beric.

Ian rode down the hill and arrived at the entrance of the camp. Due to Beric’s commotion, the gatekeeper was gone.

“Let’s go.”

Hasha stiffened as if he was nervous. They went inside, but there was hardly anyone around. It seemed like they had all rushed out to catch one intruder.

Crash! Bang!

In the distance, a loud noise that confirmed their suspicions erupted. Ian followed Hasha’s guidance and moved towards the center of the camp. Finding the body was important, but more important than that was the carriage.

“Hasha, I’ll let you down if you want. I need to check if the carriage is safe first.”

-There’s nothing I can do in this body, it’s okay.

Ian got off his horse and approached the place where the carriages were parked. When a bandit came out from behind the cargo hold, he shot magic without hesitation.

Poof!

A short flash of light erupted, and the bandit fell backward.

‘One, two, three…’

Everything that had been looted was still there. Ian nodded after confirming that the storage boxes, including the magic stones and the piles of documents, were intact.

“Everything’s fine.”

As soon as Hasha heard Ian’s muttering, he started running ahead. Towards the central barracks in the distance. With each step, the cold air entered his lungs, as if freezing his head. All of Hasha’s senses were fixed on the barracks.

Swoosh.

“Hmm?”

The moment they reached the barracks, a huge man came out. Perhaps it was because Hasha was looking up, but he was so big that it seemed like his head would touch the ceiling.

“What is it?”

It was the leader of the bandits. Hasha froze and stepped back. He quickly grabbed the dog by the scruff of its neck and lifted it into the air.

“A dog?”

Whimper.

If he wanted to live, he had no choice. Hasha pretended not to know anything and struggled hard to make the man lower his guard.

That was when it happened.

“Big guy!”

Beric, covered in blood, shouted loudly. He was dragging a corpse, and the leader seemed to be dumbfounded by the sight.

“Are you the boss?”

“You, you bastard!”

Whoosh!

The leader threw Hasha away and immediately drew his axe. He had thought it was just a small commotion. Usually, on days when they had successfully looted, his subordinates would be drunk with pleasure and unable to sleep at night.

“Your subordinates were amazing. They were a joy to cut down.”

“You crazy bastard!”

Clang! Clang!

There was no need to hesitate. The two immediately rushed at each other, their weapons clashing. The ear-piercing sound of metal was chilling.

Hasha, who had been lying on the ground, barely regained his senses and entered the barracks.

“Haaah!”

Thud!

A look of ‘oh, is that so?’ briefly flashed across Beric’s face. He was living up to his size; the power with which he swung his axe was different from that of the other bandits.

“Hah, hah…”

The leader, who had dropped his axe, was sweating and panting. Seeing this, Beric ostentatiously threw his sword on the ground.

“…?”

“I think it’ll be more fun to beat you up than to cut you down.”

“You’re a very arrogant bastard, aren’t you?”

“How much do you think it’ll hurt to get beaten by someone like that?!”

Thwack!

The two men who rushed at each other threw punches at the same time. They exchanged blows several times. The longer the fight went on, the more the leader felt a sense of instinctive defeat. He realized that Beric was deliberately letting himself get hit.

Whack! Pow!

Gradually, Beric’s number of hits increased. Blood was on Beric’s fists, but it was impossible to tell whose blood it was.

“Hahaha! Just as I expected! Your flesh is so firm, it sticks well.”

“Ugh-! Hah!”

Thwack!

Thud!

The final blow. The leader, his face mangled, staggered and eventually lost consciousness. Beric lightly dusted off his hands and reached for his sword.

“Beric.”

Ian’s voice came from behind. When he turned around, Ian, who had ridden his horse, was signaling him to stop with a look.

“He’s someone we need to ask a lot of questions. Don’t kill him.”

“Ah, Master, you’re here?”

Beric wiped his nose with his bloody hand and smiled brightly, as if he felt truly refreshed.

“I’ve cleared the path well.”

“The path is a bit… red.”

“The high and mighty like to walk on red carpets.”

The floor was a mess with the blood of the fallen bandits. The feeling of the wet soil was transmitted directly through the horse’s hooves.

Ian got off his horse and looked over Beric’s condition. It was hard to tell if he was okay or not, covered in blood as he was.

“Where’s Hasha?”

“He went inside, I think?”

“You keep an eye on the bandit leader, just in case.”

“Huh? I’m curious about the inside too.”

Swoosh.

Ian ignored Beric and walked towards the entrance of the barracks. The outside was bad enough, but the inside was filled with a foul smell. Ian followed Hasha’s footprints.

“Hasha?”

In a small annex inside the barracks, Ian found Hasha’s back, sitting quietly.

-You’ve come.

The corpse of a young child with blue hair was sitting on a chair. It was tied with ropes to fix its posture, but its body was half-slumped, as if it had no will. And above all, the state of decay was disgusting.

Hasha muttered, looking at his own shell.

-So this is what death is like.

He remembered himself in the mirror. His lively eyes, his fair cheeks, and even the dimples that used to appear on his cheeks. Hasha cleared his throat as if he was choked up and continued.

-I think I have no choice but to return it to nature now. As it should have been.

“Are you sure you want to do that? There’s no guarantee that Hasha’s soul will remain.”

-I don’t know how the command of the undead was transferred. Before a more greedy person sets their eyes on it, it must be destroyed. The bandit outside is still alive, isn’t he? It would be troublesome if he used the spell as soon as he opened his eyes.

It made sense. But judging rationally and actually doing it required a lot of courage. It was destroying the opportunity to live as a human being.

“Hasha, I will personally encourage your decision.”

-……

Hasha did not answer. He didn’t even look at Ian. He was just looking at his last moments until the very end.

Zzzzzing.

Ian condensed his magic and blew up the corpse’s head. Brain fluid flowed out, and the child’s once intact form was distorted. Hasha unknowingly shed a single tear.

Now he had truly crossed the point of no return.

He had become a being who was dead but not dead.