Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 273

The Imperial Training Grounds buzzed with activity, filled with soldiers from both the Imperial Guard and the National Defense Forces. The upcoming personnel selection was also an internal promotion exam, creating a palpable tension in the air.

Especially for the Imperial Guard, the position of Commander was vacant in two places, intensifying the competition. Everyone was focused on honing their skills and building their strength.

Barsabe, still recovering from her severe injuries, leaned against the second-floor railing, watching her colleagues train.

‘Oh my, Toothless. You can’t even train, but you’re still showing up?’ a voice teased.

‘Ugh, seriously,’ Barsabe grumbled.

Her roommate offered her a cold drink, pressing it against her cheek, a playful reminder of her missing tooth. Barsabe took it roughly and gulped down half of it in one go.

Ever since she survived the Black Armor incident, everyone had been like this. The first joke she heard while still in bed was, ‘You really don’t have a tooth.’

‘Why do you keep calling me Toothless when I don’t have a tooth?’ she asked, annoyed.

‘Because you don’t. It’s a memorial,’ her roommate replied with a grin.

‘Go back to running. I saw you skip a lap. You know it’ll be ten times worse if the Commander catches you, right?’

‘Does our Toothless not know the word ‘autonomous training’?’

‘I’m gonna die, seriously!’

‘Hahaha!’

While her colleagues trained, sweating and yelling, Barsabe was forced to watch idly. Her whole body itched to join them, but she was helpless. She had been warned that overdoing it now would mean she would never hold a sword again.

She frowned and glared at the center of the training ground. Her roommate followed her gaze.

‘He’s like a madman, isn’t he? He’s been doing that for an hour,’ her roommate commented.

‘We got beaten together, but I don’t know why he’s so fine. It’s so unfair,’ Barsabe muttered.

It was Beric. He was running around the training ground with sandbags on. Running, rolling, getting scolded by Commander Jaylott, then charging with a sword and getting beaten. He had been repeating this for an hour without any sign of fatigue.

Her roommate shook her head, taking out a cigarette.

‘You at least have an excuse for being injured, but I’m perfectly fine and I can’t keep up with that guy’s stamina. What would have happened if you didn’t have a hole in your stomach?’

Barsabe sighed, a mix of envy, amazement, and lamentation, and dropped her head. Seeing this, her roommate playfully patted her shoulder, offering comfort.

‘Don’t be too hard on yourself. If you’re not feeling well, your wounds will heal slower. There’s even a rumor that he’s inhuman.’

It was a rumor that had spread after it was twisted that Commander Jaylott had investigated Beric. Of course, the starting point was Beric’s miraculous recovery and his behavior, which was not like a normal person.

Barsabe frowned and scoffed.

‘Inhuman? That’s funny. I’d believe it if he were a dog.’

‘I’m leaning towards that too. The more I look at him, the less human he seems. Haha.’

How many people must have seen Beric’s bare body while treating his ruptured organs and mangled limbs? If he were inhuman, there would be unique features on his body. Instead of vague rumors, there would be more specific and concrete statements.

‘So, is that why Commander Jaylott is pushing him so hard?’

‘Pushing him? He’s beating him up all day.’

‘…Have you ever seen the Commander move his body unnecessarily?’

At Barsabe’s question, her roommate just shrugged. Beric and Siochi were almost the only outsiders, except for the Imperial Guard and the Defense Forces. Nevertheless, Commander Jaylott was instructing them along with the Imperial Guard, and he didn’t hide it.

Clack!

‘Aaaah!’

As expected, Beric’s scream echoed with a clear striking sound. The guy who was being cocky had been hit by Commander Jaylott. Everyone was pretending not to notice, glancing at Beric, but now they were openly turning around.

‘That hurts, old man! Look!’

‘…What the?’

‘No, look! Look at this! A bump! A bump!’

Clack!

Beric clutched his forehead and collapsed forward. His body was already soaked with sweat, so he was trying to rest. Jaylott, who noticed this, clicked his pocket watch and warned him.

‘If you don’t get up within a minute, you’re banned from the training ground.’

‘Aaaah!’

It was an annoyed scream, but his body was diligent. Beric jumped up and swung his fists in the air. It was obvious who he was imagining, without even looking.

‘Ugh, seriously. Just wait until I become a Commander!’

‘…Haa, haa.’

As Siochi tried to pass by Beric, panting heavily, Beric rolled in front of him, blocking his way. While he was swinging his sword and acting recklessly, Siochi was diligently carrying out basic training as ordered by Jaylott.

Beric grabbed his sword, trying to be friendly.

‘Sio, are you done with your laps?’

‘…Not yet, two laps, left.’

‘Let’s pretend you did that, and be my sparring partner. No one else will do it.’

Siochi wiped away his sweat and took a moment to catch his breath. Wasn’t it obvious? Even if it was just sparring, it was a small match where the winner and loser were decided. What benefit would there be in fighting someone without status? If you win, it’s a wash, if you lose, it’s a complete loss.

Most of them were about to be promoted, so they had to choose their opponents carefully. And above all-

‘Haa, haa, we’re outsiders.’

There was underlying dissatisfaction. Who were those guys to use the Imperial Training Grounds, and why was Commander Jaylott personally looking after them? The preferential treatment was obvious, and every time Beric made a fuss, the gazes around them became aggressive.

Well, one of the reasons they avoided him was that Beric sparred like it was a real fight.

‘What does it matter if you’re an outsider? We’re going to be family soon anyway.’

‘…I’ll finish my laps.’

‘No! Stop the boring running and spar with me! Spar! Let’s swing our swords properly! Sio, I promise I’ll go easy on you. Okay?’

Beric grabbed Siochi’s pants and hung on. Siochi, who was also feeling troubled, stopped, thinking he might as well take a break. Beric shook his body back and forth and shouted.

‘Let’s spar!’

‘Hey. Why don’t you shut your mouth?’

‘Huh? Me?’

‘Yes. Who else is here besides you?’

At that moment, a soldier from the National Defense Forces warned him with a voice full of displeasure. Beric, who was still clinging to Siochi’s leg, turned his head back to look at the soldier.

‘Then, will you spar with me?’

‘…You? You impudent bastard.’

‘You called me ‘you’ first, you idiot. Do you have a one-second memory? If you’re not going to spar, mind your own business. You son of a bitch.’

As the tension flared, the surroundings became noisy. The National Defense Forces were finally letting out their pent-up anger, while the Imperial Guard was whispering and backing away.

‘Does the National Defense Forces not know Beric?’

‘If they were outside the palace at the time, they might not know.’

‘If they don’t know, they should at least stay quiet. Or go halfway.’

Did they think the Imperial Guard was staying still because they were stupid? They had seen Beric spar with Commander Jaylott. Not only his skills, but also his strong obsession with winning made the process quite unpredictable.

If they got hurt before the promotion, it would only be a loss for them. And since Jaylott, the Commander, was watching, they were not in a position to say anything.

‘…Ah, sparring? Is this what you want?’

Pow!

The man couldn’t control his surging anger and struck Beric in the face. It was too sudden. Beric was still chattering, and Siochi was flapping his shirt to cool off. Beric’s head was completely bent backward by the man’s attack.

‘You little punk, who do you think you are, acting up here? You’ve been getting on my nerves for days, and this is perfect. I’ll make sure you can’t come out again. Sparring? Let’s do it.’

‘…Ahaha.’

Swoosh.

Blood dripped from Beric’s nose as he straightened his head. But contrary to that, his eyes were sparkling. He was clearly happy to have finally met his match. Thud! Just as Beric was about to charge with his black sword, gripping it with all his might.

‘Beric.’

Jaylott’s voice stopped him.

‘It’s not sparring time now. If you cause a disturbance, there will be disadvantages. And you, state your affiliation.’

‘…Hamp, of the 294th unit of the 4th Army of the National Defense Forces.’

‘Soldier Hamp, the Imperial Guard is not sparring now, so you should stop and step back.’

He glanced at the sword that had stopped in mid-air, then bowed his head. He had landed a good blow, so he had no regrets. Rather, he was grateful for being stopped. The man dragged his feet as if he had no choice but to retreat and returned to his comrades.

‘Ugh…….’

Meanwhile, Beric was shaking his sword-holding hand, dripping blood from his nose. He was holding back because he was told to, but it was really hard. He wanted to immediately plunge his sword into the man’s flesh, tear it apart, cut it, and make him bleed.

Grind.

The sound of his teeth grinding was clear. The Imperial Guard knights watched this and whispered again. That beast-like guy was listening to Commander Jaylott? Unbelievable.

But his temper seemed to be the same as ever. Beric threw his sword down and yelled in frustration.

Clang!

‘Ugh, son of a bitch! This is so frustrating! I got hit! I got a nosebleed!’

‘If you can’t do it, quit. No one forced you to do it. The training ground would be more pleasant without you. It’s actually welcome.’

‘Jaylott! Damn it! Just you wait!’

Thump! Thump!

He kicked the floor several times as if he was furious. Siochi handed Beric some water, and Beric poured it over his head instead of drinking it to cool down.

‘Ha, geez.’

‘…You’re doing well.’

Beric nodded. Jaylott was now teaching Beric discipline, and Beric was accepting it. For someone who had lived like a thug to wear a uniform, this process was essential.

Siochi also knew this from experience. To obey something, the beginning was to suppress one’s instincts.

‘If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have said that in the beginning.’

When he first came to the training ground, Jaylott was actually more on the side of appeasing Beric. Just the existence of a magic swordsman made him valuable.

But-

‘I want to be number one.’

‘Everyone wants that. But the one who achieves it is the one who wants it more desperately than others. You only want strength. Even if that desire is deep, your driving force is only that one thing.’

‘Then? Is there anything else?’

‘Beric, create meaning. Decide what you want to do by becoming stronger. Otherwise, it will be difficult to reach it, and even if you do, it will be difficult to fully enjoy the joy.’

Jaylott’s advice reminded him of Beric that day. After his father’s violence and the attack by the robbers, and that day not long ago. When Timothy asked Ian if he was truly his friend, he had nothing to say and was speechless.

‘I can’t believe he changed his attitude completely after I said that and is making me work like this? Damn it, I got scammed, seriously. I shouldn’t have let Ian bring it up!’

Crunch!

Beric crumpled the water bottle and threw it far away. And then he ran off as if to vent his anger. Siochi, who had suddenly lost his water bottle, sighed.

Thud!

And without saying anything, he started running again. Both of them wanted the same thing. To be selected and prove their worth. That was the way to help themselves and their comrades.

Jaylott watched the two of them with a whistle in his mouth. The Imperial Guard knights were also watching with him. Jaylott blew his whistle loudly and shouted.

‘I see some guys playing with their swords. Keep moving!’

‘Yes! Understood!’

‘If you have any complaints, become a Commander! No matter how much you shout from below, I can’t hear you!’

‘Hwaaaap!’

Peeeep!

The Imperial Training Grounds were having noisier days than ever. To get what they wanted, the shouts of the challengers did not stop day and night.

* * *

And then, the long-awaited day.

It was the day the personnel selection exam, which lasted for fifteen days, began. Those with number tags on their chests were lined up, waiting to enter the training ground. Beric and Siochi were also among them.

‘Enter in a single line. Keep the order and spacing!’

‘I will call out from the front. Go over there for a simple physical examination, and then you will take the basic fitness test. Those who do not meet the standards will be immediately dismissed, and those who pass should bring their name tags. We will draw up the sparring schedule.’

‘It’s noisy! Don’t make a fuss!’

‘There! Leave your weapons at the entrance!’

It was noisy and chaotic. Beric grabbed Siochi’s arm, who was standing right in front of him, and shook it to relieve his tension and excitement.

‘Wow, there are so many people.’

‘…….’

‘Huh? Sio, look over there!’

Beric turned Siochi’s head upwards. Familiar people were standing in front of the second-floor railing. Ian, Romandro, and Jin were watching them.

As their eyes met, Romandro waved his hands, greeting them. It was encouragement to do well without getting hurt. Jin also carefully raised one hand, and Ian was just smiling with his chin resting on his hand.

‘Ian!’

‘…….’

‘Sio, you shout too. Romandro! Sir!’

It was a call that was buried in the noise, but it reached Ian. He smiled and nodded. As if to say, ‘Let’s see you do well.’