Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 358

The palace gates opened once more. It hadn’t been long since Prince Noah had departed. The citizens who witnessed this instinctively knew something had happened to the company led by Prince Noah, and they clasped their hands together in prayer.

‘May the prince, the future and pride of Clifford, be safe. And may their families, friends, and lovers who went with him also return unharmed.’

Then.

Boo-oo.

Thump, thump-

The sound of drums signaling an emergency halted all prayers.

The citizens hurriedly moved to their assigned roles. Some gathered food from their homes to calculate meals, others nailed planks to doors and window frames, and still others placed farming tools upside down against the walls to prepare for an intruder’s attack. The wars their ancestors had experienced were always a topic of conversation over drinks, and the people of Clifford had unknowingly inherited those memories.

While each house was building its own defense line, the second legion marched out from the palace. Two thousand soldiers led by the general, blessed by the king, raced down the central street. The crimson wave flowed fiercely towards the outskirts, like flowing wine.

Clatter, clatter!

“They’re coming! The general is coming from the palace!”

“Form ranks! Each company and subordinate platoon, be mindful of combat readiness and do not let your guard down!”

Two thousand soldiers mobilized near the palace and three thousand soldiers drafted from the outskirts. A total of five thousand soldiers, armed with swords and shields, moved in an orderly fashion according to their superiors’ commands.

The general dismounted and immediately ascended the ramparts, receiving a salute from the head of the guard.

“You’ve arrived.”

“What about the Burgos forces?”

“They’re beginning to come into view.”

The head of the guard, who oversaw the outer walls leading into Clifford’s capital, watched as the general focused his binoculars on the front. The dark mass approaching, kicking up dust, felt like a storm of death approaching. He secretly wiped the sweat from his palm and asked the general,

“How about we engage in a defensive battle within the walls? The walls are high and sturdy, so it would be advantageous to take advantage of the siege.”

“Isn’t that how we responded at the border, only to be broken through and end up here?”

“That’s because there weren’t enough troops there. With this many troops, we can defend without any problems.”

“Even with a large number of troops, the number of soldiers that can be deployed on the walls is limited. You’re not thinking of just packing them in like chickens in a coop, are you? If we were going to fight with the walls, we wouldn’t have mobilized this many in the first place.”

Even from the top of the wall, only the vanguard of the enemy was visible. Unlike Ian, who had immediately identified the synthesized monsters in the air, the accurate assessment of the overall battle situation was delayed.

The general solemnly announced the purpose of the battle to everyone.

“And the enemy used the monster Baekgak [a large, centipede-like monster] to break through the barrier. If this wall were to fall, it would be the same as opening the main road directly to the capital, so we will deploy soldiers outside the wall to intercept them. Open the gates! Establish a defensive line.”

“Yes, sir. Understood.”

“Aaaagh!”

Thud!

The head of the guard was about to turn around when suddenly a red-haired man fell from the sky. He tried to land properly, but he rolled forward and sprawled out at the general’s feet.

Clang!

Was it an attack from Burgos? Everyone reflexively drew their swords, and Beric kept rubbing his forehead while shouting into the air.

“Hey! Did you do that on purpose?”

“No? You said you could jump down from that height.”

“A little lower! Damn it!”

Following Beric’s gaze, the general and the commanders also looked up into the air.

They were mages. Then the one who fell from the sky must also be from Bariel’s side. Everyone relaxed and sheathed their drawn swords.

“What brings you here? There was no order from His Majesty to accompany the mages.”

“Ah, a messenger will be here soon. Ian went to the palace to see His Majesty. Look, look, can you see that? Maybe you can’t see it from here?”

“What are you talking about?”

“There are synthesized monsters in the Burgos army.”

Synthesized monsters? Was there such a monster with that name? The general tilted his head, looking puzzled.

Beric, touching the protruding bump on his head, seized the opportunity to act like he knew everything.

“They made a monster by mixing this and that. The people here are no match for them. You can’t even get close. Is there anyone here who can tear a bear apart?”

Beric smiled broadly and raised his hand, but everyone just stared down at him with blank expressions.

“It’s just me then. What about a lizard?”

Wouldn’t they be able to catch a lizard? The head of the guard was about to raise his hand when Beric added,

“Its head is huge, and its tongue is so long that you’ll be cut in half before you even get close.”

Then, they can’t catch it. As the head of the guard lowered his hand, Beric smiled contentedly and crossed his arms. As if this was exactly what he wanted.

“Hehe. I guess there’s no choice. This Beric has no choice but to help.”

“Ignore the fool’s words. The reddish-brown bear is called Bergman, and the lizard is called Tiefera. Both have skin that is not easily torn, so Ian went to find a way to deal with them.”

“The real one is inside that body! You can’t defeat it unless you blow it up!”

It was a priority to quickly inform the palace, but they needed a suitable weapon to tear through the synthesized monster’s skin. He didn’t know what they were going to do, but since they said they were going to meet Acorella, it wouldn’t be difficult to obtain it.

“General, you are responsible for the fate of Clifford. Please make the right judgment and respond accordingly. We will try to hold the monsters back until Ian returns.”

“I see. I understand roughly. So, they will form a formation to attack around the monsters, hmm. Just a moment.”

The general unfolded a map and, bringing out small tactical stones, asked,

“Where are the monsters located?”

“There are two pairs around here, and they are coming in a line a little behind. The stench was so bad that they seemed to be moving together rather than being scattered everywhere.”

The mage pointed out the location of the synthesized monsters and also told them about the overall formation of the procession. How the left and right wings were moving, which side they were mainly leaning towards, and so on.

“And I don’t know if Clifford can do this.”

“Tell us anything. We have no choice but to do it.”

“There must be a necromancer somewhere controlling those monsters. Since there are thirty monsters, there must be at least one, or as many as thirty. If we capture them, we might be able to stop the control.”

However, unlike mages, sorcerers did not use magic. Therefore, their energy could not be tracked, and finding someone hiding among thousands of Burgos soldiers was nearly impossible.

And who knows? They might be inside the wall.

“Are there any clues? If they are included in that camp, we will have no choice but to identify them during the battle, but if they are hiding nearby or inside, we will form a special task force to investigate.”

“Unfortunately, there are no clues. Ian said that necromancers often have northern bloodlines, so it would be good to check mainly the northern people.”

Clifford was a single ethnic group. Especially since they had completely different appearances and characteristics from the northern lineage. If they searched inside the wall, they would be able to find the necromancer without difficulty.

But what if he was in that legion?

“There’s no choice but to kill them all.”

Beric stood up, tapping the ground with his sword. His eyes were sparkling, shining so brightly that it was impossible to describe.

“Beric, we said we would only deal with the monsters.”

It was Ian’s consideration that if mages who were not officially dispatched to the war between Burgos and Clifford intervened, things could become complicated later. Both externally and internally.

“I know. We’re only going to kill the monsters, but what can we do about those who get swept away in the process? It’s like picking beans out of rice.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“If you eat it all without being picky, it’ll be clean! You still don’t understand? You’re a fool, a fool.”

Swoosh.

Beric twisted his waist back and forth, loosening his body. No matter how you looked at it, his behavior was too frivolous, no different from a street thug, but was such a person a mage?

As the general looked at the mages with a worried gaze, they smiled awkwardly.

“Yes, he is one of ours. But even though he looks like that, his skills are decent. Don’t worry about us and do what you need to do, General. I heard you were setting up a defensive line.”

“I’m the number one in Bariel!”

“The Burgos forces are still advancing. We don’t have much time, do we?”

Right. There are bound to be strange people in any group. Just because it’s Bariel’s magic department doesn’t mean it’s any different. It might even be worse. The general regained his composure and then ordered his subordinates.

“Open the wall gates.”

“Yes, General.”

“We will establish a defensive line and, at the same time, seal the gates from inside the wall. Since Baekgak has the nature of a centipede, take measures to prevent it from climbing the wall.”

The plan was to protect the wall by digging a long trench along the wall and filling it with adhesive.

“The 2nd Legion will establish the defensive line, and the 3rd Legion will dig the ground behind them. We need at least a hundred meters of space. We don’t know the power of Baekgak when it explodes simultaneously. Mobilize the nearby residents as well.”

They were a people who made a living by plowing fields and digging soil every day. Unlike the vineyards, the land outside the wall was hard, but they didn’t need to farm it, just dig enough for the adhesive to pool. They would be able to complete it in half a day at the earliest.

At the general’s command, each commander moved busily, and soon the gates opened wide, and thousands of soldiers rushed out.

Squeak!

Clatter, clatter!

“The enemy is approaching. When signaled, the 3rd Legion will stop working and divide into the left and right wings to escort the 2nd Legion. The soldiers inside the wall will guide the residents inside and seal it tightly!”

Beric casually chewed on the jerky placed on the table, just watching the scene. To deal with the monsters, they had no choice but to move when the Burgos army got close enough. He put one foot on the wall and shouted,

“Wow! The weather is great!”

“You crazy fool. Don’t waste your energy and stay still.”

“Come on! I’m going to kill them all! Hahaha!”

The soldiers working below the wall glanced up. Seeing the strange man, they felt strangely relaxed.

Beric waved his hand and smiled at the farmers looking at him. People who couldn’t take their eyes off Beric even while they were frantically digging with their pickaxes. Some of them followed Beric’s words and boosted their morale.

“Yeah! Come on! We’ll teach you a lesson!”

“If we catch them, let’s pour alcohol into their noses while they’re alive!”

“Haha! That’s a waste.”

“They look down on Clifford, these guys. Just come! I’ll smash their faces with a pickaxe! How much strength do we use every day?”

The mages sat comfortably and focused on their energy. The magic amplifier given by Acorella was a last resort. So, it was important to organize and maximize their power as much as possible before facing the enemy.

Buzz. Buzz.

Beric looked at the mages and lay down, examining his sword. The black sword felt much lighter than usual. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but it seemed like a powerful energy was emanating from it, something hard to explain.

Sniff, sniff, Beric smiled and muttered to himself.

‘You smell it too, right? A delicious smell.’

* * *

The Burgos army, noticing the commotion in front of the wall after the gates opened, the Burgos general looked at the scene through his binoculars and pondered.

It would be best to reach them before they set up a defensive line, but they had already departed from the Burgos palace, crossed the border, and rushed through two villages without rest. The horses were panting, and the state of the heavily armed infantry was obvious.

‘It’s best to hurry, but it’s time to rest. We just need to move before they attack from the rear.’

“What should we do?” Timothy asked, and the general instructed his subordinate.

“Go and bring the necromancers.”

“Yes, General.”

Soon, those who rode forward on horseback. There were seventeen of them, all men dressed like ordinary soldiers so that the enemy would not easily recognize them.

“Who among them could control the farthest distance?”

“It’s me, General.”

A young man nodded at the general’s call.

“Were you from Astana?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Fall back to the rear and protect the back.”

The young man nodded in agreement. Then, a necklace peeked out slightly. It had a rather large red gem attached to it.

Jewelry on the battlefield. The general shook his head, thinking that necromancers were truly incomprehensible, and then looked straight ahead.

The walls of Clifford still stood firm.