Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 368

May, even while unconscious, instinctively resisted the pain. Throughout the process of washing her completely torn wounds, disinfecting them, and stitching them with needle and thread, she made pitiful sounds.

Yet, the fact that she didn’t open her eyes until the end showed just how harsh her ordeal had been.

Toc toc.

Noah, who had been quietly watching May by the bedside, turned around. A soldier cautiously peeked his head in, informing him that the carriage to transport May to the capital was ready.

“It will be possible to depart in about ten minutes. However, the General has stated that the military doctors and physicians cannot be spared in case of an emergency. Therefore, before getting into the carriage, we would like to administer another dose of pain medication before departure.”

“…Understood.”

“We have informed the royal palace to prepare for treatment. Please do not worry too much, Your Highness.”

At Noah’s gesture to leave, the soldier quietly backed out of the room.

The moment the door was completely closed, Noah pressed his forehead against May’s shoulder. This was the first time he had done this when the curse wasn’t manifesting. Except for when they were children, crying and sharing the curse for the first time.

Noah ran a hand over his face, letting out a sigh. How immature, how very immature. He had failed to protect the village, allowed the soldiers to wither, and even made those close to him leave his side.

“Haa.”

Was that all? If he could completely grasp Ian, he could overcome all situations, but due to his lack of ability, he had instead handed over half of the initiative.

The mages kept insisting that everything was Clifford’s choice, but he knew that they were already moving according to some of their plans. It was all his fault. Because he hadn’t grown properly, everything Clifford had built up in the past was now in danger.

In the empty room, Noah finally lowered his head, tears streaming down. Silently, the tears flowed, leaving traces on the bed.

“…Your Highness.”

Then, a hand lightly grasped his wrist.

It was May. She still seemed barely able to breathe with her eyes closed, but she had reacted sensitively to Prince Noah’s tears. No, she had no choice but to. Perhaps, aside from the King and Queen, his tears were a secret only allowed to May.

“The bed is getting wet. Please restrain yourself.”

“May. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, since I can talk like this and hold your wrist.”

“…You’ve suffered.”

“Your Highness, you did well too.”

May patted the back of his hand as if to comfort him.

“It’s said that it’s not over until it’s over. The war has just begun, and history continues to be written. Do not cry. There is nothing to fear, nothing to be afraid of.”

Noah wiped away his tears and nodded. He sensed movement outside. May then slightly opened her eyes and twitched her eyebrows. Her vision was blurry, and she couldn’t see well.

“And didn’t I look around the middle of their camp? There was nothing special.”

May chuckled as she muttered. Indeed, it was so. Perhaps it was because she was from Clifford, but Vergos’ soldiers seemed like mere pawns, and the officers and those above them seemed foolish.

Soon, the sound of knocking on the door was heard again.

“Your Highness. May we come in?”

“Enter.”

“Everything is ready. Oh, Lady May. You’ve regained consciousness. How is your body? We will administer pain medication, please extend your arm for a moment.”

“It would be a lie to say it doesn’t hurt.”

“Excuse me.”

The doctor gave her the pain medication and then nodded to the soldiers. They moved May to a stretcher and carefully headed outside.

However, unlike their composure, there was a commotion inside the strategy room. It was obvious without even looking. It must be the sound of Beric and Acorella.

“Your Highness. Go inside.”

“May.”

“I will recover in the palace and come back.”

Noah firmly closed his mouth and patted the back of her hand. Then, contrary to May’s request to go inside, he watched the carriage speed down the road and disappear over the hill before turning away.

Thud!

What are those things doing again?

Noah frowned and threw open the door to the strategy room, his expression souring at the bizarre objects precariously piled on the table.

Small sticks tied with magnets, clumsily tangled threads, and mysterious mana stones. It looked like a child had crudely tied them together to make a toy.

Acorella adjusted the position of the mana stone with trembling fingertips, and Beric watched him, holding his breath.

“What are you doing?”

“Shhh! Your Highness, we’re in the middle of a very important task right now? Don’t talk. If this tips over, I’ll tip over too.”

The answer was twice as long as the question. Noah was dumbfounded, but he crossed his arms and watched them.

When the mana stones and sticks, barely balanced, managed to stand, Acorella silently clenched his fist. As if to say it was done.

“Good! As expected of me! Acorella!”

“Is it done? So? How does it work?”

“Watch carefully, if I infuse mana here…”

Whoosh, Acorella lightly activated his mana.

Then, the mana stone slowly moved from side to side like a pendulum. It spun around once in place and then became taut, as if an invisible hand was pulling it from the left.

“Left. Is it really left?”

“Hmm. Yes. The accuracy is a bit low, but it’s not the exact center of the Vergos camp.”

“What is this?”

“It’s a kind of compass.”

“A compass?”

Bratz’s brooch also had a location tracking function. The compass to check that was currently on the second floor of Romandro’s house, so they had made a makeshift one to check Hasha’s location immediately.

It only pointed in a very crude and general direction, but what did it matter? It would be enough if they could only confirm the cardinal directions, or up and down.

“If Hasha has returned safely, he will join the other necromancers, so we want to see that. But they won’t gather them all in one place. However, if there is a right, there will naturally be a left. If we combine that with the formation, we can sufficiently eliminate them.”

“It’s quite advanced in the borderlands, but overall, it’s a bit low-grade. It can still produce a similar effect. Be careful around here! If you bump it even a little, it will collapse!”

Acorella warned the mages and soldiers, brandishing his dagger. It was still stained with monster blood. Along with the mana sealing stone given by the kingdom.

“How is the weapon procurement going?”

“We’ll have to wait until dawn. We’ve summoned all the blacksmiths in the capital to increase manpower, so we should be able to meet Ian’s needs to some extent, right?”

“My needs?”

It was a laugh that asked how he could be so sure of the amount. Acorella widened his eyes as he watched the mana stone moving very subtly.

“The direction has shifted slightly, very slightly. About 10 degrees? It seems to have moved out of the camp’s perimeter, or maybe it’s moving west. No one touched it, right?!”

“B-Boss is still holding his sword, what are you talking about?”

“That’s right. If anyone touched it, it would be Boss.”

“Ah, is that so. I didn’t, okay. Hasha is moving, Ian.”

Ian nodded and picked up his telescope.

In the distance, the Vergos camp was flying through the Clifford night with only the minimum number of torches lit. However, the movement of the horses could not be seen due to the darkness.

“It will be fixed when the sun rises. Let’s wait a little longer.”

“Yeees. I guess I’ll have to guard this until then.”

Swish, swish. As Acorella lightly twirled his sword and hummed a tune, the mages filed out of the strategy room. It was better to just spend the night outside than to get caught in the crossfire.

“…Do you think that guy will carry out his mission well?”

“Are you talking about Hasha?”

“Yes.”

“He is a clever man. And he is also very loyal. It would be wise not to worry about that.”

It was an act of turning his back on the war, in which he had participated in an official alliance with Vergos and Astana. It was a brave and decisive choice that threatened the entire Astana he was carrying.

“There are many who forget the favors of the past in the name of the past. Just by conveying the conversation with King Damon, they would consider it a betrayal, but Hasha has fulfilled that intention.”

“No, what I mean is-”

Noah shook his head. He wasn’t trying to discuss his trust in the necromancer Hasha. He was just asking about the overall future war potential.

Important things were hanging on Hasha’s neck, and he was worried whether he would come over as the other side wanted.

“It’s okay. What if it doesn’t work out? We can find another way.”

It was a statement that could be easily mistaken as speaking lightly as if it were someone else’s problem. However, his serious and cold gaze as he observed the Vergos camp made it clear that the meaning was different.

If it doesn’t work, make it work. Find a way to make it work.

That was how Ian lived.

“…Get some sleep. There’s still a lot of time before dawn.”

Noah checked the time and then left the strategy room. A cold night breeze rushed in. It was an inexplicably lighter feeling.

The confidence of a man without a single flaw, the pressure that even a royal could not help but be in awe of. And the feeling of defeat that he somehow could not overcome him. Everything was mixed together, weighing down on Noah’s shoulders, and he took a deep breath to blow it away in the wind.

* * *

“The prisoner is returning!”

“Clear the way! Reduce the intensity of the torches even more!”

Crack crack!

He had been subjected to a thorough body search by the battalion commander, but as soon as he entered the camp, his clothes were turned inside out again. Hasha, with an unpleasant but unavoidable expression, raised both hands and complied.

“Follow me. The General is waiting. You must tell him everything you saw and heard inside.”

“Wait, wait, before that, can’t you move that monster? The smell is driving me crazy?”

“When would we go all the way to the rear and come back? You’ve endured this far, so endure a little longer. Come on, this way.”

“That guy, just because it’s not his company…”

Chak!

Hasha was guided into the General’s tent.

The General, his staff, and the battalion commanders below were all gathered, waiting for him. They had gathered to interrogate him, to see if there was any useful information, or if any information had been leaked. The night was short, but the conversation was sure to be long.

The General gestured for him to come in quickly, and Hasha glanced around as he entered.

‘Sir Timothy is not here.’

Where did he go? I didn’t see him when I came in earlier. If he’s not in the tent, did he go somewhere else?

Hasha sat on the chair prepared in the center, and then faithfully answered the questions that followed, undergoing the interrogation.

“…The number of mages is uncertain, but it seemed like quite a few had come.”

“What was their condition?”

“They seemed fine.”

“Tsk, were there any special signs?”

“It seemed that weapons were being manufactured using mana sealing stones in the royal palace. I’m not sure.”

“Yes. Didn’t they say that some crazy mage was running around with a dagger? I guess that’s it.”

The questions were answered one by one with Hasha’s testimony. How long had it been? When there was nothing more to say, the General leaned back in his chair and ordered.

“That’s enough. We will redeploy the necromancers. You may leave.”

“Yes, General.”

I’ve safely passed one stage. As Hasha sighed in relief and stepped out of the tent, he could see Timothy sitting in front of a dying campfire.

Hasha grabbed the sleeve of the soldier guiding him and asked.

“I’m sorry, but please let me warm up for a moment before moving. I was in a cold place over there, and now that I’m here, the cold wind is hitting me directly. I think it would be too much to move like this.”

“It’s just a little further. Warm yourself by the nearby campfire.”

“Ah, just a moment!”

Just as Hasha was about to stomp his feet in a hurry.

“There.”

Unexpectedly, Timothy called out to Hasha.

“Bring him over here. What if he hurts his leg on the way? He just needs to warm up, so it’s okay.”

“But-”

“I’ll take responsibility.”

“Yes. Understood. Then I’ll come back later.”

Since Timothy had said so much, the soldier had no choice but to step back. This was the chance, Hasha quickly sat opposite Timothy, pretending to warm himself while glancing at him.

His eyes clearly scanned Hasha. As a prisoner who had returned from enemy territory, he also had many questions he wanted to ask and hear, but he was disappointed that he could not participate in the meeting. Frankly speaking, he didn’t think the General and his staff would have done it properly.

“Was it because you were from Astana?”

As a diplomat, it was his duty to find out information about the other party. This was the reason he had stopped Hasha, who was about to pass by.

Hasha rubbed his hands together and replied.

“That’s right.”

The two of them simultaneously thought they were lucky and lowered their gaze to the campfire. Soon, a conversation as cold and sharp as the wind was about to begin.