Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 409

When Ian grabbed Damon by the hair, the most dumbfounded and perplexed were, in fact, the Ruswennans.

Ruswenna was not only under trade sanctions from Bariel but also clashed head-on with their main forces. The endless blue waves pouring out of the forest prevented them from advancing towards Vergos, forcing them to confront Gaia’s massive army.

“Your Highness! This is a disaster!”

But the head of the magic division had grabbed the king by the neck? In reality, the outcome was decided before anything could even be done.

If there were a suitable successor to replace him within Vergos, things might be different, but as far as Eriphony knew, he was the one who firmly maintained the absolute monarchy within Vergos.

When Damon’s parents were alive, she had heard rumors that he had quite a few half-siblings, but those were just rumors, weren’t they?

Eriphony strained to look through the gaps between the Vergos soldiers using the telescope Elderte had given her.

“It seems King Damon has been captured.”

‘What is with this?’ Eriphony barely swallowed the curse that rose in her throat, then looked around at the battlefield where the fighting was still raging. Either way, Ruswenna and Bariel were clearly treating each other with hostility.

‘If only she had delayed her orders a little longer!’ She had tried to strengthen the battle between Vergos and Cliffopord, but it had completely backfired. Eriphony slammed her bow down roughly and covered her head.

“What should we do, Elderte? We’ve gone too far to make peace with Bariel, but if we continue, Damon’s hair is in Ian’s hands. What would be the best course of action?”

“Whatever your choice, I will follow your will, Your Highness. However, in my opinion, wouldn’t it be better to retreat and observe the situation? There might be internal strife in Vergos, and no information about the earthquake has been revealed yet. If Bariel holds us responsible, we can use that as a way to avoid blame.”

Vergos, or rather Damon, had promised a false future in their alliance. If Ruswenna could also disguise herself as a victim who had fallen for the scheme, a significant portion of the war reparations and their share of responsibility would be reduced.

It was questionable whether that would work with the meticulous and old-fashioned Ian, though.

“But what are those things? They said reinforcements were coming from the north, but they’re still running wild without reading the situation.”

“They appear to be the Atan tribe.”

“The Atan tribe?”

“Yes. That woman with the afro is Efdiram, a famous monster hunter from the past. I’ve heard rumors that she awakened as an Atan [a person who has gained supernatural powers from a monster] and travels in groups. For reference, she is a mage, and her closest aide is a magic swordsman. They used to operate alone in the north, and there are rumors that monsters always disappear wherever they stay.”

The problem was that they were so rough that no one welcomed them.

Eriphony bit her nails and turned her head. They still had the black-armored soldiers and mages left. If the Atan tribe stirred things up, wouldn’t they be able to continue the war somehow?

Whatever the case, ending things like this was the worst of Eriphony’s options. A war where she gained nothing. Of course, war was a kind of gamble where you lost everything if you lost, but right now, she had lost her hand before she could even try anything.

In the current situation, moving forward was the most ideal card Eriphony could play.

“Elderte, bring the mages.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

First, let’s send the mages out again as scouts. This time, they needed someone who could do their job without causing a fuss.

The Bariel soldiers crawling and running wild on the ground could be dealt with by the mages. They needed to make a decision before the Bariel mages joined the fray.

“Mages!”

At the soldier’s call, Zaira turned her head.

They were trying to maintain their battle lines while waiting for Eriphony’s orders. To ensure that stray Bariel arrows and spears would not dare to reach the king’s feet, and to minimize the damage to the Ruswenna soldiers.

“Her Highness urgently summons you. She says we need scouts again this time.”

Clang! Clang!

‘Scouts!’ Zaira, who was slightly behind the other mages, sparkled her eyes. Something must have happened in the battle between Cliffopord and Vergos.

With Bariel’s main force suddenly arriving, this was a shortcut for Zaira. She could request support to leave the Ruswenna palace and cross over to Bariel.

“Uncle! You go!”

Zaira grabbed the man in front of her by the shoulder and shouted. And pretending to wish him luck, she whispered with her cheek against his.

“Uncle, whatever you see while scouting, report back in a way that suggests Ruswenna needs more support. It means to give Her Highness hope. Do you understand? Don’t forget the conversation we had in our tent, okay?”

If the battle was at a lull, additional troops would be needed for the future, and to convey this as quickly as possible, a mage would be in charge of the message.

Then everything would go smoothly. The mage who returned to Ruswenna would take the data and their families from the garrison and cross over to Bariel, and the mages remaining here would cross over to the Bariel camp as soon as they heard the news. It was very simple and easy. If only Eriphony could have hope in the war!

Zaira’s uncle nodded and followed the soldier, soon disappearing into the distance.

“Zaira, what did you say?”

“My uncle understood well.”

The other Ruswenna mages glanced at them, worried. Zaira had a very simple and clear plan in her head, but the others were a bit more complicated due to the stains of time and experience.

What if they didn’t select a mage for the message to Ruswenna? What if they couldn’t get their families out of the palace properly? What if they were treated as hostages when they crossed over to Bariel? They were filled with all sorts of negative and trivial worries, but Zaira was smiling as if she was happy about something.

‘If I go to Bariel, I can save Grandma. I’ll go to the abyss and hold her hand myself. I can do it. Grandma, please wait a little longer. Please.’

Clang! Clang!

Boom!

Zaira deflected the arrows pouring down on her with a protective barrier, and soon the energy spread throughout the Cliffopord land on the wind.

* * *

“That actually worked.”

One of the mages muttered, leaning against the barrier.

Where did the wild horses that were running around like crazy go? The Atan tribe was gathered together like they were on a picnic. They were having a heated discussion around Efdiram, but despite the intense atmosphere, it didn’t seem very substantial.

“I know, right? ‘Let’s talk over a meal’ actually worked. Those who were just wielding swords and bows like crazy until just now.”

“Isn’t it because they’re all doing it to make a living?”

“I bet they’re discussing what to eat right now.”

Thanks to Ian jumping into the fray and grabbing Damon by the neck, peace had settled over the war. The soldiers were no longer killing each other, and the Vergos people were waiting for their fate, while the Cliffopord people were simply waiting for their normal lives to return.

The Vergos forces had also calmed down for now, but the problem was those Atan people. What if they continued to jump into the war?

It would become impossible to predict how the internal movements of Vergos would unfold. Perhaps a new leader could take power in the homeland, and a new figure could emerge from somewhere in that camp, like a hero born in troubled times.

“They can’t even win, I don’t know why they’re rushing in like that.”

“That’s their nature, they say. They eat monsters and run around as much as they want. How great would that be from their perspective?”

“It’s meaningless. Futile. How many mages do we have here? Once they all recover, they’ll be nothing. Honestly, couldn’t the Imperial Guard take care of them? Half of them are commoners.”

“Open the gate!”

While the mages were chattering, Efdiram stepped forward in front of the barrier and shouted. The gate slowly opened to the left and right. She entered the enemy territory with one of her subordinates, looking dignified.

Squeak, the mages looked down at her as she entered, then naturally turned around and went down the stairs. The Bariel mages all gathered to greet Efdiram.

“Where’s the Bariel lackey?”

“Atan Chieftain. Your language is extremely unpleasant.”

“Oh, was it? Then, where’s that, the handsome one?”

“…Call him Minister Ian Hiel. Otherwise, there will be no negotiations through dialogue.”

The handsome one? Hale paused for a moment, but then threatened her. It didn’t work at all on Efdiram, though.

“What gives you the right to decide whether to break the position your superior made? If you’re going to break it, go ahead. But make sure to tell them it’s their problem, not mine. Okay? It’s really annoying if something like this is not conveyed properly in the middle.”

Efdiram laughed as she poked Hale’s chest. Beric sat on the stair railing, looking down at her as if she was annoying, seemingly unaware that he was facing himself through a third party.

Efdiram glanced around inside the barrier and nodded.

“So, where do we go? Are you going to keep us standing here? You said we were going to have a meal. My people are starving from running all the way here.”

“Suck on your fingers!”

“A little brat might be full with that, but we’re different, red head. And you shouldn’t interrupt when adults are talking.”

“Adults, my foot! Everyone under a hundred is a friend!”

“Is he really an Imperial Guard? He said so himself earlier.”

Judging by the fact that he couldn’t even open his mouth, it must be true. Efdiram whistled and clapped her hands.

Has there ever been an Atan in the Bariel Imperial Guard? It wasn’t a long history, and so many people passed by like the wind that she couldn’t say for sure, but as far as she knew, Beric was the first.

Efdiram took out a piece of gum as if to refresh her mouth and chewed it.

“This way.”

“Is your superior doing okay? His magic is leaking out like crazy. I wonder what he did to Idgal to make it like that.”

As Efdiram muttered with interest, following Hale’s guidance, the mages all stopped in their tracks.

Ian’s condition was not good. His magic was leaking out as if there was a hole somewhere in his body, and they thought it was due to the influence of Idgal. They were filled with an easygoing yet blind faith that he would be fine with time.

“What?”

“Why are you all so surprised? You saw the magic circle coming out of Idgal earlier, didn’t you?”

“…Do you know what that is?”

“Huh? Look at these guys?”

It was Efdiram who was surprised. Did the mages of Bariel not know this? This is why greenhouse flowers are no good. Efdiram clicked her tongue and crossed her arms.

“It’s ‘Chuswae (推刷)’ [a magic that temporarily takes away abilities from one’s future self], isn’t it?”

Meaning, literally, accepting debt. A magic that temporarily takes away abilities from one’s future self when strong power is needed or for some other reason.

Efdiram shrugged and wondered.

“But I don’t know why it’s on Idgal. Especially since it’s on Idgal, which belonged to the enemy king of Vergos. Did the head of the magic division have some connection in the past?”

At her words, Hale flinched as if he had been caught doing something wrong. Hadn’t Ian revealed it? That his past, which he didn’t even know, had created Idgal.

Efdiram put her arm around Hale’s shoulder and laughed.

“Idgal or Damon. Wouldn’t it be surprising if they were both connected to something?”