Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 519

On the other hand, in the war zone north of Burgos.

Crows descended upon mountains of corpses, and a river of blood flowed beneath, soaking the earth. Soldiers struggled to drag the bodies from the sinking ground, causing the crows to cry out mournfully.

Among them were the cries of the survivors, but sadly, they were drowned out by the clamor of mere beasts. Screams, shouts, and wails were their daily routine.

“What a messed-up view.”

Ephdiram, the chieftain of the Atan tribe, watched the scene from atop the wall. When she first entered Burgos, it was late at night, so she hadn’t seen it in detail, but the world after sunrise could only be described as truly miserable.

‘Wouldn’t it be better if the sun didn’t rise?’ At Ephdiram’s mutter, her subordinate, Beno, added,

“The area below the rift must look like this.”

“Well, it might be similar. What about Rutherford?”

“Not yet.”

“That bastard is being so difficult. We came all this way.”

Ephdiram frowned deeply.

It had been several days since they entered the anti-royalist stronghold, but Rutherford hadn’t shown his face. All they needed to do was confirm if he had really returned and what he planned to do about Idgal [a magical substance] and the rift, but that son of a bitch…

“Could it be a trick by the anti-royalists?”

“If Rutherford returned, it would help rally the scattered forces. But you saw it, Ian Hielro returned around the same time. It can’t be a lie.”

Just as Ephdiram flicked her curly hair, she sensed a presence and turned her head. Rutherford, with his shirt casually thrown on, was coming this way with his subordinates.

She leaned her arm on the back of the chair and scanned Rutherford and his group up and down.

“Yo. Looking good.”

“Ephdiram. It’s been a while.”

“Yeah. Wow, you’re expensive, so expensive. It’s so hard to see your face. Your price has gone up a lot in ten years.”

“You haven’t changed.”

Ephdiram carefully examined Rutherford, who hadn’t aged in ten years. ‘Seriously, what’s with these guys? I’m dying to know what happened to them down there.’

She casually crossed her legs and looked up at Rutherford.

“Let’s get straight to the point. Can you still make Idgal? You know the world has changed, right? Idgal is being used to suppress the rifts. Putting aside keeping the Bariel mages in check, the rifts are being sealed. As the chieftain of the Atan tribe, I want to know your exact position.”

“The rifts will continue to expand.”

“Aha. What’s the basis?”

‘The power of the gods is growing stronger.’

Although it wasn’t directly stated, Rutherford could feel it clearly. The emergence of new rift sites meant that the god sleeping beneath the earth was stirring.

“There’s a suspicious area near central Bariel too.”

“Wow, inside Bariel?”

Ephdiram raised only one eyebrow. It was a look that said she didn’t know whether to believe it.

“I can continue to produce Idgal, but I will control the amount distributed to activate the rifts.”

“So, you still have the same goal as us?”

“Let’s say we have the same path. We’re looking at such different places that it’s hard to say we have the same destination.”

“Think what you want. Does that change the essence?”

Ephdiram reached out her hand to Rutherford. It was a gesture that meant, as before, let’s work well together in the future.

But he only looked down at the outstretched hand, brushing his hair back. Beno, sensing something was off, placed his hand on his sword hilt.

“By the way, you brought something unnecessary.”

“Unnecessary?”

“Before coming here, did you have a conflict with the Bariel Imperial Palace?”

“No, shit. Are they already digging into that?”

With a knowing look, Rutherford took out a rolled-up letter from his inner pocket and tossed it.

“The Bariel delegation sent this. They say there was an armed conflict between the Imperial Guard and the Atan tribe at the border. The Imperial Palace is chasing you to resolve this, so they want you handed over. Do you understand what this means?”

Ephdiram picked up the paper with the tips of two fingers, as if she were picking up something dirty.

“Ha, so they’re really coming at us like this.”

“If you refuse, Bariel will join forces with the royalists. But if I hand you over, it’s awkward since I was just reaching out to you. I’m in a bind.”

“Bullshit. Awkward my ass.”

‘They must be desperate for the Atan tribe’s forces. Starting with her, the chieftain, the group included many mages and magic swordsmen. Even the ordinary members had considerable warrior spirit, so they would surely be helpful in battle.’

“So, what do you want? For us to leave? Did you come all this way just to test us for a few days because of this?”

“Prove that you are worth the risk. To us.”

Rutherford gestured with his head to the people standing behind him. They were the core members of the anti-royalist faction, and they stared at Ephdiram with a stern atmosphere.

“Worth… worth… If I cut off someone’s head here, would that prove how sharp my blade is?”

“Tsk, tsk. How barbaric.”

“Yes. Here’s a barbarian. Who was that just now? A dog? Come out.”

Ephdiram said, flicking her middle finger, and Beno subtly stopped her. He understood that she was being treated like this after a long wait, but the situation wasn’t good.

As they both knew, Rutherford was someone whose interests aligned with the Atan tribe, and if they left Burgos, they would inevitably face Bariel. Beno pointed this out.

“Bariel wanted the Atan tribe’s cooperation. Regarding the management of the rift sites in the north, and so on. They issued an arrest warrant, but this is a ploy to sever our alliance with Burgos. If we return to Bariel, the empire will welcome us. Wouldn’t that be a bit of a problem for you?”

“Those who follow the wind, guided by the stars, will live under the empire? Amazing. Ephdiram, you’ve changed a lot in the meantime.”

“Stop the bluff and let’s just compromise, okay? What will you do without us, Burgos, which is falling apart from the civil war?”

Ephdiram said sharply, and those standing above Rutherford coughed in disbelief. After a moment of whispering, Rutherford smiled leisurely and waved his hand.

“It’s true that Burgos is falling apart, but you’re not the only ones who want to walk the same path as us.”

“What?”

“Everyone on the Gaia continent except Bariel and Clifford will join forces. The more Bariel is torn apart, the more the hungry will feast.”

“Judging by the way you talk, Luswena is joining again.”

“Isn’t it human nature to want to settle the past’s disgrace?”

“Just say you have a bad memory. Does it change anything if you make it sound fancy?”

On the surface, she was just being sarcastic, but deep down, she understood. If they could overthrow Bariel this time, Luswena could reclaim the mages they had lost, and they could also refuse to pay the reparations they had been paying for a long time.

‘Besides, right now, only the rookie crown prince is protecting the imperial family in Bariel. The status of the Magic Department isn’t what it used to be either. Ian Hielro has appeared, so who knows what will happen in the future, but if you want to cut off Bariel, an opportunity like this won’t come again.’

“Is Hawan joining too?”

“Highly likely.”

“You won’t give a definite answer even if your mouth is torn.”

“But I’ll make one thing clear.”

“What?”

Rutherford looked up at the sky where crows were circling and smiled.

“This time, Toolun will also support Burgos.”

If Bariel pushes out Burgos, then Toolun is next. For them, Burgos is a kind of defense line.

Ephdiram bit her fingertips, deep in thought. Then, with a surge of annoyance, she muttered,

“Does it matter if we stick around here? We’re going to be fighting Bariel anyway.”

“Justification. You’re the justification.”

“Haa. Okay, fine. What should we do? What do we need to do? Is this like a friend fee, you bastards? You’re so petty. But if we prove our worth, no more complaints. Tell me. What do you want?”

“First, we’re tracking the Bariel delegation. Once their location is revealed, go and take care of them.”

By the Atan tribe directly.

That way, Burgos would have no involvement, but they could provoke a preemptive attack from Bariel, securing justification on the international stage.

Moreover, it would also prevent the Atan tribe from acting like bats, sticking to one side and then the other.

“Okay. And?”

“Stand at the forefront against the Bariel army.”

“Be honest. You guys don’t have many soldiers, do you?”

“Ephdiram. It’s good that you haven’t changed, but you’re crossing the line more and more.”

“Geez, your sense of humor has died, old man.”

Ephdiram stretched and then let out a short, deep sigh. What could she do? There was only one path to take.

“Fine. Let’s get on the same boat. If we sink, let’s go to the underworld together, cozy and warm.”

Just as Rutherford was about to turn his back, gesturing to his subordinates, Ephdiram added a question.

“But what about the royalists? Shouldn’t we take care of them first? Before foreign forces come in?”

“That’s not your concern.”

“You’re complaining even when I’m helping. Fine. Do whatever you want.”

Ephdiram frowned in annoyance and cracked her shoulders. She had been eating and lying down for days, only smelling blood, so her body was stiff. ‘Well, this was good.’

“Let’s go.”

Ephdiram and Beno, having finished their business, went down to the other side of the wall. Seeing this, an anti-royalist vassal whispered to his colleague.

“I don’t know if we can trust them.”

“Even though they have that temper, their skills are certain. Even that Atan magic swordsman in the Imperial Palace probably can’t beat them. How can those who grew up eating monsters be the same as those who didn’t?”

“Oh, that guy who’s said to be a maniac?”

“Yes. Anyway, the Imperial Guard can’t all come out, so if the Atan tribe takes the lead, we can hold out until we gather our forces. Maybe they’ll do even more.”

* * *

Clang! Clang! Clang!

“Ugh! It’s so loud!”

And at that time.

Berik, who had fallen asleep on the sofa in the Magic Department Minister’s office, covered his ears with a pillow. It wasn’t usually this loud, even if it wasn’t quiet!

After trying to ignore it several times, Berik finally couldn’t stand it and kicked open the door.

Bang!

“What’s with all this noise!”

“Oh, it’s Berik.”

“It’s Berik. Your messed-up face is still the same.”

“Berik, hello. Even we, who live in caves, can tell the difference between when the sun is up and when it’s not.”

Dozens of Dera people, who were only up to his thighs, were gathered in the Magic Department. They all had bulging packs on their shoulders, as if they had just arrived.

Flustered, the mages struggled to move through them, and some of the Dera people were hitting the walls of the Magic Department with hammers, freely expressing their curiosity.

…That’s the source of the noise.

“Hey! Why are you hitting the walls with hammers so loudly?”

“I can’t hit your head, can I?”

“You’re starting a fight as soon as you see me.”

“Okay, everyone. Please, pay attention here for a moment.”

Then Romandro appeared. He was drenched in sweat, as if he had exhausted himself trying to control the Dera people. He waved the documents in his hand and shouted,

“A territory where the Dera people can stay and make weapons has just been purchased. We’ll move the luggage, so please move there first. Check it out, and if there’s anything missing, let us know.”

“Oh, really? Let’s go!”

“I’m in! Why waste time outside? Let’s go and start right away!”

“The biggest casting mold is mine!”

“Rock, paper, scissors!”

“You can’t even spread your fingers properly.”

Woosh. Moles moving all at once at Romandro’s gesture. It was quite a rare sight, and the mages stopped to watch.

As dozens of huge carriages were busily leaving, Ian lightly grabbed Berik’s shoulder.

Tap.

“Ian! Because of those mole bastards-”

“Berik.”

Berik stopped complaining for a moment at Ian’s chin gesture.

“If you’ve slept well, let’s move the luggage. We need to start working.”