Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 602

“Two hours, almost up.”

The mages checked their watches, their eyes fixed on the city gates. The allotted time was nearly over, yet there was no sign of movement from within Purpato. The mages watching from above shook their heads, signaling that there was no change.

“How much time is left?”

“Exactly one minute and thirty seconds.”

“Inform Minister Tweller.”

“Yes, sir.”

This meant the Imperial Defense Force, not the Magic Department, would lead the attack. Whether the loophole in the oath brought about by the name would work was uncertain, but if Purpato’s people had made such a decision, Bariel couldn’t stand idly by.

Just as the mages were about to turn away, someone shouted.

“A white flag is up on the city gate!”

“Ian! The Vergos flag is down!”

The black Vergos flag, which had been flying proudly at the top of the gate, was lowered, and a white flag was raised in its place.

It was a clear surrender. The mages smiled and patted each other’s shoulders, while Tweller hurried into the camp to report to Jin.

“It’s done! We can pass through Purpato without spilling a drop of blood.”

“Ian, there’s someone waving in front of the white flag. Should we check it out first? It might be a trap, so it’s best to look around before passing through the gate.”

“That would be wise.”

“Tommy! Nakina!”

“Yes, yes. We’re going.”

“Waaah!”

The cheers of the Bariel soldiers grew louder, shaking the heavens and the earth. Even the fiercest enemies refused to fight and surrendered before the name of Bariel! The fact that they were soldiers of the Great Empire filled them with pride.

Ziiing! Ziiing!

Hale, Tommy, and Nakina approached the Purpato walls, keeping a safe distance. The only person visible was a soldier who looked half-dazed.

“This is Hale, commander of the Bariel mages. Has Purpato decided to surrender? If it’s an official position, I will report it to His Majesty the Emperor.”

“…Yes, we have decided to surrender. We will open the gates, so Bariel should pass through without any disturbance, as agreed.”

Hale frowned, sensing something was off. Why was such an important message being delivered by a mere soldier, not Lautan?

Tommy and Nakina also seemed puzzled, looking around as they asked,

“Where are the other soldiers?”

There was no one on the walls. Not a single Purpatoan who had been fiercely resisting with weapons was visible. Only the soldier in front of them.

“We have surrendered, but we are Vergos people. We feel deep shame and guilt, and cannot bear to watch Bariel enter Purpato. You can follow the main road through Purpato and exit through the opposite gate. If you go straight, you will easily reach Kalamat.”

The soldier choked back tears.

Although these were unexpected actions, they were not a major issue for Bariel. Whether they were outside or hiding inside buildings, what did it matter?

The soldier, having said his piece, quickly disappeared below the wall.

Ziiing! Ziiing!

Poong!

Hale lightly released his magic, signaling to the Bariel camp that it was safe to move forward.

While the soldiers approached, Hale, Tommy, and Nakina flew over Purpato, carefully checking for any suspicious signs.

“There’s really no one here. Not a single person on the streets.”

“They’re all hiding inside the buildings, right? Commander Hale, are you sure it’s safe? If they suddenly attack, we’ll be completely surrounded.”

“The difference in forces is significant. It’s too risky to open the gates for an ambush. I don’t know much about this Lautan, but he doesn’t seem like he’d make such a foolish choice.”

“Hmm. That’s true. And the city is smaller than I thought.”

It was structured with the Purpato Square at the center, with roads branching out in all directions. If they entered the gate and went straight, they could exit through the opposite gate, so all the Bariel soldiers could pass through in a couple of hours.

Chwaaaak!

Hale and the two quickly returned and reported the situation in Purpato to Ian.

Ian also looked puzzled, as he had expected. He had received surrenders in many battles, but he had never seen anyone hide away like this. If it was out of shame, then perhaps it was understandable, but…

“Understood. We will enter Purpato. Set up a strong guard around His Majesty the Emperor, and the mages will assist the Imperial Guard. Create a protective barrier around His Majesty until we pass through Purpato.”

“Yes, sir, Ian.”

“Move out! We will enter the city!”

“Waaah! Bariel! Bariel!”

“Open it! Push it to the sides!”

The Bariel soldiers pushed the city gates open. They opened without resistance, as they were not locked.

The scenery inside the city came into view through the slowly opening gap. It was desolate. With not a single person in sight, the Bariel soldiers stepped into Purpato with a strange and awkward feeling.

Kkiiik!

Kooong!

“It’s quiet. Ahem.”

“Yeah. It’s as silent as a graveyard.”

“It’s making me nervous for no reason. You guys! Kehehe!”

“Let’s go, let’s go! Forward!”

A small city with no sign of life. Even though they knew the enemy had surrendered, the Bariel soldiers were nervous and looked around cautiously.

The same was true for the Magic Department and the Imperial Defense Force. They kept their protective barriers up, moving carefully toward the square, unsure of where or what kind of trap might be waiting.

-Kkyu?

“What’s wrong?”

Meanwhile, in the skies above Purpato, Beric was riding on Kkyu’s back, watching every corner below. But the creature, who had been flying smoothly, suddenly stopped and flared its nostrils. Beric tried to pull its horn to urge it to move, but Kkyu didn’t budge.

-Kkyukkyu!

“Stop messing around and let’s go? Why is it acting like this after eating so well?”

Then, Beric also stopped, as if sensing something. He stretched his neck and flared his nostrils, just like Kkyu.

The mages, who were on high alert, shouted in annoyance when they saw this.

“Don’t mess around, Beric!”

“No, I’m not messing around, can’t you smell this?”

“…What smell?”

“It’s getting stronger.”

Could it be a toxic substance? The mages felt a chill down their spines and quickly sent a signal to Ian. Even as they did, Beric and Kkyu were focused on figuring out the source of the smell, flaring their nostrils. The fishy, sweet, and somewhat sticky feeling…

Ziiing! Chwaaaak!

Ian, having received the report, flew up at once. Then, Beric and Kkyu opened their eyes wide, as if they had simultaneously figured it out.

“Beric, what’s wrong?”

“Ian, it’s the smell of blood.”

“…Blood?”

“The wind confused me. It’s definitely the smell of blood. But it’s not coming from one place, it’s vibrating from all directions.”

Ian and the mages paused at Beric’s words. Blood? Purpato was silent and desolate, with no sign of life. If there was a situation where blood might be flowing, there was only one possibility.

‘Suicide.’

It was Lautan, who had said he would die shouting Ian’s name to the Guardian. It was entirely possible.

But what was confusing was how Beric and Kkyu could smell it. Were they so sensitive that they could sense the death of just one person? Or was it…

Beeeep!

At that moment, a whistle blew loudly. The soldiers who had entered the city had found something. Ian informed Tweller that they would move, and quickly flew to the wall.

Taat!

“What’s going on?”

“I, I came up to change the flag, but all the soldiers inside are dead.”

“……”

At the soldier’s words, Ian stepped inside. The strong smell of blood hit him instantly. More than a dozen people had stabbed themselves in the heart and collapsed.

The shocking sight stunned not only the Bariel soldiers but also the mages.

“…Ian, there’s uneaten food on this table. It looks like it was for a ritual.”

“Did they commit suicide while praying to the Guardian?”

“Ugh, good heavens. There’s a limit to foolishness.”

“Ian, I’ll inform Minister Tweller first. Just in case, please order a search. If there’s a purpose behind their deaths, it’s important to figure out what it is.”

Ian nodded, examining the faces of the dead. It was a peaceful death. They clearly hadn’t felt any pain while piercing their own hearts.

Tak tak tak!

Kkiiik! Koong!

“They’re dead here too!”

“They committed suicide here as well!”

“Good heavens, there, there are ten bodies here!”

As the Bariel soldiers carried out the search, they found bodies every time they opened a door. They all seemed to have stabbed themselves in the heart, indicating that they had agreed on the method of suicide beforehand. It wasn’t out of shame for surrendering to the enemy, but to hide their deaths themselves.

The tens of thousands of Bariel soldiers passed through Purpato, hearing the news of the bodies being discovered by the search teams.

“They’re all dead? By themselves?”

“They’d rather die than surrender? Then why did they open the gates? If they had just locked them and died, at least we would have had a hard time getting in.”

“I really don’t understand. Those Vergos people.”

“Ugh. Is that blood on the stairs over there?”

“Don’t look, it’ll bring bad luck.”

The bizarre and incomprehensible madness of the Purpatoans instantly dampened the spirits of the Bariel soldiers. Their once-powerful strides became cautious, and the loud cheers and laughter had long since disappeared.

It was then, amidst the constant reports of bodies being found, that they heard,

“A survivor!”

A living Purpatoan had been found. He was willingly dragged out by the soldiers, his movements almost resigned.

When the soldiers held their swords to his neck, the man’s eyes turned sharp.

“You said you’d spare us if we surrendered, but it seems the Great Empire Bariel’s promises are lighter than the wind! Does the Emperor’s name have no weight?”

“Shut up!”

“Stop.”

As the excited soldier was about to strike him with the flat of his sword, Ian stopped him. Then, he calmly looked down at him and asked,

“What kind of meeting did you have? You said you’d spare us if we surrendered, but I don’t understand the foolishness of choosing both surrender and death at the same time.”

“…Don’t call it foolish. You’re insulting those who risked their lives. Just go! Wasn’t the condition that you leave without causing a disturbance?”

“You are the ones causing a disturbance. With this many bodies being found, how can Bariel just pass by? If you don’t tell us the exact circumstances, we may have to reconsider our agreement.”

As Ian said this, a child ran out of the building where the man had come from, barefoot. The child cried and blocked his father, then knelt and begged Ian.

“No! Please don’t kill my father!”

“I told you not to come out!”

“Father, no. Please don’t kill him. Please. I’ll tell you everything. So please, just go on your way.”

The man tried to stop the child, but he was held back by the soldiers. The child wiped away his tears and composed himself.

“Lautan said he would commit suicide first. Somewhere inside Purpato, he said he would die shouting Ian Hiel’s name. Instead, the rest of us would surrender to ensure our safety… and let Bariel pass through.”

“No! Shut your mouth!”

“But after he left, someone said that instead of the promise between the Guardian and the Magic Department Minister, we could just pray to the Guardian ourselves.”

Ian paused. The man bowed his head to the ground and closed his eyes, while the child continued to beg with his small hands.

“The dead committed suicide for that. The living here have all surrendered to Bariel. So please, don’t kill us and just go. Please save my father.”

‘If they prayed to the Guardian separately…’

Ian’s head turned involuntarily.

The one who commanded Bariel, the very existence of Bariel itself.

If they had prayed to the Guardian anew, then surely the target was not himself, but…

‘It’s Jin.’

* * *

At that moment, in the center of Purpato Square.

Jin, who had been leisurely following behind the search party, suddenly looked up at the giant deer statue in the middle of the square. He thought it was beautiful for a moment, then paused.

“Your Majesty? What’s wrong?”

“That, that statue…”

The deer’s eyes seemed to be shining.