Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 603

“Your Majesty!”

At the mages’ call, the Imperial Guard reflexively tightened their grips on their swords.

They had heard that suicides were still being discovered; could something have gone wrong? Jin, startled, turned to look at Ian.

“Your Majesty, it would be best to hurry through Purpato.”

“It wasn’t as if we were planning to linger. What’s going on?”

“It seems those who followed Lautan are offering themselves as sacrifices to pray to the Guardian. We cannot gauge the situation, so please remain vigilant.”

“Offering themselves as sacrifices? Did Vergos have such a custom? This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

“My apologies. I, too, am hearing of this for the first time.”

At that moment, a mage cautiously raised a hand.

“Excuse me for interrupting, but could you take a look at this? It seems there might be a clue.”

Behind the giant deer statue, a stone tablet was affixed. Though weathered with age, the text was still legible.

Ian slightly lowered his posture and quickly read through the inscription.

“It seems to be a Purpato legend, is that right?”

At the mage’s question, Ian nodded.

“Yes. The one in the center is the main story. Your Majesty, it seems human sacrifice is a local custom derived from the Purpato legend, not Vergos. It’s written here: ‘The people sought to summon the deer by offering a maiden.'”

“Remarkable in many ways.”

Ian ran his fingertips over the faded letters. He seemed to understand why Lautan thought that merely calling out his name would be effective.

Hoping for more clues, Ian gestured to the mage.

“Transcribe every single sentence.”

“Yes, I understand, Sir Ian.”

“Your Majesty, we should hurry. The Guardian is the one who governs this area, so its power will naturally weaken as we get closer to Kalamat. I will inform Minister Tweller…”

Ian trailed off, looking up at the sky. There wasn’t a single cloud, yet something felt different.

Similarly, Tweller, Jeyrat, and even Beric, who was riding a dragon, turned their heads. A primal sense was screaming at them. Something, something was wrong.

The mages tilted their heads in confusion, looking back and forth between Ian and the sky.

“Why are you like this, Ian-”

* * *

FLASH!

KABOOM!

In an instant.

Cutting off the mage’s question, lightning struck. A deafening roar that felt like it would burst their eardrums, a searing heat, and a wind like a blade engulfed the surroundings.

Shhh.

Until the dust settled, the mages and guards couldn’t even grasp what had happened. They could only try to make sense of the situation.

“Y-Your Majesty…?”

“Your Majesty!”

Jin was also visibly startled. His body was frozen, staring blankly at Ian’s back, who was now standing in front of him.

A magical barrier had already been deployed around Jin. Ian had reacted with astonishing speed. Without a doubt, if it hadn’t been for Ian, they would have been killed instantly.

Crack! Crack!

The lingering power flowed down Ian’s barrier. Ian, without losing his breath, shifted his gaze left and right to assess the situation.

The attack had landed precisely where Jin was standing. Was it the work of the Toloon? No, it was different from their previous attacks.

“T-The legend says, ‘Lightning struck from a clear sky, and people died on the spot.'”

“What did you say?”

“It’s written here, it’s written like that.”

The mage who was transcribing the stone tablet was the first to break the silence. It was as he said. In the legend written on the tablet, lightning was used as a way to punish people, just like now.

“S-Sir Ian.”

“It’s alright. Please, be at ease.”

Anyone who had just witnessed the lightning strike would not be able to feel at ease.

But surprisingly, Jin felt a sense of calm settle in his heart. Ian’s eyes were unwavering, his voice was full of trust, and even after the sudden attack, his barrier remained strong.

“I will personally escort Your Majesty. Do not leave my side. Commander Jeyrat! Provide escort!”

“Understood. I will keep that in mind.”

“Yes, sir. Everyone, reform the ranks!”

“Mages, prepare yourselves!”

“Ah, yes!”

“It’s coming again.”

Again? As Ian muttered, lightning struck once more. The roar was even louder than before.

And having already experienced it once, knowing it was coming meant it was already too late. It was a speed and trajectory that human senses could not possibly perceive.

‘Damn it. How does Sir Ian even know?’

‘This is driving me crazy, really.’

“Keep going.”

As the heat surged right in front of them, the mages gritted their teeth and deployed their barriers.

Meanwhile, Ian’s gaze was fixed on the sky. The clear sky was spotless. Yet, he deflected every single attack that came down relentlessly, protecting Jin.

“Can you tell where it’s coming from?”

“I can’t. Honestly, it’s hard to even track the attack with my eyes! I’m sorry!”

“Imperial Guard! Commander Jeyrat! Do you see it?”

“No. I think I’ll be able to tell after it comes down a few more times.”

As the area around Jin became chaotic, the soldiers also fell into confusion. Lightning out of nowhere? And a bizarre phenomenon where it only struck towards the Emperor?

There was no doubt.

“It’s a monster!”

“L-Lightning keeps striking from a clear sky!”

“Aaaah! What, what’s happening again?”

“Don’t panic! Everyone, maintain your ranks and keep moving forward! Don’t stop!”

“Up front! Help that one who fell down!”

“It seems the Purpato people did something while committing suicide.”

“Hey, you guys! We were going to pass through quietly, why are you making such a big deal out of this? Do you all want to die that badly?”

“Calm down. Have you forgotten the order? You were told not to touch the Purpato people.”

“Hmph, then this will be okay, right? Kaaack! Ptooey!”

The Bariel soldiers freely vented their fear and anger, while the hidden Purpato people, sensing a strange hope, began to reveal themselves one by one.

This was a bit troublesome. If the Purpato people realized that the prayers were effective, they would all start taking their own lives, begging for Bariel to be stopped.

“Move the soldiers outside the city, and tell some to watch the Purpato people. There must be no more suicides.”

“Yes, sir!”

Figuring out the identity of the deer was the priority.

Judging by the clear energy he had felt when they met, it was not a monster. Then it meant it was some kind of being derived from the will of a god. Defining it was a bit difficult.

Whoosh.

It was then. The tree trunks planted throughout Purpato stretched out and instantly covered the entire city. The leaves were so lush that buildings could no longer be seen.

“W-What is this!”

“The horses can’t move! The vines are too strong!”

It was a familiar sight. Wasn’t this the same scenery as inside the mysterious forest that had blocked the Bariel army? Ian realized that the deer had come here, and immediately lowered his stance.

“The city gates are blocked. We can’t get out of Purpato!”

“Damn it. This is the same phenomenon as that forest we saw earlier in the day!”

They were trapped in Purpato. The deer had created its own forest inside Purpato.

While the mages and the Imperial Guard were momentarily flustered, they detected a huge purple light in the distance.

“…S-Sir Ian.”

“It’s the deer. Was it always this big?”

“No. It was small when I saw it. It seems it gained power through the prayers.”

The golden-eyed deer. When it raised its head, its antlers almost touched the top of the city walls. The deer glared at the plaza, specifically at Jin, exuding a chilling aura.

Ian hid Jin behind him and shouted.

“Forest master, listen carefully. This is Jin Verosian, the Emperor of the Great Bariel Empire. He is here by the will of the gods, so if you harm him, the gods will not forgive you.”

-I am the one who listens to prayers. It is the will of the gods that I move in response to prayers, so no one can stop me.

“…Who, exactly, are you?”

The deer’s golden eyes shone brightly. Ian suddenly realized that it was the same energy as the mages’ golden eyes.

-Did I not say? I am the one who listens to prayers.

Originally, it was a messenger who delivered human prayers to the gods, but at some point, humans began to pray to it instead of the gods. With the meaning of Guardian, it had gained power.

From then on, it no longer delivered prayers to the gods, and it happily listened to the prayers of the humans nearby.

“So, if you think about it, you’re a deserter, aren’t you?”

Thud.

Beric jumped down from the dragon’s back and stood next to Ian. Even if the words were grand, wasn’t it just slacking off?

“Beric.”

“I haven’t tried deer meat yet.”

“…Blasphemous.”

“That bastard is more blasphemous. You’ve been happily eating the wishes that humans have prayed for with their lives, haven’t you, Mr. Deer? If you keep doing this, you’re going to get your mouth smacked by the gods. Why don’t you repent now and go back?”

“Beric, you crazy bastard!”

“Why? Isn’t it true? It seems like you only showed yourself because the lightning didn’t work. The will of the gods? Isn’t it just because they let you be?”

The mages covered their mouths in shock, and the deer’s golden eyes flashed even more intensely. The killing intent grew even stronger.

-Prove it, that you are the ones who follow the will of the gods. If so, I will kill you without pain.

“If you don’t know even after seeing it, you must be very far from the gods.”

Thud!

As the deer raised its head and roared, the leaves shook violently. At the same time, Ian drew his Idgal sword and rushed towards the deer, and the mages quickly followed behind him to provide cover.

Zzzing! Zzzing!

「Hwirok」[A spell or incantation].

The opponent was a deer in the form of a forest master. Fire attribute would be the opposite, so it should be easy to finish. If the attack works.

“Sir Ian! It’s coming!”

A purple aura swirled around the deer, creating a huge vortex that disoriented the surroundings.

As expected, the attack was flying towards Jin. The mages deployed their barriers, and the Imperial Guard once again blocked the front.

Whoosh!

“……!”

But it was not enough. It was a power that could not be compared to the lightning from before. The guards were helplessly thrown back, and cracks began to appear in the barrier.

Ian, who had approached the deer, turned back, but it was already too late.

Zzzing! Boom!

The mages’ barrier had finally broken.

Ian unleashed his flames and tried to return, but the lush leaves blocked his path.

Whoosh!

“Your Majesty!”

“Damn it! Everyone, hold on!”

“We’ll regenerate the barrier right away!”

“Focus!”

Sharp energy pierced through the newly created barrier. Jeyrat and Tweller tried to deflect it with their swords and axes, but they could not completely neutralize it and let it through.

“Your Majesty!”

It was the moment Jin drew his sword, ready to fight back.

Thud!

Someone blocked his path.

A pure white aura was felt in that instant.

Jin’s eyes widened, and the woman boldly swung her sword. As the wind of the blade brushed past her neck and shoulder, her tightly bound brown hair came undone, revealing a wound on her shoulder. A cross carved directly with the blade.

“…You are.”

Ian immediately guessed her identity.

The woman who had appeared in Jin’s dream, Eirin. A holy knight who protected the will and order of the gods with her divine power.