Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 664

Rain pattered down.

Young Berik lay collapsed, barely breathing, while his two younger sisters looked down at him with pleading eyes.

He lost track of time. Everything was tiring and difficult. Without realizing it, Berik wiped his eyes and relaxed his body. His mind was hazy, and he wondered if this was a dream, yet he wished it wasn’t.

Swoosh.

A sister carefully took Berik’s arm. A small, warm hand. The younger sister, watching from the side, hugged her older sister and shook her head, as if telling her not to get close. This was the worst part.

‘Get a grip.’

‘Sis, don’t.’

If they tried to kill him, if they showed their malice without filter, Berik felt like he could cut them down.

But those things wore the faces of his sisters and were actually alive in this bizarre timeline. …Clearly, they were alive.

‘Ugh.’

Then, young Berik woke up. He had thrown up all his stomach contents from the hard blow to his abdomen. The boy staggered and barely managed to get on his knees. His sisters quickly ran to support him.

Berik watched that scene, engraving it into his eyes. Was this how his mother looked at the three of them when they were young?

‘Kill them, sisters, get away…’

‘It’s fucking hard, so stop it, damn it. I’m not trying to hurt you. I’d rather put a hole in my stomach, you dog-like wizard bastard.’

‘Then why the hell are you here-‘

‘I don’t know either, you moron!’

Young Berik frowned and carefully examined Berik.

At that moment-

Thump thump!

‘……!’

Someone was knocking on the hut door. The sisters were startled and covered their mouths, and young Berik also froze, staring only at the door.

Thump!

It was the same as ‘that day’. The sound of debt collectors knocking on the door looking for his father. The sisters were startled and pulled Berik’s arm.

‘Hide, hurry and hide.’

‘Wait, it’s okay. You don’t have to hide.’

‘No, you can’t! If you open that, we’ll all die! Please!’

‘Sisters, come here!’

Young Berik hid his sisters under the bed. The real ones had come, ‘they’ who were really trying to kill them. To the terrified children, Berik muttered that there was nothing to worry about now.

‘What did I get strong for?’

He had always yearned to become stronger to protect the people he cherished. That wizard bastard, he’s a pain in the ass, but I’m also kind of grateful for this.

…That day, what if he, the current him, had been there?

Berik had imagined it countless times. The smiles of his mother and sisters who would be alive. And his own life, which might have been ordinary like other families.

Whoosh!

As Berik pulled out his magic greatsword, young Berik’s eyes widened. The boy stepped back and hid in the storage room.

Thump!

‘Who is it?’

‘…Came to get you. Open up.’

‘Oh, okay. Sure. But-!’

Bang!

Whoosh!

Berik flung open the door and charged, swinging his sword at the same time. In an instant, the dark world distorted, and the falling rain stopped abruptly.

Berik’s body, which had gone outside the hut, was the same. A strong wind brushed past Berik and rushed into the hut.

‘No way.’

It was an attempt to kill his sisters and his younger self.

Berik clenched his teeth and blocked the oncoming wind with his body. But it was not enough. The hut was destroyed, and the furniture flew away. Then came the sisters’ piercing screams and cries.

Berik shed tears.

‘No!’

Darkness gradually filled in. Berik wanted to run to his sisters, but he realized that his body was disappearing. Then, a beam of light flashed from a distant place. It fell straight down on Berik, and surprisingly-

‘Huh?’

It was warm.

* * *

Swish.

Ian flew through the sky, gaining altitude.

The night wind was cold and strong, but there was no way to avoid it. If he spread a shield with magic, it would illuminate the night sky. Just like the fire rising from one side of the forest.

‘Fire? Is it a torch? It looks like Ruthwena soldiers.’

Was it a simple fire, or was it related to Berik? It was more likely the latter. More and more people were flocking to the wizard’s forest. It was unclear whether they were trying to put out the fire or had other purposes.

Ian lowered his altitude and entered the forest. A place filled only with the rustling sound of leaves. But the energy was unusual.

‘It’s the power of taboo. And Berik too.’

An impure energy permeated the entire forest. His uneasy premonition was right. Ian hid his presence and energy as much as possible and followed the trail.

‘This way, this way!’

‘Fire in the forest! Inform the royal palace! Hurry!’

‘There’s no place to draw water!’

Crackling!

Ian hid himself in a tree and followed the soldiers. And soon, he found Berik confronting the forbidden wizard. The soldiers did too.

‘Wizard! Over there! There’s a Ruthwena wizard over there!’

‘Please block the fire, wizard!’

‘W-well, look here?’

But even with the soldiers’ urgent cries, the wizard only rolled his eyes and remained motionless. Upon closer inspection, the black energy flowing from his body was connected to Berik.

‘It’s an Infiltration magic.’

It was a magic that gave a mental shock by possessing the opponent’s memories.

It was easy to extract information because it could directly target the opponent’s weaknesses, and it was also suitable for inducing carelessness and causing mental scars if desired.

One fatal flaw was that the caster could not move easily while bound by Infiltration magic.

‘Berik got caught.’

The situation was somewhat predictable. He must have encountered the forbidden wizard while looking for something in the hut.

The soldiers were flustered and circled around the wizard, but he was frozen, his eyes looking upward.

‘Why, why is he like this? Isn’t this the Bariel swordsman?’

‘That’s right. What should we do? Should we kill him?’

‘Wait a minute. Don’t touch him. What if something goes wrong?’

‘Stop! Wait until someone from the royal palace comes. First, put out the urgent fire-‘

Whoosh!

‘H-huh-!’

‘Cough!’

As the soldiers hesitantly approached Berik, Ian jumped down from the tree and released magic imbued with killing intent. The soldiers, unable to even recognize the opponent who suddenly appeared from the darkness, were cut down.

Wiping his blood-soaked sleeve, Ian looked at the forbidden wizard. His eyes were also looking at Ian. He had felt Ian’s presence a while ago, but he couldn’t move because of the Infiltration magic.

Ian briefly checked his surroundings and first examined Berik’s pocket.

Swoosh.

A small, triangular box. It was so light that he wondered what was inside.

As Ian picked it up, he felt something falling from under Berik’s chin. Was it blood flowing from a deep cut?

No. This was-

‘…Berik.’

Tears.

Berik was frozen in the same state as he was just before being caught by the Infiltration magic, tears streaming down his face. Where are you wandering in your memories right now? Ian frowned and turned to the forbidden wizard.

‘…It’s an opportunity.’

It was as if he was standing there saying, ‘You can take my head.’ He could just cut off his head and cut out his heart on the spot. If he killed the third forbidden wizard, he could inflict great damage on Ruthwena’s forces.

But-

‘Berik is in danger.’

If he made a mistake, he could be trapped in his memories or his mind could collapse.

Ian looked at the rapidly spreading fire behind him and created a shield with Idgal [a type of magic]. It would temporarily block the fire and the soldiers’ approach.

‘Nabu, are you there?’

‘…Yes, I’m here.’

Nabu, who had been hiding in Ian’s shadow, peeked out. He no longer bothered to hide, looking around cautiously. He had clearly witnessed with his own eyes how strong Ian was the previous day.

‘Block external access. If there’s a problem, you can hide me and Berik in your shadow for a while. And go back to the wizards and explain that it’s Infiltration magic. Do you understand?’

‘Yes. I understand.’

Whoosh!

‘Infiltration’.

Ian then activated Infiltration magic. The target was naturally Berik. Ian’s surroundings were dyed in darkness, and soon a strange hut appeared.

‘It’s there.’

Ian, who had arrived in front of the hut through the wind and rain, knocked on the door. He heard a presence inside.

Thump!

‘Who is it?’

It was Berik’s voice. Ian was relieved and replied.

‘Came to get you. Open the door.’

‘Oh, okay. Sure. But-!’

Bang!

Whoosh!

The moment the door opened, a red greatsword flew at him.

But Ian knew. That reckless madman, who had been wandering through all sorts of pasts, would not just open the door quietly.

Ian lightly stepped back and dodged, and checked the children visible beyond the door.

‘This is bad.’

Young Berik and his younger sisters.

Ian judged. Those children were the only exit for Berik to break free from the Infiltration magic.

‘Gust’.

Whoosh!

A sharp wind brushed past Berik and aimed for the necks of the young ones. Berik, who had been sinking into the darkness, hurriedly tried to block it, but how could he outpace the wind?

A girl, swept away by the gust, spun her eyes around. It was the forbidden wizard who had been hiding his appearance.

‘Aaaah-!’

Buzzing! Buzzing!

Flash!

Ian gathered magic power in both hands. Since it was a child’s body, he wouldn’t need particularly strong power. He unleashed his magic power at once.

The magic projectile, shot in a straight line, pierced through Berik and hit the forbidden wizard. Light exploded in all directions.

Poof-!

Everything that touched the light burned white. The hut, the raindrops, and the children that existed in the darkness gradually disappeared, and blue leaves sprouted all around.

It was the wizard’s forest.

They had returned to the real world.

‘Uh……’

Uh…. Berik, not perceiving reality, looked around with tears streaming down his face. He had begged for them to disappear, but now that it had happened, his heart felt hollow, as if a part of him had been cut out.

Ian grabbed his arm and muttered.

‘Get a grip. We’re going back.’

‘I-Ian. Why are you here?’

‘I thought you might be lost.’

Ian embraced the staggering Berik and flew up. Nabu, who had been lingering nearby, was startled and threw himself into his shadow, and Berik looked down at the forbidden wizard standing blankly and asked.

‘Why isn’t that bastard moving?’

‘He died while being caught in Infiltration magic. If you had died, you would have been like that.’

‘…Then is he dead?’

‘To be exact, his mind is broken.’

‘Let me down for a second. I want to kill him with my own hands.’

‘No.’

‘Why?’

Ian gestured with his chin towards the other side of the forest. Dragons were flocking to the wizard’s forest because of the fire.

Moreover, the forbidden wizard was twisting his joints in a bizarre way. He was also being controlled by a puppeteer, so even if his mind was broken, he would soon move again.

‘You did well, Berik. Your mission is accomplished, and my purpose is also achieved. Any further battle here is a waste of power, so we’ll return to the mansion as planned.’

‘Ha, Ian. I don’t know about anything else, but I’m going to kill that bastard painfully.’

‘Do as you please.’

…Wipe the tears from your eyes.

Ian glanced at Berik, but didn’t add anything.

Berik fumbled in his pocket, then shouted as if having a seizure.

‘Aaaah! Ack! Crazy! The box is gone! Ian, give it back! Damn it, I must be a real idiot! I think I left it behind!’

‘You mean the triangular box?’

‘…Huh? Brown?’

‘I’ve taken good care of it, so stop moving. You’re tired.’

Ah, I knew it! Berik was relieved, but also felt a bit puzzled and tilted his head.

‘But you, did you take the box first before saving me?’

‘…We’re here.’

‘Huh? Hey!’

In front of the Hielo mansion, several wizards who had been unable to sleep due to worry were standing and pacing. They waved their hands wildly when they found Ian and Berik.

‘Ian! Berik!’

‘Hey, what did you do to be clinging to Ian?’

‘Huh? This guy looks like he cried?’

‘I don’t know, get lost. What do you guys know? Huh?’

While the wizards were welcoming Berik, Ian opened the triangular box first.

‘Ian, is that it? The thing Berik was trying to find?’

‘I think so……’

The wizards frowned, puzzled, and Ian also paused.

The inside of the box was covered with dense writing. Inside were a few beads and a neatly folded white piece of paper.

O