Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 668

“Ugh…”

King Kumasha of Toolrun clutched his head and collapsed as soon as the connection with Ruswena was severed. Although servants waited outside, none dared inquire about the king’s well-being. Kumasha’s sounds of laughter and weeping were something no one should ever hear.

Tears streaming down his face, Kumasha grabbed and threw the dolls within reach as if to tear them apart.

‘Damn it. It hurts too much.’

Not only the puppeteers of Toolrun but also the spirit mages and those with unusual powers were all connected to Kumasha’s dolls. This allowed him to sit deep within the palace and see, hear, and feel the world, but this deeply penetrating side effect was a first.

‘It seems Lady Darcy is completely broken, huh. I have no choice but to do it myself. Is this the extent of a mage’s power?’

He had suspected something was wrong from the first time Lady Darcy summoned a forbidden mage. An unknown pressure had tightened his chest, and he had broken out in a cold sweat.

At first, he thought it was just his imagination, but by the second forbidden magic, it became clear.

‘Normal magic was fine. It was because I was giving commands to the puppeteer’s subconscious. The mages would have moved within range on their own to achieve the goal. But forbidden magic is different.’

It was like a flame rising along a very thin, faint thread. From the mage to Lady Darcy, and then back to himself, the king of Toolrun. Each time it passed through someone, the side effects were significantly diluted, but they never completely disappeared.

“Is anyone out there?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Bring water. And also contact the Prime Minister and tell him to come here quickly.”

“As you command, Your Majesty.”

Kumasha buried his face in the pile of dolls again. Since Lady Darcy, who had been mitigating the shock in the middle, was gone, the full impact of the forbidden magic would now fall entirely on him.

The only fortunate thing was that there was no burden on those who were ‘already forbidden mages.’

‘Ian Hielo is someone who can face two forbidden mages alone. Unless all the remaining Ruswena mages are turned into forbidden mages, there is no chance of winning.’

It would be better to find a way. A way to make the Ruswena mages forbidden without being affected by the aftermath of the forbidden magic.

Kumasha stared at his hands and the reflection in the window.

“If I do it right…”

Lady Darcy’s entire body melted away on the third one. That meant he could handle one or maybe two.

Kumasha crawled towards the mirror to check his face. Still pale, almost transparent, without anything melting away.

Knock knock.

“Your Majesty. The Prime Minister has arrived.”

“Let him in.”

Kumasha greeted the Prime Minister while lying down. He wanted to get up if he could, but he couldn’t even move a finger. The Prime Minister, puzzled by the king’s unusual appearance, asked.

“Your Majesty, are you alright?”

“Forbidden magic is definitely different. The aftereffects that Lady Darcy couldn’t filter have reached me as well.”

“… !”

“So, it seems Ruswena has reached its limit. If we deploy the remaining forbidden mage and all the normal mages, I think we can reduce the Bariel mage force by about half.”

“You mean it’s impossible to eliminate them all?”

“Ian Hielo faced two forbidden mages alone. It would be better to let Ruswena handle the rest and focus on Kalamat.”

“I have also received word from the spirit mage leader, Banusa. He says they have released the maximum amount of poison from the upper reaches. This will affect not only Clifford but also Burgos.”

Kumasha raised an eyebrow at the Prime Minister’s words.

“Did the temple release all the poison?”

“It seems so.”

“It seems Banusa has pleased the high priest. He’s usually so strict.”

“Isn’t Banusa a highly respected figure both inside and outside the palace?”

“That’s true. Sometimes he’s frustratingly upright.”

Fling.

Kumasha pulled a doll string hanging from his fingertip taut. It was the string connected to Banusa. He thought about something for a while, then waved his hand as if he had made up his mind.

“Start preparing the Toolrun forces. So they can move immediately according to the situation in Ruswena.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The one in charge of the Toolrun army was Ardo, the eldest son and head of the fire spirit mage family. Coincidentally, wouldn’t he be paired with Banusa, who is also the head of the water spirit mages? If the two who control water and fire are placed on the southern border of Toolrun, it would be enough to pressure the main Bariel army without mages.

Kumasha repeatedly tilted his dizzy head back and closed his eyes for a moment, picturing the upcoming battle with Ian Hielo in his mind.

* * *

“Check the embers carefully! We can’t afford to make mistakes!”

“The wind is still blowing strongly!”

“It would be better to carry more water to the northern area!”

“I’ll support the dragons!”

“Support! Forward!”

The Ruswena soldiers went in and out of the forest to put out the fire until sunrise. They moved buckets of water and sand in long lines, and dragons flew busily in the sky, pouring out huge streams of water.

“Haa, how long will this last…”

“Where are the mages? Why aren’t they visible?”

“Quiet, you fool, you’ll get scolded.”

“Isn’t it true? If they just flicked a finger in the sky, it would have been put out long ago. Is it right that we’re suffering like this?”

“Enough talk. If you have the energy, carry more water.”

“Ugh, wait a minute. I feel sick-”

“Oh my, oh my. What a mess.”

As some soldiers left the line, clutching their mouths, their comrades clicked their tongues in dismay. It was probably because they hadn’t slept and were overworked, but weren’t they too weak?

But that was only for a moment.

“Ugh! Ugh!”

“S-save me-”

Soldiers staggered and collapsed helplessly. The poisonous fumes that had seeped into the mage’s forest were releasing harmful substances as they met the flames.

The rear guard realized that something unusual was happening and gestured for them to turn back.

“No approach! No approach!”

On a hill overlooking the mage’s forest.

Martin bit his lip in anger. Since they couldn’t even cross the border, the damage from the battle was entirely Ruswena’s burden. He waved his baton vigorously, rallying the soldiers.

Boo-oo-! Boo!

The main force from the palace would be departing soon. To avenge Hielo, who had turned Ruswena’s golden land into this, it was now time to cross the border and advance.

Swish!

At that moment, something moved through the reeds. It was hard to tell if it was just the wind or the sound of an animal fleeing from the forest.

Martin soon realized it was the ground trembling from the march. Then, the sound of the military band grew louder and louder. When he turned his body, he could see a hazy dust rising in the distance.

Boo-boo-boo! Boo!

It was the main Ruswena army.

Since it was an army commanded directly by the king, its scale was considerable. It was safe to say that all those who could be mobilized immediately in Ruswena had been dispatched. Since the destination was not far, it seemed that they had minimized the supply unit and focused on combat troops.

Meanwhile, King Eldert, leading the main Ruswena force, trotted slowly on a white horse adorned with gold, staring straight ahead.

“Your Majesty! Show the Bariel bastards the taste of fire!”

“Let’s end this long feud!”

“Ruswena, long live! Ruswena, long live!”

The people came out to the streets to see off the soldiers, but the soldiers maintained a solemn attitude with a determined look. They knew how strong their enemies were after the recent battle.

Squeak!

As the castle gate opened, Eldert frowned. The gray smoke in the forest had not yet stopped. The once lush mage’s forest was completely destroyed, and their fertile land was also a mess due to the aftermath of the battle. Corpses, bloodstains, and scattered weapons and armor were everywhere.

“Advance.”

As Eldert lightly raised his bow and commanded, the Ruswena flag fluttered greatly.

If they continued straight down and crossed the border, they would soon reach Hielo’s territory. They had to quickly deal with the remaining mages and plant their flag there before the Bariel central army sent reinforcements.

“Waaaah!”

“Let’s go!”

The soldiers shouted, forcing themselves to raise their morale. There were no mages visible right now. And this was their homeland, Ruswena. What was there to fear?

The military band’s music grew louder and faster, and they were moving smoothly.

Rustle, rustle.

In the distance, a child stood alone. Too small to be identified, but Eldert could sense it instinctively. A figure with blond hair and a robe.

“Ian Hielo…”

“It’s Ian Hielo! The Minister of Magic of Bariel has appeared!”

“In front! They’ve invaded Ruswena again!”

“Bastard, what do they think Ruswena is!”

Was he alone? Where were the others?

But no matter how much he looked around, he couldn’t see anyone else. The child stood in the middle of the road, so naturally and calmly.

The surprising thing was that, despite being just a small child, his presence was so immense that he could face thousands of people.

Even though the road was wide open, it felt as if it was blocked, and even though there were no walls, it felt like a barrier had been erected.

“Your Majesty.”

“Bring Martin. Join the main force first.”

Ian, on the road next to the mage’s forest, and the main Ruswena army were facing each other. As Martin rallied the soldiers, an opening appeared on the left.

Thump!

Ian, facing the two groups, carefully examined them. Then, he took a step and approached.

The soldiers, with their spears pointed, only rolled their eyes. A mage was approaching, but was it okay to just watch?

“Eldert. Are you there?”

Ian could not identify Eldert, who was mixed among the soldiers. But judging from the position of the flag and the structure of the main force, he was sure that the king was somewhere there.

“How dare you! How dare you call the Ruswena king by his true name so carelessly!”

“It’s not careless.”

When the officer at the front of the vanguard shouted, Ian immediately retorted.

“How can I recognize and respect as a neighboring king someone who ignores the dignity of mages and challenges Bariel? Right now, Eldert, you are not a king to me. You are just a blind snake leading a group called Ruswena.”

“Blasphemous!”

“Blasphemous?”

As Ian smiled faintly, a thin golden line appeared at his feet. It was Idgal [a magical boundary or barrier].

“History will tell who made the mistake. Eldert. This is the last thing I will say to you.”

This.

A boundary that stretched out from him.

“You will not pass this place. Not even in death.”

Eldert frowned as he heard Ian’s message delivered by his subordinates. That arrogant brat. How dare he in another country…

“Mages!”

Eldert shouted to the mages following him. In fact, he was calling the king of Toolrun.

At this, the mages, who had been tilting their heads blankly, turned their bodies as if they had come to their senses.

Whirr! Whirr!

The mages were about to take flight with their golden eyes flashing when-

Swish!

From Ian’s left and right, huge World Trees stretched out and strongly intertwined their stems.

The surprised soldiers hesitated and stepped back, then warned as they discovered the Bariel mages.

“Mages! On that huge tree, there are Bariel mages!”

“Idgal arrows! Prepare Idgal spears and bring them to the front of the line!”

The Bariel mages stood holding onto sturdy stems, looking down at the huge Ruswena army. At the same time, they drew breath from deep within their core.

Soon after, they shouted in unison as if they had rehearsed it.

“Forbidden mage bastards, come out first!”