Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 699

Banusa entered her bedroom, taking a deep breath to focus her mind.

Eileen gripped her sword tightly, observing Banusa’s strange behavior. She didn’t know what Banusa was, nor what her intentions were.

“No need to be on guard. No one comes around here,” Banusa muttered, sounding relieved after a moment of breathing. It was done. King Toolun wasn’t sharing her senses right now.

“…Why?”

“Because it’s annoying. I’m already under the king’s constant gaze, I don’t need to deal with others. And more than anything, the temple people are uncomfortable with ‘showing’ me.”

The relationship between King Toolun and the temple was adversarial. So, naturally, they were uncomfortable with information reaching the king through Banusa’s eyes.

Since they avoided conflict, Banusa could spend time completely alone, except when moving the river with Osu [a dark, corrupted energy].

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“It’s a problem if you don’t understand. There’s no point in bringing you here. Oh, right. Before that, let me warn you. If I wave my hand or send a strange signal, get out of here immediately and hide.”

It meant that Toolun had started sharing her vision.

Instead of answering, Eileen sharpened her sword. It was clear that there were only two people nearby, but she felt on edge even at the sound of the wind.

“How far has Bariel come?”

“Do you think I’ll tell you that?”

“How brazen.”

Even as she said that, Banusa kept her gaze fixed on the white wall. It was to avoid revealing anything if King Toolun suddenly started sharing her senses.

At that moment, Banusa lightly flicked her fingertip, and a thin stream of water flew towards the center of Eileen’s forehead.

Swish!

Sharp, thin, and fast. Eileen reflexively raised her sword, but it wasn’t enough to block it. Banusa’s attack stopped just before her forehead, then trickled down in liquid form.

“If I helped you infiltrate the temple safely, isn’t it proper to offer a reward?”

A sorceress, then. Eileen finally guessed Banusa’s identity. Judging by her handling of water, a water sorceress?

Eileen admitted that she couldn’t win against her and watched her for a moment. What does she want? What does she want so much that she would smuggle out a temple intruder like herself?

“A reward is a reward. If you’re asking me to sell out my country’s information, you might as well kill me. I came here prepared to die.”

Banusa turned her head slightly, but her gaze was still fixed straight ahead.

“…Why did you come here?”

Banusa changed the question. She also wanted to figure out what Eileen wanted. After a brief silence, Eileen carefully spoke.

“I was investigating to find the source of the Osu. You must know that what flowed from here is turning Vergos and Cliford into lands of death.”

An investigation team dispatched to find the source of the Osu. Judging by the purification ability she saw earlier, she wasn’t an ordinary soldier. Banusa crossed her arms and tapped her fingertips.

‘Probably, the temple is closer than the capital to the current location of the Bariel main force. There’s a high chance they’ll make this their first destination.’

What if the army led by the Emperor arrived at the Masantar Temple?

Banusa’s brow furrowed deeply. She desperately wanted to return to the capital, but she couldn’t. Rather, the capital would send other family’s spirit mages to defend the temple, not order her to return.

‘…What if the temple collapses?’

The defense line would move to the capital, and she would naturally follow it.

Meanwhile, as Banusa’s silence grew longer, Eileen’s eyes moved busily. She was trying to gauge Banusa’s intentions and figure out what clues she had been given.

‘The room is bare.’

She’s not someone who originally lived in the temple. It seems like a guest room, but judging by the situation, she seems more like an outsider than a guest. Whether that was intentional or not.

‘If this person is hostile to the temple, she might want Bariel as a means to help herself.’

As expected, Banusa spoke after a while, and Eileen was certain.

“If the source of the Osu is indeed here, what will Bariel do?”

“You ask the obvious. We will annihilate it and restore the previous nature.”

Banusa seemed satisfied with the answer, and Eileen keenly noticed that.

“…It seems like you need Bariel’s help.”

“Bariel’s help?”

Ha. She chuckled lightly. She was reminded of the magic swordsman, Beric, whom she had encountered in front of the Toolun Palace.

Since he was the first and last of Bariel’s forces she had faced, it was natural that he was the first thing that came to mind when she heard ‘Bariel’.

“I hate to admit it, but there’s no other way to express it.”

Right, my guess was correct. Eileen changed her attitude to be more agreeable. If she wanted Bariel’s help, she could be an ally.

“If you’re trapped here, you can come with me. Since I can freely cross the temple’s boundaries, we can find a way.”

“Thank you for the offer, but you’re mistaken. I came to this temple on my own two feet.”

“Then how-”

“Open the drawer on the table.”

At Banusa’s gesture, Eileen carefully moved towards the table. Inside the drawer, there was only a neatly folded letter.

“I will send you back safely, so tell your superior without missing a single word. I am Banusa, the spirit mage of Toolun.”

Banusa explained how she came to the temple. It started with the kidnapping of Ian Hielo’s mother, Philia.

“It was discovered that Ian Hielo, the Minister of Magic, had his mother kidnapped from the Toolun Palace. In fact, it wasn’t just a circumstance, it was a confirmed fact. The minister even came to Toolun himself with his subordinates.”

They eventually found Philia, and after arriving at the city gate and giving a stern warning, they returned.

Banusa protested to the king and the palace officials about this. She asked what they were thinking, messing with Bariel. The king’s answer to that was twofold.

“One, the family in charge of defense is clearly lacking in skill, so find a mercenary mage. And second, if you want to know the full story of the Philia kidnapping, go to the Masantar Temple.”

Banusa was worried about leaving the capital, but she chose to go to the temple. It was because she judged that she couldn’t pledge loyalty to the palace while harboring doubts.

“And I found the answer. And then, a letter arrived from my family.”

Eileen couldn’t read Toolunese, so she didn’t know what was written. But Banusa immediately translated it as if it wasn’t something to hide.

“The palace’s pressure to find a mercenary mage is gradually increasing, and there is a division within the family. You may know this, but our king is a person whose hobby and specialty is playing with puppets.”

It was the aftermath of the Luswena War, but the two didn’t know. They just guessed that the Toolun Palace was gathering forces for some reason. Perhaps it was because war was imminent.

Eileen stared at the back of Banusa’s head and nodded. She now had a better idea of what she wanted.

“You want to use Bariel’s power to prevent the division in your family. But there’s something I don’t understand.”

If she were in Banusa’s position, she would have decided to successfully defend the temple and return to the capital. She seemed to hold a key position in the palace, and that would be an easier way.

But why was she trying to lead Toolun down the path of decline? In Eileen’s opinion, Banusa’s choice was irrational.

“The answer to that is related to ‘why Toolun kidnapped Ian Hielo’s mother’.”

“What does that-”

That’s when it happened. Banusa raised her right hand and gestured for her to leave quickly. It was the signal she had warned about at the beginning of their conversation.

Eileen hesitated and put the letter deep inside her clothes.

“Banusa? Are you okay?”

“This place shouldn’t exist in the world.”

“What do you mean…”

Banusa heard it. From the depths of the temple, where the Osu was being drawn up, she heard a scream. And she saw it. The white-robed priests, defiling their robes as they worshipped someone.

“Go. Go and deliver that letter to the Emperor and the Minister of Magic. Then they will know immediately. What I want, and what to do.”

The Masantar Temple had been with Toolun’s history. Therefore, Banusa could not tolerate it even more. That such filthy filth was filling the depths of her proud country, and that those who lived by eating it were the leaders of the country.

And above all-

Swoosh.

-Banusa.

To break free from the king’s gaze that controlled Banusa, it was necessary to change everything in Toolun.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As Banusa spoke to the wall, Eileen stepped back and quietly left the bedroom.

Tap tap!

As the footsteps grew more distant, Banusa’s head turned on its own. The king had moved his gaze out of curiosity. But all that was visible was an empty hallway.

-Banusa. Soon, the Bariel main force stationed in Vergos will move up to Toolun. It is impossible to know whether the Emperor and the Minister of Magic will move separately, but it is clear that the Masantar Temple is their first destination. Inform the temple of this and prepare thoroughly.

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

-The palace will also send reinforcements. And Banusa. It seems that each family is having trouble finding mercenary mages. Encourage them so that there are no problems in carrying out their mission.

Finding mercenary mages was not as simple as it sounded. Would Toolun pay a fair price to borrow their power? It was clear that they would be made into puppets, and this was something that the mages were wary of. If they got involved with the wrong family, they would face angry mercenary mages before even facing Bariel.

This was also the reason for the division within the family. Those who believed that they had to follow the king’s orders no matter what, and those who believed that the family’s survival and safety came first.

“…I apologize. I will send an encouragement letter immediately.”

Banusa could sense from the king’s voice that she was a little tired. As expected, the king cut off the connection without any further words.

Something’s going on in the palace. Banusa guessed and turned her head out the window. There was a clear wet mark on the grass, where Eileen had passed.

Swoosh.

Banusa closed the curtains, completely cutting off her vision. Soon, guests would arrive. It was time to prepare.

* * *

“Ready?”

Beric grinned and looked at Cedric. Unlike Beric, who wasn’t carrying a single water bottle, Cedric was carrying bags as big as himself on his front and back. It was a form of torment disguised as physical training.

“…Yes, senior.”

“Let’s get our spirits up. This is a mission directly ordered by His Majesty the Emperor, so if we mess up, it’s your fault. Got it?”

That crazy thug. Cedric only muttered to himself but didn’t answer that he understood.

Jayrut and the Imperial Guard watched the two of them, clicking their tongues in concern.

“Commander Jayrut. Is it really okay to send those two?”

“Well, it was decided by unanimous vote…”

It was an issue that was approved by the Emperor, as well as Minister Ian and Minister Tweller. There was nothing Commander Jayrut could do.

Taoma, who had pulled the carriage to the front of the palace, waved his hand when he found Beric and Cedric.

“Hey! Beric! And you must be Cedric!”

“Yo. You’re late.”

“Late? I came right on time. Come on, let’s go! Put your luggage here.”

“Huh? Wait a minute!”

“Thank you.”

Cedric took the opportunity to throw his bag behind the carriage, and Beric widened his nostrils. This wasn’t it?!

“Hey! Where are you putting it? Don’t you put it on your shoulders right now?”

“Aren’t we going to sit in the carriage anyway?”

“No? You’re going to walk?”

“Then the speed will slow down, and the main force will reach the northern part of Vergos before Taoma-nim is even transported. I’m telling you in advance, it’s not my fault if the mission fails.”

“Hey, this bastard-!”

“Ugh, shut up. Come on, get in! If we drink some alcohol on the way, we’ll feel better.”

Taoma pulled Beric by the collar into the carriage, and Cedric pushed his back, urging him to hurry in.

Thud! The carriage door closed without hesitation. The coachman cracked his whip loudly and quickly left the palace.

“Well, whatever…”

“They’ll figure it out. Yeah.”

The Imperial Guard, who had been watching this, stood blankly for a moment before scattering.