Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 742

“Shield!”At the mage’s shout, the protective barrier expanded. The indiscriminate nature of the attack made it impossible to predict where it would strike next. Soldiers who had narrowly escaped death were left in a daze, while those watching from afar screamed and scattered in disarray.”Hold the line!””Do not fear! We will protect you!””But, but-!””Keep your wits about you!”Crash! Bang!Two more powerful impacts followed, as if an invisible giant was slamming the earth with all his might. In the blink of an eye, the cratered ground was littered with the crushed bodies of soldiers. Then, a moment later-Pshhh.Streams of blood gushed from the corpses. The pressure had been released. The surviving soldiers realized that the ‘invisible weapon’ was being raised again.”More-“Jin muttered, staring straight at it. It was a one-sided attack unlike any he had ever seen in battle. The stench of blood was sharp, piercing deep into his lungs.”Wider! Expand the shield!””Your Majesty, no! If it exceeds a certain level, the power will disperse, making it worse than useless!””Expand it as much as possible! Soldiers, close the gaps and stick together! This way! Check the position of the shield!”As Jin leaned forward as if to dismount, Twellar and Jeyrut stopped him. The mages unleashed their magic to the fullest, creating a protective barrier.Ah. If only Ian were here at a time like this. Ian would have protected everyone without any trouble.”Imperial Guard!”Jeyrut called to them, supporting the Emperor’s shoulder. The next order was obvious.”Protect His Majesty!”But Jeyrut’s next action was unexpected.He stepped out of the shield and looked up at the sky. Terrified soldiers rushed past him towards the shield, and he drew his sword, focusing his senses.”Captain!”The more he focused on the present, the slower time seemed to move. Everything around him seemed to hum and stretch, and the night breeze felt heavy, as if it had stopped.At that moment-Flash!Jeyrut’s eyes deepened. Then, an endless explosion of magic erupted from his grip. Centered on that, he swung his sword. A gust of wind swept around him.Whoosh!There is no attack in this world that cannot be blocked. If it could not be blocked, it was only because of one’s own inadequacy.Jeyrut faced the attack that was falling on his head head-on.Swoosh!”……!”It was an immense power.Even before it hit him, Jeyrut felt the difference in power. His intuition sent a warning. If he faced it head-on, he would be crushed just like those soldiers.So, he quickly shifted his stance and moved to the side of the attack’s range. If he couldn’t block it, he had to try to cut it.Zzzing! Zzzing!Crack!A huge bolt of lightning surged from Jeyrut’s grip. His clothes stretched taut as if they were about to burst, and his eyes turned white, reflecting the lightning.’Before it reaches the ground…….'”Haaap!”KABOOM!Jeyrut’s lightning surged up to the sky, riding the invisible attack. The thick pillar was briefly captured in everyone’s eyes.”…It’s a pillar.””It’s a round pillar! About 20 meters in diameter!””Damn it, it’s huge!”Poof!Jeyrut’s lightning, which had been enveloping the cylinder, burst out sporadically. This created resistance against the invisible attack, succeeding in slowing it down.Tap!It was a blink of an eye.The soldiers remained prostrate, covering their heads and trembling. Were they going to be crushed to death like their comrades? But why were they still alive? Had they died in a moment they hadn’t even noticed?”Gasp!”The soldiers who cautiously opened their eyes froze in shock. A few Imperial Guards standing near the Emperor were supporting the attack with their swords.With their faces contorted, they groaned. It was astonishing. It was like watching a human trying to crush ants and the ants fighting back.”Damn it, this is so heavy?””Yeah. But still-“Zzzing! Zzzing!The magic swordsmen gritted their teeth and pushed their swords deeper.”It’s manageable?”Crack, the sound of wood splitting was heard from somewhere. Then, as the magic swordsmen pushed back the attack and lightly jumped up, it seemed as if invisible fragments of wind burst and scattered in all directions.The attack had been broken.Whoosh!It was manageable. When they had only considered the absolute difference in power, there seemed to be no answer, but once they clashed, they gained confidence.Jeyrut gripped his sword again and warned the guards.”Focus your minds. Even the smallest thing can pierce your heart in an instant.”Just like in the battle of Agiar.The magic swordsmen nodded and held their breath. And like Captain Jeyrut, they watched the sky, sensing another attack coming.The soldiers cautiously crawled under the shield one by one, and Jin watched them with concern. But even after several minutes, the next attack did not come.’It’s over.’Everyone thought the same thing at the same time.As sighs of relief burst out here and there, Jin quickly instructed Twellar. They had to take care of the situation and move quickly.”Regroup the ranks! Move the wounded to the rear and push the corpses to the side of the road. Open the gates of Tolun and hold funerals with the precious fabrics, stones, and wood from there.””Yes, Your Majesty.””Jeyrut! And the Imperial Guard and mages, gather around!”Unlike the Imperial Defense Force soldiers who rushed forward, the Imperial Guard and mages gathered closer to the Emperor.Jin calmly assessed and organized the situation.”There were a total of four invisible attacks. Is that correct?””Yes, Your Majesty.””What about the ones that fell on the shield?””None, Your Majesty.””The attacks came from the sky. We were stationary, and at first, we didn’t even have a shield. If they knew my location, they would have dropped the attack on me. Any objections?”Jin’s question was to organize his thoughts and consider any possible scenarios. Jeyrut shook his head.”None, Your Majesty. There’s no reason to deal with the soldiers first, bypassing you.””What does this mean? It means the enemy can’t see us clearly. Do you agree?””I agree. When attacking an opponent with a small needle, puppeteers are said to see the world through the needle. However, this is a more destructive attack, so it’s highly likely that they are guessing and sticking the needle with their vision completely blocked.””But the attack range is not the same as before. Do you think it’s the puppetry we know?””The form of the attack is definitely similar. I think only the weapon has changed.””Good. If the weapon has changed, the conditions for using it must have changed as well. Four times in a row. I believe this is the limit of the opponent.””It’s possible, but we can’t be sure.”Then, the attack could resume after a certain period of time.Jin made a decision and snapped his fingers. His mind was surprisingly clear, considering the chaos it had just experienced.”We can’t stay here until sunrise. We will move immediately and attack the gates. That way, the enemy won’t be able to easily unleash attacks.””Yes, Your Majesty. I will prepare immediately.””Mages, as soon as the communication magic with the mages inside the capital is connected, share this matter immediately.””Yes! Your Majesty.””While Minister Twellar is regrouping the ranks, the Imperial Guard will keep the gates open. We can’t prolong the siege, so we will end it in one blow. Beric!”Beric, who had been listening among his comrades, was startled and raised his head. Although he had not been excluded from the battles, he had been passive since his sister’s incident.Jin nodded and pointed towards the wall.”This time, Beric, you will take charge of the operation.””…Me, breaking the wall?””Yes. As quickly as possible. Can you do it?””…Well. It’s a piece of cake.”…It’s a piece of cake, you idiot. Barsabae pouted as if she was disgusted, but no one pointed it out. Right now, it was a priority to bring out Beric’s combat power.”Yes. I believe you will do well.”Jin grabbed Beric’s shoulder and encouraged him, and he bowed his head. The Emperor looked up at the pitch-black sky and muttered.”Let’s hurry. Before the attack resumes.”* * *Kumasha’s hand paused. Unlike just before, when he had been driving the needle into the sand with ease, the bamboo needle trembled along the child’s fingertips. It was as if someone was stopping him.As the child frowned, sweating profusely, the ministers who were watching him rushed over in surprise.”Your Highness, are you alright?””Your Highness! Blood, blood, blood!”Dark red blood was gushing from the child’s nose and mouth. But as if unconcerned, the child squeezed all his strength and tried to stick the bamboo needle again, and at the same time-Swoosh!The tip of the needle was cut off diagonally.As the tip of the needle rolled weakly to the side, the child’s face rapidly hardened. It had been broken. His attack had failed to reach the ground.”Th, th-!””Please hold still! You mustn’t overdo it!””Stop with your hypocritical nonsense! If you were so worried about me, you should have stopped me when I picked this up!”The child struggled to stab again with the remaining needle, but all the strength in his body gave way, and he collapsed forward.As the king fell onto the sand, the ministers gasped and picked up the child. His arm fell limply to his side. Like a puppet with its strings cut. All the joints in his body were crushed, making it difficult to even move a finger.”How can we manage if even Your Highness is like this in this situation? Please, please hold still and regain your composure.””Bring the physician! Bring the physician!””Your Highness! A signal fire has been raised from the east gate! They say the enemy is showing movement!””Already? They should be confused by Your Highness’s attack just now?””That is, there are not many of them.””What?””Those who are coming to attack the wall.”Then it must be magic swordsmen or mages. They must have realized that if they stayed still, they would be in danger again, and they were trying to open the gates quickly.The ministers stammered and checked the location of the spiritists [people who can communicate with spirits].”When will each family arrive?!””They will be deployed to the nearest gate as soon as they are contacted. However, the east gate is the family of Banusa.””Banusa! Yes, where is that guy and what is he-!””…Quiet.”Kumasha whispered, covering his eyes with the back of his hand. The voices of the ministers shouting angrily echoed in his head. His condition was already not good due to the forbidden magic, and he had overdone it. His body and mind were not normal.The child raised himself and rubbed his forehead, frowning.”…Banusa.”Answer me.”Banusa.”If you don’t answer now, I will truly tear you apart.”Banusa!”The ministers held their breath and watched Kumasha’s condition. The physicians had already arrived, but the ministers gestured for them to wait for a moment.-Yes, Your Highness.And after a while, Banusa’s voice connected.Kumasha chuckled and then asked with a look of certainty.”You, are you with that Ian guy right now?”