Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 744

745. A Pain That Feels Like Breaking

-…Impudent.

Squeeze.

It was a reply that came after a long silence.

Banusa, sweating profusely, finally slammed her forehead onto the floor. It was a pain she couldn’t endure any other way.

Ardo, startled, cautiously approached and grabbed her arm.

“Banusa?”

“Haa, haa, look, Ardo. See who’s holding my heart right now. For me to live, for you to live, haa, and for Toloon to live-!”

“Banusa! Calm down. What on earth are you talking about? A monster?”

“Aaaah!”

“Your Majesty! It’s Ardo! I’m with Banusa! Please, calm your anger for a moment and listen to her! You know Banusa! You know how she has lived for Toloon!”

“No!”

Thud!

Banusa grabbed Ardo’s arm, her eyes wide. The blood vessels in her whites were bursting red. In that short moment, one could guess how deep the pain inflicted upon her was. Banusa trembled and muttered through her teeth.

“Tear it apart. Crush it if you want. I can’t stand this crap. My fate being tied to someone else’s will.”

Banusa repeated Ian’s last words like a mantra. Belief. Even if her heart felt like it would burst and her brain would melt, if she faced death head-on, she could live.

The words seemed to move as if they were alive, making it hard to tell if they were words or nonsense, but she didn’t want to know.

Just belief. Like a piano string, tough and strong, seemingly unbreakable, but she wanted to believe there was a way.

-…Banusa. I will destroy your family and tear them out of Toloon. Starting with you, all your bloodline will die spitting blood like you, and your corpses will be torn apart and scattered across the wasteland. I will show the entire realm what fate awaits a traitor.

“So! Tell me! What is Your Majesty’s true identity! Are you resonating with that giant monster beneath the Masantar Temple! By the way, High Priest Raju was not human. He was just- Aaaah!”

“Banusa!”

I’m dying. I’m dying. I’m dying…….

Banusa’s mind went white. The king had squeezed her heart tightly. But strangely, she felt like she was dying, yet she continued to breathe.

What is this? Why is this happening?

Whoosh!

Banusa’s eyes widened. Ardo’s fire barrier was still surrounding them. It was set up to hold Ian’s group, but now it was blocking the view from the outside.

So, the king couldn’t pinpoint Banusa’s exact location right now.

‘Does the puppeteer need to know the target’s location to attack them?’

Then, what is this pain of being stabbed in the heart? Where is it coming from?

Banusa looked up at Ardo with a confused expression. He, too, had a complicated look on his face.

“…Ardo.”

“Banusa. Don’t speak.”

“No, you know, do you remember when we were kids?”

What is she suddenly talking about? Ardo sighed and wiped the sweat from her chin. The king didn’t seem to have any intention of showing mercy. She never thought she would end their relationship like this…….

“When we went boating on Lake Buksan and my younger sibling fell into the water. Back then, we only had a thin rope to tie the boat.”

“I remember. Two little kids struggling not to let go of the rope.”

“The more I pulled, the more it hurt my palm. I remember the blood flowing along the taut rope.”

“Banusa.”

“…This is like that.”

“…What?”

Tears welled up in Banusa’s eyes. Not tears of sadness or pain. Her eyes were shining clearer and more transparent than ever before.

Banusa burst into a ridiculous laugh, filled with joy. Even as she did, she continued to clutch her heart with one hand.

“It’s the natural pain that comes from resistance. If I overcome this, I can break free.”

“Banusa. You’re bleeding-”

“Listen to me, Your Majesty! Are you listening?”

Banusa giggled and yelled. The pain was frightening, but she thought of it as a process to endure, and that was it.

“I pitied you for being lonely at a young age. But now I see that was my arrogance. You monster hiding inside, if you’re aware, listen carefully! Toloon is a great nation! It’s not a country to be used as a stepping stone for your wicked desires!”

-Ardo.

This time, the voice echoed in Ardo’s ear. It was the king’s message, calm but filled with anger.

-Lower the fire barrier.

“…Your Majesty.”

He didn’t know for sure what would happen if he lowered the barrier, but one thing was certain. Banusa would die. She would receive the king’s punishment with her whole body and die on the spot.

As Ardo hesitated, a burning pain surged in his heart as well.

“Aaaah!”

“Kill them all! You moron! Kill all those who oppose your will and fill this country with only puppets! Then see how many will truly believe in you and follow you-!”

Whoosh!

Ardo’s barrier, which had soared into the sky, was lowered. It was an irresistible force. It was too painful to maintain his spirit magic.

Banusa looked at the sky revealed through the flames and continued to shout. Hurry, hurry, let this string pulling at my heart break!

“Then, you too will eventually meet your end!”

Banusa screamed and spat out her last words.

Then, at that moment, she felt something that had been binding her whole body snap. Freedom and liberation. Banusa’s breath caught, and she sprang to her feet.

Swoosh!

And a sharp attack flew towards her heart. It was a needle that the king had stabbed with anger to punish her.

It was very sharp, subtle, and destructive. It was the same thing that had pierced Ian’s body in the Battle of Agiar.

‘Ah.’

Banusa instinctively sensed ‘real death.’ But it was okay. It wasn’t dying while tied to a puppet string.

For a moment, Banusa’s world slowed down. Like a natural consideration to savor the days she had lived.

“Shit!”

Whoosh!

But then, a head of red hair blocked Banusa’s path. Through the scattered hair, annoyed eyes flashed.

It hadn’t been long since they had parted, but Banusa somehow felt that he had changed. It was like-

“Berik! Be careful!”

“Shut up and put up a shield!”

It was indescribable. It was as if his face was shadowed, and his aura had grown stronger.

Clang!

Zing! Zing!

Berik deflected the invisible attack instantly, and then the mages erected a protective barrier around them.

“…Berik?”

“Where are Ian and the others?”

“Too bad. They just headed towards the palace.”

“Seriously. Nothing ever goes right. Damn it.”

“But how did you get in here?”

Crack!

A shock hit the barrier near one of the mage’s heads. It was a trace of the king’s attack being blocked. The mages pulled Banusa’s arm and then looked back at Ardo, who was standing there blankly.

“If you just stand there, you’ll die. We have to keep moving. Banusa, can you get up? Even with your eyes covered.”

“…I don’t need to be covered.”

“Huh?”

“The strings are cut. The king no longer has power over me.”

“Oh, shit. That’s great.”

The mages were about to take out a blindfold but instead gave a thumbs up. Then they looked back at Ardo.

“What about him?”

“Ardo. He’s the head of the spirit magic family that controls fire.”

“A friend? Will you come with us?”

“He’s a friend, but he can’t.”

Ardo was still under the king’s control. The mages shrugged and looked towards the palace.

“Then, let’s move.”

At that moment, Ardo raised his head.

Mages. They belong to Bariel. The fact that they are in the middle of Toloon’s capital means that the country’s defense system has collapsed.

And one of them doesn’t even seem to be a mage. He remembered who it was clearly. That guy was definitely the mad dog who had charged to the front of the palace before.

“Wait!”

He couldn’t let them go so easily. As Ardo tried to stop them, Banusa grabbed his arm tightly.

“Ardo. Please, stop.”

“Banusa, but-”

“There is no ‘but’. It’s for you and for Toloon. If you keep blocking me, I, I will have no choice but to cut you down.”

You saw it, didn’t you? When you’re tied to the king, you’re just a tool.

Ardo looked at Banusa’s face as if he couldn’t believe it. Is she really… free from puppetry?

“Lord Ardo! Lord Ardo!”

Taptap!

It was the moment Ardo hesitated. Reports from his subordinates came from behind.

“The Bariel army has broken through the eastern wall! Requesting support, ugh!”

The subordinate seemed shocked to see a Bariel mage standing right there.

But what was even more surprising was that Ardo and none of the fire family spirit mages were moving. He took a step back, wondering what was going on.

-…Ardo. It is done.

Then, the king’s message came.

-Tell everyone to come to the palace. I will personally welcome them. The hospitality will be as much as they desire, and nothing will be lacking.

Ardo unknowingly felt relieved and nodded as he stepped back.

“…The king says, he wants all of you to come to the palace.”

“Ha, thanks!”

“Did you think we wouldn’t go if you told us to? Berik! Let’s go!”

“Banusa! Remember! If you leave the barrier, you’ll die!”

“Let’s go! Hurry! Catch up with Ian!”

As the mages began to run towards the palace, Banusa also slowly took a step. Her gaze was fixed on Ardo, but only for a moment. She ran as fast as she could to catch up with the mages.

“Lord Ardo?”

“…Let’s go east. We will stop the Bariel army.”

“Ah, yes! Understood!”

Ardo’s body turned into flames, and then he moved quickly with the wind.

The eastern wall was a scene of chaos. One point of the wall was completely destroyed, and Bariel soldiers were trying to push through, while Toloon soldiers were desperately trying to stop them.

“Block them! Over here! A ladder is up here!”

“Kill them! Kill them!”

“Ugh!”

Clang! Clang!

To climb over the collapsed wall, soldiers pushed, stabbed, and held each other.

Ardo and his family members stood at regular intervals and placed their hands on the wall.

Thump! Thump!

The Toloon soldiers urgently beat the drums. It was a signal for everyone to come down from the wall.

The soldiers immediately retreated, and the Bariel soldiers cheered, thinking they had won, and climbed onto the wall.

But then-

“It’s done! Finally-!”

Whoosh!

“Ugh!”

A huge fire rose from Ardo and engulfed the entire wall.

The soldiers who were hit by the flames while standing writhed and fell below the wall, and those who were trying to climb up screamed and rolled down the ladders.

“Ugh!”

“Fire!”

Even the ordinary soldiers could feel that it was no ordinary fire. Even if the sky suddenly helped with rain, it would not be able to extinguish it.

“……”

Beyond the wall, Jin’s eyes sparkled as he watched the scene. As if he had expected this much fire play.

Jin lightly raised his hand, and Jerritt and the Imperial Guard stepped forward and drew their swords. The flames reflected on each of the lined-up blades.

Shhh!

Finally, the Emperor commanded.

“Imperial Guard, deploy!”