I Became the Father of a Degenerate Emperor

Episode 21. Clutching Hope

Episode 21. Clutching Hope

Gulp-

Duke Bright swallowed with a surprised expression.

‘…… It’s ridiculous.’

Even when the emperor lifted the bow-shaped stick, I wondered what the hell he was trying to do.

Then he suddenly got into an archery position.

But there were no protests and no arrows.

That’s why I was very concerned about whether or not the madness had flared up again.

But soon the bowstring was bent violently, and the emperor’s arm was also shaking.

It was pulled even though there was no protest.

That tight tension that flows along the bow.

It was undoubtedly due to the strong elastic backlash.

‘…… An invisible bowstring?’

By the time I heard that question, the bowstring that had been bent suddenly snapped.

To blame!

At the same time, Domtar’s head, which was trying to pull out the twin swords, was blown off.

Push-

I rubbed my eyes and looked at it again, wondering if I had seen it wrong, but the only thing that stood out was the torso that had lost its head. The twin swords were not even pulled out.

It was really unbelievable.

Domtar was a sword master.

It is said that he did not use an aura because it was right before the fight started, but those who reached that level were able to maximize their senses.

If you came right in front of enemy lines, your nerves would have been extremely sharp.

So, if the emperor had really shot something, there was no reason he couldn’t avoid it.

Still, it seemed clear what he had shot.

Maybe something like an arrow was shot at a very high speed.

But since the sword master escaped detection,

‘…… Could it be that you can’t see it, and you can’t even hear it at all? How could such a thing exist?’

Of course, no matter how much it was fired, it might have been different if Dom Tar had raised an aura to protect his head.

However, even in the eyes of the duke, Domtar was too careless.

Well, it was a situation with a large army numbering in the tens of thousands behind his back.

He must have been claiming to be the strongest himself, so it might be even more strange for him not to be vigilant.

However, carelessness on the battlefield was unacceptable in any words.

Since he lost his life while being careless, he could be considered cheap even if he died.

But no matter how much I thought about it, I wondered if this kind of thing was really possible.

Looking at the people around him just in case, his son, knights, and soldiers all seemed no different from him.

I couldn’t believe it, so I didn’t even have time to rejoice.

Even my son, who is usually a b*tch, was stunned and muttered over and over again, saying, “This is nonsense.”

Actually, the mood of the Imperial Knights was a bit different, but on top of their expression of disbelief, they were filled with emotion and awe like toppings.

They seemed to realize that everything started with a bow-shaped stick.

At that moment, the emperor opened his mouth.

“Listen to the Imperial Knights.”

He deserved to be a little excited with joy, but the emperor’s voice was infinitely cold.

That gaze was also directed straight ahead.

However, it was a situation that killed the apex of the savages.

In a situation where everyone only thought of death until just a moment ago, the war had almost been won.

However, the duke thought that he could be so calm, as expected of his own son-in-law, the emperor.

Contrary to the emperor’s cold-hearted attitude, the Imperial Knights were unable to control their emotions.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The voices that came out all at once, deeply moved and respected.

In fact, when it comes to the loyalty of the Imperial Knights, their reputation has been growing throughout the continent for a long time.

They jumped into hellfire when their lives fell, and they were the ones who won even in the midst of fire.

Of course, there were only 10 left now, but their skills were among the best in the Empire.

A stern voice once again struck the tearful knights.

“With the knight commander, slaughter the barbarians.”

I didn’t even look at it, I just said that.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

But what came back was a resounding voice that seemed to leave the sky, and a very happy expression.

It was never the face of those who go to the battlefield.

It was such a blind look that I found the hope I had been looking for for a long time.

The ten knights jumped down the wall almost simultaneously, without hesitation.

Soon after that, the duke’s name also fell.

“Duke Bright.”

“Please speak.”

“Take all the troops out and launch an all-out attack. Let the barbarians be exterminated from this land.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Although it used the expression of an all-out attack, in reality, the main purpose was probably to assist the Imperial Knights in the vanguard.

Dispersing the enemy’s power or protecting their back, saving the knight commander’s mana would be the top priority.

Thumping! Pounding!

In the Duke’s heart, as well as excitement, confidence was welling up.

‘How long has this been a victory!’

It was because the victory was clearly visible right in front of me.

As the barbarians now lost their only sword master, the balance of power was completely disrupted.

If they could overcome their numerical inferiority, victory was already certain.

And overcoming the numerical inferiority, the savages would take care of themselves and help.

The savages originally consisted of several tribes, so the unity was weak.

Since Domtar was the one who bound that weak bond with strength, from now on all that remained was for the savages to trample each other and wander around.

I still don’t know what to do.

‘It’s as if I’ve already won.’

Because they lost the strongest, their morale must have plummeted completely.

So, the moment the knight commander swung his sword, terrible confusion would spread like wildfire.

Duke Bright, with a face full of confidence, hurriedly began to call the knights and soldiers lined up on the castle wall.

*

Everything went as I expected.

In fact, Domtar was a person who really enjoyed fighting the strong.

Even in the novel, before starting a battle, he would always engage in one-on-one combat with the strongest of his enemies.

It was called ‘head eating’ among the savages, and since the strongest of the two camps competed, the morale of the winning side soared to the ceiling, and the morale of the losing side had the effect of penetrating the ground and going underground.

For reference, Dom Tar had a very strong military force that he had never defeated until he met the main character of the novel.

Perhaps he realized it the moment he faced Max.

The opponent is also a sword master.

But he must have been confident that he would win without too much difficulty.

It was because he had already conquered the southern kingdoms one after another and defeated several sword masters.

Anyway, it gave me the best chance.

A powerful force always induces its owner to be vigilant.

That’s why I came this close without raising an aura.

If at least he had worn a quality helmet, he wouldn’t have been so vain. Of course, I wouldn’t have had a chin with anything.

In fact, savages were born that way from the beginning.

Trusted only by the muscles attached to it, and usually didn’t even wear crude armor.

So, as soon as he met me, it was as if Domtar’s death was predestined.

Max was still holding on to the handle of his greatsword, as if he still couldn’t believe what had happened before his eyes.

I couldn’t feel even the slightest movement, as if it were a statue.

Then slowly turns his head to look at me.

Max’s gaze moved from my face to the secret palace.

In fact, Max had a habit of causing an aura right before he went to the battlefield.

Of course, it wasn’t because he had a reserved personality.

It was just a habit I naturally learned while sparring with the emperor during my academy days.

If he had an aura anyway, he must have felt something as the invisible arrow passed.

For reference, in the novel, it is written that his aura cannot be seen with the naked eye.

The shape of the aura depends on what the person imagines, but Max didn’t have a very good imagination, so even when he created the aura, it didn’t show at all.

However, the output was quite good, and it was shaped like an egg that wrapped around the body like an egg.

Of course, the scope was not that wide. At most, a little bigger than the body.

Anyway, the arrow must have passed close to the body when shooting the Secret Palace, so he must have clearly sensed its existence.

But I must have left it as it was because I realized it was headed for Domtar.

Maybe the invisible arrow was too fast to react, but that doesn’t seem very likely.

You may just be surprised at the admirable speed and destructive power of something that suddenly flew by.

Soon after, the knights arrived around Max, and after a while, the castle gate opened and the Duke of Bright stood behind him with the entire force.

The savages who just mutter and don’t know what to do.

I still couldn’t believe Domtar’s death.

But you will soon realize.

How pitiful their situation had become after losing the king.

*

Just before the emperor shoots the Secret Palace.

Esteel was standing on the balcony on the top floor of the lord’s castle.

Looking down at her far below, she clutched her necklace around her neck.

It was given to me by the emperor before I came here.

Judging from the brilliant light contained within the drop-shaped jewel, it was definitely not an ordinary necklace.

In addition, the wave of mana felt there was unusual, so it seemed to have a magical effect.

Perhaps it was magic to protect himself.

A faint smile appeared on her face.

Her husband, who had gone mad due to her paralysis and finally came to his senses, expressed his thoughts with his blunt expression and voice.

That’s why it felt so precious.

But at this moment, she had no choice but to slowly loosen her necklace with trembling hands.

Perhaps because of the determination she had in her heart, the wind brushing her face felt very cold.

Actually, she learned some magic before coming here.

One of them was to improve her strength and stamina to withstand long-distance riding.

She

She also learned magic to enhance her eyesight.

Since she won’t be able to go to battle anyway, it seemed like it would be absolutely necessary to watch her from behind.

After strengthening her eyesight with her magic, she was now looking at the castle wall.

She had her own husband there, as well as her father and brother.

And in front of them, the savages who filled the plains of Florente were vigorously stamping their feet.

Thump! Thud! Thud!

It was so noisy that even the air on the balcony was stained with tension.

And the menacing sound was making her regret even heavier.

Perhaps she should have persuaded the emperor one more time before this day arrived.

To stop that number of savages with only Protejion’s troops was nonsense from the start.

Besides, there was even a sword master named Domtar among the barbarians.

Perhaps the man standing in front of Max right now was him.

Obviously, it looked like they were going to have a one-on-one match.

Actually, I didn’t tell anyone at Max’s request, but his injury wasn’t fully healed yet.

So it was very difficult to guarantee victory.

To be honest, the chances of losing were much better.

In a fight between sword masters, even the slightest mistake could turn the tables.

It was a confrontation with so many variables from the beginning.

Moreover, the opponent was a sword master in the midst of fame, and Max had been imprisoned for five years before entering the battlefield with only minor injuries.

So, the path Max was walking now was not a confrontation, but a certain death.

In the end, as his brother said, everyone would be killed.

So Estill was left here alone.

She had heard of a terrible thing that happened to a princess in the southern continent.

The princess of a kingdom occupied by barbarians.

She died a miserable death beyond words.

So Estill removed her necklace to protect herself.

Judging by the momentum of the barbarians now, the castle will be captured in the near future, and countless knights and soldiers, starting with her husband, will be brutally slaughtered.

So Estill, the moment her husband died, she intended to jump out of here.

Actually, Ensus came to visit this morning, and she urged her to run alone.

She begged earnestly to do so, even thinking of the children she would be left behind, but she was already in a situation where she was determined to follow her husband at the risk of her life.

‘Even if her death comes, I will be with him.’

These were the words she kept repeating in her mind on the night road to Prote Zion.

She was eventually able to capture Protejion, as her husband had said, but at this moment, as she heard the roar of barbarian feet, she would not admit that her choice was wrong. Couldn’t

Kahah-

The sound of crows coming from above made her more ominous and uneasy.

All sorts of thoughts were coming to her mind, perhaps because she was worried that she might die soon.

The first thing that came to mind was the three princes left in the imperial palace.

I gave a sufficient explanation before coming, but in the end, the children showed tears and begged me not to go.

Those pitiful faces were still in my eyes.

She felt a belated regret that if she had known this would happen, she should have learned some sort of destructive magic.

Then, at one point, her mouth opened slightly.

“What the hell is going on now…… !”

Her pupils also turned round.

Because where her gaze rested, her body was strewn about, missing her head.

It was definitely Domtar’s.

A completely unexpected victory.

As for the meaning of being a sword master on the battlefield, she knew it well.

‘The ultimate weapon that will decide victory or defeat’

Now the savages had lost such a tremendous thing in vain.

Because of that, tears welled up in her eyes.

‘I don’t have to die anymore.’

She clutched the necklace she was holding.