Chapter 125
Chapter 125
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Big Bro's Coming!
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Shiiiiiik.
Shiiiiiik.
The new year had dawned, but winter's harsh bite had reached its peak.
Twelve wyverns soared through the pale blue winter sky.
The black wyverns, symbols of the Bazran Empire's imperial family, flew eastward at tremendous speed, as if chased by some urgent matter.
Sruk, sruruk.
Then, the smallest among the flying black wyverns fell behind, seemingly exhausted, and the others slowed down in unison to match its pace.
But at some point, the lead wyvern spotted a lake and attempted to land.
Flarp, flarararp.
As the lead wyvern landed, the rest followed in orderly fashion.
Click.
A female Sky Knight dismounted first from the wyvern that had landed, unfastening her safety harness.
Chajajak.
Five remained on alert for possible attacks, while the others hurriedly dismounted onto the ground.
Chrrrrrr.
The woman removed her helmet.
In that instant, her long golden hair fluttered in the wind, shimmering with a deep luster.
"Razsion!"
"S-Sis...!"
The boy descending from the small wyvern jumped in shock at the cold summons.
"Abandon Datero."
"No way! Datero is the wyvern Father Emperor personally chose for me!"
Razsion, the boy who usually obeyed his sister without question.
Born a prince of the mighty Bazran Empire, envied by all, yet here he was fleeing—not quite fleeing—in midwinter.
"You're not a child anymore. You're the superior officer responsible for these Sky Knights. If they get hurt because of your stubbornness, how do you plan to take responsibility?"
His sister, Princess Isis, drilled the harsh reality into her still-young brother.
Two days prior, an abrupt imperial edict had come down.
With Duke Garviti's aid, they had escaped the imperial palace.
'Father Emperor, what should we do now...'
She had suspected it.
That as she and her prince brother fled the empire like this, their beloved father might have already crossed the river of death, never to be seen again.
"I'm sorry, Sis. But I can't abandon Datero. If he's a burden... then abandon me instead."
Young though he was, he carried the blood of the empire's emperor—a fledgling lion.
Resolved, he offered to be abandoned along with his wyvern.
"We were just taking a short rest. Please stay secured, Your Highnesses."
Countess Irene, who had removed her helmet and neatly tied back her fairy-like silver hair.
She bowed with knightly courtesy, putting an end to the argument.
'The mood is suspicious. We need to get out of here as fast as possible.'
On the day of departure and the next, the Sky Knights of the territories they passed had shown respect upon sighting the black wyverns.
But today, the wyverns on patrol from several territories they encountered.
They approached without salute and assumed attack formation.
It wasn't just one or two territories.
The Sky Knights from the territories they passed all showed hostility.
'Two more days ahead... that's the problem.'
Irene didn't know everything, but she could guess.
The imperial edict ordering her to secretly escort the prince and princess to Neruman.
Neruman was the most remote place in the empire, where imperial authority barely reached, yet moving the imperial family there meant political exile.
'He gives his all for us. As a knight, there's no greater honor than fulfilling my liege's command and dying in the process.'
Emperor Habitron, who had elevated her from an obscure family to countess.
Dying for such an emperor wasn't a bad thought.
But this command—to ensure the prince and princess's exile, even in death.
The empire's lords and Sky Knights who would soon turn hostile were trouble enough, but the prince's wyvern was an even bigger issue.
Black wyverns excelled in endurance and speed with their superior frames and musculature compared to ordinary ones.
Yet the prince's wyvern, not yet fully grown, matched only the mobility and speed of a standard wyvern.
Discarding it as Princess Isis said was wisest, but she understood the prince's attachment—seeing it as the last tie left by his father emperor.
Just days ago, the prince had been attended by dozens of maids and guarded by sturdy imperial knights.
Now, overnight, he was an orphan in all but name.
"Countess! Take off immediately. Dozens of wyverns approach from the south in attack formation!"
Flarp, flarp, flararararp.
A vigilant Sky Knight took to the air first, issuing the warning.
Commoners selected for talent, not noble birth.
Irene set out on the flight with these trustworthy knights.
"Your Highness, give Datero some holy water. It will restore his fatigue, if only for a while."
"Thank you, Lady Irene."
Razsion expressed his gratitude for Irene's kind words even in danger.
He hurriedly pulled holy water from the bag strapped to his wyvern and fed it to his mount.
"Haa..."
Princess Isis sighed, recalling her father's words, which had felt like a last testament.
She had prepared for this, but facing it left her feeling lost.
No longer under the mighty empire's protection—they were now the hunted.
It was heartbreaking.
'Kayer...'
But there was some comfort: a place to go.
The reliable figure of Count Kayer, who had told her to come anytime if in danger.
Thinking of Count Kayer gave Princess Isis renewed strength.
It was too unjust to stop here.
The imperial subjects of Bazran who would soon suffer under the tyrannical new emperor.
She bore the duty to protect them.
No matter what anyone said, she and Razsion were the emperor's son and daughter—rightful heirs to the throne of Greater Bazran.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
"The emperor is dead?"
"It seems so. We must trust a special dispatch from the capital via the Rubis Merchant Guild."
"Hmm..."
Jamer, the chief steward, had been considerate.
Lumicar had flown from the imperial capital to Neruman.
When he had visited Neruman before, Jamer had imprinted locations on several Lumicars.
'Big trouble's brewing.'
For Neruman's sake, a friendly emperor alive was helpful.
He shared a history of bad blood with the next emperor-to-be, Poltviran.
He could guess how that man would treat Neruman once emperor.
"Any other information?"
"The capital is suspicious. Suddenly, a large force of imperial Sky Knights flew east, and they're arresting certain nobles, it says."
What an impatient bastard.
From what I knew, even without the emperor dead, the crown prince had support no one could touch.
Yet he was starting purges before the funeral was even over.
'Sky Knights moving east, huh.'
The most important bit in the intel.
It connected to the ill omen I'd felt that morning.
"My lord! A Lumicar from the capital!"
While lost in thought, a knight's voice came from outside the office.
"Come in."
Creak.
"Loyalty!"
The knight entered, saluted, and handed over a small golden scroll.
"Count Kayer de Neruman is strongly commanded to refuse asylum to any potential traitors. Violation will be punished as treason against imperial decree and rebellion. Emperor Poltviran von Bazran of Greater Bazran..."
"Hmm..."
As I unfurled the scroll, Derbal's face grew grave.
'With the imperial seal, Poltviran is already wielding power.'
Normally, after an emperor's death, the empress handled affairs until the coronation.
But the crown prince's mother was an imperial consort, not empress.
He must have schemed with Duke Omer to sideline her and seize power early.
"My lord, 'potential traitors' means..."
"Precious guests are coming."
"Pardon?"
"What are you doing? Prepare rooms for guests, and since the emperor threatens to punish Neruman for treason and rebellion, ready defenses too."
"As you command!"
I had already announced it in the new year's plans.
Derbal shouted the orders, seemingly guessing our esteemed guests' identities.
'When guests arrive, it's polite to greet them.'
I had promised the little prince and Isis.
To come anytime.
Now was the time to keep that promise.
And to repay the emperor's grace.
The frail emperor's whispered plea when granting my countship: "Take care of them."
I had to honor that request.
He was the first emperor I'd ever sworn loyalty to in my life...
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Piiing! Pibibing!
"Shield!"
Pop!
Tiding!
Black wyverns, symbols of the imperial family that no one in the Bazran Empire dared touch lightly.
They were under attack.
Sky Knights mercilessly hurled spears at the squadron of black wyverns flying desperately alongside their kin.
The wyverns' lower abdomens bore flags of various territories fluttering in the wind.
Their attackers numbered over sixty.
They toyed with the encirclement, darting ahead of the black wyverns straining to escape and launching spears.
'Ah...!'
Princess Isis barely escaped crisis once her shield defense magic activated.
Combat was new to her.
She could ride wyverns but had never joined a battle.
The afterimage of a blast spear grazing past her.
On the boundary of life and death, Isis felt a strange calm.
'Even if I die, I must save Razsion no matter what.'
Razsion, son of her beloved father and mother.
She was consumed by the thought of getting the empire's second-in-line heir to Neruman.
Pububuk!
Kiyaaaaak!
'Ugh...'
To her right, a spear embedded in the wyvern protecting her, protruding grotesquely.
The wyvern's agonized scream tore the heavens.
But the group couldn't stop.
Hesitating here meant death for all.
The attackers offered no surrender terms.
Despite the golden imperial flag marking royalty aboard, they attacked outright.
They had orders.
To shoot down every wyvern heading to Neruman—filthy orders.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
'Damn, I love being bold.'
To greet our guests, I left Denfos and crossed the Rual Mountains.
Nobles' custom forbade crossing territories without permission.
But I did.
No—I tossed the treason decree to the dogs and boldly crossed the Rual Mountains.
Kyoooooo!
Kuaaaaa!
Accompanied by the five eagle brothers, beastkin guardians of Neruman.
'Whoever's coming won't know who, but they'll take the fastest route.'
The clueless might dawdle through noble welcomes, but those valuing life would fly straight for the capital or Denfos.
I flew trusting my calculations.
Scanning the entire vast Rual range mid-flight was impossible; this was the rational choice.
'If word reached Neruman, other territories are irrelevant. That cowardly punk ordered their deaths.'
Poltviran—vile, sneaky, with a sewer-rat personality.
He'd never let the little prince and Isis live as potential rivals.
Whiiiiiing!
'The dice are cast!'
I'd just crossed the last ridge of the Rual Mountains dividing Neruman from imperial lands.
Now, official empire territory.
All or nothing.
The moment that bastard became emperor, I planned to throw down anyway—dirty and sneaky as he was.
'Hang on, kid. Big bro's coming!'
The little prince who'd even gotten a spanking from me.
Pitiful, now an orphan without father, home, or temple.
"Bebeto, fly faster! I told you not to overdo it yesterday! Whack!"
Pububuk.
Despite our insane speed, I berated Bebeto.
Word was, before dawn today, he'd spent a scorching night of flesh and bone in the hangar with a female wyvern.
His master pulled an all-nighter, yet the ungrateful beast.
Kuo oooooo oooo oooo!
Ignoring my kicks, Bebeto roared powerfully and beat his wings.
His tiny brain was probably filled only with tonight's delightful date.