Chapter 194
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 194
The guards atop the wall stirred at Lucian’s shout.
He came because he was invited? With an army of that size?
Had the method of declaring war changed into the form of an "invitation"?
After a moment of hesitation, a guard looked down at Lucian and shouted back.
“I will go check! Please wait a moment!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the guard ran inside. It seemed he didn't feel qualified to make the call and was looking for the person in charge.
After a short wait, the sound of metal grinding against metal echoed as the castle gate began to open.
Rumble—
“…I thought only the walls were strange, but the gate is out of its mind too.”
Hugo clicked his tongue as he watched the gate slowly open.
Setting aside the fact that it was made of solid metal, the thickness was absurd. It was thicker than the length of an average sword; it was doubtful whether a blade could even pierce all the way through.
Thud—
“Welcome, Your Highness! I am Emil Ruit, Captain of the Guard for Belfort Castle!”
Once the gate was fully open and locked into place with a heavy thud, a middle-aged knight with a cheerful expression greeted Lucian.
Although he did not use the title ‘King,’ Lucian did not find fault with it as he usually did. There was no need to quibble over titles now that they had come this far.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Emil. I have come in response to the Marquis’s invitation. May we pass through the castle?”
“Of course. I have already received word from His Grace the Marquis. I will guide you to the north gate, so you may proceed that way.”
“Thank you.”
Lucian responded to the compliant Emil with a smile, but unlike his words, his eyes were filled with suspicion.
They had arrived at a completely unexpected time, yet the man was so composed. It was obvious he had been tipped off by the Marquis and had prepared a countermeasure.
‘I wonder what kind of trick they’re trying to pull this time.’
“Now, please follow me!”
Captain Emil ignored Lucian’s suspicious gaze and headed toward the north gate.
However, before they could even reach it, a soldier came running toward Emil in a hurry.
“Sir, we have a problem!”
“What is it?”
“There’s a problem with the north gate!”
“A problem?”
Emil tilted his head as if he had no idea what was going on. Lucian watched the clumsy performance and suppressed a bitter smile.
‘He doesn’t look surprised at all for someone hearing about a "problem."’
He was likely acting according to a pre-written script. The acting was so abysmal that it was painfully obvious, but at this point, Lucian felt more curiosity than irritation.
What kind of scheme had a knight prepared that required such pathetic acting?
As if answering Lucian’s silent question, the soldier shouted at the top of his lungs.
“The gate mechanism for the north gate is broken!”
“Hah, it’s well and truly broken.”
Lucian, who had followed Emil to the north gate, clicked his tongue.
The mechanical device designed to open the thick castle gate was smashed as if someone had intentionally destroyed it. Looking closely at the mechanism, each part was so intricate that they would have to be specially ordered from a master blacksmith.
“Can this be fixed?”
“It’s impossible to do so immediately. We need to request a blacksmith from the main house to identify the cause of the failure, manufacture new parts, and then replace them.”
“It sounds like that would take over a month at the very least.”
“I am deeply sorry.”
Emil didn't deny Lucian’s words and simply bowed his head slightly. Lucian marveled at the man’s attitude, which held not a shred of actual apology. It seemed he wasn't even trying to hide his intention to stall them anymore.
“Since the gate is like this, what happens to our supplies?”
“We’ll have to lower ropes from above and pull them up. It will be a bit of a struggle, but fortunately, since the castle’s defensive force is small, it won't take too long.”
“Is there food for us?”
“I am truly sorry, but…”
“So you’re telling us to turn back.”
“I will try to have it repaired as quickly as possible.”
As quickly as possible, my foot.
It was glaringly obvious that they intended to drag their feet and make them wait until they had gathered all their forces.
As Lucian clicked his tongue, Felicia, who had been standing behind him, stepped forward.
“Shall I cut it down?”
“…!?”
At the completely unexpected suggestion, Emil’s expression turned aghast. She was going to cut through a gate thicker than the length of a sword?
“You must be joking. You’ll only ruin your blade, so I suggest you stop.”
“I see it’s not a drawbridge that lowers to form a path. If the gate is cleared, we can pass easily. Just give the word, and I will cut it down immediately.”
Felicia ignored Emil and drew her sword. Startled by her sudden action, Emil reflexively reached for his waist.
“What do you think you’re—!?”
Vrooooom—
Emil’s protest died in the air, unfinished. The mana erupting from Felicia’s sword had silenced everyone.
The blade of energy, of a length never seen before, looked ready to cleave not just the gate but the entire wall.
Just as Felicia was about to flick her wrist and split the gate, Lucian spoke.
“No, that’s enough.”
With that single sentence, the surging mana vanished like a snuffed candle. While the others stood dazed, still reeling from the shock, Lucian spoke again.
“I’ll do it myself.”
‘…Is he insane?’
Emil, finally regaining his senses, stared at Lucian standing before the gate with an expression of utter disbelief. His gaze bordered on insulting, but no one reprimanded him.
Except for a very few, everyone else was thinking the same thing.
‘What? He’ll do it himself? Does he think he’s a Sword Saint?’
‘If you’re going to bluff, at least look at the situation first.’
‘How does he plan to handle the embarrassment when he fails?’
Though the funeral of the former Sword Saint Eisen had not been long ago, Felicia’s reputation was already legendary.
The Successor of Eisen, the Undefeated Heroine, the Youngest Sword Saint, the Knight Executioner, the Beheader, and so on. Her radical actions since the subjugation of the House of Calix had earned her numerous nicknames.
Therefore, when Felicia displayed her overwhelming power, people were surprised but quickly accepted it. It wasn't strange for someone carrying the title of Sword Saint to be that strong.
But Lucian stepping up to show the same kind of martial prowess was a different matter entirely.
‘Was His Highness the King as strong as Sir Felicia?’
‘No. He was on par with Viscount Harald, known as the Wolf Slayer.’
‘And how strong is Viscount Harald?’
‘Not strong enough to do anything to that gate in a million years.’
‘Oh boy, this is a headache.’
The knights and soldiers Lucian had brought were equally troubled. If an enemy made a fool of themselves, they could at least laugh, but what were they supposed to do if their own lord did?
They wanted to tell him to stop immediately, but Lucian showed no sign of hesitating.
After staring at the gate for a moment, Lucian turned to Emil.
“Does this gate open inward?”
“…That is correct.”
“Then will it break if I push it outward?”
“Presumably. I’ve never seen it pushed outward, so I wouldn't know if it breaks.”
“Since things have turned out this way, let’s take this opportunity to find out.”
Despite Emil’s sarcasm, Lucian quietly placed both hands on the gate. Then, taking a step forward, he pushed.
Creeeeeak—
“…?”
People tilted their heads at the sound of metal distorting. What was that noise?
While the soldiers were confused, Lucian continued to move forward. His steps were as light as if he were taking a stroll, but the resulting phenomenon was terrifying.
Grind, screech—
“Wh-what?”
“The gate is opening?!”
“No! The gate is being ripped off!”
As one of the soldiers muttered in a daze, someone next to him corrected him.
How could a gate designed to open inward open properly when pushed outward? The gate was being torn from its hinges, shattering the locking bolts, and soon it crashed to the ground with a thunderous thud.
The soldiers’ eyes bulged at the impossible sight. He hadn't cut it with a sword technique; he had ripped the gate off with sheer physical strength.
Was this truly possible for a human body?
“Tsk, this will get in the way of the march.”
In the heavy silence, Lucian muttered as he looked at the fallen gate. Since the gate was so thick, the soldiers would have to go around it one by one if it were left in the middle of the road.
After a moment of thought, Lucian raised his foot and kicked the torn-off gate panels one after another.
BOOM—
With a roar that shook the entire castle, the gate panels flew off in different directions. It was an impact as if a giant had struck them from the side with a hammer.
Having cleared the gate from the path with two kicks, Lucian smiled at the shell-shocked Emil.
“Well, now we won't have to wait a month. Isn't that right?”
“He failed again…?”
Marquis Bernhardt received the messenger’s report with a hollow face. He was so flabbergasted he was at a loss for words.
They had physically destroyed the gate mechanism; by what means had he gotten through? Even the Marquis himself would have had no choice but to wait until it was fixed.
“What miracle did that bastard perform this time? Did the mage accompanying him turn back time? Or did someone magically fix it in a single day?”
“I-it would be faster for you to read Sir Emil’s report than for me to explain, my lord.”
At Marquis Bernhardt’s irritated voice, the messenger spoke with a terrified expression. The Marquis sighed and snatched the report from the messenger’s hand.
“Fine, Sir Emil, who let him through so easily, would know better than anyone. Let’s see what kind of excuse he’s made…”
Grumbling, the Marquis opened the report and froze the moment he read the first sentence.
—The Duke ripped the gate off outward.
The Marquis rubbed his eyes, thinking he had misread it. However, the content of the first sentence did not change no matter how many times he re-read it. Even the second sentence supported the first.
—I know this sounds absurd. But it is the truth. The Duke ripped the gate off with his bare hands. He even kicked the torn-off gate away.
“Has Sir Emil lost his mind? What kind of nonsense is this?!”
Marquis Bernhardt crumpled the report mid-read. It was fine to make excuses, but they had to at least be plausible.
What? He ripped the gate off and then kicked it away?
“Bring Emil Ruit here at once! I must punish him for attempting to mock his lord to cover his own failures!”
“M-my lord! Everything written in that report is the truth!”
“You…!”
“I saw it with my own eyes! The Duke truly pushed the gate of Belfort Castle until it was torn off and then kicked it away right in front of me! I swear it!”
Marquis Bernhardt’s eyebrows quivered at the messenger’s desperate cry. He began to suspect that they had all conspired to play a joke on him.
However, the messenger beat his chest as if he were being wronged and said, “If you doubt me, please send someone else to Belfort Castle to check! The gate the Duke ripped off and kicked away is still there! Even the Duke’s footprints on the ground and his handprints on the gate remain vivid!”
“…!?”