Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Spring of Karognar
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Drag out the lord.
Rex knew full well the weight of those words.
But he could no longer stand by and watch the count's tyranny.
No more of the people who had put their faith in him could be sacrificed.
Under that principle, Rex explained the operation to the knights.
"No innocents should suffer."
Even as they marched on the capital, no fighting could break out in the outer city where ordinary people lived.
The battle had to be confined solely to the lord's mansion and the inner citadel.
To achieve that, this Honor Guard of roughly a thousand men needed to infiltrate undetected at least as far as the inner citadel.
"Is that possible?"
At Rex's question, the knights nodded without hesitation.
With the plan thus decided, three more days passed.
The location had shifted to the capital where the lord resided.
On a night when the people slumbered deeply,
the guards at the walls of the inner citadel, divided into east, west, south, and north, yawned to chase away their sleepiness.
An ordinary, boring night just like any other.
That silence shattered in an instant as a group of mysterious figures approached the walls.
"Who goes there!"
A soldier guarding the eastern wall leveled his spear at the approaching group.
"Halt right now!"
Despite the soldier's warning, the group's advance showed no sign of stopping.
In the end, the soldier urgently shouted toward his comrade resting inside the guard post.
"Alert headquarters! Intruders!"
But there was no response from his comrade.
"What are you doing? Contact them now!"
No matter how desperately the guard shouted, no reply came.
Only then did the guard realize something was wrong and step into the post.
The guard burst frantically into the post.
Fortunately—or so it seemed—his comrade was there, perfectly fine.
Thinking his comrade was asleep, the guard shook his shoulder to wake him.
"Hostiles ahead! Contact headquarters now!"
Smack, smack.
"What?"
But his comrade merely smacked his lips, uttering no sound.
Only after realizing his own voice wasn't carrying did the guard's face drain of color.
"My voice...!"
"Communication and dialogue are humanity's only path out of the caves."
As if responding to the guard's mutter, the figure he'd thought was far away spoke from right behind him.
The guard's neck twisted with a creak.
When he turned, a dark elf man met his eyes and flashed a smile.
"It's admirable to fulfill a soldier's duty, but sadly, the ruler you serve is no philosopher. To preserve your worth... Ah, no time for explanations.
The dark elf—First Company Commander Hedonius—wiped the smile from his face.
"Lower your spear. Our liege desires no unnecessary bloodshed."
As if agreeing with the dark elf, knights behind him drew their swords with a menacing aura.
The guards, faces pale as sheets, barely managed a nod.
And so, the First Company passed the guards without a sound.
The sight of countless knights moving in unison without even the clink of armor was downright eerie.
Leading the group, Hedonius muttered.
"Under a lord who sells his own worth so cheaply, true loyalty unto death is impossible."
The knights following him nodded in agreement.
Eastern wall secured.
Something similar unfolded at the western gate.
Except the one who came to the western gate was a bit less cordial than the First Company Commander.
Thud.
Pale-faced guards collapsed at the entrance.
Anyone who had ever shed blood would recognize the symptoms as anemia.
From amid the soldiers who had collectively fainted from anemia emerged a middle-aged man with a plump, upturned mustache.
"You're fortunate. Trials that don't kill are rare opportunities. I hope you grow from this."
The man—Second Company Commander Jinaria—placed red flowers atop the fallen soldiers and passed them by.
As the flowers melted over the soldiers, color returned to their faces.
Having passed the entrance, the company commander unfurled his red cape.
Whoosh.
Where the cape's shadow passed, countless knights appeared.
Leading the knights with gleaming red eyes, Second Company Commander Jinaria bared his fangs.
"Now, it's time to drag down those who parade their lazy morals."
Western wall secured.
While the east and west were being assaulted, the northern wall had been taken faster than any other.
However, the one who came there was far more merciless by comparison.
There was no dialogue or parley.
Passing the literally frozen guards, the Third Company Commander exhaled cold air.
"Didn't kill them. Didn't kill them."
Third Company Commander Remesis patted the shoulder of the guard-ice-statue, assuring himself they'd thaw by morning.
"You'll catch a cold, but that's better than dying."
He shoved the ice statues aside and boldly entered with his company.
Then, a scarred man who seemed to be his adjutant asked Remesis.
"No attempts at persuasion or surrender demands?"
"And what would that change?"
"Fair point. No argument there."
Remesis grunted curtly, twisted his lips, and quickened his pace.
"Tch, cigarette's frozen."
He shattered the iced cigarette and lit a new one.
Northern gate secured.
Until the three gates were... no, infiltrated, the southern gate remained peaceful.
But once the other three had been quietly taken, guests arrived at the south.
Thud, thud.
One knight, one maid.
And one ordinary boy(?).
The trio headed straight for the southern gate.
The guards weren't lax enough to ignore them approaching the entrance past curfew.
"Contact headquarters!"
"No response!"
"What?"
As the guards exchanged words, a greatsword hovered over one man's throat.
Duke spoke from behind the frozen guard.
"I won't kill you. You never saw us tonight. Understood?"
The guards nodded in unison.
But one with a lingering sense of justice drew his spear on Duke.
Duke sighed at the determination to fulfill his duty, win or lose.
"Loyalty is a virtue, but blind devotion to a foolish lord is a mistake."
No sooner had he spoken than strange noises emanated from the dutiful soldier's throat.
Gulp, glurk.
Soon, the soldier collapsed.
As if making excuses to Rex, Duke addressed the other guards.
"Tend to him. And when he wakes, ask what kind of lord he'll serve."
Southern gate secured.
It was supposed to start with infiltration.
But somehow, each company had assaulted the walls instead, per Rex's orders.
They insisted it counted as infiltration since they hadn't been caught.
Obviously, no need to wonder where they'd learned this approach.
"Just advice, like I gave Ari."
As a result, compared to before disbanding at the lab, each company commander and knight had risen one hierarchy.
Though whether that was the price, their mental states seemed a bit unhinged.
This trait newly added to most knights Rex examined was proof.
Rex sighed and issued the next orders.
After sending the message, Rex headed for the mansion.
As they made their way, reports came in that each company had been detected.
But Rex had anticipated as much.
It would be odd to cross the residential district of the inner citadel—home to hundreds of the lord's close aides and vassals—without being spotted.
They had planned for open combat after entering the inner citadel anyway.
The company commanders sent brief messages and engaged.
Rex continued toward the mansion without pause, issuing real-time directives.
Boom! Crash! Flash!
Ice pillars erupted, lightning struck, and crimson trees bloomed throughout the inner citadel.
Thanks to the companies' flashy distractions, Rex's group reached the street facing the mansion's main gate without interference.
But Rex's smooth advance ended there.
Groaning at the woman guarding the gate, Rex muttered.
"Lady Sneria..."
Under the moonlight, a woman with snow-white skin bowed her head.
"Sorry. It's a contract between lords."
"That lord won't honor his contract with you."
"I know. No reason to show loyalty to someone doomed to fall. But in our domain, trust is our weapon. Lose credit here, and what will other lords think of us?"
She snapped her fingers lightly.
A black breastplate layered over her black uniform.
She tapped the ground lightly with her toe, and a black scythe rose from below.
"This is my duty as a lord. No personal feelings. You know the weight of responsibility."
Rex, unable to argue, steeled himself and ordered Ari.
"Ari. I leave it to you."
"Yes, my lord."
Not wanting to reveal his joker card, Duke, to the lord yet, Rex sent Ari first.
'Sorry, Lady Sneria, but...'
Besides, Sneria was a step weaker than other lords.
Against her at level 49, Ari should suffice.
Duke, arms crossed beside Rex, nodded silently in approval.
"Here I go."
Ari charged at Hana, resolve firm.
Hana stood guarding the gate, unmoving.
The moment Hana entered Ari's range,
'Possession!'
Emitting the White Tiger's intimidation, she accelerated further.
A feint Duke had taught her to fool the senses.
But Hana didn't budge until Ari's fist connected.
Her head exploded under the blow—but shadows leaked out instead of blood and brains. Ari realized her recklessness.
"Damn—"
The shadow that had formed Hana's body turned serpentine, binding Ari.
Hana emerged from Ari's shadow, binding her with it.
"Sharp strike for early fourth hierarchy. But you lack magical comprehension."
As Hana noted, magic understanding was Ari's weakness.
Normally, she'd compensate for it.
But Ari didn't.
"Grrr..."
"Hm?"
"Raaagh!!!"
With a mighty shout, Ari tore free of the shadow bonds.
Hana showed surprise for the first time.
"Tough one."
"I—! Can't lose here!"
"Neither can I."
Hana dissolved into shadow again, slipping under Ari's feet.
"Not today!"
Ari stomped hard, spiderweb cracks racing across the ground.
But Hana was gone.
"Careless. Brutish."
Hana emerged from the wall's shadow, swinging her scythe.
Ari ducked, but the scythe whipped into a lash, coiling her leg.
"Cool your head."
Binding Ari's ankle, Hana launched her into the air.
Using the shadow whip as a path, she zipped behind and,
Crack!
Delivered a roundhouse kick incongruous with her delicate features, slamming Ari down.
Ari emerged coughing from the dust and debris.
"Hmph. That didn't hurt at all."
Ari taunted Hana, who had turned her back as if the match were decided.
But Hana ignored her.
Outraged, Ari dropped formality.
"Where do you think you're—"
But she froze mid-sentence, realizing her location.
"Wha—??"
Indeed, the attack had smashed through the wall into the lord's mansion—unscathed, unbelievably, after a fourth-hierarchy strike.
And despite breaching the gate, Hana stared past Ari at Duke.
Ari caught on.
"Thank... you?"
Hana didn't reply.
Then Duke signaled Rex.
"Go, my liege. I'll handle this."
Leaving the lord to Ari, Duke would face Hana.
After brief hesitation, Rex nodded and dashed to Ari's side.
Hana ignored Rex passing her, eyes on Duke alone.
Once they were gone, Duke fell into reminiscence.
'Just like the original.'
In the original, Hana had let Ari through this way too.
Pretending to lose her in the chaos.
She did it because fulfilling a contract to the best of ability but failing was worlds apart from not trying.
But in this world, one difference: himself intervening in the tale.
"Catching both rabbits. Clever."
"You saw through it."
"When conviction, not mere fighting spirit, gleams in your eyes, how could I not?"
Though he had no ability to read souls through eyes.
Ignoring his nagging conscience, Duke focused on the Shadow Queen before him.
A better story had dawned in this timeline.
"Out of respect for your honor, I'll remain here."
Wouldn't "Duke forced me to let Ari go" sound more plausible than "I let her slip away"?
Hana, grasping his courtesy, began to bow.
"Thank you for your constant consideration."
Duke stopped her.
"No ears to hear, but many eyes watching. Don't bow."
His senses caught distant observers.
'Spies from other domains, probably.'
They couldn't catch sound, but they were witnessing the fight.
At his words, Hana straightened and raised her weapon.
"I'm incurring too much debt."
"Pay it back later."
He should say repay his liege Rex, but couldn't even empty the words.
Self-mocking as a jealous human, Duke shed his cape—and in that blind instant, drew his greatsword.
"Show your full power from the start. I'll match it."
In response, she stomped.
Shadows stretched from her feet, encircling Duke.
"Here I come."
Countless figures rose from her shadow.
All her vassals.
Shadow Queen.
Thus her moniker.
Her solo prowess was impressive, but the true value lay in synergy.
Knights and vassals sharing her shadow magic could link via each other's shadows anytime.
Thus linked, her hierarchy barely reached mid-fifth.
'I'd love to take one hit for show.'
But knowing yielding easily would insult them, Duke
"Impressive."
Praised her and mirrored her stomp.
Rumble!
One leap's shockwave swept the vassals aside.
It didn't end there.
Encircling shadows dispersed; nearby buildings crumbled.
With walls gone, her shadows could only stretch across the ground.
Duke, having wrought this with one step, eyed the surrounding vassals and Hana.
"To avoid misunderstanding, once more: come at me with everything."
The vassals, thinking it mere theater, wiped cold sweat and gripped their weapons tighter.