Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Disaster (1)
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Grumble-creak—
A massive fireplace shifted with a dull rumble.
"Oh no! The noise...! Hide!"
Inside the secret passage behind the fireplace.
Lian and Pablo pressed themselves flat against the wall, holding their breath.
If someone had heard that, their infiltration would be busted right from the start.
But fortunately, there were no signs of life nearby.
"Relax, Pablo. This room must have been abandoned for a long time. No one's coming here."
Moonlight seeped through the frayed, gap-riddled shutters, faintly illuminating the room.
All the furniture inside was shrouded in white cloths and thick cobwebs.
"Phew! That sudden bang gave me a real scare."
"Luckily, no footsteps in the hallway either."
The two men and one chicken cautiously stepped out into the corridor.
It wasn't just the room that had been neglected—the hallway was the same.
The torch holders on the dim corridor walls were clogged with spiderwebs instead of flames.
"Is this really the Lord's castle? Feels like we wandered into some ruins."
"No, we're in the right place."
Lian peered outside through a window draped like a curtain with spiderwebs.
Not far off, he could see their target: the castle tower.
"This section's just been abandoned for now. Honestly, Madella Castle is pretty huge for a lord's residence, right?"
Cluck-cluck—
The chicken bobbed its head emphatically, agreeing with Lian.
It must have once been grand enough for a king, but now downgraded to a lord's seat, it was probably too much to maintain financially or with manpower.
"Urgh...! I thought this was the perfect chance to show off my specialty. Kinda takes the wind out of my sails..."
"Don't let your guard down anyway. From here on, no more noise. Got it?"
"Aye. You remember all the hand signals I taught you?"
Lian immediately replied with the affirmative signal Pablo had taught him.
"Knew you'd nail it."
Lian always picked up anything perfectly on the first try.
Pablo grinned, pleased, and double-checked the mask covering his face.
What they were about to do was serious criminal activity.
Not even a shadow of a hair could be spotted.
'Light ahead.'
'Clear.'
After navigating the dark, silent corridors and stairs for a while.
They finally reached an area with artificial light.
That meant patrols inside the castle from here on.
Sure enough, a shadow stretched long from the brightly lit corridor ahead.
"See? Those kingdom troops ain't nothin'. Struck out completely today and got chewed out big time."
"Yeah. The Lord's something else. Instead of bulking them up, pay more attention to us. When the hell are we getting reinforcements?"
"Tch. Can't be helped 'cause of the law."
"Nah. Ever since Commander Leon showed up, it's double shifts with no days off. This right? Honestly, is there even anything worth guarding in this hallway?"
Lian and Pablo crouched in the shadows, waiting for the soldiers to pass.
The guards stuck faithfully to the torchlight's edge like it was a rail.
They didn't bother checking areas beyond the flames' reach.
Soon, the chatting voices faded around the corner.
'I'll demonstrate first.'
Pablo signaled with hand signs and lip movements, then darted silently from the shadows into the light.
He walked on tiptoe, heels raised, barely grazing the floor.
Not even his clothes rustled as he crossed the hall swiftly.
'See that...? Huh?'
But when he turned, Lian was gone from where he should have been.
He was already hidden in the shadow of a nearby pillar, meeting Pablo's gaze.
No presence at all—he'd followed without a sound.
'When did he...?'
'What? I just did exactly like your demo.'
'But nailing it that fast makes me look bad...'
'Better than getting sloppy and caught.'
'Your eyes are sharp as ever.'
Pablo chuckled awkwardly and quietly gave a thumbs-up.
Yeah...
Maybe he didn't need to show him at all?
* * *
At the base of the castle tower stairs leading to the hidden rock wall and secret garden.
The guarding soldiers yawned lazily, fighting off sleep.
To the clueless, it was just an ordinary corner.
The guards had no idea what they were protecting, so zero tension.
"Yawwwn."
"Whoa, careful or you'll split your face."
"I'm dying of boredom. Hey, how long till shift change?"
"Couple hours at least."
"Damn it."
The soldier leaned on his spear like a cane, hunching over.
"Hey, what're you doing? Planning to sleep standing up? Eyes open!"
"Man, I just wanna nap for five minutes like this..."
Daily double shifts had piled up fatigue, weighing down his eyelids.
Then, as if dozing on his feet, he started seeing weird hallucinations.
A chicken wandering the castle hallway? In this world?
Cluck-cluck-cluck—
"What the? A chicken?"
"Huh...? You dozing off too?"
"Quit hallucinating, man. Chase it off."
But it wasn't a hallucination.
A real chicken pecked at the floor, strolling down the hall.
"Hey, you little intruder! Where'd a chicken sneak in from? Shoo!"
The soldier who'd nearly dozed off against his spear went to catch the trespassing bird.
Swish—thunk!
Suddenly, a dull thud came from behind him.
"Huh? Hey, what was that ju—"
As he turned to check.
Wham!
His vision went black.
Now Lian and Pablo stood at the stairs, holding the two unconscious guards.
"Nice teamwork, huh? No joke, you've got a real talent for this."
Unlike Pablo, who'd done this plenty in his military days, it was Lian's first time.
Yet flawless, as always.
"Nah, correction. You're just talented at everything."
Pablo recalled when Lian first learned the sword.
Pedro, the estate guard captain, thought Lian was hiding his skill to fool him.
But seeing this, it was just Lian's absurd learning ability.
"Hide these guys in that corner over there."
"Aye. Just in case, I'll disguise as one and stand guard. Patrol might come by."
Pablo stashed the guards inside the stairwell and swapped clothes.
Unlike Lian, whose striking looks made disguise tough, Pablo fit perfectly as generic Guard A.
"If something happens, don't worry about me—run. We can't afford either of us caught."
"Got it. You too, wizard—stick near me and yell if trouble hits."
Cluck—
Now it was time for Lian to go alone.
Just sprinkle the potion on the tree, and done—wish it were that easy, but no.
Delico Matron being helpless alone was just Leon's assumption.
"Be careful."
"I'll be back."
Lian ascended the pitch-dark stairs alone.
Having seen it once, he easily opened the secret passage and slipped through the rock crevice.
Moonlight filtered through the cracked rock fissure.
Flowers absorbing the glow shimmered faintly, swaying gently in the breeze.
Compared to daytime, the garden felt more enchanted at night.
Kihihihi—
Gyahahaha—
No, the spirits' whispers were far more ominous than during the day.
"So you came back. Isabel's dog."
As if she'd been waiting, Delico Matron's eyes in the knothole glared wide.
"You met that freak, huh? Brought something dangerous."
"Learned my lesson: can't leave loose ends to others. Time to tie this up properly."
Lian patted the vial in his pocket.
No way she saw it.
But as the mage said, Delico Matron's senses had changed.
"So, no plans to go down quietly?"
"That's what I want to say."
"...!"
Lian kicked off the ground, rolling sideways.
A chilling spirit shriek erupted from underfoot.
Kraka-crack—
Thorned vines burst from the earth.
"Knew it! 'Helpless tree' my ass!"
He dodged safely, but the vines still hissed dangerously.
Lian drew his sword and slashed back.
Shing—crack!
The severed vine swelled like it might burst, then crumbled harmlessly.
"Nighttime's got you more lively than day. Night mode or something?"
"Annoying pest. Saw through it again..."
A thorn bomb timed for his relief after dodging.
Yet he countered perfectly again.
"You don't mean...?"
The knothole eyes scanned around Lian rapidly.
As if something was there.
Lian followed her gaze—nothing visible to him.
"No way!"
Another warning rumble from the ground.
This time from both sides.
Kraka-crack! Crack!
Failed ambush? Now overwhelming numbers—Delico Matron unleashed vines nonstop.
But Lian read them ahead, inching closer.
"Hm?"
Then he noticed her leaves withering from the tips.
Squeezing her life force for a desperate struggle.
'Huh? Drag it out, and she might self-destruct?'
Lian quickly calculated options.
Need to rush in and splash the potion?
Stalling risked variables.
"So that's it. How you pierced my magic... makes sense now."
Crack-rustle—
Bark split, deepening her wrinkles.
Her gaze shifted from suspicion to certainty.
"Don't interfere!"
Kyaaaaah—!
Blooms screamed in unison, eerie.
"Urgh...!"
Lian clutched his ears, nausea hitting hard.
But the shrieks pierced eardrums anyway.
Then, ominous movement underfoot.
"Whoa!"
He twisted reflexively, barely dodging thorn roots.
Plip-plop—
But his side stained red.
Unpredictable strike.
His helpful auditory hallucinations drowned in the screams—he reacted a beat late.
Dizzy from nausea, pure reflexes only.
"Damn it...!"
Worse, too busy dodging, he ignored a swelling vine.
Boom! Kraka-crash!
It exploded, thorns flying like shrapnel.
Lian rolled desperately, but limbs burned like fire.
Pain worsening over time.
Thorns burrowing inside.
"Urgh...!"
No time to pull them—the onslaught continued relentlessly.
All-out assault.
Lian focused, dodging and slashing vines.
But wounds accumulated.
"Pest! Agile, I'll give you that! Dog? More like a cat!"
"You're overdoing it! You'll wither yourself!"
"Hmph! Let you close in, still dead!"
He blinked—distance had grown.
Too fixated on evasion.
But her dry leaves fell steadily, life force draining.
'Just hold out a bit longer...'
Then, something ominous swelled on her barren branch tip.
"Ha, yeah. Too easy's no fun."
A bud, unmistakably.
Now Lian had a time limit.