Chapter 16
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Great Escape (4)
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The bandits recoiled in shock at Spera's words.
Even without any formal education, they knew the fearsome reputation of the Imperial Knights.
"I-Imperial Knights?!"
"What the hell is this? Don't knights ride horses?"
The empire—the unchallenged superpower no one could deny.
The group that symbolized its overwhelming military might.
And those appearing in the skies above Black Stone Fortress were no ordinary knights.
"N-No way..."
"What?"
The long, sleek airship resembled a blade, earning it the name White Sword Unit.
The emperor's swiftest sword, deployed only in times of war or crises of equal magnitude.
"I've heard of it... knights that descend from the heavens."
⚙ 7th Rapid Deployment Unit ⚙
They were descending toward Black Stone Fortress.
"B-Boss... what do we do?"
"Hehe, uhehe... uaa..."
"Boss Spera! Give us some orders at least!"
Spera couldn't utter a word.
Her mouth wore a smile, but tears streamed endlessly down her face.
Her men, deeming the situation hopeless, were about to whisk her away to safety first.
Kwarung!
A heaven-shaking roar echoed as the beam of light surging from the pillar began to spread outward.
"Fuck! What the hell?!"
The bandits screamed.
It looked like a translucent umbrella unfurling.
A hemisphere of white light enveloped Black Stone Fortress in an instant.
Pajijik!
One bandit who accidentally brushed the hemisphere exploded and was hurled back.
"Hueok!"
"H-Hey! What is this...!"
Silence descended.
The corpse was charred beyond recognition, like a lump of coal.
A bandit staring fixedly at the hemisphere drew a sharp breath.
"L-Lightning?"
The substance forming the hemisphere wasn't mere light.
White currents rippled across its surface.
Like thin storm clouds pregnant with thunder spread wide.
The bandits, grasping the situation too late, froze in place.
"Fuck. Are we trapped in here?"
There was no escaping the fortress without twisting space itself.
As the spreading chaos morphed into terror...
Kwaang!
Shadows leaping from the airship tore through the lightning hemisphere and landed.
"Kuaaaak!"
"Hueok."
White currents trailed behind the shadows like the tail of a comet.
The hemisphere sealed itself instantly.
As the thick dust settled, men and women in platinum uniforms came into view.
"......What? Just two of them?"
"Old fogey too. Doesn't look that tough."
The bandits buzzed with murmurs.
They differed greatly from the Imperial Knights of their imagination.
The man was a lean, tall middle-aged figure.
His sharp, raptor-like eyes and gaunt cheeks lent him a chilling air.
"What's with her? Looks younger than my nephew."
"Kinda cute? Maybe we can take her..."
The woman was something else entirely.
She appeared extraordinarily young at first glance.
Late teens, at most?
No emotion could be read in her serene gaze.
"Glory to His Imperial Majesty. I am Colonel Heinz Bardo of the 7th Rapid Deployment Unit."
The middle-aged man spoke abruptly.
His voice was even and devoid of inflection.
He glanced briefly at Harmeno before surveying the bandit horde.
"I have many questions regarding this young Harmeno. Are you the ones in charge of this facility?"
His tone was unexpectedly non-threatening.
Not warm or welcoming, but like a stern bureaucrat.
The bandits faltered, exchanging uneasy glances.
Maybe this could blow over without incident?
"Uhi... r-run..."
Only Spera pleaded desperately.
She longed to shout louder, but her injuries strangled her voice.
Suddenly, the girl who'd been scanning the surroundings approached Bardo.
"......"
She mumbled something in a voice too soft to hear.
Bardo arched an eyebrow.
"What? Bandits, huh."
"......"
"Hmm, that explains it. The growth didn't seem natural..."
The atmosphere grew strange.
With each movement of the girl's lips, Bardo's eyes narrowed further.
At last, he lifted his head and fixed his gaze on the bandits.
"Nearly wasted valuable time on scum disrupting imperial order."
"W-What did you say...?"
"No need for them. Leave one alive. Dispose of the rest."
The girl nodded.
She walked forward slowly and stood facing the bandits.
"......"
"W-What? What're you planning?"
Flustered murmurs rippled through the bandits.
The girl calmly scanned their faces before raising her right arm forward.
She splayed her small, pale palm wide.
The moment the bandits burst into mocking laughter at the inexplicable gesture...
"Why'd she stick out her hand all sudden? High-five or something?"
"No way she's thinking of taking us all on alone..."
The girl clenched her fist.
Puhwaaak!
The heads of thirty bandits exploded simultaneously.
"......"
It was like thirty roses blooming at once.
There were no screams or final words to follow the abrupt deaths.
Having completed her task, the girl slowly lowered her hand.
Thirty headless corpses toppled over in unison.
"Auu, hiii... heuk, heuk..."
Spera sobbed.
She was the sole survivor.
Her subordinates' blood trickled down her face.
The girl approached with soft footsteps and squatted down before Spera.
"S-Surrender...! Uhi, unconditional surrender..."
"......"
"Please, just spare my life... uhehe! Th-the smile isn't my choice...!"
Spera shook her head frantically.
The girl blinked wordlessly before returning to Bardo.
"Intending to keep only this woman."
"......"
"The leader of this bandit crew? Convenient."
The girl must have revealed Spera's identity.
Bardo raised his collar and spoke into a small communicator.
"1st Platoon. Descend."
Dozens of shadows leaped from the airship at once.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
Knights of the 7th Rapid Deployment Unit tore through the hemisphere and landed.
Bardo issued another command.
"Secure the Harmeno and seize the facility. I'll prune the branches."
"Understood!"
The knights scattered.
Their movements evoked well-trained hounds, with no overlapping paths.
Only Bardo, the girl knight, and Spera remained.
Bardo turned toward Harmeno and muttered.
"Withstood the net. Young or not, a dragon is still a dragon."
The net.
That was what they called the lightning hemisphere blanketing the fortress.
A spell manifested from the Anchor of Justice—the pillar heralding the 7th Rapid Deployment Unit's arrival.
In truth, Harmeno had been seared by currents powerful enough to reduce humans to coal, yet only its shell was singed; it continued growing vigorously.
Bardo gave a light nod of acknowledgment and gripped his sword hilt.
"Executing imperial decree."
For an instant, the vanished blade reappeared in midair.
White currents crackled along the straight edge.
No one but Bardo witnessed the swing.
Suddenly, a glowing line slashed across Harmeno's stem.
"What...!"
Spera's eyes bulged.
The upper portion tilted and slid downward.
Kwarururung-!!!
Harmeno crashed atop the fortress.
Thunder boomed in its wake, resounding with a heavy thud.
"...Ah."
Spera rolled back her eyes and fainted.
The rampaging Harmeno's growth halted.
Sparks danced across the charred severed surface.
"Hmm."
Bardo sheathed his sword.
No trace of exhaustion showed on his face.
The currents racing along the blade vanished as if they'd never been.
As he turned to depart from his completed mission, the girl knight stepped before him.
"......?"
"Yes, I'm aware. Someone deliberately unleashed the Harmeno."
Bardo nodded.
This Harmeno's emergence had been anything but natural.
This specimen had been brought to the surface with someone's aid.
"Likely an infiltrator aiming to dismantle this bandit group. Given their scale, they'd have racked up grudges far and wide—not unusual."
"......"
"No. We won't pursue. Our mission is to secure the Harmeno and hold the site. Nothing more. If it proves a threat to the empire, the higher-ups will handle it."
Bardo turned his head.
His piercing gaze fixed on the forest opposite the fortress.
"That aside, what audacity. Daring to use a Three Dragon Tree for both destruction and escape—I'd almost want them as a subordinate."
"......!"
"If fate wills it, we'll meet again. All roads lead to the empire, after all."
His lips curved ever so slightly as he stared at one spot intently.
"Isn't that right, nameless warrior?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Eit, fuck! Nearly gave me a heart attack!"
Bran hurriedly lowered the telescope.
For a split second, it felt like he'd locked eyes with Bardo.
Thud!
In his fluster, Bran tumbled from the tree.
"Keheok!"
A bone-cracking sound echoed from somewhere.
Kael, who'd been standing watch like a meerkat, came sprinting over in a panic.
"Br-Bran! You okay?!"
"No!"
He was in no shape to pretend otherwise.
The tree's height played a part, but the injuries from his clash with Spera hadn't fully mended.
Blood bubbled anew from wounds that had only just begun to heal.
⚠️ CRITICAL WARNING ⚠️
Stamina critically low!
Physical abilities reduced from heavy impact!
The system was blaring warnings too.
Super recovery or not, this was no joke.
Bran continued from his prone position.
"Kael. Open my pack."
"Y-Yeah!"
"The vial with the light green liquid... hurry..."
Kael fumbled through the pack in a frenzy.
It held items swiped from Spera's vault.
"Light green... light green... ah, got it!"
Before long, Kael found it and pressed the vial to Bran's lips.
Gulp. Gulp.
As his throat worked busily...
⚔ RECOVERY ACTIVE ⚔
Honeycluster Flower's restorative essence seeps into your body.
Recovery power increases. Recovery growth rate rises.
Heart of Harmeno activates! Beneficial plant effects doubled!
Energy flooded his body alongside the system messages.
Pretty tasty, too. He could feel the wounds knitting shut once more.
By the time the vial was empty, the bleeding had fully stopped.
"Phew. Starting to feel alive again."
"Thank goodness... you really pushed too hard."
"I know. But I had to see it for myself."
Bran wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
Right after defeating Spera, he'd retreated as far as possible.
On account of the event that triggered immediately after freeing Harmeno.
Forty minutes after the tree surfaced, the 7th Rapid Deployment Unit arrived.
To secure the Three Dragon Tree Harmeno.
Knights each vastly stronger than Spera would wipe out every last remnant in Black Stone Fortress.
"Good thing we bolted."
The problem was how ambiguously "remnants" was defined.
If you got lucky and met Bardo first, it might be fine.
Handle the conversation right, and you could not only survive but earn recognition for saving the Three Dragon Tree—maybe even enlist as the lowliest knight in the Imperial Knights.
"Ugh. The army."
But Bran had zero interest in joining the imperial forces.
There were perks, sure, but no reason to surrender his freedom prematurely.
He still had plenty to do on the outside.
That's right. Minimize variables as much as possible.
Besides, that was the lucky scenario.
Most cases ended with you branded a bandit and cut down.
Bardo issued a sweep order right after landing, and his knights made no distinction between bandits and slaves.
That's why Bran had told even the slaves to run without discrimination.
Unlike the unit's fixed arrival time, slaves weren't a variable he could fully control.
"Lives up to the name. Who'd have thought he'd spot me from this far."
Bran shuddered recalling that moment of eye contact.
His heart was still pounding.
If he weren't certain Bardo wouldn't pursue, he'd have pissed himself right there.
"That guy's a solid character."
The memory of controlling him from beyond the monitor was still vivid.
Heinz Bardo, the White Thunder Knight who etched lightning into his foes.
Captain of the empire's 7th Rapid Deployment Unit and one of Return Lord's playable characters.
Glad he's safe. The Nameless Hero must hail from even further back in time.
Seeing him thrive brought joy.
His survival suggested this was before that gruesome death.
Great news for Bran.
Not only could he save Bardo, but there was now potential to recruit him.
Worth the climb up that oak tree.
Bran spoke up.
"Phew... anyway, we're free men now, Kael."
"Huh? I-I didn't do anything..."
"Like hell. Without you, I'd be dead."
Dementia Serpent dung or not, best case he'd end up a sex slave to Spera or Delgato.
Humans were social creatures, after all—meant to help each other.
Bran stretched out his legs and clasped hands behind his head.
"So take a load off. Savor your first day of freedom."
"I-I'm good. Ahaha... freedom feels weird."
"Wanna get smacked?"
"Hiiik."
Kael flopped down in a flash.
After some hesitant glances and hearing Bran's tsk, he finally stretched out fully.
Even in summer, the morning air chilled.
The sky stretched clear through gaps in the leafy branches.
Kael looked up belatedly, eyes widening.
"Wow."
The dawn sky filled his view.
Morning's glow banished the darkness.
Venus shone amid the dusky blue.
Come to think of it, he'd never seen the sky at this hour in Black Stone Fortress.
Waking to a grimy barn ceiling, working indoors—his only free time came after sunset.
"You earned it."
"Nah, you had it worse."
"I know."
A brief silence.
"Hey, Bran."
"Yeah?"
"We aren't dreaming, right? We're really out?"
"Yep. Nope."
"What if Spera comes for revenge?"
"You think Imperial Knights are neighborhood thugs? Not even her grandpa could touch her now. Oh, and false confessions don't fly with them."
"I seeee..."
Kael trailed off.
The pair lay side by side, admiring the sky.
"Haha... ugh."
Suddenly Kael clapped his hands over his face.
His slender shoulders began to shake.
"Euheuk... eueuk."
No use hiding it.
Tears streamed down his pale cheeks.
"I-I... thought I'd work there till I died..."
"Told you I'd get you out."
"...Thanks. Truly... ugh, truly thanks..."
Bran said nothing.
How hellish must those days have been?
No system messages tracking growth, no knowledge of this world.
Scraping by, sharing meals with those who saw him as mere property—not easy.
Lacking a talent for comfort, Bran simply stroked Kael's head in silence.
"Dahaheuk!"
For some reason, the shaking intensified.
See? No talent for this.
⚙ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED ⚙
Annihilated the Crow Bandits.
Defeated Black Stone Fortress boss, Black Feather Spera.
Amazing feat! Overcame brutal trials and accomplished a great deed.
Tenacity of the Weed activates!
All ability growth rates increase!
The messages appeared out of nowhere.
Just like after slaying the Dementia Serpent, the text gleamed gold.
Undeniably good news, but Bran wasn't in the mood for fanfare right now.
He patted Kael's head and chuckled.
"Nice weather, huh?"
"Yeah. Yeah."
Kael nodded, face still buried in his hands.
'Cover your eyes and you can't see the sky, dumbass.' Better not say it.
The real hardships were just beginning, but for now, he wanted to savor this vista.
Grass cushioning his head. Dew soaking his back.
The morning of a free man was dawning.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The two lay side by side for a good while.
By the time Kael's sobs subsided, morning was in full swing.
"There. All cried out?"
"Yeah... snif, sorry..."
Kael nodded.
His eyes were so puffy he could barely open them.
Sunbeams filtered through the leaves and branches.
"Apologizing for crying? If you wanna cry, cry."
"Th-Thanks. Bran's such a good guy."
"Good guy, huh. Wonder if you'll still think so after what I say next."
"Huh...?"
"Kael. We're going to save the world."
His voice was as serene as if announcing the morning menu.
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