Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Imperial Capital Assault
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The demonic incarnation of Greed's clone split in half and vanished completely. Even after waiting a bit longer, it showed no signs of regenerating like it had before, sluggishly reforming.
It was a rather anticlimactic exit compared to its dramatic entrance.
'...Probably because it's just a clone.'
From the start, the fact that it had disguised itself as an ordinary person, fooling his senses even temporarily, meant it couldn't end so tamely.
After all, fooling a master's senses, even briefly, was no small feat.
Moreover, hadn't it survived even after being sliced to pieces at first?
It just seemed like the clone had been limited, unable to draw out its full power.
'...So why bother setting up a barrier and facing me with a mere clone?'
Was it cherishing its life? Unwilling to risk damage to the main body?
Or...
'...To keep me tied down.'
That was the most likely reason.
He quietly looked up at the barrier enveloping the arena. Even after taking Yujin's sword strike head-on, it still held its shape halfway.
'What kind of messed-up barrier is that.'
He hadn't expected it to withstand that attack.
By now, Lucia and Irene had finished off the cultists and demons and approached.
"...You're not hurt, are you?"
"Heh, are you worried about us?"
Nod—
"Thanks for worrying, Yujin. Neither of us is hurt anywhere, so don't worry."
"Good."
Not hurt—relief washed over him.
Lucia gazed up at the barrier in the sky and murmured quietly.
"It's a pretty advanced barrier. To maintain its form after taking that sword strike from you..."
He asked the high-ranking mages if it was okay to just shatter the barrier as it was.
Irene shook her head.
"Normally, mages would need to take time to dismantle it properly. Since it's made with demonic energy, its structure differs from ordinary ones, and we don't know what might happen during disassembly. Forcing it could cause significant damage. But..."
She met Yujin's eyes.
"We don't have the luxury for that right now."
"Exactly."
They still didn't know Greed's objective. And with the capital possibly under attack outside the arena, they needed to escape as quickly as possible.
At that moment, the Emperor approached, accompanied by the Captain of the Imperial Guard and knights.
"Marquis."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Just slice it apart."
The Emperor looked up at the barrier surrounding the arena.
"Time is of the essence. I'll take responsibility for any collateral damage and handle the aftermath, so shatter the barrier to resolve this situation."
"Is that truly alright, Your Majesty?"
"Of course."
The Emperor sincerely believed any damage from forced dismantling was acceptable.
What mattered now was the fact that those cultist scum had dared to assault the empire's heart, the capital. He needed to break free and take command as soon as possible.
Speed was paramount.
Sensing the Emperor's resolve, Yujin quietly drew his sword.
And
"Hoo..."
Slash—
The barrier collapsed.
Yujin's group successfully exited the barrier.
Since it was forcibly shattered, demonic energy leaked out and minor explosions occurred here and there, but at least no additional lives were lost.
Once outside the arena, Yujin's group quickly realized the capital was under attack as well.
Clang—!
Clang—!
—Aaaah!
—Get the civilians to safety!
—Demons out of nowhere...! Urk!
"...It's under attack."
The Emperor, who had approached, said.
Yujin immediately expanded his senses.
Demonic and cultist presences flickered like guerrilla attacks throughout the capital.
How had they slipped past inspections to launch such an assault? Or was this just how romance-fantasy worlds worked?
'Could be.'
If so, it made some sense. Capitals getting attacked was practically a genre staple, regardless of the type.
Yujin barely suppressed a click of his tongue and extended his senses further.
And
"...!"
"Marquis. What's wrong?"
The Emperor gave Yujin a puzzled look as his expression hardened.
Soon, the Captain of the Imperial Guard, also a master, paled as well.
"...Your Majesty."
"Hm?"
"The Imperial Palace... is under attack."
"...What?"
The Crown Prince, Second Prince, Lucia, Irene, the Imperial Knights, and various nobles all reacted with shock to Yujin's words.
What kind of place was the Imperial Palace?
For centuries, the imperial family had resided there without a single intrusion. In imperial history, there had been terrorist attacks or rebels entering the capital, but the palace had never been breached.
Ancient protective spells by archmages, multiple layered barriers, the palace guard, and the Imperial Knights had prevented any invasions until now...
"You mean the interior is being attacked?"
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
Incredibly, the palace—the symbol of the empire's impregnability—had allowed intruders inside.
'How in the world...'
If anyone could just waltz in, the empire would have fallen to cultists long ago.
A nation that couldn't protect its own home had no right to exist.
The Crown Prince glared at Yujin.
"Hold on, are you sure you sensed that correctly, Marquis? If it's a mistake, I won't let you off easy—"
"Crown Prince, Your Highness. Marquis Banus is correct."
The Captain of the Imperial Guard cut him off.
The Crown Prince's eyes widened as he stared at the captain. Anger crept into his voice. As he was about to lash out—
"Captain, how dare you interrupt—"
"Crown Prince. Be quiet."
The Emperor silenced him.
"F-Father!"
The Emperor looked down at him with calm, evaluating eyes—not those of a father, but of a sovereign appraising a subordinate.
The Crown Prince shrank under that impassive gaze.
Then Yujin interjected.
"Your Majesty, perhaps you should head to the Capital Defense Command first."
All eyes turned to Yujin.
"I'll go to the palace and deal with the intruders."
"Wait, Marquis, what are you saying? The palace is under attack—we should head there immediately!"
The Crown Prince shouted at Yujin.
"That's exactly why Your Highness and Your Majesty must go to the Capital Defense Command."
"What nonsense is this? Are you telling imperial blood to abandon the palace—?!"
"What are you talking about, Your Highness? I'm the one heading to the palace—how is that abandoning it?"
Yujin growled in a low voice. Did this Crown Prince not grasp what it meant for a master to go to the palace?
At that moment, the Second Prince stepped between Yujin and the Crown Prince, naturally positioning himself beside Yujin.
"Calm down, brother. We should follow my brother-in-law's advice here."
"...Brother-in-law?"
The Crown Prince muttered in disbelief. He shot a glare at Lucia, who smiled innocently as if to say what of it? His face twisted.
The Second Prince turned to Yujin, the Emperor, and the Imperial Knights.
"The palace is under attack by cultists. And they've breached the interior, which means they likely have at least master-level forces, or possibly something even stronger. Rushing in blindly could be suicidal."
The Crown Prince bit his lip hard under his brother's pitying gaze.
"Tch..."
"That's why we must head to the command center first, rally the troops, and stabilize the capital. Then move on the palace. Of course, we can't leave it unattended in the meantime, so our strongest, most reliable asset—my brother-in-law—will go to the palace and buy time. Right, brother-in-law?"
"Precisely, Your Highness."
Yujin nodded to the Second Prince. The surrounding nobles and knights looked at him with newfound respect.
The Crown Prince, realizing he was being compared, tried to protest, but the Emperor silenced him.
After a moment's deliberation, the Emperor made his decision.
"The Second Prince and Marquis are right. We'll head to the Capital Defense Command. Rally the army there, quell the chaos in the capital, then advance on the palace. In the interim, leave the palace to Marquis Banus."
"“““““““Yes!!!”””””””
With that, the Emperor's group departed for the Capital Defense Command.
Lucia and Irene approached Yujin, who was about to head straight to the palace.
"Yujin, are you sure? Shouldn't Lucia and I come with you to the palace...?"
He shook his head firmly.
"No, I'll handle the palace alone. Help His Majesty stabilize the capital as quickly as possible and join me at the palace."
He didn't want to drag them into the palace, where a massive threat—likely Greed's true body—lurked, putting them in danger.
Whatever its goal, since it had infiltrated the palace, he had to assume it had forces on par with Greed, maybe more.
Lucia and Irene realized they might hold him back and bit their lips. In that moment, they desperately wished to grow stronger.
"...Got it. Be careful, Yujin."
"Don't get hurt."
Yujin chuckled at their worried words and gently stroked their heads.
"I'll take out the enemies and wait for you."
Nod—
With that, Yujin and the women went their separate ways.
Yujin toward the towering Imperial Palace at the capital's center, they toward the Capital Defense Command in the opposite direction.
As Yujin walked through streets chaotic with battles against cultists and demons, black-uniformed knights rose like shadows behind him.
First one,
Then two,
Next four,
Four became ten, ten twenty.
The knights gathered behind Yujin.
Soon, the entire Black Lotus Knights lined up behind him.
Yujin cleaved cultists' heads in two and burst demons' hearts, murmuring in a mechanical voice.
"...Objective: Imperial Palace. Slaughter every demon and cultist foolish enough to hide in the capital along the way."
"“““““““...Understood.”””””””
The countless black knights surged through the streets, cutting down cultists and demons.
Their goal: the Imperial Palace, heart of the empire.