Rescue
Conwy Castle, Wales.
"Did he really jump from seven thousand meters up?"
A wave of dizziness washed over Sophia, and she pressed a hand to her forehead. The first time she'd heard Jinhyuk's plan, she hadn't been able to believe her ears. Jump from where, exactly? No matter how she looked at it, the infiltration method was far too reckless to even qualify as a plan. They'd launched the helicopter because there hadn't been any other option — but she never imagined he'd actually go through with it.
It's like he's from a completely different world.
She checked the Tower site on her phone. A couple of hours ago, the rankings for the 57th floor of the Tower of Despair had been freshly updated. In the brief window while Sophia had been arranging the helicopter, he'd gone and neatly climbed the Tower before setting out.
The world-famous Runner. Sophia had known he was remarkable. But meeting him in person made "remarkable" feel like a woefully inadequate word.
"You've been through a lot. Your wounds haven't even healed yet, Charles."
That, too, was thanks to Jinhyuk. The ointment that had made even Charles foam at the mouth. The pain had been horrific, but the effect was absurdly outstanding.
"Just what kind of person is he?"
Sophia, lost in thought for a moment, shook her head. She could ponder that later. Right now, she needed to focus on the operation.
"What's the situation at Windsor Castle?"
"And our preparations?"
Sophia nodded. Jinhyuk had said he was fine, but she couldn't just sit still and do nothing. Even if the operation went sideways and they failed to extract the Queen, they at least had to get Jinhyuk out. A benefactor who had saved their lives, then volunteered for the most dangerous role without asking for anything in return. She couldn't let someone like that die in a faraway foreign land.
"Your Highness."
Philip, standing beside her, spoke carefully.
"Wouldn't it be better to move in now, even at this stage? Windsor Castle is, for all intents and purposes, Widrik's stronghold. He's even gathered forces there to strike Conwy. For one man to break through that security and extract Her Majesty is simply impossible."
It wasn't merely concern for Jinhyuk that made him say it. Right now, Widrik was utterly convinced that he was the hunter. He would never imagine that his prey, Sophia, would dare to strike first. Leaving this first — and possibly last — opportunity entirely in the hands of a foreigner, and simply watching, made him deeply uneasy.
"Even if sacrifices must be made, we should commit our full strength. Once today is over, Widrik will never let his guard down again."
Widrik was a madman, but he was no fool. The moment he caught even a glimpse of Sophia's claws, he would raise his defenses dramatically. And that would mean their defeat — and their deaths.
Sophia shook her head without a moment's hesitation.
"I understand how you feel, Philip. But let's wait a little longer. He said he could do it — just a little longer."
More people didn't always mean a better outcome. They might not help Jinhyuk, who was already doing well — they might even get in his way.
"But..."
Philip's eyes widened at the voice coming through. Charles was a veteran of countless battles — and yet he was a man who rarely stepped forward. He always remained in the background like a shadow, serving his master. For him to take such a firm stand now...
Philip let out a low hum and leaned back in his chair. If even Charles was saying this, they had no choice but to trust and wait. May the stranger from the East succeed in this impossible operation.
He pressed himself flat against the wall and held his breath.
"In a few days, Conwy Castle will be gone."
"A shame. It was a beautiful place."
"Don't say things you don't mean. You'll be the first one in line to smash it to pieces."
"There's money on the line. When money's involved, beauty and pity don't mean a damn thing."
The two men snickered as they passed by. Judging by their matching combat uniforms, they were among the mercenaries Widrik had gathered today.
Jinhyuk gave Kancho a slight nod.
Covert Maneuver
Kancho, Vice-Captain of the Yordle Rangers, went scurrying along the wall. The question Does shouting it out loud still count as Covert Maneuver? crossed Jinhyuk's mind, but he decided to let it go. Their adorable Yordle was currently enjoying this infiltration more than anyone.
They crossed the dark corridor for quite some time.
"Emeeergency. Emergency, sir...!"
Jinhyuk ducked at Kancho's sudden whisper. They hadn't been spotted by the enemy. What was going on?
"Mana's bottomed out, sir."
"Oh. Yeah, that's an emergency."
Kancho had infiltrated ahead of Jinhyuk, scurrying all over the castle. He'd even collected every device that had been installed, so of course his mana was running low.
"Head back in and rest. We're almost there anyway."
"Understood, sir. I'll pop right back out if the Supreme Commander's in danger."
Jinhyuk held out a thumb.
"Sir!"
Kancho saluted, then dismissed his Manifestation. No matter how many times he saw it, the little guy was both adorable and gallant.
Checking the map Sophia had given him, Jinhyuk climbed the stairs. A large door came into view directly ahead. If nothing unexpected had happened, the Queen would be in there.
No letting my guard down.
He approached right up to the door and carefully checked for any presence. Fortunately, there was nothing from within. He opened the door and stepped inside.
A space filled with heavy silence. The only sound was the rhythmic beeping of machines. He dropped Stealth and approached the bed.
An old woman lay there, eyes closed, wearing an oxygen mask. Jinhyuk compared the sleeping woman's face with the photos he'd looked up.
Oh, damn.
She looked far more haggard than in the photos, but there was no mistake. Queen Elysia Jerry Windsor. The 42nd monarch of the United Kingdom.
He stepped back a little and rubbed his chin. The old woman before him was the Queen of England. He couldn't help wondering if it was really all right to just wrap her up and carry her out.
He walked to the terrace and double-checked the height and escape route.
Jump from the terrace, then sprint as fast as I can and get over the castle wall.
The wall was ridiculously high, but that didn't matter. He just needed to hook the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron over the top. It was an embarrassingly simple plan to even call a plan, but he would bet anything that simple and easy was always best.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Just as he was about to carefully wrap Elysia up, footsteps approached. Jinhyuk slipped into Stealth and pressed himself against the wall. He desperately repeated a name in his mind.
Widrik Pallam Windsor. Widrik Pallam Windsor.
This was a Queen-rescue operation, but if he could snag the enemy commander too, that would be even better.
Creeeak.
The door opened with the groan of old wood. A middle-aged man in a pristine white coat. Unfortunately, it wasn't Widrik.
"Ugh. I keep telling them to at least set up a two-shift rotation."
Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he pulled a small vial and a syringe from his coat. The man's name was Leo. Originally Windsor Castle's royal physician, he was now a doctor working for Widrik.
Leo transferred the drug and brought the syringe toward Elysia.
WHACK!
A heavy pain exploded at the back of his neck — so intense he couldn't even scream. Leo trembled and turned around.
"Ah?"
Jinhyuk frowned in confusion. He'd thrown his best knife-hand strike. Why hadn't the guy gone down?
"W-who are you..."
A perfectly placed right hook spun Leo's jaw around.
Thud!
Only then did Leo crumple. Jinhyuk wiped away sweat with a sigh of relief. Theory and practice really were two different things. He'd need to work on that chop a bit more.
For now, he rolled up the unconscious doctor however he pleased. The man had been in charge of Elysia, so bringing him along would surely be useful somehow.
Careful. Careful.
He wrapped Elysia as carefully as possible, oxygen mask and all.
"Seira."
He pointed at Elysia, rolled up in the blanket.
"I'm leaving Her Majesty to you. As little jostling as possible."
"Understood. And the man?"
"I'll take this one. Doesn't matter if I drag him around."
He roughly tied Leo with a cord, then opened the terrace door.
"Hmm."
He was about to slip out when he glanced back. It wouldn't be long before Widrik realized the Queen was gone. The man was already a lunatic — there was no telling what he'd do once he snapped. If the factions hadn't been mixed together, Jinhyuk would have beaten every last one of them he saw. A shame, really.
Best to delay them as much as possible.
He pulled a large capsule from his inventory.
"What is that?"
Seira's face twisted into a grimace. The hallucinogenic fog they'd encountered on their first visit to the Workshop of the Stars. It had been so vicious that even Seira and Darc, with their high resistance, had nearly been in trouble.
"It won't kill anyone, but they'll have a rough time waking up."
He burst the capsule into the corridor. Pink mist spread rapidly. Hoping they'd have sweet dreams, he launched himself from the terrace.
Seira sprinted faster than Jinhyuk, reaching the top of the castle wall in a single burst. She caught the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron Jinhyuk threw and hauled him up with all her strength.
"Whoa."
The momentum carried Jinhyuk to the top in an instant. He looked back at Windsor Castle. The pink mist had already spread through the entire inner keep. All manner of screams echoed from every direction — presumably people lost in hallucinations.
Well then, good luck with that.
He left a casual farewell and leaped from the wall.
Queen wrap-up... no. Rescue operation: complete.
Sophia and Philip had come outside and were looking up at the sky.
Thudududududu.
A helicopter slowly descended, whipping up fierce winds. Everyone who had been in the waiting hall came out as well, staring at the landing aircraft. They'd already received the report that the operation had succeeded. But it was content so hard to believe, so impossible by any common sense, that they'd come running out without even putting on their shoes, wanting to see it with their own eyes.
The helicopter landed fully. Beneath the slowing propellers, Charles and Olivia appeared, a stretcher in their hands. Confirming who lay upon it, Sophia started walking.
When others were watching, she observed royal protocol — but she couldn't manage that now. Elysia's breathing was normal, yet she didn't respond to Sophia's voice.
"We'd heard she'd collapsed, but..."
Those who had drawn near let out grim, wordless sounds. A coma of unknown cause. The rescue had succeeded, but whether she would ever wake remained uncertain.
"What on earth did they do to Her Majesty..."
Just then, Jinhyuk appeared, lifting someone by the scruff of the neck.
Leo dangled in the air, staring at the line of people. His face was filled with bewilderment. Where am I? Who am I?
The gazes of everyone, including Philip, focused on Leo. More precisely, they shifted to Jinhyuk standing behind him.
The eccentric from the East who turned the impossible into the possible as if it were nothing. With the arrival of a tidal-wave of a variable no one had seen coming, the entire board began to flip.