The Messenger's Sudden Rage
What the hell is this? Why isn't he answering? We should have already finished the operation!LT__p>Count Raven, the Duke, sat in his personal office, waiting for the live broadcast of Adrian Lawrence's capture. LT__p>But three minutes after the division's spatial teleport, five minutes, ten minutes passed, and the screen remained blank—no voice communication, no signal whatsoever. Count Raven and his staff were left baffled. LTGTIs it a communication breakdown?If so, why didn't he just call from his personal device?Did they attempt a large-scale spatial teleport too hastily?Ah, spatial rupture, huh? That could happen. Spatial rupture is the side effect that occurs during large-scale spatial teleportation. LT__p>Massive quantities distort space, generating mana winds that render magical artifacts unusable. LT__p>It was almost unheard of nowadays, but solutions existed. LT__p>That was why the staff's theory was simple: the operation had been rushed, so preparations were incomplete. LT__p>The staff voiced various opinions, but since every word was mere speculation, Count Raven wore an expression ready to explode at any moment. LTGTThe agents we planted earlier?T-that... LT__p>T-the agency head hasn't been reached. Given that Lady Anna was arrested right after the mission, I suspect they've been identified and captured. LTGTWhat? You're joking?But besides that, there's no other explanation. I fear this entire situation was pre-planned. Count Raven could not accept his subordinate's assumption. LT__p>Was everything planned? LT__p>From when? LT__p>If Adrian had orchestrated it all, it meant Count Raven was merely playing with a grandchild in his palm. LTGTThere should be at least one of us connected to the ordinary residential districts!T-that... either from spatial rupture or general communications, nothing is connecting. LT__p>Count Raven felt his staff appeared incompetent today. LT__p>With the deployed forces, victory was certain, yet the situation defied expectations. An unpleasant feeling lingered. LTGTYour Grace!And at that moment. LT__p>Amplifying the unpleasant feeling, a secretary rushed into the office with an urgent expression. LT__p>I've been searching online for news about Lawrence territory. Three minutes ago, this appeared! LT__p>He then projected a full, public holographic window of the commoner's online diary that could be read by everyone in the office. LTGT
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙LT__div style="color:#e0e0e0font-size:18pxborder-top:2px solid #00219bpadding-top:15pxline-height:1.8"__GT
【Online Diary Entry - Public View】LT__/div__GT-About an hour ago, a sudden evacuation order came from the ducal residence. The territory citizens fled the city like refugees. LT__p>I tried connecting to Hollywood and calling acquaintances, but communications are completely dead. LT__p>Then, around ten minutes ago... LT__p>An unexpected explosion occurred above the city. The territory is completely devastated. LT__p>Fortunately, communications are now restored and the ducal residence is fine, so no need to worry. But I still don't understand what happened. LT__p>Someone, please explain to me. LT__p>Is our territory really falling? LT__p>The diary also had a short video attached. LTGT
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙LT__div style="color:#e0e0e0font-size:18pxborder-top:2px solid #00219bpadding-top:15pxline-height:1.8"__GT
【Video Attachment】LT__/div__GT-Whoosh! Craaaash! LT__p>A massive mushroom cloud of flame lit the night sky. LT__p>Piercing through the eerie mushroom cloud, metal fragments rained down like meteors. LT__p>The red-hot fragments looked as large as dinner plates. The problem was that Lawrence territory's 'Arlen City' lay directly beneath it. LT__p>If the massive fragments hit, the city would be reduced to ash. LT__p>But from the ground, dozens of blue laser beams shot into the sky—Vanguard long-range attacks. Seven-circle wide-area magic intercepted the fragments, minimizing damage to the territory. LTGT
...LT__p>The entire video was only about thirty seconds long. LT__p>Yet it was enough to silence Count Raven's office. LT__p>While everyone stood stunned, the video played on repeat. LT__p>-Whoooosh! Boom! LT__p>-Crraaash! LT__p>On the fifth replay, the explosion sound synced perfectly. Count Raven slammed his desk. LT__p>He himself possessed high knight-level strength, so the desk shattered like it had exploded. LTGTIs my eyes playing tricks? No flying castles or Vanguards appear from our territory, yet...Fragments flying toward the city with fire embedded felt strangely familiar. LT__p>Confirming with his own eyes, the flying castle bearing the Raven family crest spun like a coin and crashed into the city. LT__p>What trickery is Adrian pulling? LT__p>The thought of it reminded Count Raven of the war with the Croisen Empire and the tactics used. But no one dared speak the thought aloud. LT__p>-Boom! Bang! LT__p>With no one in the staff able to answer, Count Raven's rampage grew fiercer, turning the ducal residence office into rubble. LT__p>-Bang! Boom! Crack! LT__p>How long would this continue? LT__p>Count Raven, unable to hide his age, soon panted for breath and slumped tiredly into his chair. LTGTCan we immediately mobilize additional forces?From the video, it was easy to realize Adrian's method was a suicide attack using a flying castle. LT__p>Even if Lawrence territory's flying castle was spherical, a close-range power surge explosion would be difficult to survive. LT__p>This had been proven in the war with the Croisen Empire. LTGTThe meaning of this situation is clear. Adrian knew our every move perfectly. Count Raven, who never imagined Adrian possessed such information-gathering ability, had to find a solution for damage control. LT__p>And what he recalled was victory. LTGTWhy isn't anyone answering!B-battalion of seventy-five Vanguards, or twenty-five Vanguards plus one flying castle. Mobilizing beyond that violates the national law. LT__p>Adrian had no more flying castles to detonate. LT__p>He couldn't use the same trick twice. LT__p>So Count Raven immediately moved to mobilize forces. LT__p>But the Duke's law prohibited mobilizing more than half the forces available for border defense. LT__p>They could only call up a paltry number of troops. LT__p>If the previously deployed forces equaled five flying castles' worth, now only 1.5 flying castles' worth could be mobilized. LTGTIt is regrettable, but we cannot overwhelm Lawrence territory's power. And...Peering at Count Raven's reaction, the staff trailed off. LT__p>His next words drained Count Raven's strength. LT__p>A moment ago, an urgent royal dispatch arrived. It forbids the use of military force against Lawrence territory. LTGTHah... haha...Count Raven laughed in disbelief at the situation. LT__p>And soon covered his forehead with his palm. LT__p>Only after the royal forces forced his excitement down did he realize the scale of the damage he had suffered. LTGTIs this the price of ignoring him?Compared to ten minutes ago, Count Raven's army had lost nearly half its strength. LT__p>The power of a multi-generational family collapsed with one mistake. LTGTRecovery of damages?Possible. LT__p>But not immediately. LT__p>After all, armies are just money. LT__p>Manufacturing one flying castle costs around 15 trillion, and each Vanguard Force Armor set requires at least 50 billion. LT__p>Damages alone required a staggering 30 trillion. LT__p>Even if the Raven family had accumulated wealth for hundreds of years, it was not easily spent. LT__p>A headache was inevitable. LTGTHas Lawrence territory's communication been restored?Yes, it has.Count Raven took a deep breath and gave his secretary an unexpected order. LTGTConnect me to Adrian.* * * LT__p>Black Eagle is a supporter like Arsia, but its fundamental use is entirely different. LT__p>While Arsia is a universal being no different from humans, Black Eagle is a specialized assistant supporter focused solely on support. LT__p>Made from Black Dragon bones and skin, it resists even Aura Blades and can fly at the speed of sound, making it highly useful in combat. LT__p>Yet looking at its skills, their purpose is clearly divided. LTGT
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙LT__div style="color:#e0e0e0font-size:18pxborder-top:2px solid #00219bpadding-top:15pxline-height:1.8"__GT
【Black Eagle Skills】LT__/div__GTA chimera made from Black Dragon bones and skin. LT__p>It possesses a body resistant to Aura Blades and has extremely high recovery ability. LTGTBasic Option: Hand-to-Hand Combat First Skill: Vision Sharing LT__p>Second Skill: Magic Sharing LT__p>Third Skill: None LT__p>Fourth Skill: None LT__p>Vision Sharing lets me see what Black Eagle sees, turning it into an invincible scout. LT__p>Magic Sharing lets me cast the magic I prepared through Black Eagle. LT__p>All skills manifest through me, meaning Black Eagle has no independent attack skills. LT__p>If I so choose, I can use Black Eagle like a fighter jet. LT__p>But since my brain is only one, using magic on a vision-shared Black Eagle would disable me completely... LT__p>Even this alone makes its utility undeniable. LT__p>A Black Eagle that shares vision and manifests my magic is practically my second body. LT__p>Black Eagle's contribution in blocking Count Raven's ambush was the greatest, and it would also help finish the situation. LTGTYou really have the audacity to call. I acknowledge your ability. You survived this time, but do not mistake me—such luck will not hold next time. Do not worry. My revenge will be completed with your death and the Raven family's fall. Revenge completed now?Ah, you don't know. I kept the flying castle because I like it so much, and I gave it expensive decorations. I am sure you are satisfied. Hah, this damned brat. Once a plan works, you think nothing scary exists, do you?I felt no need to be afraid of you. I will never forget today's humiliation. I will return tenfold or hundredfold to you! Furious, yet to him, Anna and Cedric's deaths were irrelevant. LT__p>It seemed he only felt shame over the insult directed at himself. LT__p>Anna and Cedric were truly pitiful humans. LT__p>They acted so superior, yet in the end were nothing but tools. LTGTYour Grace! You are on the 80th floor of the ducal residence?What do you mean?I prepared a gift. It should be arriving now. What?Do you know Memory Magic? The stored casting spell. It can save ten spells at once. What if I store ten seven-circle grand spells and unleash them all at once? It would even pierce the Raven ducal residence's protection barrier. Note that the 'finish' Black Eagle helped with earlier was exactly this. LTGTI am sending you ten volleys of Blaze Blast (7-circle) as a gift. Using Black Eagle's second skill, Magic Sharing, I unleashed ten seven-circle volleys toward the ducal residence office. LTGTWhat is this?-Crraaaash! Boom! Boom! LTGTWhat, what is it!?Your Grace! The ducal residence's barrier is critical! Quickly escape with Blink or Teleport!Ugh! Adrian!!!After confirming the situation through the call, I laughed. LTGTHahah! Pray you survive! Then I shall take my leave. Unaware of the need to catch the barrage of curses, I ended the call and stood up. LTGTYoung Lord. As instructed, I have gathered the reporters at the interview site. And William, who knew nothing of the events with Count Raven, reported with a puzzled expression after hearing the strange call. LT__p>I rose from my seat with a refreshed expression. LT__p>Naturally, Arsia stood by my side, and we walked the ducal residence under the escort of William and the knights. LTGTY-Young Lord, hello. Whenever I walked the ducal residence, the maids and servants bowed deeply. LT__p>Among the maids and servants of the ducal residence, no one disrespected me. LT__p>Therefore, when our eyes met, they all froze and knelt like cherry blossoms. LT__p>It was truly an unsatisfying sight. LT__p>This marked the end of my former pretense of being harsh. LT__p>The splendid second act of my life was beginning.
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