Chapter 95

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 95

Chapter Title: Battle for the Crown

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Shiiiiek!!

The moment we transferred, a ferocious wind greeted us.

If it weren't for the NTR hot pack, that would've been the moment I really couldn't hold back a groan.

"Hena!"

"Yeah, Sanghyeok... I'm right here!"

Sarika and True Queen Isolde were there too...

Isolde had her smartphone floating in the air with her ability, gripping her pink rifle properly in full combat mode.

No one was missing, but there were a lot of unfamiliar faces. Were they all NPCs?

Among the gathered rebels, a familiar blond man approached me and spoke.

"Oh!! You. I knew you'd make it!"

He was that NPC who woke me up in the carriage.

"I'm thrilled to have you by my side."

"So... uh, what's your name?"

"Olaf."

Olaf? Wasn't that the ice mage princess from some story?

To get more info, we shut our mouths and let the NPC talk.

"We're one step away from smashing the empire's forces from behind. Come on, let's see who claims lordship over the north."

Olaf grabbed his axe, readying himself.

A man who looked like a rebel general—another NPC—spotted us and approached, leading his soldiers.

"Who are you lot? Since when are you with the rebels? Who approved you?"

The question was aimed at me, Hena, and Sarika.

Time to prove our loyalty.

Perfect!

"You're that horse thief, aren't you? Horse thief Sarika! Planning to steal the rebels' horses too?!"

Sarika's cheeks flushed red.

"I'm not a thief..."

"What?!"

"I-I was a thief, but! I received grace from Lady Isolde and repented!"

"Don't you dare speak her name so casually! You horse thief!!"

Pfft...

I desperately held back my laughter at Sarika being treated like a thief.

"With that ponytail like a horse's tail..."

"...Can I kill this NPC?"

"No... Pfft..."

Now the general's gaze turned to Hena.

"And what about you?"

Hena flinched.

"Dressed like some witch... Hmm..."

"Ah, uh, th-that's, um..."

Oh no.

She can't handle role-playing in front of people like this!

"What's your deal?!"

"Eek!"

The burly man bellowed, and Hena hid behind me.

"S-Sanghyeok..."

"She's my wife."

Wife chance ON.

"She has magic abilities, so she'll be useful to the soldiers. General."

"...Fine. I acknowledge you as rebels. But first, you have to swear the 'Oath of Loyalty' before the True Queen."

Cold as hell, and we have to do that too?

"Repeat after me!"

"Ah, yes."

No right to refuse, it seemed...

Like soldiers at morning roll call, we faced the biting wind and chanted the Oath of Loyalty with the troops.

Weren't we supposed to be on a covert op...?

"I swear to devote all my blood and life to the true queen of this land, Lady Isolde!"

"I swear to the true queen of this land..."

Anyway, oath time!

"May this oath endure beyond death!"

Endure!

"With my comrades-in-arms, I swear loyalty to my lord!"

We swear!

Did they do this every morning and evening at roll call?

Isolde giggled, barely holding back her laughter.

"Oath received loud and clear. Senpai."

Hmm...

I took the lead, like I was guarding Sol.

I didn't know what we'd be doing here, but protecting the True Queen was a key mission.

We were rebels, after all.

"General. So what are we doing here?"

"In this 'Temple of the Giants' lies the north's treasure, the Queen's Tiara. The empire's forces have probably gotten wind of it by now."

Queen's Tiara.

That must be the item we were fighting over this time.

'This scenario... it's all connected nicely.'

If my memory served, without the ancient crown, no one was recognized as the true king.

"Whoever claims that crown will be the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠true master of this land."

...Which meant this gravity wave wasn't the end.

"They've caught the scent, but don't worry. We can strike first."

This seemed better than the starting point.

We'd begun captured, so we had to give them this much advantage.

The empire hadn't pinpointed our position yet, but the general knew theirs.

"They don't seem to know we're here. Ready to take them down?"

"Yes."

"Listen up. They don't know our position, but they know the objective! They'll desperately try to stop us from getting it."

'Close enough...'

I didn't remember the game details well, but the situation was clear.

This was rebels versus empire. A fight to decide who truly served the king.

Whoever got the crown would have the edge in the next mission—obvious as day...

Tch.

Tried to scan with my high-end detection skill, but it's blocked.

Can't do anything about external divine discipline. The enemy was under the same constraints.

Fine, eyeball it myself.

We were on a high vantage overlooking the temple where the crown slept.

A few steps forward, and it was a sheer drop. Deep in that chasm lay the temple.

In other words...

The dungeon was nestled in a canyon-like depression, with building-sized giant statues embedded in the walls on either side.

Each statue held a plate-like platform in its hands, connected by chain bridges.

Fighting on those chains looked insanely risky.

The plates would be the hottest combat zones...

After hopping those plates, there was a small entrance to the temple on the canyon wall at the deepest point.

Pretty far.

Without Perception's vision correction, I wouldn't have spotted the entrance.

That was our goal...

Luckily, the rebels started in a good spot, midway in. The empire's camp was way off.

"No matter what stands in our way, we bring the crown to the True Queen! Ready to stake your lives, brothers?"

"Yes!"

"Follow me. Fast and quiet!"

The empire wasn't staffed by total idiots; they had scouts out.

We crouched and moved with the general, taking out an imperial scout before reaching the giant's plate.

'No academy students...'

But it was prime time for someone to notice.

"Over there too. Take him out, newbie!"

I handled it with my suppressed Glock.

Phsh!

"Impressive work."

"Cross the chain one by one."

This okay?

Miss a step, straight to the abyss. If we get spotted...

"Not instant death height if you fall?"

No one contradicted me.

Sheer, dizzying cliffs...

This was real combat. Not some academy role-play game.

But I had En-chan as backup. The girls behind me...

...Born into a brutal world, huh.

At least with my lead-by-example mindset, I stepped onto the chain first.

"S-Senpai! It's dangerous."

"I'll check it first."

Empire hadn't spotted us yet.

"Keep ready to bail. Falling's bad news."

I walked steadily into the blizzard.

Fortunately, the chain wasn't slippery. On the plate,

Imperial NPCs who hadn't noticed us yet.

I took them out with suppressed Glock shots, muffling sounds in the storm.

That's when it happened.

Bwooooooo!!

Empire's horn blare!

"Spotted or not, same job. Advance!"

"Waaah!"

NPCs charged the temple entrance.

We sent Olaf and the NPCs ahead first, then huddled up.

"It's fine. They're still far off. We beat them to the crown!"

"Yes, Senpai!"

"Sanghyeok. Who's coming!"

Already!?

The blond twin sisters from the first episode slid across the chains like they were flying, then leaped.

Circus-level insane physicality.

When did they fly here?!

"Get ready to fight!"

Didn't know which was the older sister, but both were gunning for us.

"Not escaping this time! Kim Sanghyeok!"

"Right on, Kim Sanghyeok!"

Kannika and Sanbika sisters incoming!

Each armed with long spears and umbrellas, they struck poised stances like Chinese martial arts masters and charged straight.

Bang bang bang!!

Sol unloaded her rifle in full auto, but only scattered snow on the plate.

The blond sisters moved like beasts, nimble and feral.

I fired back with my Glock, but the umbrella one popped it open, deflecting everything and closing in!

"I'll just snap your legs clean off. Hold still~~!"

No good. I'm done for...!

Penetration beyond imagination!

Then a colorless barrier shattered the iron-club umbrella aimed at my arm instead.

"Sanghyeok!"

Hena's barrier had blocked the umbrella strike.

Using void footing application... nice!

I whipped the Benelli slung over my shoulder into position, aimed precisely, and seized the opening.

Boom!!

"Whoops!"

She popped the umbrella, but couldn't move from the spot easily.

"You the older sis? Kannika?"

"I'm ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Sanbika! Umbrella one's Sanbika! Remember it!"

Got it. Umbrella = Sanbika. Noted.

"Jumping in without even saying hi? Sanbika."

"You slipped away dawdling last time! This time it's full imperial smash mode~!"

What about Kannika?

Sol held her off with NTR rifle fire, but she dodged every which way.

Sarika blocked Kannika's path, somehow keeping balance.

In that frantic moment, we synced perfectly with our squad.

Can't do shit alone, for real.

Eye contact with Hena.

"I'll support! Sanghyeok!"

"Good."

Let's do this?!

Sanbika folded her umbrella, crouched low with one leg extended, glaring at us.

Felt like facing a unique Chinese martial artist.

Just watching, her movements screamed flexibility.

'Has martial arts, but motions not easy to read.'

Meant she was even better up close.

But exploit that right, and I could hit an opening...

"Was gonna just break your legs, but if that pretty face gets crushed, not my fault!"

"Come at me!"

Sanbika popped her umbrella and charged.

I calmly aimed the Benelli, flicked the safety, and fired!

Clang!

She thought she'd block it, kept her momentum charging.

Pump action ejected the shell, re-aimed.

Masterpiece Benelli - Moonlight's special effect.

The third shot becomes a moonlight slug...!!

Pulled the trigger like snapping glass.

Click.

'Huh?'

Panicked at zero recoil.

Broken? Switched to pistol aim—

Whoosh!

"Gah!"

Blue light exploded from the muzzle like a burst, pelting Sanbika with lead shot. She flew off umbrella and all.

This would've made her shit herself even over the umbrella?

'Moonlight slug might've pierced that steel umbrella...'

Everyone—enemy, ally—gawked at the moonlight shot's power, including older sis Kannika.

Sanbika, who'd charged full throttle, tumbled 15m after the buckshot. Huge impact.

My value's shooting up.

Sanbika wheezed face-down on the ground.

"What D-rank? You cheater..."

"D-rank Sanghyeok, though."

Academy with history and tradition, power-packed.

'Anyway...'

Personality Excretion? Nah?

She's coming at me to kill, so holding back power-wise?

But drilling lead shot into such a fresh, lovable blond girl's body and thinking 'excretion' made me dizzy.

'No.'

Flip it: because they're cute blond twins, I can do it.

Only heroines I can clean up without killing if needed.

Good chance to learn power control.

'Then no lead shot.'

Lead shot's no-control zone.

Moonlight Lead Shot would rocket her like jelly propulsion.

For precise control by the excretion master? One trusty tool.

Hands.

'To set up hand-excretion...'

Non-lethal rubber rounds perfect.

Ejected the lead, loaded suppression rubber rounds into the Benelli.

"Senpai! Incoming!"

No time to daydream—the twins charged again.