Chapter 54 – The Rabbit Kidnapping Operation #1
The tower master's message was simple. They would set out at dawn tomorrow. Because of that, the supply troops had to move before the crack of dawn, so they were already fast asleep.
"We have to seize three villages and one castle. And near the territory's capital, we'll serve as reserves."
"Understood."
"It might not be an easy fight. Keep your wits about you."
Lawrence nodded at the tower master's stern warning.
Finally, it was time to depart.
If the subjugation battle had been a mere event, this was a true territorial war.
He needed to stay sharp as well.
"It might be too much for a young child like you, but it'll be good experience. Our mages will take extra care to ensure you make no bad memories."
"Thank you, Tower Master."
"Rest well. See you at dawn."
The tower master vanished, and as Lawrence returned to his room, Ades Benoman was whistling out the window. For an army scraped together from every corner, the movements were remarkably systematic. The enemy being undead clearly played a key role.
"Still peaceful. Tower Master seems decent too. I'm heading out. Come report if anything odd happens."
"Understood. Be especially wary of anyone from the Montemer family."
"Wary of your own house most of all, huh? You've got a rough fate. Hang in there."
Ades Benoman left words that could pass for either encouragement or a curse before slipping into the shadows.
Lawrence decided to split his remaining time between rest and work. He still had plenty to prepare for the undead.
"Still got troll meat left. Guess I need to mod this too."
Troll meat could be turned into far more potent holy grenades.
Lawrence's twenty-four hours felt far too short. Materials were piling up, and there were so many things he wanted to craft.
He could catch sleep during the march.
Worried about growth strain? With magic and artifacts, that wouldn't be an issue.
Scratch, scratch.
What would the Holy Kingdom folk think of these? He was genuinely curious.
They wouldn't brand him a heretic. In their eyes, holy power was a grace reserved for those blessed by the goddess.
There was no downside to staying on good terms with the Holy Kingdom. They had no grudge against the Montemer name either.
What an ironic situation.
To think I'd use the family name I despised more thoroughly than anyone. The world truly is unpredictable.
Weeee!
His time flew by like an arrow, and dawn's departure finally arrived.
#2
The air was still quite chilly. The hour before dawn dulled everyone's movements.
After the commander's speech in the square and the distribution of operational maps, the departure ceremony proceeded neither grandly nor sparsely.
"Not tired? I feel like my body's dragging."
"I'm fine."
"Lucky you. Must be the youth. Enviable."
"Youth has its perks."
As he loaded his gear onto the assigned horse amid talk that made him sound like an old soul, Dillon shook his head.
Iron Hanma and Argon Bredley from the central academy led the vanguard, with the formation arrayed to protect the mages.
The mission: raid villages, wipe out undead. If any civilians remained, rescue them immediately.
The horses began to move slowly.
He felt a few saint knights' gazes but paid them no mind. They wouldn't achieve what they wanted anyway.
No, they might even be impressed. Told you to watch closely.
Lawrence smiled quietly and urged his horse forward.
The journey would be tedious. The enemy wasn't venturing out of the territory, and the empire's lands were vast, so he'd focus on maintaining his condition en route.
Will Sis pull through this time too?
He was determined to uncover why Media kept targeting Loria. Only then could he piece together the root causes of the family's downfall and its twisted chains.
Unaware of Lawrence's worries, Loria marched confidently alongside mages from the Towers of Change and Moonlight.
Shayan Deferter's Deferter family mage unit was on the same route as well.
"An awful lot of mages, huh."
"I was thinking the same. But considering the terrain, it makes sense."
"I see."
Their destination was the enemy's rearmost line—the farthest point, from which they'd assault the gateway to the capital with magic.
High ground, a single passable route, a potential retreat path, the gate itself, and a strategic chokepoint to seize the enemy's rear. All in one place, the core of this operation.
Oberon's elite soldiers and a full knight order had been committed. The Holy Kingdom's main forces were deployed here too, of course.
Solid lineup... so why the unease?
Despite the overwhelming might, Loria couldn't shake her anxiety. Even astride her horse, she kept scanning her surroundings.
Strangers or not, casual chatter should have flowed, but the atmosphere was rigidly tense.
Only the clip-clop of hooves and the thud of boots filled the air.
Loria marched without loosening her guard. Among those watching her were a few Montemer mages.
Why watch Lady Loria... but orders are orders.
Oliver from the Tower of Moonlight.
What scheme this time? How to fake the report?
Eckel Yurgo from the Tower of Change.
Two men moving with divergent aims.
The heavy silence of this tense march was broken by Shayan Deferter, the Deferter heir.
"Then we'll head this way. Good luck."
"Good luck to you, young master."
"...Right."
With his silver hair whipping in the wind, the Deferter mage unit wheeled their mounts away. They departed to strike elsewhere directly, leaving the main army behind.
Needing to take a long detour, the rest marched in silence.
But armies were always like that. Grand plans inevitably crumbled, and forgotten training gave way to pure instinct.
Just like now.
[Kieeeek!]
"Ambush!"
Black shapes tumbled down from the cliffs above. Magic circles flared up everywhere at once.
It was an ambush even the Holy Kingdom's scouts—and the forward recon—had missed.
"Huh, what should I do?"
And watching it all was someone who'd been tailing them on Lawrence's orders: Ades Benoman.
The exquisitely timed crisis made him grasp why Lawrence had sent him specifically here. His eyes hardened.
Priority one: keep Lady Loria safe.
It wasn't time for him to move yet.
#3
"This should do it."
"Mm."
"Why... are they targeting Lady Loria so obsessively?"
"I don't know that either."
The Deferters had slipped to a safe route toward their objective. Their goal of exterminating the undead remained unchanged. Failure here could balloon into a major family crisis.
"The lady doesn't seem pleased with us acting on our own..."
"And? She can't do a thing without us anyway."
"True enough."
Shayan spurred his horse onward, Media Montemer in his thoughts.
They shared a tight bond with Deferter, but she was just a chess piece in the grand scheme.
Did she realize she had no place in his true vision?
Shayan hurried. To him, Alzeras was trash to be swept away.
"We claim all the merits. Every last black mage must be dealt with."
"Understood."
"Ah, did you pass on the order to definitely take out Eckel and Oliver?"
"Yes. I emphasized it repeatedly, with full descriptions of their features. They'll kill them even if it means mutual destruction."
Shayan nodded. Battlefields bred endless accidents, after all.
Everything was proceeding as planned. The day Deferter rose above Montemer was near.
"Hurry."
"Yes! Moving out!"
A strange aura began to emanate from the mages and soldiers alike.
They rushed off.
As they vanished toward Alzeras, a figure emerged from the shadows.
"Harsh talk. Gotta report this fast."
The intel he'd overheard from afar was top-grade. Piecing together mere keywords was child's play.
He needed to relay it to Lawrence and thwart their scheme.
Otherwise, long-term, the Lawrence he'd sworn to follow would be in grave danger!
He rushed off. Loria first.
Save the lady, and their whole plan crumbles.
Man, maybe I picked the wrong job.
First proper day on duty, and utter chaos.
Ades sighed deeply and headed back to the attacked group.
The situation was worse than thought.
"Protect the mages!"
"Chant faster!"
"How much longer!?"
The knights formed a solid barrier while mages and archers sniped the undead from behind.
Even seasoned casters dove into incantations, but few overcame the psychological crush of the ambush.
The Phoenix mage unit grimaced at the familiar subjugation pattern but completed their chants, unleashing fire magic on the undead.
"—Burn my foes!"
"—Punish the enemy with mana flame!"
[Fireball] [Fire Spear]
Boom!
Kaboom!
Mages formed the battle's core.
The northern veterans methodically annihilated the enemy.
"Lady, doesn't something feel off?"
"I think so too."
As the fight dragged on, Freyja asked Loria.
Loria's face soured in agreement.
"Why are the undead charging straight at me?"
"It's clearly targeting you. But... I can't fathom why."
"I need to move out alone."
"...Pardon?"
Loria's snap judgment stunned everyone.
At that moment, a black-clad assassin appeared before them.
"Smart thinking, miss."
"Who are you!?"
"Friend of young master Lawrence. Or subordinate? Something like that. Yeah, the undead are after you."
"Sent by Lawrence?"
Ades Benoman.
He'd appeared to extract Loria—technically, to bring her to Lawrence.
If anyone's gunning for Sis, drag her here.
Scatter their forces. It's a key spot, after all.
Unbelievable. Everything was unfolding exactly as Lawrence predicted.
Imagining the enemy scrambling without Loria brought a pleased smile to Ades's lips.
He extended a hand, enveloping her with his unique ability.
"Lady Loria, let's have some fun from here on."
"Kyaaah!?"
And so, Loria was kidnapped.
Operation name: Rabbit Kidnapping Operation.