Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: 12. It's Not Over Until It's Over (8)
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That beaming smile of hers was seriously unsettling.
If this were the imperial palace, the maids and butlers would be huddled in the corners, trembling in fear, while the soldiers and knights stood at high alert in full battle readiness. Yet she just smiled at me like that.
“It's been a while, Ast.”
What was I supposed to say to that?
Should I play along and say it had been a while for me too?
Or act happy to see her?
No, maybe pretend she had the wrong guy—that I wasn't Ast?
What reaction would even let me get out of this alive?
Actually, forget that...
“How did you find this place?”
It wasn't like she'd spent years investigating, like Sia had.
The organization's escape routes had been painstakingly carved out over a decade, but this one was brand new—less than a year old!
How the hell did she sniff out this fresh escape tunnel?
“Dwarves. Or rather, most of the non-humans you know. I had people tailing them. You don't trust humans, but you trust non-humans, right?”
Fair enough.
Humans were backstabbing creatures by nature, but elves and dwarves didn't betray you.
After centuries of getting screwed over by humans, they were loyal to a fault—once you earned their trust, they'd stake their lives on it until it broke.
And she exploited that trust to plant spies!
“But slipping agents past the elves and dwarves' watchful eyes— was that even possible?”
“It was tough. Took every agency in the empire working together—a real triumph.”
For all her proud boasting, it boiled down to mobilizing the empire's entire secret service just to catch me.
What a waste of manpower to snag little old me!
Those elite agents pulled salaries bigger than a backwater barony's monthly revenue!
How much cash did she burn on this?
“Isn't this a waste of resources?”
“Nah, it's fine. The empire covered their paychecks without missing a beat.”
“And that pay comes from imperial citizens' taxes, doesn't it?”
“Yeah... no. The empire's coffers are flush these days. You know—the Howling takedown last year.”
I knew. It used to be my workplace.
The one this woman right in front of me had the crown prince bankrupt!
“Howling was loaded, huh?”
Her sly grin made ten knights materialize at light speed to surround and protect her.
“Huh? You guys didn't need to come out yet.”
The princess tilted her head at their pale faces. One knight, who seemed to be their leader, stepped forward, lips quivering.
“Y-Your Highness said to come out on your signal...”
“But I haven't given the signal yet?”
“W-We thought... with Your Highness smiling... we just...”
Ah. The palace was as paranoid as ever.
Made sense.
The princess, who always wore a stern or pissed-off expression, smiling usually meant all hell was about to break loose.
“...I see?”
She looked seriously displeased at the knight's words.
“Phew...”
The knights all sighed in relief.
“Seriously, what do you think I'm gonna do?”
What do you mean? Every time you smile, blood gets spilled.
“Sigh, Ast, things have been weird for me lately without you around. Back when you were there, at least people treated me like a normal person.”
Hold up—what?
“Your Highness? Are you saying you only got treated like a normal person because of me?”
“Why are you so shocked? It's obvious.”
Obvious? How?
“Your Highness! Me, the last sane person serving you, and you talk to me like that?”
“Huh? What're you on about? You're the empire's officially certified 'top mad dog,' aren't you?”
We were talking past each other.
Best to get a third-party confirmation.
“Hey, who's right?”
“Huh?”
I turned slightly toward the knight who'd spoken to the princess earlier.
I'd seen some of the people nearby before, but this knight was new.
I'd been at the palace just over ten years, so a changing of the guard wasn't surprising.
“Uh, I wasn't around back then...”
“But you've heard the rumors about Ast. The guy's got a rap sheet a mile long.”
The princess pressured him as he dodged my gaze and tried to clam up.
Under her stare, the knight shot me a resentful look but couldn't hold out and bowed his head.
“From what my seniors told me, Sir Ast was the empire's top mad dog.”
This was a conspiracy!
“See? Told you.”
Definitely a conspiracy.
That senior who fed him the story must've hated my guts.
Maybe someone whose credit I stole... Nah, I never stole credit—I gave it away.
Or jealous of my closeness to the princess? No way.
People who'd actually lived in the palace knew better than to envy outsiders.
So what then?
Why spread that kind of misinformation?
“Your Highness, he's your knight. Of course he'd take your side. It doesn't prove you're right just because he says so.”
“Isn't the illogical part you asking first, then calling it invalid when it doesn't suit you? And...”
Thud!
-Eek! Master, bustered!
“Your little time-wasting tricks while you scheme.”
With a flick of her wrist, a section of the underground tunnel wall exploded.
And there, a thread-thin strand of the iron bat!
“You think I'd let you slip away again?”
Beaming, she swung her hand a few more times, unleashing a storm of sword aura where the bat had been.
-Eeeee! Gonna die! Scary! Master, save meee!
It wouldn't die unless melted down completely, but my escape attempt was toast.
What the hell was that? Sword beams flying just from waving her hand?
I knew she was a swordmaster back in the day, but not at this level!
-Eeeee! Almost lost some hair! Good thing I reeled it all back!
The iron bat, now back in my hand, whined in a teary voice.
Damn. My perfect plan—turn thread-thin, sneak around, ambush the knights—ruined just like that.
“Before you rack your brain any more... should I chop off a leg?”
Her tongue flicking across red lips would look seductive to anyone objective.
But to me? Pure terror made flesh.
I'd seen that somewhere!
Like that manga girl with the axe who wrote in her diary, but it sent entries to the future.
Pinch her cheeks with both hands, and it'd sync perfectly!
Mamotte Aguero!
Okay, her line wasn't “I'll protect you,” but still!
“People are supposed to stand on two legs, Your Highness.”
“It's fine, Ast. I won't abandon you over one missing leg.”
No, just abandon me now. Please!
“I'm not fine with it.”
“I am.”
Cold sweat poured down my back like a waterfall.
Yeah, when has she ever cared about anyone else's feelings?
But I couldn't just let her lop off my leg.
Time to use the Sia escape method!
-Iron bat, combine!
Last time, the thin thread got sliced by sword aura, but in armor form, even that should hold!
So I went for my last resort.
-Master, sorry. Ultimate fusion, Arcanaran, impossible!
-Why!
-No mana left... Used every last drop transforming earlier, then scraping up the severed bits drained the rest.
-Why now of all times!
-Since academy started, I've been burning mana like crazy. Makes sense, right?
“Hm? You're awfully quiet for Ast. Something wrong?”
Her smile was gentle, but the silver sword aura in her right hand blazed brighter, growing larger.
Was I really about to lose a leg and get dragged back to the palace?
No way out?
No—I still had the iron bat.
“Phew... Could you really just... let me go?”
I straightened up from my cower with a sigh.
“Hmm~ Wanna try me?”
Sword aura in her right, wooden bat in her left—the princess eyed me like it was a game.
“Your Highness, you're strong.”
“Damn right.”
She wasn't just some lucky spawn of the emperor.
Born a commoner, she'd have toppled nations and built her own empire.
Born with inhuman mana and talent, she'd seized anything she wanted.
No mere word like “strong” could cover it. I smirked, curling my lip.
“But can you stop me?”
Yes. Stop me. Please.
Honestly, beating a swordmaster? Only one way.
First strike!
Land the iron bat first—even a swordmaster needs a split-second to recover body and mind.
Pile on the damage in that gap, and down they go.
But right now, I'm on the receiving end, knights everywhere.
To land that one hit, I needed an opening.
Just one. One solid smack.
Before the iron bat, all are equal.
I'd seen her wince from a wooden bat before, so iron would work too!
“Hmm... I could probably stop you, but against you, Ast? Can't afford to get cocky.”
Yes, don't get cocky, please.
Assume I've got aces hidden everywhere, read meaning into my every move—that's my ticket to survival.
“Coming here with just ten knights... Did you use every knight from the academy to catch me? Or are there more hiding behind? Or are you just looking down on me?”
Ten knights was terrifying, but I couldn't show weakness.
Time for some bluffing.
A few knights grimaced at my words but kept poker faces in front of her.
Some had faced me before, so it probably hit home.
Remind them of the guy once called the empire's great general, kicking ass against neighbors.
“With Lady Rea absent, no knight here can stop me.”
I gripped the bat and assumed position.
The knights drew swords and mirrored me.
Tense standoff.
Once she signaled, they'd rush.
Bat the first one, use him as a shield to close on her.
Come on! Please come! Don't come yourself, princess!
“Yeah, ten knights... No Rea. Not weird if you think I'm underestimating you.”
But her reaction was nothing like I'd expected.
Normally, she'd snap her fingers and order them to grab me.
Had age taught her the power of words?
Could I talk my way out?
“But Ast? I've been waiting for you a long time. Holding back, holding back, holding back some more.”
I got a flicker of hope for a smooth-talk escape, but her next words killed it.
“Over ten years, thinking only of you, waiting only for you.”
...Why wasn't I thrilled by this beauty's confession?
Even the iron bat shrieked “Eek! Scary!” with chills pouring off it.
“Every day, I obsessed. How to catch you. Overwhelm with numbers? But your 'disciple' failed at Howling. Even I thought it had low odds of failure.”
She knew about Sia's plan?
Yet brought only ten knights?
Judged them more efficient than Sia's crew?
Her?
“No way...”
Putting it all together, one conclusion.
Each of these guys was worth a hundred.
No—a thousand.
And those kinds of people...
“Right on the money, Ast!”
Eyes full of anticipation,
Joy,
Conviction.
She beamed at me.
“Ast. Made just for you! To catch you... my Swordmaster Knights!”
“Eh, don't need that crap.”
Staring at the dazzling lights before me, I blurted out my honest thought.