72
My Villains Chapter 72
20. City of Chaos (1)
A flash of light appeared before my eyes as numerous sensations flowed into my brain through my senses. The first sensation I felt was the warm sunlight caressing my skin.
Wow, how long has it been since I've seen the sun? Feels like almost a week.
However, before I could fully enjoy this welcome sensation, an odd floating feeling gripped my thighs.
"Uh—"
Although I had mentally prepared myself, instantaneous movement wasn't something you could easily get used to.
Even though this was my third time experiencing it, my heart dropping was... Understandable, I suppose.
Especially when the destination of the teleportation was about a hundred meters up in the air!
After assessing the situation, I immediately shouted, "Ellen! The earrings, the earrings!"
"Kyaak!"
Thankfully, Ellen, barely holding back her scream, immediately drew upon her magical power to activate the flying effect.
However, Ellen's flying ability was still terrible, and we swayed back and forth in the wind like a kite with its string cut.
"Uhhh—"
"Hey, just stay still! We just need to descend slowly!"
"Ugh, easy for you to say, you try it!"
Aah— seriously, I wish I could do it myself, you fool!
Fortunately, perhaps Ellen's survival instinct kicked in, as she soon found her balance and began to glide slowly.
"Slowly, slowly, no need to panic, slowly—"
Ellen, deeply concentrated, was muttering to herself. I secretly caught my breath and looked down at our feet. But then,
"...Huh?"
The scene spread out below was completely different from the South Harbor I knew. For a moment, I thought we might be in a different city.
South Harbor was in complete chaos, as if a giant monster had gone on a rampage.
Even at a glance, about 200 buildings had collapsed, and the stone-paved ground had sunken or cracked in many places.
The street where the market used to be had turned into ruins, and the mill, guard tower, and garrison were all completely destroyed.
The most shocking sight was the Salt Castle and the city walls.
The Salt Castle, the lord's residence, was almost half-destroyed and looked like it could collapse at any moment. Two of the four corner towers had completely crumbled, and white roof tiles were scattered everywhere.
About a quarter of the city walls, which embraced the city in a fan shape, had collapsed.
The middle of the long stretch of debris was filled with muddy pools, perhaps from water that had overflowed from the moat.
Could the thieves have done this?
That thought crossed my mind for a moment, but looking at the attire of the soldiers moving through the city, that didn't seem to be the case.
Especially in the city square, several military tents were set up, which made me certain that the situation wasn't the worst it could be.
Because I could see the Golden Lion flag fluttering among the tents.
"Slowly, slowly— we're almost there. Slowly, slowly—"
Just as Ellen was muttering, as we got closer to the ground, a group of soldiers was watching us.
"They're coming down from the southwest!"
"To the square, go to the square!"
"Report to Lord Liam!"
Shouts full of wariness.... And that wasn't all—some soldiers were aiming crossbows and bows at us.
...Damn, looks like we won't be getting any rest, that's for sure.
Inside a large tent, a soldier was kneeling on one knee before heavily armed knights.
A handsome man sitting among the knights rubbed his tired eyes. He swept back his shining silver hair once and asked the soldier again.
"...Who did you say appeared where?"
"A half-naked man and a blonde girl, sir. They appeared in the sky above the city and are descending this way."
The silver-haired man's face showed considerable fatigue, as if he hadn't rested properly for a while. However, his features were so refined that just lifting his head seemed to brighten the tent.
The handsome man quietly pressed his temples and asked the knight beside him.
"Lord Langbolt, did I hear that correctly?"
"What did you hear, my lord?"
"I believe I heard that some pervert fell from the sky with a young girl."
"Then you understood correctly, my lord."
The knight in the blue cape, Langbolt Ershore, answered while stroking his mustache. The beautiful prince, Ulkar, muttered while sighing.
"This city keeps producing incomprehensible events."
The knights around him responded with bitter smiles, seeming to agree with the prince's words.
A giant who was a head taller than the other knights frowned deeply and said to the prince.
"It's because our security is lax, my lord. We should drag out everyone on the walls and beat them."
When the giant raised his voice, the prince leaned back in his chair and interlocked his fingers.
"You mean the gate guard?"
"Who else could it be, my lord?"
"If they leave their posts, the walls, which are already barely functioning, will be half-empty. How do you propose we fill those positions?"
"We can use the militia the Count has mobilized."
The prince shook his head slightly.
"Lord Ankir knows that's impossible."
"My lord."
"The militia is nothing more than a collection of riffraff. Even if there are a few capable ones among them, they're not a group that can replace the guard."
At the prince's assertion, the knight who had been stroking his mustache, Langbolt, spoke with a cautious expression.
"However, my lord. Our army also suffered significant losses when entering the city. If damages continue to pile up like this, it won't be good for either inside or outside the city. And, training the militia these past few days... Wasn't it ultimately to use them as soldiers?"
"What you call training was merely establishing military law. Guard duty is an operation based on strong endurance and strict military discipline, so leaving it to them would only lead to failure. I have other uses in mind for the militia, so don't discuss this matter further."
When the prince finished speaking while looking around at those present, the knights all bowed their heads in unison. Ulkar smiled faintly and spoke to the messenger.
"Go and relay my words. Capture them alive for questioning, but do not torture them."
"Yes, Your Highness."
As the messenger left, the prince quietly called out one name.
"Lord Ariad."
"Yes, my lord."
At Ulkar's call, an old man suddenly popped out from among the knights.
The old man, with his small build, rough beard, darkly tanned and deeply wrinkled face, incongruously wore a longsword at his waist.
Unlike the other knights wearing heavy plate armor, the old man was wearing only a padded armor haphazardly.
His appearance was closer to that of a mercenary or soldier rather than a knight, but the prince questioned him naturally.
"We followed your advice to repair the walls and check the defensive positions. We've endured, crouching behind collapsed fortifications while holding our hungry stomachs. But the situation shows no signs of improving."
Though it sounded like criticism, the old man nodded agreeably, showing no concern.
"I've already told you, my lord. Things won't get better from here. The only solution is to persistently endure through the worst situations."
"Do you really think that's the answer? How long can we hold out catching rats in sewers and stripping rotten bark?"
"We won't be able to hold out for long."
Just as the prince's face was about to crack, the old man quickly continued.
"The thieves are in a worse situation than us. Without a base nearby, their hastily gathered supplies must have run out by now, and they're probably just barely hanging on through sheer will."
"How can you be so sure?"
"It's easy to guess from their reckless attacks over the past few days, my lord."
At this, Ankir, who had his arms crossed, frowned and objected.
"How do you know if those were reckless attacks or a final wave of assaults meant to choke us?"
"If we endure to the end, it will have been nothing but reckless attacks, and if we ultimately collapse, it will have been timely waves of assault."
"...What kind of sophistry is that?"
Suppressing a scoff, Ankir turned to the prince and said, "The bandits are attacking while eating their own horses. They've clearly decided to hold out until the end, my lord!"
"...So what is your opinion?"
"The situation has gotten this bad because we've been cowering like cowards. Tonight, we should distribute our saved food to feed the soldiers well, then strike them at dawn. I'll lead the cavalry at the front and crush them in one go."
"And then?"
"After driving out the bandits and securing supply routes, we'll gather strength again and drive away those crawling up from the sea. What's so difficult about that?"
At the giant knight's bold declaration, the small old man shook his head with a slight laugh.
"The pirates are operating scout ships day and night. If we attack the bandits, they'll quickly notice and strike from behind. Even if we defeat the bandits, they'll just scatter temporarily and raid our supply routes while roaming the fields. It's the worst of the worst plans, with nothing to gain."
"...Are you done speaking?"
"Not yet, Lord Ankir. The bandits showing themselves eating horses was likely also a deception to draw us out. It's regrettable that you, with your vast battlefield experience, would fall for such an obvious trick."
"Ha, what did you say! You lowborn old man!"
Just as Ankir's face turned red and he was about to raise his voice, Ulkar raised his hand to stop him.
"Enough, enough!"
"But my lord, this fellow..."
"There's no need for you lords to fight! It was my choice to step into this chaos in the first place, so if you want to be angry, be angry at me!"
At the prince's thundering voice, the knights could only quietly bow their heads. Ulkar sighed and questioned Ariad again.
"So, you're saying there's only one answer? Should we just pray to the Lord and hope they retreat, without any other measures?"
The old man stroked his rough beard and answered in an ambiguous tone.
"Actually, there is something that concerns me."
"What is it?"
"I can't understand why these thieves are so obsessed with South Harbor."
"...Well, isn't it because South Harbor is one of the largest cities in the south, so they believe there must be considerable wealth?"
The old man shook his head at the prince's words.
"No matter how much money is in the city, what use is it if it's difficult to take? The fact that they haven't retreated even though you, my lord, known throughout the kingdom for your military prowess, have personally arrived, must mean there's some reason."
"Some reason?"
"Yes. Whether they have something they're counting on, or some objective... There must be a clear reason why they're obsessed with this city. If we could just figure out what it is and deal with it, the thieves would probably retreat, but..."
"...We have no way of knowing right now."
"I apologize, my lord."
Ulkar barely swallowed a sigh that was trying to escape. After brief contemplation, he surveyed those present with eyes flowing with deep blue radiance and declared, "Tonight, we march."
Everyone showed surprised expressions at the unexpected words, and among them, the old knight Ariad narrowed his brow and groaned.
"My lord, that's..."
"I don't mean to crush the enemy in one blow. I mean to boost our soldiers' morale and break the enemy's momentum once again."
"Hmm..."
At the prince's firm tone, the old knight backed down.
"As we've done until now... Lord Liam will guard this place, and Lord Langbolt will take charge of the harbor. Lord Ankir and I will lead the cavalry to sweep through the enemy camp."
"Yes, my lord!"
Along with the resonant response, the knights' enthusiasm filled the tent. They all seemed to welcome the prince's order.
After a brief meeting to establish attack plans, a middle-aged man stepped forward.
He had a magnificent helm decorated with colorful feathers at his side.
His plate armor was spotlessly polished, his hair was neatly combed back, and he was clean-shaven.
His appearance was particularly striking compared to the other knights whose armor was covered in dust.
"As per your instructions, I've been monitoring the Count's Guard Captain for two days."
"What are the results?"
"He seemed very dissatisfied. He keeps talking about how he should be directly serving the Count."
At the middle-aged knight's report, the prince tapped his armrest and asked.
"That's troublesome. What's your suggestion?"
"We can use the Military Affairs Director as before. He's someone with a sense of responsibility, so he'll know how to appease his subordinates."
"Wasn't the Guard Captain said to be the Count's cousin? I don't think even the Military Affairs Director can control him. Especially in this situation."
At the prince's negative response, the middle-aged knight hesitated before speaking.
"The Guard Captain is a proper noble, so we can't simply eliminate him. If he bothers you, we can imprison him in the Salt Castle along with the Count."
Ulkar thought for a moment before nodding.
"We'll follow Lord Liam's suggestion. Check the Salt Castle's security again—"
"Your Highness!"
Before he could finish speaking, a soldier burst into the tent. The prince gestured to the soldier while stopping the knights from shouting.
"The, the stranger who came down from the sky wishes to see Your Highness."
"...Me?"
"Yes, some of the soldiers recognized him..."
At the messenger's following words, an unusual light flashed in the prince's deep blue eyes.