Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Night of Chaos
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***
“How’s it looking?”
“The security is twice as tight as usual, and the underground prison is guarded in teams of three. It was extremely strict.”
Arthur gave a faint smile at Foche’s report.
After training all day, their frustration must be boiling over.
They were undoubtedly desperate for the intruder from last night to show up again.
That way, they could vent all their pent-up rage.
“We should give them what they want.”
Arthur continued with a smile tugging at his lips.
“You, Ramni, and Perry—infiltrate and cause some havoc.”
“Understood.”
Foche’s face lit up with mischief.
“But if you get caught, you’ll spar with me one-on-one for a whole month.”
“Gah!”
Foche and the others paled instantly, recalling their trainee days sparring with Arthur.
They’d been beaten mercilessly until their swords broke, nearly passing out each time, only saved by Millerph’s heals in the nick of time—repeating endlessly.
Just thinking about it made their teeth grind and bodies shudder.
The thought of going through it again snapped them alert.
“No way that’ll happen.”
Ramni and Perry nodded firmly at Foche’s response.
“And Latelle and Kasan—you two guard Mother’s side as if this were real.”
“Yes, sir.”
They bowed politely.
Arthur turned to Mullan and continued.
“Go to the stables, release Britannica and all the horses, and open the castle gate.”
“The castle gate, sir?”
“I plan to turn everything upside down.”
“It’ll be total pandemonium.”
Mullan grinned.
That left only Dark.
All eyes turned to him, wondering what order Arthur would give.
Dark stared straight at Arthur, awaiting his command.
Arthur met his gaze and asked.
“It could be dangerous.”
“I’m fine.”
“You might get seriously hurt. You can refuse this mission.”
“I’m prepared to follow any order.”
Dark answered without a moment’s hesitation.
Arthur looked pleased at his response.
“Good. Infiltrate the Del Knight Order and bring back Adran’s bow.”
“……!”
Dark’s eyes flickered for a split second.
He’d guessed it wouldn’t be a simple task from the warning, but he never imagined this command.
Unlike the other orders, the Del Knight Order had joined late, so he hadn’t even properly greeted the knights.
If his mask slipped and his face was revealed, they’d likely treat him as an enemy.
“Can you do it?”
Dark hesitated briefly before replying.
“I will.”
“Bring it here, and the mission’s complete.”
Arthur glanced around at the Devil Squad in their black uniforms and continued.
“Treat this like the real thing and give it your all. If they spot you, buy as much time as possible.”
They all bowed solemnly.
Arthur checked the clock on the tower.
“Move out at the stroke of midnight. Head to your positions.”
They exchanged determined glances wordlessly before scattering swiftly.
Left alone on the ramparts, Arthur silently watched their retreating figures.
Once they vanished from sight, he pulled his mask up to his eyes and melted into the darkness.
***
Ten minutes to midnight.
Patrols moved in pairs around the barracks.
Torches blazed everywhere, leaving no shadows in sight.
The sentries scanned their surroundings with sharp eyes.
In the command tent, the knight order captains gathered for status reports.
“It’s been quiet so far.”
Adran was there too, serving as interim captain of the Del Knight Order.
“Will he really show?”
Hector eyed Hellot skeptically.
Hellot stared at the Julius family banner fluttering atop the distant walls and said curtly.
“The moment he shows his face here, he’s a dead man.”
“Obviously.”
Drakan gripped his black spear tightly.
As they all suppressed their fury thinking of last night’s intruder—
Tweet—!
A shrill whistle pierced the air.
They rushed out of the tent in unison, and the sentries converged on the sound.
“Intruder…….”
A knight on inner patrol staggered out and collapsed.
Hellot’s eyes widened as he bellowed.
“Emergency standby—!”
His voice echoed thunderously.
Drakan and Hector shot inside like arrows.
Moments later.
The emergency standby squad deployed inside at Hellot’s command.
Adran stayed behind and asked Hellot, who was scanning the area.
“He didn’t come alone, right?”
“There’s one place to check.”
Hellot bolted toward the underground prison.
The area was in uproar, but the prison guards held their posts steadfastly.
As Hellot approached, they asked with grim faces.
“Did the bastard show?”
“Seems he’s inside the castle. Stay sharp—he might hit here too.”
As Hellot swept the surroundings with a piercing gaze—
Neighhh!
Neigh!
Britannica and the horses burst from the stables, rampaging through the castle grounds.
“What the—?”
Hellot looked baffled.
Adran was equally stunned.
This was nothing like the stealthy infiltration they’d expected from last night, and their confusion showed.
“This is all…….”
Bwoooo!
The emergency horn blared.
“……!”
Hellot and Adran’s eyes snapped wide as they sprinted toward the gate.
The castle gate, which should have been shut tight, was opening.
“No!”
Hellot roared, racing to where the guards lay collapsed. He seized the spinning winch drum, halting it.
“Urk!”
What three grown men struggled with, he tried alone—it was too much.
He felt his body stretching taut.
“Raaagh!”
Roaring, he poured every ounce of strength in when Adran arrived and grabbed hold too.
“Don’t let it open! Nngh…….”
She strained with all her might to stop the winch.
The gate halted at about 60 degrees.
They’d barely stopped it, but their strength was fading fast.
“No…… not like this…….”
“Please…….”
Hellot gritted his teeth, mustering everything. A faint orange aura rose from him.
Seeing it, Adran’s eyes flashed.
‘This is!’
“No way…… in hell!”
Hellot’s arms swelled like his calves, veins bulging prominently.
The winch, locked in a tense struggle, began inching backward.
“Just a bit more…….”
Creak...
The gate closed ever so slightly.
***
Meanwhile.
The purple-aura triplets unleashed their signature speed, shaking off Drakan and Hector’s pursuit.
‘Damn!’
‘How are they this fast?’
‘We expected it, but…….’
They panicked at the steady gap.
Exchanging glances, they split at a fork.
“Left!”
Drakan chased the pair fleeing that way.
They circled the first floor before ascending to the second, Drakan hot on their heels, mana surging.
Soon enough.
Another fork—they split again. Drakan’s face twisted.
“Damn it!”
He hurled his black spear at the one ahead.
Swoosh—
It tore through the air viciously.
“Shit!”
Perry sensed the killing intent closing in and flung himself sideways.
Swish—
“Gah!”
Perry crumpled, face contorted, as the spear embedded in the far wall.
Boom!
Confirming the fall, Drakan pursued the remaining one.
Spotting Drakan on his tail, Ramni bolted for the tower’s summit.
To buy maximum time, that was best.
‘Keep following.’
As his lips curled, killing intent poured from Drakan’s eyes.
‘I’ll catch you for sure.’
***
“Block them!”
“Herd ’em right!”
The castle grounds turned to chaos from the Britannica rampage.
Knights who’d always handled them well were at a loss as the beasts went berserk.
Unable to overpower them physically, they tried soothing them instead.
But it was no use.
With leader Khan spearheading the frenzy, the rest rampaged like unbridled colts.
“Young Master hasn’t shown yet?”
“He’s the only one who can calm this…….”
The knights desperately hoped Arthur would appear and sort it out.
Contrary to their wishes, Arthur went to Ron the Giant Wolf and asked him to keep the Horcamun tribesmen out.
This plan aimed to discipline and unite the knight orders, so their non-involvement was ideal.
Leaving them to the Giant Wolves, he infiltrated each order’s barracks, emerging with something in hand.
Their pride and joy: the banners.
Defen Knight Order, Del Knight Order, Lannister Knight Order—their tents stood empty.
Everyone was out handling the outbreaks.
Occasionally, knights entered the tents.
Arthur evaded their eyes each time, hiding in rafters or shadows unnoticed.
He moved to his final target: the Phoenix Knight Order barracks.
The Devil Squad was executing perfectly.
Now, just snag the Phoenix banner and wrap it up.
He slipped through the darkness swiftly.
Unlike the others, thirty-odd Phoenix knights waited inside.
The Assault Squad.
Hellot’s reserve for unexpected crises.
The strongest first-wave members had gone with Skevin; these were second-wave elites.
“No signal from Vice Captain yet?”
“Nope.”
“Is just waiting here really the right call?”
Impatience grew with time.
Neighhh!
“Damn!”
Crash!
“Argh! My leg!”
A agonized scream rang out.
“Can’t take it anymore!”
One leaped up and flung open the door.
Thud!
He flew back as if rammed by a charging horse.
They all jumped up, staring at the entrance.
A man in black robes and mask.
The intruder from last night.
“Get him!”
Knights drew swords and charged Arthur.
Arthur didn’t flinch, rushing to meet them and dodging fluidly like water.
The Assault Squad reeled—their strikes didn’t even graze his clothes.
“How…….”
“This can’t be…….”
“What are you doing? Snap out of it!”
Jonathan, the second-wave leader, bellowed like thunder. They refocused and attacked again.
Blades slashed from all sides.
Arthur’s super senses kicked in—every motion slowed to a crawl.
The onslaught was merciless but harmless.
Unavoidables he deflected with knife-hand strikes. Deep inside, he snatched the banner and dove out the window.
Crash!
“After him!”
Knights poured outside.
But Arthur’s lead widened until they lost him.
“Damn it!”
“Fan out and search! Don’t let him escape!”
Jonathan issued crisp orders.
Watching them scatter, he returned inside to check what was taken.
The knight order banner.
“Why the banner……?”
Doubt clouded his face—then realization struck.
“Ah!”
Come to think of it, no killing intent from the guy.
Some were knocked flying by his strikes, but not gravely injured—they could stand and charge again.
A real enemy would’ve killed or crippled them.
His mind raced, piecing it together.
‘If I’m right…….’
Only one person could pull this off.
No one else.
Jonathan frowned.
“What are you thinking?”
***
Meanwhile, Dark—who’d scoured the grounds for Adran—spotted her at the gate.
With Hellot beside her, it risked a two-on-one fight.
When within ten meters, he held his breath, erasing his presence entirely.
‘One shot.’
They’d closed the gate and were resting.
Hellot turned to scan around once strength returned.
By then, distance from Adran had grown.
‘Now!’
Dark’s eyes flashed as he lunged at her.
She sensed him instantly.
“Who’s there!”
She nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring taut.