Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Night Raid Battle
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I strolled through the Kara Palace with Padila at my side. She trailed quietly behind me, her cheeks flushed red as memories of last night flooded her mind.
I cleared my throat repeatedly and pulled her waist in tight. Maids were working nearby, but I paid them no mind.
The Kara Palace had plenty of watchful eyes and wagging tongues—rumors spread like wildfire here. Since our relationship was bound to come out anyway, there was no point in hiding it.
That said, there was one awkward thread tying Padila and me together.
Tch. Do I really have to use this?
I pulled a neatly folded paper from my pocket and unfolded it slightly.
It was a contract, none other than the one Padila had shoved at me yesterday. She'd insisted she was Kara's sole direct descendant and thus duty-bound to revive the family line. The terms stipulated a minimum of once a week, or three straight days at a time of her choosing once a month.
Break it even once, and I'd have to make up for it double later. It was a satisfying yet utterly mortifying arrangement.
That's when Armida sis came rushing over in a frenzy. I'd recently lent the Kaoyan detective agency office to the refugees, so the three of us had been staying at the Kara Palace lately.
"Little bro! Big trouble. What do we do?"
Padila subtly put some distance between us and bowed politely.
"Welcome, brother-in-law."
Armida sis stared at her like she'd grown a second head.
"What's gotten into her all of a sudden?"
"Brother-in-law, I'll take good care of you from now on. And once the war's over, I'll line up a fine marriage prospect for you, so don't worry too much about your future."
Padila was already showing wariness toward her sister-in-law. It looked like she wanted to marry Armida off quick to carve out some alone time for us.
I jabbed Padila hard in the side.
"She's blood family."
"Really?"
"I'm the eldest in our family tree. No one's above me."
"Oh, I see... Then..."
"What else?"
Padila leaned in and whispered to me.
"How do we sort the pecking order? Shura's a friend, but this one's older than me and still..."
"Just treat her like she's above you. It's safer that way."
"Got it~."
Armida sis narrowed her eyes, glancing back and forth between us.
"What were you two just whispering about?"
"It's complicated. Anyway, sis, what brings you to me?"
Armida sis's face drained of color as she started hopping in place.
"Right! I'm in real deep trouble."
"Why?"
"Euroa sent word. The queen heard I joined this war and she's furious. What do I do now?"
The queen in question had to be the Valkyrie Queen. I snorted and struck a dramatic pose.
"Why's she mad? You're just protecting Shura, aren't you?"
"She says I'm slacking off instead of searching for Sabondia."
"Doesn't matter. Technically, this war's about finding your friend too."
Armida sis's eyes went wide.
"Really? How?"
"Where's your friend right now?"
"No idea."
"Doesn't that mean she could be anywhere, including this great desert?"
"Sure."
"Now imagine Padila wins this war and becomes queen of the great desert. We'd plaster wanted posters for your friend across the whole damn place."
Armida glanced at Padila, who nodded eagerly. She had no clue what was going on but was happy to go along with my request.
"And?"
"What do you mean 'and'? That's how you find your friend."
"Oh, right."
"Honestly, I can't wrap my head around your higher-ups. Why push the hard road when the easy one's right there? Just tell them to sit back and watch quietly. Why nitpick when they're not paying a dime?"
Armida sis waved her hands like that was nonsense.
"No, they are paying."
"What?"
"Indulgences."
I bit my lip.
"That's standard issue. And saving humanity gets you a ticket to hell?"
"Yeah."
"Who'd send the guy who saves humanity to hell? Do that, and the whole human race is hellbound."
"Ah..."
I shook my head and led Padila away from sis. It was a simple issue, but they acted like indulgences were some big favor. Honestly, they were worthless.
Padila eyed me curiously.
"Grand Duke's Heir, what were you talking about?"
"Don't worry about it. Her higher-ups are just a bunch of con artists."
"But they mentioned heaven and hell?"
"Exactly why they're cons. Heaven and hell? Fairy tales made up by old folks."
"But everyone says they exist."
I fixed Padila with a steady gaze.
"Padila, what's heaven like?"
"A world where no one's unhappy, overflowing with joy, right?"
"Humans feel misery around others and loneliness when alone. Where's a place that makes everyone 100% happy?"
Padila was stumped by my airtight logic. Miserable in crowds, miserable solo—humans were doomed to unhappiness anywhere, heaven included.
"Well..."
"Hell's the same. Humans scrape out tiny joys amid pain and suffering. Love blooms even in brutal wars. So where's a place of endless torment? Nowhere."
"Yeah, but..."
"Don't obsess over heaven and hell. Just enjoy life. Ready to start?"
"Huh?"
I gave her a lecherous grin and pulled her waist close. She flinched in surprise but caught on quick and let me drag her into a nearby room.
The three-day truce after the first battle passed like a dream. But no fighting broke out for a while. Stunned by their initial defeat, the Lobros army had gone into a lull.
From our intel, their losses were around 600 dead and 2,000 wounded. Typical war casualties, but inflicted in such a short burst—it shook their commanders to the core.
Proof of our stellar defense.
"Human, come here."
As I climbed the ramparts, Uncle Jenbe greeted me. His mercenary band was on night watch for the western wall today.
"What'd you call me for?"
"Looks like they're up to something fishy."
Uncle Jenbe pointed gravely at a Lobros army tent. It was an advanced outpost detached from their main camp, heavily guarded and right under our walls.
But it was too quiet. Aside from sentry lights, it was pitch black—no rowdy soldier chatter.
"They're digging tunnels."
"Tunnels?"
"Yeah. Under the walls for a surprise attack."
"No signs of that, though."
"That's the point. If we spotted it, they'd be done."
"How'd you know?"
"Too damn quiet. Not many siege tricks need that much stealth."
Uncle Jenbe eyed me.
"You know, so let's counter it."
"Relax. I've got it covered."
The standard counter was burying jars underground and posting sharp-eared soldiers nearby. Tunnel sounds would echo through when they got close, then we'd dig down and hit back.
"Easy fix, then."
"Or we could handle it differently."
I rested my chin thoughtfully. That outpost was in mana cannon range, far from their main camp. A night raid could rack up kills.
Staying purely defensive wasn't ideal. Time to strike.
I asked Kara's mages to fire magic salvos for a few days—lull them into complacency before our mana cannon ambush.
Deep into the night, I had Kasim's Fifth Corps wait by the gates on camelback. Ex-desert bandits, they excelled at night raids.
Kasim rode his camel over to me on my jet-black hellsteed.
"Hahaha, Master. Thanks for the shot."
I shot Kasim a sidelong glance.
"Do it right. No looting frenzy and getting massacred. One slip, you're all dead."
"Don't worry. What loot's in a construction site? Just the job, in and out."
"Good. I trust you."
"You'll log the merits proper?"
"Of course. Nail it."
"Yes, sir."
With Kasim's assurance, I stood before the gates. They swung open, and I bellowed toward the central ramparts.
"Fire!"
Cannon roars erupted along the walls. I charged ahead toward the Lobros outpost.
Boom! Bang! Boom!
Mana cannons unleashed hell. I timed it for our rush—nine shots total. Too soon, and we'd eat shrapnel.
The barrage tapered off. Final shell hit, and we charged.
"Enemy raid!"
"What the hell's flying at us?!"
The camp was chaos. Tents lay in ruins from blasts, corpses strewn across the dirt.
Cannons couldn't wipe them out, but panic was perfect. Soldiers in nightshirts milled about cluelessly.
I raised Yojjo high, decapitating a gaping soldier, and pressed on. His blood-soaked head rolled. I ignored it, slashing relentlessly.
Kasim's men split into squads, tearing through tents and butchering foes.
"W-White Mask! White Mask's here!"
A yeller caught my hellsteed's flames, writhing in agony. Nearby tents ignited; burning men fled everywhere.
"Arghhh!"
I spurred the hellsteed, cutting down any enemy in sight. Blood sprayed, screams echoed. Some begged mercy—I showed none.
Midway in, mercy meant my death.
"Kill 'em all!"
Kasim's shout had Fifth Corps nocking arrows into fleeing backs. Small groups resisted futilely, falling to arrow storms.
Some held firm, though—nimble moves, sharp blades taking our toll. Lobros knights, underdressed but elite.
I wrapped Yojjo in an Aura Blade and charged them.
"Hey! You're with me!"
My swing severed an arm in a spray of blood. I leaped off the hellsteed, diving in.
"White Mask...?"
They recognized me now, roaring counterattacks. No fear of a Master—they swarmed with precise strikes.
Clang, clash, clang.
Exchanges flew; Yojjo took a head. They hesitated, then raged on for vengeance.
Lobros elites, sure. But that's all.
They fell one by one to my ruthless blade.
Done, I remounted and surveyed.
Mission success.
Lobros scattered wildly. Many fled to main camp, others surrendered—Kasim's arrows claimed them regardless. Maximize kills, no prisoners; retreat before reinforcements.
Torches flared at their main camp—rescue force inbound. Time to pull back.
I blew three blasts on my horn bugle, signaling retreat.
"Fall back! Lingerers die! Move!"
I torched more tents with hellsteed flames, then withdrew with Kasim's men to Kara Fortress.
Their cavalry pursued but retreated under wall arrow fire.
Night Raid Battle. End