Chapter 62. The Thirteen-Member Suicide Squad
The Thirteen-Member Suicide Squad
On the snowy ridge overlooking Eckhart Castle.
Lucian furrowed his brow as he studied the map.
The impregnable fortress—a castle built and defended by the Eckhart Family—was now, in enemy hands, the most impenetrable wall in the world.
"A direct assault is impossible."
They were severely outnumbered, and inside the castle walls were the territory's people and maids, taken hostage. A reckless siege would only result in mutual destruction.
"We'll use the secret passage. A small elite force will infiltrate, disrupt from within, and open the gates."
"I'll join as well."
Rimeyer stepped forward. But Lucian shook his head.
"No. You're the Royal Knight Captain. The kingdom cannot afford to lose you in a suicide mission with such slim odds of success."
"Hmph. The same goes for you, doesn't it?"
Rimeyer shot back without backing down. Her sharp blue eyes glinted fiercely.
"If Eckhart falls and the northern defense line collapses, who will stop the hordes of monsters and other races that will pour in after? If you die, the kingdom is finished. So I'm going too."
"...Fine."
Lucian finally relented. Neither logic nor force could deter her.
"Captain! You can't! A commander shouldn't personally lead such a dangerous mission!"
The vice-captain of the Royal Knights paled and protested frantically. But his well-meaning advice only earned him Rimeyer's icy rebuke.
"Then will you go instead, Vice-Captain? Do you think you can do better than me?"
"Th-That's not—"
"If we don't retake that castle now, every soldier here will freeze to death in this cold. If you've got nothing useful to say, go practice your swordsmanship some more."
"...!!"
The vice-captain clamped his mouth shut, his face white as a sheet.
The sheer lethality of her presence made even Kara, the guard captain, and even Lucian himself shrink back slightly.
'Sigh... The Ice Witch is terrifying. She's scarier as an ally than an enemy.'
The operation began at midnight, when the blizzard was at its fiercest.
Lucian, the guard captain, Kara, Rimeyer—and nine elite soldiers handpicked for the mission. A thirteen-member suicide squad melted into the darkness.
Their target was the hidden passage halfway up the sheer cliff behind the castle.
But the weather was merciless. A blizzard so thick they couldn't see an inch ahead, and a biting wind that cut through flesh.
"Ghk—!"
Lucian climbed barehanded, gripping the frozen rocks. Wearing gloves risked slipping, so he had to use his bare skin. His fingers were losing sensation.
He couldn't be sure the long-unused secret passage would even work, but it was their only option now.
'If I'd known this would happen, I would've maintained it better.'
Regret came too late, but there was no turning back.
After over thirty minutes of struggle, the thirteen warriors clung to the cliff like spiders, inching their way up—slowly, agonizingly slowly.
"Hah... Hah..."
Midway through the line, Kara's breathing grew ragged.
She was a warrior raised under the scorching southern sun. Deserts and jungles were familiar, but the brutal northern cold was a terror her genes had never known.
'My body... won't move.'
Kara's sun-kissed skin had already turned sickly pale, as if bruised.
Her teeth chattered uncontrollably, and her muscles spasmed on their own. No matter how hard she willed herself to endure, her body was reaching its limit.
"Kara! Are you alright?"
The guard captain, climbing just behind her, asked worriedly.
"I-I'm... f-fine. N-No problem."
Kara forced a nod, but nearly lost her grip on the rock.
They were too high up now to turn back. If she fell behind, she'd freeze to death alone.
She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, steeling her resolve. She had to push through. She couldn't collapse here.
Finally, the edge of the cliff.
Lucian reached the top first and threw down a rope to pull the others up.
Under the shadow of the castle walls, lashed by the blizzard, the thirteen warriors regrouped. Thankfully, no one had fallen behind—but they were all gasping for breath, frozen stiff.
"There."
Lucian pointed. Hidden beneath vines and snow was an old iron door embedded in the rock.
Fortunately, this side of the cliff was a natural fortress, so no guards were stationed here.
"We split into two teams now."
Lucian's gaze swept over his comrades, grave and resolute.
Team 1 (Gate Opening): Rimeyer, the guard captain, and five soldiers.
Team 2 (Capture the Second Prince): Lucian, Kara, and four soldiers.
"Capturing the prince strips the rebels of their cause. And we must open the gates for our main force. We stake our lives on this."
Everyone nodded solemnly.
Kara clenched her trembling fingers around her sword hilt. Though numb from the cold, her heart burned fiercely.
Just as they were about to enter the old iron door—
CRACK!
"AAAH—!!"
The castle's ancient eaves, unable to bear the weight of the snowstorm, collapsed. The avalanche of snow that followed buried them instantly.
[Mirror Barrier]!!
Lucian's reflexes saved them.
He unleashed his mana in a flash, erecting a transparent shield. Only the guard captain, Kara, Rimeyer, and Lucian himself managed to dive inside—just as the rest were swallowed by the white deluge.
"Tch... This is bad."
The barrier was pitch-black, sealed off by snow, but inside, Lucian's mana and Rimeyer's enchanted cloak provided a faint glow. The space was barely large enough for four people to lie down.
"Is this... a barrier?" Rimeyer asked warily.
"Yes. I cast it in a hurry, so I don't know how long it'll hold. At least the size worked out... but the air won't last forever."
Their only options were to wait for the buried soldiers to dig them out or for the snow to melt.
Thud!
"Kara!"
Kara collapsed weakly.
The guard captain quickly caught her.
Her tanned skin had turned sickly blue, and her entire body trembled like a leaf in the wind.
"Cold... Ugh..."
Rimeyer's lips were also turning blue as she shivered. Despite her title as the "Frozen Executioner," she was from the east and unaccustomed to such extreme cold.
Without hesitation, Lucian pulled Rimeyer into an embrace.
"Wh-What are you doing?!"
"If you want to live, we have no choice. We need to share body heat."
Lucian then ordered the guard captain:
"You too—hold Kara and warm her up. You're from the north; you know how to preserve body heat."
"Understood!"
The guard captain immediately lay down beside Kara, pressing close. The cramped space forced the two pairs into an awkward tangle.
"This... is too close. Move back."
Rimeyer tried to push Lucian's chest away.
"I'm not doing this because I want to! It's survival!"
"But facing each other like this—"
Rimeyer's face flushed. Their breaths mingled uncomfortably close.
"Fine, I'll hold you from behind."
Lucian spread Rimeyer's cloak on the ground and laid her on her side. Then he lay behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and back.
Rimeyer sighed in relief—but soon regretted it.
Lucian's firm chest pressed against her back, his muscular thighs resting against her hips. And worse—she had a direct view of what was happening opposite them.
"Ah... I... feel numb... So sleepy..."
Kara's eyes fluttered shut drowsily. Hypothermia was setting in.
"Don't fall asleep! Captain, rub her body to restore circulation!"
"Yes!"
The guard captain rubbed his hands together for warmth before massaging Kara's arms and legs. But kneading over her leather armor wasn't enough.
"That won't work. Take it off. You need skin contact."
"Wha—?! B-But..."
"We have to save Kara! Are you hesitating?! Hug her like you would Nancy if you have to!"
Under Lucian's shout, the guard captain gritted his teeth.
"Forgive me, Kara... It's to survive..."
He undid the straps of her leather tunic. Exposed to the cold air, Kara's upper body was revealed—wrapped only in bandages over her bare chest and toned abdomen.
The guard captain pressed his heated palms against her icy stomach, rubbing vigorously.
Squelch, squelch, squelch.
His rough hands worked quickly, the friction warming Kara's core.
"Ngh... Ugh..."
"Sorry... Need to go deeper..."
He slid his hands lower, massaging the inside of her thighs. He knew warming the femoral artery would raise her body temperature fastest.
He loosened the drawstring of her pants and slipped his calloused hands inside.
Rimeyer held her breath.
Right in front of her—close enough to touch—a man was sliding his hands into a woman's pants, kneading her bare skin.
With every movement, Kara's thighs tensed, her pants shifting obscenely.
"Hah... Nngh...!"
A moan escaped Kara's lips.
It wasn't just from the cold. As her frozen body thawed, her senses sharpened—every touch sent jolts of pleasure through her.
"Captain... That's... too deep..."
"You have to endure. This is where the heat spreads fastest..."
Sweating profusely, the guard captain focused on the innermost part of Kara's thighs—right above her groin.
His palm brushed dangerously close to her underwear.
With each rub, Kara's body flushed hotter.
Slosh, squish, squelch.
The sounds changed.
No longer just friction.
The love juices seeping from between Kara's legs mixed with the guard captain's movements, creating lewd, wet noises.
What had begun as a life-saving massage was now undeniably foreplay.
"Ngh... Warming up... Your hands... feel so hot... Hah..."
Kara threw her head back, gripping the guard captain's shoulders.
Thanks to his experience with Nancy, the guard captain recognized the signs of a woman's arousal. He knew what Kara was feeling.
But he couldn't stop. If he did, she'd freeze again.
Guilt gnawed at him, yet his fingers subtly traced the edges of her pubic mound, teasing her further.
'Oh my...'
Rimeyer's heart pounded as she watched the scene unfold.
A man's hands between a woman's thighs, her moans filling the air—it was a raw, live performance.
She swallowed dryly without realizing it.
And then—
The body pressed against her back changed.
Something hard and hot nudged against the cleft of her buttocks.
Lucian, too, had reacted to the erotic display and Rimeyer's body heat.
"Lu... Lucian...?"
"Sorry. This is... instinct. Can't help it."
Lucian's shameless whisper sent a shiver down her spine as he pulled her waist tighter against him.
Inside the cramped barrier.
The mingled breaths and feverish heat of four bodies intertwined, the atmosphere growing thick with tension.
