The Hijack (1)
Bwooooom—
The deep, resonant blast of a horn echoed in all directions, shattering the morning slumber. At once, the subjugation forces of the Adamant Kingdom sprang into motion.
“Ugh, what a stench.”
“Beasts or monsters, why the hell do they always fancy such a foul reek?”
The five imperial knights handpicked for the diversion squad grumbled as they vigorously doused their horses' flanks and saddles with female monster pheromone.
“Are we sure a trick like this will actually work?”
“How should I know? In all my years hunting monsters, I've never pulled a stunt like this.”
Waiting for the Adamant forces to depart first, the knights kept their voices hushed.
“Still... don't you think that fellow Kyle is a bit suspicious?” one knight asked, his brow furrowing as he leaned in closer. “I know he came personally recommended by our angelic head maid, but really, how can anyone trust a mercenary?”
“You might not trust the man, but you can always trust a mercenary to work for the coin he's handed. He swore out of his own mouth he'd earn every single copper.”
“No, that's not what I mean. Why on earth does a roughneck mercenary have ties to our head maid in the first—”
“For grown men, you lot sure flap your gums an awful lot.”
Finnet, already mounted upon his steed, pulled his black cloth mask up to the bridge of his nose. Chosen as the commander of this covert squad purely for having the swiftest footwork in the order, he looked down at his comrades with sharp eyes.
“Whether this Kyle is trustworthy or not, we'll find out the moment this operation is over. So shut your traps and move.” Finnet jerked his chin toward the thicket, gesturing toward the Adamant subjugation force visible in the distance. “None of you forgot the plan, right?”
Just before detaching from the main imperial host, they had received a personal briefing from the Third Prince's newly appointed escort, Kyle.
“Maintain a set distance behind Adamant's vanguard while they corral the herd. The instant the monsters enter the imperial army's perimeter, we cut right between them.”
Reciting Kyle's instructions word for word, Finnet tilted his head. “Anyone fail to grasp that?”
Instead of answering, the knights exchanged grim, resolute glances.
“Good. Then let's roll.” Finnet's eyes narrowed with fierce determination. “We have to live up to Prince Edwin's expectations.”
Beneath the dark mask, his lips curved into a daring grin.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
A massive black warhorse tore through the dense, shadowy forest. Releasing the reins with casual mastery, the man atop its back swung his greatsword in a wide arc, cleaving obstructing boughs and thorny thickets in a single, effortless stroke.
Groooaaar!
The bellows of demonic creatures shook the very air. The ferocious beasts pursued the rider with ravenous fury, yet no matter how hard they surged, the gap between them never shrank—tantalizingly close, yet impossibly out of reach.
“He might be my liege, but the man is completely out of his mind,” Oliver muttered, shaking his head in sheer disbelief as he galloped in pursuit. “One misstep and those monsters will rip his head clean off, yet he insisted on playing live bait.”
The Adamant subjugation squad led by Oliver followed hot on the monsters' heels. Ordinarily, King Kaiden himself would have commanded the formation, but because he had volunteered to act as the lure, operational command had naturally fallen to his chief adjutant.
“Haha! Looks to me like His Majesty is actually enjoying himself, Sir.”
“Which is precisely why I say he's insane.” Oliver clicked his tongue at the grinning knights riding beside him. “His Majesty's heart must be forged of pure adamant. And if it isn't his heart, then it's certainly his skull.”
“Isn't that just calling our king a blockhead? Shall I go report that to His Majesty?”
“Go ahead and try it, you bastards. See if I don't show you the true terror of an immediate superior.”
“Aha, you know we're only joking, Sir!”
They were pursuing a stampede of well over a hundred demonic creatures, yet not an ounce of tension could be felt among the Adamant knights. They chatted as casually as if they were taking a leisurely stroll through town.
“Still, after we spoon-feed them a victory like this, do you think those empire bastards can even swallow it properly?”
“Those cowards? Wouldn't be surprised if they tuck tail and run.”
Oliver merely shrugged at his subordinates' jeers. “No need to fret over that.”
This expedition was a grand hunt featuring every imperial prince. Nominally hailed as a joint operation, it was in truth a stage arranged at the Emperor's request for the King of Adamant to personally evaluate the princes' capabilities.
“Whoever runs will fall out of Emperor Ventrum's favor on the spot. What idiot would dare do that?”
“True enough. They all came here desperate to catch the Emperor's eye.”
Oliver cast his gaze forward toward the surging horde and added, “Besides, those monsters may have numbers, but they're simple enough to handle.”
Breaking past the shadowy thicket, the landscape suddenly opened into a vast, sprawling grassland. The sunlight, previously blotted out by the dense canopy, washed over the stampeding herd.
Uwooooor!
Massive, jagged horns curved above thick, matted hides that could deflect common steel with ease. The bellowing beasts resembled water buffalo, though they stood easily five times the size of any natural creature.
“If anyone runs away from beasts like that, they'll become the laughingstock of the entire continent.”
Though the creatures looked terrifying by any standard, not a single Adamant knight dared contest Oliver's assessment.
“Imperial lines in sight!”
Past Kaiden, who rode far ahead at the tip of the charge, the flags of the imperial army fluttered on the horizon. Oliver raised a gauntleted fist and roared at the top of his lungs:
“Drive them to the west!”
In an instant, the Adamant riders accelerated. Moving like a single, living organism, they corralled the stampede toward their designated target with seamless precision.
Rumble, rumble!
The ground quaked beneath the thunderous impact of hundreds of hooves. The water buffalo monsters bolted forward in a frenzy, desperate to escape the relentless warriors harrying their flanks.
“I see their vanguard!”
“Widen the perimeter!”
The subjugation squad began fanning out in a wide, sweeping arc to avoid colliding with the imperial lines waiting in formation ahead.
Kwoooaaar!
Just as the monstrous herd unleashed deafening roars, hurtling toward the imperial vanguard—
Whoooosh!
A sudden squad of riders clad head to toe in dark cloth cut sharply across the Adamant vanguard's path.
“What the—?” Oliver's brow furrowed as he glared at the intruders. ‘An enemy? Assassins striking in the middle of this chaos?’
Tensing for combat, he watched in astonishment as the masked riders paid the Adamant forces no mind whatsoever. Instead, they darted boldly right into the churning ranks of the monsters.
“What in the world...?”
Before Oliver could even process the sight, nearly half the stampeding herd abruptly ground to a screeching halt.
Snort! Huff!
Letting out agitated, frantic bellows, the beasts suddenly wheeled around and bolted in the exact opposite direction of the drive—charging straight toward the far edge of the imperial formation.
“That's...”
“Sir Oliver! The monsters have broken off toward the Second Prince's camp!”
The sudden change in trajectory was shocking enough, but the fact that they were barreling toward the Second Prince made Oliver's blood run cold.
“What?!”
The Second Prince's camp occupied the center of the imperial battle lines. Adamant had been driving the herd toward the First Prince's vanguard, commanded by Duke Crowner on the right wing.
‘Because the vanguard was supposed to take the brunt of the assault, a portion of the Second Prince's forces was redeployed there to support them!’
In short, the Second Prince's camp was currently understaffed and lightly guarded.
“Dammit!” Oliver cursed venomously, waving his arm in a sharp arc. “Flank unit, peel off! Hunt down the strays! The Second Prince is in danger!”
“Yes, Sir!”
At Oliver's command, several knights on the far left broke formation, wheeling their horses to chase the rogue beasts.
“What's with these damn things? They suddenly got faster!”
“Shit, at this rate we'll lose them!”
Panic flashed across the knights' hardened faces.
“What is that?! Why are the monsters coming this way?!”
“Weren't they supposed to herd them toward the First Prince's camp?!”
As the thunder of hooves drew near, the knights and soldiers stationed at the Second Prince's camp finally realized disaster was hurtling toward them.
“Aaaagh!”
“Defensive positions! Move, move!”
Just as absolute chaos threatened to engulf the Second Prince's division—
“Hold the line!”
“Pull the ropes!”
As if they had been lying in wait all along, an armored unit burst forth to bar the monsters' path. Emblazoned upon their gleaming silver breastplates was the crest of a blooming rose.
‘The Gloria Knights?’ Oliver frowned deeply, recognizing the insignia. ‘What are Gloria Knights doing at the Second Prince's camp? They were strictly deployed to the First and Third Princes' sectors...’
Before he could make sense of the anomaly—
Craaaash!
The charging water buffalo monsters tumbled violently head over heels. Caught by heavy, tensioned iron chains stretched taut across the grass, they collapsed in a cascading heap like toppling dominoes.
“Advance!”
At a resounding roar, swift shadows leaped from the perimeter. And among those figures was someone Oliver recognized instantly.
“Gasp!” Oliver cried out, unable to believe his own eyes. “Prince Edwin?!”
Why was Edwin, who was supposed to be stationed at the safe rear of the imperial line, standing right here on the killing field?
“Haaah!”
The young prince swung his sword with fierce, unflinching valor. Along the blade's polished edge ran the distinct, iridescent blue sheen of refined adamant ore. In a clean, fluid motion, Edwin felled a thrashing monster all on his own, stepping back to catch his breath.
Skreeeech!
Seizing the momentary lapse, a wounded beast surged to its feet, rearing its massive front hooves to crush the boy prince where he stood. Edwin froze, eyes widening in shock.
Slaaash!
The creature's hooves halted dead in midair. With a sickening spray of black blood, its colossal upper body slid cleanly sideways off its torso. From behind the collapsing carcass, a solitary figure emerged with calm, measured footsteps.
“Are you unharmed, Your Highness?”
“Ra—no, Kyle!”
With an exasperated yet relieved cry, Edwin threw himself forward. The man named Kyle effortlessly caught the boy against his chest with a single arm.
‘That guy...’
Oliver stared from afar, his brow twitching in utter bewilderment.
‘Who in the blazes is he supposed to be?’
The skirmish had barely lasted a few minutes. Yet behind the slender man called Kyle, the slaughtered corpses of massive demonic beasts were already piled high into a miniature mountain.