Chapter 558: The Betrayer
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 558: The Betrayer
Without a word, Lawenny changed into a set of black robes and hoisted a figure of similar build to Albert onto her back. Seizing the moment while the others temporarily forced the enemy back, she slipped from the carriage into a dark corner and vanished.
This time, she did not look back, weaving rapidly through the shadows.
The cold night wind howled, tossing her hood and occasionally revealing a glimpse of her smooth chin and the sharp curve of her chest.
Deep within the night, whispers stirred.
"It’s a woman. She’s trying to flee."
"Likely the maid by the First Prince’s side. Is that him on her back? The build matches."
"Impossible to be certain. It could be a lure."
"Even if it is a lure, we cannot let her go. Even if there is only a one-in-a-thousand chance, we cannot allow the First Prince any possibility of escape. Send men after her."
"Understood."
Shadowy figures flickered as they gave chase to Lawenny. Eken, driving the carriage, remained expressionless, but he could clearly feel the pressure around them ease significantly.
"Now’s the chance."
He took a deep breath, waiting for the exact moment several beast-transformed ones lunged at once, then roared:
"Do it!"
Boom!
The words had barely left his lips when a deafening explosion drowned out the chaos of the alley. Several pre-prepared alchemy bombs and magic scrolls were triggered simultaneously, the searing firelight turning a small portion of the Lower District as bright as day.
A surging heatwave swept away all obstacles, and the blinding glare obscured all vision. Seizing this solitary opening, Eken snapped the reins. Like a dancer on a knife's edge, he maneuvered the carriage, swerving and crashing through the gap they had just blasted open before tearing away into the night.
*
"This is the place."
After temporarily shaking off their pursuers, the group switched to traveling on foot and soon reached their destination.
"Domino Restaurant..."
Albert looked up at the sign, his expression suddenly darkening. "This isn't the Franchi Tavern you mentioned earlier!"
"I lied to that woman," Eken said flatly. "The Franchi Tavern is on the other side of the street. There’s nothing there; it’s just a place I used to go for a drink."
"You bastard! You still don't trust Lawenny, even after the sacrifice she made!"
Albert swung a fist at Eken, but the man caught it easily.
"My deepest apologies, Your Highness. This was not a matter of distrust, but a necessity for your safety. Even if it were one of my own men choosing to sacrifice themselves, I still would not have told them the correct location."
"..."
Albert glared at Eken like a cornered, furious beast. His lips trembled as if he wanted to scream an insult, but his refined upbringing ultimately prevented the profanity from escaping.
Finally, he let his hand drop dejectedly, his shoulders slumping as if the very bones had been removed from his body. He lowered his head.
"I understand. Let’s go."
"Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness. Please watch your step; it is dark ahead."
The tunnel was dark and damp. The soil felt slightly soft underfoot—clearly, it had been excavated only recently.
Eken led the way with a lantern, keeping Albert protected in the center of the group with the others bringing up the rear.
Soon, they reached the end of the tunnel. Eken leaped up lightly, pushing aside a wooden floorboard. After a cautious look around the surroundings, he turned back and reached down to pull Albert up.
Albert looked at him with a hint of revulsion, but because his weakened body couldn't manage the climb on its own, he eventually took Eken’s hand and allowed himself to be pulled up.
As the group stepped out into the quiet courtyard, Albert looked up and realized that this was not the so-called Dolan Shop either.
"Please look, Your Highness. Once we pass through there, we will reach the banquet hall arranged by Marquis Angus today. Many nobles have already arrived by this hour. Once Your Highness makes contact with them, the enemy will likely not dare to act so brazenly."
Following Eken’s gesture, Albert saw the faint silhouette of a brightly lit building in the distance. He could even hear the muffled sounds of music and conversation. The string of tension in his heart finally began to slacken.
But at the thought of Lawenny, whose fate remained unknown, a bitter sorrow replaced the excitement of his narrow escape.
"Heh... So I’ve escaped. I escaped by sacrificing a woman..."
"Please restrain your grief, Your Highness."
Seeing Albert in such a state, Eken sighed and offered a word of comfort. "Miss Lawenny may not necessarily be in danger. Once they realize it isn't you, they will most likely try to capture her alive. Only if you are safe will we have the leverage to negotiate—"
Zing—!
A sudden, sharp whistle of air interrupted Eken’s words.
His face paled as he lunged toward the stunned Albert.
Blood sprayed, and Eken let out an irrepressible groan of pain.
Albert’s lips trembled. It took a moment for him to look down and see Eken, his shoulder pierced through by a magic arrow.
"Are you... are you alright?"
"Damn it... I'm fine for now."
Eken’s expression turned feral. He snapped the shaft of the arrow and stood up unsteadily, roaring, "All units, on guard! Ambush!"
Eken didn't need to tell them twice. The highly trained men in black robes reacted the instant the anomaly occurred, forming a defensive perimeter around Albert.
But the severity of the situation exceeded their expectations.
As the silence of the surroundings was shattered, a spark of firelight illuminated the area. What they saw were countless pairs of eerie green eyes and crimson, bloodthirsty maws.
A massive number of beast-transformed ones had already surrounded the area, and further off, shadowy figures could be seen flickering, closing in rapidly.
"Why... why? Didn't you say this place was hidden? That we wouldn't be found?" Albert whispered.
"I don't know. It’s as if they were waiting for us... but now is not the time for that."
Eken roared again, "Break through! Protect the Prince and break through!"
The slaughter began anew.
The men in black drew their weapons, clashing with the ferocious beast-transformed ones.
With every flash of cold steel, foul blood splattered and mangled corpses fell.
The group maintained their defensive formation, repelling the enemy's onslaught while slowly inching toward the perimeter.
But this time, the defense was clearly much more strained.
Without the protection of the specialized carriage, and having to ensure they didn't catch the First Prince—a mere commoner in terms of combat—in their crossfire, they were struggling. Just as Muen had predicted, they couldn't even exert their full strength, let alone protect Albert through a breakthrough.
"This won't work... it won't work..."
Albert watched the men in black fighting desperately. Occasionally, one would be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and vanish into the tide of monsters.
He suddenly gritted his teeth.
"No! You have to push the line out! You can't stay squeezed in this one spot, or we'll all die eventually!"
"But Your Highness, you—"
"Don't worry about me! I am a Prince; I have my own means of self-preservation!"
Albert pulled out a jade ornament. It began to glow with a soft light, forming a faint defensive barrier.
Bloodthirsty monsters slammed against the barrier, baring their hideous fangs. Albert’s expression was taut as he struggled to maintain the expensive magic device, but his footsteps remained steady.
Eken exchanged a glance with his subordinates. Their spirits lifted, and they began to attack with everything they had, pushing toward the outer edge.
However... even without having to worry about Albert for the moment, the sheer disparity in numbers was enough to drive one to despair.
They were like a small boat in a storm, liable to be capsized at any moment in this freezing night...
Puff.
Puff.
Puff.
Accompanied by a series of rhythmic sounds of flesh being pierced, the beast-transformed ones suddenly began to collapse one by one before the group.
The twisted, savage hunger was still frozen on their near-human faces. Dark holes in their foreheads leaked blood and a sickening mixture of red and white. It seemed that even in their final moments, they hadn't realized death was upon them.
"This... this is..."
Eken’s eyes lit up as if he realized something, and he immediately threw himself into the slaughter of the remaining monsters with renewed vigor.
Soon, the beast-transformed ones within the courtyard were temporarily cleared, and a familiar figure finally appeared before them.
It was a figure dressed in a black formal suit, wearing a slightly tall top hat that obscured most of his face. In his hand, he held a scavenged anti-magic spear. The once-black spear was now dyed completely crimson.
"It seems I’ve arrived just in time. Everyone... and Your Highness, are you all unharmed?"
The figure adjusted his top hat, revealing the deep-set features of a Slav.
"Bruce!"
"My lord!"
The men were ecstatic. Though they had expected him, seeing that face in person allowed them to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Are you... alright?"
Albert, however, was keen enough to notice that Bruce’s current state was off. His complexion was noticeably pale, and his eyes were bloodshot, as if he had just pulled several all-nighters in a row.
"I'm fine for now. Just a bit of mental exhaustion," Muen said, rubbing his temples. He looked around. "So, can someone tell me... why were you surrounded by these things? And why were you surrounded at the exit of the hidden tunnel I painstakingly prepared? By all logic, this location should not have been leaked to the enemy."
"Regarding that, we aren't entirely sure either..."
Eken organized his thoughts and gave Muen a brief summary of what had happened.
"I see... So the maid chose to sacrifice herself?"
Muen rubbed his chin, pondering for a moment. "But are you sure she was sacrificing herself, and not using the opportunity to flee?"
"Are you still doubting Lawenny?"
Albert said with rising anger, "Didn't Eken just say it? The address he gave Lawenny was fake! Since the address she knew was a lie, how could she have betrayed us? Shouldn't you be doubting your own people first? After all, only your people knew this real address—"
"Your Highness, calm down."
Muen reached out and patted Albert’s shoulder. "You seem to get exceptionally agitated whenever Miss Lawenny is mentioned."
"I'm not agitated, I'm angry!"
Albert took a deep breath. "Lawenny has already done so much for me, yet why do you all refuse to let it go? Do you really need her to die for me before you'll—"
"I'm not refusing to let it go, Your Highness. It's just that at a time like this... Hm?"
Muen, who was about to say something, suddenly narrowed his eyes, looking at Albert’s neck. "Your Highness, could you tell me what that is on your collar?"
"My collar?"
Albert blinked, reaching up to feel his collar.
Then, his movements froze. Beneath a fold in his collar, his fingers brushed against a small, cold, circular object. It was definitely not a button.
"This... what is this?"
Albert pulled the object—slightly smaller than a button and clearly made of metal—from his collar and held it in his palm.
He seemed to have realized something; his lips began to tremble.
Muen reached out, took the object, and inspected it. He suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"What else could it be? It's just a masterfully crafted miniature magic positioning device."
"..."