Chapter 24

The lord was to be brought down.

Rex was well aware of the weight of that statement.

However, it was no longer possible to simply stand by and watch the count’s outrageous behavior.

There should be no more sacrifices among those who trusted him.

On this principle, Rex explained the operation to the knights.

“Innocent people must not be harmed.”

Even as they advanced on the capital, combat must not occur in the outer city where commoners live.

The fight must take place exclusively in the mansion where the lord resides and in the inner castle.

To achieve this, it was necessary for this group of about a thousand guards to infiltrate at least as far as the inner castle without being detected.

“Is it possible?”

In response to Rex’s question, the knights nodded without hesitation.

Thus the operation was decided, and three more days passed.

The scene shifted to the capital where the lord resided.

On a night when people were deeply asleep,

the sentries guarding the walls of the inner castle in the east, west, south, and north were trying to stay awake by yawning.

A usual, mundane, and boring night, like any other.

The calm was shattered in an instant as an unknown group approached the wall.

“Who goes there!”

A soldier guarding the eastern wall aimed his spear at the approaching group.

“Halt immediately!”

Despite the soldier’s warning, the group’s advance did not stop.

Eventually, the soldier shouted urgently to his comrades who were resting in the guard post.

“Alert headquarters! Intruders!”

But there was no response from his comrades.

“Get moving! I said alert them now!”

Despite the sentry’s urgent shouts, there was still no response.

It was then that the sentry realized something was wrong and entered the guard post.

The sentry rushed into the post in a panic.

Fortunately—or unfortunately—his comrade was still seemingly fine.

Thinking his comrade was asleep, the sentry tapped him on the shoulder to wake him up.

“Intruders up ahead! Alert headquarters quickly!”

The tapped lips moved slightly.

“What?”

However, the comrade only moved his lips, producing no sound.

The sentry then realized his own voice was also unable to be heard, and his complexion turned pale.

“Speech…!”

“Communication and dialogue are the only way for humanity to venture out of the cave.”

As if responding to the sentry’s muttering, the distant intruder spoke from behind the sentry.

The sentry’s neck twisted unnaturally as he turned around.

When the sentry turned, a dark elf male smiled faintly as their eyes met.

“Performing your duties as a soldier is admirable, but unfortunately, the ruler you follow is not a wise one. To avoid tarnishing your values…”

The dark elf—Commander Hedoineus—erased his smile.

“Lower your spears. Your lord does not wish for unnecessary bloodshed.”

As if in agreement with the dark elf’s words, the knights behind him drew their swords menacingly.

The sentries, their faces ashen white, barely nodded.

Thus, the First Battalion passed in front of the sentries without making a sound.

The sight of numerous knights moving in unison without a single sound of armor was unsettling.

At the forefront of the group, Hedoineus mumbled.

“Such unprincipled fealty cannot emerge under a lord who values himself so lightly.”

The knights following him nodded in agreement.

The eastern wall assault was completed.

While the east and west walls were being actively taken, the north wall was captured faster than anywhere else.

However, the one who arrived there was more ruthless compared to the others.

There was no dialogue or negotiation.

The sentries, frozen literally—not metaphorically—were passed by the Third Battalion Commander, who exhaled icy breath as he walked by.

“I didn’t kill them. Didn’t kill them.”

Commander Remesis, tapping the shoulder of the ice sculpture that was once a sentry, added,

“They’ll thaw by morning. Though they’ll catch a cold, it’s better than dying, isn’t it?”

He shoved the ice sculptures aside and marched in with his battalion.

At that moment, a scar-covered man, who seemed to be his adjutant, questioned Remesis.

“Shouldn’t we try to persuade them or urge them to surrender?”

“What difference would that make?”

The adjutant, momentarily speechless at the curt answer, replied,

“None, I guess.”

Remesis answered brusquely, twisted his lips, and resumed his pace.

“Tch, my cigarette froze.”

He shattered the frozen cigarette and lit a fresh one.

The northern gate assault was completed.

*

The operation, initially planned as an infiltration, had seemingly been misheard by each battalion, and instead of stealth, they decided on assaulting the walls.

[Didn’t get caught, right?]

[Didn’t get caught.]

[Didn’t get caught.]

They argued that since they weren’t detected, it still counted as infiltration.

Obviously, there was no doubt who or what entity inspired this style.

[What have you been teaching them at night, Duke?]

“Just advice, like with Ari.”

As a result, compared to before their disbandment from the laboratory, the battalion commanders and knights had each advanced one rank.

Though perhaps as a cost, their mental states seemed somewhat… off.

[Insanity E]

This newly added attribute in most of the knights Rex checked was undeniable proof.

Sighing, Rex issued the next orders,

“We are heading to the lord’s place. The rest of you handle the other retainers and knights within the inner castle.”

[[Acknowledged.]]

After sending the message, Rex headed toward the mansion.

While they were advancing toward the mansion, reports came in that the battalions had been discovered.

However, this was something Rex had already anticipated.

It would be unrealistic to expect over a hundred knights to cross the residential area of the lord’s intimates and retainers without being noticed.

Thus, since the moment of entering the inner castle, an open battle had been in consideration.

[Commencing battle.]

The battalion commanders sent brief messages and began their fights.

Rex, still advancing toward the mansion, continued issuing instructions in real-time.

BOOM! Clang! Flash!

Pillars of ice sprouted, lightning struck, and red trees blossomed throughout the inner castle.

Thanks to the grand display orchestrated by the battalions, Rex’s group reached the intersection where the mansion gates were visible without any interference.

However, Rex’s smooth advance came to an end there.

When Rex saw a certain woman guarding the gate, he let out a sigh.

“Lady Sneeria…”

Under the moonlight, a woman with skin as white as snow bowed her head.

“Sorry, it’s a contract with the lord.”

“That lord won’t uphold the contract with you, Lady Sneeria.”

“I know that. There’s no reason to maintain righteousness for a destined-to-fall person. But trust is a weapon for our fief. If we lose our credibility in this fief, what would other lords think of us?”

As she flicked her finger, black armor overlayed her black uniform.

And when she tapped her foot lightly, a black scythe rose from the ground.

“This is my duty as the lord’s vassal. No personal feelings here. You also know well the weight of responsibility, don’t you?”

Unable to counter, Rex resolved himself and gave an order to Ari.

“Ari, it’s up to you.”

“Yes, Master.”

Rex chose to send Ari first because he didn’t want to reveal Duke as his trump card against the lord yet.

‘Apologies, Lady Sneeria…’

Moreover, Sneeria was relatively weaker by one tier compared to other lords.

Therefore, he calculated that Ari, who was currently at level 49, would suffice.

Duke, standing beside Rex, merely folded his arms and quietly nodded.

“I’ll go.”

After resolving himself, Ari charged toward Sneeria, who was guarding the entrance.

Until the moment Ari reached striking distance,

“Empower!”

A tiger’s spirit burst forth, accelerating Ari even further.

It was one of the tricks Duke taught him—to deceive the opponent’s perception.

However, Sneeria remained stationary, not moving even as Ari’s punch approached.

And as Ari’s punch struck home, the head of Sneeria shattered, spilling not blood but shadow, revealing her true form.

“Ah-”

Before realizing his mistake, Ari was bound by the shadow that transformed into a snake.

“You hit hard for a rookie in the Fourth Tier. But your understanding of magic is lacking.”

Indeed, magic comprehension was Ari’s weakness.

One would usually try to compensate for such a weakness.

But Ari didn’t.

“Grhr… Aaaaaah!!!”

With a mighty roar, Ari tore apart the shadow bindings.

For the first time, Sneeria showed a sign of surprise.

“You’re tough.”

“I can’t lose here!”

“Neither can I.”

As Ari struck the ground with a heavy stomp, cracks spider-webbed outward.

But Sneeria was nowhere to be seen beneath.

“Boring. Brutish.”

From the shadow of a wall, Sneeria swung her scythe.

Ari ducked to evade the attack, but at that moment, the scythe transformed into a whip, ensnaring Ari’s leg.

“Take some time to cool off.”

Using the shadow whip as a path, Sneeria quickly moved behind Ari,

And with a surprisingly powerful kick from someone with so delicate a face, sent Ari crashing back to the ground.

Amidst the shower of crushed stone dust, Ari coughed and rose.

“Hmph. Didn’t hurt a bit?”

Ari turned his back on Sneeria, declaring his victory.

But Sneeria did not respond.

At this, Ari, forgetting protocol, snapped angrily,

“What are you— Hmm?”

But before he could finish his sentence, Ari realized where he was.

“Wha…?”

Indeed, Ari had broken through the wall in the previous attack and arrived at the lord’s mansion, unscathed despite taking blows from a Fourth Tier attack.

Even as the gate was broken through, Sneeria ignored Ari and looked toward Duke.

At this point, Ari realized her intent.

“Thank you…?”

Sneeria did not reply.

At that moment, Duke signaled Rex.

“Go, my lord. I’ll take care of this.”

Duke volunteered to handle Sneeria and leave Ari to the lord.

After pondering, Rex nodded and ran toward Ari.

Sneeria, ignoring Rex as he passed, focused only on Duke.

After letting them pass, Duke immersed himself in a brief reverie.

‘The original story unfolds the same way.’

In the original, Sneeria had helped Ari reach the mansion this way, feigning a failure in her duty despite her best efforts.

Since deliberately failing to fulfill a contract was different from not trying at all.

However, there was a small difference in this world, where ‘him’ was entangled in this narrative.

“To capture both rabbits with one move—that’s cleverness indeed.”

“You’ve seen through it.”

“How could I not, with conviction, not mere ambition, shining in your gaze?”

Certainly, Duke did not possess the ability to pierce someone’s essence just by their gaze.

Duke ignored whatever qualms arose in his conscience and focused on the Shadow Queen before him.

For there was a better story in this timeline.

“Out of respect for your honor, I’ll remain here.”

Would it not sound more plausible to say that Duke’s interference sent Ari away, rather than that Ari simply slipped by unnoticed?

Duke’s thoughtfulness prompted Sneeria to lower her head in appreciation.

“Every time, I am grateful for your consideration.”

Duke stopped her.

“No one is listening, but too many are watching. Don’t bow.”

Duke had detected several distant observers watching this scene, likely spies from rival kingdoms.

‘Not much could be overheard, but certainly, they were watching the fight.’

Sneeria immediately composed herself and readied her weapon again upon hearing this.

“We owe you too much.”

“Something to pay back later.”

Normally, it would’ve been Rex’s responsibility, but even the words felt hollow and were unsaid.

Mocking his own jealousy, Duke discarded his cloak and drew his greatsword in the moment when his opponents’ sightlines were obscured.

“Show your full strength from the start. Let me match up.”

In response, Sneeria stomped her foot.

In the wake of her stomping, shadows stretched out, surrounding Duke.

“Proceeding.”

With this declaration, countless figures sprang from her shadow.

Each one was her servant.

The Shadow Queen.

This was why she had earned that title.

Though her single strength was already remarkable, the true power of her ability was in synergy.

The knights and retainers who shared the same shadow magic could use each other’s shadows interchangeably, enhancing their coordination.

Because of this, her effective rank in synergy with her retainers was just shy of the middle Fifth Tier.

‘Ideally, I’d let her land a few good blows.’

But Duke knew well that easily falling to her would be disrespectful to her and her subordinates.

“Remarkable.”

Paired with a word of praise, Duke stomped his foot similarly.

Boom!

The shockwave from his single stomp swept the retainers away.

The shockwave didn’t stop there.

The shadows surrounding Duke also dispersed, and the surrounding buildings crumbled into ruins.

The walls were gone, leaving only the ground for her shadows to spread upon.

Creating such a spectacle with a single stomp, Duke regarded the retainers and Sneeria surrounding him and spoke.

“Don’t misunderstand. Throw everything at me.”

The retainers who thought it was merely a performance wiped their cold sweats and readjusted their grips on their weapons.