Chapter 92

Gilford, the subordinate of Duke Ocleang, possessed a robust confidence in his combat ability.

As a Grade 9 Advanced Warrior, he was…

No, he was an exceptional powerhouse, almost without a rival in the entire continent.

With combat prowess that could only be matched by fewer than a hundred Grand Warriors and even fewer Grand Magicians, it was entirely natural for him to feel such confidence.

However…

“Ugh!”

“Cough!…”

At that moment, Gilford and his companions were engulfed in an overwhelming, suffocating fear, making their earlier confidence seem insignificant.

“Y-You guys… how did you get here…”

Before him stood a familiar face, Admiral Napoleona.

The only Grand Magician of the Kingdom of Frantz and one of the closest aides to General Rafael.

Gilford was struck with intense shock upon seeing her, someone he had never expected to encounter at this point, as per the Duke’s orders.

Yet, this fear that coursed through him was not solely due to her presence.

“Indeed… coming straight here was the correct call. You really are impressive, Pirate King.”

“Just lucky, really. But I can’t believe I was actually waiting in front of a pig’s feet restaurant…”

A large man replied to Napoleona.

With a golden beard and an imposing presence, he emanated such overwhelming magical power that even Gilford and his companions felt short of breath.

“W-What… a Pirate King…?”

“C-Could he really be the Grade 12…?”

Being a subordinate of Duke Ocleang, Gilford knew exactly who he was.

The one who took away the woman—Ambasha—that the Duke had always coveted, and along with General Rafael, a figure the Duke was terribly frustrated with.

However, unlike the Duke, who had no idea of the extent of his power, Gilford and his companions understood very well how dangerous this was…

And they were feeling it painfully in their bones now.

Even just the emission of magical power was enough to convey an unfathomable sense of strength.

It felt as if a gigantic mountain loomed before them.

Napoleona spoke in a commanding voice towards them.

“Now then… tell me quickly. Where are Duke Ocleang and His Majesty? If you tell me obediently, I might let you keep your lives.”

With her staff aimed at Gilford’s throat, she pressed the issue.

However…

“I… I don’t know.”

“…Haha, really now… Are you showing some loyalty even in this situation?”

You filthy traitors! Do you even know what you’re doing right now?!

“It’s a revolution. A revolution to fix this rotten nation. There’s no point in arguing over this petty stuff, so hurry up and say it!”

“Shut up! I have no words for scum like you!”

“Hmm?”

“Oh….”

As those words came forth, Gilford forcibly channeled his magical power to shake off the weight bearing down on him.

The moment he broke free, he and his companions immediately drew their swords and faced the enemies before them.

“Don’t underestimate us! You filthy traitors who are throwing the nation into chaos! We will never let you get close to the Duke and His Majesty!”

“…Tch. As expected of that guy’s closest aides. Fine. Let’s see what you’ve got!”

With that, Napoleona began gathering magical power into her staff.

Yet… honestly, at that moment, Napoleona’s presence barely registered in Gilford and his companions’ eyes.

Even a Grade 10 Grand Magician, who would usually draw their cautious attention, was overshadowed by the immense power behind her.

The golden magical power began swirling behind her.

Pirate King.

As they watched him stepping forward slowly, Gilford and his companions felt a grim certainty settle deep in their hearts.

Today was the very day they were destined to die…

And…

“Long live the Kingdom of Frantz!!!”

“Long live Duke Ocleang!!!”

With that final shout directed towards their impending deaths, they charged forth without hesitation, believing this was their last pledge of loyalty to Duke Ocleang.

*

“What… what’s that? What do you mean?”

“They’re pursuers! We have the trackers sent by General Rafael coming this way!”

“Run, Your Grace! While General Gilford is buying time, he can’t hold them off for long!”

The urgent voices of his subordinates echoed.

In the midst of heavy shock, Duke Ocleang began mumbling in a dazed voice.

“H-How… how could they get here so quickly…”

A situation that seemed utterly impossible.

Yet, he couldn’t dismiss the words of his frantic subordinates.

“We must get out of here immediately. With General Gilford gone, I’ll take the lead! Quickly, get into the cart!”

“Ah… I understand. I’ll… do just that.”

Following his subordinate’s instructions, Duke Ocleang hurriedly squeezed his hefty body into the cart.

“Hmm? What… what’s going on, Duke?”

“Ah… it’s nothing. His Majesty can just stay asleep. It seems we’ll need a bit more time before the pig’s feet arrive.”

“Yawn… I see. Then…”

The king fell back into a deep sleep again at Duke Ocleang’s words.

Feeling a little relieved by that, Duke Ocleang immediately commanded,

“Let’s get out of here! Start moving!”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

Though he felt sad for the death of his subordinates, his own life was of utmost importance.

As the cart started moving, it quickly made for the road and began departing Barren.

However…

“There! That cart looks suspicious!”

“Capture them! We can’t let them get away!”

“!”

“Damn it!”

The subordinates of General Rafael had already started to catch up.

Thus, Duke Ocleang’s party hastily spurred their horses to hasten their escape.

The six specially trained steeds pulling the cart were worth 5,000 talents, clearly a luxurious purchase, and their speed was such that few steeds could hope to catch up.

The cart swiftly traversed the rough mountain path, and astonishingly began losing the pursuers.

“Phew… thank goodness. Spending extra on the cart was a wise choice. If I had been stingy back then, we wouldn’t have escaped like this.”

Feeling assured that his past indulgences had been a great choice, Duke Ocleang started to feel relief with the pursuers no longer in sight.

-Clutch!

“Huh?”

At that moment…

A sudden sensation of something floating hit him.

Duke Ocleang was momentarily enveloped in confusion.

And then…

-Bang!!!

*

“Damn! Did we lose them?”

“No way. We can’t afford to give up now!”

Having driven their horses with all their might, yet still unable to spot Duke Ocleang’s cart.

Napoleona’s two subordinates, Janglan and Myura, could only slow down with heavy disappointment.

“What a shame… If I had just caught that, I would’ve secured my promotion…”

“Indeed, that was a great opportunity presented by Admiral Napoleona…”

Though partly resigned, the two still couldn’t bring themselves to stop, clinging to the last remnants of hope.

Suddenly…

“Whoa! Be careful!”

“Ugh!”

In that instant, they had to urgently stop their horses for a sharp curve ahead.

Fortunately, they had been slowing down enough that they barely avoided tumbling into the valley before them.

Feeling acutely relieved to have avoided disaster, they glanced at each other.

“Hmm?”

“Uh… huh?”

In the very next moment, their eyes widened in disbelief at the sight before them.

It was… the cart rolling down below the cliff.

Noticing that it seemed to have failed to make the turn unlike them, they exchanged glances for a brief moment.

“This might… just maybe…”

“Let’s hurry! Our promotion is over there!”

Feeling a surge of excitement, the two rushed down to the valley.

There lay the three horses, seemingly dead from the fall, and two horses struggling tied to the cart frame.

And… they could see Duke Ocleang’s subordinates scattered around, lying unconscious.

“Are… are they dead?”

“No, about half of them seem to just be unconscious. Let’s carefully check, just in case.”

“Right.”

Since they all seemed to be badly hurt, even if they woke up, they posed no significant threat.

Nonetheless, the two approached cautiously towards the cart, not letting their guard down.

Despite the severe impact, the cart itself appeared to be relatively undamaged, merely tipped over.

The two slowly approached and began to open the door.

“Hmm? It’s unlocked?”

“Is it due to the impact? Or…”

Feeling a hint of unease but being careful, they pushed the door open.

-Creeeak…

In that moment, as if unwrapping some unknown gift box, their hearts raced as they peeked inside the cart.