Chapter 55: Not a Single One Will Remain
A deafening silence blanketed the banquet hall, spreading like a wildly contagious virus from the long table at the front where Victoria and the Old Duke were the main attraction, quickly enveloping the entire space.
Nobles, who had just moments ago been chattering away, their emotions piqued by the mood and atmosphere, fell into a trance. Their eyes bulged wide as countless incredulous glances tangled together, faces exchanging multiple bewildered expressions.
Meanwhile, some distance away, clueless onlookers leaned in to whisper to each other, “What’s going on?” “Why did it suddenly go quiet?” “What happened over by Her Majesty the Queen? Should we go check it out…” and similar head-scratching queries.
The inner hall was already spacious, and with the number of guests tonight, it was quite full. It wasn’t exactly shoulder-to-shoulder, but the music, the glimmer of light, and the occasional giggles of clueless children darting around mixed into a cacophony. Most guests had only caught sight of the Old Duke’s arrival and were utterly confused, not understanding what exactly had shifted the atmosphere to something so bizarre.
So some started craning their necks, others took tentative steps closer. A few sharp individuals caught wind of the unusual tension and pulled their female companions away toward the exit or further afield.
Time seemed to freeze in that moment.
The Old Duke’s deep, harsh words echoed in my ears. His lips curled into a wicked grin, and a malevolent glint shone from his nearly squinted eyes. Opposite him, beside me, the young queen remained composed, like she was just casually catching the breeze.
My eyelids fluttered slightly.
At that precise moment, I honed my senses to the max.
My mind was still processing the implications of the Old Duke’s words. At the same time, my dark, lively eyes darted around, weaving between the frozen or dazed faces of the crowd, trying to sniff out even a hint of whatever chaos awaited.
Suddenly, a faint “thud” came from above.
It sounded like something hefty hitting the stone wall, very muted, though not too far away. If it hadn’t been for the abrupt silence, I might have missed it too.
What on earth was that…
I glanced up at the arched ceiling.
The next instant, shards of stained glass and wood splintered into view, mingled with a splash of bl**d.
Crash—
“Ah——”
Accompanied by a soul-crushing scream of someone struggling before d*ath, two silhouettes burst through a stained glass window in the arched ceiling, plummeting from a height of over ten meters. They twisted mid-air, their trajectories as chaotic as the shards of glass that glinted under the lights. During their fall, one figure lifted their right arm, reflecting a flash of cold light, bl**d bursting forth with the scream, a severed arm flying up over a meter before plummeting back down.
I stood there agape.
Assassins!
The speed of their descent was frighteningly quick. In the blink of an eye, they crashed into the panicked crowd less than ten meters to my left, accompanied by a cacophony of screams and clattering furniture.
Bang! Crash——!
The sound erupted amid the ongoing chorus of wails as the fallen figures shattered a long table in two, scattering plates of pastries and sending wine splattering into the air. More wood bits sailed a few meters away, crimson fluid splashed onto the faces of nearby onlookers, their expressions frozen in shock as the chaos erupted all around them.
“Ah! Aaaaah——”
Painful screeches resonated from the spot where the figures landed. The throng surged towards me, blocking my view of the scene, causing my heart to race with unease. Moments later, I heard the soft “thump” of blades piercing flesh, the shrieks suddenly cut off as a bl**d-soaked figure emerged from the wreckage.
It was Rect…
“The assassin has been slain by the Sword of Kanli——!” he shouted.
But the scene was already spiraling into chaos. People scrambled toward the exits, children cried out from afar, and women tumbled to the ground in the frenzy.
Victoria’s birthday was ruined…
Incredibly, the first thought that popped into my head was this.
Then my anger flared as I turned back to glare at the Old Duke——
“Ahhh——!”
But I caught sight of the fat commander behind him bellowing, hands disappearing into his tuxedo’s chest pocket, charging towards me and Victoria.
I jolted.
In my line of sight, the commander’s face was twisted in rage, his complexion red from overexcitement—yet fear lurked in his widely opened eyes. His actions seemed unexpected to the Old Duke, who raised a hand hastily in an attempt to stop him, but it was clearly too late.
The commander yanked his hand out from his jacket.
Instinctively, I bumped into Victoria, tightened my fist, and swung it upward towards the commander’s chest——
Bam!
A thunderous thud resonated through the hall.
His hefty frame flew like straw tossed by a truck, shrieking as he was launched backward, flipping through the air a good three or four meters, with a spray of warm liquid hit my face. At that moment, a cloud of gray dust exploded around me.
“Cough, cough!”
The dust was suffocating; I held my breath after two quick coughs.
That eerily familiar yet more nauseating sensation… I quickly realized that the dust the fat commander had unleashed was the same substance Edward had used in his ambush against me.
Mandrake seed anesthetic powder!
I covered my nose and mouth with one hand and grabbed Victoria’s arm, tugging her back as I prepared to retreat.
But the next moment, a fierce gust blasted past me.
Whoosh——
The turbulent air swept away the dust, along with the candles and wine goblets from the long table. My hair whipped against my face, with a few strands even finding their way into my mouth.
“Stop!”
The Old Duke, barely managing to stay upright, raised both hands and shouted into the wind. I even caught him muttering “idiot” under his breath, though I couldn’t tell if he was referring to the assassin Rect had just dispatched or the fat commander barely recovering from a fall.
But…
Now you say “stop”?
I bent my knees and jumped onto the table, launching a kick directly at the Old Duke’s face.
I’m stopping for your mother!
Riiip—
In my haste, I completely forgot about my snug mermaid gown. As I raised my foot, the right side of my dress tore open from hem to hip, exposing my flawless thigh to the air; my kick was thus impeded. The Old Duke reacted quickly, leaning away instinctively, still shouting “Stop—”
Bam!
My foot hit his shoulder, sending the Old Duke flying off, tumbling to the floor.
I quickly pulled my legs back, feeling a bit of a chill from the wind on my lower half, and my face immediately flushed.
This beautiful dress is ruined… how sad…
But there was no time to dwell on that.
The chaos spread completely, the crowd rushing desperately toward the exits, now bottlenecked to the point of being impassable. The smarter ones cushioned themselves under tables or in corners, while a few quietly snuck into the room where we first gathered. I knew we could escape through that corridor.
About five meters away, Rect pushed his way through the crowd heading my way. Almost simultaneously, it seemed, in several different spots, a brawl broke out. Tables flipped, wine glasses shattered and transformed into makeshift weapons, piercing into throats. bl**d splattered as screams echoed, chaos reigning supreme.
In that moment, I doubted anyone was concerned whether I was exposed…
I scanned the hall quickly but couldn’t spot Sophia anywhere. Shaking my slightly dizzy head, I noticed the remaining guards standing beside the Old Duke had finally caught on.
Despite one being knocked out by the fat commander, those remaining had surrounded me near the long table. All wielding short daggers, yet they hesitated, seemingly intimidated by my earlier punch that had sent the commander flying; nobody dared to be the first to attack.
Well, then I’ll go first…
Swish——
I pushed off with my feet and soared into the air like a big bird, rotating mid-flight before landing behind the group.
Thank goodness Victoria didn’t make me wear high heels…
As I pondered trivialities, I simply bent forward and swung my fists.
Bam! Bam!
No need to even use the Power of Order.
With two gruff exhalations, the two in front didn’t even have time to turn around before they were launched forward, sending chairs and tables sliding five meters across the carpet, colliding with the hard granite edge of the dais, collapsing without a sound.
I raised a small hand and blew lightly on my slightly reddened knuckles.
The armor was so hard, it was digging into my hands.
A bit painful…
When I lifted my gaze again, Rect had silently approached. He reached around one of the fallen figures, plunging his blade into the man’s neck. The guy didn’t make a sound, collapsing softly as bl**d gushed forth like a fountain.
Meanwhile, Victoria merely raised her right hand, the jade-like fingertip drawing a few arcs in the air. A thin wind blade whistled out, hitting a nearby figure square in the chest. With a “clink,” sparks flew like a peacock spreading its tail as the man staggered back, clutching his chest in pain before collapsing.
The fight erupted almost instantly and ended just as quickly.
Clank, clank.
The last two remaining fighters quickly dropped their daggers, raising their hands in surrender.
“We surrender! We surrender!”
“We were just forced to act under orders. Please spare us, Her Majesty——”
They had completely lost their fighting spirit… maybe they never had any to begin with. Nobody had the guts to face the Pope Knight in battle. Perhaps they didn’t know me, but Victoria’s name was undoubtedly known to all.
Seeing this shift, I lowered my tiny, raised fists.
In my line of sight, the Old Duke was slowly rising, gasping and clutching his shoulder. Victoria walked toward him with an emotionless expression. The chaos in the hall was still deafening, and when I turned around, I caught sight of the previously punched fat commander. He lay on the intricately carved marble floor nearby, his dark red bl**d mixed with darker chunks of flesh pouring from his mouth, his hefty figure twitching before gradually coming to a stop.
Is he dead?
I think I hit him too hard… I just wanted to incapacitate him; I didn’t mean to go this far…
A heaviness settled in my chest.
I truly didn’t mean to… I was startled by him, instinctively putting everything I had into it. My physical strength seemed stronger than ever; I hadn’t yet mastered this enhanced power… so…
Whoosh, whoosh——
Suddenly, the sharp sounds of wind startled me. I jerked my shoulders, turning back to see those two kneeling in surrender had fallen face-first onto the ground. Off to my right, Victoria nonchalantly pulled back her right hand, not even glancing my way, as she strode toward the Old Duke with Rect.
The Old Duke took a deep breath, straightening up.
Victoria fixed her gaze on his face, paused for a moment, then softly spoke, “Now I will answer your earlier question.”
Her clear voice was as calm as ever, devoid of any fluctuation.
“I predict that tonight, not a single one of the Iron Guards that made it to the royal palace will remain.”
