Volume 9 Chapter 5 The Noble Sacrifice Of A Loyal Retainer
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
*Milly’s Perspective
As I rushed back to the palace with Miriel, I summoned the agents of the Dream Demon organization and the Dorman family’s courtyard guards, who were deployed in the Capital City.
Kent didn’t say anything, but I could tell he was quite shaken and anxious about stepfather being captured.
I hadn’t expected stepfather to be taken either, and I felt an escalating sense of urgency about the current situation.
”Summoning me creates quite the predicament, doesn’t it?”
The middle-aged gentleman who appeared in the room, resembling an old nobleman, was Sebastian, the head of the Dorman family’s courtyard guards.
”Yes, it’s an emergency. You’re more familiar with this than I am, aren’t you?”
”Well, I suppose so. I believe I sent out a warning in advance, but… Sir Arbalest has remained optimistic, and I never thought Lady Miriallia would underestimate the enemy…”
”That stings… I’ve really been off my game lately… As the head of the Intelligence organization, I feel rather inadequate…”
”You’re still young, so all I can say is you’ll have to get accustomed to the subtleties of the espionage world.”
Sebastian smiled as he replied, his expression reassuring.
He took pride in his long experience as the head of the Kingdom’s finest Intelligence organization, supporting my fledgling administration from the shadows.
”I appreciate that. I know it’s a lot to ask of you, but I’ll rely on you.”
”Of course. I understand completely.”
Meanwhile, I heard that since Lady Yuri declared her withdrawal, the succubi hiding in the secret village had all relocated to the True Demon Dukedom.
Furthermore, various intelligence networks had suffered significantly due to Lady Yuri’s departure, leading to a considerable number of defectors, thereby reducing them to barely functional organizations.
For now, only the intelligence networks established in the South District and the Capital City were being managed effectively, while chaos reigned in other regions.
The Dream Demon Assassination Squad can’t move like they used to…
Seeing the current state of the Dream Demon Clan cast a gloomy shadow over my heart, but an even bigger headache was standing right in front of me.
”Miriel, this is bad, but why are the girls of the ‘Astral Valkyrie’ at Lina’s place!? They’re supposed to be monster hunting in Estfort, right!?”
”Uh, um…”
Miriel shifted her gaze and stumbled over her words.
”MirMir, let me explain that.”
From behind Ellis, a woman from the Majin Clan appeared.
She was Eclair, the proprietress of the taverns where Ellis and the others were staying.
”Ms. Eclair… why are you here!?”
”Oh my, if it isn’t ‘Iron Fist Eclair’… Is the shop doing well?”
Sebastian seemed to know Eclair as well, wearing a nostalgic smile.
”I’m fine. I left it to my daughter. Besides, it looks like you’re doing well, Sebastian. The Dorman family has been taken care of many times, so please send my regards to Cefiro. And Lina has been very helpful in many ways too.”
Eclair raised her hand lightly in response to Sebastian.
”Anyway! Why are you in the Capital City with the girls of the ‘Astral Valkyrie’?”
”…Well, it’s like a vacation. They were tired of a hunting-only life, so everyone came to the Capital City for a breather. But the main reason is that Arbalest summoned me because he has something important to discuss.”
Eclair’s face suddenly turned bright red.
I had heard about her from mother, who had mentioned that she had always had a fondness for stepfather, and it seemed they had taken care of each other in various ways even when they were in Abyss Vena.
Since stepfather moved up to the Capital City, he had been busy, but I thought he had contacted her recently.
Still, an important matter… Is he planning to remarry?
Well, I wouldn’t particularly mind if she became my stepmother.
”So, did you get to see stepfather?”
”…That idiot got himself Bound by those useless Nobles before he could even meet me. Seriously, you wouldn’t believe it.”
She stomped her foot, and the building shuddered.
Eclair was famous as a master of Kenpo when she was actively Monster Hunting.
She was a formidable Monster Hunter, known by various nicknames like ‘Iron Fist Eclair’ and ‘Angel of Slaughter,’ as Sebastian mentioned earlier.
”So… you want to join the rescue operation, bringing Ellis and the others with you?”
”Yes. I’ll guarantee the safety of these girls. They’re precious to me, after all. Besides, I was his Secretary when Arbalest was in charge of the Royal Castle’s security. I know all the back alleys. Can I leave rescuing Arbalest to me?”
I’d heard a little about stepfather being in charge of the Royal Castle’s security back then, but I never thought she would know the back alleys too.
”That’s a great help… Even our household hasn’t been able to obtain information on the Royal Castle’s back alleys… I believe we can easily infiltrate it now, with the enemy’s defenses weakened.”
”Can Ellis and the others handle it?”
Ellis looked nervous, but a strong will burned in her eyes.
”We can do it! We want to repay Ms. Eclair for everything! We’ll bring Sir Arbalest back safely!”
As the leader of ‘Astral Valkyrie,’ a Monster Hunting group funded by Lina, and comprised mainly of young succubi, I was satisfied with her growth.
However, they lacked experience in the world of espionage, which Dream Demons excel at, leaving me with a lingering sense of unease about entrusting them with the rescue of stepfather.
They had already grown into a well-known Hunting Group in the South District when it came to hunting monsters, but their fighting style was flashy, and they weren’t suited for the delicate combat required in intelligence operations.
Well, even if the worst happens and it turns into a fight, Ms. Eclair is with them, so they won’t die easily.
She knows when to back down, too…
”I suppose there’s no helping it. We can’t afford to fail. The distraction team will be led by my shadow guards and Sebastian’s group, so you all will be the rescue team.”
”Yes! We absolutely won’t fail!”
Ellis declared their success with a clear tone.
As I took on this role, I couldn’t help but lament the disarray brought on by my conflict with Lady Yuri, which had caused the Dream Demon Clan to lose its former unity.
The once-feared name of the Dream Demon Assassination group had fallen into disgrace, but now I felt a glimmer of hope shining through.
Ellis and the others might not be cut out for espionage due to their personalities, but their sociability──something the young succubi of our village had sorely lacked──had allowed them to forge and expand various connections.
Lady Yuri, however, treated them as outsiders and effectively exiled them from the village.
Yet, I was convinced that their unique traits were essential for the future of the Dream Demon Clan.
”Understood. Now, go immediately! Ms. Eclair, I’m counting on you to take care of Ellis and the others. Launch this signal flare once you’ve succeeded in the rescue.”
I handed the signal flare to Eclair.
”Got it! I’ll launch it once we’ve rescued them. Alright, Elia, let’s move!”
Eclair, having received the flare, hurriedly rushed outside with Ellis and the others in tow.
”…It’s all quite frantic, isn’t it? I’ve heard that this coup is tied to Sven, so please, Lady Miriallia, do not let your guard down.”
Sebastian, watching Eclair dash away, turned to me with concern.
”I know. I’ve gotten quite rusty myself, so I’ll take the chance to stir things up a bit for some exercise. The distraction can be inside the royal castle, right?”
”Indeed. Let’s make it as flashy as possible to draw the enemy’s attention. I may have been in the intelligence field for a long time, but I don’t mind creating some chaos… Let’s do this grandly.”
”The Dorman family’s garden is in the eastern sector of the castle, while my shadow guards and I will create distractions in the western sector. That way, Ms. Eclair and her infiltration team will face less threat.”
”That’s a good plan… I’ll head out right away.”
With that, Sebastian vanished without a sound, along with his subordinates.
”I’m heading out too. Everyone’s ready, right? Tell Miriel to hold back the fight until Kent’s luminescent bullets are ready to launch.”
”Understood.”
Along with Miriel’s reply, a whispered yet clear response came from the shadow guards.
* * *
With my shadow guards in tow, I successfully slipped out of the detached palace and infiltrated the royal castle, cutting off any trace of my presence.
The coup forces prioritized securing the castle, so they only had sentries posted at each gate, allowing me to slip in without notice.
Peering into the state of the castle, it seemed there was no resistance yet, and the castle was already under the control of the coup forces.
I decided to flush out Sven’s men, who were presumably in the castle, using Stealth Magic to erase our presence and that of my subordinates.
Careful surveillance revealed soldiers marching through the castle, among them a few whose presence was cleverly concealed, catching my eye every so often.
There’s no way a regular soldier could walk around隐形.
Those must be Sven’s men that he’s planted.
I sent an image of the man to target to the nearby shadow guards using ‘Telepathy,’ a Mental Magic unique to the Dream Demon Clan, allowing for silent communication with allies who have established a prior sensory link.
I instructed them to attack, but not to kill, the soldiers who had erased their presence.
Following the ‘Telepathy’ instructions, the shadow guards hurled small knives at the targeted soldiers.
The soldiers were caught off guard and injured by the unexpectedly thrown knives.
SSSSSS!!
SSSSSS!!
SSSSSS!!
The attacked soldiers blew their whistles, summoning their comrades.
As expected, the soldiers who had erased their presence were spies that Sven had sent.
And before you knew it, soldiers were converging on the scene.
Quick moves… but being obvious is just perfect.
Sven can’t afford to seem too suspicious, after all.
The number of soldiers gathering in the western part of the castle had already reached nearly 50.
I stopped erasing my presence and told the shadow guards to start the fight, engaging the incoming soldiers in battle.
At the same time, the sound of a loud, piercing whistle could be heard echoing from the opposite side of the castle.
I’m sure the Sebastians have started causing trouble as well.
As I pray for the success of the Ellis and the others’ mission, I focus my concentration on taking down the soldiers that rush towards me, one after another, rendering them unable to fight.
* * *
*Sven’s Perspective
Gilbert and I were discussing future matters within the castle when a loud, piercing flute sound echoed through the air.
This was the sound of the emergency whistle I had entrusted to my subordinates.
I immediately rose from my seat to confirm the direction of the flute’s melody.
Could it be from the east and west…?
Does Lady Miriallia’s organization have the ability to launch an assault on 2 fronts…?
”Lord Sven, what’s going on?”
Gilbert seemed startled by the sudden sound of the flute.
”It appears someone has infiltrated the castle. Most likely, it’s someone from Miriallia’s side coming to reclaim their father.”
”Good grief, could it be the Dream Demon’s Black Dagger? What a hassle! We’ll chase them away. My soldiers have never been in the business of hunting spies.”
Since we had anticipated Miriallia’s intrusion, I replied to Gilbert with a composed expression.
”Leave it to me. This time, we are prepared with our seasoned tactics, so the Dream Demon’s Black Dagger, Miriallia, won’t get away unscathed. I’ll capture her at once.”
”Then, I’ll leave it to you, Lord Sven.”
At that moment, the door to the room was roughly thrown open.
The person who entered was an officer who had gone to negotiate with Kent Blackdagger, accompanied by Gilbert’s wife, Marietta before.
”Sir Gilbert! Kent Blackdagger has declared he will crush us as traitors! Moreover, Lord Blackdagger’s camp is hosting the Garuda Principality’s chieftain, Nokin! They are currently advancing on our army! I’ve already sent word ahead to General Letticia, who guards the 4th layer, to strengthen their defenses!”
The officer was talking excitedly and rapidly, almost tripping over his own words.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply