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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
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‘This will make for a great story.’
Suppressing a sly smile, Raymond lifted his head. Then, in a voice loud enough for the royal knights who had come to support him to hear, he shouted:
“His Majesty the Emperor is still fighting alone inside the banquet hall! Is there any loyal subject who will open the way with me?”
In a situation where all the royal family members had fled, the only one who stepped forward was the Fifth Prince. Seeing this, the royal knights gathered around him.
“We will stand with His Highness the Fifth Prince!”
“Our knight order will join as well!”
“We are moved by His Highness! We will lay down our lives to open the way!”
While all the princes fled, the Fifth Prince went to rescue the Emperor in peril.
A very fine picture was completed.
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A blue aura tore through the barrier of black shadows.
Retrieving his swung sword, Gestain deftly threw himself forward.
Though he had lost his left arm, his sword remained sharp.
With each swing of his sword, assassins blocking his path fell, scattering blood.
Even the assassins, known to undergo rigorous training from the age of five, were powerless before the mana sword of a high-ranking knight.
“Could it be that such an outstanding knight serves under the Fifth Prince?”
“That clear mana sword is a symbol of a high-ranking knight! It’s at the level of a knight commander!”
The royal knights followed, admiring Gestain’s exceptional swordsmanship and strength.
“Ice Spear!”
Not just one, but dozens. Dozens of ice spears, created by the mana of the Blue Tower Master, pierced through the black shadows.
Though the assassins seemed to be helplessly defeated, the damage on this side was not insignificant.
The elite Fifth Prince’s guards suffered no losses, but many accompanying royal knights fell.
“To think the power of the Edryger Kingdom would be this formidable.”
There was a reason it was called the Night Kingdom, the nation that ruled the darkness of the continent, in the setting book.
Though the extent of their assassin forces was unknown, just the level of those deployed in the banquet hall now showed they were not to be underestimated.
“Hurry, the knight order and the guards!”
Suddenly feeling uneasy, he raised his voice.
In the novel, it was clearly described that the Emperor would be fatally wounded in the banquet hall attack, but there was no description of what forces the Edryger Kingdom had sent.
That made him anxious.
“Even if the palace’s defenses were breached, for the Emperor, protected by the shield of the royal family, to be fatally wounded, it likely means at least an high assassin moved.”
The high assassins, five who ruled the darkness of the continent.
Three of them were in the Edryger Kingdom, and two of those were under the command of the King of Edryger.
Am I meeting a mid-boss level from the start?
“What rotten luck.”
A mutter escaped his lips. Though he was breaking through the enemy’s center, with the guards and even the royal knights by his side, even the assassins couldn’t break through the formation.
Apart from casting attack spells from the safety of the formation’s center or occasionally encouraging the royal knights, there was nothing else to do.
“There, His Majesty the Emperor is! Everyone, muster your strength!”
He shouted, infusing his voice with mana. Though the Emperor was deep within the banquet hall, they were almost there. He could see the Emperor struggling to maintain his position ahead. And beside him, the fallen Royal Guards…
Only a single assassin stood before them.
‘Why can’t I see clearly?’
Though clearly stationary, not even moving, they appeared faint like an afterimage. Dark as a shadow. The more he tried to focus, the more blurry they appeared, like trying to focus on something out of reach.
“What is this?”
Dozens of bodies of black-clad assassins and royal knights lay scattered around them. The royal knights couldn’t just stand by after seeing this.
“His Majesty is in danger!”
“Royal knights, draw your swords!”
More than ten royal knights, half of those guarding their flanks, rushed out of the formation like an ebbing tide.
They threw themselves at the black shadow without hesitation.
“You idiots!”
Before he could shout “Come back!” blood splattered across his cheek.
“ARGHHHH!”
“Gu-guh!”
The screams of the royal knights. More than ten knights were collapsing, their bodies in pieces.
Even though they might lack combat experience compared to the northern knights, they were still knights. How could more than ten of them be defeated so helplessly!
“I never thought a Shadow Emperor would be here.”
This ominous presence indicated that the assassin before them was one of the Shadow Emperors, who ruled above the high assassins.
“To think the Hidden Blade of Edryger would make an appearance… This was unexpected.”
The Emperor’s face showed he had given up everything.
Shadow Emperors were known to possess Sword Master-level combat ability. The Royal Shield was too weakened to handle him.
Seeing the Royal Shield, which was the Royal Guards, and royal knights falling before their eyes proved these weren’t exaggerated rumors.
“Your Majesty, we will buy time. Please escape with the royal knights.”
The head of the Royal Guards, Marquess Blizzard, urged the Emperor to retreat.
His voice carried the resolve of someone prepared to die. He was ready to throw his life away to buy even a moment against the Shadow Emperor.
But the Emperor knew well he couldn’t escape.
The barrier created by the Hidden Blade had made escape impossible from this area.
“Did my sons escape safely?”
The Emperor asked something else instead. Marquess Blizzard spoke while keeping his eyes fixed on the Shadow Emperor, the Hidden Blade.
“The Princes have safely withdrawn, Your Majesty.”
“That’s good then.”
His voice was resigned. As long as his sons were safe, that was enough.
Though he was Emperor, the fact that he was also a father remained unchanged. Even though his sons had fled first, he didn’t blame them.
‘Even at the end, he thinks only of his sons.’
The Emperor slowly closed his eyes. The royal knights had been annihilated, half the Royal Guards had fallen, and those remaining were exhausted.
The end was near. While he had no attachments to life, he worried whether his sons could lead this declining empire well after his death.
“His Majesty is in danger!”
“Royal knights, draw your swords!”
Just as he had given up everything, battle cries rang out.
“The royal knights have broken through the assassins’ encirclement to support us!”
At Marquess Blizzard’s cry, the Emperor opened his eyes and turned toward the source of the shouting.
In the center of the blood-covered royal knights who had carved their way through was the Fifth Prince, Raymond.
“You foolish child…”
He had thought his son would be the first to flee, yet he was the first to come to his father’s rescue. But the joy was brief.
Their opponent was a Shadow Emperor with Sword Master-level power. The royal knights were no match.
The royal knights who had boldly stepped forward rolled on the ground in pieces. After more than ten were defeated in a single strike, the other royal knights became rigid with fear.
Now no royal knights would easily step forward against the Shadow Emperor.
“Fifth Prince, the situation is dire.”
Gestain said. Though there were Royal Guards and a few high-ranking knights and mages around the Emperor, they seemed insufficient to handle a Shadow Emperor.
“This is a battle we cannot win.”
While Gestain made this cold assessment, Raymond maintained a relaxed expression, and the Blue Tower Master, Lysefield, didn’t seem particularly worried either.
Of course, Desia looked like she was dying, but Gestain had no time to check her complexion.
“So, you’re the rogue Fifth Prince, Raymond Philios? I have no business with you, so withdraw quietly. That way, you might at least keep your life.”
His tone suggested that killing such an insignificant being would be troublesome, so he should just run away. Simultaneously, dark killing intent poured out, seemingly meant to intimidate.
Despite having reached the level of an intermediate mage, there was no way to withstand a Shadow Emperor’s killing intent. Breathing became rough, and vision turned black.
“Ugh!”
“Your Highness!”
Gestain raised his sword to deflect the killing intent. Thanks to him, Raymond returned to normal.
Instead of thanking him, Raymond glared at the Shadow Emperor and spoke:
“You dare infiltrate the Imperial Palace and attempt to harm His Majesty! Does the Edryger Kingdom truly desire war?”
“You’re drunk on past glory.”
The Shadow Emperor didn’t deny the connection to the Edryger Kingdom.
Their intentions were clear from the fact that they sent the Hidden Blade, one of the two deep shadows leading the king’s assassination corps of Edryger Kingdom.
They intended to completely destroy them.
“Run away!”
The Emperor raised his voice. His voice, gaze, and face were filled with concern for the Fifth Prince, Raymond.
But Raymond remained composed. This wasn’t mere bravado.
-Are you prepared to sacrifice? Then raise the spear, your sacrifice shall become a sharp spear that pierces the enemy.
A voice echoed. While keeping his eyes on the Shadow Emperor, he drew up the energy sleeping in his heart. White energy began rising around him.
“I’ll have to modify the plan. For His Majesty’s sake, I’ll have to eliminate you.”
The Shadow Emperor turned. Seeing this, the Emperor jumped up from his chair and shouted:
“Royal Guards, protect the Fifth Prince!”
“If we leave, Your Majesty will be in danger!”
“We cannot follow that order!”
The only time Royal Guards could refuse orders was when they judged the Emperor’s life to be in extreme danger.
They didn’t follow the order, and the Shadow Emperor summoned about ten high assassins to keep the Emperor and Royal Guards in check, then slowly walked toward Raymond.
“So now you’ve decided to kill me?”
The Hidden Blade didn’t answer. Seeing this, Raymond smiled slightly and raised his hand.
White energy gathered, but it seemed to need more time to form into a spear.
This was his first time using it in actual combat, so control wasn’t easy. Already, a massive amount of life force was being consumed, and his consciousness was growing dim.
“Can you buy me some time?”
He asked a high-ranking knight, the Blue Tower Master Lysfield Dior, and an advanced mage. They nodded silently with grave expressions and stepped forward.
“We shall join as well.”
The few remaining royal knights joined them. The Hidden Blade silently raised both arms while watching them.
Though nothing was visible in his hands, Raymond knew he was holding daggers. That was part of the setting for the Hidden Blade, one of the five Shadow Emperors.
‘The Invisible Blade.’
When would he move? Just as Raymond thought this tensely, the Hidden Blade kicked off the ground and shot upward.
The movement was too fast to leave even an afterimage, but it seemed he had swung his arms.
And then…
“ARGHHHH!”
“UWAAAAAH!”
Invisible blades descended upon the royal knights. Blood splattered as their screams filled the air.
Gestain stepped forward, and Lysefield wielded the Heart of the Sea.
Dozens of ice spears targeted the Hidden Blade, but before they could reach him, they shattered into dozens of pieces.
Gestain’s mana sword also broke upon collision with the aura.
“Kuh!”
Gestain fell, and Lysefield also retreated with injuries. All the royal knights had become corpses.
Now only the advanced mage, Desia, remained at his side.
“Absolute Shield!”
It was a supreme defensive magic worthy of its nickname ‘absolute defense’ – he hadn’t expected her to be capable of using it despite reaching the level of advanced mage.
“Useless.”
Though it momentarily stopped the Hidden Blade’s advance, that was all.
The aura blade tore through the absolute defense, and he penetrated deeply while spreading his cold gaze.
Just as the invisible blade targeted Desia…
“Gu-guh…?”
The Hidden Blade lowered his head at the pain in his chest. A massive hole had been pierced through his chest. Red blood poured from his mouth.
“What… How…?”
Beneath his mask, the Hidden Blade’s face clearly showed disbelief.
A unique-grade defensive magic artifact had been penetrated? No, more importantly, he hadn’t even sensed anything approaching.
“Lord Hidden Blade has been struck!”
“Retreat for now! Fall back!”
No one expected the Hidden Blade, a Shadow Emperor, to be defeated. It was completely unexpected.
The high assassins hurriedly left the banquet hall while supporting the staggering Hidden Blade.
“Is it over…?”
“Your Highness!”
Consciousness was fading. Vision growing dark.
He felt delicate arms supporting his weakening body as he staggered, but that sensation lasted only a moment.
“Your Highness!”
Someone else’s voice reached him. With effort, he raised his head to see Lysefield there. Though his neck was bloody, fortunately it didn’t seem to be a fatal wound.
“Thank goodness…”
The thought he’d been holding suddenly slipped out.
He could feel blood flowing from every opening in his body – eyes, mouth, nose, and ears.
That was the last sensation he felt while conscious, and the last sight he saw was the Emperor, throwing aside all dignity, rushing toward him in a single breath.
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