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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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“You’re…”
Her eyes, momentarily widened in surprise at my claiming to be the Masked Hero, narrowed with hostility. Their secret operation was treasonous. They’d been meticulously careful, yet I, a complete stranger, knew about it.
“Where did you hear such nonsense?” she asked, denying it as I expected.
The fate of the entire Reedval family rested on this conversation. She would have been cautious even if it was her sister Gwen asking. The question put me in a difficult position.
I knew about their plan because of Seo Yoo-rang’s memories, but I couldn’t reveal that.
“Well, I’m afraid I can’t disclose my source.”
“So, it’s just speculation?”
No, it wasn’t. While I couldn’t reveal my source, I could reveal details about their plan.
“Nameless Day is a day when everyone, including the barriers, loses their light. The knights guarding the royal palace will also lose their power. You plan to exploit this opportunity.”
“Anyone could guess that…”
“Yes, the royal palace would anticipate that too. That’s why you intend to infiltrate through the old underground passages, not through a frontal assault.”
“That’s…”
“But here’s the problem. The Royal Knights are expecting that too.”
She looked surprised, then calmly countered, “They don’t know all the passages. We can still get some troops into the palace.”
“And then what? How do you plan to fight? Even if the palace knights lose their powers, you won’t suddenly become stronger.”
“I know that…!” She stood up abruptly.
“We know that! But do you understand our desperation? If we miss this chance… we won’t be able to save His Majesty…”
“Indeed.”
Elsie had come of age this spring, making her eligible to inherit the throne. And for the coup plotters, a young, inexperienced Elsie would be easier to control than the current King.
What about Elsie being right here? Yes, Elsie was here. But Princess Erciara was still in the palace. A fake Princess Erciara, but the enemy knights didn’t know that.
“Are you mocking us?”
“No, I’m not mocking you. But your ‘small chance’ is incorrect.”
“What?”
“This operation, as it stands, is doomed to fail. You’ll all die.”
It was always the case in Hundred Bravez. They were missing a crucial piece of information.
“Do you think the knights succeeded in their coup attempt on their own?”
Her expression shifted, as if she’d realized something. Yes, that’s it.
“They borrowed the power of the Demon Lords. And those Demon Lords are still inside the palace.”
I didn’t know how many there were. Perhaps more than Yousera and I could handle. But it was still better than facing them alone, as the enemy knights planned to do.
“Demon Lords?”
She must have suspected it, but she’d been in denial. Otherwise, they would have had no chance of winning.
“That’s impossible. That can’t…” I interrupted her denial.
“You need to act like the head of the family.”
Head of the family. Her eyes sharpened at those words. She sat back down.
“I lost my composure. My apologies.”
“It’s alright. It was a natural reaction.”
“But as the head of the family, I shouldn’t have…”
I doubted there were many “perfect” heads of families who lived up to that ideal, but I still had something to apologize for.
“I apologize for criticizing without offering a solution.” She leaned forward.
“A solution? What do you mean?”
“As it stands, the enemy knights have no chance of winning. But I have a solution.”
It wasn’t a perfect solution. There was a chance of failure. But it was the best I could come up with.
“What is it?”
“A frontal assault.” She leaned back, her expression darkening.
“Did you even hear what I just said?”
“I heard everything.”
I already knew most of it, anyway.
“But a frontal assault? With Demon Lords inside, as you said?”
I nodded.
“It’s possible.”
“It’s impossible. Unless my sister returns with the Rose Sword…”
“I’m here in her stead.”
“You’re…”
“A High-Ranking Hero.”
My confident demeanor seemed to convince her that I wasn’t lying. And she knew a High-Ranking Hero offered a glimmer of hope.
“It seems you’re finally ready to hear my plan.”
It wasn’t just a frontal assault, but there was no need to explain everything. I began outlining my plan for the Lodreim Kingdom siege.
“First, one of my companions will breach the walls.”
That companion was, of course, Yousera. The head of the family seemed shocked that I mentioned breaching the walls so casually, but I continued,
“My companion and I will handle the Demon Lords. You will enter through the breach and engage the knights inside the palace, as planned.”
I’d excluded Elsie because she had a different role.
“Handle the Demon Lords?”
She looked at me incredulously. I probably didn’t exude any aura of strength. At best, I seemed slightly stronger than an average person. But it didn’t matter.
“I’ve defeated three Demon Lords.”
Not in a fair fight, of course. And I wasn’t planning on fighting fair this time either. The Demon Lords were weakened inside the barrier, and I intended to exploit that. Even then, the success rate depended heavily on the number of Demon Lords.
“If you say so…” she sighed, closing her eyes in resignation.
“I have no choice but to trust you. As I said, this is our last chance.”
Her eyes opened, renewed determination burning within them.
“But if I’m trusting you, you better deliver.”
Elsie, who had been silent, responded, “Of course.”
She looked at the head of the family and said, “We also want to protect this kingdom, more than anyone.”
Her words carried an unusual weight, an aura of authority she usually kept hidden. I signaled for her to tone it down, and she complied. I then revealed the final piece of information.
“However, even then, the enemy knights’ forces are insufficient.”
The weakened enemy knights couldn’t possibly defeat the remaining knights in the palace alone. Reinforcements were necessary. And I’d already planned for that.
“But who would help us with such a dangerous operation?”
“I intend to mobilize the Black Knights.”
“But the Black Knights already rejected my proposal…” She stopped mid-sentence and looked at me, realizing it was all part of my plan.
“Yes, there’s a way to persuade them.”
But I needed one more piece of information. And that…
“If you help me with one thing.”
The Reedval family could likely provide it.
“What is it?”
“I need information on the Last Knight of Lodreim Kingdom.”
Information on Libero’s past. Gwen’s story, as a Reedval, offered some clues, but they were mostly fragmented. I needed concrete details.
“The Last Knight of Lodreim Kingdom?”
I hoped they had something. The Black Knights’ participation would significantly impact the operation.
The head of the family thought for a moment, then asked, “Will that really be enough?”
“Yes.”
“Then follow me. There should be records in the library, left by our ancestors.”
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