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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Wail!
The chilling sound sent a shiver down Trie’s spine.
She swallowed hard, her muscles tense.
“They’ve finally made their move!”
Kane and Trie drew their swords in unison. Back to back, they scanned their surroundings, assessing the situation.
Civilians hurried home, their faces etched with fear. The atmosphere was charged with tension. But there was no sign of any attackers.
They weren’t the target.
Not yet, at least.
“It could be a false alarm. Let’s go to the keep and investigate. Coming, Schulzenburg?”
[T/N: sorry if I get these last names wrong by a letter or two guys they are really long ffs]
“No, I’ll stay here. These are my orders.”
“I see…”
If there were intruders, capturing them would be a great opportunity to earn glory. But Trie’s expression remained resolute.
She showed no desire for personal gain.
How could someone so young be so mature?
Kane felt a surge of respect as he turned to leave.
“I’ll leave the intruders to you, Imperial Knights Commander.”
“Yes. I’ll take care of them.”
Kane launched himself into the air, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
With his helmet on, no one would mistake him for anything less than a seasoned veteran. He exuded an aura of power and authority as he headed towards the castle defenses.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
“Is it an attack?”
Voices drifted down from the rooftop.
Trie looked up, her heart sinking.
Why couldn’t they just stay inside?
“Get inside and lock the doors! It might be an ambush!”
“O-okay!”
Her friends, at least, weren’t completely oblivious.
Erica and Ainz, realizing the seriousness of the situation, quickly disappeared inside.
‘I will protect them.’
Even without Schlus’s request, she would protect them. They might not be close, but she couldn’t abandon them.
The prickly mage genius who complained about everything, and the foolish boy who called himself Schlus’s loyal dog…
As a knight, she would protect her comrades. As a stronger being, she would protect the weaker ones.
Trie narrowed her eyes, her senses on high alert.
If it was an ambush, the enemy could have infiltrated through the sewers, tunnels, or with the help of planted spies.
But unless they had somehow managed to open the gates from the inside, their numbers would be limited.
She had to inflict maximum damage with minimal resources.
There were three primary targets:
The gate.
If they could capture and open the gate, they could allow a large number of their allies into the castle. But that possibility had already been considered. Knights were stationed at the gate, guarding it around the clock.
The keep.
It housed the commanders’ quarters and could be used as a defensive position in an emergency. But holding the keep wouldn’t achieve anything. They would simply be trapped, eventually succumbing to starvation.
It was an unlikely target.
The mages’ quarters.
That was where she was stationed. But that was only a viable target if the enemy knew about it.
The location of the mages’ quarters was a closely guarded secret. The minimal security detail was also intentional, designed to avoid attracting attention.
But if the enemy had been observing the castle for a long time, they might have noticed the two mages residing there.
She had to be prepared.
This was a likely target.
Boom!
“…!”
A distant explosion echoed through the air.
A spell powerful enough to create such a sound… the enemy had sent in some skilled mages.
It was unsettling, but also reassuring. If they were attacking elsewhere, it meant this location was relatively safe.
There was no reason for them to split their forces, reducing their chances of success.
“…!”
Thump.
Trie’s head snapped around as she heard approaching footsteps, amplified by the silence.
Someone was coming. And they weren’t alone.
At least three.
Trie raised her sword, ready to attack, when—
“Ah, Trie!”
“Sigh…”
She lowered her sword, relief washing over her as she recognized the familiar faces.
They were members of the Fourth Castle guard who had surrendered and joined the suppression force.
“Good evening.”
“You too. Are you on patrol?”
“Yes, we are.”
“Do you know what’s going on?”
“We’re still trying to figure it out, but it seems the enemy used an explosive spell to try and breach the gate.”
“I see…”
So they were concentrating their forces on the gate.
Trie felt even more relieved.
She relaxed slightly, then her eyes widened, and she raised her sword again.
“Halt! You cannot enter.”
“We just wanted to offer our assistance. It must be difficult guarding this place alone.”
“I don’t require assistance. No one is allowed to enter during an emergency.”
“We’ll just stand guard outside. It might make you feel safer—”
“If you approach any closer, I will consider you hostile and attack.”
“….”
The guards’ faces paled at Trie’s stern warning. She was serious. She always followed the rules.
“O-our apologies. We’ll continue our patrol.”
“Yes. And I apologize for my harsh tone.”
“It’s understandable. Haha…”
The guards turned to leave, their expressions sheepish.
The other guards followed.
Trie tilted her head.
Something about one of the guard’s arm movements seemed… off.
She was about to call out to him, when—
“Yah!”
“Ugh!”
The guard spun around, throwing an axe.
Startled, Trie raised her sword to deflect it.
Clang!
The axe stopped mid-air, a blue spark crackling in the space between them. It clattered to the ground, and the guards clicked their tongues in frustration.
A barrier.
The barrier Schlus Hainkel had created with his immense mana had activated, detecting the attack.
“Damn it…”
Trie’s jaw dropped.
More footsteps approached. The number of enemies continued to increase.
Ten… twenty… thirty…
She couldn’t be sure how many there were. But one thing was clear.
They were targeting this location, and they were gathering their forces here.
“Erica! Ainz! Can you hear me?”
“….”
There was no response from inside. The enemy approached the barrier, testing its strength with their weapons. But the barrier held firm, impervious to their attacks.
They seemed to know it was futile, refraining from wasting their energy. But instead of being frustrated, they were… laughing.
“Assuming you can hear me, send a message! The enemy is targeting the mages’ quarters!”
“….”
Had the message gotten through?
Just as Trie was worrying, a window opened above her.
“It’s no use! It won’t work!”
“What?”
“There’s too much interference! I can’t establish a stable connection!”
“Oh…”
So the enemy had a plan. They weren’t just thugs with axes and swords.
They understood magic, and they knew how to exploit it.
They might not be able to wield magic themselves, but they knew as much, or even more, about it than mages.
Assassins…
Mages specialized in assassinating other mages. The realization sent a chill down Trie’s spine.
Assassins were trained in every nation that employed mages. The South was no exception. These were the remnants of those groups.
“Stay inside! Don’t come out!”
“I can provide support with magic—”
“I said don’t come out! Is this a joke to you?!”
“F-fine…”
Erica and Ainz retreated without further protest.
Trie was relieved.
Mages and assassins were a terrible combination. Any spells they cast could be intercepted and used against them.
She had to rely on her internal circuits, which were immune to magical interference.
“Heh. How long do you think it will take to break this?”
“Hmph. You’ll never break it, not even in a hundred years.”
“It’s a powerful barrier, I’ll give you that. But it’s designed to withstand physical attacks, not magical interference. You could hack at it all day, and it wouldn’t break. But dismantling it magically… that’s a different story.”
“….”
The guard placed his hand on the barrier, a smug smile on his face.
No way…
Could he really dismantle Schlus’s barrier?
Just as she was about to scoff, the other guards followed suit, placing their hands on the barrier.
“Don’t tell me…!”
They all knew how to dismantle magical barriers?
Trie’s jaw dropped.
If they all worked together, they might actually be able to break through.
“Haa… Haa…”
Trie took a deep breath, calming herself.
Communication was down. She was facing dozens of assassins specialized in killing mages.
She was alone. The barrier was about to fall.
It was a worst-case scenario.
“Heh… Hehehe…”
And yet, she found herself laughing. She was surprised by her own reaction.
Why was she laughing?
Then she realized. She was enjoying this. She was reveling in the danger, the thrill of facing impossible odds.
Let’s be honest.
She had been pretending not to care, but seeing her friends earn glory and praise had filled her with a sense of inadequacy. And now, finally, she had a chance to prove herself.
She was welcoming the crisis.
The realization banished all traces of fear.
“Come and get me.”
Trie smiled at the assassins, a strange sense of self-loathing welling up within her.
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News reached them that Schlus Hainkel had successfully negotiated with the Great Forest.
They had lost half their army.
They were desperate.
They had to kill Schlus Hainkel, the Emperor’s messenger, by any means necessary. Even if it meant ambushing him on his way back to the castle.
And they would capture the Saintess, using her as a hostage.
They had to fight dirty to survive.
“….”
“….”
The beastmen lay hidden in the dark forest, the faint mana pressing down on them. Their gazes were fixed on the dimly lit road.
They waited. And waited.
Night fell, cloaking the road in darkness, but there was no sign of Schlus or the Saintess.
The silence was unnerving.
“….”
A beastman tapped the commander’s shoulder, communicating through sign language.
It was too dark for human eyes to see, but beastmen could discern hand movements at this distance.
-Has the operation failed?
-Not yet. We wait.
If Schlus and the Saintess hadn’t passed through by now, it meant they were spending the night in the Great Forest.
Still, the beastmen remained vigilant, just in case.
Hundreds of elite soldiers and knights had been mobilized, prepared to take down Schlus, even if it meant heavy losses.
But Schlus wasn’t coming. The soldiers were getting tired.
The sun had set long ago, and there was no sign of him, not even the sound of hoofbeats.
They were about to give up, when—
Rustle…
“…?!”
The sound of leaves rustling in the wind came from behind them.
The beastmen spun around, their swords drawn. But there was nothing there, just the dark, dense forest.
Had there been another group waiting in ambush?
The beastmen exchanged confused glances.
-Who was that?
-I don’t know.
Even the commander didn’t know.
They crouched low, their senses on high alert, but the sound didn’t repeat.
It must have been a falling leaf. They all thought the same thing.
“Huh?”
“Don’t make a sound, idiot.”
“Who is that…?”
A beastman soldier spotted a faint silhouette.
It was hard to see in the darkness, but it was definitely human-shaped. As he leaned closer to get a better look, the silhouette moved.
“You want to know who I am?”
“…!”
A deep voice echoed through the forest.
A blue light flashed, tearing through the darkness. The light expanded, illuminating the figure of a man.
They had never seen his face before, but they recognized the cold, condescending gaze.
“It’s over, mutts.”
The blue light in Schlus’s hand coalesced into a sword, radiating power.
His left hand reached for the sheath at his hip, grasping the hilt of a longsword.
A second blade, gleaming in the dim light, was drawn.
The beastmen froze, paralyzed by fear.
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Not the hero we deserve