Chapter 38: An All-Too-Obvious Pursuer (3)

It didn’t take long for the two of us to return to where we had originally been.

Patrick, who had been reassuring the others, noticed us and hurried over.

“What happened?”

At that, Jade grumbled.

“Master took care of everything∼!”

“That’s really fortunate. If the Red Sand Mercenary Corps had kept tailing us, it would’ve been a headache.”

Hearing Patrick’s words, Raion realized something he’d overlooked.

At the same time, Jade’s brows furrowed as he narrowed his eyes.

“Master, didn’t you say earlier that you didn’t know they were from the Red Sand Mercenary Corps?”

It was something Raion had forgotten to mention to Patrick beforehand. Pretending to brush it off, Raion patted Jade’s shoulder.

“As long as we’re alive, that’s what matters.”

“If you had been even a little later, I’d have really died from the poison!”

Jade pointed to his right forearm where his clothes were torn.

Truly, if Raion hadn’t come—or had arrived even a bit later—Jade’s survival would’ve been uncertain.

“But Jade, you also had a problem. You can’t afford to get hurt carelessly when you don’t know what tricks the enemy might use. That means you let your guard down in front of your opponent.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Jade couldn’t say more, as he knew Raion’s sharp reprimand was justified.

“Be careful from now on. Don’t assume I’ll always be there to help you!”

Raion’s voice had turned serious. Jade bowed his head sincerely.

“I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful from now on.”

“As long as you understand.”

“But what did you mean earlier, when you said those who targeted you were pitiful?”

Jade hadn’t forgotten that question and asked it now.

Raion showed a faintly regretful expression.

“It means they’re pawns meant to be discarded in the end.”

“The Red Sand Mercenary Corps, you mean?”

At Jade’s question, Patrick added from beside him.

“The people behind the mercenary corps are likely Duke Alito or Queen Elina. Neither of them would ever leave behind evidence.”

Patrick had already suspected as much.

Of course, it was exactly what Raion had been thinking too.

“That’s right. They won’t leave the Red Sand Mercenary Corps alone. They’ll do whatever it takes to erase the traces showing they tried to kill me.”

Raion turned his head toward the direction where the battle had taken place earlier.

“We should get going now. If Duke Alito has started pursuing us in earnest, the Red Sand Mercenary Corps might not be the only ones after us.”

“Agreed.”

Everyone climbed onto the carriage and horses.

The carriage set off again, heading toward Filat Village.

A few days later, deep into the night.

The Red Sand Mercenary Corps, who had gone out to assassinate Prince Raion, approached the vicinity of Canel’s royal castle.

Alongside Calsios, fourteen of his subordinates survived—not fatally wounded, but certainly far from unscathed.

Clatter! Clatter!

The Red Sand Mercenary Corps’ hideout wasn’t inside the castle but in the mountainous area to the northwest.

They entered the forest; soon, they would arrive.

But then, thick black smoke began to rise into the sky.

The smoke was coming from the direction of their hideout.

“Vice-captain! Over there…!”

At Derek’s shout, Calsios’ expression hardened.

“What the hell…!”

There was no reason for smoke to rise from their hideout like that.

Sensing something ominous, Calsios and his men quickened their pace toward it.

When they finally arrived, the hideout was engulfed in flames.

Around it stood numerous knights clad in black plate armor.

“Th-those are…! The Black Lion Knights!”

On the front of their black plate armor was the embossed crest of a lion’s head—symbol of the royal family.

If the silver lion represented the knights who served the martial side of the crown, then the black lion represented the bureaucratic order.

And the only knights who could be personally commanded by Duke Alito, the Chancellor, were the Black Lion Knights.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

The Black Lion Knights turned upon spotting them.

Seeing this, Calsios and his men faltered and tried to retreat—but knights also appeared behind them, cutting off their escape.

It was clear from their formation that they had been waiting for them.

Aspar Daker, captain of the Black Lion Knights, stepped forward.

“So you’re the ones who went out to assassinate the Third Prince.”

“Why are the Black Lion Knights attacking us?”

Normally, mercenary or adventurer bases were not to be invaded unless they had committed a crime.

Yet the Black Lion Knights had come with the clear intent of executing criminals.

“Didn’t I just say? We came to punish you for attempting to assassinate His Highness, the Third Prince.”

Aspar drew his sword and strode toward them.

“How do you know about that…?”

At that moment, Raion’s words flashed through Calsios’ mind.

‘I don’t know who commissioned you, but I know who’s behind it. And that person won’t let you live.’

Raion had spoken as if he knew exactly who had made the assassination request.

That meant what was happening right before their eyes was directly tied to that.

“The kingdom ordered this to silence us, didn’t they!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. We’re simply here to carry out justice. Before that—tell me one thing. Was the assassination successful?”

Confirming the life or death of the Third Prince, Raion Canel, was Aspar’s most crucial mission.

“You’ve slaughtered the Red Sand Mercenary Corps and still dare to ask that?”

“If you were commissioned, then it’s only proper to report the results. Of course, you’ll pay with your head as compensation.”

Aspar’s sword drew closer and closer to Calsios’ neck.

The area was filled entirely with Black Lion Knights.

Their blades were smeared with the blood of the Red Sand Mercenaries.

Seeing that, fury surged through Calsios.

“You want to know about the Third Prince?”

“The sooner you answer, the more merciful your death will be. So—what happened? Did you kill him properly?”

Calsios hesitated, torn between choices.

Bang―!

Suddenly, the burning door of the hideout burst open, and a man stumbled out.

It was the Red Sand Mercenary Corps’ captain, Ulaf.

Bleeding all over, Ulaf swung a flaming log in his hands.

“Did you really think our Red Sand Mercenary Corps would end so easily!”

At his shout, Calsios and Derek tried to step forward.

But Ulaf had suffered a severe injury to his eyes and could not see them.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

He only swung the log around toward the surroundings, crying out in pain.

“C-captain!”

Derek could not help but feel sorrow at the sight.

Watching the situation quietly, Aspar shouted to his subordinates.

“Kill that man at once!”

At the order, the Black Lion Knights rushed toward Ulaf.

But the thick log, blazing with fire, blocked their charge.

Of course, it was not a calculated counterattack.

Blinded and flailing only for vengeance, he fought on.

“Guh… Captain!”

Calsios’ brow furrowed deeply as he watched Ulaf.

At that moment, Ulaf heard the very voice of Calsios.

“Calsios, is that you!”

“Yes! Captain!”

“Live, all of you! Survive somehow and show these bastards the conviction of the Red Sand!”

Ulaf swung the log even more violently.

Then several Black Lion Knights leapt in and plunged their swords into his body.

Thud! Thud!

“Ugh! I… will never die!”

“You monstrous fiend!”

When Ulaf’s resistance did not cease, Aspar himself stepped forward.

It was then.

Seizing the gap, Calsios made a decision.

“We will scatter and retreat. Regroup at the place where we fell!”

Calsios drew his sword and swung it wide.

His men likewise slashed their swords, breaking the knights’ formation.

As the knights concentrated on Ulaf, a gap opened and an escape route formed.

“Everyone, mount the horses!”

Calsios and his men leapt onto the horses they had ridden and rode off.

The breached encirclement could not be repaired, and those pursuing them hurried in a disorganized chase.

“Catch those bastards and kill them at once!”

Calsios and his men rode downhill in scattered directions in an instant.

Aspar shouted urgently, but only the distance between them increased.

Of course, some knights immediately mounted horses and began to pursue.

At that moment, Calsios let his men ride ahead while he stopped alone.

Derek turned around in surprise.

“Don’t stop—keep running! I’ll somehow survive and get there!”

Mounted, Calsios drew his sword.

Clash—clash—

A battle began as the pursuing Black Lion Knights’ blades struck against him.

Clang! Clang!

Calsios’ heavy sword moved with force, overwhelming the knights.

Originally, the Red Sand Mercenary Corps had operated in Edina’s Red Desert and specialized in horsemanship.

Naturally, their mounted tactics were far superior to those of the Black Lion Knights.

Calsios drove them back and raced quickly through the forest.

“Catch that one!”

The knights’ shouts continued without cease.

Despite accumulating small wounds, Calsios did not stop.

He had to buy as much time as possible so his subordinates could escape safely.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Calsios steered his horse in the opposite direction of where his men had fled. Then the Black Lion Knights’ encirclement began to tighten.

In the end, he misjudged the direction and found himself driven to the cliff’s edge. Below the cliff, a fierce current rushed by.

At that moment, Aspar, captain of the Black Lion Knights, appeared before the cliff.

“Your captain gave us quite a hard time.”

Aspar threw the mass he had been holding to the ground and let it roll.

The mass was Ulaf’s head — the same Ulaf who had struggled to save his men.

It was so battered that, besides the badly injured eye, cuts split his face here and there.

“C-captain’s head…!”

“You committed the great crime of attempting to assassinate His Highness the Third Prince, so this is a fitting outcome. Now then—will you tell us? What happened to the Third Prince?”

Aspar emitted an immense intimidation as he strode closer, since he had not yet heard an answer.

Calsios was a formidable fighter, but in his current state he could not fight them.

“Don’t presume. And don’t think today’s carnage will be the end. I will return and cut your necks starting with yours!”

Whoosh—!

At last, resolved to survive at all costs, Calsios leapt off the cliff.

Aspar could not stop him; the distance was too great.

“Damn these scoundrels!”

They had to capture them somehow and learn what had become of Prince Raion.

Of course, striking the Red Sand Mercenary Corps’ hideout early to eliminate them cleanly had its own problems.

But had they not done that, matters now would have been even more troublesome.

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