Mission Day 9.

The forewarned day dawned. The Kantime army, led by the Dark Knight Order and their dark mages, began their assault on the city. Having already sacrificed troops to probe the escape routes, the Agnis Kingdom had few soldiers left. Despite this, Hendrick pulled even more of them back to serve as Rinal’s escort.

“With our already depleted forces recalled to the castle, it’s only a matter of time before they break through,” Kubic said grimly.

“A few hours at most,” Deis replied. “The priests’ barriers are holding for now, but the dark mages are stronger than we anticipated.”

Hundreds of shimmering barriers were layered over Baltricia. The dark mages channeled their blackened mana to weaken the divine power, while the dark knights relentlessly exploited the gaps to push forward. Suddenly, a mage in a black robe materialized in the sky.

[Dark Sorcerer Kailis has cast Dark Celestial Strike.]

[Dozens of celestial strikes bombard the Agnis Kingdom’s barriers.]

[Integrated Barrier Durability 74%]

It was Kailis, a key figure in the Kantime army. He unleashed a volley of celestial strikes, relentlessly chipping away at the barriers. Heires was clearly committing her main forces. Hendrick observed the assault for a moment before casting a map spell.

“We’re out of time. I’ll review the troop deployments one last time. Kubic, take the knights and head for the left downhill road.”

“The knights of the Alons family can certainly break through that path. Should we head there directly?”

“I’m counting on you. And… hmm?” Hendrick noticed Rinal was missing. According to his instructions, the prince should have been in the room by now.

Deis, sitting across from him, let out a weary sigh and gestured to the adjacent room. “He’s currently arguing with the maids. Mira, the head maid who has always attended to His Highness, is with him. It should be over soon.”

“I see. Understood. We’ll get ready first, then.”

“Wait, Hendrick,” Deis said, his voice laced with suspicion. “Are you truly satisfied with this?” An indefinable anxiety flickered in his trembling eyes, a doubt born of fear and guilt.

Hendrick simply patted Deis’s shoulder and turned away. “Please take good care of His Highness. I am certain you can lead him well.”

Deis was left speechless.

“And do not doubt me. My entire life has been dedicated to the Agnis Mage Tower. I have no regrets. I will meet my end here, in this place filled with memories of His Highness. Please, guide him down the right path. Kubic, let’s go.”

With that, Hendrick and Kubic departed. Left alone, Deis lifted his head, his expression one of grim determination. “I will see His Highness to safety.”

—

[The knights of the Alons family have appeared on the left hill road of the capital, Baltricia.]

[Cavalry have appeared on the right hill road of the capital, Baltricia.]

[Mages from the Agnis Mage Tower have appeared within the capital city of Baltricia.]

At last, the remaining forces of the Agnis Kingdom emerged from multiple directions. As planned, they had split their forces toward different escape routes, compelling the Kantime army to do the same.

‘It seems I’ve successfully scattered their attention,’ Heires thought with a smirk. ‘Now, which little rabbit hole will they try to scurry down?’

The Agnis army, on the verge of annihilation, wouldn’t choose an obvious path. They would commit everything to breaking through a single point. Heires sent her dark mages toward the underground passage first, aiming to infiltrate the royal castle.

“…Orders.”

“You and the others will enter the underground passage. Split up, secure vision in every corridor, and eliminate any enemies on sight.”

“…Alright.”

The dark mage Pleiana led her brethren into the sewer.

[The knights of the Alons family have broken through the deployed shield soldiers.]

[Kubic Alons has killed the archer Maxley.]

Meanwhile, the knight order on the left downhill road smashed through the enemy’s dense formation in a breakthrough attempt.

“Lapyuda,” Heires commanded, “lead the dark knights and secure the left hill road.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

The downhill roads led directly to the city gates. If they could hold the midpoint of the hill, the Alons knights would be forced to either retreat or attempt a suicidal charge. Having dispatched her Dark Knight Order, Heires blocked the remaining escape routes with more soldiers.

‘Since I don’t know what the prince looks like, he could try to escape in disguise,’ she mused. ‘But the route where his forces are concentrated must be their intended breakthrough point… which means the prince is there.’

The Kantime army vastly outnumbered the Agnis forces. By simply blocking every path and observing, she could easily identify which route the prince was taking.

[Dark Sorcerer Kailis has cast Eye of Darkness.]

A massive, ethereal eye materialized in the sky—a vision-sharing skill exclusive to dark sorcerers. Heires used it to scan the mages inside the barrier. Hendrick had yet to reveal himself; she saw no one with an exceptional level of mana.

—Your orders?

“Proceed as planned. The priority is to conquer the royal castle. Once we deal with their main force, we can mop up the stragglers more easily. Is the teleportation-blocking ward functioning properly?”

—Of course. Not even a grand mage could cast large-scale teleportation magic within our ward.

“Good. Keep up the barrage.”

With teleportation magic neutralized, there was no magical escape from Baltricia. Prince Rinal was a rat in a trap. If she slowly squeezed the life out of the castle and the escape routes, he would have no choice but to show himself. Heires smiled with satisfaction as she watched the barriers begin to crack.

[The Agnis Kingdom’s barrier has been destroyed.]

Finally, the hundreds of layers of protection shattered. The dark mages seized the opportunity, plunging into the heart of the Agnis army.

“Aaargh!”

“Everyone, maintain formation! Shield soldiers, hold back the dark mages and buy us time!”

“G-Gah! The dark mana… it’s inside me!”

With their only protection gone, the Agnis soldiers were slaughtered. Kailis cast another wave of area-of-effect spells, wiping out the priests, and the Kantime army surged forward. Just then, cavalry and knights emerged from the rear guard.

“Protect His Highness Rinal!”

“Scatter as instructed! The objective is to escape Baltricia!”

“To your designated escape routes!”

These were the soldiers tasked with Rinal’s escape. They split off in different directions, each group escorting a hooded figure.

“Diversion tactics are useless,” Heires scoffed. “I’ll just capture them all.”

They were using decoys, but it was a futile effort. All escape routes were already sealed.

[An unidentified person has been captured.]

[An unidentified person has been captured.]

[An unidentified person has been captured.]

One by one, the decoys were apprehended. They all appeared to be local youths, but without knowing what the prince looked like, she couldn’t take any chances.

“What are your orders, Lady Heires?” a soldier asked.

“Is that a question? Kill them. Kill them all. If we don’t know who the prince is, we’ll just have to kill everyone to be sure.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

The soldiers began executing the captured young men. Since this was the second mission, the death of the prince would mean automatic completion. Yet, even after every captive was dead, the expected system message did not appear.

“Just as I thought. You lot, keep killing anyone you bring in. Kailis, what’s the status of the remaining fugitives?”

—There appear to be over a thousand. They’ve split their forces and are heading for the escape routes.

“Good. Join the pursuit team. Capture anyone you find in hiding.”

—Understood.

The Kantime army was already pushing into the royal castle. The priority now was using Kailis to hunt down the fleeing soldiers. Heires looked up at the castle, a cruel smile playing on her lips. Just then, a series of red messages flashed before her eyes.

[The Alons Knight Order has entered the city proper.]

[The dark mage Pleiana has discovered Hendrick in the underground passage.]

‘The Alons Knight Order changed direction and entered the city?’ Hendrick’s appearance in the underground passage was expected, but the knights suddenly changing course was baffling. She used the Eye of Darkness to track the fugitives’ paths.

‘Their starting points are different, but they’re all converging on the sewer exit. Does that mean the prince is in the underground passage after all?’

Mobilizing the entire knight order could only mean one thing: they intended to force a path from the underground passage to the third gate.

‘Too bad for you. I saw this coming. This mission is my victory, Taehyun.’

Heires sneered and began to concentrate her forces in one location.

—

“You must act as a decoy with me. It’s the only way for His Highness to escape. Please, help me.”

A mere mage, begging on his knees. Hendrick Prois, head of the Agnis Mage Tower. A great mage of the kingdom who could have easily fled. Yet here he was, offering his life for Prince Rinal. It was a stark contrast to his previous lone-wolf behavior.

“I just thought I should get out of the room for a bit. And Kubic, aren’t you on my side? Why are you glaring at me? You should be protecting His Highness. Get a grip!”

“We must protect His Highness, no matter what. With everyone dedicating themselves to him like this, we cannot let their sacrifices be in vain!”

“This is all we can do for now. When it’s for His Highness Rinal, this is no time to be picky.”

Hendrick’s earnest words echoed in Kubic’s mind. He despised mages, but he had come to respect the man’s unwavering devotion to the prince.

‘Damn you,’ Kubic thought. ‘If this plan fails, I’ll curse you for the rest of my life.’

The shield soldiers blocking their path came into view. Mounted on his warhorse, Kubic raised his sword high. “For His Highness Rinal!”

“Follow our lord and clear the way!”

“Protect His Highness at all costs and break through!”

The Alons Knight Order crashed through the shield soldiers with terrifying force. The air hissed as arrows rained down from archers positioned on both sides of the street. Some knights were struck and fell, but the charge did not falter. Kubic ripped an arrow from his own arm and let out a thunderous roar. “Forward to the objective! Forward!”

—

[Hummingden, a knight of the Alons family, has died.]

[Merzen, a cavalryman of the Agnis Kingdom’s army, has died.]

[Zenir, who was disguised as the prince, has been captured.]

Messages flashed one after another. Everything was proceeding according to plan, converging on the sewer exit. Spotting the dark mages ahead, Hendrick gathered his mana.

“…Death.”

Pleiana was among them. This would be a difficult fight. Hendrick sent his shield soldiers forward and began casting.

[Rune Blade has been cast.]

[Cruel Spiderweb has been cast.]

[Wind Cutter has been cast.]

Dozens of spells erupted. The dark mages, their magic resistance mitigating the damage, charged the shield soldiers. As the battle began in earnest, Hendrick protected the person beside him, providing support from the rear.

‘We still have time before the rendezvous, but we can’t afford to lose a second.’

The shield soldiers were being pushed back; he couldn’t let the battle drag on. Assessing the narrow passage, Hendrick unleashed Permafrost.

[Permafrost has been cast.]

[Enemies within a certain range begin to freeze.]

[Remaining Mana 65%]

A huge amount of mana vanished in an instant, trapping the dark mages in ice. Pleiana struggled, pulsing with dark mana, but for now, escape was impossible.

“Are you all right, Sir Hendrick?” a soldier asked.

“…Phew. I’m fine. Let’s get out of here, quickly!”

“Yes, sir!”

Hendrick and his soldiers pressed on, making their way out of the underground passage.

—

[Hendrick Prois has cast Permafrost.]

[The dark mages who entered the underground passage have been afflicted with the Frozen status.]

‘A spell that powerful must have cost him a considerable amount of mana,’ Heires thought. ‘Is he that desperate?’

Using a spell capable of freezing dark mages meant Hendrick was protecting someone vital. Through the Eye of Darkness, Heires watched as the fleeing Agnis forces began to converge.

[Hendrick Prois has emerged from the sewer.]

[Kubic Alons and the knight order have rendezvoused with Hendrick Prois.]

[1,432 fleeing soldiers have rendezvoused with Hendrick Prois.]

Just as she watched, Hendrick emerged from the sewer, leading a hooded figure. Knights, cavalry, priests, mages, shield soldiers—they had mobilized every last one of their remaining forces. It was clear they intended to break through to the third gate.

“But what a shame,” Heires murmured to herself. “I’ve already mapped out the entire route to the third gate. I’ve even stationed soldiers there in advance. You’re in for a rough time.”

Lapyuda and the Dark Knight Order had already repositioned to the third gate. With the addition of her dark mages and sorcerers, a breakthrough was impossible.

[The capital city of Baltricia’s royal castle has been captured.]

[The Kantime Kingdom’s army begins to eliminate the remaining forces.]

[The Kantime Kingdom’s army begins to capture the maids.]

Her army, having taken the castle, was now mopping up the last pockets of resistance and rounding up the maids.

“Lady Heires, soldiers are raping the maids they capture. What are your orders?”

“They’re still clearing the castle. Tell them to bring the women to the main camp to have their fun. They are not to satisfy their urges wherever they please like degenerates.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

The victor takes everything from the vanquished. Normally, she would have had the maids tortured for information, but the mission would end as soon as her objective was met. The moment the prince died, her business here was done. Heires watched with amusement as her soldiers dragged the terrified maids away. A rumor she’d heard about Prince Rinal surfaced in her mind: he was said to be as beautiful as a woman, a fact known even in other kingdoms.

“Wait,” she commanded. “From now on, confirm that every maid you capture is indeed a woman. Do it right in front of me.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Heires left no room for error, meticulously inspecting every captive. Her soldiers began stripping the maids on the spot to prove their gender.

“AGHHH!”

“Aaaah! Please, don’t!”

The maids screamed in humiliation, their cries turning to sobs as the soldiers looked on, entertained. Heires’s gaze fell on the maid at the far left. She was trembling violently, her head bowed low in shame.

“Oh my. You’re quite pretty for a maid,” Heires purred. “You’ll be popular with the soldiers.”

The maid remained silent.

“What, you have some pride, do you? Boys, hurry up and take her away to play with.”

Having confirmed they were all women, Heires dismissed them. The soldiers eagerly dragged their prizes back to the camp, ready to release their pent-up lust. Left alone, Heires turned her attention back to the battle with satisfaction.

[Hendrick Prois has cast Tornado.]

[Kubic Alons has subdued the dark knight, Commando.]

[Kailis has launched a Spear of Darkness at Hendrick Prois.]

Her troops were holding back the fugitives, but the resistance was fierce. Hendrick’s presence was particularly troublesome, and the Kantime forces were taking heavy losses.

‘Still struggling at the bitter end. Well now, the castle is ours. Shall I go and finish this myself?’

With confirmation that Hendrick was escorting the prince, she had no business elsewhere. Heires ordered all remaining forces from the castle and the camp to converge on the third gate.

—

Soldiers burst into a tent. They threw the maid Heires had inspected onto the floor and began to unbuckle their armor.

“Heh heh heh, how long has it been since I’ve had a wench? For a maid to look like this… Damn, I’m already getting excited!”

“With a face like that, I’d believe she was the daughter of a noble house.”

“Me first! I’m going first! Everyone, get back!”

They surrounded the maid, leering down at her. Suddenly, the head of the soldier standing in the back dropped to the ground.

“W-What?!”

“Your services are no longer required. Now, die.”

“Ack!”

It was a betrayal from the soldier who had been standing at the very back. He swiftly cut down his comrades and approached the maid.

“Are you alright, Your Highness Rinal?”

“…This is nothing,” she said, her voice steady. “How can I complain when Hendrick and Kubic are risking their lives to hold back the enemy?”

“For now, please change into the enemy’s armor. We must use this lull in their defenses to escape through the first gate.”

“Understood.”

The maid—no, Rinal—quickly donned the armor, disguising herself as an enemy soldier. Deis, who had been hiding in plain sight, peered outside the tent and then slipped away cautiously into the chaos.

—

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