Chapter 500
"The mission evaluation deadline is four days. We've already spent one, and today will soon be over as well."
Simon raised a finger.
"In truth, we don't have a choice. We have to crush the Executioners swiftly and rescue Kal and Lisa's brother. Even if it means facing both the Ganes Guild and the lord's soldiers at the same time later, we'll have no choice but to overcome them."
It was true that defeating both factions separately and then striking the Executioners last would be safer, but Simon judged that it was impossible with the time remaining.
"As expected, Milord—no, Master! With the power we possess, I believe it is possible!"
Erzebet spoke, and Kajan nodded in agreement. Hearing this, Lisa blinked.
"But, why do you call Simon brother 'Master'? You seem to be about the same age."
"Oh my! You don't know? This is called 'play'. It's a sort of role-playing game that adults enjoy..."
"You're teaching a kid something real great there!"
Either way, the decision was made.
Though they hadn't rested much, the urgency of the situation pushed Simon's group to prepare to depart immediately.
If the Executioners suddenly attacked, the whole Harlem District might be engulfed in chaos.
'We have to break through before the Executioners realizes we're here.'
With a resolute expression, Simon donned his robe.
Beyond the window, the sight of the Harlem District's people—collapsed and dying without a shred of hope—spread before his eyes.
He had only come to Tarados to retrieve Kal, but somehow, his shoulders felt heavier than before.
* * *
Tarados – Executioners' Secret Base
The chief commander, Nirti, let out a sigh of irritation.
"That Keyzen student still hasn't been caught?"
"No, ma'am. My apologies."
She exploded in anger.
"I just don't understand! How could you fail when you ambushed her the moment she crossed over through the teleportation magic circle?"
The Executioners and Nirti had known that a Keyzen student, dispatched by the Revolutionary Faction, might cross into Tarados.
So they had done everything they could: capturing Keyzen's underling who had installed the teleportation circle in Tarados, locking him in prison, and stationing soldiers near the circle.
Their plan was to seize the students as soon as they crossed over and return them four days later.
But the student who came through the teleportation circle instead defeated the soldiers and escaped.
Now, she seemed to be deliberately causing a stir, running rampant throughout Tarados. The lord's soldiers pursued her relentlessly, but still hadn't captured her.
"Nirti, ma'am. Rumors say even General Amin, the strongest of the lord's forces, was defeated."
"...Something's not right."
Nirti rubbed her chin.
"Defeated Amin? For a mere Keyzen second-year, that's far too strong. I thought no real powerhouse would come for a mere 5-gold commission."
Tok—tok—
As her nails tapped the armrest, a smile spread across her face.
"No, no. It's fine. No matter how strong she is, one girl can't do much in just four days. Once this experiment succeeds, we'll no longer have to worry about Keyzen."
"Nirti, ma'am!"
Another Executioners member rushed in, bowing.
"There's a problem! The underground passage to Eplun has fallen!"
Nirti's face twisted sharply.
"The underground passage? Why there!"
Her gaze darted to the map of Tarados spread out on the table.
"The last place that girl fought was three hours ago, near Adoan Village. There's no way she could've traveled this far to the underground passage!"
"...Nirti, ma'am."
The first subordinate bowed lower.
"The fall of the underground passage seems unrelated to that girl."
Nirti's expression stiffened.
"Then what? More Keyzen brats are here?"
"Yes. That girl's only purpose is to distract us. The real strike force might already have breached the underground passage and entered Tarados through Eplun."
"..."
Nirti held her chin, her face grim.
"Forgive me for saying so, but it's possible the students already knew of Tarados' internal situation."
"All that effort we spent maintaining control, undone in one swoop! That Revolutionary bastard..."
She gnashed her teeth furiously.
"But Nirti, ma'am."
The man continued.
"We have both the Lord of Tarados and Ganes of the Ganes Guild. Their armies and strength are overwhelming. Without defeating those two, it'll be impossible for the students to reach us."
"Hmm. Contact them both. Tell them it's an emergency and mobilize all troops."
"Yes!"
With another long sigh, Nirti clasped her hands together.
"Yes… Tarados' system is solid. Students who came here only for grades and money can't possibly win against true professionals."
She stood.
"We focus on the experiment."
* * *
Tarados – Ganes Guild Headquarters
"Boss! Boss!"
A thief ran in, panting. The man drinking from his seat lifted his chin.
"What is it."
"Karak, during reconnaissance, brought back a prisoner!"
"Karak?"
The black-bearded man chuckled.
"This is Tarados! Catching a prisoner is no big deal—why bother reporting it?"
The men drinking around him burst into laughter. The thief swallowed nervously.
'This is the first time I've seen all these big shots gathered in one place.'
Each of them was a general who had unlocked their Core.
And most terrifying was the man at the center—the incarnation of war, the Black Wolf, Ganes himself.
Only general Amin could contend with him, and even then, most believed Ganes was the stronger.
"A-anyway, Boss, I thought you should see this one yourself!"
"Such fuss. Bring them in."
Moments later, thieves dragged in the prisoner.
Gasps and whistles erupted across the camp. Some men leapt to their feet, others licked their lips with greedy eyes.
A girl with hair between gold and silver, glinting brilliantly in the sunlight, walked forward with her hands bound.
She was more beautiful than anything they had seen in their lives.
Like a flower blooming in filth, she seemed far too pure for such a dirty bandit camp.
"Hm."
Even Ganes rested his chin in interest. Soon, the girl stood before him.
"Well, well."
He scratched the side of his head.
"You don't seem like someone who belongs in a place like this. I apologize for my men's rudeness."
The girl merely smiled faintly.
Her composure even before Ganes made some of the bandits hurl curses and obscene remarks, trying to intimidate her.
But Ganes raised a hand, silencing them.
"What brings you here? What's your purpose?"
"Actually, I'm looking for someone~"
Her voice rang out, silencing the camp.
"A man named Simon Follentia. He's the reason I came. But Tarados is too big, and hot, and frankly annoying~ So I thought, maybe using your men would make things easier?"
Roars of outrage echoed around.
"Silence!!"
Ganes shouted.
"Oh, and could you undo this too? It's uncomfortable~"
She raised her bound wrists.
"...Very well."
"!"
The bandits muttered, frowning, but Ganes lifted his palm.
"You'll get everything you want. But promise me this: you'll leave without a fight. Once we find this Simon Follentia, we'll contact you first."
"Hehh—"
Serne's smile vanished like a lie.
"Pitiful bandits."
"!"
"Didn't you realize at least one of you had already stuck his head in the lion's jaws?"
Sweat drenched Ganes' hand gripping his chair.
Srrng!
The thief Karak, who had brought her in, suddenly drew his sword from behind. A bandit next to Ganes shouted.
"H-hey! Karak! Even so, killing the prisoner—!"
Shhhk—
But instead of slaying her, Karak cut the rope binding Serne's wrists.
As Serne gently scratched his chin, he collapsed like a loyal dog, panting at her feet.
Srrng! Srrng! Srrng!
At the same time, Karak's men unsheathed their weapons. Shocked bandits scrambled to draw theirs in response.
"K-Karak! You betrayed us!"
"Betrayal?"
Karak, who had been fawning moments ago, now rose to his feet and shouted.
"I have only ever served the great Queen Serne from beginning to end!"
"Waaaaaah!!"
Serne snapped her fingers.
Chaak!
Thud!
Crunch!
Suddenly, bandits across the camp began slaughtering their own allies without hesitation.
"W-what the hell all of a sudden...!"
"Guaaaahhh!"
Blood spattered everywhere as screams echoed. Karak's bandits also joined the fray, plunging the Ganes Guild's camp into utter chaos.
"...That fool Karak. So in the end, it comes down to a fight."
Ganes rose from his seat and spread his palm. Darkness condensed into a point, then expanded into a massive spear that landed in his grasp.
With heavy strides, Ganes walked straight toward Serne.
"You called yourself a queen. Tell me—what was lacking in my proposal?"
"Well, let's see. Perhaps it was your stature itself that was lacking~"
She brushed her ivory hair with her palm, letting it scatter.
The feathers that drifted free pierced the ground and rose up as her summoned creatures—Feather Soldiers.
"How dare a mere monkey sit comfortably in a chair and make me an offer? The moment I walked in here as a prisoner, you should have slammed your head into the ground and begged like a dog."
"Indeed, that would have been a hard proposal to accept."
Both girl and bandit dropped into battle stances.
"They call you the Black Wolf, don't they?"
She winked, clutching her feather.
"I'd love to see a wolf roll over and expose its belly."
"No more words. I'm coming."
Their bodies clashed, and a thunderous explosion tore through the camp.
* * *
At the same time.
Tarados Lord's Castle.
"Ah, yes, yes! No need to worry about that part! Hahaha!"
The middle-aged man sitting in a luxurious animal-fur chair beamed broadly as he set down the communication crystal.
But the moment the crystal dimmed, he snatched up his wineglass and hurled it across the room.
Crash!
The glass flew past a man kneeling on one knee and shattered against the floor. Red liquid soaked the ground, and a long cut formed across the kneeling man's cheek, blood trickling down.
"What in blazes were you doing out there, Amin!"
The man called Amin bowed even lower. "Forgive me." His torso was wrapped in bandages, blotched with stains of blood.
"You, the so-called greatest general of Tarados, couldn't even stop a mere student—and came back battered like this?"
"My apologies."
The lord clicked his tongue, biting down on a cigar.
"The Executioners contacted me. Mobilize all troops. Find that girl."
"I can still fight. Next time, I will capture her without fail."
"You'd better! And another thing!"
The lord snatched a document and flung it at Amin's feet.
"Gather the villagers of these towns with soldiers and round them up."
Stamped with the Executioners' seal were five villages, including Harlem. Amin trembled.
"My lord! These are villages that pay heavy taxes, under the protection of the lord's soldiers!"
"But circumstances have changed."
The lord's voice turned cold.
"Those damned students are tearing through Tarados like their playground! When they return to the Academy, what do you think happens? They'll report to their professors, and soon Keyzen headquarters will send investigators!"
"..."
"We need to erase all the evidence. These five villages are where the Revolutionary group has formed. Once the Keyzen brats come, the villagers will gladly betray us and hand over proof. We clean it all out first."
Amin's fists shook on the floor.
"...That wasn't the agreement."
"What? What did you just say?"
Amin snapped his head up.
"You said, villages that paid taxes faithfully would be spared!"
"How dare you raise your voice in my presence!"
Furious, the lord lashed out with his foot, kicking Amin's wounded chest. Ameen choked and fell to the floor.
"If you had managed your villagers properly, this never would have happened!"
The lord's face twisted with rage.
"And don't think I don't know, Amin! You've been paying Harlem's village taxes out of your own damn salary!"
"..."
"Those pigs lived too well! That's why they had the leisure to form a Revolutionary group! That's why they scraped up the money to hire Keyzen! Am I wrong?!"
After bellowing, the lord sank back into his chair. Amin rose to his knees.
"Behave yourself. We've done well so far, haven't we?"
The lord's tone turned calm again.
"Don't ever forget, Amin. Your old mother and children are in my hands."
"..."
Amin bit his lip until blood trickled down his chin, dripping onto the floor.
"Now get out."
"...Yes."
As Amin bowed and began to rise—
Crash!
The window shattered, guards covered in blood were hurled into the office.
"W-what the hell!"
The lord shrieked, spilling wine. Amin straightened sharply.
Boom!
The office door exploded open, and a girl stepped through, lowering her leg from the kick.
"...You!"
Amin's face stiffened.
The very same monstrously strong girl he had fought before—the one who had injured him.
Red light blazed in her eyes beneath black hair, a dagger in her hand glowing as if packed with pure radiance.
She wore a black jacket and gray skirt, her Keyzen uniform on full display.
"T-that's her! That's the student who came by teleportation!"
The lord jabbed his finger toward her, shouting.
"What are you waiting for, Amin!"
The girl twirled her dagger once, then sliced through the air.
Creeeeak!
The wall of the office split with a red crack, then fell cleanly away, exposing the sky above.
"Are you the lord of Tarados?"
Despite the monstrous power she wielded, her voice was that of a young girl.
As the lord sat nearly dumbfounded, she reached into her jacket and pulled out a Keyzen student ID.
"I'm Loraine Arkbold, second-year at Keyzen. I came here from the Academy."
"Stand back, my lord."
Shing!
Amin drew the dagger from his waist and stepped in front of the lord.
"No matter if you're from Keyzen, this is an act of violating the sovereignty of this fiefdom. You'll have to go through me first."
"H-haha! Yes, that's it, General Amin!"
The lord finally regained composure and grinned. The monstrous girl's black hair swept as she turned back toward the door.
"Come in."
At her words, figures entered through the shattered doorway. Amin's eyes widened.
"F-Father!"
It was Amin's son and daughter—the very ones kidnapped by the lord. Crying, they rushed into his arms. Behind them, leaning on a cane, came Amin's elderly mother.
"H-how..."
"I brought them from the deepest underground prison of this castle."
Loraine raised her gaze to meet Amin's.
"Keyzen needs your cooperation, General Amin."
Shing!
Amin, eyes bloodshot, tightened his grip on the blade—then swung it not toward her, but toward the lord. The lord's face drained of all color.
From Amin's chin, where blood had dripped, new tears now fell—tears of gratitude.
"...Yes. Even if it costs me my life."