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Chapter 32 - Bird in the cage
"Sorry for being late."
The next day, around noon, Joanna returned unexpectedly. She had a perfect map of the castle's interior in her hand. I mean, how did she manage to find out? Seriously. It's completely different from investigating a mansion.
"As compensation for being late, I thoroughly investigated the movements of Tario's officers."
"...Hey, how did you do it?"
"It's a s-e-c-r-et."
Of course, it's a secret. Don't wink at me.
"The major commanders are twenty in total, with half of them stationed outside the town, ready in the encampment. It's so that they can be prepared for any enemy attack."
"Seems like they're working hard. They're probably of lower rank, right?"
"Correct. It seems the higher-ups aren't thrilled about having them sleep in the same place as the high-ranking officers due to their lower social status."
And they would risk their lives fighting first if something happened. It's not worth it.
...And to think that I almost ended up doing the same thing.
"As for the officers in the palace, there are five royal members. The first prince, Tario, and the third, fifth, seventh, and eighth princes. They're all scum with rotten personalities."
"I definitely want to kill them all."
"I know you do, but hold back. Remember, our goal is to rescue her, not assassinate."
Well, yeah. It would be too reckless, no matter what. ...But if I could kill them, maybe just one would be enough.
"The remaining five are seasoned veteran commanders. I don't know if they're loyal to Brutogyu or not, and they might be decent people, so let's leave them alone."
"Don't kill the high and mighty old men, huh?"
It seemed killing the arrogant young ones would suffice.
"...Hey, Kyrie-chan, you're not thinking about dangerous things, right? You understand the concept of infiltration correctly?"
"I do, I do. And what about the crucial part, where is the daughter?"
"The daughter, Noah-san. She's with the other wives. In the back of the palace."
Joanna pointed, and the security there seemed to be lighter compared to elsewhere. With that, it seemed possible to sneak in and rescue the daughter, Noah, out.
"You're amazing, Joanna-san. How did you investigate this...?"
"You know, just a little bit of that, a little of this."
"I was your local guide, remember? With you around, I think you didn't need me..."
"That's not true. I'm grateful for your help with the escape routes from the palace and this house. It's been a great help."
"...Ah...!"
Beato nodded repeatedly in agreement. I also felt like I'd been helped a lot by Mel-chan. Those were my thoughts, but I didn't say it out loud.
"But Mel-chan's role ends here. Leave the rest to us."
"That's right. The dangerous tasks are for me and Joanna. So, when will we proceed?"
"Tonight. Make sure you're well prepared."
"So soon again. Understood."
Infiltrating the castle, huh? It'd be good practice for the real deal, killing Brutogyu. Of course, I haven't forgotten that the objective is to rescue her.
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Under the cover of darkness, we crossed the moat with a key-locked rope and reached the top of the castle walls surrounding the palace. From there, we lowered the rope and descended to the garden, stealthily making our way towards the small palace in the back of the palace. The garden was splendid, as one would expect from a former real castle. If it weren't for the circumstances, I would like to take a good look around.
"I don't sense anyone's presence."
Joanna had told me that this was the most difficult route to sneak into the castle, but we didn't see a single guard.
"The palace is vast, with ten officers and their attendants, and around two hundred soldiers in the princes' personal guards. The only ones remaining are twelve consorts of Tario. They seem to be completely careless."
Seemed like they couldn't afford to spare anyone for the garden. Or maybe they're completely relaxed, after all, there were 15,000-strong army surrounding the town.
"At this rate, we might be able to easily take her away."
"Hahaha, too optimistic. She's a prince's consort, you know? Taking her away won't be so easy—ah, it seems we've arrived."
Whispering softly, Joanna pointed from the bushes. There were guards stationed in front of the harem. Two of them stood with spears, blocking the entrance. They didn't seem very motivated, though.
The city gate, the front of the palace, and here. The important places were tightly secured.
"...Well then, I'll go ahead."
Getting confirmation from Joanna, I approached quietly. When I got close enough, I jumped out of the bushes and simultaneously struck them. Their brains burst, and they died instantly.
The soldiers didn't seem to notice until they died. Was I really that fast? I signaled Joanna and together we hid the bodies in the bushes. And now, it's finally time to enter the harem.
"The consorts each have their own private rooms, and Cain-san's daughter is in the room on the west side of the second floor."
Thanks to Joanna's instincts, or rather, her vast information where she knew almost everything, we were able to come all the way to the room without being noticed by the servants or the guards.
...No, seriously, what's going on?
Using the key we obtained from the dead bodies of the guards, we entered the room.
"You guys...!?"
As expected of the first prince's consort's room, it's filled with luxurious furniture. Inside was a woman with beautiful blue long hair, wearing an elegant dress. She was sitting in a luxurious chair and seemed surprised by our sudden entry. Well, of course, we're clearly a suspicious duo.
"Don't worry, we're not enemies. We were asked by Cain-san to come and help you."
Joanna with a nice explanation. Mentioning Cain-san's name should prevent things from getting too chaotic, at least for now.
"To help...? Are you acquaintances of my father?"
"Yes, that's right. We came all the way from the capital to fulfill your father's last wishes."
"Last wishes...!? Could it be, my father...?"
"It's shocking, I know, but stay strong. Can I explain in detail?"
"Yes..."
Despite being shocked, she seemed to be holding back her curiosity about various things. The situation in the capital, the resistance, me, and also about Cain-san. She listened silently while Joanna spoke.
"It's... my father... he did that for me..."
Noah-san broke down in tears. Normally, I would say some gentle words at this point, but I was the one who killed Cain-san, so how could I show my face and say something comforting?
"It's tough, but we don't have much time now. Let's take only what's necessary and escape before we're discovered."
"U-Understood... Please wait a moment while I prepare..."
Good, it seemed she's willing to come with us. She packed only the essential items into a bag and fumbled around with something. When she finished, she took a white bird from a cage near the window and placed it on her arm.
"Fly, Chichi. I'll be free. You should return to the sky, too."
It must be her pet bird. After stroking and nuzzling it for a while, she quietly opened the window and released it into the night sky. It flew away flapping its wings.
"Preparations are complete. Joanna-san, how are we going to escape?"
"For now, we'll follow the same route as when we came, crossing the castle walls and the moat."
Perhaps because the escape route was more challenging than expected, Noah-san's expression froze.
"Oh, don't worry. I'll carry you, Noah-san."
Ah, it seems she's relieved. This person was from a noble family with a lineage of knights serving them, after all. It's understandable to be hesitant about climbing walls.
With Noah-san on Joanna's back, we set off. When we left the room, Noah-san looked at me intently.
"Are you the hero?" she asked.
"Yeah. And I'm the one who killed Cain-san."
"Forget about my father for a moment. Yes, you're the hero... The frontline soldiers have been waiting for you, but things were difficult in the capital."
"Well, yeah."
It's awkward, and I couldn't continue the conversation. She must have sensed that too, as she didn't say anything more.
With Joanna's guidance, we escaped without any incidents. We exited through the entrance and hid in the bushes.
"We easily abducted a prince's consort, right, Joanna?"
"Don't let your guard down until the end. The most dangerous time is when you relax the most."
"I know, I know."
Casually replying, we began to move, but at that moment...
*Screeeeeeeech!!*
A high-pitched flute sound echoed through the night castle.
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Things are definitely heating up
ReplyDeleteoooohhhh que genial!!
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