Chapter 758: Chapter 758: Hostage (3)

Lafdonia is a ruthless city.

Even more so when the target is a Wraith.

Here, Wraiths who awakened in completely unknown bodies had to flail desperately to survive, and even then, countless died simply because they were unlucky.

But Eltora was different.

It wasn’t that he was especially clever, or that he had any remarkable talent, but he had something that surpassed all of that.

The fact that his surname was “Tertherion.”

In fact, there was no need for any kind of modifier or explanation here.

The name “Tertherion” meant that his father was the second most powerful person in the nation, and that was enough to change the story he was about to live from a “survival tale” to a “life in another world.”

Well, it’s not like he didn’t have his own struggles.

But compared to other Wraiths who had to survive desperately from the bottom, his story was, quite literally, the ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) tale of someone well-fed.

However...

‘...Fucking Marquis bastard.’

The moment the Marquis suddenly lost his mind and joined hands with Noark, drawing his sword against the royal family, he too ended up at the same starting line as all the other Wraiths.

He began to worry about survival just like the others, and so even when he heard—after the incident—that the Marquis had led his forces to side with Noark, he obeyed without question.

Of course he did.

On Earth, collective punishment had disappeared, but this was a medieval-style other world.

There was no need to explain what happened to the bloodline of a failed traitor.

In simple terms, siding with the Marquis was his only option...

But thinking about it now, it was the one thing he regretted most.

‘I never imagined there was such a secret...’

After joining Noark, unable to shake the unease in his heart, he quietly continued his own investigations, and as a result, he discovered a shocking secret hidden within the Marquis's household.

A massive secret that explained all the questions and feelings of incongruity he’d always had.

That secret was—

퍼억-!

At that moment, Ainard smacked him square in the back, forcibly snapping Eltora out of his thoughts.

“Ugh...! What the hell was that for all of a sudden!”

“Just felt like it?”

“Ghh...”

Looking at the barbarian’s shameless expression made him feel like coughing up blood over how things had come to this, but Eltora gathered his wits.

After all, these people were his only lifeline.

‘If Baron Yandel testifies later that I betrayed the Marquis and played a major role in taking him down... then I can survive.’

It wasn’t even a hope—it was a certainty.

He was the most famous hero in this city.

With just a single word from him, the son of a traitor would instantly become a comrade who stabbed his own father for the sake of justice—

“Urgh...!”

Even as pain burst from the back of his head, Eltora didn’t bother asking why.

He already knew she’d just say she felt like hitting him.

“Stop grinning like that.”

“...”

“If you smile like that again, I’ll have no choice but to assume there’s something wrong with your head.”

This damned barbarian bitch...!

How the hell was Yandel working with such a savage woman?

That thought crossed his mind for a moment...

‘Ah, he’s a barbarian too.’

He quickly accepted it and ended his petty protest with a silent glare.

“Enough, Ainard.”

Fortunately, thanks to Yandel’s “official partner candidate,” who still had normal reasoning skills, the humiliation ended there.

“If you act like that again, I’ll have no choice but to respond in kind.”

“...Ah, fine! I’ll stop hitting him, okay!”

“Sorry. She has a childish side.”

“Haha... It’s fine. We’ve got more important things to do. There’s no time to worry about petty things. That said... what do we do now?”

“First... I need to inform Yandel of this news. If he charges in here recklessly, it could be a disaster.”

“No need to worry about that. The Chancellor’s plan was to leak the information about the divine spear being here only after all the traps were ready. There’s no chance Yandel would come here yet.”

“‘No chance’... Still, we should be prepared for the unexpected.”

“Haha... Truly, the lady is wise. I see now why he depends on you.”

“...”

Seeing Amelia purse her lips at the word “lady,” Eltora smiled inwardly.

Now he was sure about it.

She’s weak to this kind of talk...!

So he should casually drop these lines here and there to raise favorability, so she could later say nice things to Yandel—

“Behell—laaaaaaaaaa!!”

Suddenly, a battle cry rang out.

Not from inside the vault, but from outside.

So loud it echoed clearly even through that thick door.

“Bjorrrrrrn!! That cry is Bjorn’s...!!”

The barbarian warrior woman immediately recognized the owner of the voice using her racial instinct and began letting out war cries of her own, eyes gleaming with emotion.

As if those were rescue signals.

“Uh...”

Eltora met Amelia’s eyes.

“Didn’t you say there was absolutely no chance?”

To that short question, Eltora had no answer.

He couldn’t understand it at all.

The Marquis had fallen, and the “trap operation using the divine spear” hadn’t even taken its first step properly yet.

“Behell—laaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

...How the hell did he know to come?

***

While Rabigion and Kommelbi were being destroyed, the Royal Army, which had until now silently devoted itself only to defending the Imperial Capital, finally ended its “stationing” and launched a full-scale assault.

It wasn’t because they couldn’t stand injustice anymore.

It wasn’t because the time had finally come to draw the sword of resolution.

Nothing that grand...

It was just because I told them to.

Well, to be precise, it would be more accurate to say it was thanks to the amazing authority granted by the title “Royal Knight”...

But still, I was the one who moved her.

"[...As long as it’s just to draw attention.]"

Astarotta’s power was truly astonishing.

She just showed up without warning, said a few words to the commander, and the stubborn Karnaon regulars—who had been adamant about “Our duty is to defend the capital!” even as District 4 was completely overtaken by Noark—changed their stance.

Though it wasn’t exactly a “full-scale assault,” more like pretending to launch one...

Suddenly, I got curious.

If this is the kind of authority a ‘Royal Knight’ holds, then just how overwhelming must the power of the ‘King’ be?

“Hm...”

The more I thought about it, the more depressing it got, so I decided to focus on the present.

While the Royal Army was drawing attention, I had secretly entered District 4 and was now standing in front of the main entrance to the “Alminus Bank.”

No, to be precise, I was still thinking it over.

Main entrance, back door, climb the wall.

Which route would ensure Ainard’s safe rescue?

The deliberation didn’t last long.

Main entrance.

I had two reasons.

With this body, I’d be spotted quickly no matter which route I chose.

And the main entrance had the shortest path to the underground vault.

Right, so in that case...

“Behell—laaaaaaaaa!!”

I activated the power of the barbarian, charging straight for the two yawning guards standing at the front door.

「The character has cast [Swing].」

「The destructive power of blunt weapons greatly increases in proportion to Strength.」

The barbarian’s power specialized in breaking, smashing, and shattering.

“Hey, it’s Baron Yandel...!”

“Stop him...!!”

“Why are you telling me to stop him and running away yourself?!”

“Run!!”

As soon as the barbarian’s power descended upon Alminus Bank, the Noark soldiers guarding the entrance fled in a complete panic, not even thinking about resisting.

Which wasn’t strange at all.

That’s what small fry were for. Soon, the real ones who’d noticed the commotion would show up to stop me—

Wait, why isn’t anyone coming out?

Smashing through the front doors and stepping inside, I immediately headed for the basement.

I say “immediately,” but by now a fair bit of time had passed.

Even so, the “real” enemies I was expecting never showed themselves.

“...”

Is it really because the trap wasn’t ready yet...?

Well, that was the opening I was banking on. That’s why I dropped everything and rushed in alone...

But still, this was too much.

...This is way too easy.

I couldn’t make sense of it.

But the more that happened, the more I recalled past experiences.

It’s at times like this that things get truly dangerous.

The moment the taut wire suddenly goes slack—

That’s when everything goes to hell.

So...

No way...

I assumed the worst.

The trap is already complete...?

The enemy had predicted everything.

They pretended the preparations weren’t done to lure me in alone, and only deployed small fry to make me let my guard down.

And if I were to assume the absolute worst, it would mean Ainard was already dead, and I was on my way to find her corpse...

But in the end, that wasn’t the case.

“Behell—!”

“Behell—laaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

While destroying everything in sight and heading deeper underground, I heard Ainard’s battle cry with both ears.

It was the echo of survival—and a signpost.

“Behell—laaaaaaaa!!”

When I shouted,

“Behell—laaaaaaaa!!”

Ainard’s shout answered from below.

It sounded like she had heard my cry and was letting me know where she was...

“Behell—laaaaaaaaa!!”

“Behell—laaaaaaaaa!!”

In a way, it was like using returning sonar to map out the terrain like a bat... though maybe that’s not the right analogy.

We kept shouting like a pair of resonating relics, growing louder as we drew closer.

And then—

“Bjorrrrrrrn!!!”

Thanks to that, even in this unfamiliar underground vault layout, I was able to follow the optimal path straight to Ainard.

For some reason, she wasn’t locked inside the vault but was already outside, perfectly fine...

Amelia and... Auyen...?

And there were even two familiar and welcome faces next to her.

Well, though there was also one less-welcome one among them.

“Eltora Tertherion...?”

“Haha, long time no see... Baron Yandel...”

...Why the hell is this guy here?

***

It didn’t take long to understand the full situation.

“So you decided to side with me because you’re doomed whether you stick with the Marquis or not? Like some bat flitting between sides.”

“...R–rather than that—”

“If you start talking about righteousness or some cause, I’m not buying it.”

“That’s right.”

Should’ve said that from the start.

Anyway, the Marquis’s son falling into my hands was a very good thing.

Though I’d still need to think about how best to use him, for now...

“Amelia, I’m glad you’re safe.”

“...You too.”

Exchanging a brief greeting with Amelia, thankfully reunited, I turned to look at Auyen.

It was a strange feeling.

“...You did well. You achieved something neither the royal family nor I could.”

“P–please, don’t say that! I–I was just lucky! And besides, that essence you gave me was the only reason I could—”

“I’m not talking about the essence or luck. I’m talking about the fact that you made that ‘choice’ in that situation.”

“...”

“Most people—gather a hundred of them, and not one could make the same choice in your place.”

That wasn’t flattery—it was the truth.

But maybe it was too much for Auyen to handle, because Amelia stepped in.

“That’s enough. Auyen Rockrove is a proud member of the Anabada Clan.”

“...”

“So of course he’s different from ordinary people, isn’t he?”

“Ah...”

I thought she was telling me to quit gushing, but no—it turned out she just wanted to praise him too.

“Ugh...”

Whether from embarrassment or emotion, Auyen twisted and squirmed and lowered his head for a long while.

Okay, that’s enough praise time.

“Bjorrrrrrn! I’m glad you’re safe! Praise me too! If it weren’t for me, Rotmiller wouldn’t have been able to guide you all the way there!”

“...”

“Oh! Come to think of it, what happened to Rotmiller? Did you leave him behind on purpose this time?”

“Ah...”

So she doesn’t know.