Chapter 61
The story continues off the page
The Last Dance Before Midnight
A masked dragon asks the lanternwright for one slow dance
A demon infiltrated Count Consilius's domain.
It seemed the news would throw everything into an uproar, but they announced it as a false alarm and let things settle.
From now on, they had to move covertly.
“The place we're heading to will be destroyed in six hours.”
“If it will be destroyed in six hours, then even if we move now, we're already too late.”
They had spent all of yesterday preparing for the expedition.
They had donned gear designed to increase mobility, even if it meant pushing themselves somewhat, and prepared their magic.
Even after doing so, it would take a day.
Yet the operation site would be gone as soon as the morning sun rose.
“How did you learn that information?”
Consilius asked.
“I heard it from the demon who infiltrated this place. It was Sitri.”
“Sitri? You mean Sitri, the Great Demon?!”
The demon of lust and hallucination.
She was the Great Demon the knights had to be most wary of as they fought temptation and guarded their chastity.
“Demons are not a kind you can trust at all.”
“It’s fine. We can trust her. I agreed to a deal with that demon.”
“A deal with a demon…?”
Ferda's statement made no sense to them.
When it came to the two words “deal with a demon,” there was always only one sentence.
Never make a deal with a demon.
The atmosphere began to grow murky.
It wasn't enough that the Great Demon the knights hated had arrived; they had even made a deal with her.
“Do not doubt me, gentlemen.”
Consilius warned in a low voice.
“All the swords and armor you're wearing were made because of Regent Valdrova. Have you forgotten that?”
Order immediately returned.
It was less thanks to recalling Ferda's favor than to Consilius's own charisma.
Consilius was suspicious as well.
But they couldn't hesitate over that.
In the subdued atmosphere, Consilius asked,
“What were the terms of the deal?”
“I heard a demon is imprisoned in the demonfolk research facility. In exchange for freeing that demon, she provided us with the means to get there.”
“If the Great Demon Sitri demanded that we free it, it sounds like a dangerous demon….”
“She said it was one of her daughters. In exchange for freeing one of those countless demons, we gain a clue about the demonfolk.”
“They say even a hedgehog cherishes its young. I suppose demons have affection too.”
“Apparently so.”
Ferda took out the scroll he was carrying and placed it on the desk.
“I accepted that deal and received this scroll. It’s our means of transportation.”
Rather than inspect it himself, Consilius crooked a finger at his personal mage.
The personal mage examined the scroll Ferda had shown him and said,
“This is a Banding Bridge configured for eight people to make a round trip. To be given magic of this high a level….”
“I’m no expert, so could you explain it?”
“Basically, it resembles Teleport Door, one of the teleportation spells, but its method of operation is different. It is created by passing through a single dimension. In other words, ordinary detection magic will have difficulty noticing it.”
“Then this magic itself passes through Hell.”
“Although it passes through Hell, the chance of being affected is extremely low, so you needn’t worry.”
Consilius could not feel reassured in the slightest.
Hell.
It contained seven domains and the seven Grand Dukes who ruled them.
This realm, accessible only to the dead, was one no one could ever leave once they set foot inside.
“Still, since the scroll was given directly by a demon, we should examine it closely to see whether it contains a trap—.”
“No. There is nothing wrong with the magic itself.”
Ferda stated it flatly.
The mage, who was nearing forty this year, did not care for the young regent.
“It would be best to examine it once more. It is Count Consilius who will be using it, and I possess the wisdom that comes with experience—.”
“I have no shortage of years myself, so don’t worry. There’s no trap in this scroll. Let’s stop wasting time.”
The mage's face visibly soured.
He thought the eighteen-year-old novice had cut him off because he simply didn't want to argue when he brought up experience.
But Ferda had merely stated a fact.
Ferda set aside the pointless bickering and pointed to a spot on the unfolded map.
“This is where we’ll be teleported. I was told it’s inside a cave.”
“It’s close to the research facility. If we approach from there, we can reach it within ten minutes and seize it before destroying the research facility.”
The seasoned officer Consilius explained as he envisioned the overall picture in his mind.
“You said a total of eight people can enter, so two should form a defense team to secure the Banding Bridge, while the remaining six split into two groups and each take one mission. I’ll select five knights and one mage.”
“No, we’ll be taking Zed, so select only five.”
“Understood.”
He looked over the assembled knights and selected them one by one.
“Hans, Marco, Corwin, Billy, Philip. You will come with us.”
“We obey!”
The named knights accepted their orders with a hand over their chests.
They knew that being able to go out to fight on a battlefield was an honorable moment.
Ferda cast a sidelong glance at Zed.
He was already exhausted from his escort duty.
His eyes drooped like an old dog’s.
“Sir Zed. Let’s get moving.”
“Eh.”
There was no honor or anything in it for him.
He was only going because he had no choice.
When ordered to jump, you jumped.
* * *
Ten minutes before the operation began,
They gathered in the operations room again, thoroughly equipped with winter gear to prepare for the northern cold.
Based on the selected personnel, Consilius explained the outline of the operation.
“The primary missions this time are information theft and rescue. We’ll divide into three teams: Corwin and Philip will secure the entrance; the regent, Marco, and I will steal the information; and Hans, Billy, and Sir Zed will handle the rescue.”
“Understood.”
“Are there any distinguishing features of the person we need to rescue?”
“I hear it’s a demon with pink hair.”
“If it’s pink, it will certainly stand out. Rescue a demon with horns and black eyes. Understood?”
“Yes!”
“Then we’ll conduct the final inspection!”
They did not forget to check everything until the very end.
The place they were entering now was enemy territory.
Enemy territory within enemy territory.
Since even the slightest mistake would throw everything awry, they armed themselves firmly with military discipline.
As he listened, Zed scratched his matted hair and sidled up to Ferda.
“Regent.”
“What is it?”
“The place we’re entering is an eight-person gate, isn’t it? Eight people go in, and eight people come back out?”
“That’s right.”
“Then isn’t it obvious we can’t rescue that demon woman?”
Eight people would enter, and only eight could leave.
To bring her out safely, there had to be seven people, not eight.
“You don’t need to worry about that. Demons are reverse-summoned to Hell when they die.”
“Ah, so we just kill her there?”
Ferda thought for a moment when he heard that.
“No. Don’t kill her there. Bring her to me.”
“What? Is that really necessary?”
If reverse-summoning was all it took, why go to such lengths?
Ferda answered as follows.
“That would make it end too easily.”
And easy things never ended well.
At least, that was how Ferda’s own life had always gone.
* * *
Ten seconds before the operation began,
“Open the gate!”
At Consilius’s command, the mage poured mana into the scroll.
The magic circle on the scroll absorbed the mana and radiated a pure white light.
A moment later, the air above the scroll began to ripple.
The space, moving like a spring touched by a gentle breeze, gradually unfolded and formed a circular window reflecting another space.
It showed a dark cave, and beyond its entrance, the outside world where a blizzard raged.
Consilius, thoroughly outfitted in a fur coat, opened his mouth.
“Deploy!”
The two members of the defense team securing the entrance entered first, followed in quick succession by the others.
Like well-trained soldiers and knights, they secured the path in perfect unison.
“The Banding Bridge will remain active for one hour. Within that time, we’ll assess the interior and attempt the rescue and information theft.”
“Yes!”
“Commence the operation!”
The two teams besides the defense team moved to carry out their respective assignments.
“Let’s meet again alive.”
“Don’t say unlucky things.”
“If you die, big brother, I’ll take good care of your wife.”
“Try it. I’ll dig my way out of my grave and cut your dick off.”
The close-knit knights exchanged farewells and scattered.
Since time was tight, they kept up a brisk pace even through the blizzard.
Though Consilius was old, he did not neglect his duties as a knight.
Even for him, breaking through the northern blizzard was no easy task.
‘How is the regent doing?’
Ferda’s body was that of a mage, not a knight.
He was so frail that he belonged among the weakest of mages.
He turned his head, wondering if Ferda had already fallen behind.
‘He’s keeping up well.’
Surprisingly, there was no sign of the distance widening.
Consilius, who had been planning to walk with some consideration for him, changed his mind.
“May I increase the pace?”
“Go ahead.”
“Understood.”
Consilius also moved quickly without needing to make allowances, and Ferda, following behind, walked at the same pace.
‘The weather is god-awful.’
Ferda was inwardly displeased with the situation.
It was dark enough already, and his view ahead was blocked.
He was wearing a heavy fur coat while snow fell and headwinds blew against him.
Under normal circumstances, Ferda would have been blown away by the wind and rolled down a cliff.
But the reason that did not happen was that something was supporting his body.
Shadow Hand.
Beneath Ferda’s coat, Shadow Hand braced against the ground and lifted the coat over his shoulders, reducing the strain on his body.
‘It’s fortunate I can cover my entire body.’
The power of the shadow was proportional to the darkness.
When the shadow was weak, it was inferior even to Ferda’s strength, but when it was strong, it could match that of an ordinary soldier.
Moreover, in a dark space, he could bring out several Shadow Hands.
‘Using several hands to brace against the ground does make me feel like I’m walking like a beast.’
It looked convincing on the outside, so it didn’t matter.
“This is the place.”
When Consilius brushed away the snow, a faint light seeped out like a firefly.
Faint laughter could be heard from within.
Consilius drew the sword at his waist.
“I’ll make a path.”
“Very well.”
Consilius skillfully entered through the narrow gap.
A moment later, the laughter abruptly stopped.
“What the—khk….”
“What’s happening? Why all of a sudden—kugh…!”
Before they could finish speaking, they collapsed with dying gasps.
After that, the sound of him swinging his sword two or three more times could be heard, and the footsteps that had moved away returned.
“I’ve cleared the way. Please, come through.”
The path Consilius had cleared led to a corridor heading toward an abandoned warehouse.
The corridor bore traces of one-sided slaughter.
There had been no resistance.
The dead guards’ weapons were all hanging up along with their coats.
No one foolish enough to come through the murderous blizzard existed, and no one had ever infiltrated this place before.
In plain terms, this was a cushy posting.
Consilius checked the rough map he had obtained in advance during his search.
“Marco, take the barracks. I’ll handle the administration section and patrol team.”
“Understood.”
“No.”
Ferda abruptly interrupted, pointing toward the barracks as he spoke.
“I’ll handle the barracks.”
“Are you sure? There are more than sixty people. If you make one wrong move—”
“I’m a mage.”
That single statement silenced the worried voices.
“As the regent wishes.”
Marco and Consilius moved to clear out the administration section and patrol team, while Ferda headed for the barracks.
Ferda drew a dagger he had tucked inside his coat.
The moment he opened the barracks door, what he heard was—
Rrrrgh!
Khuuuuh!
Animal-like snores.
‘It’s been a while since I heard that.’
Something suddenly came to Ferda’s mind.
The sound he had heard at all hours when he lived under a mage.
It had kept him awake at night time and again, but he had never dared complain.
It was far better than sleeping in a bathroom that reeked of shit.
Ferda took a candle hanging on the wall and entered the barracks.
Tilting the candle, Ferda examined them one by one.
‘They’re all human.’
Each had a different face, and they snored too.
They all had their own individuality, but they shared one trait.
‘They follow the demonfolk.’
The demonfolk were chaos that wished for the world’s destruction.
Enemies of the world.
A people who ostracized even the ostracized.
‘Enemies of Valdrova.’
That was the simple summary of their characteristics.
And the fact that they were sleeping so unaware of the world meant they had been abandoned even now.
“Aw, damn… what? I’m off duty today, asshole….”
“……”
“Aren’t you going to clear the fire? You fucking piece of shit, when I open my eyes, you… huh?”
The bleary-eyed young man looked up at Ferda and asked.
“Who are you? You’re not one of the guys I’ve seen here. What are you doing—mmph…?”
The man’s mouth was blocked.
Something black and formless bound him tightly.
He tried to resist, but he could not even make a groan.
Ferda looked down at him with indifferent eyes and said,
“Don’t think this is too unfair.”
The well-honed dagger flashed in the candlelight.
“You’re merely paying the price for your choices.”
Ferda pursed his lips slightly and brought them to the candle flame.
Even his inhalation made the candle flame tremble precariously.
Just like their future.
Whoosh—.
* * *
“I’ve taken care of the entire patrol team.”
“I’ve finished clearing the administration section as well. That leaves only the barracks….”
At that moment, Ferda walked out of the darkness.
He came walking over with a relaxed expression and his hands clasped behind his back.
“Did you take care of it?”
“Yes.”
“Then it seems this entire area has been dealt with.”
“Regent?”
“What is it?”
“There’s blood on your face.”
“Ah. Thank you.”
Ferda impassively wiped it away with a black glove.
Consilius gave his briefing.
“We cleared the administration section and subdued the entire patrol team. Apart from the barracks, no one remains in the military camp.”
“What about the information?”
“The administration section contained only personnel records for Servant-rank individuals and those meant to be used as meat shields. There were no traces of information being shredded, so the materials must be in the officers’ quarters.”
“How many minutes are left?”
“Forty minutes. We need to finish clearing the rest within the next thirty minutes at the latest.”
“We’d better hurry.”
Even if they obtained valuable information and successfully completed the rescue, it would all be for nothing if they couldn’t return.
Leaving the areas they had swept behind, they headed for the research director’s office.
The inside of the research director’s office was bustling despite it being the middle of the night.
“Take everything without missing anything. Orders will be coming down soon.”
“Yes!”
“Give that here! They’ve been curious about it lately, so I have to take it.”
They were busily sorting documents and objects.
They were organizing the things they needed before destroying the research facility.
The person directing the minions was a female dark elf.
‘A dark elf….’
Aside from their black skin, they were a race closer to elves than to the demonfolk in their traits.
Before the Dragon-Demon War, they had sworn allegiance to Godwin and sought to establish a new order.
They were not demonfolk, but possessed an evil nature no less than that of the demonfolk.
‘Was her name Rinne?’
She was the overall director of this research facility and its foremost researcher.
The overall director of the Doppler Project.
‘How should I launch a surprise attack here?’
He did not need to think deeply about it.
It would suffice to deal with the mage first.
“Lightning Bolt.”
Fwish!
It pierced through the mage’s head.
The battle began.