Chapter 79
The ensuing meeting ended anticlimactically.
My overwhelming presence made any further discussion pointless.
The king and the chancellor decided to leave everything to me.
They started bustling around, saying they would provide the kingdom's finest hospitality.
“That’s enough, enough.”
If that caused the clear time to drag on, or if a prisoner died, the losses would be enormous.
I didn't have time for such hospitality.
I was just about to leave.
“Wait, just a moment!”
A youthful voice stopped me.
When I turned my head, a girl was standing there.
She looked older than me, but still too young to be called an adult.
“A ranger?”
Leather armor and a bow.
Her class was easy to guess.
And so was the reason she'd come to me.
She approached me with an expression that showed she had made up her mind.
“My name is Sharon, and I volunteered for this rescue operation! Please take me with you!”
“Huh?”
“I'm the kingdom’s best ranger! I'm sure I'll be of help!”
“Well, if that's the case…”
Her voice carried strong resolve and confidence.
But I could detect a faint tremor of anxiety deep in her eyes.
It felt like she was desperately hiding her unease beneath that confidence.
Sharon said in a polite voice,
“First, I'd like to explain this operation in detail, Sage!”
I looked at her for a moment, then nodded.
This NPC in front of me was probably the quest guide.
Sharon pulled a detailed map from her chest.
“This is the information I gathered while scouting the enemies’ fortress over the past few days.”
Sharon's finger moved quickly across the map.
“The enemy patrol routes are split into three squads, and they circle this area every 30 minutes. There are eight watchtowers in total. The north and west towers have the widest fields of view.”
A detailed explanation followed.
The enemy patrol routes, guard rotation times, and even the watchtower locations.
Sharon seemed to know orcs better than orcs knew themselves.
The information was astonishingly precise and meticulous.
“…So, this is my plan.”
Sharon drew a single red line across the map.
A stealth route that cleverly threaded through the enemies’ blind spots.
“Tonight, when the moon is hidden by clouds, we’ll move. We’ll infiltrate silently along this route and head straight for the underground prison where the prisoners are held.”
“That route looks incredibly complicated... How much time do we have?”
“From the moment we infiltrate, we’ll need to finish everything and get out within about ten minutes.”
“That sounds extremely tight.”
“Don't worry! According to my calculations, even if something goes wrong, we can still complete the rescue within 9 minutes and 20 seconds!”
Sharon's explanation was nearly perfect.
But one fundamental question came to mind.
“Couldn't we just blow up that fortress entirely?”
I said, tapping the map lightly.
“I could send a sand giant charging in, or summon a sandworm from underground and wipe them out in one go. That should be much faster and more certain…”
I had dozens, even hundreds, of ways to wipe out every last enemy.
There was no reason to go through such a complicated and dangerous infiltration.
But at my words, Sharon's face went white.
Sharon shook her head firmly.
“No! Absolutely not!”
Sharon's voice trembled faintly.
“The orcs are far more brutal and merciless than you think.”
Fear and anger flickered in Sharon's eyes at the same time.
“If we lead a large-scale assault, or if you attack the fortress with powerful magic, the moment…”
“They'll kill all the prisoners? That's troublesome.”
Sharon's voice turned desperate.
“No, they’ll probably do something even worse. They'll use the prisoners as shields and place them at the very front.”
“You mean meat shields?”
“Yes, mocking us and telling us to kill them ourselves while we keep advancing.”
“Hmm…”
I was silent for a moment at her words.
She wasn't wrong.
No matter how strong I was, there were more than ten prisoners being held hostage.
Rescuing all of them safely while exterminating the orcs would not be easy.
“What should I do?”
I thought for a moment.
To be honest, her plan was incredibly bothersome.
Crawl through narrow caves and filthy sewers?
I really wasn't in the mood.
“Hmm…”
I quietly looked into her eyes.
Desperation was in Sharon's eyes.
Something much deeper than just a knight's duty to save her comrades.
‘There seems to be more to the story.’
I didn't ask any further.
What mattered to me was clearing the quest.
I shrugged and said,
“Fine. Let's try your plan.”
At my answer, relief flickered across Sharon's face.
Sharon kept bowing repeatedly.
“…! Thank you! Thank you so much…!”
I thought to myself,
I'll go along with this young lady's plan for now.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to enjoy this like a stealth game.
Besides, I wanted to test my new skill anyway.
‘Besides, if the plan falls apart or the situation gets annoying…
then I'll just flip the board.’
I had more than enough power to do that.
And just like that, a rescue team consisting of just Sharon and me was formed.
“Ah, and Chohogi was there too.”
I tracked down Chohogi, who was still racing around the palace waving a flag and sounding a fanfare, shrank it down, and brought it back onto my shoulder.
***
A little later, Sharon and I were lying on a hill with the fortress spread out before us.
In the pitch-black darkness.
Only the orcs’ encampment was lit by torches.
“…….”
Sharon was constantly scanning the encampment through a small telescope in her hand.
Tension was tight all through her body.
By contrast, I was a little bored and watching the night sky.
“The patrol movement matches what I found. They’re circling a 50-meter radius around the main gate every 30 minutes. The sentries in the watchtowers aren’t asleep either.”
Sharon’s voice was low and quick.
A voice that kept reciting the operation plan over and over, almost like a mantra.
‘She doesn't need to be this tense.’
Then I suddenly remembered the new skill I'd gotten on the 32nd floor.
Mirage.
A skill that created illusions on sand.
If I used it well, it might lower the mission's difficulty by several times.
I spread sand over my robe and hair.
If I were naked, I wouldn't need to do this.
I had no intention of wandering around naked, even if I died.
I activated Mirage.
At first, I overlaid an illusion of the surrounding rocks onto my body.
“Hmm, a little lacking?”
But it still felt somewhat clumsy.
More than anything, it didn't match the surrounding scenery at all.
It looked like a walking rock.
“Should I think a little harder…”
This time, I tried a different method.
I projected the rock and earth behind me directly onto my entire body.
“This is a little hard.”
My head ached slightly from how difficult the control was.
But now that I'd learned Gerard's mana-control technique, it was doable.
After a little trial and error, I quickly got the hang of it.
Swish—.
Something astonishing happened.
My figure vanished as if dissolving into the air.
It felt like I was wearing an invisibility cloak.
“Nice.”
I smiled in satisfaction.
Now it was time to cast the magic on Sharon too.
“It's fine, my plan is perfect… Ten steps forward, then after three seconds turn right and take five steps. Then wait fifteen seconds…”
Sharon was still muttering beside me, checking her operation plan over and over.
“It’s a good plan. Very detailed.”
“T-thank you. I've been planning for days for today….”
Sharon's face flickered with both tension and confidence.
“But there’s an even better way.”
“Huh? A better way?”
“We’ll make your body invisible.”
“Huh?”
Instead of answering, I poured the handful of sand I was holding over her head.
“Kyaa! What are you doing!”
“Hold still for a moment. I’ll do something good for you.”
I started rubbing sand all over her body without giving Sharon a chance to resist.
“Sage? That tickles! Wait!”
Sharon wriggled in resistance, but I paid no attention.
I carefully applied grains of sand into the gaps in her leather armor, her bow and quiver, and even between strands of her hair.
“All done.”
After finishing the preparations, I stepped back from her.
“Now, watch closely.”
“Huh?”
I cast the Mirage spell on my body once again.
My figure vanished as if dissolving into the air.
“Uh…?”
There was nothing where I'd been standing a moment ago.
“Sage? Where are you?”
Sharon looked around in confusion.
I revealed myself right beside her and said,
“Here.”
“Kyaa!”
Sharon jerked back in shock and nearly fell over.
She stared at me as if she'd seen a ghost.
“How… how is this possible?”
“It’s magic that bends light to create illusions. Now, it’s your turn, Miss Sharon. Don’t close your eyes—watch closely.”
I focused my mana on the sand clinging to her body.
Sharon's body began to fade like a mirage.
“…!”
She barely suppressed a scream and looked down at her own hands.
Starting from her fingertips, then her arms, and then her whole body, she gradually became transparent, and the rock and night sky behind her became visible.
“Oh my….”
She was entranced by the wondrous sight of her own body fading away.
“All right, let's go.”
“What? We're just walking in like this?”
Sharon whispered in confusion.
Still looking uneasy, Sharon hunched her body and kept scanning the surroundings.
A moment later, the first orc patrol approached us.
I could feel Sharon's shoulders stiffen.
I lightly tapped her shoulder and whispered,
“Relax.”
The orcs walked noisily past us, chatting among themselves.
“Loktaa taramla.”
“Loktar.”
They passed us without giving us a single glance.
Only after they were completely gone did Sharon let out the breath she'd been holding.
“…They really didn't see us.”
“I told you.”
“All my planning over the past few days….”
Sharon looked down at her now-transparent hand with a blank expression.
She looked so pitiful that I offered a bit of comfort.
“Hey, it'll come in handy someday.”
“R-right?”
We kept moving forward.
It felt as if we were invisible.
We ran into patrolling orcs several times, but they never saw us.
Sharon seemed to relax a little too.
Of course, we still couldn't ignore every obstacle perfectly.
“Hmm, do I need to turn back?”
An orc was guarding a tightly shut door.
There was no path through.
I stopped for a moment and muttered,
“Should I just kill that guy and set up an orc illusion in his place? Well, I could just turn the corpse into sand too…”
At my words, Sharon gasped and grabbed my arm.
“No! If anyone even has a conversation, we'll be exposed…”
“Okay, okay.”
I agreed with her caution for now.
Well, she was the commander of this operation, after all.
“Then is there a way past here?”
“Yes, please wait here for a moment.”
Sharon crossed over to the woods on the opposite side.
A little later, Sharon shouted in an unfamiliar language.
“Kaa! Bin mog ghtazag cha!”
The orc guarding the door jumped in surprise and ran toward the sound.
I could see Sharon quickly slipping away.
Since I could see through the invisibility anyway, it didn't matter much.
I called her back when she headed in the wrong direction.
“Sharon, not that way—this way.”
“Ah… I'm sorry. I couldn't see you, Sage, so…”
“Hmm. I'll need to improve this part.”
By the way, there was something I was curious about.
After quickly passing through the door, I asked Sharon a question.
“Can you speak Orcish?”
“Yes… but I don't know why either.”
“Huh?”
“I've been able to use it naturally since I was little. As if I'd always known it… Is it strange to you too, Sage?”
“No? I thought you were competent.”
At my casual answer, Sharon's eyes went wide.
“I-is that so? Then I'm really glad…”
Sharon let out a small sigh as if her tension had eased.
A faint confidence returned to her face.
After that, we slipped past the enemy several more times using the same method.
At last, we reached our destination: the temporary prison.
A cave located deep within the encampment.
The entrance was blocked by thick iron bars.
Two elite orc guards stood watch in front of it.
“This is the final hurdle.”
Sharon threw a rock far away.
Crash! Crash-clang!
The sound of glass shattering in the distance.
Even so, the two of them didn't budge.
“I guess we really have to take them out this time?”
Sharon nodded at my words.
“No noise. As quietly as possible.”
Sharon drew an arrow.
“I'll take out one of them. I need to calculate the wind, so when I give the signal…”
“I'll take care of both.”
I suspended two grains of sand that shimmered silver between my fingers.
Smaller and more discreet projectiles than usual.
Pshk.
Tiny sounds rang out one after another.
The projectiles pierced precisely between their brows.
The orcs collapsed forward without even managing a scream.
“Oops.”
I quickly piled up sand to prop the orc up.
If such a huge brute toppled over, it would make noise.
I fixed them in place as if they were still alive.
That should buy us some time.
“My goodness….”
Sharon stared at me with a mix of shock and admiration.
As if it were nothing, I walked past the fallen orcs and approached the iron bars.
Beneath the faint torchlight in the dark cave interior, human silhouettes could be seen.
“There are more than I expected…”
At a glance, there looked to be well over ten of them.
Was it even possible to take all these people out of the encampment without making a sound?
I was starting to worry a little.
Sharon ignored my worry and rushed straight inside.
Sharon took out a small bundle of lockpicks from her waist.
Sharon began grunting with effort as she shoved the picks into the iron-bar lock.
“Please wait a moment. I'll have you free soon.”
Sharon's hands were frantic, but perhaps because she was nervous, the lock wasn't opening easily.
Only the clacking of the picks as they spun uselessly echoed through the cave.
“Just a little more… almost there!”
I watched for a moment, then stepped forward.
“Wait a moment.”
I lightly touched the lock with my finger.
Ssshhk.
The sturdy steel lock crumbled into a handful of sand and scattered away.
“……Eh?”
Sharon's eyes widened.
Ignoring her, I turned to the prisoners inside.
I reached out to the shackles on their hands and feet.
Ssshhk. Ssshhk. Ssshhk.
Each time I touched them, the iron chains binding the knights turned to sand and disappeared.
In less than a minute, every prisoner in the cave was free.
The knights stared down at their wrists and ankles with dumbfounded expressions.
They seemed unable to believe that the shackles that had tormented them for days had vanished right before their eyes.
One man seated deepest inside stood up.
Though his armor had been stripped away and his clothes reduced to rags, his eyes were still alive.
Compared to fifteen years ago, his wrinkles had deepened and his face had gained more scars, but
I recognized him at a glance.
Knight Commander Seymour.
The moment Seymour's gaze landed on Sharon, his eyes widened in shock.
“Sharon…? Why are you… how are you here….”
His voice shook violently with shock.
The next moment, Sharon rushed into his arms.
“Father!”
Sharon wrapped her arms around Seymour's waist and burst into tears.
As if all the emotions she'd been holding back exploded at once, her small shoulders trembled.
Seymour held his daughter and couldn't say a word.
I watched the reunion between father and daughter for a moment.
Why Sharon had been so desperate about this mission.
Why she had said she couldn't allow even a single sacrifice.
Now I understood everything.
After crying in her father's arms for a long while, Sharon suddenly came to her senses and ran over to me.
Her face smeared with tears, she grabbed both my hands tightly.
“Sage…! Thank you. Thank you so much! I'll never forget this kindness for the rest of my life!”
Sharon bowed over and over, sobbing.
Hot tears dripped down onto the back of my hand.
Feeling a little embarrassed, I awkwardly pulled my hands away.
“Save the thanks for later. Let's think about getting out of here first.”
At my words, Seymour came to his senses and looked at me.
“Good heavens, you are….”