456

Episode 456: Found the Enemies (2)

What Erenes saw was a small forest near the castle. There were quite a few young trees, as if the trees had been cut down and a new forest had been created not long ago.

In that forest, there were people wearing black robes, hiding in harmony with the surrounding energy. It would have been difficult to see them with the naked eye.

But since he too was a part of nature, he could not escape Erenes' eyes.

Among the assassins, the one with the bandaged face stood out. Erenes took a deep breath upon seeing his appearance.

Because every time he breathed, black energy was coming out.

In harmony with nature, Erenes could even sense its energy.

'This is the energy of the Salvation Church! Is this guy Melkir?'

Melkir looked around and frowned. As expected of an assassin, he was very sensitive.

- I feel something unpleasant.

- Sir, what should we do now?

- How many people died?

- Three people died.

- Yeah, it took much longer than I thought. I didn't know the security checks would be this intense.

It was difficult to sneak from the South to the North. It was not easy to move only through rough terrain and completely avoid human eyes.

This is because patrols in various places have been further strengthened due to the war.

The Black Moon Assassins were eventually discovered and forced to fight several times.

Although they were able to overcome the crisis because each member was of a high level and the leader, Melkir, was a superhuman, some damage was inevitable.

Melkir suddenly shook his head and laughed, saying:

― At this point, I think the news has already reached Earl Fenris and Marquis Ferdium. We need to move before they arrive.

- Without waiting? Isn't our purpose to lure Earl Fenris?

― There's no need to wait stupidly. If Earl Fenris has moved, then we've already achieved our goal. If he hasn't moved, then we should kill his family and make an example of him. Right?

- then....

- Yes, it's the last break. As the night deepens, we'll move.

- All right.

For Melkir, it was as good as a successful operation. He had been stopped several times on his way here, and his skills had been revealed. When he heard this news, Earl Fenris had no choice but to take action.

Now all that remains is to see how deep into despair we can drive him.

― Until he comes, it's time to enjoy yourself. I'm really looking forward to it.

With Melkir's laughter the moon began to be obscured by dark clouds.

Flash!

Erenes opened her eyes. A green light flashed through her eyes.

"Coolook!"

Erenes, who had vomited blood again, looked at the tiny crow waiting in front.

Dark had been waiting for several days, and his magical power had almost completely dissipated, shrinking as much as possible.

"I found the enemies."

"Well, what should I say?"

Dark asked very politely.

The self-proclaimed Spirit King Dark was extremely nervous.

While Erenes was communing with nature, he felt the immense energy of the 'real' spirits. The Spirit King seemed to be a word that suited the elves in front of him better than himself.

And he was convinced that the energy would be enough to strike his own body. So he naturally became polite.

Erenes answered with a pale face.

"Where is Earl Fenris?"

"Uh… … . I just entered the territory."

"The assassins are waiting in the forest southeast of the castle. There are many young trees there. They plan to move as the night deepens. Tell them to go quickly."

"Yes, yes! I just delivered it!"

Dark immediately relayed the news through his clone who had already arrived at Ferdium. Zwalter jumped up from his seat as soon as he heard the news.

"Gather your troops! I will catch these bastards and kill them myself."

Homer, Albert, and Randolph stopped him from the side.

"Oh my! Why are you going first, my lord! You've gotten stronger lately, so why are you feeling shaky? How can you be more and more like your son! A son should be like his father!"

"No matter how much stronger you've become, didn't you say that there are superhumans among the assassins!"

"Brother, I'll just go and come back! Just stay still!"

If the lord dies, it's over. They say there might even be superhumans, so I couldn't just leave them alone.

Because of everyone's fierce opposition, Zwalter sat down with his mouth open.

'Ah, I've now reached the top level.'

Although he didn't reach the level of a superhuman, he wasn't at the level where he would die in an instant. Thanks to Giselle, Randolph had also reached a similar level, so I thought he would be able to handle him, but it was a shame.

"Come on, let's go!"

Randolph shouted proudly and led a large force of knights and troops forward.

The knights glared at Skoban as they stepped forward. Something bad had happened in Ferdium again.

Skoban was really wronged.

"Why do these things keep happening in Yeongji… … No, why is this my fault!"

I was just sitting there, but I've been suffering from bullying within the Knights Templar lately. I wanted to retire quickly. Recently, there was even talk of just transferring me to the Northern Army.

Skoban made up his mind. There is a saying that it is better to be physically tired than mentally tired. In this case, it would be better to just roll around next to the Archduke until he dies.

'Yeah, after this is over, I'll go to the Northern Army. I'll definitely take that bastard Ricardo with me.'

Ricardo, the originator of the rumor, was yawning next to Skoban, oblivious to his true feelings.

Doo doo doo doo doo!

The knights and troops of Ferdium set out. Randolph asked the adjutant beside him.

"Where is the exact location?"

"This is the forest that the Archduke raided a few years ago because he needed wood."

"Oh, we were just moving the trees there, planting new ones, and restoring them."

Two thousand soldiers and one hundred knights were mobilized at the rumor that there might be a superhuman. If they fight, the forest will be reduced to ashes.

The Ferdium army arrived at the forest in an instant. Randolph, who had been pondering for a moment, spoke to his adjutant.

"Hey, I heard there's a really strong guy here, so let's fight him later. For now, just burn him."

"Tae, are you burning it?"

"Yeah, just burn it all down. If we fight inside, it's going to be disadvantageous. If we fight, the trees will all be destroyed anyway."

Just by refraining from the reckless charging he used to do, he could be said to have grown a level.

And as the estate became rich, burning a forest was no longer a problem. Randolph was very satisfied with his decision.

"So that's it? This is something only the rich can do."

All the soldiers pulled their fire arrows. They were all flushed with excitement as they were doing something they would never have dreamed of doing in the past.

"Wow, I never thought the day would come when I would burn down our forests with my own hands."

"This is something only a Grand Duke would do."

"It's really nice to have a rich estate."

"Shoot!"

Paaaaak!

As Randolph shouted, a huge volley of fire arrows flew towards the forest.

The flames began to spread rapidly, engulfing the surrounding area. It was a terrifying sight for Erenes and the elves to see.

"What are you doing! Keep shooting! Shoot until those bastards pop out!"

The arrows of fire flew endlessly. Perdium was also overflowing with arrows.

The assassins who had been resting at the entrance to the forest stood up. Like highly trained men, they were neither flustered nor flustered.

He just looked at Melkir and waited for orders.

"How do these guys not know?"

Melkir couldn't understand what was happening. He appeared, pinpointing exactly where they were.

How can they possibly find themselves in this vast territory!

"Could it be that there is a great wizard?"

Melkir shook his head at his subordinate's question.

"The wizard's eyes cannot detect our hiding. They can only see into the distance."

Even in this environment, they were resting and blending in with their surroundings. This was to avoid being caught in the surveillance spell.

If someone could detect a superhuman's hiding place with just their eyes, they were no ordinary wizard. However, there was no way such a person could exist in Ferdium.

"It seems there was another way. The forest felt a little creepy… … . I can't help it."

"What should we do?"

"Everyone, spread out and somehow infiltrate the castle. Kill Marquis Ferdium and the Marquis' Young Lady if you can."

"All right."

They are the Duke's best assassination unit. Although they only have about 30 members, they are confident.

"Go. I'll follow you in a bit."

As soon as the order was given, the assassins' bodies blurred and scattered in all directions.

These were baits. Bait that would be great if it succeeded, and so be it if it failed.

Melkir planned to cause a commotion and take advantage of the distraction to gain entry.

Phew!

Several blurry dolls emerged from the burning forest. Randolph spotted them and shouted.

"It's out! Stop it!"

The Ferdium army had already tightly blocked the entrance to the forest. The knights were the first to rush out.

Kaang!

As befitting the best assassination squad of the Duke's household, each of them was at least a mid-high level knight. On top of that, they had assassination skills.

Whirlyrick.

Just before the knights and assassins' weapons clashed, the assassins' bodies began to blur and move again. They had no intention of fighting here in the first place.

"Catch him!"

The knights are strong in frontal combat. It would be difficult to keep up with assassins who are so blatant.

The assassins used all their skills to sneak into the gaps between the soldiers.

Scratch! Scratch!

"Eww!"

"Here it is!"

"Attack quickly!"

It was difficult for ordinary soldiers to block the assassins who attacked by slithering between the gaps like ghosts. All the soldiers could do was block their path with their bodies.

While the soldiers were holding the assassins in that manner, Randolph and the knights entered the battle.

"Get out of the way!"

Kwaaaaang!

Blue mana shimmered everywhere. The assassins tried to escape somehow, and the knights tried to catch them somehow.

Phew!

"Ugh!"

Skoban, who fought at the forefront to clear his name, ended up getting wounded in the side.

The assassins' weapons were poisoned, so I suddenly felt dizzy and the wound swelled.

"Oh my god! This really pisses me off!"

Boom!

Skoban swung his sword with all his might. The assassin who had been captured by the three knights had his head blown off.

His skills had also improved beyond recognition compared to before.

"Coolook!"

Skoban sank to the ground, vomiting blood. Other soldiers nearby supported him and dragged him back.

"What… … . Why are you saving me? Didn't you pray for me to die every day?"

Skoban's lips twitched and tears flowed. It was obvious that he was deeply upset.

The soldiers responded with awkward smiles.

"Oh my, why are you like that? Of course I should save you."

"Yes, we are all on the same side."

"How can you just watch the captain die?"

Skoban sobbed at the touching words. Still, it seemed he had not been completely abandoned. He decided to hold off on going to the Northern Army for a while.

The soldiers nodded among themselves as they looked at the impressed Skoban.

'They say that if you die here, this land will be cursed forever.'

'Even if I die, I should die and be buried somewhere else.'

'Because I don't want Perdium to ever be in trouble again.'

It was fortunate for him that Skoban was unaware of the rumors circulating among the soldiers.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The battle became increasingly heated. Since the opponents were assassins, it was very difficult for the Ferdium army to properly capture them.

On the other hand, the assassins had a hard time advancing because there were so many opponents.

Eventually they decided to use one last move.

Tsk tsk tsk… … .

The assassins' appearance is revealed. They have released a technique that uses mana to blend in with their surroundings and disrupt vision.

Now they began to fight openly, like knights.

Boom! Boom!

They were also trained for such a situation, with some making sacrifices and others sending them out when they had time.

As assassins, they were of a high standard and held their ground admirably even when surrounded by numerous knights and soldiers.

Taking advantage of the gap, a small number of assassins hid themselves and escaped the scene.

Randolph, who was at the forefront of the fight, discovered it.

"Damn it! Hurry up and chase me! I'm going to the castle!"

About ten people took advantage of the confusion to escape the siege. There were many places in the castle where assassins could hide, so it would be a headache to catch them.

The assassins who escaped the siege disappeared into the darkness again. The knights hastily followed them on horseback, but it was difficult to see them with the naked eye in the dark night.

All the remaining assassins were dead. The knights and soldiers remounted their horses and were busy chasing those who had escaped.

"Kekekeke… … Let's start moving slowly."

Melkir, who had been watching from the entrance of the forest, smiled cruelly.

The baits worked great. All the troops near the forest chased after them.

His body blurred and he moved forward. Now, we need to quickly move to the castle and assassinate the key figures.

The moment he was about to leave the forest.

Kwaaaaang!

A spear flew in and struck the spot where he was.