[Chapter 271] Let's see how this goes

Stones, boiling oil, and arrows rained down endlessly from the top of the city gate.

The Hwangdo Pelena, with its long tradition, had equally long-standing gates on all four sides of its outer walls. Gates that had repelled rebellions, gates that had stopped uprisings, gates with handles dedicated to great emperors… each had its own history and, in common, they were all sturdy. As the first thing visitors to Pelena saw, they were the most meticulously maintained of all the Hwangdo's defenses, it was no exaggeration to say.

So even if the defense forces outside the gate were all killed or captured, those inside the walls didn't feel threatened immediately. Even when the fearsome siege tower loomed closer, it was the same. The invaders who rode atop the tower clung to the walls, but they could hold their ground.

Or rather, they had to hold their ground.

Kuuung! The siege tower's massive gate inside slammed against the city gate. Kuuung! Kuuung! The battering ram was a well-made piece of equipment, but the city gate was too sturdy to look at. Kuuung! But the soldiers of the Meindlandt army didn't stop, they continued to batter the gate. Kuuung… Piigeok!

The soldiers on the city gate, who had been throwing stones with some degree of leisure, were shocked. The battering ram struck the gate hard, and at the end of the impact sound, there was a clear, sharp cracking sound.

As the battering ram pulled back once and then charged forward like a wild boar, everything became clear.

Piigeok! …Ppajijeok!

With a sound so loud it startled, the lower part of the Hwangdo's south gate collapsed. It wasn't a clean break, but the area around where the battering ram had struck was dented, and the parts that had taken the most force were shattered, but it was enough for trained soldiers to pass through.

It wasn't just the south gate. Quickly, the west gate, the east gate, and finally the north gate.

The gates that the Hwangdo boasted of collapsed one after another with a tremendous roar. Joyce, who was stationed behind the south gate, smiled with satisfaction as he heard the sound of victory.

"I wonder if there was any history built without money."

After Diane's "disappearance," Joyce, who had come to Hwangdo, pretended to be a hostage, meticulously absorbing the McKinnon Trading Company, from those who made the most trivial objects in Hwangdo to those who made the most luxurious items. And he waited for the time when the royal family would re-examine Hwangdo's defenses as the war dragged on.

Slightly defective nails, slightly defective oil, slightly impure steel… These were small misalignments that wouldn't normally cause any problems with the gate's functionality, but would make it unable to withstand the kind of sustained impact it was currently receiving.

A young man from a branch of the royal family, with azure gemstone eyes, struggled against the magical tool Joyce had brought out. Joyce glanced at the struggling man and looked at the Meindlandt army quickly flowing into the gate.

"Dee."

He hoped this would all be over soon so he could go see her.

Joyce bit back a smile of joy, imagining his younger sister's disgust at his childish behavior.

***

"The Duke is here!"

Cledwin knew the route from the west gate to the palace fairly well, but it was impossible to block all the knights appearing from every corner of the alleyways. He chuckled as he clashed swords with the azure gemstone knights who kept coming, knowing they had found him.

"He's sown a lot of seeds."

"This monster!"

As Cledwin had guessed at the gate earlier, there were undoubtedly professionals who had been trained for a long time stationed in the city, and they were emerging in an organized fashion.

Cledwin's sword, which had just cut the throat of a screaming knight, pierced the chest of another knight who was attacking from behind. His face and clothes were stained with blood.

"My wife would be horrified."

"It's a good thing he can't see this mess." Cledwin muttered, humming a tune, and ended the life of the knight charging at him. The knights surrounding him, who had been slowly closing in on him, turned pale at the unreal feat.

Cledwin wiped his sword roughly on the cloak of the last fallen knight and languidly scanned his surroundings. Two to the west, three to the east, one to the south… Annoying. He was short on time…

"Your Highness!"

Before he could finish his count, dozens of mounted knights came galloping towards him. The one leading them, clad in armor, called out cheerfully.

"Duke Ganiello?"

Cledwin raised an eyebrow. He knew the Ganiellos were still in Hwangdo, but he had assumed they wouldn't be able to move freely. Edward, the Duke's eldest son, still looked a little pale, but his face was generally lively as he replied.

"You're heading towards the palace, aren't you? Go quickly! We'll hold them off."

"Can you handle the Gemstone Eyes?"

It was clear with every clash of swords. Only the most skilled knights in the Platinum Knights could face those with azure gemstone eyes.

Edward said confidently.

"We may not be as skilled as Your Highness, but our family has its share of excellent knights. We haven't lost anyone in this war."

His confident attitude was reassuring. Cledwin nodded, noticing blood splattered on the clothes of a few of the knights behind Edward. If they had forcibly freed Camille, they should be able to hold their ground.

Cledwin spurred his horse forward towards the palace again.

It didn't take long. He had chosen the west gate because it was the closest to the palace.

He had expected more guards around the palace, but it was surprisingly empty. Cledwin stroked his chin, momentarily pondering the eerie emptiness that seemed impossible to achieve with just a few days of siege. Then he came to a conclusion.

"They've purged all the troublesome ones."

The lucky ones had escaped, the unlucky ones had been captured or killed. Perhaps they had swung their swords last night, thinking they would win today. They had only detained Ganiello, intending to swallow him whole.

It was a good thing. Cledwin passed through the royal palace's main gate, sword in hand. He then retraced his memory to find his destination.

He had been here several times thanks to Camille. The deserted corridor near the royal investigation team.

As soon as he approached the vicinity of the royal investigation team, he felt a chilling aura of killing intent. Cledwin pushed forward relentlessly, clearing out the men blocking his path. It was easier than he expected, perhaps because Silvermoon was almost dead.

Creak. As he opened the secret passage, the stench of blood, pale light, and a sharp, icy wind poured out from the entrance. Cledwin slowed his pace and began to walk cautiously, keeping an eye on his surroundings. Camille hadn't appeared yet, even after he had come this far. Now things were getting a little strange.

Was it really this easy?

Of course, if the intruder wasn't Cledwin, he wouldn't have been able to get this far. But Cledwin had expected a more thorough preparation. He thought Camille had something more surprising in store for him, something he had been confident about preparing until today.

One step, one step. The closer he got to the room where Palos's eye was, the harder it became to take a step. Cledwin frowned at the increasingly strong stench of blood. It was the kind of smell that suggested someone had been caught and all the blood drained from their body.

Wooong…

A vibration came from the direction of the room where Palos's Eye was. It was a terrifying vibration that shook the heavens and the earth. Cledwin humbly abandoned the hope that Palos's Eye might awaken again this time. A brutal and dark aggression dominated this entire time and space.

And finally, when he entered the room where Palos's Eye was.

"Welcome. I knew you would come here."

Cledwin calmly pointed his sword at Camille's bright smile. And he quickly scanned the room.

A gloomy, murky black light seeped from the magic circle that covered the entire room. The royal banner hanging on the wall fluttered wildly, yet held its position firmly. Between the two stone altars lay a blonde corpse, covered in blood. It looked gruesome, as if it had died writhing in pain. And the altar…

Cledwin's heart froze for a moment. The empty altar of Elandria.

It was enveloped in a pillar of light.

"What have you done?"

Cledwin asked cautiously. Camille was the epitome of someone who didn't belong in this room. A golden dress that only direct royal family members could wear, a magnificent jewel crown… a bright and happy expression.

Cledwin swore that Camille had never looked as happy as she did now. And his question seemed to add to her happiness.

Smiling broadly, Camille asked back.

"Didn't I tell you this morning? I was highly impressed that you came here even though you knew everything."

Bang. The next moment, Camille's hand grabbed Cledwin's sword. Cledwin gritted his teeth at the powerful impact, as if he had tried to cut a giant diamond instead of a person.

"The outsiders are weaker than I thought, so you saved your strength and let them have the rest?"

"No need to give trash too much. You have to give them just enough to quench their thirst, so they'll follow obediently, don't you think?"

"So you can dispose of them as you please when they're no longer useful?"

"You know me well. Have we ever been that close?"

Cledwin seized the opportunity to reclaim his blade and swung it again. This time, Camille simply smiled and stood still. Bang! The sword, unable to even cut a single strand of her hair, was deflected back by the recoil.

"Is the power of the Azure Gemstone Eyes this strong?"

"To be precise, it's the power of three Gemstone Eyes. The power of Bisto that I inherited, the power of Palos, and… the power of Elandria."

A strange, bluish light illuminated Camille's face, making it look corpse-like. She looked directly at Cledwin and spoke with the casual air of an emperor.

"Ah, yes. Sadly, the things you believed in have betrayed you. They told you that nothing was happening… didn't they? It's a shame I was kind enough to tell you the truth… But even if you've come this far, what can you do now?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"No matter how hard you try, you can't kill me, and I can kill you. Without you, the rest is nothing. Even if this palace crumbles, I will be the one who survives in the end, and I will be the one who reclaims glory."

Bang! Kwagwang! Bang! Cledwin swung his sword wildly several times as Camille finished speaking. But he couldn't move as nimbly as before.

He had to kill Camille. And he had to save Neris. If he freed Palos's Eye, as he had promised her, she would return. She wasn't dead. If he awakened the dragon…

But even though he knew it rationally, his breath caught in his throat.

Camille laughed gleefully at his expression.

"Your lineage is truly fascinating. Perhaps it's because you carry the blood of the fairy race, who have one foot in the spiritual realm… I had some time during my confinement, so I did some research on the past Dukes of Meindlandt. If they don't define the meaning of their lives from the beginning, they live long, but once they do, they don't last long after their meaning disappears."

No. She didn't disappear. All I have to do is break that damn seal.

Cledwin swung his sword with all his might again. But Camille caught it effortlessly.

"It's no use. I'm invincible now, even if a mountain fell on me. Well, I suppose I should thank you for carving out all the rot in this country for me."

She spoke lightly, her eyes gleaming mischievously.

"Once I kill you here and cut off the tiresome Palos lineage, I can rebuild the rest piece by piece. There must be a way for me to control the power of the three Gemstone Eyes. Then… I will live forever, never be harmed, and become the eternal ruler with the pure support of all the people."

"And the rest of them are all fools who will just watch that happen?"

Cledwin gripped his sword again. He calmed himself with rational thought.

White Swan Castle was safe. Hilbrin was not the kind of man who would harm Neris even if his own neck was on the line, and the others were the same.

So… he wasn't entirely clueless about his wife's devious plan.

"Did she tell me to come straight to the secret room for this?"

Knowing it would take time for the curse to be completed, she had thrown herself into the fray to create an opportunity for him?

He intended to protest to his wife. In every way possible. Including, if possible, demands for actions he had wanted to do but she had refused in the past.

But that would all be after they returned safely.

Gritting his teeth, the man, angry at his wife, declared.

"She seems to think I can't open the beast's jaws. We'll see about that. Just because she's the Gatekeeper of Hell doesn't mean I can't open my mouth."