Chapter 86

---

I push forward through the castle, running and turning at random forks. I'm completely lost now.

For some reason, I haven't encountered any enemy soldiers. I've passed a few people who seem to be doing menial tasks, but they screamed and ran away.

Whenever I heard the sound of soldiers, I moved in the opposite direction, so I've completely lost track of my position. I'm not just heading for tomorrow, but for the day after tomorrow.

Which way is tomorrow?

As if being punished for thinking about such trivial matters, I suddenly found myself in front of a group of soldiers who were loitering around the corner.

“Whoa?!”

“Whoa?!”

“Prisoner??”

We were both so abrupt that for a moment we just stared at each other. But these are professional soldiers. They quickly drew their swords and surrounded me in a semicircle.

“Who are you!”

“Are you a prisoner…?”

“Suspicious attire… doesn’t matter! Capture him!”

“Why not kill him?!”

“This guy seems off! He might know something, even if his limbs are gone! Capture him!”

“““Understood!”””

The soldiers responded in unison.

This is ridiculous.

The soldiers are closing in, and there's no opening… Perhaps everything has gone too smoothly so far. I create a defensive wave with my breathing. It might be like pouring water on a hot stone, but…

They seem to be wary of my carbine, as they aren't rushing at me. They can see it's a weapon.

The distance is too perfect; I can't use a stun grenade. If I move recklessly, they'll all pounce on me.

I can't move.

Sweat drips down my forehead.

Do I have no choice but to use it?

Considering the remaining ammunition, the carbine won't be much help. I can probably take down 2-3 people before it's over. The handgun won't do either. While it uses real bullets, I haven't practiced with it, and it's not even loaded. Even if it were, I can only take down one or two people at most.

The last resort… the light sword, a magical tool.

If I take it out of the container and have the activation image ready, I should be able to activate it the moment I hold it. Probably.

But that would mean killing all the soldiers in front of me. Can I take the lives of 12 soldiers?

Sweat is pouring down the faces of the soldiers as well.

I slightly move the tip of my carbine towards the soldier who is closing in the most, and he freezes. We are in a deadlock, lacking a decisive move.

“Alright… you keep him pinned, I'll go out.”

“Captain?”

A man with a strangely ornate leather armor, who had been standing back, slowly approaches, drawing his sword. He clearly isn't a common soldier.

It seems I've run into an elite unit.

The soldiers part to the sides, and the man called Captain steps forward. I have no choice but to resolve myself.

I imagine it.

A vision of light swords flying like machine gun bullets, filling the corridor. I imagine it would turn everyone into mincemeat in an instant. I hesitate for a moment.

That hesitation becomes a complete opening.

“Gotcha!”

The Captain, who suddenly lunged at me, was almost by chance stopped by my M4. But the carbine, which I caught in the mechanism, was easily sliced like tofu, and the recoil threw me off balance. I was then hit by the Captain's knee and fell on my back in the corridor. He quickly mounted me, and I was quickly restrained by the other soldiers.

Without hesitation, the remaining soldiers pinned down my limbs.

The Captain, now free, stands up.

“Excellent!”

“Hmph. The result of daily training… Now, I have many questions for you… Hmm?”

The Captain, who had been pressing the tip of his sword to my throat, suddenly looks back.

“Amateur”

“Gah?!”

A huge black rod suddenly sprouted from the Captain's chest. No, this is…

“Yararai!”

An elf who looks exactly like an Indian, Yararai, rushed in and created a wind tunnel through the 12 soldiers.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Yararai… he's too handsome.

---

“Nooooo!”

A roar echoed from deeper in the corridor.

“Is that… Hagg?”

It seems to be coming from a T-intersection a bit ahead. The roar is mixed with clear screams, so Hagg is probably mowing down soldiers.

“Yararai, why… no, why did you come to save me?”

“Sure.”

A slight nod from Yararai makes me almost cry.

“I'm glad… but why did you do such a foolish thing for me?”

Yes, even though I hired him as a bodyguard, I haven't paid him, and there's no reason for him to risk his life to save me from a nation.

“Friend, save, natural”

“Friend…”

I was momentarily stunned.

Friend? We aren't that close. We've only met a few days ago. To me, Yararai is a savior, but to him, I'm just a merchant he happened to meet.

To call me a friend and come to the castle to save me… I can't understand it.

But.

What is this joy rising from the depths of my gut?

“Yararai…”

“Come on, this way.”

Not knowing how to express my gratitude, I hesitated, but Yararai ignored me and quickly moved forward. It feels like the ladder has been pulled out from under me.

I hurriedly followed Yararai, loading the Sig Zauer just in case. Of course, I didn't cock it.

I wondered whether the light sword or the Sig would be better, but it makes sense to have the Sig ready since it requires preparation.

“Oh! You're alive, Akira!”

Turning the corner, the corridor was splattered with blood.

Oh.

Chunks of flesh were stuck to the walls, and Hagg's iron mace was covered in blood. It's so gruesome I almost vomit.

“Akira-sama!”

“Huh?”

I didn't notice the voice until I heard it, having averted my eyes from the gruesome scene.

“Akira-sama!”

The voice came again, and someone tackled and hugged me. It's clear who it is.

“Cherina?!”

Why?! How?! What?!

“Oh… I'm glad… you're alive…”

Cherina, who was crying and hugging me tightly, left me confused.

I can understand Yararai and Hagg, but why is Cherina here? It's too much to comprehend.

“Cherina… were you captured too?”

“No, that’s not it…”

She looks up with swollen eyes. She's too close.

“I was at… no, the pig's place.”

What?

Cherina, smiling, calls the king a pig.

What the hell is going on, someone explain, please!

“I noticed the commotion and decided to join in and help.”

“‘Decided to join in’… you?”

This is insane!

“I'm sorry to interrupt this emotional reunion, but if we stay here any longer, we won't be able to escape.”

Before I can process everything, Hagg interrupts.

“Ah, ah… but where should we go? Where are we?”

“We're in the castle.”

“I know that.”

“We're in the central part of the castle.”

“What?!”

What kind of sense of direction do I have!

Well, maybe it couldn't be helped in that situation, but running straight into the heart of the enemy is just too foolish.

“Do you know the way out?”

“I know, I heard from the spirit.”

“Convenient.”

Yararai seems to hear the voice of a spirit, not radio waves.

“Anyway, we need to escape first.”

Cherina, now calmer, steps back and picks up her red chain.

“Miss! This way!”

It's Melvin shouting. You guys are here too? The usual Veriello Company guards are with them.

“What the hell is going on?”

“Questions later. Let's go, Akira-sama.”

“Alright.”

Agreeing to escape, I start running with them.

The order is Yararai, Hagg, me and Cherina, Melvin, and the guards.

Yararai moves through the maze-like corridors without hesitation. The soldiers we encounter are instantly taken down by Yararai and Hagg. It's not that the soldiers are weak, but these two are probably too strong.

It seems they don't always kill; they knock out those who can be spared. The bloodbath earlier was probably because there were many elite soldiers in the central part of the castle.

“We can get through the central hall, but…”

“There are too many soldiers.”

“Aye. There are skilled soldiers there, it's dangerous.”

Cherina, Yararai, and Hagg decide the route. I don't understand, but it seems the shortcut is heavily guarded.

“Even the royal guards aren't that easy.”

“I think we'll be fine, but there's no need to deliberately face a nation's royal guards.”

“Agreed.”

“This way.”

After a brief meditation, Yararai starts running again. It seems he was talking to the spirit.

We start running again. If I hadn't learned wave magic, I would have been too exhausted to move by now.

Of course, I'm quite tired. My breathing is heavy, and the sweat won't stop, but I'm in a tough state.

“Here, Dwarf, destroy.”

“What, you elf, giving orders?”

“Efficiency, priority.”

“Elves are really insufferable!”

Hagg, who had stopped in the corridor, grumbles at Yararai's order to destroy the wall.

“Sir Hagg, please.”

“Hmph, well, it's a job only a dwarf can do.”

Hagg readies his massive hammer.

“I am the iron mace… I crush everything… I smash everything that stands in my way! I am the iron mace!”

As he roars, Hagg's body glows.

“Roar! Smash!”

The iron mace, swung with a roar, creates a huge hole in the white stone wall. Looking through, the wall is quite thick, and I'm impressed that it was broken with one blow.

“Amazing, Hagg.”

“Hmph, it's nothing to me.”

“Barbarian, let's go.”

Hagg seemed somewhat pleased, but Yararai ruins it.

“Elves don't even know how to say thank you!”

“You can do it, it's expected.”

“Hmph! Really insufferable elves!”

“You guys… think about the situation…”

“Sir Yararai, Sir Hagg, escaping is the priority now.”

“I know! Elf! Which way next!”

“…”

Yararai points forward silently.

Beyond the large hole, the castle's courtyard is visible, and beyond that, the castle gate looms. It seems a group of prisoners has already reached the gate, and there is chaos.

“Let's break through!”

“Alright!”

“Really?!”

“Let's go.”

“Miss, we have to go…?”

“I'll protect you, Miss!”

“I have a job to do too!”

“Roar! Charge!”

With Hagg's roar, everyone charges. Yararai is in the lead.

With the help of the spirit's power, he closes the distance in an instant.

A soldier, caught off guard, is pierced by Yararai's black needle. The prisoners, who were fighting in front, freeze in shock.

About 30 soldiers are guarding the gate, with 20 prisoners and 20 dead bodies. The prisoners must have rushed in with a death wish but were no match for the trained soldiers.

The soldiers, perhaps overconfident, were forming a spear wall when they were suddenly flanked and struck by a thick estoc.

“Whoa?!”

A nearby soldier finally realizes the situation and screams, but the next moment, a black iron needle sprouts from his chest, and he collapses, spraying blood. The soldiers are visibly shaken.

Hagg then charges in.

“Smash!”

A massive iron block is swung down on another soldier's head, splattering red on the ground. It's so gruesome.

I avert my eyes slightly and resolve myself. I draw the Sig Zauer from its holster and fire. A soldier screams and falls. I don't know where