Chapter 65

A group of villagers had entered the town of Urfen, but instead of heading to the square where the soldiers had directed them, they went to a mansion on the outskirts of town.

This mansion, once used by a wealthy merchant to house his mistress, stood quietly on a deserted backstreet. Now, it was an abandoned ruin, with no one living in or visiting it. However, the villagers entered the grounds as if it were a matter of course and parked their carriage there. Then, they slowly opened the rusted door and began to carry in the cargo from the carriage.

"Huh... I didn't expect it to go so smoothly."

One of the villagers wiped his face with a cloth to remove the dirt. Under the dirt from the fields, the face of the prince chosen by the holy sword, Raidol Zain, was revealed.

"This is my first time on an infiltration mission. I was really nervous."

"I'm a first-timer too. Oh well..."

"Your Highness, Captain Daren, I'll go fetch some water in a bucket right away, please wait a moment!"

Daren, who was also disguised as a villager, sighed wearily. His subordinate, Sara, took a wooden bucket from the cargo and hurried to the well outside.

The mansion, now a ruin, had walls and floors that were completely desolate, creaking ominously with each step. Raidol carefully moved to avoid falling through the floor and sat down on the stairs of the mansion. He opened the collar of his tightly buttoned shirt and turned his gaze to the mastermind of this infiltration operation.

"Sven, just as you said, we were able to infiltrate easily. To be honest, I'm a bit worried that the security in this border town is so lax."

"That just means the morale of the soldiers guarding the town is low, Your Highness Raidol."

In response to Raidol's words, Sven Aubeil smiled.

"When a lord betrays without a just cause, they will be distrusted not only by their enemies but also by their subordinates and subjects. It's a common occurrence in history for a lord who has betrayed to be abandoned by their followers and meet their end."

"I see... I'll be careful too."

Raidol, who harbored the ambition to overthrow his brother, nodded thoughtfully. He deeply engraved in his heart that he would not meet the same fate.

Raidol, Sven, Daren, and about 20 of Daren's subordinates had infiltrated the town of Urfen. This mansion, though a ruin, was being used as a hideout by the surviving members of the Aubeil family, to whom Sven had given orders when they fled to this town. Raidol was impressed by the well-prepared young man, though he hadn't expected this situation.

"Well... what do we do now? Shall we storm the mansion of Viscount Ulfart?"

Raidol tore open a burlap sack he had brought in the carriage and took out his beloved sword, which had been hidden in the wheat. He had hidden it in a sack of wheat to deceive the gatekeepers, but the black holy sword, now covered in wheat, seemed displeased with the rough treatment and was emitting a black miasma in protest.

In the mansion's lobby, the kingdom soldiers disguised as villagers were breaking open burlap sacks one after another, reassembling the disassembled swords and armor to arm themselves. Though their numbers were small, all of them were Daren's trusted elite. They would not be outmatched by the demoralized soldiers of the viscount's family.

"That's right... while the numbers are a bit concerning, with Your Highness Raidol, we should be able to easily take down the viscount's mansion."

Daren also nodded in agreement with Raidol's words. At the same time, Sara returned with a bucket of water and offered it to Raidol and Daren. They wiped their bodies with the water and began to change into their armor.

The preparations for battle were steadily progressing. However, the young man who had proposed the plan shook his head and poured cold water on the situation.

"No... if possible, I would like to avoid a direct confrontation."

"Hey, hey, you're not getting cold feet now, are you? Sure, there's a difference in strength, but with me and Dain Slaves, we can easily make up for it."

"No, that's not what I mean... if a battle breaks out, there's a risk that the arsonists sent by King Granado will move."

Sven had already informed them that Granado intended to use the chaos of battle to set fires and tarnish Raidol's reputation. When the young man heard about the king's plan, he didn't seem surprised but rather nodded in understanding.

In response to Sven's concern, Daren furrowed his brow and looked troubled.

"... Indeed, the existence of the arsonists is a concern, but I don't think we can avoid some level of conflict. If we can quickly take down Viscount Ulfart without mobilizing the army, it won't cause much chaos, and even if the arsonists do act, the townspeople can evacuate quickly, right?"

"That might be true, but it might not be. We don't know how much preparation the agents have made, so I want to take as cautious an approach as possible."

"Hmm... you look like you have a plan. Alright, since this is your operation, let's see what our strategist can do."

Raidol laughed and roughly ruffled Sven's hair. Sven, whose hair was now a mess, flailed his arms and legs, trying to escape Raidol's grasp.

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