Chapter 36: Battle Cry

Su arrived at the Bratz estate after running day and night. She slipped into the mansion at dawn, taking advantage of the darkness. She climbed a tree and carefully observed the guards.

'Those are the royal investigation team. They seem to be using the main house as their quarters, and the annex is heavily guarded. Isn't that the building Ian and I used to stay in?'

Soon, she spotted Derga's silhouette by the window. Finally, it was time to put down the eerie corpse head she had been carrying. Su quickly descended the tree and circled around to the back of the annex.

Swish!

Just like the day she had a showdown with Beric.

She easily climbed up to the window where Derga was staying. The bolt was firmly locked, but from the outside, not the inside. Su took out her dagger and broke the wooden plank.

Crack!

"Oh!"

Lady Mary, who had been drawing the curtains, was startled and stepped back. Then, Derga, who had been imprisoned for days, rushed in, looking terrible.

Click.

Su easily opened the window. Derga frantically gestured for her to come inside, but she only dangled precariously on the railing.

"Aren't you one of Nersarn's subordinates?"

"Where's the knight? Where's Knight Bell...?"

"You look terrible. They even locked the window?"

Su chewed on some dried meat while untying her bundle. The investigation team had nailed the window shut after the butler escaped. Derga, not knowing what was happening, took the small box Su handed him.

"Take this too. It's Kakkan's reply."

"What did the chief say? What about Ian? Did they kill him?"

But Su didn't answer. She glanced at Chel, who was trembling in the corner, then nodded and dropped down.

"Ah!"

Lady Mary screamed and closed her eyes, but that was all. There was no sound of a fall or any vibration. Su, who had come like the wind, disappeared like the wind.

"What is this...?"

"Honey, read the reply quickly. Let me open the box."

"Mom, the Thousand Clan is helping us, right? Right?"

"Shh. Chel, there's nothing to worry about."

It seemed something had happened to Bell, but the messenger from the Thousand Clan had come in person, even breaking the window for them.

Mary wrapped her arms around her son and prayed to the gods. Derga would have continued praying if he hadn't thrown the bowl.

Bang!

"Kill him! Kill him!"

"Honey?"

"Father, why, why are you doing this?"

"Kill him! I'll strangle him with my own hands! Aaaah!"

Derga swept the table roughly. Chel, who had rushed into Mary's arms, began to cry in fear. The count threw a chair against the wall and started smashing everything he could reach.

"Break the alliance? Break it? Those filthy, despicable barbarians. Their blood is so corrupt that it shakes me to my core! They're no better than dogs, only knowing how to take. Well, let's see how this goes! Once this place is cleared, we'll go to war immediately—tear them apart and feed them to the beasts!"

"Honey!"

Blood was flowing from Derga's hand. Mary finally pulled him away with her body. The cuts were bad, but more importantly, the noise could arouse suspicion from the investigation team.

"Calm down. Breaking the alliance? That can't be. If we react like this, won't it just make things worse for them later? Even I know that. Why would the chief make such a decision..."

Isn't there a reason? A reason.

Such behavior would be no different from declaring them barbarians. Mary, with her trembling hands, checked the torn reply and gasped in shock.

"Is this true? Smuggling gurut leaves?"

"Damn! Damn!"

Bang!

There were two reasons given for breaking the alliance:

Ian's non-enrollment and the attempt to smuggle gurut leaves.

The latter was considered a major issue. The count had personally hired Ian, the peace candidate, to smuggle prohibited items, which severely damaged trust and made continuing the alliance impossible.

"What the hell is Ian up to..."

What had happened? Wasn't it clear that Ian was acting on his mother Filia's orders? Even if they were caught, he had taken measures to cut ties. How did they find out about his involvement?

Derga gnashed his teeth and cursed.

"Open that box."

"Oh, right!"

At Derga's command, Mary quickly untied the string. Despite the shattered hope, she still held a glimmer of hope.

"Ah!"

"Aaaah!"

But inside was the decapitated head of the knight, Bell. It seemed the box had been opened upside down, with the gruesome cut surface facing up.

Knock knock.

"Count, is there a problem?"

At that moment, an investigation team member knocked on the door. The tension in the room snapped. If their contact with the Thousand Clan was discovered, they could face immediate execution. They would be reduced to begging for their lives from the commander.

"...No, nothing."

"Can I come in?"

At the team member's question, Mary turned her head sharply. The torn window was clearly visible. She let out a shrill scream and refused.

"N-no! I'm changing clothes!"

"...What?"

"If you don't want to insult me, don't, don't open the door!"

"Madam, I'll give you a moment."

"Wait! Wait! Please!"

Mary shouted and closed the window. She picked up the scattered wood debris with her hands and threw it under the bed, then neatly arranged the curtains. During this time, Derga was consumed by anger, and Chel was frozen in fear.

"...Huh."

She covered the box with her trembling hands and pushed it into the corner of the wardrobe.

"I'm coming in."

"Wait, wait!"

Creak.

The team member, with his hand on his sword, opened the door. Two people stood awkwardly, and Chel was huddled in the corner, sobbing.

"What were you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

The team member glanced at the broken chair and debris. It seemed Derga had lost control. He slowly circled the room and bowed respectfully.

"Excuse me. Such disturbances can lead to misunderstandings, so please be more careful."

"Get out. You're ridiculous."

"...Rest."

Despite Derga's overt insult, the team member didn't flinch and smiled. After all, Derga was soon to die, and the team member's future was secure.

Creak.

"Damn."

Derga, leaning on the table, desperately wished this was a nightmare. Mary and Chel sat in heavy silence. Suddenly, Derga gnashed his teeth and muttered.

"Fine, let's do it."

Let's see how this goes.

With this approach, Derga had only one path left: to stand up on his own. With or without the Thousand Clan's help, he would fully utilize his own territory to drive out the investigation team and the central army.

And thus, declare independence from Barial.

He was already marked as a traitor. What did he have to fear?

On the contrary, if he succeeded, he wouldn't have to send ridiculous taxes to the central government. How wonderful would that be?

"...Honey?"

"Mary, you and Chel stay in the mansion. You know the secret storage, right? Go hide there and don't come out until I find you."

"...Honey? Come with us."

"Father."

"Shut up!"

The calculations were done in his head.

Without the Thousand Clan's help, his only remaining card was 'time.' He needed to clear out the investigation team before the central reinforcements arrived to have a chance of turning the tide.

Rip!

Derga tore all the curtains and tied them into a rope. Mary and Chel, bewildered, stood a step back, swallowing hard. He was going to go outside.

"Ah..."

But as he thought about leaving, the reality hit him, and he was incredibly tense. Derga roughly tied the curtains and let them hang out the window.

"Go down. Go hide in the underground storage."

"Honey..."

"Hurry!"

At Derga's command, Mary and Chel climbed onto the window frame, crying and reluctantly hanging onto the rope. Derga, while they were leaving, gathered paper and set it on fire with the lantern.

Whoosh.

The flames slowly grew. Derga fanned them to help them spread. When the smoke became thick, he looked down.

Mary and Chel were nowhere to be seen.

They had clearly moved to the secret storage.

Bang!

"Ugh. Damn."

Derga also grabbed the rope and dropped down. He limped toward the stables, his ankle throbbing. The smoke, growing darker, mixed with the kitchen smoke and filled the sky.

Bang bang bang!

"Something's wrong!"

Erica, who was sorting documents in the main house, frowned at the sudden commotion. But seeing her subordinate's terrified face, she had no choice but to stand up.

"The count set fire to the annex and fled."

"They're rushing the order."

"Draw your swords!"

"Killing him is fine. Don't let him escape the mansion."

"Philip! Inform the central reinforcements."

"Yes, understood!"

"The rest, move with me."

Erica tied her hair tightly and ran down the stairs. This place would soon be her mansion if everything went well.

But to set fire to it?

"Aaaah!"

"Help, help me! Help me..."

"Fire!