Chapter 34

Part 9: What is Justice? (2)

A room filled with books.

A man sat behind a large desk in the center, writing documents.

On the guest sofa in front of the desk sat a woman of indeterminate age, drinking wine alone.

The room was quiet.

A gentle breeze came in through the half-open window, making the scene inside look like a painting.

Flap.

A white bird flew into the room, which looked like a painting.

The bird circled the room silently and then quietly landed on a pile of documents.

Neither the man nor the woman was surprised by the sudden appearance of the bird.

The man slightly furrowed his brow and untied the paper attached to the bird's leg.

He unfolded the paper and examined its contents.

"So, it has come to this."

He clicked his tongue and held the paper in his hand.

Whoosh.

The paper began to burn in his hand.

"Everything has happened as your prophecy predicted."

"It's too late. A prophecy that can't prevent failure is useless."

"Well, no matter how great the power, it's impossible to foresee every future."

"But, they all moved based on the prophecy I gave them before. They trusted me and acted accordingly..."

"Plans can't always succeed. Perhaps we've succeeded too easily because of you all along."

"But, my ancestors almost always dealt with every future and guided other heroes on the right path. And I used to... "

Ten years ago, or even five years ago, the woman drinking wine in front of him possessed such strong prophetic powers that she was called the reincarnation of the seer who predicted the future of the ancient heroes.

However, starting ten years ago, her predictions began to deviate slightly, and by five years ago, they started to change and even become incorrect.

Of course, she was still the greatest prophet after her ancestors, and most of her predictions were not too far off.

The man recalled the words written on the burned paper.

It was a note from an agent stationed in the Iero Marquisate, stating that they had discovered a secret passage and were about to carry out the planned operation.

Despite the agent's ability to send messages quickly, the distance meant the operation was already underway.

And he already knew the operation would fail before reading the note.

However, the prophet learned of the changed future too late to stop the operation.

He was about to send someone to clean up the remaining organization.

"It would be more dangerous to send people to clean up the remaining members..."

"I can't see it clearly, but if people are sent, I saw a red aura approaching us through the dispatched people."

Although she didn't see the future as clearly as before, it was enough to understand.

"That means we'll be caught."

Hearing her prophecy, he abandoned the organization remaining in the Iero Marquisate.

They had been cultivated for a long time and formed a significant force, but he cut the line cleanly.

"Really, I'm very sorry."

"You didn't do anything wrong. It doesn't seem to be a problem with your ability."

Not all prophecies were wrong, and the issues only arose with specific regions and events, indicating an external factor.

"Well, we'll look into it separately."

It was a very important matter, but it wasn't something that could be solved quickly. The organization had been searching for the cause for five years.

"More importantly, if the operation fails and we are traced, does that mean there's someone with such abilities in the Marquisate? I underestimated the Iero Marquisate."

He might have underestimated the Marquisate by seeing only the worthless children.

"Besides, Martin was also the Marquis's son."

Thinking of Martin, he felt bad for the subordinates who would be abandoned with him.

He got up from his seat and sat on the sofa opposite the woman.

As he picked up an empty glass, the woman filled it with wine.

"Alcohol is the best for forgetting pain."

But both he and she, who poured the wine, knew that alcohol couldn't truly erase the pain.

However, it might help to calm the uneasy stomach.

After drinking the wine, he spoke.

"Let's put this on hold for now. We can't always succeed, and there are still many places to carry out operations."

"Are you sure?"

Seeing the man's unhappy face, the woman asked cautiously.

He shook his head.

"I'm more sorry. The future you see is filled with blood."

"It's okay. I just see it. You are the one walking the bloody path."

Hearing her words, the man smiled wryly. Now, their words of comfort were meaningless.

"I shouldn't have said that. Since we've already made our decisions, we can't stop here."

"Yes. Since I have been given this power, it is my mission."

"It is my mission as well."

The two of them drank the wine and pushed the memories of the abandoned subordinates to the back of their minds.

* * *

After entering the secret passage through the temple's hidden door, the mercenaries successfully moved to the underground of the lord's castle.

Although many people couldn't come due to the need for secrecy, dozens of fully armed mercenaries were still moving.

Without the secret passage they were walking through, it would have been impossible to enter the lord's castle secretly.

Moreover, they had to move carefully.

"Ah! Be careful!"

A low shout erupted from the center of the group moving silently.

Some of the mercenaries carrying a wooden barrel had almost dropped it.

It looked like an oak barrel for holding wine, but the mercenaries looking at it didn't have the expression of someone looking at wine.

The surrounding mercenaries quickly helped, and the oak barrel was unharmed, but the mercenary carrying it was kicked in the shins by several others.

"What are you doing! Trying to kill us all?"

"Are you still drunk? This isn't ordinary oil! If you can't handle it, give it to someone else!"

The mercenary carrying the oak barrel, with a pale face, accepted the curses of the others.

After all, the oak barrel they were carrying was the main character of today's operation.

The reason they were sneaking in like this was to burn the Marquis and his family to death, making Martin the rightful heir.

To ensure no doubts remained, they needed to burn everything, and the preparation was the oak barrel they were carrying.

The oak barrel contained a substance provided from above, said to be the fire of hell sealed after the Great War.

As everyone was breaking out in a cold sweat, Captain Benjamin called out quietly.

"Everyone, get ready! Kill all members of the Marquis family and eliminate any witnesses to prevent any testimony."

They were now in front of the secret door leading to the Marquis's study.

Although he had said it many times, the captain reminded the mercenaries again.

"Move according to the plan, and set off the fire of hell as soon as you reach your positions."

He confirmed that the mercenaries were ready and nodded to Martin.

At Benjamin's signal, Martin knocked on the wall as he had been told by Adria.

Creak.

A part of the wall descended, revealing a staircase leading up.

It was dark at the top of the staircase, perhaps because it was late at night.

As the passage opened, two agile mercenaries carefully climbed the stairs according to the plan.

They disappeared into the darkness at the top, and the mercenaries waited below for their signal.

One, two, three...

As time passed, Captain Benjamin's eyebrows furrowed.

The signal was too late.

Moreover, a foreboding smell was coming from above, the smell of iron and blood.

His mana began to vibrate.

Benjamin's face hardened.

"A trap."

Enemies were waiting for them above.

"Shields forward! The rest, slowly retreat."

The mercenaries' expressions hardened at his words.

As the mercenaries with shields moved forward.

Swoosh!

Arrows flew from the darkness.

"Ouch!"

"Argh!"

"It hit!"

Shouts and screams filled the passage.

"Kill them all! They are trying to assassinate the lord!"

A mana-infused shout erupted from where the arrows were fired, followed by armored knights pouring in.

"The operation has failed! Everyone, run!"

Captain Benjamin shouted.

And he leaped backward as he spoke.

They had been caught.

Recently, his prophecies had been off, and unfortunately, this time the prophecy was wrong.

'Noah did well to pull out. He really has a sixth sense.'

Knights were pouring in from all sides.

Not just from the opened study, but from other secret doors as well.

'Was it a deliberate trap? Or did we get caught in the middle?'

A brief doubt crossed his mind, but it didn't matter now.

'What about Martin?'

Fortunately, Martin was nowhere to be seen. He seemed to have escaped first thanks to his abilities.

Argh!

Screams continued from all sides.

Despite being well-trained mercenaries, they were no match for the well-prepared knights.

The mercenaries fell after a few exchanges, and the number of those fleeing with them quickly decreased.

If this continued, they would be wiped out before they could escape through the secret passage.

"Damn! This is so heavy. Can I drop it?"

"Are you crazy? You've been carrying that all this time?"

After pushing away a knight who had swung a sword at him, Benjamin turned to where the mercenaries were talking.

One of the mercenaries was fleeing with an oak barrel on his back.

Seeing the oak barrel, Benjamin took a torch from a running mercenary and threw it at the mercenary carrying the barrel, infused with mana.

Whoosh!

The mana-infused, burning branch flew like an arrow toward the oak barrel.

Benjamin, after throwing the torch, loaded his mana into his legs and ran madly toward the temple.

They had been caught.

Recently, his prophecies had been off, and unfortunately, this time the prophecy was wrong.

'Noah did well to pull out. He really has a sixth sense.'

Knights were pouring in from all sides.

Not just from the opened study, but from other secret doors as well.

'Was it a deliberate trap? Or did we get caught in the middle?'

A brief doubt crossed his mind, but it didn't matter now.

'What about Martin?'

Fortunately, Martin was nowhere to be seen. He seemed to have escaped first thanks to his abilities.

Argh!

Screams continued from all sides.

Despite being well-trained mercenaries, they were no match for the well-prepared knights.

The mercenaries fell after a few exchanges, and the number of those fleeing with them quickly decreased.

If this continued, they would be wiped out before they could escape through the secret passage.

"Damn! This is so heavy. Can I drop it?"

"Are you crazy? You've been carrying that all this time?"

After pushing away a knight who had swung a sword at him, Benjamin turned to where the mercenaries were talking.

One of the mercenaries was fleeing with an oak barrel on his back.

Seeing the oak barrel, Benjamin took a torch from a running mercenary and threw it at the mercenary carrying the barrel, infused with mana.

Whoosh!

The mana-infused, burning branch flew like an arrow toward the oak barrel.

Benjamin, after throwing the torch, loaded his mana into his legs and ran madly toward the temple.

"Get out of the way!"

"Stop it! Captain! You're going to kill us all..."

The mercenaries shouted when they saw Benjamin throw the torch, but before their shouts ended, the torch pierced the oak barrel.

The next moment.

Boom!

A large explosion occurred where the oak barrel had been.

The mercenary carrying the oak barrel was shattered into pieces in the explosion, and flames spread in all directions.

"Fire! Circulate your mana!"

"Get out of the way!"

"Save me!"

The mercenaries near the oak barrel were engulfed by the flames without being able to escape, and more than half of the knights fighting the mercenaries were also caught in the flames.

The flames continued to spread. If it weren't for the lack of air in the secret passage, the entire castle might have been burned down.

"The fire won't go out!"

"It's not ordinary oil!"

"Call the priests, the doctors!"

The mercenaries and knights who couldn't escape the flames all died.

The mercenaries were consumed by the flames, and some of the knights, led by others, escaped through the secret passage but couldn't extinguish the fire on their bodies.

The pursuit was eventually stopped, and the mercenaries were wiped out. The knights pursuing the mercenaries also suffered heavy losses.

While all the other mercenaries were dead, one had managed to escape to the temple.

It was Captain Benjamin, who had thrown the torch to set off the fire of hell.

He emerged from the temple, covered in black soot and black smoke rising around him.

And he saw the people blocking his path.

The people who had left the lord's castle. The knights and soldiers of the Grecia Dukedom.

"Are you the leader of the criminals?"

Simon raised his sword at him.

Benjamin sighed, seeing the boy with a sword pointing at him.

He had thought they might be surrounded, but he hadn't expected to be hit from behind.

He was going to be the prey of a noble's son.

The noble boy was no match for him, and the other knights were worth a fight, but he had no confidence in the middle-aged knight and the old man standing behind the boy.

Behind Simon, the knight captain Alonzo and the steward were loosening their hands.