The light in the oil lamp flickered as the wind gusted. In the dim underground room of Lombardy, it remained a mystery as to where the wind came from. The wind sighed around the well, producing trembling echoes as the air particles bumped against the four walls.
Using the light reflected from the oil lamp, Oscar and Paul examined the architectural plan of the castle. The map had been drawn by Paul from memory. Although Paul's style adapted the unique stream of consciousness technique, Oscar understood that the things he drew were not much different from the actual situation.
"The secret entrance is here, near to the church of Her Majesty the Queen. Though no one dares to enter this area, to arrive at the secret entrance from our current position we'll have to travel through three corridors, one staircase and fourteen rooms. In the meantime, there will be three rounds of patrol performed by the guards," Paul grew rather worried. If they failed to stay completely hidden, then even a successful entry to the secret underway would not lead to a satisfactory final condition.
"Yes! Yes!" Oscar's brows knitted together, "No matter what, we must leave this place tonight! Aya's condition is deteriorating, I don't want her to..."
"I understand your concern!" Paul interrupted His Highness. He had been searching for an opportunity for the past few days, but it was certainly not an easy task to get near to that secret entrance.
"We're unclear of the outside situation, and we have no idea if the nearing locations are..."
"Paul!" Oscar finally showed his impatience, "You see… we've stayed hidden here for almost a week! Black Devil was almost spotted when he went out last night to 'hunt' for food! Do you understand what this means? It means that we're all in extremely frail health! I'm afraid we'll all starve to death in this bloody place if we don't escape soon enough!"
"Alright! We'll do as you suggest!" Paul nodded in agreement. In fact, he was only following his intuition. His hindsight reminded him that this was not the most suitable timing for taking such actions. Since they were already being positioned in this difficult situation, they might as well take the risk and bet with their luck.
"Listen!" Oscar suddenly grew alert. He glued his ear to the corridor which led to the basement.
"Someone's here!" With great suddenness, Paul jumped up from the ground and hid behind the dark shadow with a short knife held tightly in his hand. Simultaneously, Oscar blew out the candle. The young man's long sword made a ring of flowing red light in the air as the light went off, immersing them in complete darkness.
"It's me!" outside of the basement's gate came a hurried voice.
"Damn it!" Paul cursed in a low voice. With meticulous care, he opened a slight crack through the door, the short knife still tightly grasped between his palm. The King of Assassins glanced at the person who stood on the other side of the door, and inspected the situation behind, before finally letting the man in into their safe spot.
"Why make such a racket?" Paul complained as he closed the gate behind Black Devil.
"Hehe! I've got us a sumptuous banquet today!" Shaw Curlink grinned from ear to ear.
Oscar patiently rubbed at the flint, and soon a flicker of light was produced in the oil lamp. Beside him, Black Devil was pouring out the stolen goods from his shirt.
"Good job!" Oscar let out a genuine sigh of admiration. Fresh white bread, caviar sauce, smoked meat, and steaming hot sausages. "Are they throwing a banquet in the castle? How did you manage to steal such a feast?"
Still grinning happily, Black Devil took his seat. He had already familiarised himself with the interior of the kitchen from these few days of exploration. Each time he snuck into the kitchen he felt like he was going to turn into a massive rat.
"The Deiss seemed to be having a banquet of some sort, I'm not too sure about that. The kitchen was in complete chaos, and servants shuttled back and forth the area! But please rest assured, no one noticed me, and they didn't seem to realize some things are missing from the table!" Shaw said as he handed a large piece of bread to the young prince. He then waved his hands at the wearied Snowstorm who kept himself glued to the gate.
"Paul! Come over here, don't worry so much, no one knows we're in here!" Shaw extended the bread to King of Assassins, "Hurry, I can hear your stomach rumbling even from outside of the door. Trust me, that noise is much louder than my footsteps!"
Once Pal was finally assured that no one had tailed his friend to their hiding place, he went over and snatched the bread from Shaw's hands, and shoved into his mouth the largest slice of smoked meat.
"Hehe! There's one more thing!" like performing magic, Shaw Curlink revealed a bottle of wine from his arms. "I'm not sure from when is this red wine dated, but at least it's something!"
Immediately Oscar extended his hands and took the red wine. To tell the truth, he was so ravenous for red wine that his mouth watered. The drink that had once been something to go with his daily regular meals had become a burning desire he'd nursed for the past week. For this, he was extremely grateful to Shaw.
The young prince rapidly poked at the cork with the tip of a sharp knife and gratified his thirsts by indulging himself with a couple of gulps. Satisfied, he passed the original Laufenkamen red wine of year 706 back to Black Devil, whose eyes were gleaming with desire.
"Ah… this is some good stuff! Seems like I've made the right choice!" Shaw Curlink also revealed a satisfying smile after taking a sip.
"Speaking of choice… Have you got any plans for after?" Oscar asked abruptly without warning.
Black Devil looked the prince in his eyes, and he believed he saw some fervent expectations in them!
"Honestly… I don't have any plans for now. I just want to help everyone to escape from this torture, about later… I'll have to see what's arrangements the imperial family has made for me!"
"Depending on you?" Paul gave him a scornful look, "Forget it! We would long since be sent to hell if we depend only on you and your few tricks! Don't you think so too, Oscar?"
Black Devil returned the snicker with a hard stare, "You are not any better than me! This is no different from hell! Are bread and red sausage not enough to keep your mean mouth shut?" the imperial assassin said and flung the bottle in the air. Snowstorm grabbed it in a perfect swipe without even spilling one drop of the wine!
"Congratulations!" King of Assassins took a large gulp of the sweet wine and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, "You have learned the art of mocking!"
Black Devil startled as he realized Snowstorm's eyes were brimming with warmth and kindness. And a sudden realization hit him! Without himself realizing, Shaw Curlink had become more optimistic. He was no longer the reserved, ferocious, imperial assassin that had always hidden in the dark.
"Shaw! If you would like… I can request Alfa III His Majesty for your transfer!" Oscar looked earnestly at Black Devil, "Your identity is already exposed, which makes you unfit to become an assassin again! The imperial family understands this too. Besides, I'm in need of some new manpower for my Kenshin Palace, especially friends that can be trusted! Therefore, you can totally take up a new identity. Also, don't you forget, I'm also part of the imperial family, Alfa III will not refuse my request."
Shaw Curlink felt rather confused! Could he stop being an assassin? A new identity? All these seemed too good to be true! He had never imagined he would be given a chance to live under the sun! Moreover, he knew that this young prince could absolutely deliver what he promised!
"Hmm… let's think about this after our escape!"
Oscar patted on Shaw's shoulder, "So my friend, I'll take it as you accepting my offer!"
Black Devil pursed his lips and finally, he nodded with a smile. Friend? The term was completely foreign to him, but at the same time, he was extremely delighted!
"Alright!" Paul came forward, "We're leaving this lousy place tonight! You have to lift your spirits!"
"Tonight?" Black Devil asked in astonishment.
"That's right!" Paul gave an affirmative nod, "Now let's discuss our escape route!"
Shaw adjusted the brightness of the oil lamp. A peculiar and inexplicable feeling was aroused in him as he first experienced how it was to be trusted, to be accepted.
"Where are you going?" surprised, Paul asked the young prince that got up to his feet and walked toward the other side of the room.
The latter pointed toward an enclosed area in the dark secret room.
Paul rolled his eyes, "If I knew this was going to happen, I would've built a private room for the both of you in the corner! It could have saved you the trouble of sealing the room multiple times a day!"
Oscar's face rose to bright red in response to the King of Assassins' snigger.
The wind gusted all around this dark, chilly, enclosed area! Aeolia had curled up into a ball on the pile of rugs the gentlemen had arranged for her. She had no idea where Paul had stolen these from. Another blanket that was draped on her was even emitting a disgusting stench that made her nauseous.
After chasing away the couple of rats that circled around the lady, Oscar held some food in his hand and sat down happily beside Aya. But what she couldn't comprehend was that the young prince unexpectedly began to eat in front of her.
A few seconds later, Oscar spat out the food, now partly-digested, onto his hands. Then, he extended the mixture of food chewed with his saliva in front of Aya.
"Don't frown, please, this can aid your digestion! It's beneficial for your recovery!"
Aya nodded under the earnest gaze of the young man.
"That's enough for you?" Oscar pretended to stare at the countess, "We're leaving tonight! You have to replenish your lost energy to maintain your strength."
Aya forced a smile, and took a look at herself. The infected wound on her shoulder gave out an unbearable stench, both of her legs felt as if they were tied down with lead balls, and she even needed the man to straighten herself. The countess's face suddenly turned red, she had never imagined Oscar would… would accompany her to… Anyway, she shouldn't mention about digestion at this moment. Now was definitely not an appropriate time to reflect on this matter.
"Honestly, I can't even go far!"
"Stop that nonsense!" Oscar was genuinely mad now.
"But…"
"No more but's!" The young prince turned his head away, annoyed, "Even if it means I have to drag you home, I will, so please stop thinking about doing anything silly or unnecessary, and never ever doubt my determination! I will not leave you behind!"
Aeolia opened her mouth to refute, but she heard footsteps approaching outside of the tent.
Paul appeared at the side, "Hey, you two should take a rest now. Reserve some energy for tonight's escape."
Oscar draped his arm around Aya's neck, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead, before wrapping her closely in his arms. "Rest now! I'll bring you to a hot spring when you wake up later!"
"Hot spring?"
"Yes! The miraculous hot spring! You'll be amazed at its effectiveness!"
"Then?"
"Then? Then you remain my Aya, and I'll wait for your work briefing! Actually... I've not told you before, I've always admired your beauty when you're at work!"
****************
"And then?"
"And then…"
"Yes! What shall we do after that?" First Lieutenant Ciel shifted his gaze from the officer and stared into the foggy forest in the distance.
"And then?" Major general Silvio Barrick's brows drew together. With an exquisitely made handkerchief, he kept on wiping at the beads of water which formed on his armor due to the high humidity in the air, "And then we'll check for ourselves if the information is accurate or not!"
Ciel gave an understanding nod, "Then commander, I'll go make some necessary arrangements now!"
"Yes! We have to ensure our ambush is set up flawless and immaculate!" Silvio nodded as he replied, wringing the dampen handkerchief. He looked at the tiny stream of water that trickled to the ground, and couldn't help but be amazed at the surrounding humidity! It appeared that a rainstorm was on its way!
Central Deiss was also known as Pastoral Country. The vast territory's surrounding areas were filled with hills and forests, so some people also called it the Country of Forests. With the rolling valleys and hills, it portrayed a staggering interplay of light and shadow.
Cold winds blowing from the foothills of the Alps quickly chilled and brightened up this large area deep in the forest on the inside of Deiss border. Fog dissipated gradually, the thin color curling up into the air above like cooking smoke.
Fallen leaves covered the ground. When the cold wind swept through, these withered leaves made a pleasant rustling noise. With the crisp yet lonely chirping of a bird, the shadows of the forest began to shift under the influence of weak sunlight. Accompanied by melodious birdsong, the treetops shook slightly as the cold breeze blew, while sunshine slipped through the slits of moving branches. Soft light swept over the faces of the soldiers.
According to the deployment orders of the battlefield dispatch chief Marshal Alan, the Second Corps of the Eighth Region of the Imperial Guards were currently ready for an ambush in this forest. They were scattered in the deep bottoms of ditches, the gaps between the trees and on top of the trees. The soldiers of the Second Corps resembled sculptured statues. Their bodies were concealed with cloaks sewn from leaves, their weaponry hid behind. The warriors were not exposed under their perfect camouflage. They lurked around the forest and hid in the pits they had dug earlier, pretending to be plants under their cloaks of leaves. Each pit could fit two lookout soldiers, and the openings of these pits were covered with dried branches and fallen leaves. These pits were only a few centimeters above the ground, but they were enough for them to check the surroundings visually.
"According to the intelligence report, we have to deal with the Deiss Ninth SS Independent Cavalry Brigade! Two nights ago, they deployed almost a Group of soldiers to attack our logistic military depot. These people destroyed the whole area, not leaving even one alive!" Major General Silvio Barrick spat as he grumbled. Although it wasn't anything much worth grumbling about, Silvio still felt rather sorry for it. The commanding officer of that military depot was a good person, he'd even secretly sneaked some good wine to himself during the last provision.
Two officers of the Second Corps had led their regimental commanders to surround Silvio. This was a brilliant hiding place, except that it didn't provide a shelter from the wind! They were all southerners, and Deiss was more than thousand kilometers away from the mountainous area of the south. For these southern warriors, fall season here was already much colder than winter in their hometown!
One of the division commanders rubbed his own hands together, "Commander, what does SS mean? I've never heard of this military code from the Deiss National Military before."
Silvio shook his head, "I don't know either, and it seems like even Marshal Alan didn't know as well! That's why he demanded us to get an answer from the people here!"
The group of military officers burst into laughter. Some of these officers were supplementary officers that had only recently been assigned to the Second Corps. Initially, they all thought Major General was a cruel butcher as rumored. However, after having spent time with the officer himself, along with their recent battle experience, they discovered that the man was, in fact, a pretty decent soldier.
"Alright! Let's check our map!" Silvio pointed at the sheepskin roll laid out on the ground, "This is where the attacked military depot is located! If the Deiss Ninth SS Independent Cavalry Brigade wishes to arrive at the battle line, they would have to pass through this forest situated in the northwest area of the battle line. Let's say they still wish to take action tonight, they would have to enter the rear of the battlefield from either here, or here."
Silvio pointed at two different spots on the map. "This is just the estimated guess of the Northern Army Group and the military combat department. What do you think?"
Another division commander stepped forward, "Commander, you only deployed one Division in the other ambush point, would that be enough? We have no idea how many people the Deiss Ninth SS Independent Cavalry Brigade will deploy, and if they transfer two Division or three Division then…"
"No! No!" Silvio shook his head, "Absolutely no! The commander of the other party is not an idiot, he wouldn't dispatch a troop of two to three thousand to sneak into the enemy's rear area. Moreover, our front line is not only an accessory. It's impossible that such a big transfer of the enemy troops would escape our attention. Therefore, I think the opponent would send only Division, two Division at most! The two Division could possibly sneak into the battle line from these two points, or just from this one! I believe we can overpower them, or if worse comes to worse, it shouldn't be too difficult to capture a few of them alive, right?"
All of the officers nodded in agreement!
"Alright!" Silvio retrieved the map, and the other officers, "Everyone, return to your respective ambush point! Pay attention to your camouflage and position! We might possibly be hiding here for up to four or five days!"
Silvio glanced upward to the sky, slightly worried. There was still rays of faint sunlight just moments ago, but now haze had spread all over the vast sky.
Silvio turned toward his men and sighed lowly. "Guys! The weather is still not too bad now, but the temperature might drop sharply once night falls! Be more attentive to your soldiers. Request them to divide into batches to seek for shelter when rain falls. We are all northerners, and just fall in Deiss could give us frostbite! But I promise! We'll head straight for home when the war is over, and never return to this lousy place ever!"
The officers broke out into hearty laughter once more, filling the air with delight.
***************
That was right! This lousy place was definitely worth a second visit! Marshal Dortmund Andrew Nedgabel made this determined statement the moment he'd set foot on Red Light Street. Duke Andrew didn't know exactly how to describe this place. There was no shame nor dignity in this place, so to speak. Women showed off their soft, milk-white thighs as the chilly fall wind blew. Their faces were caked with thick colorful powder, as they called out to all the men that passed by them in ear-piercing, high-pitched screams. They were not embarrassed at displaying their figures to strangers, and some women even went as far as shoving their breasts in the men's faces.
Feeling disgusted, Dortmund pushed away two full breasts that a random woman dangled in front of his face in annoyance. He had gotten really impatient! The few guards surrounding the Duke chased away those disgraceful women with much awkwardness. Although no one could recognize the marshal who was in disguise, in the heart of the knights this man was still the respectable marshal that could not be violated in any way.
Dog Biting Club opened their door widely to receive the visiting handsome looking men. Women immediately dispersed themselves. No one dared to disturb the guests that came to Dog Biting Club.
"Look! Look at the way they walk, they're definitely soldiers!"
"Exactly! All pretending to be saints!"
"Haha! Lady Zoera will discipline them using her ways!"
"Perhaps they are the one to teach Zoera a lesson!"
Looking at the doors of Dog Biting Club that had closed after the guests, these women split into separate heated discussions.
"Adjutant of Military Investigation Bureau Dulin Region Zoera Brogan report to you! Your Excellency Marshal, welcome…"
"It's okay Zoera!" the impatient man waved his hand at Colonel Zoera that was burst with excitement. The duke was taken to a seat near the corner of the secret room, "You should know the reason for my visit here, and I demand an explanation from you! How did Colonel Aeolia's identity get exposed?"
It was rare for Zoera to have the chance to dress up in her military uniform, and it was also a rare opportunity for someone in her position to meet the commander-in-chief. She couldn't believe her expectations had come true! She had been looking forward to meeting the Marshal the moment she heard the respected man was heading to Dulin.
"Reporting, Marshal!" Although Zoera was shaking from excitement, she knew that this wasn't an appropriate moment to express her admiration for the Marshal, "According to my primary research, Colonel Aeolia carried out her duty according to the letter. The capital also performed the same measures in exchanging the confidential information. To be exact, only my superior and I knew the exact content of this message. Therefore, I wish Marshal will forgive me, as I genuinely don't know where the root of the problem is."
Dortmund frowned as he inspected the lady officer who stood in front of him. Having stayed hidden in Dulin for so many years, trying to survive in this kind of place, Zoera's capability and her loyalty to the House was beyond question. So...
"Who's your superior?"
"It's me!" the door to the secret room was opened from the inside, and a frail silhouette appeared from the door.
Two knights who guarded the door unsheathed their swords instantly. The sharp edges of their blades were already at the neck of the intruder.
With the aid of the dimmed candlelight, Dortmund finally made out the appearance of this man!
"Uncle Berkley! Is it you? Why are you here?"
Astonished, Zoera looked at the Marshal whose face grew pale with fright, "Your Excellency, don't you know? I thought it was you who assigned Chief Berkley…"
"Zoera!" the old man suddenly interrupted the lady boss of Dog Biting Club. "Withdraw yourself!"
Berkley Andrew Nedgabel, the Chief of Narcissus County Military Investigation Bureau, the person in charge of the House Underground Warfare! This sly old fox of Andrew House smiled faintly at his own nephew. He pushed aside the paladins' swords and dragged his feet at tortoise speed until he stood before the Marshal of the House.
"While you were apoplectic over young Oscar's misfortune, I was already on my way to Dulin. While you were leading the independent armed force of the House to fight against Deiss, I was already planning on how to rescue Colonel Aeolia."
"No! That's not right!" Dortmund yelled in his heart! He wasn't stupid, nor was he an idiot! Surely it was because of some complicated issue that had caused Berkley to make an appearance in the capital. No wonder the old man had been absent in the Family's Senior Group meetings, it was because he'd long disappeared from home!
"Alright! I admit that I rushed into decisions regarding the matter of young Oscar, but why did the matter result like this?" Dortmund pressed the old man. He sounded as if he was calling his uncle out to account.
"I'm well aware of the plans of the Military Intelligence Bureau, and honestly I think that the planning is flawless to every point! Collaborate with the forces within and without the forces, borrowing West Percy's massive ships to cast aside the chasing troops… Although they would encounter some obstacles on their way toward the Ollier Kingdom, with their fortress artillery, Deiss could never hold them back! But now? They failed, and I don't even know of my young Oscar was dead or alive! I'm truly convinced that there's a traitor in our House's Intelligence Agency!"
Berkley shook his head to express his disagreement, "Dortmund, doesn't it ever cross your mind that… perhaps it was Military Intelligence Bureau or Secret Service Department who sold us out?"
Dortmund glared at the man, and finally, he let out all the power and influence he had within as a commander-in-chief, "Berkley! Your Excellency Chief of Military Investigation Bureau! Please don't speak to me of this! It makes you sound like a silly clown! Both the Military Intelligence Bureau and Secret Service Department had completely no clue of Colonel Aeolia's plan, and the rescue personnel they sent onward Deiss were all wiped out! It was obvious that only you could be the root of all problems!"
Once again, Berkley shook his head, "I'm sorry, Marshal! The investigation is still being carried out, and right now I can't give you any confirmed explanation."
Duke of Andrew leaned back against the sofa and gave the old man a poisonous look. No matter what, he was sure that he wouldn't trust the House's Intelligence Leader anymore.
"I'm really sorry that the rescue action was messed up!" Berkley sighed helplessly, "However, Deiss hadn't announced the news of young Oscar's death, and they are still carrying out a massive search and arrest for the young man. All of these suggest that Oscar is still alive, perhaps he's encountered some obstacles, but there's still hope in our child!"
By now, Dortmund had already left his seat, "Alright! Carry on with your investigation! but I won't be sitting down here with you, I must do something for my son!"
"Dortmund!" The old man suddenly held the marshal by his shoulder, "I understand how you feel! There's not one father in the world that can still keep his head cool when his son's in trouble! But you have to sit down! This is indeed a special condition, and I advise you to not take any action, especially one that could possibly incite a violent reaction from the Morisette Imperial Family! Sometimes, I even doubt if you can still analyze a situation with a clear and unbiased mind!"
Duke of Andrew was forced back down to his seat. He was feeling rather complexed at this man with a peculiar expression. Was there anything else more important than Oscar's future?
"Have you noticed?" Berkley lowered his voice, "When the battlefield communique of Saijo Mountain battle arrived at Narcissus County, although some people of the House was moved by the child's bravery, a majority of them didn't know much about him being taken prisoner! Only you, your wives, myself, and other seniors actually showed our great concern."
"What is it that you want to say, really?" Dortmund grew even more perplexed. Even though the people of the House wasn't very enthusiastic about his aggressive actions regarding the aforementioned event, he couldn't fathom what was the matter here. There was still a large gap between Oscar and the House. Most people of the House hadn't really understood the child's role and significance in this family!
"What I want to convey is that our strategy was truly a success! We managed to assist young Oscar up to the peak position of the capital's imperial family. We even succeeded in fooling the Emperor, the whole empire! However! We were ignorant of the conscious change happening in our own House!"
"The conscious change in our own House?" Dortmund's brows were tensely knitted. He seemed to have grasped some of the critical issues here.
"Think about it!" Berkley glanced at the House's marshal with a gaze full of misgivings, "Only the elders in the highest decision-making ranks of the House are aware of this cover-up trick we played on the emperor and the empire! But don't you forget, there is a group of young soldiers who are brilliant in critical thinking and sharp at distinguishing right from wrong. They've upheld the family's strategy for many years, consolidating the front lines and moving forward while simultaneously, they are closely monitoring the changes happening in the imperial family."
"Are you saying… are you saying…" Dortmund hesitated for a long moment, but still, he couldn't come up with a conclusion.
"What I'm trying to say is, not only has the strategy planned by the Family's Senior Group succeeded in confusing the emperor, we've also managed to puzzle the people from the family themselves!"
"What?" Dortmund felt like his eyes couldn't widen any further!
"Is it that difficult to comprehend?" Berkley asked in return, "Alfa III wishes to realize his brazen motive by using young Oscar's double identity! Is it possible that the people of the House didn't see this? Look at our strategy. We've tried all sorts of methods to create a false front that the House detests and alienates Oscar, but in fact, our purpose was to let the emperor believe it so he could further nurture Oscar! For the benefits of the plan succeeding, we could not explain this matter to the family members. Therefore, all these circumstances will push the family members to subconsciously support our plan to create a distance between the House and young Oscar!"
"I get it now!" Dortmund suddenly saw the light. This secret plan didn't only affect the emperor, it also gradually threatened Oscar's position in the family!
"Right now, the emperor's concerns are equivalent to those of the family members! Without being told the truth, they would indeed follow the train of thoughts that the House's highest authority planning to deceive the imperial family! My God of Light! How did things turn out this way?" Dortmund held his head in his hands, extremely confused. This was an unsolvable problem! If the strategy was exposed, then the emperor's secret agents would learn about the inner decisions of Andrew House, but if it was remained confidential, then some people of the House that didn't understand the truth would continue to maintain a distance from Oscar.
"Dortmund!" Old Berkley pulled the marshal back to reality, "Now you know how serious is the situation! Let's first not talk about Oscar's current condition, let's look at the House internal affairs. My concern is that some extremist in the family will eradicate the child because they truly believe he's a threat to the family's interest, and for this reason…"
"Enough!" Dortmund shouted aloud. He knew that some guys in the family would go to the extent of sacrificing everything in the name of safeguarding the House's interests! But that was the completely wrong way of thinking! Oscar's existence and growth were definitely beneficial to the House! If they did regard Oscar as a threat to the House, then the tricks and strategies carried out by the family was a total failure!
"So, what shall we do know?" Dortmund enquired in desperation. He had fallen into a deep well of confusion.
***************
"I have no idea!"
"You have no idea?" Paul almost sprung to his feet, "Your Imperial Highness Prince! It's already a grace from God of Light that we succeeded at sneaking into this room! But at this moment you…"
"I know! But is this my fault?" Oscar defended himself loudly, "When the guards led me to this room the door was already wide open, so I knew that it's here! But he didn't show me the way to open it…"
All of a sudden, Paul's hand flew to Oscar's mouth, preventing him from making any more noise. Black Devil was already standing by the door with weapons in his hands. From beyond the door, at least four sets of footsteps were approaching!
The footsteps were heavy but in order! It sounded like the marching of soldiers, which belonged to the patrolling Deiss knights of the castle!
As each second passed, the footsteps approached closer and louder.
"Phew…" Everyone let out the breaths they didn't know they'd been holding in. The knights had just walked passed the door.
After confirming that the guards had left, King of Assassins returned to the entrance of the secret underway. This entrance should be underneath the God of Light statue, and Paul had even drawn a line to identify the meeting point of the two walls.
"There must be a hidden mechanism! There must be a hidden mechanism that controls the opening to the entrance!"
"Nonsense! We know that for sure!" Paul gave Black Devil an impatient stare, "Let's all try to search for it. We don't have much time now! Although no one would normally enter this room, accidents happen sometimes!"
Just when everyone was moving their hands up and down the wall, the young prince was staring at the massive bookshelf located in the room!
"What's wrong? What are you doing?" Paul nudged at the prince's arm.
"It had already crossed my mind last time... Why would someone put a massive bookshelf in a praying room? This is definitely not a place to read, and…" Oscar took a few steps forward and examined at the upper rows of books arranged in a proper order. "And this is not the strangest part. The last time I came here I remember seeing a book suspended sideways as if it was hanging in mid-air!"
Paul shoved young prince out of the way, "My God of Light! Why didn't you say earlier?"
The King of Assassins fumbled in the sea of books, and soon found the book that couldn't be moved easily. Paul removed the book from the shelf, and almost immediately a sound of metal rolling was heard coming from underneath the statue of the god. Everyone was delighted to discover the door that opened itself, and gradually stone steps began to form into the ground. A few seconds later, a pitch-black entrance that could fit only one man at a time revealed itself in front of the crowd.
"Watch out!" once again, Black Devil dashed to the door.
"Hurry!" Paul snorted lightly. Carrying Aya on his back, they were the first ones to enter the secret underway. Those approaching footsteps should belong to the servant who was tasked with refilling the oil of the candles of the altar. She would visit the room every once in a while to ensure the candles were always lighted. Although Snowstorm had calculated the time interval, they had wasted too much time in trying to escape the basement.
Oscar waved his hands at Black Devil. The prince was the second person to enter the secret way.
Shaw Curlink didn't seem to acknowledge his companion. He wanted to make sure his friends were able to have traveled at least to a considerably safer distance before he put himself into the underway. He remained behind the door, focusing on catching the footsteps that were approaching. The short dagger in his hand was clutched so tightly veins began to appear on his skin. Finally! The door to the room was turned from the outside!
The door was opened!
The servant stood at the door side to observe for a few seconds. Apart from the flickering candlelight, there was no one else in the room. Everything was normal as usual. The servant shook her head as if to clear off her mind. She thought she had heard some peculiar noises from outside.
The girl entered the room and perform her daily routine to change the used candles. The devout believer also prayed after settling what was needed to do. Just as she was about to leave the praying room, she saw something flashed in the bookshelf from the corner of her eyes. With her eyes wide opened, she took a few steps forward to search for the object that reflected light.
***************
"I thought you were planning to spend the rest of your life in the castle!" Paul nagged at Black Devil who finally caught up with the others.
"Haha! The timing is just right! No one discovered us!" Shaw Curlink explored the side of the dampened tunnel with his hands as they walked. He was trying to make out the path ahead with a torch in his hand.
Unconvinced, Paul turned his head around as he suddenly thought of something important.
"Hey! How did you close the entrance?"
Shaw Curlink was perplexed at the question, "Easy! I threw a dagger to push back the book from inside the entrance so that the door could close itself!"
Paul silently sighed at his misfortune, "Which means, you left a dagger in that room! More so at an extremely easily noticeable place!"
It suddenly hit Shaw Curlink that he'd just made a grave mistake, but he still wanted to defend himself. "But this is the one and only way! I could close it from within the room, but I couldn't have entered here if so!"
"Forget about it!" Paul tightened his grasp on the lady on his back. He was preparing himself to run at full speed. "Honestly, Shaw, I have expected you to do something stupid like this!"
As if it was a response to the King of Assassins, from the other end of the quiet tunnel, a frightened cry of a woman was heard!
"Hurry! We must run! Before the Deiss arrives at the exit!" In the front of the line was an immensely worried Oscar.
"Black Devil, my old pal! You know what?" as Paul was running he didn't forget to reproach the unlucky imperial assassin. "Thirteen used to always say that people like us, we will come to our worst luck at the end of the day! I think… yours is about to come!"
"Shut your mouth!" Black Devil grew extremely irritable at his constant rebuke, and he kicked his leg at Paul's ass to teach him a lesson!
***************
"Why did you kick me?" The mountain warrior in ambush glared at his companion at the surprise.
"I'm asking you to shut up! Listen!" this warrior pointed to the dense forest as he explained himself.
Under the silhouette of the fallen night, the forest resembled a behemoth with its mouth opened! Wide leaves of the high forest showed themselves off proudly on their branches, swaying their bodies around while simultaneously casting sorrowful bleak shadows in the woods around. The rain droplets of fall landed silently on the ground. All the heat accumulated in the soil from the scorching day sunlight was leeched by the cold rain, creating some white clouds of mist high above the ground. From afar, the blurred forest appeared like a continent standing resolutely amidst a sea of clouds.
At the crisp sound of horseshoes galloping on the solid ground, a knight rushed out from the curtain of rain, his body and armor wrapped in darkness. Only the sword held in his hand flashed with a little brilliance. The knight pulled on the reins, his sword perpendicular to the ground. The raindrops from above clinked on the blade, producing monotonous plinks.
Not long after, another knight revealed himself from amidst the thick forest. Although in front of him was still the same bleak and gloomy dense forest, he felt slightly calmed looking at his companion who was waiting for him.
Next, another knight appeared, followed by one more, then one other again…
The rainfall was inconsistent, slow a minute and heavy the next. The knights seemed to be irritated by this play of nature, but finally, the last knight of the troop came out of the forest. White mist floated around at the horse's hooves in the quiet woods. The knights didn't feel overjoyed at the gathering. After greeting each other with their eyes and slight nods, the leading man sounded a whistle. The noise was unusually harsh in the rainy night, and the sharp sound echoed in the forest. No! In fact, it was not the echoes, but the scout in the distant forest that responded to his companions.
This was the scout team of Deiss Kingdom Ninth SS Independent Cavalry Brigade. The formation of the team's consisted of ten best scouts among the troop of knights. They penetrated into the enemy's rear, positioning themselves as their companions' eyes on the most hazardous frontline area.
The captain of the scout squad gestured to the knights, and the latter steered the horses in a loose formation before they sped out at once.
Galloping hooves echoed around the forest as ten horses flew through the woods. These knights controlled the reins with superb techniques, simultaneously staying alert at the surroundings.
Suddenly! Somewhere in the middle of the white misty scene, a long rope was being tightened! This sturdy rope successfully tricked a few agile warhorses to tumble to the ground! The horse sent out desperate, painful keens. The knights who fell to the ground also issued depressed low hums at the sudden accident. The leader of the scout team immediately seized his warhorse and grasped the bugle in his hand without hesitation.
A sudden rising silhouette frightened the warhorse, which made it spring up on its rear legs. The bugle fell from the leader's hand. The knight subconsciously pulled out his sword in defense, but the enemy's spear had long since pierced into his heart! The knights at the back of the formation immediately turned the horse around at the sight of their leader's fall, but as soon as they steered the horses they were shocked to realize a team of archers was already waiting for them on the left. Long arrows pierced through the air and dull whizzing accompanied their flight through the rain curtain. Each knight was pierced with multiple arrows. Their horses became agitated at the scent of blood and dragged the severely wounded rider corpses through the wet woodlands.
In front of the hills, behind the tall trees, among the grass, inside of the gullies… from all directions came an influx of southern Titan mountain soldiers. They silently chopped at the enemy being dragged along the ground by the horses. After they took away the horses and removed the bodies, once again they disappeared into the depths of the thick forest. The forest regained its calm and quiet as if nothing had happened.
In the ambush ring at the forefront of the observation post, a soldier imitated the enemy's gesture to perform a similar whistle. A short while later, from the distance, another whistle was sounded again! The most outstanding sentry of the Second Corps revealed a satisfying smile. He noticed the mud puddle began to tremble, at the same time in the depths of the woods came the sound of horses' gallops.
Kicking at his companion's butt again, the sentry said softly, "Hurry! Inform the others!"
The young soldier made a grumble of resentment. He quickly leaped out of the pit and proceeded along the well-established safety trenches to inform the messenger about the final command.
"Prepare to fight!"
"Prepare to fight!"
"Prepare to fight!"
Simultaneously, countless light but powerful words of command were murmured in the woods.
In the distant sky, a sudden bolt of bright lightning lit up the darkness. Concurrently, numerous cavalrymen made their appearance in the forest.
Thunder began to roll, announcing to the world that a heavy rain was approaching.
The light in the oil lamp flickered as the wind gusted. In the dim underground room of Lombardy, it remained a mystery as to where the wind came from. The wind sighed around the well, producing trembling echoes as the air particles bumped against the four walls.
Using the light reflected from the oil lamp, Oscar and Paul examined the architectural plan of the castle. The map had been drawn by Paul from memory. Although Paul's style adapted the unique stream of consciousness technique, Oscar understood that the things he drew were not much different from the actual situation.
"The secret entrance is here, near to the church of Her Majesty the Queen. Though no one dares to enter this area, to arrive at the secret entrance from our current position we'll have to travel through three corridors, one staircase and fourteen rooms. In the meantime, there will be three rounds of patrol performed by the guards," Paul grew rather worried. If they failed to stay completely hidden, then even a successful entry to the secret underway would not lead to a satisfactory final condition.
"Yes! Yes!" Oscar's brows knitted together, "No matter what, we must leave this place tonight! Aya's condition is deteriorating, I don't want her to..."
"I understand your concern!" Paul interrupted His Highness. He had been searching for an opportunity for the past few days, but it was certainly not an easy task to get near to that secret entrance.
"We're unclear of the outside situation, and we have no idea if the nearing locations are..."
"Paul!" Oscar finally showed his impatience, "You see… we've stayed hidden here for almost a week! Black Devil was almost spotted when he went out last night to 'hunt' for food! Do you understand what this means? It means that we're all in extremely frail health! I'm afraid we'll all starve to death in this bloody place if we don't escape soon enough!"
"Alright! We'll do as you suggest!" Paul nodded in agreement. In fact, he was only following his intuition. His hindsight reminded him that this was not the most suitable timing for taking such actions. Since they were already being positioned in this difficult situation, they might as well take the risk and bet with their luck.
"Listen!" Oscar suddenly grew alert. He glued his ear to the corridor which led to the basement.
"Someone's here!" With great suddenness, Paul jumped up from the ground and hid behind the dark shadow with a short knife held tightly in his hand. Simultaneously, Oscar blew out the candle. The young man's long sword made a ring of flowing red light in the air as the light went off, immersing them in complete darkness.
"It's me!" outside of the basement's gate came a hurried voice.
"Damn it!" Paul cursed in a low voice. With meticulous care, he opened a slight crack through the door, the short knife still tightly grasped between his palm. The King of Assassins glanced at the person who stood on the other side of the door, and inspected the situation behind, before finally letting the man in into their safe spot.
"Why make such a racket?" Paul complained as he closed the gate behind Black Devil.
"Hehe! I've got us a sumptuous banquet today!" Shaw Curlink grinned from ear to ear.
Oscar patiently rubbed at the flint, and soon a flicker of light was produced in the oil lamp. Beside him, Black Devil was pouring out the stolen goods from his shirt.
"Good job!" Oscar let out a genuine sigh of admiration. Fresh white bread, caviar sauce, smoked meat, and steaming hot sausages. "Are they throwing a banquet in the castle? How did you manage to steal such a feast?"
Still grinning happily, Black Devil took his seat. He had already familiarised himself with the interior of the kitchen from these few days of exploration. Each time he snuck into the kitchen he felt like he was going to turn into a massive rat.
"The Deiss seemed to be having a banquet of some sort, I'm not too sure about that. The kitchen was in complete chaos, and servants shuttled back and forth the area! But please rest assured, no one noticed me, and they didn't seem to realize some things are missing from the table!" Shaw said as he handed a large piece of bread to the young prince. He then waved his hands at the wearied Snowstorm who kept himself glued to the gate.
"Paul! Come over here, don't worry so much, no one knows we're in here!" Shaw extended the bread to King of Assassins, "Hurry, I can hear your stomach rumbling even from outside of the door. Trust me, that noise is much louder than my footsteps!"
Once Pal was finally assured that no one had tailed his friend to their hiding place, he went over and snatched the bread from Shaw's hands, and shoved into his mouth the largest slice of smoked meat.
"Hehe! There's one more thing!" like performing magic, Shaw Curlink revealed a bottle of wine from his arms. "I'm not sure from when is this red wine dated, but at least it's something!"
Immediately Oscar extended his hands and took the red wine. To tell the truth, he was so ravenous for red wine that his mouth watered. The drink that had once been something to go with his daily regular meals had become a burning desire he'd nursed for the past week. For this, he was extremely grateful to Shaw.
The young prince rapidly poked at the cork with the tip of a sharp knife and gratified his thirsts by indulging himself with a couple of gulps. Satisfied, he passed the original Laufenkamen red wine of year 706 back to Black Devil, whose eyes were gleaming with desire.
"Ah… this is some good stuff! Seems like I've made the right choice!" Shaw Curlink also revealed a satisfying smile after taking a sip.
"Speaking of choice… Have you got any plans for after?" Oscar asked abruptly without warning.
Black Devil looked the prince in his eyes, and he believed he saw some fervent expectations in them!
"Honestly… I don't have any plans for now. I just want to help everyone to escape from this torture, about later… I'll have to see what's arrangements the imperial family has made for me!"
"Depending on you?" Paul gave him a scornful look, "Forget it! We would long since be sent to hell if we depend only on you and your few tricks! Don't you think so too, Oscar?"
Black Devil returned the snicker with a hard stare, "You are not any better than me! This is no different from hell! Are bread and red sausage not enough to keep your mean mouth shut?" the imperial assassin said and flung the bottle in the air. Snowstorm grabbed it in a perfect swipe without even spilling one drop of the wine!
"Congratulations!" King of Assassins took a large gulp of the sweet wine and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, "You have learned the art of mocking!"
Black Devil startled as he realized Snowstorm's eyes were brimming with warmth and kindness. And a sudden realization hit him! Without himself realizing, Shaw Curlink had become more optimistic. He was no longer the reserved, ferocious, imperial assassin that had always hidden in the dark.
"Shaw! If you would like… I can request Alfa III His Majesty for your transfer!" Oscar looked earnestly at Black Devil, "Your identity is already exposed, which makes you unfit to become an assassin again! The imperial family understands this too. Besides, I'm in need of some new manpower for my Kenshin Palace, especially friends that can be trusted! Therefore, you can totally take up a new identity. Also, don't you forget, I'm also part of the imperial family, Alfa III will not refuse my request."
Shaw Curlink felt rather confused! Could he stop being an assassin? A new identity? All these seemed too good to be true! He had never imagined he would be given a chance to live under the sun! Moreover, he knew that this young prince could absolutely deliver what he promised!
"Hmm… let's think about this after our escape!"
Oscar patted on Shaw's shoulder, "So my friend, I'll take it as you accepting my offer!"
Black Devil pursed his lips and finally, he nodded with a smile. Friend? The term was completely foreign to him, but at the same time, he was extremely delighted!
"Alright!" Paul came forward, "We're leaving this lousy place tonight! You have to lift your spirits!"
"Tonight?" Black Devil asked in astonishment.
"That's right!" Paul gave an affirmative nod, "Now let's discuss our escape route!"
Shaw adjusted the brightness of the oil lamp. A peculiar and inexplicable feeling was aroused in him as he first experienced how it was to be trusted, to be accepted.
"Where are you going?" surprised, Paul asked the young prince that got up to his feet and walked toward the other side of the room.
The latter pointed toward an enclosed area in the dark secret room.
Paul rolled his eyes, "If I knew this was going to happen, I would've built a private room for the both of you in the corner! It could have saved you the trouble of sealing the room multiple times a day!"
Oscar's face rose to bright red in response to the King of Assassins' snigger.
The wind gusted all around this dark, chilly, enclosed area! Aeolia had curled up into a ball on the pile of rugs the gentlemen had arranged for her. She had no idea where Paul had stolen these from. Another blanket that was draped on her was even emitting a disgusting stench that made her nauseous.
After chasing away the couple of rats that circled around the lady, Oscar held some food in his hand and sat down happily beside Aya. But what she couldn't comprehend was that the young prince unexpectedly began to eat in front of her.
A few seconds later, Oscar spat out the food, now partly-digested, onto his hands. Then, he extended the mixture of food chewed with his saliva in front of Aya.
"Don't frown, please, this can aid your digestion! It's beneficial for your recovery!"
Aya nodded under the earnest gaze of the young man.
"That's enough for you?" Oscar pretended to stare at the countess, "We're leaving tonight! You have to replenish your lost energy to maintain your strength."
Aya forced a smile, and took a look at herself. The infected wound on her shoulder gave out an unbearable stench, both of her legs felt as if they were tied down with lead balls, and she even needed the man to straighten herself. The countess's face suddenly turned red, she had never imagined Oscar would… would accompany her to… Anyway, she shouldn't mention about digestion at this moment. Now was definitely not an appropriate time to reflect on this matter.
"Honestly, I can't even go far!"
"Stop that nonsense!" Oscar was genuinely mad now.
"But…"
"No more but's!" The young prince turned his head away, annoyed, "Even if it means I have to drag you home, I will, so please stop thinking about doing anything silly or unnecessary, and never ever doubt my determination! I will not leave you behind!"
Aeolia opened her mouth to refute, but she heard footsteps approaching outside of the tent.
Paul appeared at the side, "Hey, you two should take a rest now. Reserve some energy for tonight's escape."
Oscar draped his arm around Aya's neck, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead, before wrapping her closely in his arms. "Rest now! I'll bring you to a hot spring when you wake up later!"
"Hot spring?"
"Yes! The miraculous hot spring! You'll be amazed at its effectiveness!"
"Then?"
"Then? Then you remain my Aya, and I'll wait for your work briefing! Actually... I've not told you before, I've always admired your beauty when you're at work!"
****************
"And then?"
"And then…"
"Yes! What shall we do after that?" First Lieutenant Ciel shifted his gaze from the officer and stared into the foggy forest in the distance.
"And then?" Major general Silvio Barrick's brows drew together. With an exquisitely made handkerchief, he kept on wiping at the beads of water which formed on his armor due to the high humidity in the air, "And then we'll check for ourselves if the information is accurate or not!"
Ciel gave an understanding nod, "Then commander, I'll go make some necessary arrangements now!"
"Yes! We have to ensure our ambush is set up flawless and immaculate!" Silvio nodded as he replied, wringing the dampen handkerchief. He looked at the tiny stream of water that trickled to the ground, and couldn't help but be amazed at the surrounding humidity! It appeared that a rainstorm was on its way!
Central Deiss was also known as Pastoral Country. The vast territory's surrounding areas were filled with hills and forests, so some people also called it the Country of Forests. With the rolling valleys and hills, it portrayed a staggering interplay of light and shadow.
Cold winds blowing from the foothills of the Alps quickly chilled and brightened up this large area deep in the forest on the inside of Deiss border. Fog dissipated gradually, the thin color curling up into the air above like cooking smoke.
Fallen leaves covered the ground. When the cold wind swept through, these withered leaves made a pleasant rustling noise. With the crisp yet lonely chirping of a bird, the shadows of the forest began to shift under the influence of weak sunlight. Accompanied by melodious birdsong, the treetops shook slightly as the cold breeze blew, while sunshine slipped through the slits of moving branches. Soft light swept over the faces of the soldiers.
According to the deployment orders of the battlefield dispatch chief Marshal Alan, the Second Corps of the Eighth Region of the Imperial Guards were currently ready for an ambush in this forest. They were scattered in the deep bottoms of ditches, the gaps between the trees and on top of the trees. The soldiers of the Second Corps resembled sculptured statues. Their bodies were concealed with cloaks sewn from leaves, their weaponry hid behind. The warriors were not exposed under their perfect camouflage. They lurked around the forest and hid in the pits they had dug earlier, pretending to be plants under their cloaks of leaves. Each pit could fit two lookout soldiers, and the openings of these pits were covered with dried branches and fallen leaves. These pits were only a few centimeters above the ground, but they were enough for them to check the surroundings visually.
"According to the intelligence report, we have to deal with the Deiss Ninth SS Independent Cavalry Brigade! Two nights ago, they deployed almost a Group of soldiers to attack our logistic military depot. These people destroyed the whole area, not leaving even one alive!" Major General Silvio Barrick spat as he grumbled. Although it wasn't anything much worth grumbling about, Silvio still felt rather sorry for it. The commanding officer of that military depot was a good person, he'd even secretly sneaked some good wine to himself during the last provision.
Two officers of the Second Corps had led their regimental commanders to surround Silvio. This was a brilliant hiding place, except that it didn't provide a shelter from the wind! They were all southerners, and Deiss was more than thousand kilometers away from the mountainous area of the south. For these southern warriors, fall season here was already much colder than winter in their hometown!
One of the division commanders rubbed his own hands together, "Commander, what does SS mean? I've never heard of this military code from the Deiss National Military before."
Silvio shook his head, "I don't know either, and it seems like even Marshal Alan didn't know as well! That's why he demanded us to get an answer from the people here!"
The group of military officers burst into laughter. Some of these officers were supplementary officers that had only recently been assigned to the Second Corps. Initially, they all thought Major General was a cruel butcher as rumored. However, after having spent time with the officer himself, along with their recent battle experience, they discovered that the man was, in fact, a pretty decent soldier.
"Alright! Let's check our map!" Silvio pointed at the sheepskin roll laid out on the ground, "This is where the attacked military depot is located! If the Deiss Ninth SS Independent Cavalry Brigade wishes to arrive at the battle line, they would have to pass through this forest situated in the northwest area of the battle line. Let's say they still wish to take action tonight, they would have to enter the rear of the battlefield from either here, or here."
Silvio pointed at two different spots on the map. "This is just the estimated guess of the Northern Army Group and the military combat department. What do you think?"
Another division commander stepped forward, "Commander, you only deployed one Division in the other ambush point, would that be enough? We have no idea how many people the Deiss Ninth SS Independent Cavalry Brigade will deploy, and if they transfer two Division or three Division then…"
"No! No!" Silvio shook his head, "Absolutely no! The commander of the other party is not an idiot, he wouldn't dispatch a troop of two to three thousand to sneak into the enemy's rear area. Moreover, our front line is not only an accessory. It's impossible that such a big transfer of the enemy troops would escape our attention. Therefore, I think the opponent would send only Division, two Division at most! The two Division could possibly sneak into the battle line from these two points, or just from this one! I believe we can overpower them, or if worse comes to worse, it shouldn't be too difficult to capture a few of them alive, right?"
All of the officers nodded in agreement!
"Alright!" Silvio retrieved the map, and the other officers, "Everyone, return to your respective ambush point! Pay attention to your camouflage and position! We might possibly be hiding here for up to four or five days!"
Silvio glanced upward to the sky, slightly worried. There was still rays of faint sunlight just moments ago, but now haze had spread all over the vast sky.
Silvio turned toward his men and sighed lowly. "Guys! The weather is still not too bad now, but the temperature might drop sharply once night falls! Be more attentive to your soldiers. Request them to divide into batches to seek for shelter when rain falls. We are all northerners, and just fall in Deiss could give us frostbite! But I promise! We'll head straight for home when the war is over, and never return to this lousy place ever!"
The officers broke out into hearty laughter once more, filling the air with delight.
***************
That was right! This lousy place was definitely worth a second visit! Marshal Dortmund Andrew Nedgabel made this determined statement the moment he'd set foot on Red Light Street. Duke Andrew didn't know exactly how to describe this place. There was no shame nor dignity in this place, so to speak. Women showed off their soft, milk-white thighs as the chilly fall wind blew. Their faces were caked with thick colorful powder, as they called out to all the men that passed by them in ear-piercing, high-pitched screams. They were not embarrassed at displaying their figures to strangers, and some women even went as far as shoving their breasts in the men's faces.
Feeling disgusted, Dortmund pushed away two full breasts that a random woman dangled in front of his face in annoyance. He had gotten really impatient! The few guards surrounding the Duke chased away those disgraceful women with much awkwardness. Although no one could recognize the marshal who was in disguise, in the heart of the knights this man was still the respectable marshal that could not be violated in any way.
Dog Biting Club opened their door widely to receive the visiting handsome looking men. Women immediately dispersed themselves. No one dared to disturb the guests that came to Dog Biting Club.
"Look! Look at the way they walk, they're definitely soldiers!"
"Exactly! All pretending to be saints!"
"Haha! Lady Zoera will discipline them using her ways!"
"Perhaps they are the one to teach Zoera a lesson!"
Looking at the doors of Dog Biting Club that had closed after the guests, these women split into separate heated discussions.
"Adjutant of Military Investigation Bureau Dulin Region Zoera Brogan report to you! Your Excellency Marshal, welcome…"
"It's okay Zoera!" the impatient man waved his hand at Colonel Zoera that was burst with excitement. The duke was taken to a seat near the corner of the secret room, "You should know the reason for my visit here, and I demand an explanation from you! How did Colonel Aeolia's identity get exposed?"
It was rare for Zoera to have the chance to dress up in her military uniform, and it was also a rare opportunity for someone in her position to meet the commander-in-chief. She couldn't believe her expectations had come true! She had been looking forward to meeting the Marshal the moment she heard the respected man was heading to Dulin.
"Reporting, Marshal!" Although Zoera was shaking from excitement, she knew that this wasn't an appropriate moment to express her admiration for the Marshal, "According to my primary research, Colonel Aeolia carried out her duty according to the letter. The capital also performed the same measures in exchanging the confidential information. To be exact, only my superior and I knew the exact content of this message. Therefore, I wish Marshal will forgive me, as I genuinely don't know where the root of the problem is."
Dortmund frowned as he inspected the lady officer who stood in front of him. Having stayed hidden in Dulin for so many years, trying to survive in this kind of place, Zoera's capability and her loyalty to the House was beyond question. So...
"Who's your superior?"
"It's me!" the door to the secret room was opened from the inside, and a frail silhouette appeared from the door.
Two knights who guarded the door unsheathed their swords instantly. The sharp edges of their blades were already at the neck of the intruder.
With the aid of the dimmed candlelight, Dortmund finally made out the appearance of this man!
"Uncle Berkley! Is it you? Why are you here?"
Astonished, Zoera looked at the Marshal whose face grew pale with fright, "Your Excellency, don't you know? I thought it was you who assigned Chief Berkley…"
"Zoera!" the old man suddenly interrupted the lady boss of Dog Biting Club. "Withdraw yourself!"
Berkley Andrew Nedgabel, the Chief of Narcissus County Military Investigation Bureau, the person in charge of the House Underground Warfare! This sly old fox of Andrew House smiled faintly at his own nephew. He pushed aside the paladins' swords and dragged his feet at tortoise speed until he stood before the Marshal of the House.
"While you were apoplectic over young Oscar's misfortune, I was already on my way to Dulin. While you were leading the independent armed force of the House to fight against Deiss, I was already planning on how to rescue Colonel Aeolia."
"No! That's not right!" Dortmund yelled in his heart! He wasn't stupid, nor was he an idiot! Surely it was because of some complicated issue that had caused Berkley to make an appearance in the capital. No wonder the old man had been absent in the Family's Senior Group meetings, it was because he'd long disappeared from home!
"Alright! I admit that I rushed into decisions regarding the matter of young Oscar, but why did the matter result like this?" Dortmund pressed the old man. He sounded as if he was calling his uncle out to account.
"I'm well aware of the plans of the Military Intelligence Bureau, and honestly I think that the planning is flawless to every point! Collaborate with the forces within and without the forces, borrowing West Percy's massive ships to cast aside the chasing troops… Although they would encounter some obstacles on their way toward the Ollier Kingdom, with their fortress artillery, Deiss could never hold them back! But now? They failed, and I don't even know of my young Oscar was dead or alive! I'm truly convinced that there's a traitor in our House's Intelligence Agency!"
Berkley shook his head to express his disagreement, "Dortmund, doesn't it ever cross your mind that… perhaps it was Military Intelligence Bureau or Secret Service Department who sold us out?"
Dortmund glared at the man, and finally, he let out all the power and influence he had within as a commander-in-chief, "Berkley! Your Excellency Chief of Military Investigation Bureau! Please don't speak to me of this! It makes you sound like a silly clown! Both the Military Intelligence Bureau and Secret Service Department had completely no clue of Colonel Aeolia's plan, and the rescue personnel they sent onward Deiss were all wiped out! It was obvious that only you could be the root of all problems!"
Once again, Berkley shook his head, "I'm sorry, Marshal! The investigation is still being carried out, and right now I can't give you any confirmed explanation."
Duke of Andrew leaned back against the sofa and gave the old man a poisonous look. No matter what, he was sure that he wouldn't trust the House's Intelligence Leader anymore.
"I'm really sorry that the rescue action was messed up!" Berkley sighed helplessly, "However, Deiss hadn't announced the news of young Oscar's death, and they are still carrying out a massive search and arrest for the young man. All of these suggest that Oscar is still alive, perhaps he's encountered some obstacles, but there's still hope in our child!"
By now, Dortmund had already left his seat, "Alright! Carry on with your investigation! but I won't be sitting down here with you, I must do something for my son!"
"Dortmund!" The old man suddenly held the marshal by his shoulder, "I understand how you feel! There's not one father in the world that can still keep his head cool when his son's in trouble! But you have to sit down! This is indeed a special condition, and I advise you to not take any action, especially one that could possibly incite a violent reaction from the Morisette Imperial Family! Sometimes, I even doubt if you can still analyze a situation with a clear and unbiased mind!"
Duke of Andrew was forced back down to his seat. He was feeling rather complexed at this man with a peculiar expression. Was there anything else more important than Oscar's future?
"Have you noticed?" Berkley lowered his voice, "When the battlefield communique of Saijo Mountain battle arrived at Narcissus County, although some people of the House was moved by the child's bravery, a majority of them didn't know much about him being taken prisoner! Only you, your wives, myself, and other seniors actually showed our great concern."
"What is it that you want to say, really?" Dortmund grew even more perplexed. Even though the people of the House wasn't very enthusiastic about his aggressive actions regarding the aforementioned event, he couldn't fathom what was the matter here. There was still a large gap between Oscar and the House. Most people of the House hadn't really understood the child's role and significance in this family!
"What I want to convey is that our strategy was truly a success! We managed to assist young Oscar up to the peak position of the capital's imperial family. We even succeeded in fooling the Emperor, the whole empire! However! We were ignorant of the conscious change happening in our own House!"
"The conscious change in our own House?" Dortmund's brows were tensely knitted. He seemed to have grasped some of the critical issues here.
"Think about it!" Berkley glanced at the House's marshal with a gaze full of misgivings, "Only the elders in the highest decision-making ranks of the House are aware of this cover-up trick we played on the emperor and the empire! But don't you forget, there is a group of young soldiers who are brilliant in critical thinking and sharp at distinguishing right from wrong. They've upheld the family's strategy for many years, consolidating the front lines and moving forward while simultaneously, they are closely monitoring the changes happening in the imperial family."
"Are you saying… are you saying…" Dortmund hesitated for a long moment, but still, he couldn't come up with a conclusion.
"What I'm trying to say is, not only has the strategy planned by the Family's Senior Group succeeded in confusing the emperor, we've also managed to puzzle the people from the family themselves!"
"What?" Dortmund felt like his eyes couldn't widen any further!
"Is it that difficult to comprehend?" Berkley asked in return, "Alfa III wishes to realize his brazen motive by using young Oscar's double identity! Is it possible that the people of the House didn't see this? Look at our strategy. We've tried all sorts of methods to create a false front that the House detests and alienates Oscar, but in fact, our purpose was to let the emperor believe it so he could further nurture Oscar! For the benefits of the plan succeeding, we could not explain this matter to the family members. Therefore, all these circumstances will push the family members to subconsciously support our plan to create a distance between the House and young Oscar!"
"I get it now!" Dortmund suddenly saw the light. This secret plan didn't only affect the emperor, it also gradually threatened Oscar's position in the family!
"Right now, the emperor's concerns are equivalent to those of the family members! Without being told the truth, they would indeed follow the train of thoughts that the House's highest authority planning to deceive the imperial family! My God of Light! How did things turn out this way?" Dortmund held his head in his hands, extremely confused. This was an unsolvable problem! If the strategy was exposed, then the emperor's secret agents would learn about the inner decisions of Andrew House, but if it was remained confidential, then some people of the House that didn't understand the truth would continue to maintain a distance from Oscar.
"Dortmund!" Old Berkley pulled the marshal back to reality, "Now you know how serious is the situation! Let's first not talk about Oscar's current condition, let's look at the House internal affairs. My concern is that some extremist in the family will eradicate the child because they truly believe he's a threat to the family's interest, and for this reason…"
"Enough!" Dortmund shouted aloud. He knew that some guys in the family would go to the extent of sacrificing everything in the name of safeguarding the House's interests! But that was the completely wrong way of thinking! Oscar's existence and growth were definitely beneficial to the House! If they did regard Oscar as a threat to the House, then the tricks and strategies carried out by the family was a total failure!
"So, what shall we do know?" Dortmund enquired in desperation. He had fallen into a deep well of confusion.
***************
"I have no idea!"
"You have no idea?" Paul almost sprung to his feet, "Your Imperial Highness Prince! It's already a grace from God of Light that we succeeded at sneaking into this room! But at this moment you…"
"I know! But is this my fault?" Oscar defended himself loudly, "When the guards led me to this room the door was already wide open, so I knew that it's here! But he didn't show me the way to open it…"
All of a sudden, Paul's hand flew to Oscar's mouth, preventing him from making any more noise. Black Devil was already standing by the door with weapons in his hands. From beyond the door, at least four sets of footsteps were approaching!
The footsteps were heavy but in order! It sounded like the marching of soldiers, which belonged to the patrolling Deiss knights of the castle!
As each second passed, the footsteps approached closer and louder.
"Phew…" Everyone let out the breaths they didn't know they'd been holding in. The knights had just walked passed the door.
After confirming that the guards had left, King of Assassins returned to the entrance of the secret underway. This entrance should be underneath the God of Light statue, and Paul had even drawn a line to identify the meeting point of the two walls.
"There must be a hidden mechanism! There must be a hidden mechanism that controls the opening to the entrance!"
"Nonsense! We know that for sure!" Paul gave Black Devil an impatient stare, "Let's all try to search for it. We don't have much time now! Although no one would normally enter this room, accidents happen sometimes!"
Just when everyone was moving their hands up and down the wall, the young prince was staring at the massive bookshelf located in the room!
"What's wrong? What are you doing?" Paul nudged at the prince's arm.
"It had already crossed my mind last time... Why would someone put a massive bookshelf in a praying room? This is definitely not a place to read, and…" Oscar took a few steps forward and examined at the upper rows of books arranged in a proper order. "And this is not the strangest part. The last time I came here I remember seeing a book suspended sideways as if it was hanging in mid-air!"
Paul shoved young prince out of the way, "My God of Light! Why didn't you say earlier?"
The King of Assassins fumbled in the sea of books, and soon found the book that couldn't be moved easily. Paul removed the book from the shelf, and almost immediately a sound of metal rolling was heard coming from underneath the statue of the god. Everyone was delighted to discover the door that opened itself, and gradually stone steps began to form into the ground. A few seconds later, a pitch-black entrance that could fit only one man at a time revealed itself in front of the crowd.
"Watch out!" once again, Black Devil dashed to the door.
"Hurry!" Paul snorted lightly. Carrying Aya on his back, they were the first ones to enter the secret underway. Those approaching footsteps should belong to the servant who was tasked with refilling the oil of the candles of the altar. She would visit the room every once in a while to ensure the candles were always lighted. Although Snowstorm had calculated the time interval, they had wasted too much time in trying to escape the basement.
Oscar waved his hands at Black Devil. The prince was the second person to enter the secret way.
Shaw Curlink didn't seem to acknowledge his companion. He wanted to make sure his friends were able to have traveled at least to a considerably safer distance before he put himself into the underway. He remained behind the door, focusing on catching the footsteps that were approaching. The short dagger in his hand was clutched so tightly veins began to appear on his skin. Finally! The door to the room was turned from the outside!
The door was opened!
The servant stood at the door side to observe for a few seconds. Apart from the flickering candlelight, there was no one else in the room. Everything was normal as usual. The servant shook her head as if to clear off her mind. She thought she had heard some peculiar noises from outside.
The girl entered the room and perform her daily routine to change the used candles. The devout believer also prayed after settling what was needed to do. Just as she was about to leave the praying room, she saw something flashed in the bookshelf from the corner of her eyes. With her eyes wide opened, she took a few steps forward to search for the object that reflected light.
***************
"I thought you were planning to spend the rest of your life in the castle!" Paul nagged at Black Devil who finally caught up with the others.
"Haha! The timing is just right! No one discovered us!" Shaw Curlink explored the side of the dampened tunnel with his hands as they walked. He was trying to make out the path ahead with a torch in his hand.
Unconvinced, Paul turned his head around as he suddenly thought of something important.
"Hey! How did you close the entrance?"
Shaw Curlink was perplexed at the question, "Easy! I threw a dagger to push back the book from inside the entrance so that the door could close itself!"
Paul silently sighed at his misfortune, "Which means, you left a dagger in that room! More so at an extremely easily noticeable place!"
It suddenly hit Shaw Curlink that he'd just made a grave mistake, but he still wanted to defend himself. "But this is the one and only way! I could close it from within the room, but I couldn't have entered here if so!"
"Forget about it!" Paul tightened his grasp on the lady on his back. He was preparing himself to run at full speed. "Honestly, Shaw, I have expected you to do something stupid like this!"
As if it was a response to the King of Assassins, from the other end of the quiet tunnel, a frightened cry of a woman was heard!
"Hurry! We must run! Before the Deiss arrives at the exit!" In the front of the line was an immensely worried Oscar.
"Black Devil, my old pal! You know what?" as Paul was running he didn't forget to reproach the unlucky imperial assassin. "Thirteen used to always say that people like us, we will come to our worst luck at the end of the day! I think… yours is about to come!"
"Shut your mouth!" Black Devil grew extremely irritable at his constant rebuke, and he kicked his leg at Paul's ass to teach him a lesson!
***************
"Why did you kick me?" The mountain warrior in ambush glared at his companion at the surprise.
"I'm asking you to shut up! Listen!" this warrior pointed to the dense forest as he explained himself.
Under the silhouette of the fallen night, the forest resembled a behemoth with its mouth opened! Wide leaves of the high forest showed themselves off proudly on their branches, swaying their bodies around while simultaneously casting sorrowful bleak shadows in the woods around. The rain droplets of fall landed silently on the ground. All the heat accumulated in the soil from the scorching day sunlight was leeched by the cold rain, creating some white clouds of mist high above the ground. From afar, the blurred forest appeared like a continent standing resolutely amidst a sea of clouds.
At the crisp sound of horseshoes galloping on the solid ground, a knight rushed out from the curtain of rain, his body and armor wrapped in darkness. Only the sword held in his hand flashed with a little brilliance. The knight pulled on the reins, his sword perpendicular to the ground. The raindrops from above clinked on the blade, producing monotonous plinks.
Not long after, another knight revealed himself from amidst the thick forest. Although in front of him was still the same bleak and gloomy dense forest, he felt slightly calmed looking at his companion who was waiting for him.
Next, another knight appeared, followed by one more, then one other again…
The rainfall was inconsistent, slow a minute and heavy the next. The knights seemed to be irritated by this play of nature, but finally, the last knight of the troop came out of the forest. White mist floated around at the horse's hooves in the quiet woods. The knights didn't feel overjoyed at the gathering. After greeting each other with their eyes and slight nods, the leading man sounded a whistle. The noise was unusually harsh in the rainy night, and the sharp sound echoed in the forest. No! In fact, it was not the echoes, but the scout in the distant forest that responded to his companions.
This was the scout team of Deiss Kingdom Ninth SS Independent Cavalry Brigade. The formation of the team's consisted of ten best scouts among the troop of knights. They penetrated into the enemy's rear, positioning themselves as their companions' eyes on the most hazardous frontline area.
The captain of the scout squad gestured to the knights, and the latter steered the horses in a loose formation before they sped out at once.
Galloping hooves echoed around the forest as ten horses flew through the woods. These knights controlled the reins with superb techniques, simultaneously staying alert at the surroundings.
Suddenly! Somewhere in the middle of the white misty scene, a long rope was being tightened! This sturdy rope successfully tricked a few agile warhorses to tumble to the ground! The horse sent out desperate, painful keens. The knights who fell to the ground also issued depressed low hums at the sudden accident. The leader of the scout team immediately seized his warhorse and grasped the bugle in his hand without hesitation.
A sudden rising silhouette frightened the warhorse, which made it spring up on its rear legs. The bugle fell from the leader's hand. The knight subconsciously pulled out his sword in defense, but the enemy's spear had long since pierced into his heart! The knights at the back of the formation immediately turned the horse around at the sight of their leader's fall, but as soon as they steered the horses they were shocked to realize a team of archers was already waiting for them on the left. Long arrows pierced through the air and dull whizzing accompanied their flight through the rain curtain. Each knight was pierced with multiple arrows. Their horses became agitated at the scent of blood and dragged the severely wounded rider corpses through the wet woodlands.
In front of the hills, behind the tall trees, among the grass, inside of the gullies… from all directions came an influx of southern Titan mountain soldiers. They silently chopped at the enemy being dragged along the ground by the horses. After they took away the horses and removed the bodies, once again they disappeared into the depths of the thick forest. The forest regained its calm and quiet as if nothing had happened.
In the ambush ring at the forefront of the observation post, a soldier imitated the enemy's gesture to perform a similar whistle. A short while later, from the distance, another whistle was sounded again! The most outstanding sentry of the Second Corps revealed a satisfying smile. He noticed the mud puddle began to tremble, at the same time in the depths of the woods came the sound of horses' gallops.
Kicking at his companion's butt again, the sentry said softly, "Hurry! Inform the others!"
The young soldier made a grumble of resentment. He quickly leaped out of the pit and proceeded along the well-established safety trenches to inform the messenger about the final command.
"Prepare to fight!"
"Prepare to fight!"
"Prepare to fight!"
Simultaneously, countless light but powerful words of command were murmured in the woods.
In the distant sky, a sudden bolt of bright lightning lit up the darkness. Concurrently, numerous cavalrymen made their appearance in the forest.
Thunder began to roll, announcing to the world that a heavy rain was approaching.
