Chapter 18
Enemies began to appear from all corners of the fortress, joining the undead skeletons that had risen earlier. They surrounded Caron and his group with arrows aimed at them, ensuring there was no escape.
Screech.
The entrance the group had come through was now sealed with a heavy iron gate. A man in a black cloak and plate armor appeared atop the highest building of the fortress.
"If you'd let us know you were coming, we would've prepared a more fitting welcome. Such a sudden visit is quite startling," the man said, his voice echoing throughout the fortress.
Caron looked up at the man with a smile.
Okay, so that's the head of this place. I wonder where the dark mage is? he thought.
The boss Urhan had mentioned was no doubt that man. With the boss confirmed, the next step was to find the dark mage, the one who was controlling the undead and transforming this fortress into a veritable stronghold. The situation would be completely resolved only if the dark mage was killed.
And yet, the dark mage remained out of sight. No doubt they were lurking somewhere, casting their spells from the shadows.
Creepy as always, no matter the era, Caron thought.
If he couldn't see the dark mage, he would just have to find them and kill them. But first, he needed to deal with the boss who stood above them.
"Welcome to my stronghold, cute young nobles. You've walked right into our trap," the boss taunted.
"Do you even know where we come from?" Caron asked.
"That's something we'll figure out in due time. Alright, disarm yourselves and we'll send you back without a scar. We don't want any harm coming to such valuable captives," the boss said.
Young nobles were prime hostages, fetching prices far beyond those of ordinary slaves.
Caron chuckled when he saw the boss' greed-filled gaze. Standing beside Caron, Leo scowled and said, "This is all because you came in without a plan."
"Don't get scared. They said they wouldn't kill us," Caron said.
"So?" Leo asked.
"We need to make a move. Urhan, come here," Caron said.
"Y-Yes?" Urhan replied. He had brightened at the sight of his comrades, but reluctantly had to obey Caron's command.
"Kneel before me," Caron ordered.
"Alright, Young Master… Y-Young Master?"
The moment Urhan knelt, Caron placed Guillotine against his neck and shouted in a booming voice, "If any of you move even a step, this guy loses his head. Understand?"
Leo stared at Caron in shock, his mouth hanging open at the unexpected hostage situation.
…He's insane, Leo thought.
A noble family's child taking a hostage was an unbelievable occurrence. However, the crazy boy in front of him had pressed a sword to the hostage's neck as if it was nothing. A descendent of a noble family that valued honor would normally be ashamed, but there was no trace of shame on Caron's face. Instead, as if this situation was amusing to him, he had a wide grin.
The bandits were just as stunned as Leo.
"What kind of noble family are you from, to be causing such trouble? Aren't you all the kind of people who live on honor?" the boss asked.
"So what? There's no law saying we can't do this," Caron said.
"You're an interesting one, but you're wrong. A hostage is only useful if they have value. The one you're holding as hostage right now is worthless," the boss stated firmly.
"Ah, an expert sure is different. Thanks for the advice," Caron said as he clicked his tongue and withdrew Guillotine from Urhan's neck. He shot Urhan a look of annoyance and muttered, "You're utterly useless."
"My apologies…" Urhan whispered.
"Just keep kneeling there," Caron ordered as he tapped Urhan's head with the flat of his sword, then glanced over at Leo.
"Taking hostages doesn't work here. I didn't expect such a lack of loyalty. That guy has a cold heart. He doesn't even flinch at the death of his own people," Caron remarked.
"So what do we do now?" Leo asked.
"What choice do we have? When you're outnumbered, there's only one strategy. We take down the boss," Caron explained.
"And how do we do that?" Leo asked.
"We break through the undead and the bandits, and we get the boss. It's simple. What do you think?" Caron replied.
It wasn't simple at all.
They were surrounded on all sides by skeletons, and the enemy archers were aiming their arrows from high vantage points. Moreover, their enemy was highly-trained, not just some random group to be underestimated. Logically, the odds of winning were low, yet Leo couldn't easily refute Caron's words. There was something about his monstrous cousin that made Leo believe they could break through the encirclement and beat that boss.
Leo sighed as he lifted Sylphid, glancing sideways at Caron and saying, "This is getting annoying. Just tell me what I need to do."
He knew Caron was much stronger than he was. But that didn't mean he intended to sit back and rely solely on Caron's help. Leo had to handle his own responsibilities. This wasn't just Caron's mission; it was theirs. So, he had to fulfill his part.
Impressive, Caron thought as he noticed the determination on Leo's face. Leo's steadfastness was commendable.
"Just deal with the skeletons. Doing that alone will be enough," Caron said.
Whoosh.
Azure Mana began to flow out from Caron, rapidly spreading around him. The mana that glowed with blue light was a symbol of the Leston family. It was something the bandit boss couldn't possibly be ignorant of.
Sure enough, the boss' face contorted when he saw the mana emanating from Caron. He muttered, "...The Leston Duchy?"
"You didn't think you could get away with all the things you've done right next to our territory, did you? You must have been prepared for this," Caron replied.
"I heard Azureocean Castle was preoccupied with other matters…" the boss began.
"You'll soon learn where you got that misinformation from. This will be a wonderful gift for my grandfather," Caron said.
He was well aware that significant events were unfolding. Once the battle was over, he would find out who had instigated this guy, and who he had backing him.
With a broad smile, Caron lightly lifted Guillotine. Opening the mana pathways throughout him, he swung his sword. It was Oceanwolf Sword Arts Form 3: Oceanwave.
A massive wave of mana surged forward, sweeping away everything before it.
Clash!
The raging wave of dark blue light from Guillotine engulfed the skeletons in its path, wiping them out and creating an opening that led straight to the top of the fortress.
Without hesitation, Caron stepped forward and waved casually at the boss who was glaring down at him, calling out, "I'll be there soon."
The boss frowned angrily and shouted, "Forget the ransom! Just shoot him! Shoot him now!"
Arrows whistled through the air from all directions, aiming at Caron… but it was too late.
"Too slow, you bastard," Caron said.
A surge of blue light sliced through the rain of arrows, and a moment later—
"Aaaah!" The boss screamed in agony. Blood sprayed as his armor-clad right hand was severed at the wrist.
"If you were going to shoot, you should have done it sooner," Caron remarked.
The entire incident had taken less than ten seconds. Caron looked at the boss, who was now missing a hand, and smirked.
In war, mages and knights had always been asymmetrical forces. Mages altered the battlefield itself with powerful firepower, while knights changed the trajectory of battle through their bold charges. The standard tactic was to counter mages with mages and knights with knights. Each represented a kind of specialized force, and without the means to counter them, this was inevitably the result.
Caron smiled at the boss who was struggling before him and said, "You must've really relied on that dark mage. Dark mages are always like that. The moment they sense danger, they flee. My grandfather often says that the only good dark mage is a dead dark mage. Ever heard that saying?"
"Do you… really think… you can get out… of here… alive… after this?" the boss spat.
"Of course. Besides, don't worry, I'll take you with me. You'll go through an interrogation in the dungeons of Azureocean Castle," Caron said as he pressed his foot down hard on the boss' back and glanced down at the ongoing battle below.
The deserters had stopped their attack. But the skeletons, lacking that intelligence to understand the situation, continued their onslaught. Despite that, Leo consistently displayed a dominant performance against the skeletons.
He's fighting well, Caron thought. For his first real battle, Leo was impressive.
The Oceanwolf Sword Arts started and ended with power, which made them highly effective in battles that pitted one against many. That was especially true when executed with the Azure Mana of the Leston family, amplifying its power. The strength derived from mana akin to the ocean was too overwhelming for such low-level skeletons to resist. Caron nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze back to the boss pinned under his foot.
"What's your name?" Caron asked.
"I-It's Michael… Michael Nox," the boss stuttered.
"Alright, Michael. Tell your men to disarm immediately. If you do as I say, I'll spare your life," Caron commanded.
Michael couldn't give Caron an answer right away and hesitated. He wondered if it would really be in his best interest to go to Azureocean Castle alive. Perhaps dying here would be a better fate for him. But Caron didn't give him much time to think.
"Aaaagh!" Michael screamed as Guillotine pierced his left thigh. The pain from his severed arm and his impaled leg was almost enough to make him lose consciousness.
He struggled to keep his composure and shouted, "Everyone disarm! Disarm… Now!"
One by one, the deserters who had been aiming their bows at Caron lowered their weapons.
Caron merely watched the scene with a satisfied grin and said, "You listen well, boss."
The boy in front of Michael was dangerous. Far too dangerous. His skills were not those of a mere child. So for now, he decided to bide his time because he thought reinforcements would come eventually. Even if these kids were from the Leston family, they would come…
"From the look on your face, it seems you're counting on something. Well, you wouldn't be playing bandit here without some backup, especially as a deserter from the southern kingdom. Isn't that right? But what will you do now?" Caron asked.
At that moment, a thunderous explosion shook the entire mountain, causing a deafening noise to echo from outside the stronghold.
Caron nodded slightly at the sound and said, "To be honest, we didn't come here alone. Our family wouldn't just send two kids into the mountains without protection."
Boom!
Continuous explosions echoed, and soon, there were changes within the stronghold.
Shhh.
The dark magic that had enveloped the stronghold began to dissipate as the magic circle was undone. Caron watched the receding darkness calmly. The magic circle being undone could only mean one thing: The caster had either lost consciousness or died.
"Ugh, I really wanted to capture the dark mage myself, but you all ruined everything. How are you going to make up for this? This is my first mission," Caron grumbled in frustration.
"Hey, Caron!" Leo shouted as he ran up toward Caron. He was covered in wounds inflicted by the skeletons, but his face was flushed with excitement.
"I did my part, right?" he asked. His eyes were bright with the innocence of a boy seeking approval.
Definitely not normal, Caron thought. He smiled and nodded, then said, "You did well, Leo."
"...Please tell my father that I did my part too," Leo said.
"He won't like it if I tell him, so let's ask Lady Sabina to do it," Caron replied.
"Did you disable the magic circle? And the dark mage…?" Leo asked.
"Oh, that wasn't me," Caron said.
"Then who?" Leo asked as he frowned slightly.
"There she comes," Caron said as he gestured with his chin toward the entrance of the stronghold.
The heavy iron gate was still firmly shut, but—
Crash!
The gate split in two with a burst of flame, and a woman walked through holding someone's head in her right hand.
"Caron Leston and Leo Leston, long story short, your mission was a failure. You missed the most crucial evidence. I'm disappointed," Sabina said.
When she entered, she gave off a fierce aura that made the deserters around her collapse to their knees. They were unable to withstand her overwhelming power.
Although an overwhelming sense of intimidation emanated from Sabina, Caron remained unfazed. Instead, he shrugged shamelessly and responded, "But you liked my method, didn't you?"
"The fact that you charged in headfirst was just like my brother. I'll give you points for that. A member of the Leston family should push forward with determination. However, trying to take a hostage was where you lost your points. Why did you attempt such a useless tactic?" Sabina asked.
"It was a fresh strategy, wasn't it?" Caron replied.
"I agree on that part. I've never met anyone as crazy as you. What a crazy person you are," Sabina remarked as she dropped the severed head carelessly to the ground. She looked at Caron and Leo, then said, "Things have gotten complicated. Let's discuss this as we head back to the castle of Belrus Barony."
It seemed their first mission wouldn't be wrapping up smoothly.
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