— Your Majesty will infiltrate the enemy’s camp? Personally?
Duke Undertaker could not hide his surprise.
“Yes, I will personally infiltrate behind enemy lines and wreak havoc.”
— But Your Majesty, infiltrating them is impossible right now. I am not underestimating Your Majesty’s capabilities. I believe that Your Majesty will be able to infiltrate them, but you will not make it out alive.
The duke was right. Siegfried might be able to infiltrate the enemy, but he was not going to make it out.
— Your Majesty, you are a very important figure in this war, so rather than doing something so risky...
“I will not die.”
— P-Pardon me?
“And I can escape after I have done what needs to be done.”
— ...!
“No, I can even put on a show behind enemy lines and escape afterward.”
— R-Really?!
Duke Undertaker could not believe what he was hearing.
Not only was Siegfried going to infiltrate the enemy, but he was also confident of escaping unscathed. Was that even possible?
The enemy was not stupid. They were definitely going to have mana disruptors in place to stop the Warp Gates from working, and they would have anti-air turrets in place to shoot down any airships.
— How would that be possible...?
“You see, I own a very special airship.”
— What do you mean by a very special airship...?
“It’s something the Dragon Lord made out of boredom, but I can guarantee it won’t be detected nor shot down.”
— D-Dragon Lord?!
Duke Undertaker was shocked once again.
— D-Does Your Majesty really possess an airship crafted by the Dragon Lord?!
“Yes, it’s called the Huracan.”
— Huracan...
“Anyway, I will use my airship and wreak havoc in their camp, but all of it will be for naught if you fail to hold the line.”
Siegfried's words made perfect sense. Getting behind enemy lines and wreaking havoc there would definitely be impactful, but it was going to be futile if either the front or the rear of the Royal Faction fell to enemy hands.
— We will try to hold them back for as long as possible, but will Your Majesty be able to cause enough damage to turn the tides of this war?
“It’s not going to be easy,” Siegfried replied honestly.
It was definitely not an easy task for a few elite soldiers to shift the momentum of a war simply through guerilla tactics, and it was akin to throwing eggs at rocks if put into comparison.
However, this was something they had to do right now, and the reason for that was they were going to lose this war without a doubt if they simply stayed still and did nothing.
“Let’s give it a shot.”
—I understand.
“Please pick forty of the strongest Adventurers you can find to come with me.”
—Yes, Your Majesty.
The call with Duke Undertaker ended.
Then, Siegfried flashed a sinister grin and muttered under his breath, “I’m going to give you a taste of hell.”
He was preparing a very special gift for Duke Taranis, whom he had never met in his life.
***
The next morning.
“Hoho!” Duke Taranis laughed in satisfaction while looking at the strategy map in the command center of his faction.
Their plan to change the battlefield was a resounding success, and all they had to do was wait for their forces to capture the Horn Territory, which would bring an end to this civil war.
He would be as good as the king of the Kyiv Kingdom once they captured the Horn Territory. The officials of the Royal Faction will be accused of treason and executed. Then, he will place himself as the Regent with King Allen’s young age as justification and turn the young king into a puppet king.
What would he do after that?
King Allen would die mysteriously one or two years later, and the one next in line would ascend the throne.
Who was next in line?
It was himself, Duke Taranis.
Count Oslo appeared and said, “Congratulations, my lord. You will finally achieve your dream of becoming the King of Kyiv.”
“Yes, I will become the king soon,” Duke Taranis replied with a smile before he added, “Who else is the rightful ruler of the Kyiv Kingdom if not me? That kid is not fit to rule over this kingdom.”
“I agree, sire.”
“But it’s still too early to relax. Make sure to continue pressuring our enemies and engaging in skirmishes advantageous to us.”
Duke Taranis was referring to the Royal Forces cut off from supply after losing their supply route and the Bayaba Territory.
“Certainly, sire. I will relay your commands to our officers.”
“Ah, also—“
It was at that moment Duke Taranis was about to give another order when a messenger rushed in and prostrated on the ground.
“M-My lord!”
Duke Taranis grimaced at being interrupted and asked, “What is it?”
“T-That is...”
“...?”
“Our main forces’ grain storage is... our storage is...” the messenger trailed off as his face turned ghastly pale, and then he forced himself to say the rest of the words, “...Is currently burning.”
“What?!” Duke Taranis shot up from his seat after hearing the report.
Bzzt! Bzzzzzt!
Sparks flew all around his body.
“The grain storage of our main forces is on fire? You call this a report?!”
“P-Please kill me, my lord!”
“How?! How can such an important facility catch fire?! Answer me!”
But that was not the end of it...
“M-My lord! The enemy’s elite forces have captured some of the territories in our rear!”
“Urgent news, my lord! Two of our generals have been found dead! We suspect the enemy has sent assassins after our officers!”
The ill news of the grain storage was just the start as other reports, such as their high-ranking officers being found dead, territories in the rear falling to enemy hands, and various military facilities being destroyed, came in one after the other.
It was impossible for all of this to happen at the same time overnight.
Bzzt! Bzzzzt!
The sparks surrounding Duke Taranis’ body grew stronger and stronger the more reports he received.
“Rats... We have rats hiding among us,” Duke Taranis growled.
He was certain this was the doing of spies from the Royal Faction. There was no other plausible explanation aside from that, as nothing else could explain these bizarre incidents happening simultaneously.
“And there are a lot of them,” he added.
He could tell the Royal Faction sent a large group of elites to conduct subterfuge, as the sheer number of incidents reported was far too many for it to be the doing of a small group.
“Count Oslo.”
“Yes, my lord?”
“Increase the security in our bases. These rats will be taken care of soon, so make sure to tell the soldiers not to waver from their petty tricks.”
“Yes, sire.”
A rat with a long tail was bound to be caught sooner or later.[1]
The elite forces sent by the enemy were bound to get caught sooner or later, no matter how many there were, and this was the reason Duke Taranis did not overreact to the news, even though it got on his nerves.
After all, a little bit of sacrifice was necessary to win a war, right?
“Tell the soldiers to be alert to prevent any further losses on our side. Meanwhile, continue to apply pressure to our enemies.”
“Yes, sire.”
Duke Taranis quelled his anger after giving out orders. Then, he sat on his chair and smirked as he said, “Sure, keep struggling as much as you want.”
***
Meanwhile, inside the Super Airship Huracan...
“Ah! I’m so tired!” Siegfried complained of fatigue after logging in.
It was only obvious he would be tired as he pulled an all-nighter running around the enemy camps committing all sorts of acts of terror.
Hamchi was the first to greet him, “Kyu! Welcome back, owner punk!”
“Yawn! Good morning,” Siegfried replied while yawning while waiting for the other Adventurers to log in.
“Hello!”
“Good morning.”
“Did y’all sleep well?”
The Adventurers who caused subterfuge alongside him last night logged in one by one at the promised time.
“Alright, I will start today’s briefing,” Siegfried started the strategy briefing after the last Adventurer logged in.
“Our enemies have probably finished assessing the situation by now, right? They would have doubled their security by now, and today will be completely different from last night.”
One of the Adventurers raised his hand and asked, “Then what do we do? It won’t be easy if they doubled their security...”
“We don’t have to destroy and kill this time,” Siegfried replied.
“Huh?”
Siegfried snickered and replied, “Okay, why don’t we take a trip down to Imagination Land?”
Then, he proceeded to explain his plan, “So we are going to do this... And then this... Then do that while we’re at it...”
Exactly five minutes later.
“H-Hiiik!”
“Wow... You’re crazy...”
“S-Standing ovation! He deserves a standing ovation!”
The Adventurers could not help but be shocked, and they ended up clapping after hearing his plan.
Clap! Clap! Clap
They were not clapping because his plan was brilliant or ingenious, but rather, his plan was so diabolical that even the devil would be in awe and join them in clapping.
“Okay, that’s the end of our briefing!” Siegfried said.
Then, he turned to the captain and said, “It’s time. Bring us to our next destination.”
The Huracan took off at Siegfried’s command.
Shwooosh...!
Once it reached high altitudes, it entered into Stealth Mode to completely hide its presence, and then it flew at high speeds toward its next destination.
***
That evening, a messenger rushed to make a report...
“My lord! We have received a call from the enemy!”
It was a call from the Royal Faction for Duke Taranis.
“Where is it from?”
“That capital, sire!”
“If it’s the capital... the royal palace?”
“It appears so, sire!”
“Hmm...” Duke Taranis was slightly perplexed as to why the enemy would call him during a war, but he decided there was no reason for him to reject it.
He held the advantage right now, so the Royal Faction was the one who had to do the convincing.
“I’ll accept the call; connect it.”
“Yes, sire!”
The call was connected, but...
“Hmm?”
Duke Taranis grimaced after seeing a face he had never seen before in his life.
Why?
He was expecting at least Duke Undertaker to come on the call, but he did not expect a nobody to be the one calling him.
Still, he decided to ask the caller first, “Who are you? State your identity.”
— Mercenary.
“A mercenary...? A mere mercenary dares to call me?”
— Can’t I?
“...”
— I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t.
Duke Taranis was speechless at the response the young mercenary gave.
Where did this crazy bastard come from?
Duke Taranis could feel his rage welling up once again, but his anger was not directed at the young mercenary. Instead, it was directed at Duke Undertaker.
“So, Duke Undertaker has finally gone senile. Yes, we are at war, but he should not forget about basic etiquette. Tsk... I never imagined he would let this nobody of a greenhorn call me.”
— But this nobody of a greenhorn is a king, so technically, my rank is higher than you.
“What? A nobody like you is a king?”
— You better watch your mouth. You’re just a duke; you can get into trouble for that.
The young mercenary calling was none other than Siegfried, and he was doing what he did best by getting on Duke Taranis’ nerves.
“A king? Don’t tell me, are you Siegfried van Proa or whatever your name was? The king of that weak tiny kingdom?”
— Do you really have to say it like that? Damn it!
Siegfried reacted quite strongly at having his kingdom called weak and tiny.
“What a joke you are.”
— Are you laughing? Because I’m certainly not!
“Ha! Cut the small talk and get to your point, Weak King,” Duke Taranis scoffed and said with a grin. Then, he asked, “What business does a king like you, who works as a mercenary just to make small change, have with me?”
— Argh...!
Siegfried writhed in agony at Duke Taranis’ continued insults.
“Don’t make me repeat myself. What business do you have with me?”
— I was about to get to it!
Siegfried screamed before he pointed behind him.
— Ta-dah!
Then, the curtain behind him fell.
— What do you think? It’s awesome, right?
“Hmm?”
— Hey, take a closer look, will you?
Duke Taranis looked closer at Siegfried’s behest.
One... two... three... four... five...
Exactly ten seconds later...
“...!”
Duke Taranis froze upon seeing what Siegfried was pointing at. To be more precise, he was shocked because he recognized the gagged and bound people behind Siegfried.
1. This is a Korean idiom meaning someone committing many crimes is bound to leave enough evidence causing their capture. I left the original saying since Duke Taranis called them rats in the previous dialogue. ?
— Your Majesty will infiltrate the enemy’s camp? Personally?
Duke Undertaker could not hide his surprise.
“Yes, I will personally infiltrate behind enemy lines and wreak havoc.”
— But Your Majesty, infiltrating them is impossible right now. I am not underestimating Your Majesty’s capabilities. I believe that Your Majesty will be able to infiltrate them, but you will not make it out alive.
The duke was right. Siegfried might be able to infiltrate the enemy, but he was not going to make it out.
— Your Majesty, you are a very important figure in this war, so rather than doing something so risky...
“I will not die.”
— P-Pardon me?
“And I can escape after I have done what needs to be done.”
— ...!
“No, I can even put on a show behind enemy lines and escape afterward.”
— R-Really?!
Duke Undertaker could not believe what he was hearing.
Not only was Siegfried going to infiltrate the enemy, but he was also confident of escaping unscathed. Was that even possible?
The enemy was not stupid. They were definitely going to have mana disruptors in place to stop the Warp Gates from working, and they would have anti-air turrets in place to shoot down any airships.
— How would that be possible...?
“You see, I own a very special airship.”
— What do you mean by a very special airship...?
“It’s something the Dragon Lord made out of boredom, but I can guarantee it won’t be detected nor shot down.”
— D-Dragon Lord?!
Duke Undertaker was shocked once again.
— D-Does Your Majesty really possess an airship crafted by the Dragon Lord?!
“Yes, it’s called the Huracan.”
— Huracan...
“Anyway, I will use my airship and wreak havoc in their camp, but all of it will be for naught if you fail to hold the line.”
Siegfried's words made perfect sense. Getting behind enemy lines and wreaking havoc there would definitely be impactful, but it was going to be futile if either the front or the rear of the Royal Faction fell to enemy hands.
— We will try to hold them back for as long as possible, but will Your Majesty be able to cause enough damage to turn the tides of this war?
“It’s not going to be easy,” Siegfried replied honestly.
It was definitely not an easy task for a few elite soldiers to shift the momentum of a war simply through guerilla tactics, and it was akin to throwing eggs at rocks if put into comparison.
However, this was something they had to do right now, and the reason for that was they were going to lose this war without a doubt if they simply stayed still and did nothing.
“Let’s give it a shot.”
—I understand.
“Please pick forty of the strongest Adventurers you can find to come with me.”
—Yes, Your Majesty.
The call with Duke Undertaker ended.
Then, Siegfried flashed a sinister grin and muttered under his breath, “I’m going to give you a taste of hell.”
He was preparing a very special gift for Duke Taranis, whom he had never met in his life.
***
The next morning.
“Hoho!” Duke Taranis laughed in satisfaction while looking at the strategy map in the command center of his faction.
Their plan to change the battlefield was a resounding success, and all they had to do was wait for their forces to capture the Horn Territory, which would bring an end to this civil war.
He would be as good as the king of the Kyiv Kingdom once they captured the Horn Territory. The officials of the Royal Faction will be accused of treason and executed. Then, he will place himself as the Regent with King Allen’s young age as justification and turn the young king into a puppet king.
What would he do after that?
King Allen would die mysteriously one or two years later, and the one next in line would ascend the throne.
Who was next in line?
It was himself, Duke Taranis.
Count Oslo appeared and said, “Congratulations, my lord. You will finally achieve your dream of becoming the King of Kyiv.”
“Yes, I will become the king soon,” Duke Taranis replied with a smile before he added, “Who else is the rightful ruler of the Kyiv Kingdom if not me? That kid is not fit to rule over this kingdom.”
“I agree, sire.”
“But it’s still too early to relax. Make sure to continue pressuring our enemies and engaging in skirmishes advantageous to us.”
Duke Taranis was referring to the Royal Forces cut off from supply after losing their supply route and the Bayaba Territory.
“Certainly, sire. I will relay your commands to our officers.”
“Ah, also—“
It was at that moment Duke Taranis was about to give another order when a messenger rushed in and prostrated on the ground.
“M-My lord!”
Duke Taranis grimaced at being interrupted and asked, “What is it?”
“T-That is...”
“...?”
“Our main forces’ grain storage is... our storage is...” the messenger trailed off as his face turned ghastly pale, and then he forced himself to say the rest of the words, “...Is currently burning.”
“What?!” Duke Taranis shot up from his seat after hearing the report.
Bzzt! Bzzzzzt!
Sparks flew all around his body.
“The grain storage of our main forces is on fire? You call this a report?!”
“P-Please kill me, my lord!”
“How?! How can such an important facility catch fire?! Answer me!”
But that was not the end of it...
“M-My lord! The enemy’s elite forces have captured some of the territories in our rear!”
“Urgent news, my lord! Two of our generals have been found dead! We suspect the enemy has sent assassins after our officers!”
The ill news of the grain storage was just the start as other reports, such as their high-ranking officers being found dead, territories in the rear falling to enemy hands, and various military facilities being destroyed, came in one after the other.
It was impossible for all of this to happen at the same time overnight.
Bzzt! Bzzzzt!
The sparks surrounding Duke Taranis’ body grew stronger and stronger the more reports he received.
“Rats... We have rats hiding among us,” Duke Taranis growled.
He was certain this was the doing of spies from the Royal Faction. There was no other plausible explanation aside from that, as nothing else could explain these bizarre incidents happening simultaneously.
“And there are a lot of them,” he added.
He could tell the Royal Faction sent a large group of elites to conduct subterfuge, as the sheer number of incidents reported was far too many for it to be the doing of a small group.
“Count Oslo.”
“Yes, my lord?”
“Increase the security in our bases. These rats will be taken care of soon, so make sure to tell the soldiers not to waver from their petty tricks.”
“Yes, sire.”
A rat with a long tail was bound to be caught sooner or later.[1]
The elite forces sent by the enemy were bound to get caught sooner or later, no matter how many there were, and this was the reason Duke Taranis did not overreact to the news, even though it got on his nerves.
After all, a little bit of sacrifice was necessary to win a war, right?
“Tell the soldiers to be alert to prevent any further losses on our side. Meanwhile, continue to apply pressure to our enemies.”
“Yes, sire.”
Duke Taranis quelled his anger after giving out orders. Then, he sat on his chair and smirked as he said, “Sure, keep struggling as much as you want.”
***
Meanwhile, inside the Super Airship Huracan...
“Ah! I’m so tired!” Siegfried complained of fatigue after logging in.
It was only obvious he would be tired as he pulled an all-nighter running around the enemy camps committing all sorts of acts of terror.
Hamchi was the first to greet him, “Kyu! Welcome back, owner punk!”
“Yawn! Good morning,” Siegfried replied while yawning while waiting for the other Adventurers to log in.
“Hello!”
“Good morning.”
“Did y’all sleep well?”
The Adventurers who caused subterfuge alongside him last night logged in one by one at the promised time.
“Alright, I will start today’s briefing,” Siegfried started the strategy briefing after the last Adventurer logged in.
“Our enemies have probably finished assessing the situation by now, right? They would have doubled their security by now, and today will be completely different from last night.”
One of the Adventurers raised his hand and asked, “Then what do we do? It won’t be easy if they doubled their security...”
“We don’t have to destroy and kill this time,” Siegfried replied.
“Huh?”
Siegfried snickered and replied, “Okay, why don’t we take a trip down to Imagination Land?”
Then, he proceeded to explain his plan, “So we are going to do this... And then this... Then do that while we’re at it...”
Exactly five minutes later.
“H-Hiiik!”
“Wow... You’re crazy...”
“S-Standing ovation! He deserves a standing ovation!”
The Adventurers could not help but be shocked, and they ended up clapping after hearing his plan.
Clap! Clap! Clap
They were not clapping because his plan was brilliant or ingenious, but rather, his plan was so diabolical that even the devil would be in awe and join them in clapping.
“Okay, that’s the end of our briefing!” Siegfried said.
Then, he turned to the captain and said, “It’s time. Bring us to our next destination.”
The Huracan took off at Siegfried’s command.
Shwooosh...!
Once it reached high altitudes, it entered into Stealth Mode to completely hide its presence, and then it flew at high speeds toward its next destination.
***
That evening, a messenger rushed to make a report...
“My lord! We have received a call from the enemy!”
It was a call from the Royal Faction for Duke Taranis.
“Where is it from?”
“That capital, sire!”
“If it’s the capital... the royal palace?”
“It appears so, sire!”
“Hmm...” Duke Taranis was slightly perplexed as to why the enemy would call him during a war, but he decided there was no reason for him to reject it.
He held the advantage right now, so the Royal Faction was the one who had to do the convincing.
“I’ll accept the call; connect it.”
“Yes, sire!”
The call was connected, but...
“Hmm?”
Duke Taranis grimaced after seeing a face he had never seen before in his life.
Why?
He was expecting at least Duke Undertaker to come on the call, but he did not expect a nobody to be the one calling him.
Still, he decided to ask the caller first, “Who are you? State your identity.”
— Mercenary.
“A mercenary...? A mere mercenary dares to call me?”
— Can’t I?
“...”
— I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t.
Duke Taranis was speechless at the response the young mercenary gave.
Where did this crazy bastard come from?
Duke Taranis could feel his rage welling up once again, but his anger was not directed at the young mercenary. Instead, it was directed at Duke Undertaker.
“So, Duke Undertaker has finally gone senile. Yes, we are at war, but he should not forget about basic etiquette. Tsk... I never imagined he would let this nobody of a greenhorn call me.”
— But this nobody of a greenhorn is a king, so technically, my rank is higher than you.
“What? A nobody like you is a king?”
— You better watch your mouth. You’re just a duke; you can get into trouble for that.
The young mercenary calling was none other than Siegfried, and he was doing what he did best by getting on Duke Taranis’ nerves.
“A king? Don’t tell me, are you Siegfried van Proa or whatever your name was? The king of that weak tiny kingdom?”
— Do you really have to say it like that? Damn it!
Siegfried reacted quite strongly at having his kingdom called weak and tiny.
“What a joke you are.”
— Are you laughing? Because I’m certainly not!
“Ha! Cut the small talk and get to your point, Weak King,” Duke Taranis scoffed and said with a grin. Then, he asked, “What business does a king like you, who works as a mercenary just to make small change, have with me?”
— Argh...!
Siegfried writhed in agony at Duke Taranis’ continued insults.
“Don’t make me repeat myself. What business do you have with me?”
— I was about to get to it!
Siegfried screamed before he pointed behind him.
— Ta-dah!
Then, the curtain behind him fell.
— What do you think? It’s awesome, right?
“Hmm?”
— Hey, take a closer look, will you?
Duke Taranis looked closer at Siegfried’s behest.
One... two... three... four... five...
Exactly ten seconds later...
“...!”
Duke Taranis froze upon seeing what Siegfried was pointing at. To be more precise, he was shocked because he recognized the gagged and bound people behind Siegfried.
1. This is a Korean idiom meaning someone committing many crimes is bound to leave enough evidence causing their capture. I left the original saying since Duke Taranis called them rats in the previous dialogue. ?
