168. Dark Core (3)

“Will they be okay?”

Michel Loire asked for the 15th time. In front of the servants, knights, and adventurers who followed him, he displayed a confident and strong appearance, but when he returned to his place, he remained as weak as he is now. Watching her from the side was Marion, who also cast a shadow on her face. However, she did not try to express her concerns out loud in front of Michelle.

“Your Highness, I think you need to take care of yourself first.”

Marion placed a steaming teacup in front of Michelle. Maxim was worried about her too, but she had no choice but to do what only she could do to lighten the burden he was carrying. And the thing Marion was most confident in right now was helping Princess 1 by her side.

“I’m sorry, Marion. You must be worried about your fiancé as well, and I feel like I’m clinging to you like this.”

Marion shook her head with a painfully small smile on her lips.

“How do you compare the weight of responsibility that weighs on your shoulders to my worries? The girl is fine, so take a little tea first and calm down.”

Michelle nodded and took the teacup. In the midst of this, good tea leaves were airlifted, and the tea had a nice scent. Michelle took a few sips of tea to catch her breath. As if the effects of the tea leaves had calmed her down a bit, Michelle’s cheeks began to turn red.

“It’s a decision I made, and it’s something I’m responsible for. However, no matter how many times I made up my mind and made up my mind, it is frustrating to have to send them off and have to sit here and wait for news to arrive.”

“How could I not be worried? Even if you didn’t show it in front of your subordinates, I think it’s an amazing enough thing for a girl.”

Marion’s blue eyes looked straight at Michelle. could not tremble At least for the moment, he had to support Michelle, who was shaking as a support.

Michelle looked into Marion’s eyes, who were staring straight at her for a long time. Like a connoisseur looking for flaws in jewelry, Michelle looked at her and sighed thinly, closing her eyes as if she had lost.

“… Marion, you are such a strong child.”

“It is not so, Your Highness.”

Michelle laughed bitterly.

“How can I not know your heart? He doesn’t push me, and just supports me by the side, giving me a lot of strength.”

Michelle’s hand held Marion’s hand. Both of their hands were as cold as ice. There was no exchange of warmth. However, the touch of the other person on the hand was only a support.

“I have to trust them. Even if you are concerned about them deep down, you should not doubt their success in front of everyone.”

As if hypnotizing herself, Michel said so. Marion could feel Michelle’s grip on hers tightening. Marion slightly bowed her head.

“Your Highness, I will not dare to speak sweet words.”

“That is loyalty. To me now, to us, sweet words are nothing but a waste of mental strength that is not even poison.”

Michelle said it as if it were natural.

“However, please remind Your Highness that there is always a girl behind her whenever she is overwhelmed.”

Michelle turned to Marion. The lady-in-waiting she cherished the most was looking at her with a hardened mouth and an expression like that of a knight.

“… Thank you.”

Michelle looked out the window. Unlike usual, the streets of the royal capital were as quiet as dead rats. In the power struggle within the royal family, the citizens were reluctant to stick their heads out and hesitated. In the meantime, Beninga’s privates, who could not touch the adventurer’s branch of the king, hovered around the guild, looking like a flock of eagles hovering over a dying beast.

‘Maxim. Please come back safely… .’

Marion turned her head out the window and begged. Praying again that her own wind will lead Maxim safely back to this place.

—

“-Now, then.”

After speaking up, Christine looked around at her colleagues. Hugo Bern, himself, Theodora Benning, and even Maxim Appart. Christine realized that somehow, reassurance and insecurity coexisted. The four stood before the long avenue which led directly to the King’s office. The view of the palace, which was normally familiar as a house, now felt like a maze the size of a house.

“Now senior Dennis and senior Charlotte left to rescue the first prince, and other knights also left to distract attention. All that remains is to go to the place where Leon Benning is waiting.”

Christine’s voice was full of tension as she slowly sorted things out. Hugo’s gaze continued to stare at the end of the avenue while listening to Christine’s words. All the way up, there were bloodstains that clearly told what had happened that day.

“egg plant.”

In the lead was Hugo Berne. It was known that they had invaded anyway. That’s why Hugo moved forward without hesitation, sprinkling out his spirit of life and speculation. Since he was on his way, he seemed to tell him to wash his head and wait. Theodora, Christine, and Maxim followed after that, being as vigilant as possible. However, it seemed that Leon Benning had sent most of the troops to protect the palace.

“I can’t believe they’ve sent most of their power.”

When there was no obstruction after going for a long time, Hugo muttered that and turned his head toward Maxim. It was as if he didn’t know that Maxim’s words would come to pass. Maxim shrugged and denied that it was his fault.

“It wouldn’t have been easy to infiltrate safely like this if it wasn’t for Her Highness’s decision to extract and deploy only the core forces. You couldn’t have infiltrated it in the first place.”

“Still, your ball will take five percent. I want to personally say thank you.”

Hugo’s manner of speaking was warm, contrary to his usual bluntness. Then, he straightened up and erased the smile from his face.

“… It’s all my fault for not protecting His Majesty, for letting the pathetic Aaron die. Even if you disobey His Majesty’s orders, you should have stayed by his side.”

Yugo’s deep voice contained anger.

“How can I claim to be the strongest knight in the kingdom since I couldn’t protect my lord and upset the country? However, my goal is to correct all of this this time and fulfill the duty of the abandoned knight.”

While talking, they arrived in front of the gate to the center of the palace, Daejeon.

The first to sense the presence was Hugo. Next, Theodora and Maxim sensed the presence at the same time, and when the three of them stopped, Christine followed suit and stopped last.

“… It’s a bastard.”

Theodora whispered softly. Maxim knew what Theodora was talking about without asking who he was referring to. Hugo’s murderous intent exploded. He simply radiated momentum, and the sidewalk he was stepping on cracked as if it had been cut with a sword. Hugo Berne showed his teeth and growled.

“You stayed.”

Leon Benning’s knight, Bernardo Lennon, appeared as if he had suddenly landed there. To his left and right, Leon Benning’s puppet knights stood together with drawn swords. Even their momentum was strong enough to overwhelm most knights. It was to the point where I thought that all the remaining people who had dealt with the Marquess might have gathered.

“I can’t go past this.”

It was an obvious statement, but the weight of the words was too heavy. Those pupils were empty, like those of someone who had lost their senses, but they captured them all. Maxim felt Bernardo’s gaze return to him.

“The Count asked me to deliver it like this. It said, ‘You won.’”

Leon Benning’s words would not mean that he was defeated. He was just trying to praise Maxim for coming up with an unexpected move. Whether or not he knew that his own life was on the scales, Maxim twisted his mouth at that brazenness.

“Even if I die, I won’t say, ‘I lost.’”

Maxim raised his spirits and put his hand on the hilt. If you deal with Hugo together, it may look difficult, but it is possible to break through. However, Maxim’s movement was immediately stopped by Hugo. Maxim hardened his face as he looked at Hugo’s hand gently pressing the end of his sword’s hilt. When I raised my face in a hurry to ask what this was, I saw Hugo Berne’s calm, expressionless expression.

“Go first.”

Hugo said that to Maxime, and to Theodora and Christine, who looked exactly like Maxime. Maxim shook his head.

“If we break through together, we can win unconditionally. If the captain stays here and we go in, it will be a chance for them.”

“I cannot allow that. Even if we break through together here, if it takes a long time, it will give Leon Benning time to prepare.”

Maxim shook Hugo’s hand and gave strength to draw the sword, but there was no way he could defeat Hugo, who had now raised his power to the maximum, in a power struggle.

“Captain.”

“Maxim, don’t act emotionally. For now, we only think about achieving our goals.”

“I can’t understand. Didn’t the captain also regret not being able to stand by His Majesty’s side until the end?”

“That’s why I’m trying to send you all the more first.”

Maxim spat out the words with the intention of offending Hugo, but Hugo did not blink an eye and replied to Maxim’s words. Maxim’s face contorted as if he was frustrated.

“why!”

“Are you confident that one of you won’t die in a fight against them?”

Hugo’s eyes were deep as he spoke. Maxim tried to say something, but every word he could think of stuck in his throat and became a sound.

“It will be a melee. Also, I don’t have the confidence to fight that knight and save all of you lives.”

At the additional words that were spoken, Maxim stunned and removed his hand from the hilt.

“Even if we succeed in getting out of here, if one of you loses your life, it will be like defeat for us.”

“Is there any guarantee that you will go in, complete your mission safely, and return alive? It’s a mission we all risked our lives on. I understand it as a disregard for our resolve.”

Hugo Berne’s voice rose a little.

“Even though you know that they are the best remaining power, are you still going to be stubborn?”

“Stubbornness is not something I do. The captain is in charge. I can’t go forward leaving you behind.”

“I will not die.”

Maxim’s eyes twitched.

“I am not irresponsible, Maxim. I will never abandon the possibility left by my lord to follow the dead lord, nor will I turn away from the kingdom.”

Hugo Bern drew his sword. The knights of Leon Benning, who had not been able to approach them recklessly even with great momentum, stretched out their swords with increased vigilance.

“So, hurry up and complete your mission. There is no point in arguing any more.”

Hugo said that and pushed Maxim’s back aside.

“It will make a gap. Go in between them.”

And Hugo Berne raised an aura. A storm blew with a sound like an ancient dragon’s low cry. Maxime inexplicably pulled Theodora and Christine away from Hugo Berne.

“I was afraid of my momentum, so I didn’t wait for you, so I won’t say thank you.”

Hugo raised his sword. The power of momentum that would tear the world apart was wrapped around the sword body. Each of the puppet knights raised their auras to counter the formidable power, but it was like lighting a candle in front of a blizzard.

“Still amazing.”

With those words, a dark red aura wriggled up from Bernardo’s sword. Surprisingly, it had power that was not greatly pushed by the momentum emitted by Hugo’s aura. Hugo did not answer verbally. Instead, he just drew the sword, which contained the maximum amount of his aura, straight down without any skill.

“go!”

The words pierced Maxim’s ear as sharp as an awl. Like meteors colliding with each other in the sky, the world exploded with blinding light.

bang-!!

The outcome of the explosion was disastrous. A huge pit was formed in front of the palace leading to Daejeon. Unable to withstand the first collision, the two knights right next to them collapsed on the floor and were coughing up blood. The knights who were quite strong were standing with swords, but their legs were trembling. The knights who were stronger than him seemed not to have been greatly affected by the explosion, rather raised their fighting spirit and raised their swords.

“Chase those who have entered the palace.”

Bernardo ordered the knights standing behind him.

Took.

And at the same time, Yuugo’s sword cut through the air. Before the knights could turn around and enter the palace, the entrance to the palace was completely destroyed and collapsed due to a single sword strike. The knights and Bernardo looked at Hugo with their eyes wide open.

“I can’t go past that.”

Hugo further amplified his aura. The destructive whirlwind of mana that had been swirling around Yugo slammed even stronger. Even the puppet knights, no matter how emotionally castrated they were, could not help but break into a cold sweat when faced with a scene that seemed as if the god of the sword had descended into the world.

Except for one person, Bernardo Lennon.

Bernardo amplified his dark red aura together and took a step forward to face Hugo. A battle of spirit that no one can say has a perfect advantage. At that time, Bernardo’s emotionless lips parted and he let out a hard voice.

“Then, let’s begin.”

—

The entrance to the palace was completely sealed with a roar. Maxim closed his eyes and turned his head. It will be fine. What they had to worry about wasn’t Hugo’s safety, it was to recruit Leon Benning or take his life.

“let’s go.”

Maxim took the first step, followed by Theodora and Christine. The palace was very quiet. As expected, there seemed to be no more troops blocking the path to Leon Benning. There was no conversation. The three of them were immersed in their own thoughts and moved towards Daejeon little by little.

“Senior, Mr. Theodora.”

It was at the end of the hallway that Christine stopped the group. While the ivory-colored gate leading to Daejeon was firmly locked, a shadow fell on the red carpet that stretched to the front of the gate. The shadow rose slowly upward and appeared in the form of a man.

Red hair, purple eyes. Maxim remembered the name of the woman he knew during the martial arts competition. Also, I was able to recall where the unknown familiarity came from. On a rainy day, Murat and a wounded Christine. And the witch who pierced her limbs without blinking an eye.

“From the look on your face, you seem to have recognized who I am, Maxime Appard. At that time, even if it means cutting off all your limbs, I will take you with me.”

It was a smooth, colorful voice. But now the voice was approaching with a reluctance, like taking a nail and scraping it against brass. Maxim kept his hand in a position where he could reach for the hilt at any time and grab it. If you grab the hilt, the battle will begin immediately.

“You don’t think you can take on the three of us alone.”

When Maxim replied coldly, Lilia nodded her head with a charming smile.

“Is it really so?”

As the witch’s lips drew an arc, the blood-red carpet squirmed. Then, as the witch rolled up her fingertips, the floor of the battlefield glowed red, revealing a huge magic circle. A huge wave of power rolled over. Red was the only color allowed to exist in a world ruled by witches’ magic circles.

“This is like my dungeon. By any chance, when you were studying at the knight academy, have you ever heard the adage not to fight in the realm of wizards?”

“Because I’ve broken through that magician’s realm a couple of times ignorantly.”

Maxim said that and expressed his excitement. I had to stay calm. The time that should have been given to her is less than a week at the longest. No matter how brilliant a wizard or witch was, this fortress would not be able to fortify it in just a week.

Maxim exchanged glances with Theodora. Theodora nodded and grabbed Heilang’s hilt.

When Maxim turned to Christine to give a signal, Christine somehow had a bitter smile on her lips.

“I really wanted to see you beat that damn count, but I never dreamed that I would have to send my seniors away first.”

“Christine, you… .”

bang-!

Golden mana bloomed through the bloody red. At Christine’s feet, a magic circle against the witch, Lilia’s spell, began to be engraved.

“While I’m holding this witch here, please finish your work and come back, senpai.”

“It’s like this again. Christine, how can I… .”

Christine raised her hand and covered Maxim’s mouth. Maxim could see Christine’s green eyes twinkle with the heat.

“I don’t die. never. Just as you believed in Captain Hugo, please believe in me. There is something I said to my senior, and there is something I heard from my senior, how can I die before I can accomplish that.”

Christine held her hand. A golden crack appeared in the red space. Before Maxim and Theodora could do anything, Christine forcibly banished them from the Red Space. He had forcibly sent him out because he thought he would be persuaded if the argument with that person went on for no reason.

Lilia did not bother to pursue Maxim and Theodora, who had disappeared. Rather, the fact that her magic was already being invaded seemed to be interesting, and her eyes were shining at Christine.

“The tomboy of the Mage Tower has grown quite a bit.”

“Don’t pretend you know. I will fight to kill you. Anyway, you will be killed by the senior who comes back after killing the count.”

As Christine said that, a golden magic circle formed over her hand. Lillia shrugged her shoulders and smiled. Roses and thorny vines blooming in the red space began to wriggle with murderous intent. The witch glanced at Theodora and Maxim as they opened the door to the Great Hall and entered.

“Well, how about it?”