76. long term mission (1)

“Do you have any intention of participating in this banquet, Captain?”

The only wizard left in the Raven Knights, Lyone Becker, asked. The stormy summer time had passed, and the cold wind of autumn was sweeping through the alleys of the royal capital.

“…a banquet.”

Theodora spat out a weak breath. Rione looked at Theodora with a pitiful look. After ‘that battle’, their leader changed drastically.

The Raven Knights have also changed a lot.

Although he was naturally virtuous, he lost the deputy leader who had certain skills and was kind.

The member who was closest to the vice-captain, and a member with swordsmanship skills equal to that of the vice-captain, was lost, and the two are in a state of unknown whereabouts together.

The cheery member of the hooked nose who used the purple aura was lost. Other members were also lost. Like the two above, there were those whose whereabouts were unknown, and those who were found as cold bodies.

“I’ll send a proxy.”

“If you don’t attend this time, you don’t know what will be said in the royal family. The captain doesn’t…”

Theodora closed her eyes and pressed her head with her fingertips.

“It won’t be a nuisance to the Knights.”

The Jackdaw Knights have become like heroes to the people of the frontier. It was a bonus that the status of the leader, Theodora, had risen together. When Rione heard Theodora’s words, she put on a depressed expression.

“Aren’t I worried about the Knights right now?”

With her long, orange-tinged hair hanging down, she complained to Theodora. Theodora was just passing Rione’s gaze.

“It will be fine, Leo.”

Rione silently looked at Theodora and shook her head. An act that would be considered rude by a single member. But Theodora did not blame Rione.

“Then, I will go.”

“Yeah. Tomorrow is the weekend, take it easy.”

Theodora sent Rione off with a faint smile. Rione didn’t let go of her worried eyes until the end, then opened the door and left the leader’s office.

rattle.

At the same time as the sound of the door closing, a long sigh escaped from Theodora’s lips. Theodora’s body slid down on the hard chair in the director’s office.

“…ha.”

Theodora’s eyebrows furrowed as she recalled what had happened the evening before. Home. It was time to face the hateful kinsmen.

—

“Go back, lady.”

The family knights said so. Theodora looked at the knights who blocked her with an expression of incomprehension. The attitude of the knights was stubborn.

“The daughter of the family wants to see my father, so why stop it?”

“My lady… If you’re wearing such a vicious speculation, what would the Count think?”

A middle-aged knight spoke on behalf of the knights.

“I don’t want to use my strength on the family knights.”

“Girl, it is the same for us.”

“Then let me in.”

“We don’t know what will happen, and how will we?”

Theodora said firmly. However, the knights did not get out of their way even after hearing Theodora’s warning. However, being crushed by Theodora’s overwhelming force, he hesitated and backed away, or put his hand to the hilt of his sword.

“If you pull it out, you will regret it.”

Did they know too?

Theodora thought so.

Three years ago, when Leon Benning’s demon hand reached out, did they know about him?

“eww…”

A new knight who couldn’t stand the momentum unwittingly pulled out the blade halfway up. Theodora’s gaze met the new knight’s sword. Under Theodora’s sad blue eyes, the sharpness of the sword quickly turned into an insignificant lump of metal.

“You stupid…!”

Even before the knight’s command was over,

bang!

A new knight with a sword drawn was kneeling. Theodora silently looked down at her fist.

“miss.”

A middle-aged knight spoke to Theodora in a tense voice.

‘…it got stronger.’

Theodora saw a knight talking to her as if begging for mercy. A word like a judge’s question came out of his mouth.

“Did you know?”

Theodora did not miss the middle-aged knight’s eyes shaking. He lowered his head, unable to find words to answer.

“If you have served the family the longest as an escort knight by the side of the family head, there is no way you wouldn’t know.”

“…I hope you don’t misinterpret my loyalty to the family.”

“Loyalty to the family, you said it well.”

Read at noblemtl. com

Now I won’t have anything to do with this family.

Theodora’s leg was shot at the escort knight who was trying to sneakily show hostility.

The knights fell behind Theodora’s footsteps. With trembling eyes, the servant defeated the family escort knights and blocked Theodora from approaching the main building.

“Te…Odora…lady…”

Theodora did not listen to the servant. As if it were just a stone on the side of the road, I just ignored him and tried to move forward.

“miss…! Wait a minute, tell me my story…”

The servant’s restraint was not very effective. Theodora faced the servant who was desperately blocking her path.

“Get out of the way.”

There was great coercion in those words. Facing Theodora, the servant felt as if his liver was shrinking.

Damn, never thought this would happen.

Contrary to the Count’s words that it is useless even if he knew the whole story, the family lady came to the family with a quiet anger.

“My lady, even the count has circumstances…”

“The mouth.”

Theodora’s voice cut through the servant’s words like a freshly forged blade. And the servant’s eyes froze in Theodora’s cool dark cloud-colored gaze.

“You’d better think and speak.”

A mouse in front of a cat. Maybe a rat in front of a tiger. The servant held on to his wobbly legs and prayed that the anger would not be directed at him.

I know everything. As a subordinate of the count, he must have known that he acted according to the count’s plan. The servant wondered whether he should beg that he just did as he was told, or whether he should just shut up and get out of the way.

The worry didn’t last long. As Theodora took a step forward, the servant only stepped aside with an unsightly noise. The reason why he didn’t ask for the crime right away was because he didn’t have a sword in his hand.

“Hee… hee.”

Theodora entered the mansion, leaving behind the servant, who made a small noise like a frightened mouse. no one stopped Silently, but not hiding this anger, Theodora advances.

climbed the stairs The count’s mansion, which had just opened a new home in the royal capital, was built quite splendidly.

that buck

Passing through the hallway, I see a dining room with a red light on.

that buck

Before he knew it, Theodora was standing at the edge of the table, facing Leon Benning, who was sitting across from her and casually sipping wine.

“Sit down.”

Do you want to be calm, or do you really not care?

Seeing the count’s condescending attitude, Theodora swept her finger across the table.

“If you’re going to start a riot, at least go down there and do it.”

“You must have been very frightened.”

Are you trying to provoke?

Leon Benning raised his eyebrows as if to let him think. Theodora pulled a chair and sat down. Leon Benning’s inorganic gaze penetrated Theodora, who was sitting in her seat. Theodora slightly twisted her brows as if she was uncomfortable with that gaze.

“You have become quite brave, daughter.”

At Theodora’s seat, a meal was already prepared and waiting for her.

“Why, why did you come to me when I didn’t call you?”

“Why do you ask that, I’m curious about that.”

“Yes, I don’t intend to listen to that petty ex-girlfriend’s story. I have nothing to say.”

bang.

The sound of Theodora reflexively putting her spoon down broke the quiet of the dining room and brought a blizzard. Even with the momentum that would make anyone who sees it freeze, Leon Bening just stirred the red wine in the glass without raising an eyebrow.

“…Are you still in the grip of anger?”

It will be the last time I see my father’s face. Theodora decided to cut it off. His lineage, and his life up until now. At the Last Supper, Theodora had only one word to say to Count Benning.

“You know that the anger is directed against you and this cursed family.”

The sword was not attached to the waist. Theodora nevertheless lowered her hands under the table to keep the momentum. Just like a knight before a battle has his mind set.

“You’re young, Theodora. Too young.”

The count’s voice was full of regret. Theodora’s lips twisted.

“You are shameless. really.”

The Count glanced at Theodora. My daughter has grown out of what she has grown since the incident three months ago. The leader of the knights who performed heroic activities. No, the important thing was not her external prestige.

“He who looks upward must be shameless, Theodora. And I’ve risen high enough.”

“Are you still trying to teach me?”

her heart.

Theodora’s mind and spirit, which were confused and seemed to be broken and collapsed at any moment, grew in status once through the battle with the Behemoth. Leon Benning clicked his tongue inwardly. The reason why Theodora was able to directly resist this gaze of hers must have been thanks to her growth.

It was not very pleasant. Through the dark red wine, Theodora’s face was overflowing.

Leon Benning put down his glass. At the same time, Theodora rose from her seat. Not even touching the food on her plate.

“When you return, a mission will be handed down sooner or later.”

Theodora’s steps stopped as she turned around.

“It would be better not to touch our knights again.”

“Why do you think it’s the Knights’ job?”

Theodora’s face was dyed in question for a moment, then changed back to her usual cold expression. Theodora’s expressionless expression demanded an explanation without words, but Leon Benning did not answer. The father, who received the gaze of his daughter as if he were looking at the enemy, was too calm.

“You’d better not think of anything else with your knights.”

“Are you afraid?”

Even though Theodora answered coldly, Leon Benning remained the same.

“Warning, let’s just say.”

Leon Benning.

A man who was once a local samurai, but rose to the position of chancellor of the royal family himself.

A person with the power to seize the royal palace with a sword and view the royal capital from the top of the mage tower.

The weight of the words of Leon Benning three months ago and the weight of the words of Leon Benning now can be said to be the difference between heaven and earth. Even if it’s something you say to your only child.

It was not the daughter and the father, but the hero of a kingdom and Gan-woong were confronting each other.

A spark as cold as frost flies between the eyes. Leon Benning wet his lips with wine.

However, the only reason Theodora did not openly stick to the king’s side and oppose her would be the weight of the knights she was carrying and the existence of her long-lost lover.

“We’ll see you again, Theodora.”

And since it wasn’t that she didn’t know what she was thinking, Leon Benning added that. But the words did not catch Theodora’s feet again.

The lights in the chandelier flickered.

Leon Benning’s displeased spirit was slowly distorting the atmosphere in the room.

“…Maxim…Apart.”

Zeng.

A crack formed along the edge of the glass, and shards of glass splattered. Count Benning, who rarely showed emotion, captured the momentum that was unknowingly expressed. The swaying light of the chandelier found stability.

Shouldn’t they be captured alive and killed right now?

no no. Killing was possible even until the very end.

“Antoine.”

At the muttering of Leon Benning, a servant rushed beside him.

“Did you call?”

“I will go to Daejeon.”

Leon Benning closed his eyes. Thoughts, desires, anger, all of them climbed like a haze and were scattered in the wind.

“What are you going for…”

the servant asked.

“I need to see His Highness the 2nd Prince.”

—

Theodora was awakened from her thoughts by a knock on the door. Correct your posture and sit down. Clearing her throat once, Theodora opened her mouth.

“Come in.”

The door opened and what appeared was a stern-looking knight with even more scars on his face.

“Captain.”

“…Vice-captain.”

Paola pulled the chair that Rione had been sitting on before and sat down. Despite the disappearance and death of many companions, Paola’s attitude did not change much. He always exchanged greetings in such a lukewarm tone.

“We are going to run a major equipment inspection this time. I think it would be nice to set aside a day for tomorrow and run it.”

Theodora furrowed her eyebrows slightly. It was because the meal that day reminded him of what Leon Benning had said to him.

‘Sooner or later, a mission will be handed down.’

“Is it because of a long-term mission?”

“Yeah. It’s been about three months since No Man’s Land, so it’s time to come up with one this quarter.”

“…It would be better to prepare in advance.”

Paola nodded.

“The more time you have to prepare, the better. If you think you have old equipment or necessary equipment, we will cover it in advance.”

Said Paola, flicking the paper she was holding in one hand.

“What about that paper?”

“This is a list of equipment. I thought you might want to check it out.”

“I think we should have at least one person in charge of supply.”

Theodora accepted the paper and said. Paola smiled and shook her head.

“Fine. Because the members usually help a lot.”

After Paola said that, she glanced at Theodora. It was as if he had something to say.

“Anything else to say?”

“Captain, this banquet…”

“I’m not leaving.”

Theodora replied firmly. As if knowing that, Paola scratched her head with a troubled smile.

“Still… I don’t know what damage the captain will do if I pretend to be with them any more.”

‘them.’

When the royal palace was empty due to the Behemoth expedition, the count’s group filled the place themselves. Theodora sighed.

“You’re the one who won’t benefit from touching me.”

Seeing Theodora like that, Paola shrugged as if she couldn’t help it.

“Then, I’ll send a substitute attendee again this time.”

“Thank you, vice-captain.”

When things were about to end, the door opened again. The one who met Theodora and Paola’s gaze at the same time was Rione with a troubled expression.

“Captain, vice-captain.”

“Leo?”

Leone glanced outside. It was like being with someone.

“The Royal Personnel Officer…”

Is it because of a long-term mission? Theodora put the complicating thought into a corner.

“Please tell me to come in.”

Before Leone even told her to come in, the royal personnel manager entered the chief’s office stiffly.

“hello.”

The personnel manager looked at the knights gathered in the room with a tired expression on his face. The vice-captain, Paola, rose from her seat.

“No, you are fine. I’m just trying to deliver a short notice with an official letter anyway.”

The personnel manager let out a few coughs and glanced down at the official document he was carrying.

“The Jackdaw Knights will be in charge of escort work and royal events in cooperation with the palace guards this time.”

At the word palace guard, a question appeared on the knights’ faces.

“Palace…? Then, will it belong to the escort?”

Paola asked, and the human resources manager nodded.

“Yeah. Probably the 3rd Guards, so…”

At the next words of the person in charge, the knights’ doubts turned to distortions.

“Under His Highness the 2nd Prince.”