NOVEL WEB EP.32
Once the front gate was breached, everything proceeded smoothly from there. While the Security Forces might struggle against the guards of this mansion, pushing back the servants was a piece of cake.
The guards rushed desperately to intercept us, but they did not succeed.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
THUD!
I brought down my sword with force. Just moments before, everyone had flinched at the piercing strike, and they froze in place. Of course, realizing that I was the only one blocking their path, they charged at me again.
“There’s only one of them! The ones in front distract him while the rest go around!”
“Yes!”
Actually, they were all trying to bypass me to head into the mansion.
“Who sent you here?”
I swung my sword once more. It took focus and effort to execute a full power strike that could cleave through the air, so I infused my Taito with magical energy and gave it a decent swing.
It didn’t possess the force to shatter steel gates, but it was enough to trip those trying to pass me by.
Using the magical energy in my legs, I leaped and hurled the fallen ones aside, binding the guards’ feet once more.
However, this was hitting a limit.
There were dozens of them over there, and my slow-moving Taito had a hard time keeping track of them all.
“Run! We can’t let those bastards rampage inside the mansion!”
Ultimately, a few managed to slip past me towards the mansion.
“There’s no helping it.”
I reversed my grip on the Taito’s hilt and tossed it with all my might.
WHAM!
“Ugh!”
“Grah!”
The Taito flew and embedded itself in the ground, bouncing off the surrounding people.
But what I was aiming for lay elsewhere.
“…They’ve dropped their swords! Subdue them!”
Seeing my empty hands, some of those heading toward the mansion turned back and lunged at me. Naturally, I knew it wouldn’t be easy to hold my ground against so many without a weapon.
But I had faith in my abilities.
“How long do you think you can keep this up—uh, uh-oh?”
I grabbed the arm of the foremost guard and twisted it backward. Gripping his wrist tightly, I bent his arm.
“Graaah!”
His hand opened, releasing the sword which clattered to the ground. I dodged incoming blades and used the guarded soldier to deflect the unavoidable strikes.
With a swift kick, I sent the sword flying into my grasp.
“Not bad.”
It wasn’t too heavy or too light. It was just right for the situation I found myself in.
Admittedly, its durability left something to be desired, but considering it was essentially disposable, I didn’t mind.
“The swordsmanship of Prince Brandenburg is slightly better than that of Prince Wurttemberg! Don’t be afraid, charge in!”
‘Seems like there are some quick-witted folks here.’
I had thought wearing a helmet would keep me incognito, but I didn’t expect to be recognized so soon. Well, given that there’s only one lunatic using an expert-level technique in the capital these days, it was a reasonable deduction.
However, there was one thing they got wrong.
“These bastards must think a Sword Expert is just a weakling since they’ve fallen from knight status.”
I leveled my sword at those who might have been my juniors in another timeline.
When it came to swordsmanship, my skill was comparable to that of Yom. If all they’d seen was a duel, they might have thought the same.
But it was laughable that those claiming to have been knights would believe such a thing.
“Do they think Expert is just some dog’s name?”
Unlike wizards, knights could not freely handle the magical energy within their bodies. Thus, unlike wizards, knights had to master the essence of “this works through experience” accumulated over years through rigorous training.
This process involved various elements.
Breathing techniques, physical training, and lifestyle habits all had to be controlled meticulously. Depending on their constitution, some even had to regulate their diets for a lifetime.
Even if they barely learned to manage magical energy, maintaining that control over time was no easy feat.
And among all these factors, the most important were, without a doubt, breathing and physical conditioning.
Even common soldiers had to go through this process, but for a Sword Expert—someone who may never reach that level even after dedicating their entire life—it was a daunting task.
With everything said and done, I could at least guarantee this much.
Even if they were part of the Imperial Knight Order, not many would stand a chance against me.
“Unless you want to die, it’s best not to come too deep.”
THUD.
With a noticeably lighter footstep compared to when I was holding the Taito, I lunged forward. These guys, who had at least the basics down as they had applied to the Imperial Knight Order, did respond to my speed, albeit just a bit.
“It’s going to hurt.”
“W-what?!”
CLANG.
As soon as our swords met, I twisted his arm, forcing his blade down. With that, I jabbed at the inside of his thigh, and blood burst forth. It looked like I had hit an artery.
“Ugh, aaaaaah!”
Though my medical knowledge wasn’t extensive, I knew enough to tell that he understood the gravity of the situation. If he stayed like this, he’d die. Realizing this, he threw aside his sword and immediately tried to stanch the bleeding.
Leaving him behind, I charged at the next one. After all, there were healers dispatched from the cathedral, so they wouldn’t die on my watch.
“Leg!”
“Ugh!”
I lunged at the next one. Having witnessed what just happened, as I shouted “leg,” he quickly brought his blade down to protect that area.
Seizing the opportunity, I sliced into the deep inner part of his arm. Sure, he was somewhat armored, but with the lightweight leather armor supplemented only with thin strips of metal, there was no way it could withstand a Sword Expert’s blade infused with magical energy.
“Y-you coward!”
“Isn’t fighting a one against many not cowardly, then?”
Of course, I didn’t need to point out that the basic tactic of common soldiers against a Sword Expert is to gang up on them.
Once again, I struck with precision, likely severing an artery as blood gushed forth.
I parried the incoming swords aimed at my torso, dodging one that targeted my head by rolling on the ground. Meanwhile, I noticed some others making their way towards the mansion.
Wow, what a dedicated division of labor they’ve got going here.
With another swift throw, I pierced one of their legs, then picked up the sword from the guard who was howling in pain.
In the meantime, the guards had surrounded me.
“Regardless of anything else, it seems you’ve received decent tactical training,” I remarked.
At that, the commander of the guards shouted:
“You will not go unpunished! How dare you do this to our comrade!”
I scoffed at his loud proclamation.
“Is this situation supposed to be amusing?!”
“Well, it is amusing.”
Clearly, they were trying to adhere to their training protocols. And in this world, such protocols are merely a collection of the most effective strategies learned through hard knocks. So yes, even if they succeeded to an extent, it was understandable that I couldn’t let my guard down.
However, there was one crucial thing they overlooked.
“You’re not knights, after all.”
From what I could see, some of them could manage a degree of enhancement with magical energy, but that only made them half-baked.
Moreover, their tactics were designed specifically for sword users who could wield magical energy in order to catch a Sword Expert.
Not a paltry knight who wasn’t even fully baked.
—-
“Oh no!”
“We’re under orders to stabilize the situation! There’s no ‘no’ involved here!”
CRASH, BANG!
Duke Vitelbach rushed about, hearing the commotion reverberate throughout the mansion. This could not be happening. He had assembled some of his best mercenaries, ranked just below the knights.
Through his connections and information network as the local patriarch of Palatinate, it was unimaginable that his elite guard would be penetrated by a bunch of second-rate Security Forces wannabes.
Yet, it was happening.
“…Maria, that audacious woman is really going to make a move like this.”
Being well-versed in political maneuvering, the Duke recognized precisely what this entailed.
What transpired was beyond the capacity of mere soldiers if they were untrained in the ways of the sword. To openly employ knights in such a manner would leave him vulnerable to retaliation publicly. Therefore, it was clear that with the knights immobilized in the capital, there was only one suspect left.
“Wilhelm von Brandenburg, that punk is stirring things up.”
With a deep sigh, the Duke hastened about.
“Forget everything else. We must block the route leading deep into the mansion. Especially the path leading underground—no matter what, it must be sealed off before I arrive!”
“Yes!”
Watching the frantically moving servants, the Duke sighed once again.
“Damn it, of all times to injure the troops carrying official documents.”
Under normal circumstances, I could have addressed this matter with the Imperial Court or other factions.
But at least for this instance, it was unavoidable since the other side had provided ample justification for such a violent response from us. Moreover, with the Security Forces already infiltrating the mansion, keeping all secrets intact was becoming increasingly difficult. However, the most crucial documents must be safeguarded at all costs.
“Those can never be discovered.”
Politics, as they say, often involves hush-hush deals going back and forth. It only intensifies the higher up the ranks you go. With someone of the Duke’s caliber, there’s always dirt to dig up; it’s rare to find anyone who hasn’t left a paper trail of some misdeeds.
If someone truly had no skeletons in their closet, it’d be downright chilling. That would mean they’ve eliminated everyone who could testify against their wrongdoings.
The imperial political landscape isn’t one you can navigate without getting your hands dirty.
Especially for a duke, given the prominence and history of their family, there’s bound to be plenty buried in that shadowy past. If such information fell into the wrong hands, the Vitelbach family would effectively become political pariahs, exiled from power.
At least this would hold true for the current duke and his sons.
And sixty years is more than enough time to drag even a prestigious family’s reputation through the mud.
“We must block them.”
The main entrance had already been breached, so some damage was inevitable, but if we could hold the basement, we might just retain our political influence by sacrificing a few limbs.
With that determination, he made his way to the underground entrance. There were always tried-and-true methods for dealing with situations like these.
“Get lost! What do you think you’re doing crashing in here?!”
“B-but we’re here under orders from the Court…”
“Are you daring to talk back to me right now?”
He wielded his status to crush the subordinates.
This time-honored technique rarely involved high-ranking nobles or officials getting their hands dirty, and it never failed.
“Hmph.”
That, however, was the Duke’s downfall.
“Excuse me, but may I pass through?”
Unexpectedly, someone he hadn’t anticipated made an appearance.
It was Yom von Wurttemberg, the eldest son and heir of the Wurttemberg Marquisate, almost guaranteed to inherit the title as soon as his father returned.
“I’ve come here because I heard there’s evidence linked to the Ulm Baron’s corruption case.”
But regardless of his status as heir, if he hadn’t been granted the title yet, he was still just a prince. Yet, in this moment, what truly mattered wasn’t the legitimacy of authority. That only held weight before the gates had been breached.
Now that the entrance had been compromised, Yom’s presence signified something crystal clear.
This affair was spearheaded by the Wurttemberg Marquisate.
The Duke’s power, supported by the empress, might keep him safe, but could he really ensure the protection of the servants here?
The seasoned servants, who had lived in Palatinate for decades and observed the political dance from the sidelines, quickly caught on to the signal.
“…Do you believe that taking me out will diminish her Majesty the Empress’s influence?”
As the servants began to part from around him, the Duke gritted his teeth and asked Yom.
With that, Yom shrugged as if it were no big deal.
“Well, what does that have to do with me?”
His reaction startled the Duke, who had assumed Yom was in cahoots with Princess Maria.
“Then what on earth…?”
Yom tossed a document at him.
“Why, it’s the duty of a noble to protect his own interests, isn’t it?”
The Duke picked up the document and sighed deeply.
“If negotiations fall through, consider using the Marquisate’s third son to issue a decree to split the territory.”
The paper contained plans for what to do if his dealings with the Marquisate went south. It seemed someone had woefully mismanaged their household.
“Damn it, this is why I advised against mindlessly increasing our enemies.”
As he lamented and glanced out the window, he caught sight of the feudal lord’s son, already dispatching all his mercenaries and checking on his attendants one by one.
The Duke felt a gut instinct.
The time for reckoning was approaching.