Chapter 22
#22
Huis was the only one alienated from the realization that passed between their gazes. When Huis, frustrated, tapped the Grand General's shoulder, Walter, his face reddened, explained instead, covering his face with his palm.
"Duke Kill's greatest weapon is Portmeier Port. It's adjacent to the strait, making it easy to operate ships and move quickly near the Royal Capital."
"I know that much."
"And most of the smuggled goods are traded on ships."
Huis blinked, then exclaimed in surprise, his face astonished.
"Then, then that, Portmeier! The port of the duchy! On the ships...!"
"That's right. Her Majesty is saying that hidden soldiers might be on the ships. The soldiers moving by land are meant to distract us, and the real soldiers are probably being transported by ship."
All sorts of emotions flashed across Huis's previously indifferent face.
Surprise, embarrassment, and bewilderment flickered by in turn, and finally, a dark light settled on his face.
"If that's true, we shouldn't be relaxing like this, should we?"
"No. There's no need to be impatient. The Duke is aiming for the coronation ceremony, so we can move then."
Lucy said in a nonchalant tone, pouting her lips. She alternately nibbled on her upper and lower lips with her front teeth before turning her gaze to Walter.
Walter responded to her gaze, his hands clasped together.
The skin under Lucy's languid eyes was darker than usual. She had been rustling around in the study every night lately, and it seemed she hadn't been getting enough sleep.
Seeing her tired appearance made Walter feel inexplicably pained. He took off his outer garment and wrapped it around Lucy.
Draping the large military uniform over her unusually thin frame only emphasized her frail image. 'I wish she would get some proper sleep,' Walter thought to himself before speaking.
"I understand the Duke's movements. I'll take care of restraining him, so Your Majesty should rest a bit."
"No. No... I can't just leave everything to the Grand General."
Lucy rested her fists on her knees, then her chin on top of them, and closed her eyes. Just as Walter reached out, thinking she had fallen asleep, she abruptly opened her eyes and lifted her head.
"The Duke will try to bring me down before the coronation ceremony. Also, a banquet needs a protagonist, so the Duke will definitely come to the Royal Palace that day. That's when I'll step in and capture the Duke."
"Your Majesty will?"
"Yes. I'm the only one guarding the Royal Palace. The Grand General has somewhere else to go."
How could she guard the Royal Palace without the core force?
Walter was taken aback by the absurd statement, but Lucy stroked her lips, wearing a smile that was both knowing and enigmatic.
Then, she added with a confident tone.
"Walter, I want you to take the most important card in this operation and bring it to me. That key will be the most crucial element in bringing down Duke Kill."
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
A faint mist rose over the land after the autumn rain.
At the end of the season when the temperature difference between day and night was at its peak, the red setting sun dyed the castle walls yellow.
White cloths were draped everywhere along the paths connecting the Royal Capital and the palace.
The Royal Standard emblazoned with the Golden Eagle Battalion fluttered along with the white cloths, and blue ribbons announcing the new king's coronation ceremony adorned them.
The faces of the servants diligently moving about the garden were filled with haste. Lucy, looking down at the busy people, took a deep breath and chose her words carefully.
"The coronation ceremony is finally tomorrow. Seeing the preparations, it's starting to feel real."
Walter, who was threading his hands into leather gloves, straightened his attire and raised his head.
"Are you nervous?"
"It's a matter of life and death, so it would be a lie to say I'm not. I hope everything goes according to plan."
Walter let out a deflated laugh, barely audible.
"I feel a sense of incongruity when someone who is so confident in front of others speaks so weakly."
"How can I keep up the pretense all the time? I can at least voice my concerns in front of someone I'm comfortable with."
Unlike Lucy, who seemed nonchalant, Walter couldn't hide his bitter expression.
"If you're worried even now, how about withdrawing the plan? The operation Lucy proposed is quite interesting, but there are too many unstable elements."
"What's the worst that could happen? I'll just die if I get caught. Besides, if Walter moves properly, there won't be any anxious things to worry about, so don't worry too much."
Walter sighed instead of answering.
Lucy didn't seem to realize that such remarks were increasing his anxiety. Knowing that his words wouldn't reach her properly even if he spoke, Walter silently hurried to prepare for departure.
He put on a fur coat over his simple attire of pants, shirt, gloves, and boots, and then a thick outer garment made of buffalo leather.
He wove cloth into a strange shape with a chain and then tightly bound his body with the chain. Finally, he pulled down a fur hat, completing the look of a wanderer roaming the north.
Lucy narrowed her brows and looked up at him with a serious expression.
It felt strange to see someone who usually wandered around Pomnos in relatively light clothing so heavily armed for the cold.
"Your Majesty. It's Huis."
With a knock, Huis entered the room with a Lafi he had never seen before.
The Lafi who came with him was a young Lafi with vibrant blue feathers.
The Lafi, with his slightly drooping eyes, seemed nervous, tapping his beak a few times before bowing politely to Lucy.
"It is an honor to meet Your Majesty. I am Napari Hoya, belonging to the 8th squad of the East Gobi Legion."
The white feathers hanging like ornaments at the tips of his blue wings swayed slightly with his movements. Unlike Huis, who was full of a somewhat arrogant atmosphere, the gentle atmosphere created a bizarre contrast.
Huis handed Napari something that looked like handcuffs. At the end of the handcuffs, which were only on one side, there was a small weight hanging.
Just as Lucy was about to ask what it was, the door opened again, and Zen entered.
"Preparations are complete. Now, in line with the start of the operation... sniff."
Zen, who had entered the room with a polite attitude, straightened his back and immediately raised his tail and growled as soon as he made eye contact with Huis.
Huis and Napari also cowered, glaring at Zen with fierce eyes.
"One of the key figures in the operation is a Lafi, so could it be you, cotton ball?"
"Your choice of words is quite elegant. I guess it can't be helped that your ability to speak declines from only eating corpses."
"What did you say, you bastard?"
"Don't be rude in front of Her Majesty, you son of a bitch."
Every time the Lykan and Lafi races faced each other, I realized that there was no word that better represented their relationship than "bitter enemies."
Walter waved his hand to dispel the hostile atmosphere.
"I don't care if you breed when you're alone, but I won't tolerate excessive remarks in front of Her Majesty."
They grumbled but obediently averted their eyes from each other. Walter firmly secured his sword and asked Zen.
"Is the troop deployment complete?"
"As you instructed, preparations for infiltration through the secret passage are complete. It's a groundbreaking operation, but is it okay to expose the royal family's secret passage to ordinary soldiers?"
"It's more important to capture the Duke, so it's fine. Worry about security later and focus on the mission now."
After calmly finishing his words, Walter glanced at Lucy.
Hesitation, worry, anxiety, and concern swept across her eyes in turn. Walter hid his emotions with a stern face and turned his gaze to Napari.
"Napari."
"Yes, Grand General."
"As instructed, you will go to the duchy with me. Go to Duke's Castle at dawn, complete the mission, and return to the Royal Capital before sunrise tomorrow. Zen."
"Speak."
"I am granting you the temporary position of battalion commander of the Golden Eagle Battalion. Move according to the rest of the operation, but always remember that Her Majesty's safety is the top priority. Finally, Huis."
"Yes, Grand General."
"Even if it means disobeying Her Majesty's orders, if you judge it to be dangerous, immediately grab Her Majesty and run away."
Walter nonchalantly uttered the words that he could refuse the order in front of the king and reached out to Napari.
Napari fastened the handcuffs that Huis had handed him to his ankle. Then, he inserted the weight on the opposite side of the handcuffs through the chains tied to Walter's body and secured it tightly.
Napari took the lead and headed to the terrace. With each step the two people connected by chains took, there was a clanging sound of metal colliding.
In the silence, the heavy tension that it was now the beginning, that there was no turning back, weighed down on the soldiers' shoulders.
Napari looked back at Walter with a flushed face and then stepped onto the terrace, ready to leap.
"Your Majesty."
Walter turned his head, which had been facing the sky, and looked at Lucy. After wetting his lips with his tongue, he continued in a slightly lower voice.
"I believe in Your Majesty's insight. Until the sword returns, I hope the scabbard remains intact."
Walter turned his body and pulled on the chain.
With a fluttering sound, Napari soared into the sky, and Walter's body, connected to him, floated into the air with him.
Under the sunset sky, the silhouettes of the two people connected to each other glowed faintly red. Soon, their figures became dots and disappeared into the shadows of the mountains.
Lucy, who had been quietly watching their figures, turned her body.
It was around the time that the smile that appeared on her lips felt somehow mischievous. Lucy erased her smile and licked her lips with a fierce expression.
"Then, shall we start the hunt?"
