Chapter 286 (2/2)

「We’ll open the gates. However, we won’t let your army move. Only the townspeople have permission to pass through.」

「Yes, so it’s a promise, right?」

「Heh, who knows?」

The captain glared at the messenger, who had a nasty grin on his face.

In reality, he didn’t want to follow their requests. However, the decision had been made by his higher-ups, and at this point, it couldn’t be helped. Also, if this humiliation was going to lead into massive damage against the enemy, he could definitely bear to withstand it.

「…Captain. If we’re following the enemy’s requests, that must mean…」

「Yeah, that’s right. The Halberd of Raidolg will be put into action.」

The Halberd of Raidolg. That was the codename for the plan, and it referenced the myths of Raidolg’s Halberd, which was said to pierce through the forces of evil.

Who was the Halberd of Raidolg going to pierce through? Was it the king that is said to be beside the First Princess, or was it the First Princess herself? Or maybe…

However, even without knowing this, they could still carry out the plan.

The East Gates were opened, and, as the army, yelling something inaudible, led them out, the townspeople rushed outside.

「Everyone, over there! True peace is waiting for us out there!」「Thank you, Raidolg, for showing me the way!」Mixed in with the yelling townspeople and adventurers were Kain and Ein.「Ugh… They really are straightforward, aren’t they」Townspeople, travelers, and adventurers. The people who walked through the gates each had their own reasons to leave, and they were united in their common goal to “go to where the First Princess is.”There were also people who planned to “fight well in the First Princess’ Army and rise in position,” and Narika’s side was certainly delighted to have them contribute to their fighting power.Because of this, there was a wide opening for Kain and Ein to join in.

The biggest problem was the fact that they had to gain access to Mazenda. However, Reina had predicted that it would not be a very significant hindrance for them.

This is because Mazenda would approach Kain and Ein trying to figure out if they would be willing to join her side. If that was the case, there’s no doubt that Kain and Ein would be welcomed with open arms. Even if it wasn’t exactly a warm welcome, she would definitely try to think of a way to put them to work.

There were rarely ever any opportunities to defeat Mazenda, and this was the one. They had to take advantage of the opening and defeat her, once and for all.

This was because there was a very high possibility that the person who brought forth this civil war happened to be the court magic user, the “witch” Mazenda herself.

No, she might have been at it even earlier—the insanity of the king and the widespread confusion that followed may have all been her doing, calculated from the very beginning.

There was no evidence. However, Celis seemed to be completely sure of it. That witch, Mazenda, was the one that drove everything into chaos.

「Mazenda, huh…」

Ein remembered the Mazenda that they saw right before they entered the kingdom. She did seem a bit crazy then, but was it really possible for a court magic user like her to do so much damage?

But the rumors about her connection with the Alva were interesting to her. It was a valuable opportunity to gain insight on the ungraspable secrets of the Alva, so it turns out there was something to be gained out of her participation in this infiltration mission.

As she glanced up at the black swan flying in the sky above, Ein felt a new sense of determination reignite in her heart.