Chapter 81: Ninth Episode: Chapter 8 (1/2)
Chapter 81: Ninth Episode: Chapter 8
Translator: EndlessFantasy TranslationEditor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The streets were empty deep into the night. The street lamps ignited through the last bit of the oil before being extinguished by a gust of north wind blowing. It was as if a curtain had suddenly pulled over the street, the engulfing darkness took over the land and flooded into the narrow space.
The wind-swirled-up snow that pelted against the people’s faces and the sensation of being cut by a knife made the people go mad. However, to the Second Lieutenant Tike Simon of the First Commando Battalion under the Battle Group of the Red Tiger Assault Division, this suffering was nothing; he was leading the nine soldiers under him to hide around the eaves at the street.
Around the target’s house, the Prince’s messenger, Second Lieutenant Wellington Steinberger, had temporarily taken up the post as the leader of the Sniper team. There were five archers under him, and all five of them disappeared around the rooftops surrounding the target’s house; all of the doors and windows in the house were under their control.
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Doramy crawled out from the snowy ground. The old chap evidently felt that his age was catching up to him. He was not like this before, and now even mild exercises could cause him to be so exhausted that he was close to fainting. The notorious King of Sins in the Westland threw himself headlong into the prince’s carriage; he was freezing cold and was shivering from head to toe.
”I have already gotten a feel of the front and back of the house. There should not be any escape routes or similar things.”
Messier nodded, although this operation had much to do with his fate, he was not nervous in the slightest. He had experienced situations such as this countless times in the past. Weren’t they just breaking into a house to arrest someone? This was not a problem for a special operations officer.
The Baron alighted from the carriage; it was time to launch their assault.
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Following the plan, the Second Lieutenant Tike Simon entered the courtyard first and, once he was close to the house, he concealed himself beneath a window. Not long after, the nine soldiers infiltrated the courtyard one after another and concealed themselves at the corners of the house like the Second Lieutenant.
A soldier crouched down beside Tike and he, stepping on his shoulder, reached up higher and leaped up. He climbed on the eaves on the first floor like a lizard and, with just a simple somersault, jumped onto the second-floor balcony.
The room close to the balcony was still lit up, but this was not Tike’s target. Tike stepped onto the wooden railings of the balcony and leaped onto the roof. The accumulated snow on the roof inconvenienced the Commando, and he did not dare to make sudden movements in fear of slipping.
Another soldier had climbed up and Tike signaled to him. The soldier immediately took out a hooked cable and wound it tightly around the brick chimney. Tike climbed up the hook cable carefully and slowly edged towards a dark window.
The Second Lieutenant drew out a blade and, relying on the feeling transmitted through the blade, he quickly found the window latch. The blade released the latch silently and Tike entered the room. The room was indeed empty, and the Second Lieutenant heaved a sigh of relief. He shook the hook cable and the other soldier joined him.
Barron Messier sat on the snowy ground silently like a statue. When he saw the third soldier leap onto the roof, he whistled. The soldier on the roof did not use the hook cable. He used a few wooden planks to cover the chimney that was emitting smoke. Then, he stacked ice blocks onto the planks.
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At this moment, Second Lieutenant Tike, who had entered the house, was opening the door a small crack. The light of the burning candles in the hallway cast a reddish glow in the darkness. Tike extended a small mirror out the crack and maneuvered it around. He could immediately ascertain that the hallway was deserted!
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Once the chimney was covered up, smoke from the burning charcoal would immediately fill the room, causing one to drift into unconsciousness. Soon enough, there was a movement within the house! Tike heard heavy footsteps traveling down from the stairs. The Second Lieutenant signaled to the soldier behind him; they couldn’t make a single sound.
The person from the stairs did not enter the room the Narcissus Knights were hiding in as the person downstairs was urging him to hurry. They bellowed that the chimney was definitely blocked by the accumulated snow. The person upstairs swore and stomped back up the stairs; no one was willing to go onto the roof to fix the chimney in this kind of weather. The unfortunate chap pushed open the skylight of the roof and the freezing wind that penetrated his bones left him trembling violently. However, he quickly lost consciousness as the soldier on the roof had already been lying in wait for him.
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Messier watched the whole scene unfold with satisfaction. He lit a cigar gleefully. Although the sparks on the tobacco were faint, all the soldiers had seen it clearly!
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The flame was the signal! The soldier on the roof pushed the unconscious enemy off and a burly figure fell with a dull thump onto the snowy ground. Immediately, there was an uproar in the house and after a brief commotion, people flooded out. These people must have thought that their companion had lost his footing and fell.
The Second Lieutenant and his soldier on the second floor were guarding two of the lighted-up rooms. The people on the second floor heard the shouts from those at the bottom and there was a movement in the room. The door that was first to be opened was the room that Tike was guarding. The Second Lieutenant Commando did not hesitate; when the opponent was still in shock, Tike had already struck a karate chopped to his throat. The Second Lieutenant caught the unconscious form and gave him a gentle push, sending him into the room. The other door opened at that time and a tall and brawny man strode out, catching sight of Second Lieutenant Tike who was busy binding the human form.
”What are you…” Darkness suddenly descended before the huge man’s eyes.
Tike did not even spare him a glance from the start; the Second Lieutenant knew that his comrade-in-arms would definitely see him well.
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There were still four more people outside the house and they were surrounding their companion, screaming at the top of their lungs. However, the man lying on the snowy ground gave no response, giving no hints as to whether he was dead or alive. These people dared not simply flip him over as perhaps he had injured his tibia or spine. Just when they were debating on whether to carry him into the house or send him to the church’s hospital, the distinctive whistle of an arrow traveled through the snowy night suddenly.
Practically in the split second, the sound of the bow was heard, an arrow had embedded into the thigh of one of the people outside the house. The miserable wail appeared particularly pitiful in the deep, silent night. These people were experts, the second they saw that their companion was struck by an arrow; they already understood just what had happened. No one bothered about the struck person lying on the snowy ground; they fled towards three different directions but were surrounded quickly. The one who ran into the house was undoubtedly the most unfortunate; he happened to bump into Second Lieutenant Tike who had rushed downstairs. The leader of the commando struck and shattered his nose with a solid fist and following a heavy, muffled sound, the person flew out onto the snowy grounds like a kite which had its strings detached.
The remaining two were hardly any better off. The two Narcissus Knights concealed in either corner of the house slammed them into the ground. The men probably couldn’t remember just how many blows they had gone through.
The huge doors opened and a Narcissus Knight dragged out two unconscious foes. Second Lieutenant Tike stood below the light on the patio and waved toward the depths of the dark street. Messier smiled and nodded, that meant that all the enemies had already been taken care of, totaling up to seven. He had successfully accomplished the task given to him by the Prince.
Second Lieutenant Wellington Steinberger was undeniably a master archer; his feathered arrow had brushed past the arteries of the opponent’s thigh and pierced into the slits between the bones. Thus, the man would lose the ability to move, but wouldn’t face any life-threatening dangers. This unfortunate man could only watch on helplessly as the Narcissus Knights bound him tightly and used a cloth to stuff his mouth and obscure his eyes.
The rented carriage in charge of providing support rushed over and the knights shoved their captive helter-skelter into it. Just as what the special operations officer had predicted, the horse hooves of the patrolling soldiers under the Ministry of Justice were heard traveling from the crossroads when the Commando members had completed everything.
The four rented carriages headed in three different directions at the intersection, yet we know they probably had a similar destination. As to how the Prince intended to handle these few unfortunate souls, it would be up to his mood that evening.
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”What do you think?” Oscar leaned back in the speeding carriage with satisfaction. It seemed that his mood was pretty good.
Snowstorm shrugged, ”Nothing much! If it were me, we would have already returned to sleep earlier.”
Oscar gave a mischievous laugh, ”We were merely dealing with a few secret agents, naturally I will not bother you; you are the King of Assassins, if one day I would like to take out Alfa III, only then will I call on you.”
The King of Assassins turned his head away, annoyed, ”You little rascal, don’t you ever dare target the Monarch. There Kings are surrounded by many formidable people; forget me, even 13 had suffered losses.”
”Ola! Really?” The Prince’s interest was suddenly piqued, ”Do you mean to say that our old friend 13 has targeted a Monarch before?”
Paul muttered sullenly, ”the King of Deiss Kingdom. Give it a rest, that was a painful experience.”
The King of Assassins shut his eyes; evidently, he did not intend to continue the chat with the Prince.
Although Oscar was in an immense curiosity, he knew that, whatever the case was, it would be impossible to dig out things that Snowstorm was not willing to speak about. The Prince whistled and shifted his gaze to the vast, white snowy grounds outside the window.
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Today was the 13th day of the 12th month. Currently, two in the wee hours of the morning and the knights guarding Tacheles Fortress were changing their shifts. The knights defending the Emperor’s Palace were unlike the young masters of the capital’s defending division; these knights were selected among tens of thousands brave warriors and even the guards defending the flag at the fortress’ watchtower bore the medals of paladins. It seemed that no one knew of their origins or where they had completed their training aside from the Emperor, so it was inevitable that the people would suspect that there was another secret region specifically to foster a defending force for the Imperial Household, aside from the nineteen military regions. Of course, this was just a rumor that had been circulating for close to four centuries.
The Emperor’s study was still brightly lit and it was somewhat strange, as Alfa III had not pulled an all-nighter for ages; he had many matters to attend to by day, leaving him so drained at night he could not deal with anything else. However, there was an exception to everything! For instance, his lover being poisoned by his wife and his son-in-law stirring up trouble.
Alfa III forever felt guilt-ridden towards Empress Rolyn Kate. He recalled when the Empress was delivering his first son, she was in a very critical condition. She grasped her husband’s hand and said that even she died, she would give birth to an heir for the Emperor. At that time, Osli Alfa Morisette was fretting over the issue of the heir and he was grateful to the Empress from the very bottom of his heart. But what about after that? There was a turn of events and Rolyn Kate gave birth to even more and this instead placed a burden on the Emperor. Having many sons and daughters were the pride of the Emperor, but then the selection of his successor would also be a huge matter that impacted on the foundations of the nation.
Alfa III had lost count of the cup of coffee clasped in his hand. Not so long ago, the gentle and vivacious Rolyn Kate would at that moment snatch his coffee away and, in a crisp northern accent, admonish him!
”My Majesty, this does not benefit you at all!”
”My Majesty… My Majesty…”
Alfa III startled and turned around abruptly, as it turned out, the one to admonish him was Laston Cambre. The Emperor eyed the coffee in his hands and gave a bitter laugh. People changed; thirty years ago, when he married sixteen-year-old Rolyn Kate, she was innocent and naïve. She and her sister would play on the court and on the swings just like every other girl, raising pets and teasing the Imperial Bodyguards.
When did it start to change? Alfa III did not know and did not wish to probe deeper into the issue. However, he was aware that Rolyn Kate was no longer that foolish girl who was ignorant of worldly matters. She controlled Westberg Fort and half of the state’s treasury. If it were necessary, the Northern Field Army would also respond to the Empress’ call. Alfa III did not want to go head-to-head with Rolyn Kate for it had already been proven unwise. However, Rolyn Kate really shouldn’t have conspired to murder Erdogan; at least his wife should have, in any case, informed him before she took action.
”My little son-in-law should have progressed good enough?” His Majesty III set aside his coffee.
The Palace Chief nodded wordlessly.
The Emperor let off a long sigh. He thought about the Prince; if he were his son, perhaps he could retire feeling reassured, and then surrender all his burdens on him; that way, perhaps he could have done things beyond his imaginations. What a pity! A pity that that child was not his son and, against all odds, became his son-in-law! This was a little troublesome; perhaps Alanis could control him well, otherwise, that youngster would act like a mad dog as today, tearing at anything that was not in his favor.
”Who can stand this?” His Majesty III massaged his forehead. Rudolf Hoss was still in the South, but he believed that he would not be too happy once he discovered these matters when he returned. Who could blame him? The secret agents of Andrew’s Military authorities had been operating for ages; was there a need to eliminate them?
”Who gave that order at that time? I am referring to the assassination operation targeted at the Viscount.”
The Palace Chief glanced at the Emperor but gave no response. However, the Emperor understood; was he the one who issued the order? This was too strange! He had no recollection of the matter! This didn’t make sense!
”Since it is like this... then very well!” Alfa III gave an exasperated sigh, ”Send my little son-in-law away as soon as possible! Oh goodness, gracious! Before he learns to take responsibility for his actions, I will not allow him to return to Dulin. If this rascal were to continue staying then, then I am afraid I will not have another peaceful day. His ability to stir trouble surpasses that of Princess Mica when she was young!
Laston Cambre removed the coffee for the Emperor and stood respectfully by the Emperor’s side.
”My Majesty, soon. The prince has decided to arrive at University Town on the Holy Day of God. He hasn’t left Dulin because he was looking for a house there. I heard that the huge residence he bought has almost completed renovations, so he will leave soon.”
His Majesty III nodded, ”This is the best yet!”
The Palace Chief glanced at the time on the desk clock; he felt that they should speed things up.
”My Majesty, do you need me to run over to the Ferdinand Household to see how things are doing? After all, it has already been quite some time after the issue. We should perhaps hear what the old Duke has to say.”
Alfa III waved his hand, ”No need, old Kachev knows what to do better than anyone else. After this experience, the Ferdinand family should have already taken precautions and my Empress would definitely be unable to toy with old Kachev; she only hurried and sought Oscar because she felt that it was beyond her capabilities to take action. However, that youngster is really daring, just an order and it cost the lives of three special operations agents!”
The Emperor laughed coldly, ”I do not wish to comment on the Empress’ actions, moreover, old Kachev still has tons of tricks up his sleeves and besides that, isn’t the little prince about to go off to study? So… Just leave them to simply do what they want! As long as it does not disrupt my sleep or anger me!”
”What if the situation gets out of hand?” The Palace Chief was extremely worried; he knew just what kind of characters the few mentioned by the Emperor had clearly.
”Out of hand?” Alfa III shook his head, ”Only fools will let it get out of hand! Old Kachev will not thoroughly fall out with Rolyn Kate before he is in control of the State Council and my Empress will also exercise restraint in her next move. All that’s left is the little Prince... Does he think he can take on old Kachev or Rolyn Kate?”
”So… Is it time for a midnight snack?” The Palace Chief Laston Cambre asked the Emperor, beaming.
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The supper was very sumptuous, but there was no one who would prepare such a feast in the dead of night. The entrée was lettuce potatoes mixed with dove eggs, the main course was roasted wild swallows, the side dishes were mix asparagus, mix squash, steamed eggplant, aioli as well as olive oil salad.
No one misunderstood, right? This was the supper of His Imperial Highness Prince O’Neil Andrew Morisette! Probably in this entire world, only His Imperial Highness would receive a guest with a fully-spread banquet on the table at three o’clock in the morning.
The Knights of the Red Tigers rarely had the opportunity to taste the authentic flavors of the court’s cuisine. They loosened their collars, drank the fennel wine and dug in ravenously.
This ought to be a hidden underground casino borrowed by the prince from Thomas Aulet earlier on. This casino was located deep in the heart of the Lair, and even the secret agents from the secret service department dared not mess with it.
The food and wine were spread out over the humongous table. The knights had been busy since evening up until late into the night. They were cold and famished. The prince’s supper undeniably arrived just at the right time, not to mention exceptionally tasty too!
However, it seemed that only one person among them was lacking appetite. Baron Messier De Quixote fiddled with the assortment of food on his plate in distress; he indeed had difficulty swallowing these. The former special operations officer glanced at the group of unfortunate men cowering in a corner of the casino. He somewhat regretted as he should have ascertained their identities before the operation.