Chapter 123: Fourteenth Episode: Chapter 5 (1/2)
Chapter 123: Fourteenth Episode: Chapter 5
Translator: EndlessFantasy TranslationEditor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The light in the oil lamp flickered as the wind gusted. In the dim underground room of Lombardy, it remained a mystery as to where the wind came from. The wind sighed around the well, producing trembling echoes as the air particles bumped against the four walls.
Using the light reflected from the oil lamp, Oscar and Paul examined the architectural plan of the castle. The map had been drawn by Paul from memory. Although Paul's style adapted the unique stream of consciousness technique, Oscar understood that the things he drew were not much different from the actual situation.
”The secret entrance is here, near to the church of Her Majesty the Queen. Though no one dares to enter this area, to arrive at the secret entrance from our current position we'll have to travel through three corridors, one staircase and fourteen rooms. In the meantime, there will be three rounds of patrol performed by the guards,” Paul grew rather worried. If they failed to stay completely hidden, then even a successful entry to the secret underway would not lead to a satisfactory final condition.
”Yes! Yes!” Oscar's brows knitted together, ”No matter what, we must leave this place tonight! Aya's condition is deteriorating, I don't want her to...”
”I understand your concern!” Paul interrupted His Highness. He had been searching for an opportunity for the past few days, but it was certainly not an easy task to get near to that secret entrance.
”We're unclear of the outside situation, and we have no idea if the nearing locations are...”
”Paul!” Oscar finally showed his impatience, ”You see… we've stayed hidden here for almost a week! Black Devil was almost spotted when he went out last night to 'hunt' for food! Do you understand what this means? It means that we're all in extremely frail health! I'm afraid we'll all starve to death in this bloody place if we don't escape soon enough!”
”Alright! We'll do as you suggest!” Paul nodded in agreement. In fact, he was only following his intuition. His hindsight reminded him that this was not the most suitable timing for taking such actions. Since they were already being positioned in this difficult situation, they might as well take the risk and bet with their luck.
”Listen!” Oscar suddenly grew alert. He glued his ear to the corridor which led to the basement.
”Someone's here!” With great suddenness, Paul jumped up from the ground and hid behind the dark shadow with a short knife held tightly in his hand. Simultaneously, Oscar blew out the candle. The young man's long sword made a ring of flowing red light in the air as the light went off, immersing them in complete darkness.
”It's me!” outside of the basement's gate came a hurried voice.
”Damn it!” Paul cursed in a low voice. With meticulous care, he opened a slight crack through the door, the short knife still tightly grasped between his palm. The King of Assassins glanced at the person who stood on the other side of the door, and inspected the situation behind, before finally letting the man in into their safe spot.
”Why make such a racket?” Paul complained as he closed the gate behind Black Devil.
”Hehe! I've got us a sumptuous banquet today!” Shaw Curlink grinned from ear to ear.
Oscar patiently rubbed at the flint, and soon a flicker of light was produced in the oil lamp. Beside him, Black Devil was pouring out the stolen goods from his shirt.
”Good job!” Oscar let out a genuine sigh of admiration. Fresh white bread, caviar sauce, smoked meat, and steaming hot sausages. ”Are they throwing a banquet in the castle? How did you manage to steal such a feast?”
Still grinning happily, Black Devil took his seat. He had already familiarised himself with the interior of the kitchen from these few days of exploration. Each time he snuck into the kitchen he felt like he was going to turn into a massive rat.
”The Deiss seemed to be having a banquet of some sort, I'm not too sure about that. The kitchen was in complete chaos, and servants shuttled back and forth the area! But please rest assured, no one noticed me, and they didn't seem to realize some things are missing from the table!” Shaw said as he handed a large piece of bread to the young prince. He then waved his hands at the wearied Snowstorm who kept himself glued to the gate.
”Paul! Come over here, don't worry so much, no one knows we're in here!” Shaw extended the bread to King of Assassins, ”Hurry, I can hear your stomach rumbling even from outside of the door. Trust me, that noise is much louder than my footsteps!”
Once Pal was finally assured that no one had tailed his friend to their hiding place, he went over and snatched the bread from Shaw's hands, and shoved into his mouth the largest slice of smoked meat.
”Hehe! There's one more thing!” like performing magic, Shaw Curlink revealed a bottle of wine from his arms. ”I'm not sure from when is this red wine dated, but at least it's something!”
Immediately Oscar extended his hands and took the red wine. To tell the truth, he was so ravenous for red wine that his mouth watered. The drink that had once been something to go with his daily regular meals had become a burning desire he'd nursed for the past week. For this, he was extremely grateful to Shaw.
The young prince rapidly poked at the cork with the tip of a sharp knife and gratified his thirsts by indulging himself with a couple of gulps. Satisfied, he passed the original Laufenkamen red wine of year 706 back to Black Devil, whose eyes were gleaming with desire.
”Ah… this is some good stuff! Seems like I've made the right choice!” Shaw Curlink also revealed a satisfying smile after taking a sip.
”Speaking of choice… Have you got any plans for after?” Oscar asked abruptly without warning.
Black Devil looked the prince in his eyes, and he believed he saw some fervent expectations in them!
”Honestly… I don't have any plans for now. I just want to help everyone to escape from this torture, about later… I'll have to see what's arrangements the imperial family has made for me!”
”Depending on you?” Paul gave him a scornful look, ”Forget it! We would long since be sent to hell if we depend only on you and your few tricks! Don't you think so too, Oscar?”
Black Devil returned the snicker with a hard stare, ”You are not any better than me! This is no different from hell! Are bread and red sausage not enough to keep your mean mouth shut?” the imperial assassin said and flung the bottle in the air. Snowstorm grabbed it in a perfect swipe without even spilling one drop of the wine!
”Congratulations!” King of Assassins took a large gulp of the sweet wine and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, ”You have learned the art of mocking!”
Black Devil startled as he realized Snowstorm's eyes were brimming with warmth and kindness. And a sudden realization hit him! Without himself realizing, Shaw Curlink had become more optimistic. He was no longer the reserved, ferocious, imperial assassin that had always hidden in the dark.
”Shaw! If you would like… I can request Alfa III His Majesty for your transfer!” Oscar looked earnestly at Black Devil, ”Your identity is already exposed, which makes you unfit to become an assassin again! The imperial family understands this too. Besides, I'm in need of some new manpower for my Kenshin Palace, especially friends that can be trusted! Therefore, you can totally take up a new identity. Also, don't you forget, I'm also part of the imperial family, Alfa III will not refuse my request.”
Shaw Curlink felt rather confused! Could he stop being an assassin? A new identity? All these seemed too good to be true! He had never imagined he would be given a chance to live under the sun! Moreover, he knew that this young prince could absolutely deliver what he promised!
”Hmm… let's think about this after our escape!”
Oscar patted on Shaw's shoulder, ”So my friend, I'll take it as you accepting my offer!”
Black Devil pursed his lips and finally, he nodded with a smile. Friend? The term was completely foreign to him, but at the same time, he was extremely delighted!
”Alright!” Paul came forward, ”We're leaving this lousy place tonight! You have to lift your spirits!”
”Tonight?” Black Devil asked in astonishment.
”That's right!” Paul gave an affirmative nod, ”Now let's discuss our escape route!”
Shaw adjusted the brightness of the oil lamp. A peculiar and inexplicable feeling was aroused in him as he first experienced how it was to be trusted, to be accepted.
”Where are you going?” surprised, Paul asked the young prince that got up to his feet and walked toward the other side of the room.
The latter pointed toward an enclosed area in the dark secret room.
Paul rolled his eyes, ”If I knew this was going to happen, I would've built a private room for the both of you in the corner! It could have saved you the trouble of sealing the room multiple times a day!”
Oscar's face rose to bright red in response to the King of Assassins' snigger.
The wind gusted all around this dark, chilly, enclosed area! Aeolia had curled up into a ball on the pile of rugs the gentlemen had arranged for her. She had no idea where Paul had stolen these from. Another blanket that was draped on her was even emitting a disgusting stench that made her nauseous.
After chasing away the couple of rats that circled around the lady, Oscar held some food in his hand and sat down happily beside Aya. But what she couldn't comprehend was that the young prince unexpectedly began to eat in front of her.
A few seconds later, Oscar spat out the food, now partly-digested, onto his hands. Then, he extended the mixture of food chewed with his saliva in front of Aya.
”Don't frown, please, this can aid your digestion! It's beneficial for your recovery!”
Aya nodded under the earnest gaze of the young man.
”That's enough for you?” Oscar pretended to stare at the countess, ”We're leaving tonight! You have to replenish your lost energy to maintain your strength.”
Aya forced a smile, and took a look at herself. The infected wound on her shoulder gave out an unbearable stench, both of her legs felt as if they were tied down with lead balls, and she even needed the man to straighten herself. The countess's face suddenly turned red, she had never imagined Oscar would… would accompany her to… Anyway, she shouldn't mention about digestion at this moment. Now was definitely not an appropriate time to reflect on this matter.
”Honestly, I can't even go far!”
”Stop that nonsense!” Oscar was genuinely mad now.
”But…”
”No more but's!” The young prince turned his head away, annoyed, ”Even if it means I have to drag you home, I will, so please stop thinking about doing anything silly or unnecessary, and never ever doubt my determination! I will not leave you behind!”
Aeolia opened her mouth to refute, but she heard footsteps approaching outside of the tent.
Paul appeared at the side, ”Hey, you two should take a rest now. Reserve some energy for tonight's escape.”
Oscar draped his arm around Aya's neck, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead, before wrapping her closely in his arms. ”Rest now! I'll bring you to a hot spring when you wake up later!”
”Hot spring?”
”Yes! The miraculous hot spring! You'll be amazed at its effectiveness!”
”Then?”
”Then? Then you remain my Aya, and I'll wait for your work briefing! Actually... I've not told you before, I've always admired your beauty when you're at work!”
****************
”And then?”
”And then…”
”Yes! What shall we do after that?” First Lieutenant Ciel shifted his gaze from the officer and stared into the foggy forest in the distance.
”And then?” Major general Silvio Barrick's brows drew together. With an exquisitely made handkerchief, he kept on wiping at the beads of water which formed on his armor due to the high humidity in the air, ”And then we'll check for ourselves if the information is accurate or not!”
Ciel gave an understanding nod, ”Then commander, I'll go make some necessary arrangements now!”
”Yes! We have to ensure our ambush is set up flawless and immaculate!” Silvio nodded as he replied, wringing the dampen handkerchief. He looked at the tiny stream of water that trickled to the ground, and couldn't help but be amazed at the surrounding humidity! It appeared that a rainstorm was on its way!
Central Deiss was also known as Pastoral Country. The vast territory's surrounding areas were filled with hills and forests, so some people also called it the Country of Forests. With the rolling valleys and hills, it portrayed a staggering interplay of light and shadow.
Cold winds blowing from the foothills of the Alps quickly chilled and brightened up this large area deep in the forest on the inside of Deiss border. Fog dissipated gradually, the thin color curling up into the air above like cooking smoke.
Fallen leaves covered the ground. When the cold wind swept through, these withered leaves made a pleasant rustling noise. With the crisp yet lonely chirping of a bird, the shadows of the forest began to shift under the influence of weak sunlight. Accompanied by melodious birdsong, the treetops shook slightly as the cold breeze blew, while sunshine slipped through the slits of moving branches. Soft light swept over the faces of the soldiers.
According to the deployment orders of the battlefield dispatch chief Marshal Alan, the Second Corps of the Eighth Region of the Imperial Guards were currently ready for an ambush in this forest. They were scattered in the deep bottoms of ditches, the gaps between the trees and on top of the trees. The soldiers of the Second Corps resembled sculptured statues. Their bodies were concealed with cloaks sewn from leaves, their weaponry hid behind. The warriors were not exposed under their perfect camouflage. They lurked around the forest and hid in the pits they had dug earlier, pretending to be plants under their cloaks of leaves. Each pit could fit two lookout soldiers, and the openings of these pits were covered with dried branches and fallen leaves. These pits were only a few centimeters above the ground, but they were enough for them to check the surroundings visually.
”According to the intelligence report, we have to deal with the Deiss Ninth SS Independent Cavalry Brigade! Two nights ago, they deployed almost a Group of soldiers to attack our logistic military depot. These people destroyed the whole area, not leaving even one alive!” Major General Silvio Barrick spat as he grumbled. Although it wasn't anything much worth grumbling about, Silvio still felt rather sorry for it. The commanding officer of that military depot was a good person, he'd even secretly sneaked some good wine to himself during the last provision.
Two officers of the Second Corps had led their regimental commanders to surround Silvio. This was a brilliant hiding place, except that it didn't provide a shelter from the wind! They were all southerners, and Deiss was more than thousand kilometers away from the mountainous area of the south. For these southern warriors, fall season here was already much colder than winter in their hometown!
One of the division commanders rubbed his own hands together, ”Commander, what does SS mean? I've never heard of this military code from the Deiss National Military before.”
Silvio shook his head, ”I don't know either, and it seems like even Marshal Alan didn't know as well! That's why he demanded us to get an answer from the people here!”
The group of military officers burst into laughter. Some of these officers were supplementary officers that had only recently been assigned to the Second Corps. Initially, they all thought Major General was a cruel butcher as rumored. However, after having spent time with the officer himself, along with their recent battle experience, they discovered that the man was, in fact, a pretty decent soldier.
”Alright! Let's check our map!” Silvio pointed at the sheepskin roll laid out on the ground, ”This is where the attacked military depot is located! If the Deiss Ninth SS Independent Cavalry Brigade wishes to arrive at the battle line, they would have to pass through this forest situated in the northwest area of the battle line. Let's say they still wish to take action tonight, they would have to enter the rear of the battlefield from either here, or here.”
Silvio pointed at two different spots on the map. ”This is just the estimated guess of the Northern Army Group and the military combat department. What do you think?”
Another division commander stepped forward, ”Commander, you only deployed one Division in the other ambush point, would that be enough? We have no idea how many people the Deiss Ninth SS Independent Cavalry Brigade will deploy, and if they transfer two Division or three Division then…”
”No! No!” Silvio shook his head, ”Absolutely no! The commander of the other party is not an idiot, he wouldn't dispatch a troop of two to three thousand to sneak into the enemy's rear area. Moreover, our front line is not only an accessory. It's impossible that such a big transfer of the enemy troops would escape our attention. Therefore, I think the opponent would send only Division, two Division at most! The two Division could possibly sneak into the battle line from these two points, or just from this one! I believe we can overpower them, or if worse comes to worse, it shouldn't be too difficult to capture a few of them alive, right?”
All of the officers nodded in agreement!
”Alright!” Silvio retrieved the map, and the other officers, ”Everyone, return to your respective ambush point! Pay attention to your camouflage and position! We might possibly be hiding here for up to four or five days!”
Silvio glanced upward to the sky, slightly worried. There was still rays of faint sunlight just moments ago, but now haze had spread all over the vast sky.
Silvio turned toward his men and sighed lowly. ”Guys! The weather is still not too bad now, but the temperature might drop sharply once night falls! Be more attentive to your soldiers. Request them to divide into batches to seek for shelter when rain falls. We are all northerners, and just fall in Deiss could give us frostbite! But I promise! We'll head straight for home when the war is over, and never return to this lousy place ever!”
The officers broke out into hearty laughter once more, filling the air with delight.
***************
That was right! This lousy place was definitely worth a second visit! Marshal Dortmund Andrew Nedgabel made this determined statement the moment he'd set foot on Red Light Street. Duke Andrew didn't know exactly how to describe this place. There was no shame nor dignity in this place, so to speak. Women showed off their soft, milk-white thighs as the chilly fall wind blew. Their faces were caked with thick colorful powder, as they called out to all the men that passed by them in ear-piercing, high-pitched screams. They were not embarrassed at displaying their figures to strangers, and some women even went as far as shoving their breasts in the men's faces.
Feeling disgusted, Dortmund pushed away two full breasts that a random woman dangled in front of his face in annoyance. He had gotten really impatient! The few guards surrounding the Duke chased away those disgraceful women with much awkwardness. Although no one could recognize the marshal who was in disguise, in the heart of the knights this man was still the respectable marshal that could not be violated in any way.
Dog Biting Club opened their door widely to receive the visiting handsome looking men. Women immediately dispersed themselves. No one dared to disturb the guests that came to Dog Biting Club.
”Look! Look at the way they walk, they're definitely soldiers!”
”Exactly! All pretending to be saints!”
”Haha! Lady Zoera will discipline them using her ways!”
”Perhaps they are the one to teach Zoera a lesson!”
Looking at the doors of Dog Biting Club that had closed after the guests, these women split into separate heated discussions.