Chapter 767 – 767. Warning and Gift (3)
“Haaam~!”
“What are you doing?”
The senior guardsman frowned at the atrocities of the junior guardsman who openly yawned.
“Oh, sorry. I don’t know stop…”
“I am at work. You have to be patient.”
“No. But. Just standing still like this, isn’t it too boring?”
The place where the two guards are currently on duty is the entrance of the royal palace where the royal family of Bartel Kingdom is located.
It was their job to keep intruders out without permission.
However, the successor guards seemed to be aware of the duties and responsibilities of such a child, or rather, responded with regret.
“…”
The senior’s eyes narrowed fiercely as he glared at the successor guardsman, who proudly said that his negligence in duty was unavoidable.
“I will stand up straight again!”
Based on his long experience, the successor guardsman, sensing that he was about to be scolded, straightened his back and went back to his duty.
“… Whew.”
The senior guard, seeing the attitude of his successor, held back his words and let out a sigh instead.
Hearing the senior’s sigh right next to him, the junior guardsman also felt a little annoyed inside.
‘Ah, this old-fashioned man is for real. It’s starting again.’
He was always full of dissatisfaction with himself, but when he didn’t bother to let it out, he let out a sigh instead of dissatisfaction.
He, of course, wasn’t the only one doing that to himself.
The current situation of the palace guards is that many of the senior guards who have been working for a long time are dissatisfied with many of the younger guards who have been employed as royal guards at the palace.
Things these days have no grit and no grit.
Not sincere
There is no sacrificial spirit to serve the country.
He wasn’t like this when he was younger.
You know nothing
Such dissatisfaction was common, and each time I heard the same story over and over again, the conflict between the successor and the senior guardsman deepened.
‘Who the hell is going to invade this peaceful country…’ .’
Twenty years have passed since the war ended.
And in this peaceful era that came, the duty of the guardsmen was a very boring and boring life.
Armed with heavy armor and a spear, the mission was to stand in the same position for more than 4 hours a day.
Isn’t it so sweet that you can secure your family and your life just by doing this?
However, if that sweet honey became more and more familiar and natural, after that it was just a repetition of boredom.
The duty of the Royal Guard was wrapped up as a grandiose mission to maintain the life of the royal family and the order of the country, but in reality it was a series of boredom.
But the senior guardsmen thought differently.
The age distribution of the royal guards serving in the kingdom was very diverse, but many of them, from the head of the guards to the seniors, were old noblemen, and they were also of the generation who had experienced war or the aftermath of war in the past.
For them, war was a terrible event in which many people, including parents, friends, lovers, and family, had to die on a large scale, and it was a disaster that could happen again anytime, anywhere.
Most of the senior guardsmen thought that the terrible war might break out even now.
That’s why I felt uneasy and pitiful about the young soldiers who were complacent in the current peace and thought that this peace would last forever.
‘I wonder if it can’t be helped.’
However, the senior guardsman is not the only one feeling that pathetic thought from his successors.
In fact, the royal family they served and paid for themselves, and by extension, the kingdom itself, was getting used to this peace little by little.
The Kingdom of Barthel is not a country that has risen to the ranks of the great powers that are making a name for themselves within the continent.
A country located in the eastern part of the continent, far from the center, and benefiting economically from the most active movement of logistics by land between neighboring countries.
The current royal family of Barthel is focusing on the strategy of increasing national power in the economic field by gradually revitalizing the commercial sector rather than increasing national power by increasing military power.
In fact, in the budget being executed by the royal family, the organization of armaments was put off until later.
Being in the rear with other nations as shields from the monsters and undead armies that started in the west and invaded the center little by little, the strategy of developing economic power rather than military power was effective in a sense.
It was a time when they felt lamentation about not being able to change it, as one of the royal guards, while feeling the reality of the kingdom gradually changing.
“Hmm… ?”
Something black shimmering came into the field of vision of the successor guardsman, who was pretending to be wary of his surroundings with his back stiffened.
“I-what is that?”
“What? What… Hmm?”
The senior guardsman, who was lost in thought, belatedly woke up and replied.
It was finally visible in the field of vision of the senior who followed the gaze of the junior.
“… Article?”
It was no ordinary article.
The knight walking toward the entrance of the palace was armed with a full-body black full-plate mail.
One thing that was strange was something that shook the whole body of the knight.
It wasn’t until a long time later that he noticed that it was a shadow that was showing off his presence, rising like a flame.
The senior guardsman felt something when he saw the black knight getting closer and closer, and put strength into his hand holding the spear.
“Don’t come any closer!”
Feeling the indescribable seriousness at the same time, the junior guard pointed a spear at the black knight and spat out a warning.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Letting out a harsh metal sound, the black knight did not stop walking.
The senior guardsman, who instinctively realized that the knight’s footsteps, gestures, actions, and existence itself was a dangerous person in itself, felt chills for the first time in a long time.
Whii profit!
Without hesitation, he blew the whistle that was hanging around his neck with all his might.
A signal to call all of the palace’s emergency guards in preparation for an emergency that cannot be dealt with with only two guards standing guard.
Blowing this whistle is the first warning of an emergency blown in about 10 years since the aftermath of the war was completely over and peace was reached.
Clap!
“…”
As soon as the light and clear sound of the whistle rang out, the black knight stopped walking.
‘… Did you stop why?’
I wondered why it had stopped, but I broke out in a cold sweat as I aimed my spear at the two guards, the black knights.
The two guards wouldn’t know.
The reason why the black knight in front of him stopped at the sound of the whistle was that he had heard the notification of the emergency and was waiting for all the emergency forces that could be summoned to gather here.
◆ ◆ ◆
‘A total of 113 people.’
It took about 5 minutes from when the whistle sounded until all of them gathered here.
Alvin thought.
‘Too slow.’
That’s why she almost let out a sigh as to what threat she was trying to rule out, but she managed to hold back.
Perhaps, if it were the knights of the Armitas duchy, it would have taken less than two minutes to finish all their armaments and gather at the source of the sound.
‘Although I’ve heard that it’s a country steeped in peace.’
Perhaps it was because of the geographical advantage that there was no reason to fear witches and foreign invasion, and even if the military defense was poor, it was too weak.
Even Alvin, who had no knowledge in this field, felt that way, so the seriousness of it was unnecessary to explain.
At this level, he dared to fight Eunhyeon or the dukedom.
‘But. Since they were no match at all militarily, they must have been planning to devour the dukedom through economic pressure.’
In a sense, economic power was also the field that could be best used for conspiracy or politics.
After deciding that all the guards who had been summoned as an emergency force had gathered, Alvin took action.
Clap! Clap!
As I moved my stopped steps and moved forward again, the heavy metal sound of the armor began to resonate around me.
“Go, don’t come any closer!”
“Reveal your identity!”
“…”
Alvin did not respond to the warnings and demands of the guards who were full of tension, vigilance, and fear.
In this mission given by Eunhyeon, Alvin was not allowed to provide even the slightest clues that would allow him to guess his identity.
That’s because if they find even a little bit of connection with the kingdom of Pernias, including the relationship between Erwin and Eun-hyeon, it could turn into an international diplomatic problem.
That’s why Alvin didn’t let a single word out of his mouth.
Alvin has only one goal.
‘Become rampant enough to alert the Bartel Kingdom.’
However, human casualties must be kept to a minimum.
To execute this command with the condition attached.
The decision made by Erwin to satisfy that unreasonable condition was quicker and simpler than expected.
‘Let’s destroy half of the palace and go back.’
Alvin took action.
Ignoring the warnings of the guards, he continued to move forward and tried to enter the palace. In the end, a clash between Elvin and the royal guards of Bartell was an inevitable result.
“Shit!”
When warnings were not heeded, a young guardsman thrust his spear at Erwin.
Caang!
A light metal sound resonated, and at the same time, the blades of the guards’ spears collided with the black armor made of Elvin’s shadow and broke in vain.
“What… !?”
The eyes of the guardsman, who witnessed his spear being destroyed with just one attack, were stained with bewilderment.
It was not only the young guards who made the hasty attack, but also the other guards who witnessed the scene as well.
As if something had happened, Alvin casually continued to move forward.
“Uh, what… ! Stop it right now!”
Perhaps because they realized that their weapons would not work, the guards clung to Elvin, who was forcibly suppressing them inside the palace, and tried to block her with their whole body, but even that was not easy.
Even though the five men clung to each other and tried to forcefully push Alvin’s body away, her advances on Alvin were unstoppable.
“This nonsense… !”
The illusion that I am pushing a huge wall that can never be pushed.
On the contrary, the bodies of the frightened guards were pushed further and further back.
Of course.
Erwin’s body is the masterpiece of Eunhyeon and Illyana, made from the branches of the World Tree.
The basic specs far exceed that level when compared to ordinary humans.
Even knights who know how to handle magic properly should be on par with their physical specs, but normal guardsmen who can’t even handle magic, let alone properly strengthen their bodies, couldn’t stop Alvin.
“Keugh!”
Finally, the guards who were blocking Alvin’s progress with their whole bodies were slowly pushed back, but they couldn’t stand it and bounced away.
It wasn’t long before Elvin, who entered the palace without the slightest violence and only by moving forward, met his second obstacle.
“What a fuss!”
Following the guards, those who were summoned after hearing the whistle’s notification of an emergency call.
Armed with splendid armor and long swords, many were guard knights responsible for escorting the royal family.
“Who the hell are you! Reveal your identity!”
“…”
Alvin pondered in front of the Royal Guard knights who pulled out her sword from her waist and pointed it at Elvin.
How should I deal with them so that I can be recognized for successfully completing the orders of my boss, Eun-hyeon?
Alvin didn’t think that his fighting ability using her shadow was weak.
However, it was only the killing ability to take the life of the other person that was exceptional, and it was difficult to gauge how much care should be taken when it comes to interpersonal battles that do not take lives.
It is impossible to inflict fatal damage to vital points by cutting, tearing, or penetrating.
After much thought, Elvin’s conclusion was simple.
‘I’ll just hit him until he dies.’
Elvin used her shadow to form her two black maces in his hands.
