Chapter 214

The Street of Learning was bustling as if it had been poked by a beehive.

“Ahhhhh!”

“No!”

Students who had been interested in researching black magic and the ancients fainted or were corrupted by the overwhelming presence.

Jin, the president of the academy and the head of the Academy Union, gathered the illegitimate children together, monitoring and taking care of them.

“First, block your ears. And quickly recite the prayer. If you really can’t bear it, just take some medicine and sleep.”

“I… my head hurts so much.”

“Close your eyes. I’ll pour you some holy water.”

Jin tried to maintain a calm demeanor.

“Bring more holy water here.”

The situation was dire.

“There’s too much consumption from outside as well.”

He searched for measures and solutions.

“Bring the academy’s theology students and the seminary students together. The back road connects to the seminary dormitory. If we request cooperation under the union’s name first, they will all come. If we hold out until the end… you know?”

“Understood. President.”

“President! This is serious. A completely mutated infiltrator has appeared near the front gate.”

“Don’t engage; let them pass. More may swarm in if they hear the sounds of combat.”

“President! Anya and five others have started to corrupt themselves. They heard mental waves too closely—”

“Cut it out and purify with holy water.”

“What, what?”

“It’s a method the imperial family member informed us of. Just do it.”

Always pretend to be calm.

That was the duty of one who became the ‘leader of the organization.’

“Everyone, stay calm! His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Duke will soon take action. Prince Seberik and Your Excellency Cariosa are also in the capital right now! It will be suppressed shortly, so don’t panic!”

Jin, who usually displayed absolute charisma, commanded at the scene without showing any sign of confusion, his blue eyes shining and gaining the trust of many students.

“That’s Jin for you!”

“President! I trust you!”

“Everyone has begun isolation, and I’ve gathered the students from the swordsmanship and magic departments.”

“We’ve collected all the reagents from the shop. They are ready to use at any time.”

The organization operated around him.

“We’ve caught the infiltrator at the front gate!”

“Wowwww!”

They achieved a certain result.

Because of this, no one knew that Jin’s insides were burning black.

‘Your Highness the Duke, what on earth is happening?’

* * *

‘It seems like this is messed up.’

The owner of the Hongdeungga Yeomyeong Casino and the matriarch of the smuggling tobacco business, the Red Mask, looked around at her subordinates.

“You must evacuate immediately.”

“The VIPs are asking about the situation. What should we tell them?”

“Infiltrators are approaching. Combat has begun at the street entrance. We deployed the New Wind faction, but it seems we won’t be able to hold them off for long.”

“The golden meteor was code ‘Flame Dragon.’ It is presumed to be an emergency from the imperial palace.”

It was clear that the situation was dire.

In the first place, even from the casino roof, one could see the distant anomalies in the city’s center.

How could one defeat an anomaly as large as the cathedral spire?

The Red Mask’s face hardened behind her mask.

Thinking simply, the best answer was to load gold coins and jewels onto a cart and flee from the capital.

No matter how strong the imperial knights were, they couldn’t fight head-on against the infiltrators numbering in thousands, or up to twenty thousand, in urban combat.

But the Red Mask believed in Valenciaunos.

‘It’s the same for the Great Lord Alliance that couldn’t win head-on.’

The meticulous, ominous, and ruthless Elder Brother of the Imperial Family and the Solletaras Imperial Family must have something prepared.

“Evacuate the VIPs to the Ivory Tower special zone.”

“What about you, Red Mask?”

“We will stay here and save the citizens. Focus on rescuing citizens rather than exterminating the infiltrators.”

The organization executives stared blankly at her.

This was not something she usually said.

The mouth of the red fox mask, with its jaw separated, twitched.

“The Duke of Valenciaunos will soon act. Somehow it will be suppressed. In the ensuing chaos, the first to be caught will be gangsters like us. If we want to survive, we need to create a reason to enter the dynamics of the capital. Secure the tobacco warehouse and focus on rescuing the families of the court nobles. We’ll evacuate them to the Ivory Tower special zone through the underground waterway. They will serve as our shield.”

“Yes!”

The executives bowed their heads and ran out.

With trembling hands filled with fear, the Red Mask clenched her fist and looked toward the imperial palace.

And the boy duke, known as the greatest bandit in the capital, did not betray the expectations of his two collaborators.

* * *

The center of the capital was wrecked, and many people fled toward the imperial palace.

This was an unconscious yet sincere manifestation of their desires.

They unconsciously hoped that the Emperor, a Sword Master and a great magician, could protect them.

Valenciaunos knew that by accepting them all, the anomalies could rush this way.

Thus, he issued efficient orders, detached from ethics and morals.

“…Captain of the Honor Guard.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Restrict the entry to the imperial palace. Only accept the families and relatives of court nobles, administrative officers, knights, honor guard members, constables, and officers.”

He merely issued endlessly ruthless commands.

“…I will carry out your orders.”

The captain of the honor guard understood the nature of that command.

It meant that honor guard members, knights, and constables should control their lines to prevent them from going to their families, or to not entertain any foolish thoughts at all.

“Please let us in!”

“Even this child, please accept!”

As he looked into the eyes of the citizens, hearing their voices, his heart felt as if it would be ripped apart.

However, the captain of the honor guard had seen what happened when the chief of police ignored Valenciaunos’s suppression order, and he had also seen the complete craziness in the boy duke’s eyes. Thus, he bowed his head and obeyed the orders.

Valenciaunos’s commands were efficient, set apart from ethics and morals.

He had grown accustomed to utilizing malice rather than human goodwill through experience.

‘The one-kilometer anomaly that has appeared in the heart of the capital is fundamentally a disaster rather than a war. In a disaster situation, those who cannot guarantee the safety of their families will have other thoughts. In other words, even assuring safety for their families and relatives can restore their loyalty.’

The eyes of the knights and elite soldiers, who had been promised safety for their families and relatives, regained composure.

‘Only the families of the soldiers and knights were accepted. They will feel relief, but at the same time, they will undoubtedly face jealousy, anger, and resentment from the citizens of the capital, feeling guilty. Concurrently, to cover that guilt, they will obey our royal family’s commands even more.’

The boy duke was wearing full-body armor with a black base and yellow patterns, instead of his usual uniform.

Rudi had grabbed him and quickly dressed him in the armor as he attempted to rush out in a shirt.

The new armor, without a single scratch, enveloped him perfectly, and he returned to being the field marshal Valenciaunos, standing on the battlefield alongside the Emperor after a long time.

“Sir Barbatos.”

The giant knight tightened his helmet and lifted his battle hammer.

“Here I am.”

“Order the constables to assist in the evacuation of the citizens. At the same time, secure the east and south gates for the Golden Knights to enter. The Black Iron Knights should maintain a loose encirclement to prevent infiltrators from escaping.”

The giant knight briefly analyzed the implications contained in Valenciaunos’s command.

To secure the east and south gates for the Golden Knights to enter meant those areas were not to be evacuated by citizens, and the order for the fifty Black Iron Knights to encircle the infiltrators meant that each knight was responsible for a street.

The giant knight honored a command that was, on the surface, unreasonable and even cruel.

He had never once refused the imperial summons since receiving his sword at eighteen.

“Of course, Your Highness. I shall show the might of this Black Iron.”

“…”

“You needn’t look at me like that. I would have issued the same order had I been in your place.”

Valenciaunos chewed on his lower lip and nodded, then turned to the captain of the Silver Knights.

The captain of the Silver Knights, dressed in armor with a white base and gold patterns, awaited orders.

“Sir, secure the Wyvernfit and enter the Magical Realms to assist His Majesty the Emperor.”

“I will carry out your orders, Your Highness.”

The Magical Realms radiated a pale light from high in the night sky.

The order to enter there was nearly a suicide command, yet the Duke was clear, and the captain of the Silver Knights complied.

Valenciaunos suppressed all emotions and looked at the messenger.

“Go to the Ivory Tower and demand participation according to the treaty. We will offer plenty of the anomalies’ corpses, so tell them to send the elders out as well.”

Thirty messengers saluted in unison.

Twenty-three thousand infiltrators were swarming throughout the capital.

It was uncertain how many of the thirty would return alive, but the empire’s best riders immediately mounted their steeds and raced through the streets.

Valenciaunos looked one last time at Tenitia, Rudi, and Sererassie.

The knight in white armor, the maid countess wielding the Magic Spear Kaspar, and the genius magician wearing pearl earrings all smiled charmingly, as if they weren’t scared at all.

“It is an honor to be with you.”

“I will serve you, even in death and after death, my Lord Valen.”

“How arrogant. Do you think you will die before me?”

He realized that he could feel both joy and sorrow simultaneously and donned his helmet.

“Then let’s protect each other.”

In a maddening world where beings that couldn’t be negotiated would come after the negotiations ended.

* * *

Valenciaunos advanced in a straight line toward the anomaly.

The imperial palace was located in the northern center of the capital, and the anomaly was situated right in the center. It was easy to follow the main road.

The problem was that the main road was filled with infiltrators, who seemed ready to devour anyone, and the citizens fleeing from them.

The empire had strict laws regulating who could appear on the streets based on their status and occupation, but such laws became meaningless before the desire to survive.

Thus, Valenciaunos expelled the citizens with a not-so-hot flame, while Rudi endlessly pulled the trigger at the heads of the infiltrators.

“Get out of the way! It’s my procession!”

“Go back to hell!”

Amid the throngs of citizens and infiltrators heading toward the imperial palace, there were only four who tried to go against the flow.

Yet those four stood before the colossal anomaly, not fearing at all, leaving tens of thousands behind.

Tenitia thought it didn’t matter if she was alone, Rudi closely followed Valenciaunos’s back, and Sererassie didn’t know why she had come along.

“Valen! What do you plan to do now?”

And Valenciaunos knew that reinforcements would come.

“Just hold on a little bit longer!”

“It’s like a bunch of vomit slime monsters everywhere! That thing looks like a loser who lost all his wealth when the casino closed this morning!”

“I’m telling you to hold on!”

‘If the capital falls, the church will also suffer a significant blow. Furthermore, if the imperial family suppresses this alone, we won’t be able to say a word for at least twenty years.’

Cornered to the extreme, Valenciaunos relied solely on malice’s calculations to predict the movements of powers.

And, as he had for the past forty years, those calculations proved correct.

“Duke Valenciaunos?”

Saaa—

Brilliant white light scattered across the darkened street.

Monsters, entwined with tentacles, shells, and teeth, burst into flames and fell to the ground.

A saint with a strong masculine face, profound eyes, and jet-black hair.

With divine power that twisted space, the enraged god, Matheos, approached, resembling a black goat.

“Oh! Lord! Strike down that vile one!”

“Kill all suspicious figures! The Divine will choose!”

Battle priests in black robes wearing armor, and holy knights in white armor followed behind.

Leading the charge was Angeros, and upon seeing Tenitia, whom he had clashed with a few days prior, he lifted his mask with a complicated expression.

“Lady Tenitia?”

“Yes. The world is truly small.”

Tenitia also lifted her mask and returned the greeting.

Matheos looked at the bandit duke in black armor.

“Saint! It has been a long time.”

His golden eyes were thoroughly deranged.

“Y-Your Highness.”

“There has been much, but how about we kill this anomaly first and talk again? At least we can converse, can we not?”

Seeing the frenzied gaze that seemed to have lost everything, Matheos nodded unconsciously.

Valenciaunos smiled and requested, “I have a plan. Focus on weakening the infiltrators rather than knocking them down. Spread the light of exorcism widely or use the veil of distinction.”

Matheos felt a shiver run down his spine and asked, “Can you tell me what this plan entails?”

“…Haha.”

Valenciaunos did not answer.

He merely let out a laugh that swallowed much sorrow.

‘If they knew, they’d oppose it. And… I don’t want to see any of them agreeing, even by chance.’