Chapter 98

A few days before the war began, Croilet Count came to find our Black Bat with a man named Short Lieutenant and his group.

The Count looked at us with a contemptuous gaze, as if viewing rats, and said.

“Perhaps the Maxburg scoundrels hired you all to assassinate me. How much did they pay you? I’ll double that, so join my command.”

So our guild master scoffed and replied.

“One thousand gold coins. And even though we are human filth abandoned by Deus, we cannot ignore a request we’ve already accepted. Go ahead and kill us; otherwise, the other guild members will lose their loyalty and won’t survive in this industry.”

Upon hearing that, the Count laughed and said.

“Hahaha, it seems your head is filled with nonsense! What are you waiting for? Hurry up, Short Lieutenant, and crack that devil’s head!”

Then, the Count killed our guild master for some nonsensical reason and hired us for two thousand gold coins.

And the Count quietly commanded us.

“Do not unnecessarily target the nobles or commanders in the city of Lothringen. Just make the citizens and the serfs from the countryside fight once they enter the castle. Attempt assassination only against the serfs and citizens. That’s more efficient.”

Though it’s an order, if we’re going to do it, it would be better to kill everyone, commoners and nobles alike.

The Count must have some kind of plan in mind.

While lost in thought, hurrying towards Lothringen, I heard a voice calling me from behind.

“Sir Switz, we will soon arrive in Lothringen.”

“Is that so? Understood.”

Then the village head, rubbing his hands together, asked me.

“Um, we brought you this far, and we treated you quite well, didn’t we…? How about some compensation for that…? If not, some loose-lipped fellows might start talking.”

Though the Count had given me money in case of such an event, it’s only been a week since I barely saved my life… How brazen of him.

“I’ll give you 40 more gold coins. But you understand, right?”

“Is there any other option, sir…?”

**

A few days later, we finally arrived in Lothringen.

At the city gates, refugees who had heard the Count was coming and the gatekeepers were arguing.

“Hey, what’s the hold-up? When can we get in? We’ve been sleeping outside in the cold these last few days, and children and parents are dying over here…”

“The commander of the garrison has to make the decision for you to get in!”

“In that case, at least let the children in first! That wicked Croilet Count is chasing us!”

“Lord Duke Maxburg will surely defeat that fool of a Count! And yet you still complain? Are you a spy? If not, I’ll have your mouth sewn shut.”

“No, no!!”

If it’s this chaotic, it might be easier to get in.

“Village head, you know if we mention that we paid you, it will be hard for you and the villagers to survive. So, you understand?”

“Is there any other option? Sir.”

“Who are we?”

“We’re fleeing victims of that wicked Baron Frost, who joined us after fleeing!”

“You’re right about that.”

As we waited until the sun was high in the sky, it was finally time for our party to enter the castle.

Standing at the castle gate, a guard, who seemed to be of a relatively high rank wearing an armor of low quality processed at Croilet’s steelworks and a poorly made helmet, came over to the village head and asked.

“What faction are you from?”

“Oh my, sir. I am the village head, Robert, from Miles Town. And those behind me are our villagers.”

“How much food did you bring?”

“We only managed to gather enough for 500 people for about a week… that Croilet scoundrel is just too harsh…”

“Ugh, you’re nothing but useless serfs! Wait a moment; I need to call the commander of the garrison!”

Damn, what if this high-ranking fellow suspects us and takes us away…

I have no choice but to resort to bribery here as well.

“Uh, sir…”

Hearing that, the soldier looking for the commander spoke with annoyance.

“What the hell do you mean by ‘sir’? Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“Please, take this.”

Then, I handed five gold coins to the soldier in front of me.

“I can’t help it; considering how you’ve come relying on Duke Maxburg, your sincerity is commendable… Ahem, you may enter immediately. Stay at the open space under tower number 20 of the castle walls!”

“Thank you, sir.”

And we entered through the castle gate.

Upon entering and arriving at tower number 20 of the castle walls, my group called for the village head.

“If you want to live long, it would be best not to mention that we are the Count’s men. If we arouse suspicion, you and your villagers won’t all survive.”

“Is there any other option…?”

Upon hearing this, the 20 soldiers we infiltrated with moved to a discreet corner of the castle walls.

We confirmed that there was no one around and started our conversation.

“Sergeant Switz, what should we do now?”

“First, I’ll separate from them, and you should stay together with the villagers. Once rumors of trouble start spreading, spread the word that ‘a spy sent by Croilet Count has entered.’ And as the rumors escalate, let it slip that you’ve heard that low-ranked knights or Captain Hundred-level folk will open the castle gates.”

Upon hearing this, the foolish soldiers, blinded by ambition and possibly purged by the Count, looked at me with eager eyes.

However, the Count had already said.

“Those who survive this mission will all be placed in the intelligence unit, but nine times out of ten, they will die at the hands of the enemy. And they deserve it; it makes me feel good to be able to use those who disregarded their superiors during training like this.”

Yet, there’s no need to tell those fools to strip away their will to live, and if they can return alive, the Count promised real rewards.

“This is an important mission that cannot fail. So, hurry up and move. I will do my part.”

Then, I packed the black robe, dagger, and throwing darts hidden in my luggage and quietly slipped away.

**

As time passed, night fell, and three-quarters of the soldiers stationed at the armory, castle, and walls had gone to bed.

The remaining soldiers began to chat with bored looks, one holding a torch and the other a weapon.

“Hey, you know? I totally knocked Bella at the inn down, right? But that sly Bella, maybe falling for this handsome face of mine, started showing off around her chest. It looked like a little hill…”

“Stop talking nonsense. I’ll admit Bella’s pretty, but she’s a girl who would seduce even a bald Captain Hundred if given money. It’s not just you, even old bachelor Brandon who hasn’t married.”

“What? You punk…”

Fools, even though we haven’t besieged the castle yet, they’re busy talking like that while on guard…

What are they planning to do if the armory behind them gets robbed? Pathetically naïve.

Well, it’s our assassin’s job to teach such pathetic individuals a lesson with death.

“Hey, I’m telling you! If I confess to Veronica this time, we’ll surely get married! The bride will officiate, no less.”

“Yeah, like that’ll ever happen. By the way, why did Veronica kick the chance to be a knight’s mistress a few months ago?”

“It’s all because of this wonderful sir…”

I threw a dart from a distance, hitting that fool in the neck precisely.

The guy next to him panicked and started waving his torch, but soon went over to him and slit his throat with a knife.

“Phew, if I had a little more time, I’d have loved to set fire here too… But there’s no time, I need to move on quickly…”

As I was grumbling, I felt a presence behind me.

Unconsciously gripping my dagger, I turned around to see a classmate waving their hand with a confused expression.

“The Master coming in doesn’t want us to torch the armory, and told us to scare the serfs in the village first.”

“I know that too. But where is the Master? Where did he say to meet?”

“He just told us to come out in three days. And he said to bring along as many of the other leftovers who got inside the castle as possible.”

“This is insane.”

“I agree, but when ordered from above, we have to comply.”

After that remark, I quickly slipped out of the armory and struck the floor near the heads of the sleeping village leaders with a hammer.

With a loud bang, dirt exploded everywhere, and the startled village head and the other villagers’ eyes turned towards me.

“Ahh, an assassin!!”

“Guard! Guard!!!”

“Damn it, grab whatever farming tools you have!!!”

“We can’t die like this; we need to kill him! Grab your weapons!”

After saying that, the serfs began to chase me with the farming tools stacked around them.

“Get that guy! Kill him!!!”

“Damn it, it’s already unfair that we entered the castle to escape Croilet’s army; I can’t die like this!!!”

Even if they chase me, they won’t be able to catch me…

My fellow assassins and I continued to assassinate any soldiers keeping watch whenever we had the chance, instilling fear in the serfs to maximize their anxiety.

As a result, by morning, a serf, perhaps having lost their senses in fear, yelled at the garrison soldiers.

“Didn’t the lord claim he would protect us? Why is it so dangerous here!!”

“I heard from someone who fled yesterday that there are traitors among the soldiers since these assassins are walking openly. Please kill that bastard!”

“Guarantee our safety!”

As those words continued, the commander of the castle’s defense came out and said.

“We will double the watch to catch the assassins, and none among us is a traitor! So do not worry. Those who spread rumors about traitors will all be hanged!”

Upon hearing that, my companions and I quietly snuck into the house of a noble with a large estate that we had previously killed.

And the guild master said to us.

“From now until Count Croilet arrives, continue to commit assassinations and destruction at an even smaller scale than today.”