This is crazy (2)

When an intruder appeared inside the castle.

The first duty of the private soldiers' captain Kaye was to go to where the baron was and protect him.

When he first came here, this 'first duty' seemed utterly absurd.

Shouldn't a private soldiers' captain, by right, focus first on leading his troops?

When battles happen outside the castle, the captain leads the troops directly.

But if an intruder appears inside the castle, he is to abandon command and rush to protect the baron.

No matter how disorganized a local baron's private force may be, this isn't the responsibility of a captain leading a unit.

Who, then, is supposed to command the soldiers during that time?

Clench.

But since Kaye had agreed to serve under Baron Prin Dagon, he had no choice but to follow his principles.

In front of the baron's bedroom door. Two heavily armed guards stood vigil.

Their glaring eyes revealed that the baron had personally selected them.

'Their first duty must be, just like now, to rush here and stand guard in front of the door.'

Knock, knock.

"Baron. It's Kaye."

—What's all this ruckus outside!

"It seems we have an intruder. The northern guard suffered considerable casualties."

Baron Prin Dagon shouted from inside his bedroom and did not come out.

—What about the private soldiers! What are your troops doing!

"Except for the 1st squad, I sent everyone to the site of the battle. We'll receive news soon that they've dealt with the intruder."

—Do you know who the intruder is? How many are there? Who suddenly turns up at this hour in the night?

"This only just happened... I'll report as soon as more messages come in."

—You know nothing, nothing! Useless, expensive private force! Just guard the door properly! Tell me at once if any message comes!

"Yes."

—Useless lot!

Prin Dagon.

In contrast to his kindly appearance, he was impatient and rough in temperament.

Also, true to his status as a rural noble, his thick belly was filled with greed.

Kaye was more worried about something else than the baron's scolding.

Oddly enough, the faces of two children kept flashing before the eyes of the captain of private soldiers, kaye.

'It couldn't be...'

Time passed anxiously.

Had he joined the response team to the reported site, he could have immediately assessed the situation.

But now, pointlessly guarding the baron's door, he knew nothing—neither how many intruders there were, who they were, nor how capable.

'What a stupid plan.'

It would have been better to gather all the security squad leaders and post them outside the bedroom.

What did it achieve to have the captain, who should be evaluating and leading the fight, standing here?

But Kaye was nothing more than a minion of the baron. He had no choice but to follow orders.

Worse, this was his official first duty as captain of the private soldiers.

Kaye's anxious gaze was fixed at the end of the hallway.

Soon, his deputy would come running down that corridor. Bringing news of the battlefield. Bringing information on the intruder. Then—

Crash!

A sharp noise rang from inside the bedroom.

'The bedroom!'

Bang!

Captain Kaye kicked down the baron's bedroom door and rushed in.

The startled guards followed. The 1st squad waited outside.

'Good lord!'

The baron, in his underwear, was standing behind the bed with his sword drawn.

Opposite him stood Evan and Bastian. Both carrying a shield, broken in two and oddly shaped, on their backs.

And holding swords much too big for their hands.

"Protect the baron!"

With a single shout, kaye leapt onto the baron's bed.

Clear muddy footprints marked the pristine, luxurious bed linen.

"How dare you...! Walking with shoes on my bed!"

"That's not important now! Guards! Protect the baron! 1st squad—completely seal the door so the intruder can't escape!"

"Yes!"

The private soldiers' 1st squad replied loudly. But the heavily armored guards hesitated, exchanging looks, approaching the baron.

They knew their job was to protect him, but did not like taking commands from Kaye, who wasn't even the head of the guards.

On top of that, the intruders were just a pair of kids.

Kaye shouted.

"Evan! Bastian! What are you doing?!"

"Captain Kaye. Swear to keep this secret forever and leave this place right now and we will spare your life."

"What?"

They were odd at times, but always spoke respectfully and followed him.

But now, Evan was pointing a sword at Kaye and speaking without honorifics.

* * *

Tch. I really hate repeating myself.

"I said, if you keep this secret forever and leave now, we'll spare your life."

"Evan, why are you doing this? Put down the sword. I'll do my best to plead for you with the baron."

How naive. You'll be lucky if you don't lose your life as well, Captain Kaye.

"You heard what the baron said. He never intended to keep his promise to us. Instead, he sent warriors to kill us."

"What?"

Kaye turned to look at the baron.

"What are you doing! Are you not going to cut those two brats' throats immediately!"

"Is that true, my lord? Did you really order the death of these children?"

"They are gutter scum who wandered the streets like beggars! I could order the killing of a hundred such lives without thought."

Kaye turned toward us again.

"Evan. Bastian. Even so, this isn't the way. What do you plan to do after this? Come, put down your swords."

Captain Kaye. I thought you had some skill, but in the end, you have no sense of reality.

That must be why, despite your ability, you're stuck as captain in a place like this.

"Kaye. This is your last warning. Drop your weapon and leave now. What you saw tonight—take it to your grave. You know just what kind of man the baron is. You'll be used and discarded, just like us."

Of course, it's not because Kaye treated us well that we're trying to persuade him.

His position is captain of private soldiers.

If we can talk him down, we'll have a much easier escape.

If Kaye lays down his arms, even the 1st squad at the door won't block our way.

Everything else gets easier from there.

Kaye seemed torn, frowning and relaxing repeatedly.

How annoying.

What is there to think about?

Can't he see his future—that fat-bellied baron will discard him too?

This is a man who ordered the killing of children because he didn't feel like creating fake identities.

After a brief hesitation, kaye spoke.

"I am captain of private soldiers in the castle of Baron Prin Dagon. Drop your weapons and surren— urk!"

No need to listen further.

And since my body hasn't fully matured and my heart and dantian aren't yet fully trained, from a practical perspective, going for an opening is the most efficient way to deal with someone of his skill.

Captain Kaye, just beginning his surrender speech, could only stare in shock at the sword driven through his heart.

"Evan..."

Splurt!

As I drew out my sword, bright red blood spurted out.

Captain Kaye's blood soaked the pristine bed linen in red.

For a moment, the muddy footprints that had dirtied the baron's sheets vanished under the dark red stain.

If only he'd been wiser, those footprints wouldn't have disappeared.

Next up were the two guards standing vigil at the baron's side.

Their piercing gazes suggested they were quite well trained, but as I keep saying, that heavy armor only slows them down.

Thud!

The giant greatsword wielded by the guard crashed down where I had stood.

The shock was enough to split the bed in two. But his movements were much too large—and much too slow.

Squish.

I thrust my sword into his armpit.

The blade pierced through and cut his carotid artery just below his neck as it came out.

Thunk.

I tripped the now-corpse, and his massive body toppled onto the other guard.

"Ugh! Gah!"

While he fumbled to push off his dead comrade, I leapt at Baron Prin Dagon, who was fleeing with his back turned.

"It would've been easier for all if you'd given up quietly."

Slash!

"Agh!"

The baron, grievously cut across the back, tripped and rolled across the floor.

Thunk.

From behind, I stabbed the baron in the back.

The blade slid smoothly between his ribs and pierced his heart. I looked around.

The baron was dead.

One guard stood frozen, not knowing what to do.

The eight men of the 1st squad, who had just burst in, stood in shock, petrified.

"Bastian!"

"Yeah!"

"We kill these nine witnesses then withdraw."

"Okay!"

The rest was far easier. Deprived of their master and captain, they swung their swords mechanically.

There was no sense of purpose, principle, or direction—just frantic parrying for the sake of it.

Even with a meager twelve-year-old's body, if I were killed by one of those pitiful blows, the millions of souls I'd slain in my days as a sword would laugh at me in the underworld.

Just as I finished off the nine witnesses, loud noises came from the stairs beyond the corridor.

Reinforcements were coming.

"Bastian, let's go."

"Yeah! Evan."

The two of us, dripping with blood like demons, jumped back out the window.

At times like this, being small twelve-year-olds was especially useful.

Using the darkness and shadows, we fled the inner castle.

We headed for the gently sloping hill at the wall, which we had already scouted.

From the outside, the wall appeared sheer, but inside, a hill made climbing easier—an artificial mound built to aid defense in wartime.

Hurrying up the hill, we anchored the long rope we'd prepared over the corner of the wall. Then—

"Hey! Evan!"

Espin's voice came from the other side of the hill—the now-dead Baron Prin Dagon's adopted daughter.

Looking back, I saw her scrambling frantically up the hill.

I quickly gestured for her to keep low and flatten her upper body.

"Who are you?"

"What do you mean? Evan, you told me to run. The choice was mine."

"We can't bring you with us."

"I know. Just let me use this rope."

That much wasn't a problem. As long as—

"I don't know how much you'll come to know about tonight, but meeting us here has to remain a secret until you die."

"Thanks to you, I'm running for my life tonight. Don't worry, Evan—I'll keep the secret."

"Be sure of it. If not, I'll come find you and everyone related to you—"

"Oh? Who are you? I don't think I've seen you before? Anyway, can I just use this rope?"

Cheeky thing. I like her.

"Use it."