Chapter 60 - Exfiltration

Luke dodged a sword aimed at stabbing through his gut as he countered with a flick of his wrist, his blade drawing blood as it sliced cleanly through the unprotected neck of the guard.

The guard gurgled his last words as he loudly thumped on the floor, his blood pooling under his body, never to move again.

Luke didn't hesitate to kill the guard because this person was with the Human faction, the insane zealots who would kill a child just because they had a tail.

Luke quickly dashed through the corridor; his cover now blown as a group of rushing footsteps neared his current position.

"Intruder! Kill the bastard!" A guard shouted, loud enough for the entirety of the estate to hear. Luke grimaced under his hood, his grip tightening over his drawn sword. He looked around the corridor as he ran, calculating thoughts quickly moving through his mind.

'You know this place, Luke. You have the advantage!' Luke dodged a sword thrust towards him from a guard he encountered on a turning path. Making use of the bust made of marble in the image of Lord Bentley that was placed here to show off his 'economic superiority', as he might've coined it, he smashed it against the helmet of the overextended guard, dazing the poor man.

Not wasting this opening, Luke immediately slit the neck of the guard with his dagger hidden underneath his cloak. The short blade was perfect for this type of close combat.

The guard dropped to the ground as he gurgled for air, blood gushing out of the lethal wound. A few moments later, the guard dropped dead, his weapon clanging on the floor, revealing his current location to the rest of the guards.

Luke made a mad dash through the corridor once more, focusing on the familiar layout of the estate as he dodged the incoming guards, and if not possible, dispatched them easily like bugs.

Let it be known that, as a knight, he had more training in the sword than the ordinary guard.

He turned a corner and saw a group of guards rushing him. Quickly scanning his surroundings for an advantage, he made do with a long table that displayed a bunch of figurines and pictures of Bentley's family.

The sound of breaking glass and marble hitting the floor rung in his ears, his apologies for the broken mementos of the past going unsaid as he kicked the table down and used pure magic to propel the table forward, causing it to crash against the group of soldiers on the opposite side of it.

The high-quality wooden table broke into large pieces, with the occasional splinter piercing through the unprotected skin of the guards. Luke then hightailed out of there, disregarding the groans and cries of pain.

'I can only do one more pure magic push like that…' Luke panted as his stamina continued to drop from his extensive use of his legs, arms, and mind.

Luke looked around his surrounding area and smirked.

'Alright, made a little detour, but I'm close…' Luke then frowned when he saw the overly-protected living room. 'I can at least count eight… maybe ten guards…'

Any other day, Luke might've been able to fight and come out on top, but with him on a time limit, as well as mental fatigue due to the use of pure magic instead of elemental magic, he decided not to.

'They still haven't noticed me…' Luke looked at the hanging chandelier situated on top of most of the guards. 'Well… Not like Lord Bentley would be using this house anymore…'

Aiming his finger at the rope holding the chandelier, he conjured a speck of flame and let it fly. The speck of flame caught the attention of the leading guard and he tilted his head towards the direction where the fame came from.

"I found the intruder! Guards! Apprehend the infidel!" The guards under the leading guard tried to follow his command, but a chandelier falling on top of their heads prevented that.

The chandelier killed about six of them, while the rest were either unharmed, or injured. Now that the favor was on Luke's side, he spared no time in dispatching the common rabble with his superior sword skills.

Blood was drawn once more as his blade flashed, groans of pain and desperate gurgling echoing in the halls. Once all of the guards were killed, Luke quickly went up the stairs, paying no heed to the slaughter he had committed.

'Not like they needed any pity or sympathy…' During the course of this civil war, Luke developed a deep hatred against the Human faction. Needless murders and genocide was the last thing this country needed with a bunch of rival countries with better equipment than theirs, and since their Hunter Association was cut off from the main organization, which was the Adventurer's Guild that was scattered all over the world, they could not get any outside help without alliances and political dealings.

'As if we need them now, anyways…' Luke sighed as he focused back on his task of 'kidnapping' Bentley before his supposed 'trial' could start.

His feet stopped as he stood in front of the door that led towards the office of his friend and lord, Bentley. Sucking in a breathful of air, Luke kicked the door open and was greeted by a mace that could've caved his head in if not for the sudden halt.

"Luke!? What the hell are you doing back here!?" Bentley roared as he let go of his trembling wife. The man holding the mace stepped a few meters back, causing Luke to recognize the man.

Nicholas Gallagher, who was accompanied by a young woman, who was also his daughter, Alexa Gallagher.

"No time to explain, I have a way for you to escape the town, and your execution." Luke said seriously, but Bentley refuted the man's claims.

"No! For the last time, Sir Luke, I will not tarnish the name of my household!" Bentley snarled, then sighed as he dropped on his ass next to his wife, who was beginning to calm down. "I have told you this many a time, Sir Luke, but my pride as a noble will not allow me to shirk off my duty."

"And in turn, leaving your two children orphaned? All because of your stupid noble pride?" Luke scowled as he closed the door and barricaded it, giving them time if ever the surviving guards wanted to burst into the room.

Bentley remained quiet, his grim face causing the air in the room to turn heavy.

"… What is more important to you, Bentley… Your pride, or your family…?" Luke said with an expressionless face. His eyes narrowed, gauging every nook and cranny of Bentley's face.

Bentley still remained quiet, refusing to answer his question.

'I have no time for this!' Luke stomped towards Bentley and grabbed his collar, bringing the noble eye to eye with him. "Choose Bentley! YOUR PRIDE OR YOUR FAMILY!?"

"… I am sorry, old friend, but my pride is what will keep the future of my household alive." Luke gnashed his teeth, his mind unable to process the answer from his friend.

It was illogical. No matter what, whether he runs or is executed, the noble house of Shaiydon will forever be abolished due to the twisted reforms currently going through the kingdom.

Luke was tempted to knock him out and bring him back, whether he liked it or not, but his respect for the man stopped him from doing so.

That is, until the other party who was witnessing the drama unfold decided to step in… Violently…

A body thumped on the ground later and Luke looked at the Hunter Association branch manager with a confused look.

"You have a way out of here? Then, can we come along?" Nicholas pointed towards his daughter, who was looking a little lost in the current situation.

Suddenly, the door began creaking, the barricade slowly, but surely, breaking down. Luke had to make a choice, and it wasn't one that took him long.

He reached into his pouch, and a bright lightshow later, the group of four were nowhere to be seen, confusing the guards that breached the room and prompting them to scan the estate high and low for the missing people.