CH 68

Loyalty in secrecy.

Translated by SoundOfDestiny

Edited by Zil

“What …… Raidorl!? How did you find this place ……?”

The captain of the operative unit froze when Raidorl suddenly apperead in the rented warehouse where they had been hiding.

This reaction already told Raidorl that they were Granard’s covert operatives, but he had no time to think about it.

“You’re too obvious, you know. You can’t fool the eyes of our chief of staff with such rough work.” 

They had been spotted by Sven Arbeil from the moment they arrived in the town.

In the first place, it was impossible for a peddler to come to a town that was occupied by the enemy and the situation was unstable.

Sven had his men, who were the vassals of the Earl of Arbeil, watching them from the very start, and they knew that they were going to set fire to the town from the way they were buying oil and firewood.

“Well, I didn’t know that these guys worked for Granard until Darren told me about it.”

“So now that I know you’re my brother’s men,…… what are you going to do? Are you willing to surrender?　If you surrender, I will not take your life.”

“…… Don’t be ridiculous.”

The captain glares at Raidorl, who warns him to surrender.

He pulls out a blade he has hidden in his clothes and points it at Raidorl.

“We are a covert unit under the direct command of His Majesty the King. Our bodies and souls are dedicated to his Majesty and the royal family of Zain. We would rather die than surrender!”

“……That’s a lot of loyalty. What a wasted loyalty  of a foolish king.”

“How dare you smear His Majesty,……fire-eating bird!”

The captain shouts out the names of his men to attack Raidorl and laughs mockingly.

The man with the stubble blinks as he inhales what may be the last cigarette of his life.

“What’s wrong? What’s the matter?”

“Change of plan!　I’m going to kill His Highness Prince Raidorl right here and offer his head to His Majesty!”

The captain, whose face was as featureless as a covert’s, twisted his flat face into a hideous grimace.

“It would have been better if we had done this from the start. Instead of the euphemism of setting fire to the city and giving it a bad name, an elite assassination squad like ours could have taken His Highness’ head and the House of Zain would have been safe!”

“…I’m also a member of the Zain royal family. What about that?”

“Hmph, we don’t think as a royal of Zain when you’re banished to the frontier.You are now a menace to the country. You are a disease that must be cut off and destroyed!”

The captain’s face is tinged with madness.

This man would kill his parents and brothers for the sake of his country, for the sake of his lord.

Selfless devotion.

It is a perfect example of a covert operative who sacrifices everything to do dirty work for the sake of the master he serves.

It was a different kind of loyalist than Lockwood or General Garst, and Raydor narrowed his eyes in admiration.

It would be impossible to persuade this man, even with all his words.

Raidorl gives up trying to persuade the captain and turns his attention to the most unwilling man in the task force – the Fire-Eating Bird.

“What about you?　Are you going to give up and surrender?”

“Hmmm, ……, I wish I could.”

“Firebird! You!”

“Captain. How are we supposed to stand up to this monster? Don’t be absurd.”

The fire-eating bird raises his hands to the ceiling in response to his boss’s reprimand. He literally gives up.

“His Highness Raidorl, as you can see..the captain is not a magician, he can’t see… no matter how we fight, even I can’t beat His Highness Raidorl with such a magical power.”

The first-class magician, “The Fire-Eating Bird,” saw something that the captain and other operatives could not see.

It was a jet-black magic spewing from the back of Raidorl’s head.

It is a torrent of evil energy that is so haunting that it could drive anyone insane if they stare at it long enough.

“Is this the power of the holy sword?Isn’t this a mistake for a magical sword?…..”

(TL:same conclusion as Cruz) 

The fire-eating bird, seeing the flow of magic that is too evil, vomits meekly inwardly.

He with the cigarette in his mouth has a relaxed attitude, but his spine is sweating like a waterfall.

“I would have thrown my hands and feet on the floor and surrendered right now if I had been allowed to, or I would have given up everything and run away.”

However, the little pride that remains in “The Fire-Eating Bird” refuses to surrender or run away.

“I’ve raped as many people as I wanted and burned countless things. …… I can’t beg for my life just because it’s my turn to die now. Well, I guess I’ll give up.”

“Don’t worry, Captain. I’m not going to betray you. …… Well, I don’t think I can, but let’s have a big fireworks display at the end.”

“Is that how it is…… no one is going to surrender.”

Removing his gaze from the “fire-eating birds” who had declared hostilities, Raidorl looked at other operatives present.

Not all of the agents in the covert unit seem to be prepared.

Some are contorting their faces in fear, while others are scurrying around, looking for an opportunity to escape.

But no one seems to be surrendering to the atmosphere around them, and all of them have their weapons at the ready.

“Alright. Let’s get on with it……”

“Attack!!!”

Faster than Raidorl putting his hand on the holy sword at his waist, the captain called out and covert troops flew into the air and attacked.