○
Evangeline, watching the three people including Libertas disappear into the castle, naturally turned her gaze and met eyes with the approaching knight of Guiles.
The epaulette hanging on the knight's informal armor shoulder spoke of his position.
He was a senior knight (Banneret).
"You must be the captain of the guards? I'll inform you of the positions to be assigned for guarding."
"Thank you."
It was the usual etiquette here to inform the visiting noble's guard knight of the movable areas within the fortress and guard positions.
Evangeline followed the knight and quietly gave orders to her black knights—skeleton knights.
"Half of you patrol the castle interior in advance and find out the guard positions."
-Acknowledged.
The Guiles knight showed an interested look at the salute sounds ringing in perfect timing.
"It might be rude, but which family is the Lady from? Your knights are very elite."
"I'm sorry. My master likes mysticism."
"Ah, I see."
The knight nodded without further questions.
It was common in this world for high-ranking nobles or royalty to travel with their identities hidden.
They had such power and military might, and would reveal their family when they started proper talks about marriage proposals, so there wouldn't be a big problem.
"Then. This way."
"Yes. Please lead the way."
Evangeline smiled friendly towards him and ordered all her subordinates in their voice that others couldn't hear.
-「Rise」.
At that moment, Libertas's forces quietly began to move from within the shadows of the black knights.
○
Death is a force that instinctively makes living beings shrink.
The aura of death that dug into the fortress's shadows like sticky tar was invisible, but enough to send chills down everyone's spine.
"Is... is anyone there?"
The first to detect this ominous aura was the head jailer of the underground prison.
While patrolling the corridor with a torch, an unusual chill soaked his entire body.
"Strange..."
He couldn't feel any presence of prisoners who should be in the cells.
It was at the moment he turned to look beyond the iron bars.
Whoosh-
A hand wearing black iron armor suddenly appeared from the darkness behind his back.
"Ack-"
Along with a voice that couldn't even become a scream, the torch fell to the floor.
In the flickering light, dozens of presences quietly rose. As skeleton soldiers revealed themselves from the shadows, numerous blue eye lights burned in the darkness.
Click...
The bundle of keys danced lightly in the black knight's hand.
He, who was turning the keys as if amused, opened the prisoners' cells one by one, his blue eye lights flashing.
"Are... are you releasing us?"
One prisoner asked in a trembling voice.
Instead of answering, a skeleton approached. In his hand was a staff, not a sword or bow.
Suddenly, the prisoner's shadow came alive and swallowed him.
"Kyaa-..."
Crunch!
Everything ended before the scream could even finish.
Where the mage stood leaning on his staff, new skeleton soldiers were lined up.
-Put the head jailer to sleep. Such people often know secret knowledge.
-If he knows something, the master will be pleased.
The mage and knight exchanged opinions in voices only they could hear.
○
"This is the place that connects to all positions within the castle. It's often used as a banquet hall too."
"I see. The artwork is of high quality. Our master would like it too."
As the underground takeover ended smoothly, Evangeline, receiving guidance on the ground, smiled with satisfaction.
○
Step. Step.
"Where are you from? I'm sorry, but this is the armory..."
"Wait..."
As two black knights approached the armory, the fortress soldiers became wary.
But it was already too late.
They should have rung the alarm bell instead of warning.
-Clack (No regrets).
Thud!
Slash!
The mace and sword were simultaneously stained with blood.
As the mage who appeared between the black knights pointed at the armory's lock, it opened without a sound.
-Easy.
-Careless.
-Even though a war is happening in the neighboring area.
The newly born skeleton soldiers here took weapons one by one and carried them into the darkness.
It didn't take long for all the spears, bows, armor, and shields to disappear.
"What's this?"
The Guiles knights and soldiers on patrol looked into the armory.
In front of their eyes was only an empty armory.
"...Thieves...!"
At the moment the knight's distorted face was about to give orders to the soldiers, the shadow behind him twisted and distorted.
-Clack (Let them sleep).
The knight's words ended there.
One black knight and four skeleton soldiers with clear blue eye lights moved instantaneously.
The knight was knocked unconscious, and the soldiers lost their lives. Their bodies were dragged into the darkness.
Even the single drop of blood spilled at the scene soon disappeared.
○
"It's somehow quiet."
The adventurer archer employed by the fortress suddenly felt a strange aura while heading to the tower.
An eerie silence was pressing down on his surroundings.
"This is..."
He immediately took a stance ready to draw his sword and bow.
He wasn't a martial artist of high level, but he had enough experience. This aura enveloping the fortress felt somehow familiar.
Like that of a dungeon.
'Dungeon...? No way.'
The moment realization flashed, he turned around instead of towards the tower.
"I should find my comrades... Huh?"
-Clack (Sleep well).
There stood a black knight with blue eye lights shining.
A black shadow pounced on him before he could even react.
○
-Coo...!
The pigeons in the communication tower were trained to move and flee immediately upon seeing strangers. But seeing the mage, they just quietly fell asleep, without thinking of moving.
Crack!
The mage twisted the neck of one to extract blood, and began drawing a magic circle on the floor by mixing that blood with darkness.
-Preparations are complete, Evangeline. When you start the work, 「Perception Distortion」 will begin.
-Understood.
The mage's eye lights flickered ominously as he reported to his superior.
○
Evangeline, who received the report, smiled as if sincere.
"Given the time, how about having a meal together? The castle maids would have prepared a separate meal for the guards."
Coincidentally there was an invitation from the knight, and her beauty was enough to contain magic that bewitched those who saw that smile.
"That sounds good. But I'll wait for the meeting to end first."
"Ah, of course. You're devoted."
"Because she's the one who has everything of mine."
The knight nodded admiringly, as if impressed by Evangeline's appearance nodding heavily.
Loyalty is a virtue of knights.
Evangeline appearing in his eyes was an exemplar of knights, and this wasn't much different in reality.
Only the object of loyalty wasn't human.
'It's almost done.'
"If you're not going to eat right away, would you like to see the training ground in the backyard? Since you'll be staying for a few days."
"That sounds good."
Black knights silently followed beside Evangeline following the knight.
The knight scanning them laughed wryly.
"Your subordinates are very taciturn."
"Our virtue is silence."
"Ah, then the captain..."
"Isn't the captain's position one that should talk a lot originally? Like receiving support from the lord, or dinner expenses."
The guiding knight burst into laughter at Evangeline's glib response.
It was something he could sympathize with.
"Haha! That's right. That's why our captain's hair these days is much..."
"That's regrettable."
The training ground appeared before them as they chatted.
It was becoming evening.
Shadows were gradually spreading under their feet, but no one felt anything strange because of this.
"Now, this is the training grou..."
Thud!
"Ugh!"
"Thank you for the guidance, Sir."
Evangeline grabbed the neck of the knight turning to look at her, knocked him unconscious right away, and walked forward with a gentle smile.
The knights in the training ground had already been knocked unconscious or killed by surprise attacks.
In the middle of the training ground guarded by black knights, someone with a particularly intense aura was glaring at her.
"I heard guests came to the fortress... Did we let in enemies? From which family are you to commit such an outrageous act!!"
"Outrageous? Ha."
The moment she heard those words, Evangeline's gentle smile instantly twisted.
Her expression changed to a cold sneer was so perfect it was as if she had changed masks.
The dramatic change was enough to make onlookers break out in cold sweat.
"You...!"
"There's no human who can speak of outrage before me. Knight Commander."
Clang!!
Although the Knight Commander somehow managed to react to the sword strike that instantly dug in, he opened his eyes wide realizing his arm had been greatly knocked upwards.
It was common sense that a sword strike swung from bottom to top has less power.
But Evangeline's strength shattered that common sense head-on.
"What kind of impossible strength is this...!"
But he wasn't even given time to be properly astonished.
Bang! Crash!
The longsword held in one of Evangeline's hands was swung several times in a matter of seconds, unleashing an irresistible bombardment.
Precisely at the limit the knight could withstand.
"This technique... Northern... No, Imperial?"
"Both."
"Kuuugh...!!"
While murmuring the answer to the question, she pressed down on the knight with her sword in one hand.
The large knight with a muscular build had to exert all his strength to block the force she was pressing down.
While barely managing to stop the blade digging into his shoulder.
"Well done. Hold on a little longer. Support might come."
The knight's face turned black upon hearing Evangeline's mockery.
It was because he understood exactly what those words meant.
"The entire fortress has already been taken. How...?"
"You're quick-witted."
Thud!!
Evangeline, who kicked the Knight Commander unconscious, turned and looked around.
The fortress's knights, mages, and servants were all gathered, tied up or unconscious. The noticeably small number of ordinary soldiers and servants was noticeable.
The one who led the capture of this fortress was Evangeline.
She didn't feel the need to keep alive and capture people without high-level knowledge.
'Why bother when they can serve the one they serve more closely after dying and waking up?'
Finishing that cruel thought, she instructed the skeletons.
"Wait. I'll report to the master and come back."
-Have a safe trip.
Evangeline, who changed her sneer back to a gentle smile, moved her steps.
Squelch...
Red blood stuck stickily to her black boots from under her feet and fell off.
○
Beauty sometimes becomes a side dish for alcohol, and sometimes becomes an accompaniment.
Lucian's mood was elated as he dined with two beauties.
Suddenly his father's voice flashed through his mind.
[You must inherit this county. Whether wife or concubine, just embrace only the best woman! You don't match with such a rural castle lord!]
'But I think my thoughts are right after all, Father.'
Although his father vehemently opposed this marriage itself, Lucian was very satisfied.
The sight before his eyes proved that and more.
Amelia looked visibly tired, perhaps because she was still inexperienced in the lord's work.
But she had her own mysterious beauty that sublimated even such fatigue into charm.
And Libertas, her master, went without saying.
She was a woman with that dignity that was certainly a high-ranking noble, and beauty that even surpassed that dignity.
That alone was more than enough to make this occasion worthwhile.
'Although she hasn't revealed which family she's from yet...'
It was common for daughters of high-ranking noble families to travel with their identities hidden or form relationships with other nobles.
Because it's a development that often appears in heroic tales, many nobles have come to admire it.
Of course, it was courteous to reveal one's identity soon at this point of visiting another fortress, and it was also a natural virtue for safety.
But it had only been a day so far. Even if they were trying to hide their identity and commit something, it would take a few days.
For now, he just had to enjoy the banquet with this beautiful sight.
"Now let's talk about business."
As he was continuing his thoughts like that, Libertas's voice rang out, cutting through the air of the banquet hall.
"What kind...?"
"The marriage. I want to hear what you've prepared for my Amelia."
"Ah, of course you should."
The proposals coming from Lucian's mouth were generous compared to ordinary marriage conditions.
Radical conditions such as petitioning the king to raise the Terramor family from baronial to viscountial rank, and allowing her to manage part of the count family's assets without reporting when he becomes the head of the family.
Of course, this was under the premise of a 'normal marriage'.
'Anyway, when she becomes the lord and head of the family, all of this will return to my hands.'
This level of greed wasn't particularly special among nobles.
He just wanted to appeal to the interestingly smiling Libertas how wonderful a person he was.
"Once we hold the engagement ceremony soon, our wedding at the royal capital..."
Knock knock.
Lucian's brow furrowed at the sudden knocking sound.
'I said to gather minor reports and give them later.'
He was now essentially the highest decision-maker for internal and external affairs in Guiles and all castles belonging to it.
All matters except those touched by his father, the Count of Guiles and head of the Durangard family, went through his hands.
Therefore, while he understood there were many important tasks, he didn't want to be disturbed at such an important moment.
-Master. Preparations are complete.
But his furrowed expression instantly spread wide again.
It was because the voice heard from outside the door was that of another beauty.
"By preparations... Did you perhaps bring something to congratulate the marriage?"
"Yes. I've prepared a gift for you."
"Really? Your master is truly kind, Lady Amelia."
But the expression of Amelia that Lucian met when he turned back with a smile didn't look so happy.
Rather, a darkly sunken face.
At that sight, Lucian felt an inexplicable anxiety.
"Look out the window."
Hearing Libertas's words, he headed to the window with hurried steps before he knew it.
"...?"
For a moment, he couldn't understand the situation.
The scenery of the fortress looked no different from usual.
Knights on patrol and soldiers standing guard, even the sight of children playing and people in the outer fortress.
But something was clearly strange.
Something...
'It's quiet?'
No sound that should be heard from inside the inner fortress could be heard at all.
The sound of horse hooves and the shouts from the training ground that should only end when it's completely dark all seemed to have disappeared.
"This is..."
When Lucian quickly turned around, he saw Libertas slowly tilting her wine glass while sitting.
Her elegant gestures were still the same, but what Lucian felt from that appearance was not beauty but danger.
"Now let's talk."
Her voice putting down the glass was still gentle, and her gaze was soft too.
But the light of magical power flowing from her eyes was different from before. Purple light was burning mysteriously, emitting an ominous aura.
"About everything you 'had'."
Her smile was still gentle.