Chapter 61: Infiltration

A demon had invaded Count Consilus’s territory.

For a moment, it seemed everything would be thrown into chaos, but it was calmed by announcing it as a false alarm.

From now on, they had to move in secret.

“The place we’re heading to will be destroyed in 6 hours.”

“If it’s going to be destroyed in 6 hours, even if we move now, it’s already too late.”

They had spent the entire previous day preparing the expedition.

They equipped themselves with light gear to maximize mobility, even pushing their limits a bit, and prepared magic.

Even so, the required time was one day.

But the objective of the operation would disappear at dawn.

“How did you obtain that information?”

Consilus asked.

“I heard it from the demon that invaded this place. It was Sitri.”

“Sitri? Do you mean the archdemon Sitri?”

The demon of lust and illusion.

For knights who had to resist temptation, she was one of the most dangerous archdemons.

“You can’t trust the words of demons.”

“It doesn’t matter. It can be trusted. I made a deal with that demon.”

“A deal with a demon…?”

Consilus couldn’t understand it.

There had always been only one rule.

Do not make deals with demons.

The atmosphere grew heavy.

Not only had an archdemon appeared, but they had also made a deal.

“Do not hesitate, men.”

Consilus spoke with a firm voice.

“The swords and armor you carry exist thanks to the regent of Valdrova. Have you forgotten?”

Order was immediately restored.

More than remembering Perda’s favor, it was Consilus’s authority that imposed discipline.

Even he had doubts.

But they could not waver.

“What was the content of the deal?”

Consilus asked.

“There is a demon trapped in the research facility. In exchange for freeing her, she provided us with the means.”

“If even the archdemon Sitri asked for her release, it sounds like a dangerous demon…”

“She said she is one of her daughters. In exchange for freeing one among many demons, we obtain a lead on the demons.”

“Even a hedgehog protects its young… it seems demons also have affection.”

“It seems so.”

Perda took out the scroll he carried and placed it on the table.

“I accepted the deal and received this scroll. It is our means of transport.”

Consilus did not examine it directly, but gestured to his personal mage.

The mage observed the scroll and said.

“It is a Binding Bridge configured to transport eight people back and forth. That they gave us a spell of this level…”

“I’m not an expert in magic. Can you explain it?”

“It’s similar to Teleport Door, but it works differently. It passes through an intermediate dimension. That means it is difficult to detect with conventional magic.”

“So this spell passes through hell.”

“Even if it passes through hell, the probability of being affected is extremely low, so you can be at ease.”

Consilus was not at ease at all.

Hell.

A place with seven domains ruled by seven archdukes.

A place no one returns from.

“Even so, since it’s a scroll given by a demon, we should verify if there are traps—”

“No. There is nothing strange about the spell.”

Perda said it firmly.

The mage, who was already forty years old, was not pleased at all with that young regent.

“It would be better to check it once more. You are the one who will use it, and experience—”

“I also have experience. There are no traps. Let’s not waste time.”

The mage’s face twisted.

An 18-year-old talking about experience.

But Perda was only telling the truth.

Leaving aside the useless discussion, he pointed to a spot on the map.

“The teleportation point will be here. Inside a cave.”

“It’s close to the facility. If we get closer, we can arrive in less than 10 minutes and capture it before it’s destroyed.”

Consilus quickly outlined the plan.

“Only eight people can enter. Two will secure the Binding Bridge, and the other six will split into two teams. I will select five knights and one mage.”

“No. I’ll take Zed. Select only five.”

“Understood.”

He looked at the gathered knights and chose.

“Hans, Marco, Cowin, Billy, Philip. You will come with us.”

“Yes, sir!”

The chosen ones responded proudly.

Going to the battlefield was an honor.

Perda glanced sideways at Zed.

He was exhausted from the escort mission.

His eyes looked like those of an old dog.

“Zed. Move.”

“Yes…”

There was no honor for him.

He only obeyed because he had to.

***

10 minutes before the operation.

They gathered in the strategy room, equipped for the extreme cold of the north.

Consilus explained the plan.

“This operation’s main objective is to obtain information and carry out a rescue. We will divide into three teams. Cowin and Philip will secure the entrance. The regent, Marco, and I will obtain the information. Hans, Billy, and Zed will handle the rescue.”

“Understood.”

“Is there any characteristic of the target to be rescued?”

“It is a demon with pink hair.”

“If she has pink hair, she will certainly stand out. Rescue a demon with horns and black skin. Understood?”

“Yes!”

“Then we proceed to the final verification!”

They did not forget to check everything until the end.

The place they were entering was enemy territory.

An enemy within the enemy.

A single mistake could ruin everything, so they reinforced discipline.

Zed, who had been listening, scratched his matted hair and approached Perda.

“Lord regent.”

“What is it?”

“That place we’re going to… it’s a gate for 8 people, right? Eight go in and eight come out, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then… isn’t it obvious we won’t be able to rescue that demon?”

If eight go in, only eight can come out.

To bring her out safely, seven would have to leave.

“Don’t worry about that. When demons die, they are summoned back to hell.”

“Oh, then it’s enough to kill her there, right?”

Perda paused to think for a moment.

“No. Do not kill her there. Bring her to me.”

“Eh? Isn’t that unnecessary?”

Sending her back to hell would be enough.

Then Perda answered.

“If we do it like that, it will end too easily.”

And things that are too easy always bring problems later.

At least, that had always been his life.

***

10 seconds before the operation begins.

“Open the portal!”

Following Consilus’s order, the mage poured mana into the scroll.

The magic circle absorbed the energy and emitted a white light.

Shortly after, the space above the scroll began to distort.

Like a spring disturbed by the wind, the opening expanded until it formed a circular window to another place.

A dark cave interior.

And in front of it, the exterior covered by a snowstorm.

Consilus, wrapped in a fur coat, spoke.

“Deploy!”

Two men from the security team entered first.

Then the others followed.

Like well-trained soldiers, they secured the route with precision.

“The activation time of the Binding Bridge is one hour. Within that time, we will recon the interior, carry out the rescue, and obtain the information.”

“Yes!”

“Operation started!”

The two teams advanced toward their respective objectives.

“See you alive.”

“That’s such a bad-luck way to say it.”

“If you die, I’ll take good care of your wife.”

“Try it and I’ll come back from the grave to cut your balls off.”

The knights, with camaraderie, split up.

With time against them, they moved quickly even in the middle of the blizzard.

Consilus, though aged, had not neglected his training.

Even so, the northern storm was fierce.

‘How is the regent doing?’

Perda’s body was not that of a knight, but of a mage.

And a weak one even among mages.

Consilus turned his head.

‘He’s keeping up well.’

He wasn’t falling behind.

“Can I increase the speed?”

“Do it.”

“Understood.”

Consilus accelerated without restraint.

Perda kept pace.

‘What a shitty weather.’

He didn’t like the situation.

Darkness, zero visibility, headwind, and a heavy coat.

Under normal conditions, he would have been dragged away by the wind.

But that wasn’t the case.

Because something was supporting his body.

Shadow Hand.

Under his coat, several shadows pressed against the ground and supported his body, reducing the burden.

‘Good thing I can cover my whole body.’

The power of the shadow depends on darkness.

If it’s weak, it doesn’t surpass his own strength.

If it’s strong, it can match a soldier.

And in darkness, he could use multiple hands.

‘Feels like walking like a beast…’

But as long as it looked normal from the outside, it didn’t matter.

“It’s here.”

Consilus brushed away the snow.

A faint light, like fireflies, filtered from inside.

And laughter could be heard.

He drew his sword.

“I’ll clear the way.”

“Alright.”

He slipped through a narrow opening.

The laughter stopped immediately.

“Who— ghk…?”

“What’s goi— gah…?”

They died before finishing their sentences.

A few more impacts were heard.

Then footsteps returning.

“The path is clear. Move in.”

The corridor led to an abandoned warehouse.

There were corpses everywhere.

No resistance.

The guards weren’t even armed.

No one expected an attack in the middle of such a storm.

In short, it was an easy post.

Consilus checked the map.

“Marco, handle the resting area. I’ll go with the administrative section and the patrol.”

“Understood.”

“No.”

Perda intervened.

“I’ll handle the resting area.”

“Are you sure? There are more than 60 people. If something goes wrong—”

“I’m a mage.”

That was enough.

“As you command.”

Marco and Consilus headed to their objectives.

Perda advanced toward the dormitory.

He drew a dagger.

As he opened the door—

Beast-like snoring sounds.

‘It’s been a while since I heard this.’

He remembered his days serving mages.

Sleepless nights because of that sound.

But it was better than sleeping in a bathroom full of shit.

He took a candle from the wall and stepped inside.

He tilted the flame.

And began observing them one by one.

‘They’re all human.’

Different faces, even their snores.

Each with their own individuality.

But they had something in common.

‘They worship demons.’

Demons are the chaos that desires the destruction of the world.

Enemies of the world.

Beings who marginalize even the marginalized.

‘Enemies of Valdrova.’

That simply summarized their nature.

And the fact that they slept without concern meant that even now they were abandoned.

“Damn what the hell is this? I’m off today, damn it…”

“……”

“Are you not going to turn off the light? Hey, you bastard, when I get up I’ll— huh?”

The half-awake young man looked at Perda.

“Who are you? I haven’t seen you here before, what are you doi—”

His mouth shut.

Something black, shapeless, immobilized him completely.

He tried to resist, but not a sound could come out.

Perda looked at him indifferently.

“Don’t take it too personally.”

The dagger gleamed under the light.

“You’re just paying the price of your choice.”

Perda brought his mouth close to the candle.

The flame trembled with his breath.

Like his fate.

Fwoosh—

***

“All members of the patrol team have been eliminated.”

“The administrative section is also clear. Only the dormitory remains…”

At that moment, Perda emerged from the darkness.

He walked calmly, with his hands behind his back.

“Finished already?”

“Yes.”

“Then this area is cleared.”

“My lord regent?”

“What is it?”

“You have blood on your face.”

“Ah. Thank you.”

Perda wiped it off indifferently with his black glove.

Consilus reported.

“The administrative section is secured, and the patrol as well. Aside from the dormitory, no one remains in the outpost.”

“And the information?”

“What we found was basic subordinate information, cannon fodder. There are no signs of data destruction, so the important documents must be in the officers’ section.”

“How much time is left?”

“40 minutes. We must finish everything in at least 30.”

“We’ll have to hurry.”

It would be useless to obtain information or complete the rescue if they couldn’t get out.

They advanced toward the research chief’s office.

Inside, despite it being midnight, there was activity.

“Gather everything. The order will arrive soon.”

“Yes!”

“Give me that! It was requested recently.”

They were sorting documents and objects.

Preparing to destroy the place.

The one in charge was a dark elf woman.

‘A dark elf…’

Except for their black skin, they resembled elves more than demons.

Before the draconic war, they swore loyalty to Godwin.

They were not demons, but just as cruel.

‘Linne?’

The one in charge of the place.

The mind behind the Doppler project.

‘How do we attack her?’

There was no need to think much.

They just had to eliminate the mage first.

“Lightning Bolt.”

Zzzap!

The lightning pierced her head.

The battle began.