Chapter 145: The Beginning (1)

“Hyung, something serious has happened!”

“I can see that.”

“What the hell is this…?”

Gorio was standing on a rooftop, arms crossed, watching the street outside the Imperial Palace.

An angry mob was shouting, condemning the crimes committed by Joachim and searching for anyone from that kingdom.

They claimed that a spy sent by Joachim had attempted to poison the emperor.

“Could it be true?”

“Joachim isn’t crazy enough to touch the emperor.”

“I think the same… but seeing all those people riled up, it seems something really did happen.”

“Surely the people gathered there think the same as you.”

“Huh?”

“When things get this out of control, it’s easy to believe Joachim really did try to poison him.”

“Hm…”

“When a voice gets loud enough, it becomes convincing.”

His subordinate scratched his head, uneasy.

“Hyung… are they really going to go after the people from Joachim?”

“Very likely.”

Gorio was the head of a violent organization that made money from gambling and loan-sharking. Because of that, he had observed human nature more closely than anyone.

It wasn’t hard to corrupt people. You just needed enough of them to do it together.

What gets split in half isn’t sadness—it’s guilt.

“With things on this scale, I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends badly.”

“So what do we do? Just stand by and watch? It’s not our area, but still…”

“Wait a moment.”

Gorio closed his eyes, lost in thought.

Lately, it felt like the matters he had to consider were multiplying.

Before, all he thought about was money. Calculating profit was all he needed to make decisions.

But now, too many factors were in play. That had started since he met the third prince of Briol.

“Looks like I have no choice, huh?”

Gorio opened his eyes again with a bitter smile.

The madness of the crowd, which didn’t subside even as night fell, spread throughout the imperial city.

But the guards didn’t move. That meant the palace was allowing it to happen.

Therefore, it was obvious what would come next.

Gorio muttered.

“Don’t tell me they knew this would happen, and that’s why they sent me…”

“Sorry?”

“It’s nothing.”

He turned and began walking to the exit on the ground floor.

“I’m going to see the Capital Bandits.”

The meaning of those words was clear. His subordinate bowed his head respectfully to his boss.

“Yes, hyung!”

If Gorio’s gang represented Briol’s native thugs, the Capital Bandits were an organization formed by gangsters from Joachim.

Going to see them now was a show of support for the people of Joachim.

“That’s the spirit, hyung. Hehehe…”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. If Joachim falls, we’re next. I’m just acting early.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re totally right.”

“Their boss isn’t a fool—he’s probably moving too.”

“Do we look like we’re here to fight?”

“Y-Yeah, of course we do!”

“What are you saying…?”

Gorio glanced over his shoulder. The thugs he had brought were wearing menacing faces and chuckling maliciously.

Even Gorio himself, who had spoken first, was a bit startled and ended up retracting his words.

“I guess we do look like that.”

“……”

“But we didn’t come to fight.”

“Then what are we here for?”

“Do we just need to get those people out?”

“What?”

“We’re not planning to hold out for long, so get them out fast and escape. Then we’ll disband too.”

The Capital Bandits finally understood.

Gorio had come to help them.

“B-But why…?”

To that question, Gorio, with his usual serious expression, barely curved the corners of his lips. Smiling wasn’t something he did often.

As he turned around, he answered.

“The owner of that restaurant… cooks really well.”

And then Gorio began walking calmly toward his goal. Even in battle, he never rushed. Instead, his subordinates let out war cries and charged all at once.

The members of the Capital Bandits were starting to understand why Gorio was called the Night King of the capital.

“Damn… he’s so cool…”

“Let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

“Attack!”

Thus, Gorio’s gang and the Capital Bandits ran all night to rescue the Joachim citizens who had been surrounded.

At first, it was just those two organizations, but soon others joined—the Seagulls of the Sea, made up of people from Brusen; the Light and Salt Gang, formed by folks from Liberta; and many small and medium groups.

“How many gangs are in this city?”

“Well, it’s where people from the whole continent gather…”

However, they couldn’t save everyone. Some Joachim citizens were dragged out and beaten; there were even deaths.

The guard expressed concern about the situation but did nothing more. The madness, with an unknown origin, was spreading quickly.

Not only the capital but the entire Empire was boiling with hatred toward Joachim.

And amid all this, a piece of news spread.

The 5th Cavalry Division of the Empire, which had been waiting in secret, had crossed Joachim’s border and was advancing toward the kingdom’s capital.

The difference between the two countries was obvious. Everyone thought Joachim wouldn’t last long.

Its fate was like a candle in the wind.

***

The 5th Knight Division reached the dense forest surrounding the capital of Joachim.

“We need to earn merit before Sir Graham and Yalta arrive.”

Separated from the main force, they had the task of using their mobility to launch a lightning strike on the capital.

If the plan worked, they could take Joachim without major sacrifices.

“Anyway, the people of Joachim are weak.”

“Just kill a few, and they’ll calm down.”

“What if we capture the king directly?”

The mood was optimistic.

Joachim’s national power wasn’t even a fraction of the Empire’s. The size and quality of their army were incomparably inferior.

Moreover, this was one of the Empire’s elite divisions. Even if Joachim’s army outnumbered them, they believed they could crush it with ease.

“The Joachim people can’t even wield a sword properly.”

“Just charge. That’s all there is to it.”

The knights laughed among themselves. And they weren’t entirely wrong.

But they were forgetting something. War isn’t decided by brute force alone.

Even less so in a mountain battle.

“Alright, everyone move in.”

Under the commander’s orders, the division entered the forest.

At that moment, a subtle sound spread.

Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

An arrow flew into the sky, tracing a sharp curve and letting out a high-pitched screech like a bird’s cry.

It was the arrow that marked the beginning of the battle. The knights, who had never seen anything like it, froze in place, unsure how to react.

“What was that?”

“It makes noise…”

“Seems like there are troops hiding.”

It was clear there were enemies in the forest. Everyone drew their swords.

No one looked particularly tense. They figured it was just a game of hide-and-seek, and they’d kill whatever they found.

But then, one fell.

“Huh?”

All eyes turned. An arrow had pierced through the eye slit of a helmet. The attack had been so sudden that everyone was paralyzed.

And it wasn’t the only one.

“Watch out!”

“Prepare yourselves!”

Another knight fell to an arrow.

Two dead in an instant. Everyone took up defensive positions and scanned in all directions.

“What? Arrows?”

“I didn’t feel a thing!”

“Damn it…”

The commander shouted.

“On guard! Stay alert for arrows!”

“Yes, sir!”

The foliage covered the sky, casting shadows over the forest and hiding the enemy. Though surprised, the commander still underestimated them.

“Alright, let’s clear this area. Form groups of three and sweep the forest. If you see anything, kill it.”

“Yes, sir!”

Upon hearing that, the knights quickly split up and moved deeper into the woods. The commander, remaining in the rear, retrieved the bodies.

One had an arrow through the eye. The other, through the neck. It wasn’t common for skilled knights to die from arrows.

But these, launched without warning, had killed cleanly. It couldn’t be mere coincidence. They were precise shots.

A bad feeling came over him.

“What’s wrong, sir?”

“It’s nothing.”

He pushed aside his unease and looked up. It was still daylight.

And although it was a forest, visibility wasn’t that limited. He decided to trust in his strength.

He called to his lieutenant.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

“They tried to poison the emperor. They don’t deserve mercy.”

And so they entered the forest. The tall vegetation blocked their view, and the rustling wind among the leaves dulled their hearing.

Twisted roots tangled around their feet. Progress was difficult.

“What a disgusting place to live…”

The commander grumbled as he irritably slashed at the plants ahead.

At that moment, another arrow flew. He instinctively deflected it with his sword.

It was charged with mana, though not high-level. But the unsettling part was that there was no sign of the shooter.

As if an invisible sword had moved.

“Damn it…”

If arrows kept flying like that, even the most skilled knights would be in danger.

He shouted.

“Watch for arrows! You won’t feel them! Keep your eyes everywhere!”

His voice echoed through the forest. Replies came from all around. Relieved, he continued forward with his lieutenant.

“Sir, I think I saw something over there.”

“What?”

It was in the direction of the previous arrow.

The commander nodded.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

Both picked up their pace.

But suddenly, the ground vanished beneath their feet.

“Stop!”

The commander stepped into thin air and managed to pull back in time, but his lieutenant wasn’t as lucky.

He fell along with the ground into a trap. The commander approached, licking his lips.

“Damn it…”

The lieutenant’s body had been impaled like a hedgehog by sharp spears at the bottom.

He looked up.

Suddenly, the forest felt far too vast.