Chapter 441

Corinius's Mansion
With the Kiblinki Saltas guiding us, we made smooth progress through the streets of Plafard.
The streets were quite intricate, but thanks to him giving directions from the rooftops, we didn’t get lost at all.
Seriously, he’s impressive.

(We’re about to arrive at the mansion of that man called Corinius. Are you ready?)

“Got it. Everyone, prepare for battle!”

Everyone drew their swords and got into formation, ready to fight at any moment.
Now then, how’s this going to unfold?

“… That’s Corinius’s mansion?”

(It is. But it’s strangely quiet. Did something happen?)

“Don’t ask me.”

Even the Kiblinki Saltas, who was guiding us, hadn’t expected this situation.
What should we do? Should we storm the place?

“… Wait, Lily. It seems my men have already secured the entrance.”

“Huh, already?”

“They’ve completed the hostage rescue, and the rescued were taken to a safe place under Duke Plafard’s protection. Those who were free afterward took the entrance.”

“They did it like it was just an afterthought…”

“There are Kiblinki Saltas among my subordinates, you know? For them, something like securing an entrance is a trivial matter.”

“… That’s true.”

I hate to say it, but maybe human soldiers aren’t really a match for them.
Apparently, Duke Plafard, who was leading the rescue operation, had confirmed that only Corinius’s direct soldiers were guarding the mansion, so they took them down without hesitation.
Though by “took them down,” it seems they didn’t kill them—just knocked them out.
That’s just how wide the gap in power is.

“Anyway, it’s safe now, right, Lady Plum?”

“Yeah, it’s safe. You can rush in all at once.”

“Understood. All units, charge!”

At Marquis Vardmoi’s signal, the soldiers stormed into Corinius’s mansion.
The gate was wide open, and the guards at the entrance were unconscious, tied up tightly with spider silk and left there.
It had really already been secured.
The only one still outside was a single Kiblinki Saltas.
The rest had apparently gone inside to secure the interior as well.
They’re seriously fast!

“At this rate, all the credit will go to Lady Plum’s subordinates and the Kiblinki Saltas. While it’s nice that there are no casualties, it’s not ideal from a military standpoint. All units, hurry into the building and neutralize the soldiers under the Prince’s command!”

The soldiers entered the mansion, leaving only a few guards for Marquis Vardmoi.
Until the mansion was declared safe, we waited in a temporary base made from Talat’s ice.
It was secure from both magic and arrows.

“Hmm, we really ended up relying completely on your strength this time, Lily.”

“Don’t worry about it. I was also one of the targets this time.”

“After this incident, I doubt anyone will try to lay a hand on Vardmoi as long as you’re around. Thank you, Lily.”

“No need. It’s for the sake of our peace as well.”

Honestly, I don’t consider myself much of a target since Talat is always with me—it’s not much of a threat.
The problem is if someone goes after Amira.
She’s protected by the Kiblinki Saltas too, so she’s not easy prey, but they are still weaker than Talat.
I don’t want that weakness to be exploited.
To prevent that, the best way is to make it absolutely clear what happens if someone targets me.
In that sense, Corinius is serving as a perfect sacrifice.
Yep, things are going more smoothly than expected.

While we waited in the ice room, a soldier came from the mansion.
It seemed like they had the situation nearly under control.

“Marquis Vardmoi. Corinius has been cornered. He’s currently barricaded in the reception room.”

“The reception room? No hidden doors or passages?”

“There seem to be some, but they’ve been sealed off by the Kiblinki Saltas. There’s no risk of escape.”

So this really is the final move.
They drove Corinius into the reception room and blocked all the secret paths?

“Understood. I’ll take command myself for the final part.”

“Yes, sir. It seems Duke Plafard is also there. Since the hostages have been rescued, he has no reason to follow Corinius, but please be cautious.”

So Duke Plafard made it in time too.
Now, it’s truly the climax.
We can’t let him slip away here.
… Though realistically, slipping through the Kiblinki Saltas’s encirclement is impossible.

What do you think about this chapter?