LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 148
Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: Doodle, Eyes
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Chapter 148: The Sorceress Empress (3)
“Here! There’s a path here!”
“I found it! Ragnar… kuhk!”
“Da-damn it! The passage is too narrow!”
The entrance to the underground mausoleum.
It was a place that appeared to be sealed off by rocks, almost impossible to notice at first glance. Yet, someone had managed to find it.
At that moment, remnants of the organizations once under the Gathering of the Hidden Dragons were attempting to enter.
However, the passage was so narrow and low that entering en masse was impossible, forcing individuals to go in one by one, only to be picked off immediately. As a result, the progression was painfully slow.
“Hurry up and get in, you bastards! Can’t you see the whole operation is stalled because of you?!”
“Ssshiit! Then why don’t you go in first? Are you expecting me to shove my head in there just to die first?”
“That’s your problem! Or do you prefer to get killed by those human butchers back there?!”
“Da-damn it all!”
The mercenaries of the Red-White Mercenaries cried out helplessly at the forefront.
They had been assigned the riskiest tasks simply because their leader had fallen out of favor with the Retainers.
The leader of the Blue Crane Corps had promised that if they accomplished their mission properly, they would not only be forgiven but might even be offered a position in one of the noble families.
But standing on a path that led straight to death, it was impossible not to tremble.
Outside the cave, the Blue Crane Corps kept a vigilant watch, their eyes blazing, ensuring that no one slacked off.
If the entry continued to slow, they would surely be killed by the Blue Crane Corps.
Either way, death seemed inevitable.
In that case…!
“Screw it all!”
The mercenaries squeezed their eyes shut and attempted to storm the passage.
They believed that if they charged together, perhaps one or two of them might get lucky and survive.
Once, they had been part of one of the most renowned mercenary units in the Empire, but in the face of Ragnar’s razor-sharp blade, their name held little meaning.
Sseugk! Sseugk!
In the end, each one who charged forward fell to the sword aura that sliced through the air, their heads rolling before they could reach the other side.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to advance any further?”
“The Rose House, advance!”
The shield bearers of the Rose House raised their tower shields, forming a wall resembling a fortress, nervously swallowing hard as they began to advance cautiously.
The spearmen in the second and third rows held their positions in a phalanx formation, ready to thrust their spears into any gaps that might appear.
‘With these shields…’
‘We can block any sword aura! We’ll overwhelm them with numbers!’
The soldiers of the Rose House had no doubt they would emerge victorious.
Unlike the mercenaries, who had charged in recklessly without a plan, they had prepared themselves thoroughly.
Moreover, they had heard that their opponents numbered only four.
This side had an overwhelming advantage in numbers, so they could crush the opposition as much as they wished.
Clang, clang—
Thus, they moved as slowly as if they were turtles, and the sword energy that struck against the tower shields adorned with rose patterns crumbled powerlessly.
Occasionally, the shockwaves caused some to collapse, coughing up blood, but the advance never stopped.
Srrrk—
Then, as white frost spread across the ground, the floor turned into an ice sheet.
A few began to slip, causing the formation to waver slightly.
It was a change that didn’t seem significant on the surface.
“What are you doing? Return to your positions…!”
But Ragnar did not miss that brief opening.
Arin, who had been hanging from the cave ceiling, suddenly dropped down.
Shield-bearers were a unit specialized in long-range engagements.
Once an intrusion into their ranks occurred, they became hopelessly vulnerable.
Slash, slash, slash, slash!
In an instant, thick bloodlines were drawn across the shield-bearers’ necks, and the spearmen screamed as their hands were severed.
“Aaaah! My haaaaand!”
“It’s a ghost! A ghost has appeared!”
Arin first targeted the torches held by the intruders.
This was to exploit the advantage of the cave, where securing visibility was already difficult.
Eventually, the vanguard collapsed, causing another torrent of sword energy, and the Rose House’s legion was completely annihilated.
The ground was soaked with the blood of the fallen.
“Keep pushing them baaaack!”
“Look behind! They’ve been pushing forward relentlessly from the entrance for a long time! It’s proof they’re getting exhausted! Keep the pressure on!”
“The First Sword Assembly, maintain the front line, and the Black Shadow Sword Unit, form squads to search every corner!”
“The Wandering Knights’ Alliance, prepare for ambushes!”
No matter how skilled Ragnar was or how well he utilized the terrain, enduring continuous battles without proper rest would be impossible.
The old Gathering of the Hidden Dragons was slowly seeing victory.
“Well, it seems we’ll manage to force our way through somehow.”
“Hahaha. But the damage keeps piling up. This is madness. Just to capture four people, we’ve already thrown away dozens of elite soldiers into a sea of blood.”
The first-class knight of the Wandering Knights’ Alliance, the ‘King Slayer’ Kant, let out a deep sigh, prompting ‘Brown Beard’ Barosa, the leader of the First Sword Assembly, to burst into laughter.
Every time Barosa laughed, the cigar clenched in his mouth wobbled, filling the air with thick white smoke.
“This isn’t a laughing matter, is it?”
“No, no! Do you think I’m serious? I’m laughing at myself—at how ridiculous my situation is, forcing me to do this.”
Barosa’s lip twisted into a crooked grin.
“Had they just stayed still, they would have effortlessly raked in money. But no, they had to get greedy and align themselves with the wrong side! Tch!”
Despite its name, which suggested reverence for the sword, the First Sword Assembly was, in truth, closer to an underworld organization.
The northern regions, harsh and sparsely populated, were dotted with abandoned lands. The First Sword Assembly used these areas to cultivate narcotic crops like magic poppies and mana-rich herbs.
Recently, with the empire’s political system faltering and public security deteriorating, their business had been thriving.
Thus, Barosa believed that now was the ideal time to expand the First Sword Assembly.
But that decision turned out to be a fatal misstep.
They had aligned themselves with Ed.
A vast trade route connecting the northern and eastern regions—a lucrative market they had aimed to dominate—had instead become their downfall.
‘If one overreaches without knowing their limits, things are bound to go wrong somewhere. Heh!’
They had clung to a desperate hope: if they managed to bring back the girl currently held captive, they might secure a favorable position.
‘But surviving long enough to accomplish that is another matter entirely.’
Barosa spoke again.
“Anyway, let’s clear a path first and continue this discussion later. We don’t exactly have many choices, do we?”
Kant frowned at his suggestion, clearly displeased, but he had no choice but to nod.
Because Barosa was right.
Shiiing!
At last, Kant slowly drew the sword tied to his waist.
“For now, we need to focus on surviving.”
Boom!
Kant hurled himself forward with fierce momentum.
At that moment, Arin’s sword, poised to strike the Wandering Knights’ Alliance, was intercepted mid-swing.
Chaaang!
“Commander!”
“Scatter! If we stick together, we’ll only become targets! Find those rats hiding in the shadows at all costs!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Yes, sir!”
The Wandering Knights’ Alliance was a guild formed by wandering knights who roamed the world without a master, uniting for mutual interests.
While their skills were exceptional and courtly manners deeply ingrained, they lacked steadfast loyalty.
This led wealthy merchants to see them as little more than overpriced mercenaries, while high-ranking nobles viewed them as seeds of betrayal and distrusted them accordingly.
Because of this, the Wandering Knights’ Alliance naturally established themselves in the northern regions.
Their pride as wandering knights was too great to endure servitude under lowly merchants, and northern lands were an ideal sanctuary for surviving the disdain and rejection of the nobles.
In truth, Ragnar did not care about their pasts.
The North was a barren land where petty details like histories or reputations were irrelevant.
Only strength mattered there.
If they succeeded in cultivating the land with their strength, they were promised it would be bestowed as their fief.
Thanks to this, the Wandering Knights’ Alliance firmly established themselves, leading to the flourishing era they enjoy today.
However, not content with that, they made a fatal mistake by joining hands with Ed, just like the First Sword Assembly, to expand their influence.
Though called masterless wandering knights, they were knights, nonetheless.
They were beings who pursued noble honor and lofty reputation.
– We shall establish our own nation of knights on this land. Ragnar once did so in the past; why can’t we?
– There’s no law stating that a knight cannot sit in the master’s seat, is there?
– Let us show the masters who abandoned us just how sharp our swords truly are!
Just as the legendary predecessor of Ragnar was said to be the Dragon Knights.
The Wandering Knights’ Alliance was also ablaze with ambition, determined to build their own nation and dominate the North.
Additionally, whether it was for being considered weak, for stopping a master who attempted to harm serfs, for clashing with comrades trying to pillage a village of slash-and-burn farmers, or for sharing a meal with a starving child—
For these and countless other reasons, they left their homelands behind.
They wanted to prove to their former masters that they were alive, right here, thriving.
But the result was a catastrophic defeat.
After successive collapses, they had ended up here.
Even now, their current strength was no more than 30% of what it was in their prime.
Still, they held together solely because of their faith in Kant, their commander.
The man who had guided them like a beacon when they were lost in darkness.
The unyielding belief that he would somehow overcome this dire situation.
“Damn it…!”
Arin, startled, tried to turn around, but Kant blocked her path.
“Where are you trying to go?”
“Step aside!”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you. If we don’t kill you, we’ll be the ones to die.”
With a bitter smile, Kant unleashed a flurry of sword strikes.
His proud secret art flashed brilliantly as he relentlessly pursued Arin, who kept trying to escape.
‘I overdid it. I should’ve dealt with the shield-bearers and retreated immediately.’
The sheer number of enemies trying to enter the Mausoleum had tempted her into eliminating as many as possible, a greed that ended up shackling her.
Moreover, the one standing before her now was the leader of the Wandering Knights’ Alliance.
Victory wasn’t something she could easily guarantee, so she had to put forth her utmost effort in the battle.
Feeling a pang of guilt toward Selperd and Ray—
Whoosh!
Arin detonated her dormant magical power.
At that moment, a scorching gust of wind swept through, dyeing hair and eyebrows a fiery red.
It was as if blood had been splattered all over.
“Hmm…! Is this the
“If you’re curious, go ask them in the afterlife.”
Arin had no reason to explain her inner strength, so she moved swiftly.
Kant nodded and swung his sword with ferocity.
Clang!
* * *
“No, didn’t you say this was a restricted area that the enemies could never discover?”
While cutting down two swordsmen of the First Sword Assembly who were targeting a blind spot, Selperd turned to the side.
Ode, deflecting a blade aimed at her crown with a displeased look, shouted back.
“How should I know! One of us must have blabbed, some loose-lipped fool!”
Ode was clearly aggravated.
“Hey! Don’t step on that with your foot! Do those lunatics even realize where they are…?”
Every single item in the underground Mausoleum carried a significant meaning.
For someone like her, who had taken it upon herself to serve as its caretaker, watching the site being destroyed in real-time was maddening and infuriating.
So, she picked up the sword she had sworn never to wield again since thirty years ago.
The grip felt so foreign in her hand.
‘That damned old man, Upsurging Dragon, would laugh at me for ages if he saw this. Damn it!’
But what choice did she have?
For her, this Mausoleum was more important than pride.
“What about escape routes? Aren’t there any?”
“Escape routes? The entrance is the exit! There’s only that one!”
“So, we have no choice but to stand our ground here. Arin must stay safe until Theo arrives, somehow.”
“Theo? That kid who went to the central sanctuary?”
Ode didn’t miss Selperd’s muttered words.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“And what’s going to change when that kid arrives?”
“Everything will change. A lot.”
Selperd smirked slightly, recalling Theo’s handsome face.
“He’s a lucky charm.”
A charm that had never once failed them.
As Ode’s expression subtly shifted, Selperd suddenly noticed white smoke creeping up to envelop his lower body. Without hesitation, he struck down with his aura.
Boom!
“Damn. I tried sneaking up from behind, but of course, Ragnar isn’t easy to deal with.”
The dispersed smoke gathered again in midair, forming the upper body of a human figure.
Barosa, with a cigar in his mouth, smiled coldly.
The smoke from the cigar in his mouth mingled with his body—that was his secret art,
“You think I haven’t encountered rats like you on the battlefields I’ve roamed?”
“Rats, huh? Treating me like that really hurts my feelings.”
Hissss!
White smoke spread like gas, instantly filling the cavern.
“Experimenting on vermin is actually my specialty.”
Selperd quickly covered his mouth with his sleeve as a terrible headache shook his entire vision.
The smoke from the cigar was clearly laced with narcotic substances.
Breathing here was a direct path to death.
「Humans don’t survive long without breathing. As time passes, the toxicity will only thicken. What’s your plan?」
Selperd hesitated for a moment.
Should he reveal his own secret art here or not?
He had suppressed it, unwilling to recall the family he had left behind, but that didn’t mean he would throw away his life.
Just as he was about to turn—
「Gardner’s Fangs are famous for their resilience, sinking into the enemy until their life is snuffed out. But what if I cut your throat before you even get the chance to bite?」
‘An assassin!’
The voice from behind sent a chill down Selperd’s spine.
And then, suddenly, a figure cut through space.
The one who appeared, with his face and body completely shrouded in black cloth, was an assassin from the notorious Black Shadow Sword Unit.
Selperd, realizing it was too late to dodge, decided to sacrifice an arm and thrust his body forward.
Ray tried to act quickly, but the assassin’s movements were far faster.
At that very moment—
Crash!
The ceiling of the cave suddenly flashed, and a lightning strike descended, violently flinging the assassin away.
“Guh!”
The spot where the assassin landed, now scorched even darker than the clothes he wore, crackled with residual energy.
Drake’s blade, embedded in the ground, trembled violently.
Vroom! Vroom!
“Theo!”