LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 32
Chapter 32: Assassination Game (5)
“That’s cowardly! Beatrice.”
Argos voiced his complaint.
“Ugh, this is heavy.”
But regardless, she diligently moved the supplies.
“How could you do this to me?”
“Stop whining like a child.”
Argos was dumbfounded.
“I’m leaving. Get lost already.”
He could only stare blankly at Beatrice as she carried the supplies away.
“Hey, you wicked woman!”
Unfortunately, his cry sounded like a defeated wail to Beatrice.
**
“As expected of Beatrice!”
“Captain, we love you!”
She beamed with pride.
The value of the supplies Beatrice brought back was immense.
“Goodness, there’s even a sleeping bag.”
“There’s no way we can lose now, right?”
Watching her happy teammates, she thought to herself.
‘Argos, I’m sorry.’
She silently apologized to Argos, who must be in a tough spot by now.
Of course, he wouldn’t hear it.
‘I had no choice. I have to survive too.’
Beatrice offered a shabby excuse.
Combining the years of her past life, Beatrice was fifty and nearing her twilight years.
She had even been called the Sword Emperor, the noblest figure in the world.
But now, she was just a sly rascal resorting to tricks for victory.
…She did feel a twinge of guilt because she was human, after all.
“With this, the enemy will have no choice but to attack. As long as we prepare well, we can’t lose, even if we want to.”
She declared with confidence.
The cadets nodded as if it was only natural.
At this moment, they seemed ready to revere Beatrice as a deity, no matter what she said.
“So, let’s charge!”
The cadets nodded…
“What, what?”
…Then froze in confusion.
However, Beatrice’s expression remained firm.
“Charge!”
“Are you crazy?”
One of the cadets retorted in shock.
“If we just hold out, victory is guaranteed. Why would we charge recklessly?”
“I get that you’re excited after the recent battle, but hold it in. You know how valuable the Mana Heart is.”
“This is also a chance to earn the Crown Prince’s trust. Let’s be cautious.”
At Beatrice’s words, 14 cadets swarmed her with objections.
Well, technically, it was 13.
Because…
“Ha-ha-ha! Finally, a line I like. Beatrice, let’s charge! Like real men!”
“I’m a woman, though.”
Clone was the only one who agreed with Beatrice’s suggestion.
She was deeply shocked.
No matter her true intentions, she had made a significant contribution.
How could it be that only this monkey-like guy agreed with her?
To regain control, she raised her hand.
“Calm down and just listen to what I have to say.”
“…….”
But the cadets’ expressions were skeptical.
Their attitude said they would ‘only listen.’
Clearing her throat, she explained further.
“To be precise, we will only pretend to charge.”
“…Pretend to charge?”
“Unless they’re idiots, they’ll come late tonight or early in the morning. If they’re going to attack, it has to be during such hours to have any chance of winning.”
The ones at a disadvantage if time dragged on were Team Red.
Conversely, the ones in an advantageous position were Beatrice’s Team Blue.
They would be eager to charge as soon as possible.
But an obvious attack would have no chance of success.
To maximize their advantage, the enemy would likely approach secretly at night or dawn.
Possibly even aiming for an ambush.
“Complacency is fatal. We must use the best possible strategy.”
Beatrice had always been like this, even in her past life.
Even when hunting a rabbit, she gave it her all.
The variables of life and death were the same for everyone.
She hated pointless deaths and worked to eliminate the factor of luck altogether.
This time was no different.
Even in this favorable situation, she sought the best tactics.
“Every three hours, we’ll go halfway into the forest, then return. We’ll repeat this.”
She continued explaining.
“We’ll split into two groups. Half will sleep while the others perform this rotation. Think of it as a kind of watch duty.”
“This way, the enemy won’t be able to sleep. They won’t know when we’ll strike.”
It was a fairly well-known strategy.
And also one of the most ruthless.
If they kept feinting attacks, the enemy would remain on edge, unable to sleep.
This constant stress would take its toll.
“The enemy’s options will then narrow to two: Either relax completely and risk carelessness or… be unable to handle the stress and make a hasty move. Either way, we’ll finish them off then.”
When conditions are equal, the side that attacks first always holds the advantage.
Seizing the initiative is usually the key to victory.
Beatrice meticulously planned to minimize the possibility of defeat.
The cadets gazed at her with admiration.
“Beatrice is a demon.”
Someone muttered.
And everyone agreed.
**
“Argos! How could you make such a decision on your own?”
“…I have no excuse. I’m sorry.”
“Do you think a simple ‘sorry’ will fix this? At the very least, you should have come back and discussed it with us!”
The news that the supplies were handed over without resistance made the team furious.
Argos lowered his head deeply.
He, who was always confident, couldn’t help but feel defeated at this moment.
After all, he was the one responsible for the major blunder.
“This changes nothing. We need to find a way,” Gareth stepped forward to calm the situation.
His words silenced the uproar among the cadets.
They knew it was true; blaming Argos wouldn’t change their predicament.
“Damn it, I’ll repay this debt. Just trust me one more time,” Argos said, running his hand roughly through his hair.
Although he had suffered a humiliating loss to Beatrice, he didn’t consider the game over yet.
He had lost something important but had also gained something equally critical.
‘My guess was right. Beatrice can’t exert her full strength right now.’
He had noticed.
Beatrice was currently at her limit, clearly exhausted.
It was likely because she had faced off against multiple cadets earlier.
‘If that’s how you want to play, then I have my own methods.’
“Beatrice Cenci is exhausted. If two or three of us take her on, we can win,” he declared.
“Are you certain?”
Gareth asked, his gaze sharp as a blade.
“I’m sure. I could feel it during the fight.”
“She’s strong,” Argos admitted.
“I know, but she’s not invincible. She’s human, just like us. She relies on mana to move. During our duel, she barely used any mana, almost like someone who had run out of it entirely.”
Argos recalled how she had fought him without utilizing much mana.
Up until now, he had carefully observed her combat style in detail.
Observation was one of Argos’s many strengths.
From what he saw, Beatrice’s fighting method was simple:
She closed in on her opponent in an instant and finished things in one decisive blow.
She had a habit of resolving conflicts with a single strike.
And to make that quick dash, Beatrice condensed and released mana in an explosive burst.
This time, however, that characteristic wasn’t evident.
She was using less mana than usual.
If his assumption was correct,
she wasn’t in peak condition.
‘I can win.’
He wouldn’t fall for the same tactic twice.
If they clashed again, he was confident that he could defeat Beatrice in her current state.
Argos clenched his fists tightly.
“At dawn,” he said resolutely.
“I will end this game.”
But just then—
“Argos! The enemy is approaching!”
“What?”
Team Blue’s strategy had begun.
**
Night had fallen.
But no one could sleep.
“What the hell are they up to?”
It was an infuriating situation.
At three-hour intervals, Team Blue launched advances.
Each time Argos prepared to snipe them as they came into range, they somehow noticed and retreated.
This pattern repeated three times.
Physical fatigue and mental exhaustion began to pile up.
“…It must be Beatrice’s doing. They’ll never attack us for real. They’re just trying to scare us,” Argos muttered, trembling with frustration.
‘She’s ruthless, Beatrice. Did you really have to go this far?’
He had no doubt that this was her strategy.
“They’re trying to wear us down little by little. Now we’re left with only one choice: we have to attack as soon as possible.”
The longer they delayed, the worse their situation became.
“How about doing nothing and just waiting? If what you say is true, then this is all for show anyway.”
“Don’t underestimate Beatrice,” Argos warned, having learned the hard way.
“If it’s her, the moment we show a weak point, she’ll charge for real.”
“…They can’t see us from their side.”
“When the supplies first appeared, I climbed a tree to observe Beatrice from a distance. It was over 400 feet away. But she stared directly at me as if she knew.”
“Th-that’s impossible. The trees would’ve blocked her view. It must’ve been a coincidence.”
“…I want to believe that too.”
But how could he deny the truth?
Beatrice was truly terrifying.
Having her as an enemy made him feel that in his bones.
‘In the end, there’s only one way.’
Argos let out a deep sigh.
It was the worst possible scenario.
All their options had been blocked, leaving them with only one course of action.
The problem was that the enemy would anticipate it and prepare accordingly.
Even so, Argos had no choice but to choose that single method.
‘But I won’t go down easily, Beatrice.’
“Listen up, everyone,” he said.
Argos grabbed the flag planted nearby.
“We’re launching an all-out attack, and no one is staying behind.”
“…That flag can be removed?”
Gareth stared in disbelief.
“…I just thought of it. Come to think of it, there’s no need to stay here and defend.”
Argos was undoubtedly Team Red’s strongest member.
Thus, it made sense for him to guard the flag.
The issue was that if he left to attack, there would be no one capable of holding their ground against the enemy.
“This game isn’t complicated. Supplies? Strategies? We don’t need them. We’ll hit them with everything we’ve got.”
Clone would have loved this strategy.
Put simply, it was an all-in approach.
A tactic akin to a desperate charge, similar to the age-old military strategy of retreating only to strike with full force.
‘Now is the perfect timing. If we give Beatrice more time, we’ll never win.’
Argos realized this truth.
Beatrice wasn’t just physically strong; she was also incredibly clever.
Giving her more time was like handing her a blade to sever their throats.
“Argos is right,” Gareth agreed.
“We can’t delay any longer. You’re all exhausted.”
“Yeah, honestly, I’m so hungry I can’t take it anymore.”
“I just want to sleep properly. If we’re going to lose anyway, we might as well fight while we still can.”
The small spark quickly grew into a raging fire.
Argos stood tall, the flag fluttering in his right hand.
“Alright, then we’ll charge. But remember one thing.”
With a voice full of conviction, Argos shouted.
“Take down Beatrice first, no matter what. Once she falls, the enemy team is finished.”