LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 33
Chapter 33: Assassination Game (6)
“Yawn, I’m so tired I could die. This isn’t an easy task.”
“Exactly my point.”
“I’m going to take a nap, so wake me up when it’s time.”
“What? I’m going to sleep too. Why should you be the only one?”
“Come on, cut me some slack… I’m genuinely exhausted.”
The cadet perched in the tree waved his hand dismissively.
The cadet standing below, keeping watch, spoke with concern.
“What if the enemy comes while you’re asleep?”
“Do you really think they’d come? Probably around dawn, at the earliest.”
“But you never know. And remember?”
He mimicked Beatrice’s intimidating expression and voice.
“Beatrice won’t let you off. She’d say, ‘Choose: right or left.’”
“There’s an old saying that’s been passed down in my family.”
“…What is it?”
“If you don’t get caught, you’re golden.”
“…!”
The cadet below unfolded his crossed arms.
That was one of the most profound things he’d heard recently.
The more he mulled it over, the more he appreciated its hidden layers of meaning.
“Truly, your ancestors must have been extraordinary philosophers.”
“Nope. Just tenant farmers. They came up with that saying to slack off without getting caught by the landowner.”
The cadet’s expression stiffened at those words.
“…Do you know something?”
“What?”
“My family’s been landlords for generations.”
“Oh, really?”
“And our lands aren’t far from yours, you miserable punk.”
“Haha! Screw you. We’re higher up the ladder now.”
“To think I’d encounter my family’s enemy here.”
Meanwhile, as they exchanged banter,
Argos and his group were advancing.
They kept their movements as quiet and low as possible.
‘It’s nighttime now. Unless someone is specifically watching this direction, they won’t notice us.’
The darkness had already thickened.
It wasn’t the ideal time, but it was naturally harder to see than during the day.
It was a reckless charge, relying on the idea that it might not matter if they were discovered.
If fortune smiled and they succeeded unnoticed, their odds of victory would soar.
“Argos, I don’t see any guards.”
This observation came when they had crossed the midpoint.
Gareth, who had been using detection magic, reported.
“None?”
“I can’t check the exact number of people, but at least no one is keeping an eye on us.”
Gareth’s detection magic could only identify the number of people who were aware of their presence.
“Then we haven’t been spotted yet. If this keeps up…”
Gulp.
There was a real chance they wouldn’t be discovered.
Argos’ heart pounded loudly.
“…We’re moving in.”
When they finally reached the forest entrance, he whispered softly.
‘They must have stationed guards. They just haven’t noticed us yet.’
He didn’t believe for a second that there were no sentries posted.
Raising one hand as a signal, Argos directed the team to move forward.
Rustle.
Like shadows, the Red Team’s cadets infiltrated the area.
Argos had ingrained a simple plan into their minds, ensuring everyone was clear on their objective.
If they managed to infiltrate without detection, they would swiftly eliminate the guards.
The 15 team members moved quickly, surveying the surroundings.
They were searching for the guards, who must be stationed somewhere.
The forest structure was identical for both the Red Team and the Blue Team.
Naturally, the sentry positions would be similar—up in the trees.
It didn’t take long to find them.
“Hah, haha.”
Argos let out a hollow laugh.
The guards were sound asleep.
‘The gods haven’t abandoned me yet.’
“You, you guys, when did… Ugh!”
The sentry cadets were quickly subdued.
They barely opened their eyes before being knocked unconscious again.
“Let’s tie them up just in case.”
After securing the unconscious guards, Argos moved on to identify the next target.
Only one obstacle remained.
Beatrice.
She was the final hurdle.
**
Meanwhile, Beatrice was lost in thought.
‘Hmm. What should I do once I get the Mana Heart?’
Her vast knowledge often led to such dilemmas.
Should she reinforce her foundation for steady progress?
Or should she aim for a leap to the next stage?
The former was safer but slow, while the latter came with risks but offered greater power.
As her deliberation deepened,
“Um…”
“Hm?”
Luce, who had been crouched quietly beside her, spoke up.
Though as strong as Argos, he was so quiet that his presence often went unnoticed.
He said something unexpected.
“The enemy… has infiltrated.”
“…What?”
“I can feel it. A lot of them have entered our camp.”
“…!”
‘Could it be true?’
[Even I can’t discern anything with my mana depleted. Foolish Beatrice.]
‘Useless spirit.’
[Who told you to recklessly expend your mana, foolish Beatrice?]
“But the guards haven’t signaled anything.”
“…Could they have fallen asleep?”
That comment sent chills down everyone’s spine.
Come to think of it, weren’t the guards all from the loser team?
…They were the lowest of the low.
‘I didn’t consider that.’
It was unimaginable. She hadn’t even accounted for it.
…She should have anticipated it.
She had seen it firsthand during her military days in her 20s—slackers always found ways to exceed expectations in the worst possible ways.
“Leader, what should we do?”
“What else?”
She stood up, gripping the flag tightly.
“The plan doesn’t change. We’re heading to their base as well.”
**
“Snore—.”
Clone was snoring obnoxiously.
His snores sounded like thunder crashing down.
“Damn it, someone shut that guy up! I can’t sleep!”
The cadets grumbled, unable to rest due to the noise.
“Hey, Clone! Clone!”
Frustrated, the cadets shook Clone awake.
The poor, hulking Clone, who barely fit under his sleeping bag, opened his eyes.
Bang!
Popping the natural soap bubble that had grown like a circus act.
“Hmm. What’s going on? Have the enemies finally arrived?”
“Enemies? Sure, there are enemies.”
“Haha! That’s quite an exciting statement.”
He jumped up energetically, as if he hadn’t just woken up.
Grabbing a crude sword as big as his frame, he hoisted it onto his shoulder and looked around.
“Where?”
However, no enemies were in sight, and his brow furrowed.
“Your snoring is the enemy, you miserable punk!”
“Ahem.”
“Can’t you sleep quietly for once?”
Clone knew very well how terrible his snoring was.
“Sorry. It’s a bodily function—I can’t help it.”
At least Clone had some decency.
“From now on, make sure you’re the last one to fall asleep.”
“Impossible. A real man falls asleep within five seconds.”
“Crazy bastard.”
At that moment.
Rustle.
…There was a sound of something moving through the forest brush.
The cadets fell silent in an instant.
They communicated with their eyes.
‘No way?’
‘It can’t be the enemy, right?’
After all, no one would come here at this time.
And certainly not through the forest like rats instead of taking the open path.
It was a sound they wouldn’t have heard if they’d been asleep.
Instinctively, they gripped their weapons.
At the same time.
“It’s the enemy.”
Boom!
A massive fire spell came flying toward them. Clone casually stepped forward and deflected it with one arm.
Barehanded.
“Cl-Clone!”
“Hahaha! It’s warm! Come on out—! Don’t skulk around like rats.”
Clone flexed his massive muscles as he took the lead.
Soon, cadets hiding in the forest began to emerge one by one.
“Argos! You’ve finally graced us with your presence.”
“What brute strength, Clone. To deflect magic barehanded—aren’t your hands burning?”
“I was cold anyway, so it felt nice and warm! Thanks!”
“….”
Argos shook his head in disbelief, holding his temples.
Both allies and enemies looked dumbfounded.
It was undoubtedly spirit-infused magic, yet he deflected it barehanded. His sheer recklessness was something else.
“But you know.”
The Red Team members quietly formed up behind and beside Argos, each taking up positions for optimal fighting.
With a relaxed expression, he asked.
“Where’s the flag? Or, no, that’s the wrong question to ask.”
This was the location where the flag was supposed to be.
But the flag was nowhere in sight, nor was the entire Blue Team present.
“Let me ask again.”
Argos approached a Blue Team cadet, raising his arm as the Red Team prepared to attack.
“…Where is Beatrice?”
“Before you find her, you’ll have to get past me first!”
Before Argos could finish his words, Clone charged with his sword.
For someone with his massive frame, he leapt shockingly high and slammed down with his sword.
Boom!
A deafening crash created a crater on impact.
It was Tar, a swordsman cadet, who had managed to block Clone’s attack.
“Thanks, Tar.”
“Hahaha! Cowardly ganging up on me, are you? Fine! None of you can handle me alone, anyway.”
Rumble.
Clone tightened his grip on his sword, veins bulging visibly as his muscles rippled.
“What… What kind of strength…!”
Despite being surrounded by the power of spirits, Tar struggled to withstand Clone’s brute force, nearly being driven into the ground.
“A-Argos, fall back. I won’t last long.”
“Everyone, attack!”
“What are you doing, you bastards? Take care of the small fry already!”
As Clone and Argos’ shouts clashed—
The battle began.
**
Thunk.
At the same time, Beatrice smacked her own forehead and closed her eyes.
“The flag… isn’t here?”
“They must have had the same thought as us.”
The enemy base was completely deserted.
There wasn’t even an ant in sight, let alone the flag.
“We’ve been outmaneuvered.”
“W-What do we do now, Captain?”
She furrowed her brow, lost in thought.
‘If we move quickly, can we make it back in time?’
It was only a five-minute sprint away.
They might just make it in time by the narrowest of margins.
Even if it meant fighting under disadvantageous conditions.
‘Or should we stay here and dig in?’
That wasn’t an option either.
The situation had changed. Aside from the personal rations she had brought, the rest of their supplies were at the base camp.
If the bases were swapped, the Red Team would naturally have the upper hand.
“This is getting interesting.”
Beatrice smirked and crossed her arms.
“Captain, you’ve got a plan, right?”
The Blue Team, pinning their hopes on her, looked at her with anticipation.
‘Argos. You’re impressive.’
She had to admit it.
She hadn’t expected him to commit his entire force.
A bold, all-or-nothing strategy.
Sometimes, that was exactly what was needed.
It showed he had guts and decisiveness. He was a remarkable talent.
Beatrice could see him being a valuable asset in a war.
But the problem was the present.
Under the same sky, there couldn’t be two suns.
It wasn’t just about the Mana Heart.
Here and now, she had to defeat him to secure her position as the real leader.
Since gaining power, Beatrice had never bowed her head to anyone.
Her conviction remained steadfast. She always aimed for the top.
So, losing was not an option.
“Of course. I’ve considered this scenario. It’s within expectations. Luce.”
“Yes!”
“How many can you handle alone?”
He blinked in surprise, then hesitated before answering.
“…Five?”
“What about Argos?”
“I can’t beat him.”
“Alright. Then take care of this flag.”
She handed the flag to Luce.
Her calculation was that he could handle a few stragglers on his own.
“Captain? What are you going to do?”
“I’ll deal with them myself.”
She bounced on her feet a few times to warm up and checked the condition of her weapon.
It was a habit, even if it was just a wooden sword.
“…By yourself?”
“Don’t skimp on food. Eat as much as you need.”
“…?”
“It won’t take long.”
That was the last thing she said.
Without hesitation, Beatrice turned her back on them and walked toward where Argos was.
She thought the game was shifting genres at this point.
‘Mock war? No, I’ve been thinking about this wrong from the start. This isn’t a war. If anything, it’s more like—’
The game’s core rule was simple.
Capture the flag.
But the flag wasn’t fixed in place.
Both Beatrice and Argos had made the same decision to take the flag with them.
So, this wasn’t really a war.
Thus, Beatrice concluded.
This game’s genre wasn’t war.
From the very beginning, it was about assassination.