A Treacherous Courtier Manages the Empire Well

88 – You’ve Been Kidnapped

“They eat humans!!!!!!”

The orcs were in a frenzy. Their suppressed appetite for a hundred years was exploding. They devoured any beings with visible blood that came their way, and among them, humans with tangy blood were an especially delicious meal.

Southern Karambains were mercilessly slaughtered by the orcs.

“Ah, please!!”

“Save us!!”

The Karambains living in the south were torn apart by the orcs due to Amir’s actions. But no army came to their rescue. Despite the desperate resistance of the southern tribes wielding swords, bows, and magic, their resistance was futile against the overwhelming numbers of orcs.

And so, many southern Karambains fled northwards, towards the territory of the Aylam.

“Please save us!!”

“Please! We have children!”

And it was Karia who protected these southern Karambains.

It wasn’t out of humanitarian reasons.

“The orcs have great numbers. Very. Very many. Deploy the southern Karambains to the front line. Send the children and the elderly to the Golden Plain and Dagamba. Recruit those capable of wielding swords, bows, and magic users, and send them to the front line.”

Karia mobilized most of the ground forces to defend the Kassolea Plain, located between the Golden Plain and the southern desert. The reason for choosing this place was simple. The western side of the Kassolea Plain was hindered by mountains, making movement difficult, and the east was a coastline.

In other words, by blocking this place, they could efficiently impede the orc’s northward advance. Additionally, they could receive naval artillery support, of course.

“Set up barricades! Lay down barbed wire! Install machine gun emplacements! Remember! If we fall, we will slaughter all civilians in the Golden Plain! Prepare to unleash all firepower!!!”

Machine gun emplacements were set up, infantry lined up, and wizards and magic users prepared for long-range shelling. The dragons were ready for magical bombardment, and the navy, with ships anchored, stood ready to bombard the orc forces.

And on the eve of stopping a historic monster wave.

Karia stepped up to the camera to deliver an inspirational speech.

So that all Imperial troops and Aylamites watching this broadcast could see.

“We have stopped the monster wave on the Limnakal Plain! We have overcome plagues and poverty! Aylam will not fall! Soldiers of the Empire! Sacrifice your lives for your beloved families and lovers! Even if your descendants and families do not remember your deaths, the Empire will not forget your names!!!!”

The morale was boosted by the grand speech, and Randor’s Lanpang truck deliverymen drove endlessly along the well-polished roads of the Golden Plain, delivering various military supplies, ammunition, elixirs for magic use, and mustard gas.

And on a day when all preparations were complete.

The horizon at the far end of the Southern Kassolea Plain began to be tinged with green.

“Human!!!!”

“It’s humans!!!!”

“They’re here! They’re here!!!!!!”

The orcs roared with life and rage, and the thunderous sound of their countless footsteps alone felt like an earthquake. It was a terrifying sight to behold.

But none of the Ironblood Legion members of Aylam and the southern Karambains faltered in morale.

“We cannot die until we witness the deaths of our families and the vile Amir. May the ancestors of the plain protect us.”

The Karambains bit their lips to protect their families.

“The invincible Karia will lead us. The one who led the successful Northern Expedition. The Ironblood will not perish.”

The Ironblood Legion members believed in their commander, their machine guns, the enhanced firepower of the wizards, barbed wire, and the power of gas.

Defense and offense were both ready to tear each other apart.

And.

“Slaughteeer!! Let the human blood flow!!!!!!!”

“It spills!! It spills!!!!”

“Kwaaah!!!!!”

Countless orcs began their advance towards the humans.

And alongside them.

“To glory for Aylam and the Emperor!!”

“Release the gas!!”

“Commence cannon fire!!”

“Dragon squadron! Begin widespread high-speed breath bombing!!”

The humans started their counterattack.

All sorts of magic and bullets.

And amidst the mustard gas covering the Casolea Plain in a pale yellow hue.

“They gathered like those disgusting green-skinned brats! Disgustingly flocked together!!!”

The Red Dragon’s Ninth Circle magic and scorching flames breath were cast one after another, pouring down.

Even though every bit of firepower needed to be spared and deployed in the Casolea Plain defense battle, Karia had pulled out around ten dragons at Randor’s request. The ten dragons were piercing through the blazing sun of Karamba at a rapid pace, heading towards the Crescent Triangle.

Despite being protected by the Red Dragon’s spell, the heat of Karamba was so intense that sweat trickled down. The eyes of the leader, guiding the ten dragons at the forefront, narrowed.

“Leader. I see the silhouette of the Palace of Sultans up ahead.”

“I’ve spotted it too. Slow down. The moment we receive the signal, lower the altitude, pass by the Palace, and conduct threatening flight. Remember. If I fly too low, there’s a chance of being attacked by the sorcerers. Just fly threateningly enough to make the Palace feel threatened by the dragons.”

“Understood.”

Ten dragons flew towards the Palace.

And soon, a beeping signal came through the leader’s magical communication device.

“Now’s the time! Lower the altitude and start the steep dive!”

The ten dragons almost sharply altered their flight path and began a vertical descent towards the Palace.

“Roar!!”

Not as powerful as a Dragon’s Breath, but the roars of the dragons were potent enough to momentarily paralyze animals. As the ten dragons belched out thunderous roars, the deafening sound crashed down vertically towards the Palace.

Naturally.

“This, this is insane!!!”

“Dragons!!!”

“Hide among the civilians!!!”

“There’s no way to deal with that!! Hide!!!”

Chaos erupted inside the Palace. Soldiers hastily disguised themselves in civilian attire, slipping through the crowd of civilians, causing the military deployment within the Palace to become a mess.

“Prince Amir!! Dragons! Dragons!!”

“Damn it! Hide!!! I said hide!!!”

Releasing the orcs, all of Aylam’s forces had headed towards the Casolea Plain, but even Amir hadn’t anticipated the dragons crashing into the Palace.

In the moment of chaos where even the command ranks were in disarray.

There were beings who fueled the chaos.

Some beings, disguised so naturally and perfectly as civilians, began to move the Palace with agile dexterity, showcasing remarkable agility as they searched for the shaded spots and inconspicuous corners, moving meticulously from well-covered spots.

Most of the palace guards were distracted by mingling with civilians, and the elite units were mostly off escorting the Amir princes and key generals.

“Thanks to the idiots, we move around quite comfortably. It’s empty here.”

Chertu.

The assassination unit meticulously trained by the Sultan.

Naturally, they were well-versed in the palace’s layout, secret passages, and various information that shouldn’t leak outside. It was necessary for missions like discreetly going in to swiftly eliminate a guest’s throat when the Sultan invited them.

Of course, after confirming the Lan tribe’s betrayal to Aylam, the Sultan took measures like closing off several secret passages or changing infiltration methods. However, there was no way to stop Chertu and the Lan tribe.

“Dagger.”

The sealed passageway was cut open with short blades that sliced through everything, and the newly installed barrier enchantment, crafted by the sorcerers under Prince Rashid, dissolved the enchantments, allowing them to move through the palace unhindered.

They arrived at the control center for the barrier enchantment.

And the situation at the barrier enchantment was exactly as Chertu had anticipated.

“Grand Sorcerer! The dragons are descending vertically!”

“Don’t panic! You fools! This is underground! Even if the dragons unleash all their fury, they won’t reach us here!!”

Startled by the sudden dragon descent, Amir urgently directed the elite forces responsible for guarding the crucial palace facilities towards himself and the generals.

Thanks to this, the troops guarding the barrier enchantment had all fled. The sorcerers likely wanted to escape too, but if they vanished, there would be no one to manage the barrier enchantment. It was truly a gap left defenseless and empty.

In fact, this gap was fleeting.

The dragons were merely performing threatening flights, probably spreading out by now and heading back to the Casolea Plains. By this time, Amir, regaining his senses, would be urgently sending down the elite forces to guard the sorcerers at the abandoned barrier enchantment.

But even that fleeting gap was enough for the well-trained assassins like Chertu.

“Throw it.”

An expensive special potion developed for major sorcery use. The ＜Dew of Dawn＞ was thrown. The glass vial containing the Dew of Dawn shattered on the ground, releasing a dense white smoke that enveloped the sorcerers, leaving them in awe.

“A, Ambush!!!…….”

The effect of the Dew of Dawn acquired through Prince Rashid was simple: temporarily incapacitating sorcerers.

It even prevented grand sorcerers from using sorcery for about 5 seconds. Although it was costly and couldn’t suppress sorcery for long, it was an item that was practically ineffective unless handled by very well-trained assassins like Chertu and the Lan tribe.

The sorcerers, shocked by the white smoke, could not even scream properly and simply collapsed with their throats slit.

The only one whose throat wasn’t slit was the grand sorcerer.

“Long time no see?”

“Y-you!! Chertu!!………Ugh!!”

Facing the grand sorcerer unable to use sorcery for 5 seconds, Chertu didn’t hesitate. His foot swung like lightning, striking the grand sorcerer’s abdomen, causing him to collapse to the ground, gasping for air.

Chertu swiftly filled the grand sorcerer’s arms with seven bracelets that prevented sorcery activation due to the impact, then lifted him up and headed back through the secret passage.

“Damn it all!!!!”

“The sorcerers are falling!!”

But he was a step too late.

He had acted as fast as possible, but the variable of Amir regaining his senses surprisingly quickly was a factor.

As Chertu and the four infiltrators were seen by the palace guards blowing the horn to signal the intrusion.

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Upon witnessing this, Chertu immediately shouted into the communicator.

“We’ve been compromised! Change of plans!”

“Stop them!! We mustn’t let them take the Grand Sorcerer!!…….!”

As Chertu struggled with the grand sorcerer, three Lan tribe members swiftly fired shots in his place. Ora blades emitted from special swords with mana batteries in the handles.

The palace guards, armored in various defensive sorcery and special metals, were cut down as if their bodies were as soft as tofu.

“Chertu, sir!”

Following the open path, Chertu and his crew quickly began to flee. It was truly an incredible speed.

Their appearance sent chills down the spines of the Hwangung Palace guards.

“We can’t let them take the information! Assassinate the Grand Sorcerer!!! It’s Prince Amir’s command!”

Various attack spells and arrows targeted the Grand Sorcerer.

However, Chertu and the three Rang tribesmen’s combat prowess was beyond imagination.

“Where to!”

Skillfully using swordsmanship tactics against the assassination squad, the Rang tribesmen deflected various spells and arrows, fleeing outside the palace.

“Stop them!!! Stop them! The Grand Sorcerer must not escape!!”

The palace guards and various generals’ forces rushed in belatedly, desperately trying to stop them, but the Rang tribesmen’s might was unstoppable.

And then.

“We got them!…….”

As the soldiers struggled to surround the Rang tribesmen, sudden explosions of the heads of the surrounding soldiers caused the encirclement to break.

Far away, on a building rooftop, Seoric and the southern hunters calmly aimed the 13mm sniper rifle for monster hunting.

“So damn reliable.”

Chertu chuckled, swiftly escaping the palace and entering the city.

And as they entered the city and turned into a dim alley as agreed upon.

“It’s here.”

Opening a sewer lid, a Toi tribesman gestured for them to enter. The four Suin tribesmen, along with the Grand Sorcerer, went into the sewer, and as they entered, the Toi tribesman closed the lid.

The four Suin tribesmen seemed to evaporate as they vanished, leaving only the normal view of the street.

Naturally.

“Damn it! They’re gone!”

The palace guards and soldiers couldn’t even sense where Chertu had gone.

The sewer they disappeared into was so hidden in the alley that unless it was a seasoned thief, one wouldn’t notice it at all.

Thus, the Suin tribesmen kidnapped a Grand Sorcerer and vanished like smoke.

“These damn Suin bastards!!!!!!!!!”

Realizing that one of his key men had defected to the enemy, Prince Amir roared like a wild beast, but that was all he could do.