Wolves of Hader

Chapter 55

At the moment dawn opened its eyes.

I re-entered the capital. It was just before the first bell of dawn, which served as the operation's signal.

My own injuries were not easy to recover from in a short time, but the Berserkers' wounds healed quickly. The effect of the recovery potion was that good.

The Syren family's knight order commander and the thirty remaining knights were finished off by Donnie and the Berserkers.

The knight order commander, being a relative of the Grand Duke, was not particularly skilled for his position, so it wasn't difficult. Apparently, the one guest warrior protecting him was extremely tough.

Donnie and seven Berserkers had been injured in the fight with just that guest warrior.

They even took steel arrows while picking off archers in the dark.

We gathered at a certain spot in the capital.

The special forces who had entered earlier had all moved to the operation site, so only those who came in later were assembled here.

Donnie asked the intelligence squad leader a question.

"What are the movements of the Empire's army?"

"There's no movement from the capital's defense forces. Only the Syren family's troops have been busily moving; the other houses are quiet."

"So they haven't informed the other allied houses about the tavern incident last night, it seems."

"Yes. People from other houses did go to the Syren family, wondering what was going on, but it seems the Syren family is keeping even their allies in the dark."

"Do they think everything, including the tavern incident and what happened at the northern corridor, was done by Mart's subordinates?"

The squad leader shook his head.

"That's hard to say. We didn't know about the northern corridor situation ourselves. But I've found out they've sent more knights to the eastern corridor."

"Do they suspect us?"

"Not judging by the scale of the dispatch. And it also doesn't seem like they're convinced the Berserkers are Mart's subordinates."

"How come?"

"Several high-ranking knights who seemed to be hiding their strength came out from the Syren family—it's just my assumption, but they may be from the Syren family's information squad."

"Information squad?"

"Yes. If they are indeed the information squad, that means they're investigating other factions."

"Secret power investigation, then."

"That's right. The Grand Duke seems to think our Berserkers are a secret power working with Mart. It looks like he's moving to find out exactly what power that is."

"Because Mart is a direct member of the imperial family."

"Yes. If it's Mart, plenty of people hostile to the Syren family might gather around him. I doubt they'd think people as powerful as our Berserkers just appeared out of nowhere."

Donnie looked at me.

He was asking how I viewed the squad leader's words.

"It makes sense. They probably think the emergence of a secret power is more likely. They'll also have left open the possibility that those wielding greatswords might be us."

Ross asked,

"Donnie, did you contact the fortress?"

"The intelligence unit sent a message last night. Those dispatched by the Syren family won't go as far as the fortress."

"Because no one saw us?"

"They can check just a few gatehouses on the eastern corridor and confirm we didn't pass through them."

"Still, we'd better leave the capital as soon as possible. If the Syren family pressures the lords of the central region to send troops, things could get complicated."

The Grand Duke can't cause a major event when he doesn't even know exactly who attacked Art Syren.

So, the fortress isn't in immediate danger. Even if they learn something, moving troops will take months.

The intelligence squad leader spoke.

"We start the operation soon. The targets are the head of the Secret Council and its elders. By tomorrow, the Syren family's allied houses will be lying low."

"The warning?"

"The warning will state that anyone who betrays His Imperial Majesty's will shall not survive. Especially if the commander of the royal guard is purged, that will be a direct defiance of His Imperial Majesty's will."

Dang—

A grand bell sounded in the distance.

The first bell of dawn.

"It's begun."

"How long will it take?"

"It should be finished by the time the sun is fully up."

I nodded.

"When the operatives return, the intelligence squad will immediately move to another hideout and remain in seclusion until further orders. Then, at night, elder brother Ross and the special forces will return to the fortress, and the Berserkers will go with me to the west."

"The west?"

"We're going west?"

Ross and Donnie were both shocked.

This was because the original plan was for everyone to return east late tonight.

"We'll make it look like Mart's subordinates appeared to the west of the capital. Only by drawing them there can elder brother Ross travel east more safely."

"And in the west, why?"

"There's something I need to find. Elder Brother, you're wearing the ring right now, aren't you?"

"I know what you mean."

Ross removed a ring with a large black gem from his left hand and handed it to me.

He had worn it on purpose, even though it was uncomfortable.

"While the Berserkers and I draw them away, elder brother Ross, you escape with our people and go straight to the central port city, Tris. Meet up with Goose's merchant guild and get on a ship."

"Understood."

"If entering Tris proves difficult, go to the place I told you about. Don't get careless just because there aren't inspections."

"Can we really trust that place?"

"We'll make them trust us."

Getting on a ship is the safest and fastest way. We couldn't possibly cross the continent on foot, so we have to board a ship somehow.

So I've planned for possible variables. It might even be the safest method. I'm just not sure yet.

Donnie, the Berserkers, and I will go west. Once our objective there is accomplished, we'll return to the capital.

At that time, we'll leave an even clearer warning and imprint terror before departing.

By then, it won't matter if they know who we are. With the Syren family's intelligence network, they'll eventually find out who the [greatsword wielders] are.

But discovering who we are and being able to do something about it are two different things. Officially, they have no evidence with which to strike at us.

Now, the Emperor will aid us, and the Secret Council, which controls the empire's army, will keep its head down.

* * *

Tak—

An urgently delivered scroll was placed on the desk.

Next to it were over fifty scrolls that had arrived steadily since the morning.

A man in his forties, wearing a crown upon his head, leaned on his chin and fell into thought for a long while.

He had never imagined that such calamity would strike his family in succession.

Who were these madmen with the nerve and brutality to pull off such acts, and from where had these powerful figures emerged? He had no idea.

"Commander. The family head is summoning you."

"Understood."

The man in his forties let out a quiet sigh and left his seat.

As he stepped out of the building and looked at the sky, even it seemed overcast, as if rain might fall soon.

He headed for the building at the highest point in this sprawling estate.

His face, as he walked silently, was full of concern.

He was the Syren family's information squad commander.

A strategist to the Grand Duke.

His name was Sez.

Known as the brain of the Syren family, his achievements over the past twenty years had propelled him to third place among the retainers.

He muttered to himself as he made his way to the Grand Duke's quarters, out of long habit.

"Heading west? Not north?"

He continued walking, lost in thought. No matter how much he tried to organize his tangled mind, the conclusion remained the same.

But he couldn't be certain. Even his mind couldn't find this likely.

Sez, still unable to sort through everything, entered the quarters of the Grand Duke Syren.

Down a long, long corridor, up and up the steep stairs.

Eventually, he reached the highest story of the tallest building in this vast estate, standing before a massive door.

"This is the information squad commander."

"Come in."

Sez opened the door and entered.

This room, small compared to the family's power, was the office where the empire's greatest authority resided.

Sez approached the curtained side of the room and paid a deep bow.

Through the curtain, the outline of a robust man—presumably the Grand Duke—was visible.

"You called, family head."

He heard the sound of a teacup being set down.

"Have you eaten?"

"Not yet, sir."

"What could be so important that you're up all night? When you leave, get some food and then some sleep."

"Yes, family head."

Sez wanted to retort that nothing could be more important than this—but he kept silent.

The family head would surely know better.

"So, how is Xenon?"

"They say his injuries are severe enough to require three months of recuperation. The one who fought Xenon was also gravely injured, but escaped with his group."

"It's surprising that someone fought Xenon evenly. My second son wasn't wounded just because of overconfidence."

At the mention of Art Syren, Sez deliberately shut his mouth. The person most enraged by all this, after all, was the Grand Duke.

"Family head, they can't have gotten far yet. You should notify the other houses to mobilize as many people as possible for a search operation."

"Tando and the Praetorian guard captain, Osu, are dead. Even the knight order commander is dead. What will they think of us when they learn that even the Sword of Light was gravely injured?"

"Even if they know, nobody would dare harbor treacherous thoughts. So..."

A sigh escaped from behind the curtain.

Sez could not continue.

"Sez."

"Yes, family head?"

"The knights who died were the empire's elite. The enemy leader is strong enough to have bested Xenon. Send anyone, they will be annihilated."

"But the enemy's leader is wounded, and they number less than ten. I'm certain we can catch them this time, even if it will take a few more sacrifices."

"You don't know the Sword of Light well enough. If high-ranking knights from other houses die, how do you plan to handle the blame? Do you want things to get even worse?"

Sez closed his mouth again.

He only knew of the Sword of Light from records, and had no idea of its true strength.

So, he could not press his argument further.

The Grand Duke raised his teacup.

"The head of the Secret Council is dead, isn't he?"

"Yes. He and two others were assassinated at their home."

"And you saw the warning letter?"

"I did. We must not be intimidated by such threats."

"No, we must."

"Sir?"

Sez was caught off guard. Not only was this a grave matter—his son had nearly died—yet he was told to just let it go?

The Grand Duke continued.

"Let things shake as they will. They can do nothing else. It's nothing but a passing wind."

"But if we just let this go, they'll become arrogant and there'll be greater sacrifices. So—"

"I'm letting them become arrogant on purpose. Will a hunter quit hunting because a few hounds died?"

"Sir?"

"But you see, the hunter isn't me, it's you. While I gaze out from the mountain's summit across the continent, you're fretting over the prey in the forest."

Sez stared at the Grand Duke Syren, as if realizing anew what kind of person his lord truly was.

A question arose in Sez's mind.

As the Grand Duke said, perhaps all the enemies could do was stir up the capital.

Afterwards, they would surely try to build their own power, and then the Syren family simply had to raise more powerful troops than before.

Yet, it seemed the Grand Duke was hinting at something beyond this. Not the Empire's army—forces that could be swayed could never truly be allies.

So, perhaps, there were secret forces in the family that even he, Sez, didn't know about. Some kind of power he'd been sensing hints of for more than a decade.

The Grand Duke continued.

"I was reminded while reading the reports... Did they say one of the enemies spoke with a western accent?"

"Yes, the largest one spoke with a western accent, and there was also someone with an eastern accent."

"No northern accent, nor the Beltern dialect?"

"No survivors recall any such things. Which means, they are not subordinates of Mart."

"Do you know what that means?"

Sez had been about to bring up this very question.

"My conjecture is that perhaps they came from the east."

"They are from the east."

"Then could it possibly be—!"

"Yes. The Hader family."

Sez's face turned to shock.

It was so outlandish, he hadn't even been able to suggest it—but the Grand Duke was stating it as fact.

"But isn't that impossible, by all logic?"

"There are many strange things in this world that logic alone cannot explain."

"If it's something strange..."

"They must have found something. I have a good guess as to what. If even Xenon couldn't beat them, and my second son was so badly injured—there's only one thing it could be."

Sez found this hard to understand. What in the world had they discovered that could stand against the Sword of Light?

"Assemble an elite force and send them east. I will also call upon some helpful power, and have the central lords offer their cooperation."

"As you command, family head."

"Our forces will arrive before they can even get home. However..."

A light laugh came from behind the curtain.

"If even that power is defeated... then just leave them alone for a while. There will be no way to beat them for the time being."

Unlike his lord, who left open the possibility of variables—

Sez was certain that this time their campaign would succeed perfectly.

For those very enemies his lord had spoken of were now on their way to the west.