Two days later.
Above the canyon overlooking the Ice Mail Fortress.
“……Mmm.”
Hendel let out a groan while stroking his bushy beard.
“Do you see anything, Sir Hendel?”
Grain, sticking close behind him, poked his head out and asked. Hendel shook his head.
“No, nothing…… I see nothing but the flags of those Brynhilt bastards on the fortress.”
“Uuum…….”
Grain wildly messed up his curly hair.
“Where did all the advance party members go? They didn’t even appear at the rendezvous point.”
“That is what I am saying. What on earth happened…….”
Hendel clicked his tongue and looked around.
The youngest prince was an unreliable figure, but weren't Shion and Kay quite trustworthy juniors?
They weren’t the type to break a pre-arranged appointment, and even if it was an unavoidable situation, they would have left some kind of trace.
Nothing was visible around them. Nothing……
“There might be something we missed, so let’s search the area one more time.”
“But we’ve already looked around three times…….”
Grain’s face turned pale as he mumbled.
“Perhaps, they have already been caught by the enemy…….”
“……There is no need to assume such a worst-case scenario already.”
Hendel soothed Grain with a gentle tone that showed the years of an old veteran.
“Don’t get scared in advance, and let’s search slowly one more time.”
“Uuu, okay…….”
Grain instructed the soldiers to search the canyon once again. The soldiers scattered in perfect order and began to scour the canyon.
“……Urgh.”
Watching that sight from behind, Hendel held his breath and let out a groan.
He had said that, but ominous possibilities were creeping up in Hendel’s mind as well.
The fact that the fortress was occupied meant that the area had already fallen into the hands of the Brynhilt army.
It wouldn't be strange if the knights who went ahead had met some mishap.
‘If something really happened to the safety of those three, what should we do…….’
It wasn’t simply a matter of one prince and two knights. They were the last military leadership of this country.
To think such people went on an advance reconnaissance rashly and went missing…….
Although anything could happen in wartime, the current situation was bewildering and devastating even for Hendel, a veteran of a hundred battles.
‘What should we really do? In the worst case, should we retreat to Eindelgrass again……?’
If neither Hughie nor Shion were there, Hendel had to command the military rights according to the order of the Knight Order.
To think he had to take the position of being responsible for the defeat of his motherland at this age…… Hendel felt dizzy for a moment.
It was then.
“Hey.”
Suddenly, a low and husky voice flew from behind Grain and Hendel.
“Woah?!”
“Hiiiek?!”
As the two startled people turned around, a tall young man with silver hair walked out from the bushes.
It was Canis, the prisoner Hughie’s group had brought along and the Brynhilt Third Dragon Knight.
“It’s me. I thought I was going to die waiting.”
Canis, who was grumbling, flopped down on the ground. The gag was untied, but his whole body was still bound.
“M-Mr. Silver Wolf……?!”
“What the! Why are you here alone!”
Canis rattled his arms, which were tightly wound with chains.
“I’ll explain everything, so just untie this first.”
Hendel hurriedly took out his bow and aimed at Canis’s brow.
“Don’t be ridiculous! If we do that, who knows what you will…….”
Crack!
Canis applied force to his arms, and instantly shattered the chains binding his upper body.
“…….”
“…….”
Grain and Hendel were at a loss for words and stuttered.
“If I wanted to break them myself, I could have done it long ago. I am just trying to follow procedure.”
Canis gestured with his chin towards the few remaining shackles.
“Unlock them. I will tell you where your Prince went.”
There was no choice to begin with.
Above all, Canis alone could easily slaughter the 500 or so Eindel troops here with just his martial power.
Grain and Hendel exchanged glances for a moment, then nodded.
Everything had gone wrong anyway. Rather than fighting a losing battle for no reason, it was better to at least get information.
Hendel kept Canis in check without lowering his bow’s aim, and Grain approached Canis while trembling and untied the remaining bindings.
“Phew.”
Canis rubbed the red marks engraved on his freed limbs.
Following that, he reached for his shoulder blade and pulled out the embedded iron pins with his hands. Blood splattered, but he didn’t even blink.
“Now I feel a bit alive.”
Canis, cracking his neck and shoulders, sprang up from his seat. In front of him, Grain and Hendel gritted their teeth.
It was like unleashing a beast right before their eyes. Their bodies trembled involuntarily.
“Don’t worry so much. If I intended to kill you, I would have ambushed you in the first place. Would I have appeared in front of you like this?”
Canis smirked.
“Well, I could kill you all even without an ambush, though.”
“…….”
“…….”
Hendel, still keeping his bow aimed with trembling hands, asked as calmly as he could.
“Since we untied you, tell us. Where did our Commander-in-Chief, Knight Order Commander, and Sir Kay go?”
“Taken away.”
“What?”
Canis nonchalantly gestured toward the fortress with his chin.
“They were dragged into the Ice Mail Fortress.”
“H-How on earth…….”
“There were traitors among the knights from your side who joined here. They said they were Oros and Bianca.”
“What?!”
At the news of the betrayal of familiar juniors, Hendel’s eyes opened wide.
Canis continued mercilessly.
“The traitors captured those three as proof of surrender and took them to the Ice Mail Fortress to defect. That was two days ago.”
“That makes no sense, why would Oros and Bianca……!”
Hendel, seemingly unable to believe it at all, put down even his bow and tore at his hair.
Grain, who was looking back and forth between Hendel and Canis in panic, asked reluctantly.
“Then, Mr. Canis, how did you escape?”
“They tried to kill me first before surrendering. I escaped by pretending to fall off a cliff and die.”
“…….”
At Grain’s subtle gaze, Canis smirked.
“You look like you don’t believe me, but what reason do I have to lie to you?”
“Ugh…….”
Grain, looking like he was about to cry, grabbed Hendel’s shoulder.
“W-What should we do, Sir Hendel? At this rate, we are…….”
“Urghhh…….”
Hendel, with a splitting headache, continued to tear at his graying hair.
At that moment, Canis raised his hand and pointed at himself with his thumb.
“That is why I came to find you.”
Hendel and Grain raised their heads in question.
“What……?”
“W-What do you mean by that?”
“I will help you.”
To the two who didn’t understand, Canis kindly said it one more time.
“I am saying I will help you rescue Prince Hughie.”
“…….”
“…….”
At the completely incomprehensible statement, both Grain and Hendel stared at Canis with round eyes.
“W-Why…… is that?”
When Grain barely managed to voice the question, Canis grinned.
“Obviously, because of the debt I owe him.”
Saving his life.
Canis was saying that in return, he would save Hughie’s life.
“I am the Brynhilt Third Dragon Knight, Canis Dirus. I cannot live while owing a debt.”
Even if it was to repay a debt, helping to save the enemy nation’s Commander-in-Chief?
Wasn’t that a clear act of aiding the enemy?
With a face that couldn’t accept it at all, Hendel stammered.
“Is that Brynhilt-style chivalry?”
“No.”
Canis, smiling bitterly, dusted off his seat and stood up.
“It’s just my style.”
***
A few hours later.
Canis nodded with satisfaction.
“Hmm, fits quite well.”
“…….”
In front of him, Grain, Hendel, and the 500 Eindel troops were all lined up wearing Brynhilt army armor.
This armor was brought in supply wagons under Hughie’s instruction.
The situation where the Eindel army suicide squad was only about 500 strong.
Preparing for a situation where they had to disguise themselves as the Brynhilt army and execute deceptive tactics, Hughie had prepared 500 sets of Brynhilt army armor captured during the capital defense battle.
“I thought that guy would have prepared it.”
Hendel cautiously asked the mumbling Canis.
“Hey, Canis. So…… what do you intend to do now?”
“You guys pretend to be my subordinate soldiers and enter the interior of Ice Mail Fortress with me.”
Canis shrugged nonchalantly.
“Then we find Hughie and your people, take them, and escape. Simple, right?”
“T-There is no way it would be simple……!”
Hendel pointed at the flag fluttering on the fortress.
“The Legion occupying the fortress is the Brynhilt Sixth Legion, and the Legion Commander is Sylphid of Godspeed! They are the ones with the best mobility among the Seven Legions! Even if we manage to escape, it’s obvious we’ll be caught by the tail!”
“I’m here.”
Hendel was struck dumb by that one confident remark.
Although Canis had no weapon and no armor, he exuded an overwhelming fighting spirit and smiled dangerously, curling up one corner of his mouth.
“Don’t worry about the Sixth Legion greenhorns, and just figure out how to retrieve your Prince.”
And Canis started walking towards the Ice Mail Fortress first with heavy steps.
“Kugh!”
Hendel, looking back at the soldiers, ordered urgently.
“It is as explained! From now on, we pretend to be Brynhilt soldiers and enter the fortress!”
The tense soldiers broke out in cold sweats and swallowed dry saliva.
“The objective is one! To reclaim the Commander-in-Chief and the Knight Order Commander who must be detained!”
He was concerned about Kay’s safety too, but the top priority targets were Hughie and Shion.
Because without those two, this war would truly be over.
“We don’t know what situation will unfold! Everyone, stay sharp! Refrain from unexpected actions as much as possible, and follow Canis’s instructions!”
“Uugh…….”
Grain gripped his staff tightly with trembling hands. He looked exceptionally more anxious than usual, but Hendel had no room to be considerate.
“From now on, we are soldiers of the Brynhilt Third Legion! Now, let’s go!”
Hendel, pressing his Brynhilt army helmet down low, quickly stuck close behind Canis. Grain and the rest of the soldiers followed behind with awkward steps.
Following the enemy commander’s command, wearing the enemy’s clothes, into the enemy’s base.
‘What kind of madness is this?’
Grain, looking like he was about to cry, thought inwardly.
The thoughts of the soldiers behind him were not much different. Everyone just moved their feet reluctantly with dark faces.
***
“…….”
“…….”
Ice Mail Fortress. Commander’s Office.
Hughie, who was tied up tightly, and Sylphid, sitting with her legs crossed, were glaring at each other across the table.
“……So, according to your claim.”
Tap, tap, tap, Sylphid tapped the table and asked back as if she found it completely unreliable.
“You’re saying you annihilated the Third Legion led by Sir Canis at Eindelgrass, and then advanced to this region, right?”
“I’m telling you. How many times do I have to say it? Are you perhaps a muscle brain like your sister too?”
Crack.
Sylphid’s fingers dug into the edge of the table without her realizing it.
Whether saying she resembled her sister, or calling her a muscle brain…… every single thing he said was annoying.
“…….”
Fundamentally, what was more annoying was that both points subtly poked at the truth. Sylphid clicked her tongue inwardly.
“But your claim doesn’t make sense.”
“Hmm, in what way?”
“First of all, starting from the part where you defeated Sir Canis.”
Sylphid waved the paper containing Hughie’s statement.
“You pulled out the Holy Sword of Light that has been passed down for generations in the Kingdom, gathered the hopes of all citizens, and when you swung the sword, Sir Canis, hit by that sword, went ‘Gwaaaah! Is this the power of the Hero of Light!’ and shattered into pieces? ……Who in their right mind would believe this?”
“No, well, there is a bit of exaggeration in how I described the process, but…….”
Hughie, who had not just exaggerated but written a whole novel, shrugged slyly.
“It is an undeniable fact that we repelled Canis and annihilated the Third Legion.”
“Bullshit! Sir Canis is the strongest even among us Dragon Knights, and the Third Legion is the bravest in the Brynhilt army. How could a ragtag group like you possibly defeat them!”
“The method is a trade secret so I can’t tell you, but…….”
Hughie wagged his index finger left and right.
“You must also be feeling that something strange has happened.”
“…….”
Sylphid bit her lip gently.
It was as he said. The regular contact from Canis had cut off, and the scouts sent to the capital Eindelgrass returned without finding even a trace of the Third Legion.
They vanished as if they had evaporated.
It was certain that some anomaly had occurred to the Third Legion. However, she couldn’t easily believe this enemy commander’s words either.
“How can I believe that your words aren’t lies?”
As Sylphid glared, Hughie shrugged his shoulders.
“I will tell you clearly. The Third Legion was annihilated, and Canis died. If it’s a lie, you can hang me on the fortress wall.”
“…….”
Tap, tap, tap.
Sylphid’s hand tapped nervously on the table.
Shion and Kay, who were interrogated earlier, told a similar story. She dismissed it all as nonsense, but at this point, Sylphid’s mind was wavering too.
Perhaps, Canis was truly defeated and died…….
It was then. A subordinate rushed urgently into the commander’s office.
“Sir Sylphid! I have a report!”
“What is it?”
As Sylphid asked back unenthusiastically, the subordinate shouted loudly.
“S-Sir Canis has arrived!”
“……?”
For a moment, Sylphid, unable to understand the situation, froze.
“……Uh?”
Hughie also froze stiff.
Following that, a booming voice was heard from outside.
“He~y, Sylphid!”
“……?!”
Sylphid and Hughie quickly ran to the window.
They saw Canis and his subordinate soldiers just passing through the fortress gate and entering inside.
Canis smiled broadly. Although a large scar was etched on his face, it was unmistakably the Silver Wolf.
“Have you been well? How many months has it been?”
“…….”
Sylphid, who had been silent, turned to her side again. Hughie was sweating bullets profusely.
“No, what happened. How is he here…….”
“……Hey, Prince Hughie. What did you say earlier?”
“Uh, huh?”
As Hughie looked back reluctantly, Sylphid smiled brightly and mercifully.
“If it was a lie, you said it was okay to be hung on the fortress wall.”
“No, wait a minute, wait a minute!”
“Hang him. Just outside the window for now.”
As Sylphid gestured with her chin, the guards grabbed Hughie all at once and started tying him up tightly with a rope.
“Ah, Sister! That was obviously a bluff! Give me a break, Gyaaaaaah!”
Hughie, wrapped in ropes, was dangled outside through the commander’s office window.
“Wait a minuuuute! Is this rope safe?! If it snaps, I might fall and die just like that! Uwaaah! High! It’s hiiiiigh!”
Canis, who was entering the fortress, recognized Hughie struggling in midair and muttered quietly.
“He is still alive at least.”
“……,”
“…….”
Grain and Hendel, looking up at that Prince, simultaneously raised their hands and covered their eyes.
The relief that the Prince was alive.
And the despair over the current situation of having to risk their lives to save a jerk like that.