ã€ŠKingdom Of Styriaã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Happiness and Desperation

    Happiness and Desperation

    ¡°You look beautiful, Rhea.¡±

    ¡°Dear Castor ¡­¡­, I¡¯m so happy.¡±

    The day was to be one of the best days of Castor¡¯s life.

    The place both of them are at, a small country in the south of the continent ¨C the Kingdom of Styria. A church was built inside the royal castle, the heart of the country.

    In front of Castor¡¯s eyes, there was a childhood friend in a white dress.

    Castor has known her since she was a little girl ¨C she was the second closest friend after his parents ¨C and she¡¯s smiling at him behind a transparent veil.

    Castor is the crown prince of the kingdom of Styria.

    Rhea is a princess of the neighbouring kingdom of Revra.

    Technically, they have been married since they were children, and it was a political marriage to strengthen the alliance between the two countries.

    But when Castor and Rhea stand before the gods, their expressions are all happiness. She looks so full of life that it is hard to believe that this is a political marriage based on calculation.

    And so it should be.

    Castor and Rhea are not only fianc¨¦es, but also childhood friends, and since childhood they have met frequently to strengthen their bond.

    There is an air of unreserved intimacy between them.

    It was clear to those present that they would become husband and wife, and that they would continue to be a happy couple as they grew older.

    There are many couples out there who marry unwillingly for family reasons and end up unhappy.

    But ¡­¡­ there is no such future for them.

    Castor and Rhea will have a happy family, which will strengthen the ties between the two countries and bring peace and happiness to many.

    That¡¯s the future Castor wanted.

    That was the future that was supposed to come.

    But ¨C the future that everyone had hoped for suddenly fell apart.

    It was something that neither Castor nor Rhea had expected.

    ¡ð¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ð¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ð

    ¡°And now the exchange of rings will take place.¡±

    The priest presiding over the ceremony announced in a calm voice, and a pair of rings were presented to Castor and Rhea.

    The rings were made from silver and precious stones mined in the Kingdom of Revra and worked by craftsmen in the Kingdom of Styria, and were a fitting symbol of the bond between the two countries.

    On the surface of the ring was engraved the double-headed eagle, the symbol of the Kingdom of Styria, and the red-hot sword, the symbol of the Kingdom of Revra.

    Castor to Rhea. Rhea to Castor.

    By putting the matching rings on each other¡¯s fingers, the two were married.

    The wedding is at its climax. It was the most exciting part of the day.

    ¡°Rhea, With this ring¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes ¡­¡­ please.¡±

    At the words of her husband-to-be, Rhea held out her left hand.

    With a gentle hand, Castor gently took the slender hand and tried to place the ring on her ring finger.

    But¡­¡­just as the ring was about to slip through her fingernails, the church door was thrown open from the outside.

    ¡°Your Majesty! Is His Majesty the King here?!¡±

    With a bang, a young man in the armour of the Kingsguard of the Kingdom of Styria burst into the church.

    The man¡¯s face is tinged with impatience and he is breathing hard.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡¡You¡¯re being rude in the middle of a ceremony!¡±

    A grey-haired, bearded man rises from the crowd and shouts sharply at the knight.

    It was Castor¡¯s father, the current King of Styria, who condemned the knight¡¯s intrusion.

    At the most important moment of the wedding ceremony, a knight from Styria Kingdom intervened and interrupted the ceremony. This is no longer just a problem for the Kingdom of Styria. It¡¯s an outrage that, if not avoided, could damage the alliance between the two countries.

    ¡°Forgive my rudeness, sir!¡¡I have urgent news that must be brought to your attention immediately!¡±

    ¡°What the hell is going on? ¡­¡­¡±

    The king made a dubious sound and approached the knight with a step or two.

    The knight¡¯s expression is not unusual. What is the ¡°urgent news¡± that has brought him to the point of taking action that could be a death sentence?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..?¡±

    The very wedding ceremony was interrupted, and Castor was frozen in his position, holding the ring and Rhea¡¯s hand respectively.

    There is also a question on Castor¡¯s face,¡­¡­, but its content is different from that of his father king.

    ¡°Who ¡­¡­ is that man?¡±

    The man who burst into the church wore the armour of the Kingsguard.

    But Castor did not recognize the man.

    Castor has been training with the knights since he was a child, and he is still training with them. He knows most of the knights in the castle¡¯s guard, and even knows their names and faces.

    ¡°He can¡¯t possibly ¡­¡­?¡±

    Castor realises who the man is and immediately tries to speak up.

    ¡°Excuse me!¡±

    ¡°No, ¡­¡­, you!

    The next moment, the knight quickly stabbed into the king¡¯s body.

    A dagger flew out from his body, it¡¯s a dull silver blade piercing the king¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Gah! ¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Father!¡±

    King Styria fell to the carpeted floor, blood spurting from his chest. In Castor¡¯s mind¡¯s eye, the scene is slow, as if in slow motion.

    The blade plunged straight through the king¡¯s heart. It was a fatal wound that needed no confirmation. King Styria could no longer be saved.

    ¡°Enemy attack!¡¡Seize the rioters!¡±

    The real knight of the Kingsguard, who was on guard, gives a sharp order.

    On receiving the order, the soldiers of Styria move in unison to capture the fake knight.

    The church was guarded by about 20 soldiers from both Styria and Revra. It would have been easy to catch a lone ruffian, but ¡­¡­ the situation turned more chaotic.

    ¡°HA!¡±

    Just as all eyes were fixed on the fallen king and the crook, the man at the front of the crowd made his move.

    He went behind Castor, who was stunned by his father¡¯s death, and strangled him.

    ¡°Ugh! You¡¯re ¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to ask you to calm down. Castor Steere!¡±

    Although he was familiar with martial arts, Castor was taken by surprise and was unable to move.

    His eyes widened in astonishment as he realised the identity of the person holding him.

    ¡°Why are you ¡­¡­?¡±

    The same is true for Rhea, who was pushed to the floor by the attacker, her face contorted in surprise.

    It was a man whom Castor and Rhea knew well.

    ¡°Why are you doing this to me? Zardis!¡±

    The man who was holding Castor in a chokehold was named Zardis Revra.

    He is the current king of the kingdom of Revra and brother of Rhea.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t do this! Let Castor go!¡±

    ¡°The Crown Prince Castor has fallen into my hands!¡¡I will not tolerate any more resistance from the Styrian soldiers! Surrender immediately!¡±

    Zardis ignores his sister¡¯s heartbreaking plea and tells the knights of the kingdom of Styria.

    The knights cowered in bewilderment at the sight of the fallen king and the captive of the Crown Prince,¡­¡­, and the soldiers from the Revra side, who were also guarding the ceremony, seized them.

    Apparently, the Revra soldiers had been told about the attack from the start. There was no hesitation in the soldiers¡¯ movements.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who ¡­¡­ZARDIS¡­..!¡±

    Castor, who is being choked, tries to groan and digs his nails into Zardis¡¯s hands.

    It¡¯s hard to tell what kind of expression the traitor Zardis had on his face when he¡¯s in such close contact.

    But he still struggles to break free of his restraints.

    ¡°Stop it, Castor. If you keep quiet, you¡¯ll live a little longer. Don¡¯t shorten your life for nothing.¡±

    ¡°Zardis, ¡­¡­, bastard, TRAITOR!!¡±

    ¡°Go back to sleep!¡±

    ¡°Guh!¡±

    Zardis strengthens his arms.

    Castor continued to resist,¡­¡­, but eventually fainted.

    ¡°This castle has been conquered by us, the kingdom of Revra!¡¡If you want to save the life of the Crown Prince, all Styrian soldiers must lay down their arms and surrender! The matter is already settled!¡±

    In his fading consciousness, Castor heard these words.

    The height of his life. What was supposed to be the happiest day of his life was to be remembered as the worst day of his life.

    It was to be the day that Castor¡¯s life would change forever.

    A crown prince and a fugitive. A rebel and a reformer.

    It was here that the strange fate of the man who would later go down in history as the ¡°King of the Heroes¡± all began.

 Chapter 2 - Prince of Prisons

    Prince of Prisons

    The Kingdom of Styria was a small country on the Ligurian Peninsula, which juts out from the south of the continent.

    There are three kingdoms on the peninsula.

    At the northern entrance to the peninsula is the Kingdom of Revra. The Kingdom of Revra is known for its military and righteousness, and has fought off invasions from the Empire to the north.

    To the south, facing the ocean, is the Republic of Parthenos. A revolution thirty years ago overthrew the monarchy, and the country is now governed by a parliament of representatives of the people and a regent.

    The kingdom of Styria is located in the middle of the peninsula between the two countries. It is the oldest of the three countries, and is a monarchy where culture and art nurtured by its long history flourish. Although its power is small, it has formed an alliance with the two countries of Revra and Parthenos, and plays the role of a bridge as the keystone of the ¡°Triple Alliance¡±.

    With a history of 500 years, the Kingdom of Styria is one of the oldest countries on the continent, but its long history is about to come to an end.

    In the middle of a wedding ceremony to welcome a princess from the allied kingdom of Revra, King Styria was suddenly murdered by Revra¡¯s spies.

    Revra took advantage of the chaos and the crown prince as a hostage, and seized control of the royal castle.

    With the life of the crown prince as a shield, the Styrian soldiers were unable to resist and surrendered, leaving the Kingdom of Styria under the rule of Revra.

    The betrayal of the kingdom of Revra, known for its loyalty and humanity, was not expected by anyone present.

    The fate of the Kingdom of Styria was in the balance.

    Every moment, they were walking towards the one word ¡°destruction¡±.

    ¡ð¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ð¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ð

    ¡°The floor is hard. The smell is terrible. ¡­¡­¡±

    In the dark, cold dungeon, Castor Styria lets out a small moan.

    Castor is dressed in the same way as at the wedding. He is dressed in a white dinner jacket.

    However, the clothes he had ordered for the occasion were covered in dust and dirt from his long captivity, and he looked shabby.

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided ¡­¡­ that when I¡¯m king, I¡¯ll improve the treatment of prisoners. Prisoners have rights too. I don¡¯t think they should be treated like this, no matter how guilty they are.¡±

    He mumbles to himself as if he is escaping reality and sighs deeply.

    A month has already passed since Castor was imprisoned in the dungeons of the royal castle of Styria.

    He had no idea whether it was day or night, and he was beginning to lose all sense of time.

    In his mind¡¯s eye, he recalls the events at his wedding. His father had been murdered in front of his eyes and the man who was to become her brother-in-law had caught him in a chokehold. The humiliation of having his castle taken from him and being held in a prison cell in his own castle.

    When he thinks back to the time when he was plunged from the height of happiness to the depths of despair, he can¡¯t help but weep with hatred.

    ¡°Revra¡­¡­.. why are you doing this ¡­¡­!¡±

    The Kingdom of Revra was a long-time ally.

    The two countries have been allies and comrades-in-arms in the fight against the Leohart Empire to the north.

    Their friendship had not changed since they added the new Parthenos Republic to their alliance twenty years ago, and they were supposed to be on good terms.

    However, this trust was suddenly betrayed.

    The king¡¯s murder was the worst thing that could have happened.

    The deceased King Styria had no children except Castor.

    The queen also died of illness a few years ago, and if Castor dies, the direct line of the royal family will cease to exist.

    ¡°I can¡¯t die for the sake of the survival of the royal family. But ¡­¡­ What can I do now?¡¡How can I escape from this place?¡±

    Castor stares at the bars of his prison and asks himself why he is here, but the answer is still elusive.

    Since his capture, he has only been visited by the Revra soldiers, who bring him his meals.

    Whenever he accuses them of betrayal, or asks them why, they just leave him with his meal without opening their mouth.

    There is no end to the anger and the questions, but Castor has no means of resolving them.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Castor¡¯s ears are troubled, but then he hears the sound of footsteps. The footsteps echoed from the darkness behind the bars.

    The sound of regular footsteps gradually grew louder and louder, until out of the darkness emerged the figure of a woman holding a lamp.

    ¡°Dear Castor¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Look who it is, ¡­¡­ you, Rhea.¡±

    It is the face of a familiar girl that appears behind the bars.

    It was Castor¡¯s childhood friend and fianc¨¦e, Rhea Revra, who appeared with a contorted expression of tears.

    ¡°Dear Castor,¡­¡­ Oh, how you look ¡­¡­ wretched!¡±

    When Rhea saw the battered figure of Castor, she clung to the bars and wept.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry Castor, I don¡¯t know how to apologize¡­ ¡­I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­!¡±

    Rhea covered her face with her hands and broke down in tears.

    The lamp she was holding in her left hand fell to the floor and fell to her side, but she was so devastated that she didn¡¯t even care.

    ¡°Rhea¡­¡­ you¡­¡­¡±

    Castor breathes a sigh of relief as his fianc¨¦e repeats her apologies like a broken toy.

    The sudden betrayal from the kingdom of Revra, the mastermind of which must be Zardis, the king of Revra.

    Castor had a sneaking suspicion that his fiancee, Rhea, also knew about the betrayal,¡­¡­, but apparently that was a groundless fear of Castor¡¯s.

    Rhea knew nothing of the king¡¯s murder, and was probably genuinely interested in becoming Castor¡¯s wife. The tears flowing from her fingers proved it.

    He wanted to blame Revra for their betrayal, but he could not be so ruthless as to question Rhea, who was crying like a waterfall.

    The death of his father was painful and hateful, but ¡­¡­ he had just as much love for Rhea.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to cry anymore, Rhea. Tell me about ¡­¡­. Zardis, why did your brother do such a foolish thing?

    ¡°Uuu¡­¡­. I don¡¯t know. My brother did not tell me anything. He didn¡¯t tell me what happened that day, or  why your father was killed ¡­¡­¡±

    After all, Rhea seems to know nothing about it.

    The kingdom of Styria and the kingdom of Revra have been allies for over a hundred years. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re going to betray each other without a reason.

    ¡°For Revra, Styria is an ally in the fight against the Northern Empire. If Styria falls, so does Revra. So ¡­¡­ has there been a change in the northern front?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the rest, Castor.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    A third person¡¯s voice echoed out of the darkness.

    Castor looked up as if he had been hit and saw a man emerging from the darkness.

    His age is two or three years older than Castor.

    He has carefully stroked, all-back gray hair. He has a serious, rotten, nervous look on his face.

    ¡°How dare you show yourself in front of me¡­¡­ Zardis!¡±

    The King of Revra ¨C Zardis Revra.

    Rhea¡¯s brother, the traitor who had murdered King Styria, stood there with an expressionless face like a noh mask.

    ¡°¡­¡­ What a shambles you¡¯ve become. Look at you, Castor.¡±

    ¡°Whose fault is it, you think? How dare you call my name¡­¡­!¡±

    Castor was furious and reached for Zardis through the bars.

    He reached out with his right arm to snap his neck, but it was just out of reach of Zardis, who was standing far away.

    Even if Castor can reach him, Zardis will probably take his arm and break it. At first glance, Zardis looked like a civilized, intelligent young man, but he was a martial artist, skilled in swordplay and bodywork.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Zardis smiled scornfully at Castor as he reached through the bars and shook his head in disgust.

    ¡°Don¡¯t put up a useless fight, Castor. Your victory has already been decided. Accept your fate in peace.¡±

    ¡°Bastard! A filthy traitor!¡¡Do you think you can get away with betraying the Kingdom of Styria for nothing?¡±

    ¡°The howling of a loser. The king is dead, the crown prince is in prison, what can Styria do now?¡¡The knights who guarded the palace have already been disarmed and neutralized. Thanks to you as a hostage, we were able to get them to surrender without bloodshed.¡±

    ¡°Zardis¡­¡­!¡±

    Castor was tempted to shout even more, but he bit down on his teeth and swallowed his outburst.

    No matter how angry he was, Zardis is out of reach. He will just say what he wants to say without changing his face.

    As the crown prince and the next king, Castor¡¯s trained self-control forced him to suppress his inner anger.

    And ¨C instead of cursing ¨C he decides to ask the question that he must ask.

    ¡°Does¡­¡­Revra intends to destroy the Liguanian peninsula?¡¡If the alliance with Styria is broken, the Empire of the North will surely move, right?¡±

    There are three kingdoms on the Liguanian peninsula: Revra in the north, Styria in the centre, The Republic of Parthenos in the south. These have formed an alliance to confront the Leohart Empire in the north.

    The Leohart Empire is overwhelmingly powerful, and only by working together can the three nations prevent an invasion.

    Now that Revra has betrayed Styria, the alliance is as good as broken. Relations with the third country, the Parthenopean Republic, would not be the same as before.

    The alliance between the three countries will collapse and the Linguanian peninsula will be swallowed up by the Empire.

    ¡°No problem. We¡¯ve already made peace with the Empire.¡±

    ¡°What ¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°The Revra and the Empire are no longer enemies. We are going to help the emperor to unite the continent, and we are going to walk with him on his path. The kingdom of Styria is to be an offering to the emperor.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense ¡­¡­!¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be. It can¡¯t be.¡±

    Castor¡¯s face twisted into a grimace as he punched the bars with his fist.

    ¡°The Empire is a long time enemy!¡¡You ¡­¡­ are going to abandon your allies and turn tail to your enemies?¡±

    The Kingdom of Revra is a country on the front line against the Empire. It is a country that values righteousness.

    This country, which hates dishonesty and betrayal, never expected that it had been infiltrated by the enemy.

    ¡°¡­¡­ this is completely unexpected ¡­¡­!¡±

    How long have they been in contact with the Empire?

    For Castor, the Kingdom of Revra is not just an ally, but also the family home of his fianc¨¦e. This is why he was not at all cautious and did not expect any betrayal or infiltration.

    ¡°It seems that the honor of the noble kingdom of Revra has fallen to the ground. The proud wolf has turned into a despicable dog.¡±

    ¡°If you want to hate me, hate me all you want. No excuses will be made. I¡¯ll take the abuse ¡­¡­, but Castor. You will never understand our feelings.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to understand the feelings of a traitor. ¡­¡­!!¡±

    Zardis¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he snapped back.

    In the depths of his emotionless eyes, he wondered if it was contempt for the loser or pity for Castor, the man who was to become his brother-in-law.

    ¡°¡­¡­The Empire of Leohart can never be won. I only made a decision as a king to avoid its destruction. There is not even a hair of shame in it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­!¡±

    ¡°I have only come here to see Rhea for the last time. The Knights of Styria have already been subdued and you are of no value as a hostage. I will execute you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Execution?¡­..¡±

    Castor murmured in a shaky voice. It was so sudden that it didn¡¯t feel real.

    But¡­¡­it was predictable.

    The reason why Castor has been kept alive to this day is to use him as a hostage until the knights and other forces of the kingdom of Styria are brought to heel.

    ¡°Khh.¡±

    Zardis took one look at Castor¡¯s stunned, speechless face and turned his back on him.

    He grabbed Rhea¡¯s hand, who was sitting down, and forced her to stand up.

    ¡°The time of the execution is noon. I will send for the wine and food later. Enjoy your last night.¡±

    ¡°Ahhh ¡­¡­!Castor ¡­¡­!¡±

    Zardis took Rhea by the hand and led her away from the prison.

    Rhea looked back at Castor again, dropping teardrops like beads as she was led away.

    Once again, Castor was left alone in the prison.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Shit!Shit! Shit!¡±

    He mumbled and tapped on the bars.

    The sound of heavy iron. The bass echoed through the prison and lingered in Castor¡¯s ears forever, reminding him that his nightmarish reality was not an illusion.

 Chapter 3 - Goddess Of Darkness

    Goddess Of Darkness

    ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡¡I can¡¯t just sit here and let them execute me¡­¡­.¡±

    In a fit of rage, Castor struck the bars once more.

    His knuckles are sore and bleeding, but he is so angry that he doesn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Is there nothing I can do now?¡¡I¡¯m royalty, I¡¯m the crown prince, but ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t do anything for this country?¡±

    The situation was a complete dead end, but Castor was not ready to give up yet.

    If Castor gives up, the destruction of the Kingdom of Styria will be decided at that moment. He must not let that happen.

    If he were to believe the words of Zardis, the Kingdom of Revra has made peace and formed an alliance with the Empire of Leohart.

    Considering the difference in national power between the two sides, it could not be an alliance of equals. It was clear that they were practically vassal states.

    The Empire, a military state, has destroyed several countries and turned them into colonial colonies.

    Castor also knew how these poor victims were treated.

    The colonists are deprived of their human rights and turned into cattle to be used only to cultivate the land. They would be ruled by violence, deprived of their property and treated with trampled dignity.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let that happen¡­¡­! I will not allow the Kingdom of Styria to become a colony!¡±

    As a member of the royal family, Castor cannot allow the people of his country to be enslaved.

    Part of him wants to avenge his father¡¯s death, but more than that, it is the sense of duty he has developed as a member of the royal family that makes Castor refuse to sit down and die.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what it takes, I¡¯ll take any humiliation if it means I can protect my country. ¡­¡­!¡¡We have to get out of here somehow and fight off Revra¡­¡­.!¡±

    Castor is desperately trying to think of a way to turn his desperate situation around.

    In order to save the Kingdom of Styria, Castor must first escape from his prison.

    But of course, as a prisoner of war, Castor doesn¡¯t have a key.

    This castle is now under the control of the Kingdom of Revra, but it was originally the residence of the royal family of Styria. He knew that there were no loopholes in the prison.

    ¡°The most likely thing is to be rescued by an outsider ¡­¡±

    As far as Zardis is concerned, it will be difficult.

    The knights protecting the royal family have already been subdued, he said. The Revra side will naturally be wary of the remnants of Styria trying to rescue Castor.

    It is unlikely that he will be able to escape on his own, or that he will be able to get help from anyone. That is, unless there is a miracle, which is impossible.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t give up ¡­¡­. I am the crown prince ¡­¡­ no, the king of this country!¡±

    The king who was supposed to protect the country is no more. He has been killed by a traitor¡¯s blade.

    So ¨C the king of this country is now Castor.

    Even if he never officially ascended the throne, even if he never had a throne or a crown, he was still the crown prince and king of this country.

    A king must not give up on his country. He couldn¡¯t abandon his people.

    ¡°There must be something ¡­¡­ to do, there must be a way ¡­¡­!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you still have the will to fight after being pushed so hard.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡±

    A sudden voice pulls Castor back from his sea of thoughts.

    He looked up and saw a girl in an unfamiliar white robe.

    She looks like a ten years old. She has black hair and eyes like Castor, and her hair is so long that it touches the floor.

    Her face is pretty and well-shaped, but there is no emotion in it, and she looks like a finely crafted doll.

    What was surprising was that Castor did not even notice that the girl was there. There was not a single footstep, not even a hint of a presence.

    And ¨C the girl was not on the other side of the bars, but in the prison, just like Castor.

    ¡°How long have you been there ¡­¡­! No, how did you appear?¡±

    It was less than a month ago that Castor was put in this prison. If someone else had been there, it would have been impossible not to notice.

    Then the girl must have appeared in the prison in an instant in some way.

    There are supernatural powers of magic and witchcraft in this world, but he had never heard of any magic that could transport oneself to another place in an instant.

    ¡°If you¡¯re on the Revra side, there¡¯s no point in bothering to come to jail. If that¡¯s the case, ¡­¡­!¡±

    Perhaps this is a chance of a lifetime.

    Castor doesn¡¯t know how she did it, but he¡¯s pretty sure the girl in front of him, has the means to get in and out of the prison.

    Castor sighed slowly to calm his confused mind.

    ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I got carried away. Who are you?¡±

    Changing his tone of voice, Castor asks the girl in front of him.

    The girl nods admiringly and opens her lips, which are as red as rose petals.

    ¡°The self-control to be able to calmly weigh up the pros and cons of the situation. You¡¯re a real gem. I think I can expect a lot from you.¡±

    ¡°The best ¡­¡­ expectations ¡­¡­?¡±

    The girl¡¯s voice had an air of deep reserve. It was as if she was a superior looking down on him from a great height.

    It would have been quite disrespectful if Castor had been aware that he was a prince,¡­¡­, but he¡¯s more interested in what she has to say.

    ¡°Black hair or ¡­¡­ the same colour as my hair¡±

    Castor looked at the girl¡¯s long black hair and narrowed his eyes.

    In this world, black hair is a very rare colour.

    In fact, Castor¡¯s parents and grandparents also had brown or chestnut hair, and no one else had black hair.

    No one else in the family has black hair. It would have been easy to suspect his mother¡¯s infidelity, but this was not the case. The reason was that black hair was a special thing, born regardless of bloodline.

    A dark-haired person was born only once in a few hundred thousand to a few million people, and was known as a ¡°miracle child¡± or, in some areas, a ¡°devil¡¯s cub¡±.

    Sometimes, some of them developed special powers that could not be reproduced by magic, so Castor was raised as a child chosen by God.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have any special powers,¡­¡­ but could it be that the transference ¡­¡­ that she appeared in the prison or the ability to go through walls is her ability?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s neither transference nor wall-penetration, Castor Styria. And moreover, I am not of this world.¡±

    ¡°What the ¡­¡­?¡±

    She¡¯s read his mind.

    Castor¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment and he took a step or two backwards.

    ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m surprised. It seems that you are not really an ordinary person. Let me ask you again, who are you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. So much for pretensions, it¡¯s time for me to tell you my name.¡±

    The girl raises the corner of her mouth to make a smile.

    Even if Castor looks at her face, despite her smiles her face is still like a doll.

    ¡°This mistress¡¯s name is Izanami. One of the gods who controls a world different from this one.¡±

 Chapter 4 - Goddess blessings

    Goddess blessings

    ¡°Goddess¡­¡­ Izanami¡­¡­?¡±

    Castor repeated the girl¡¯s words doubtfully. It was too unbelievable to be taken for granted.

    It is true that the girl who calls herself Izanami has unusual powers: she can appear in a prison cell without warning and she can read people¡¯s minds.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean he can¡¯t accept that a girl who is so close to him that he can almost touch her is a mythical being called a goddess.

    ¡°And did she say ¡­¡­ ¡®Izanami¡¯?¡¡I¡¯ve never heard the name of that godddess before?¡±

    On this continent, there are twelve gods who are believed to create and manage the world.

    If this girl is really a god, she is a pagan god who is not recognized by the church.

    ¡°I am not a goddess of this world. I¡¯m more to a goddess of a another world¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.!¡±

    She seems to have read Castor¡¯s thoughts again, and Izanami says to him in a tone of disapproval.

    ¡°I know about the twelve gods who are in charge of this world. But as a god of the other world, I have nothing to do with them. It¡¯s not nice to be treated like an evil god now, let alone we just met.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡­. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Castor bowed his head, his tone slightly polite.

    Whether Izanami is really a goddess or not. If he thinks about it, this is not so important.

    The important thing is that Izanami has the power to get him out of jail.

    He decided that it would be more beneficial to talk to her than to go against her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have a good personality, but¡­¡­that¡¯s a wise decision. I don¡¯t mind smart kids, I like them more.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m flattered by your¡­¡­praise. So, Goddess Izanami. What is your reason for coming here today?¡±

    When he asks, Izanami smiles, her red lips lifting in a smile.

    The bewitching tongue peeking out of the corner of her mouth arouses an uneasy feeling in Castor.

    ¡°First of all, I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but I¡¯m not here to rescue you. That would be an overreach into another world.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Castor¡¯s face is contorted as he looks down.

    He misunderstood the reason behind the goddess coming to him. He was going to ask Izanami to get him out of here somehow.

    ¡°Fortunately¡­¡­I have come to bestow my blessings upon you. It seems that the day has come for you to use it.¡±

    ¡°A blessing ¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to give you some of my power. You may use it to escape this place at will. The Twelve have already agreed to that level of interference. Do as you please.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­!¡±

    Castor shakes his shoulders in delight.

    It seemed that the opportunity had come to him.

    It didn¡¯t matter if the girl in front of him was a god or a demon, as long as he could get out of jail and defeat Revra¡¯s plot.

    ¡°Then give me the ability to teleport like you did when you came here! If I had that power, I wouldn¡¯t be in this prison ¡­¡­!¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, the power I can give you has already been decided.¡±

    Izanami interrupts Castor and asserts.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if this power will help you break out from prison, but it is a power that ¡­¡­ you once chose ?????????? to have ????. Accept it as the result of your choice.¡±

    ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t choose the power!¡¡This is the first time I¡¯ve even met you¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not our first time. We have already met, dear Castor, when you were born again in this world.¡±

    ¡°Reborn¡­?¡±

    Castor¡¯s eyes blink at Izanami¡¯s words.

    According to the teachings of the Twelve, a person who loses his life will be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven if he is baptized in the church, and if he is not baptized and remains an unclean soul, he will go to Hell.

    The concept of ¡®reincarnation¡¯ or ¡®rebirth¡¯ did not exist, and the word itself had never been heard of.

    In spite of Castor¡¯s bewilderment, Izanami continues her explanation in a matter-of-fact tone.

    ¡°This is only a remedy for those who have departed from my world. It is a power that I would not have given to you if you had lived a life of smooth sailing with no danger to your life. Accept it respectfully and with full understanding.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­.?!¡±

    In a hushed tone, Izanami jabs her finger at Castor.

    A black sphere the size of a fist shoots out from the tip of her index finger and is sucked into Castor¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Ghhh¡­Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh¡±

    Immediately, a heat arose in his chest, as if he had swallowed a lit charcoal.

    Unable to withstand the intense heat that burns his body from the inside out, Castor crouches down on the spot.

    ¡°Castor Styria. I, too, do not think it¡¯s right that a soul born in my world should suffer in another world. You have chosen your own power. Use it well and at it¡¯s best, you will survive.¡±

    ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh¡±

    ¡°My blessings for your future, child born in the land of the Rising Sun.¡±

    Izanami says it in a cheerful tone and disappears in a haze. Castor has no time to respond. The heat in his chest burned him to the bone, and he cowered and clawed at his chest furiously.

    ©–¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡©–¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡©–

    How much time has passed since then?

    Castor, who had fallen on the cold stone floor, got up and looked around him.

    ¡°Was I ¡­¡­ out cold?¡±

    As he looks around the prison, the girl who calls herself Izanami is nowhere to be seen.

    It was as if everything that had just happened had been a dream or a vision, and the dark-haired girl had disappeared.

    He looked at the entrance to the prison, where a silver tray was set with bottles of wine, glasses and plates of food.

    It seemed that Zardis had delivered the last supper as he had promised.

    The men ordered by Zardis seemed to leave Castor, who was clearly in an unusual state of collapse, alone with his drink and food.

    ¡°It¡¯s a¡­¡­ dereliction of duty. But it¡¯s more convenient for me now.¡±

    It was all a dream. It would be easy to say that.

    But Castor was convinced that it was not.

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    When he put his hand on his chest, he could feel the presence from the blessing given to him by the goddess Izanami. He knew exactly what the power was and how to use it without anyone telling him.

    ¡°Even if the goddess Izanami is a pagan god who defies the teachings of the twelve gods, even if she is a demon who cheats the gods,¡­.I will gladly borrow her power to protect this country!¡¡I¡¯d be willing to sell my soul for it!¡±

    Castor raised his right hand and concentrated his power.

    In the palm of his hand, the blessing given by Izanami concentrates, and soon it radiates out as a pale light.

    ¡°Summoning spirits, Summon yourself before me! F¨±ma Kotar¨­!!¡±

 Chapter 5 - FÅ«ma KotarÅ

    F¨±ma Kotar¨­

    A blue-white light shone from Castor¡¯s hand. A man¡¯s figure appeared from within it.

    A man wearing a black robe with a hood over his face. He is a small man, just like his name ¡°Kotar¨­¡±.

    The man was kneeling on the floor and bowing, paying tribute to Castor.

    ¡°Yes, it seems to have worked.¡±

    Castor grasped his right hand and nodded deeply.

    The power that Castor was given by the goddess Izanami is the power to summon heroes who existed in a different world to this one.

    In addition to regaining their lost bodies, the summoned heroes can gain special abilities appropriate to their character through the blessings of Izanami.

    The first hero Castor chose to summon was a man named F¨±ma Kotar¨­.

    He is a secret agent in a special profession called ¡°Ninja¡±, which is responsible for covert operations, espionage and assassination.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here, F¨±ma Kotar¨­.¡±

    ¡°Ha! It is an honour to serve a new master.¡±

    F¨±ma Kotar¨­ answered Castor¡¯s call, his head still bowed.

    The cape prevents him from seeing his face, but his voice is higher and younger than Castor might expect.

    ¡°I thank you for giving me the opportunity to fight again, even though I was once defeated and lost my life. I, F¨±ma Kotar¨­, will serve you with all my life.¡±

    ¡°¡­..thank you.¡±

    Kotar¨­¡¯s voice was quiet, with little inflection, as if he¡¯s already into his secret agent mode, but there was a strong will in it.

    ¡°Then I have a request for you¡­¡­!?

    ¡°My lord!¡±

    Just as he was about to continue, a strong dizziness struck Castor.

    Castor almost fell to the floor, but Kotar¨­ stood up from his kneeling position and supported him.

    ¡°Are you all right, my lord?¡±

    ¡°Ugh, ¡­¡­ no problem. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Castor slowly sat down on the floor, supported by Kotar¨­.

    It¡¯s as if Castor had run through a dozen or so kilometres, and received a strong sense of fatigue and weariness.

    Perhaps the use of [summoning the spirits of the dead] has drained his physical and mental strength.

    If he wanted to, he could summon at least one more hero, but he might faint at that moment.

    ¡°But let me explain the situation. I¡¯m at¡­¡­.¡±

    Castor explains briefly the situation he is in.

    He was a prince of this country. He was betrayed by an ally during his wedding ceremony. His father, the king, was killed by an enemy blade, and he is in prison awaiting execution.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Kotar¨­ listened to Castor¡¯s explanation in silence and then nodded quietly.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I see. ¡­¡­ So you want me to help you escape from this prison?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for taking this quickly¡­¡­ So, do you think you can do it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s easy. I will do as my master wishes.¡±

    Kotar¨­ walked noiselessly to the bars of the prison and touched the keyhole with his fingertips.

    ¡°Metallic key. It¡¯s made of iron and is probably of Nanban origin. I¡¯ve never seen one like it before, but it¡¯s a wonder I know how to open it.¡±

    Kotaro took out a pointed metal rod ¨C a weapon called a ¡®stick shuriken¡¯ ¨C and plunged the pointed end into the keyhole.

    Then, after a few seconds of playing with the keyhole ¡­¡­, the prison door was opened with a click.

    ¡°It¡¯s open. Let¡¯s get out of here, my Master.¡±

    ¡°So Fast ¡­¡­! You¡¯re the master of ninjutsu. It seems I was right to summon you first.¡±

    Castor looked at Kotar¨­  with admiration in his eyes.

    As a side effect of [Summoning Heroic Spirit], by concentrating Castor¡¯s consciousness, the abilities of the hero he summoned will come into his mind.

    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D

    F¨±ma Kotar¨­

    Profession: Ninja

    Bravery: 7

    Statistical rate: 3

    Politics: 1

    Knowledge: 6

    Special ability: Ninjutsu user

    The ability to disappear at will.

    Able to disguise himself, pick locks, and set and disarm traps.

    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D

    Castor chose Kotar¨­ because of his special ability as a ninja.

    There are many heroes who are more powerful than Kotar¨­, but no one is more capable of escaping from enemy territory than him.

    Kotar¨­ looked at the stairs leading up from the prison and muttered in a low voice.

    ¡°¡­¡­It seems that there is a guard at the top of the stairs. I¡¯ll go ahead and make them disappear, master then can climb up slowly without worry¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait, you can¡¯t go ¡­¡­by yourself.¡±

    Before Castor can say a word of restraint, Kotar¨­¡¯s figure melts into the darkness and disappears.

    Castor peeled his eyes open and looked around, but no matter how hard he looked, he could not see him. He had been made invisible by the power of the Ninjutsu.

    ¡°It¡¯s like magic¡­¡­so, this is the ¡®Heroic Spirit¡¯. The power of the hero who received it from the goddess Izanami. It seems I¡¯ve been given more power than I ever imagined.¡±

    Castor let out a sigh of neither dismay nor admiration and slowly made his way to the stairs as Kotar¨­ had instructed him.

    A month ago he was taken down the stairs by the Revra soldiers, but now he ascends them step by step of his own free will.

    When he reached the top of the stairs, he found himself in the corridor of the castle. It was already half past midnight and the castle was quiet.

    In the corridor, a dark-skinned man named Kotar¨­ stood in the moonlight. A man who looks like a soldier is lying beside him, bleeding from the neck.

    ¡°A soldier of the Revra,¡­¡­ Kotaro, did you kill him?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I killed him without allowing him to let out a single groan. Does, master have a problem with that?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ No, you did well.¡±

    The Kingdom of Styria has long been an enemy of the Leohart Empire, but unlike the Kingdom of Revra, its territory does not border the Empire. In the past, they have continued to provide arms and supplies to their ally, Revra, but they have not sent many soldiers to support them.

    This is why Castor has never been on the battlefield and has never seen a soldier, friend or foe, die.

    ¡°I see¡­¡­. I think I understand a little bit why Zardis hated me.¡±

    Castor and Zardis.

    Both were royalty, but Castor was born and raised in a relatively peaceful country, while Zardis was born and raised in a war-torn country. There must have been a great divide in their values.

    Or perhaps ¡­¡­ that is one of the factors that made Revra choose the path of betrayal.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how he feels, but I¡¯m not going to give up my life and my country just because¡­¡­Zardis will get what he deserves,¡­¡­!¡±

    Castor clenched his fists tightly and reaffirmed his intention to escape.

    He stripped the soldier that Kotar¨­ had killed of any weapons or anything else of note, and tumbled the body down the prison stairs.

    ¡°¡­¡­Even if we hide the body of this soldier, they will eventually find out that master has escaped. I do not know the structure of this castle. Does master know?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­the main and back gates may be fortified by the enemy, but there is a hidden passage at the back of the castle that only royalty knows about. We can escape from there.¡±

    ¡°Then please use this sword.¡±

    Castor received the sword that Kotar¨­ offered him. It was the weapon worn by the Revra soldier earlier.

    Castor had his doubts about taking the weapons of a dead soldier, but he also felt uneasy about going through a hostile castle unarmed.

    Castor took the sword with a bitter look on his face and led Kotar¨­ through the corridors of the castle.

 Chapter 6

    Even though Castor knew the structure of the castle, it was not an easy task to go inside it.

    In the past, the castle was the centre of the kingdom of Styria, but now it is overrun by the kingdom of Lebla. The castle was constantly being patrolled by Lebla soldiers.

    The ninja, F¨±ma Kotar¨­, had the means to hide himself by melting into the darkness, but only him could hide himself. However, he was not able to hide Castor.

    ¡°Haa ¡­¡­ haa ¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you all right, my lord?¡±

    ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ no problem.¡±

    In addition to the fact that, as a result of the negative effects of activating the Heroic Summoning, Castor¡¯s physical and mental strength is greatly depleted. It was quite a challenge to navigate through enemy territory with nerves on edge to avoid being spotted by the Revra soldiers.

    If Kotar¨­ hadn¡¯t taken the route to dodge the patrolling enemy soldiers ahead of him, Castor would have been captured immediately.

    ¡°My lord, would you like to take a little rest?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡­there is no time for that. We must hurry to escape.¡±

    Sooner or later, the Revra soldiers would notice that the guard in front of the prison stairs had disappeared. Castor¡¯s escape would be exposed and he would soon be pursued by the enemy soldiers. There was no time for a break.

    ¡°¡­¡­ The hidden passage is just around the corner. The well in the courtyard there, that¡¯s the entrance.¡±

    He walked cautiously down the corridor and opened the door to the outside slightly to look out. Outside the door was the courtyard of the castle, where a small garden had been created.

    The well in the corner of the garden was the entrance to a hidden passage used by the royal family to escape in case of emergency.

    But¨C

    ¡°That ¡­¡­ looks like an enemy.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ It looks like soldiers are camped out there. They don¡¯t seem to be guarding the well, though.¡±

    In the courtyard there were several tents put up and the Revra soldiers were present.

    It seems that they are letting some of the soldiers who cannot enter the castle sleep in this place. They don¡¯t seem to know about the hidden passages, but in any case, the enemy soldiers are in the way.

    ¡°Damn. There¡¯s no way we¡¯re going to be able to hide through all these soldiers. I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡­¡±

    Castor peers out from behind the door and mutters to himself.

    To get out of the hidden passage, they have to pass through the courtyard where the Lebla soldiers are.

    Most of the soldiers seemed to be asleep in their tents, but a few of them seemed to be out of their tents, building fires and cooking meals.

    There were more than ten soldiers outside alone. If you include the soldiers resting in their tents, there must be around a hundred of them.

    ¡°A man can go unnoticed by them, but it would be impossible to assassinate them all without being noticed. If we use the passage of the well, we shall have to fight them.¡±

    Kotar¨­ says in a calm tone.

    He can either fight the Lebla soldiers to use the hidden passage or head for other escape routes such as the castle gate.

    If he chooses the latter, he knows for sure that there will be soldiers posted there to guard. Either way, an encounter with the enemy was inevitable.

    Castor made a quick decision.

    ¡°We¡¯ll use the¡­¡­hidden passage. We¡¯ll fight them here.¡±

    If he has to fight anyway, it is better to deal with the enemy right in front of him. If he is not careful, they will know that Castor has escaped.

    Although he didn¡¯t see it with his own eyes, he¡¯s sure that the gates are more heavily guarded, as they have to guard against attacks by the remnants of the Styria side.

    The soldiers in the courtyard, on their guard, must be easier to defeat.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    Kotar¨­ nodded at Castor¡¯s decision.

    ¡°Then I will hide myself and cut off the heads of the enemies to reduce their numbers. While the opponent is confused, my lord goes to the well ¡­¡­¡±

    ¨CAnd as Kotar¨­ spoke, a high-pitched whistle sounded, cutting through the night. This is the sound of a whistle that tells the other soldiers that something is wrong.

    ¡°Not good! The enemy knows we¡¯re here!¡±

    Castor¡¯s expression twisted.

    It seems that his escape from prison has been discovered. Hearing the sound of the whistle, soldiers emerge one after another from the tent in the courtyard.

    ¡°We¡¯re forcing our way through! Follow me my lord!¡±

    There is no more time to think. Before Castor could give the order, Kotar¨­ moved.

    With his dagger in his hand, Kotaro kicked open the door to the courtyard and ran out into the orange light of the bonfire.

 Chapter 7

    ¡°What the hell is ¡­¡­? Who are you?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re under attack. ¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°Break!¡±

    Kotar¨­ slashed the head of the Revra soldier who had come out of the tent with his dagger. Under the light of the bonfire and the moonlight, the red blood splashed like flower petals.

    ¡°My lord! Hurry up!¡±

    ¡°Aaa¡­¡­!¡±

    Castor runs towards the well through the confused and angry shouts of the Revra soldiers.

    At the sound of the whistle, soldiers are coming out of the tent, but there are not many of them yet. It is possible to reach the well now without being hit by the enemy¡¯s deadly blade.

    But¨C

    ¡°Khh¡­¡±

    Just as he was about to reach the well, Castor¡¯s legs gave way.

    For a brief moment, his consciousness fades away and his eyes turn white.

    For Castor forcing himself to run suddenly just after summoning Kotar¨­, was too much for him.

    ¡°My Lord!¡±

    ¡°We got company!¡±

    One of the Lebla soldiers, who had been distracted by Kotaro, raised his sword at Castor. The enemy¡¯s blade is about to strike Castor on the head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡±

    ¡°Gh.!¡±

    Castor regained a little bit of his energy and swung the sword he had taken from the prison guard.

    The soldier who was about to cut down the young prince was cut in the torso and fell on his back.

    Although he had little experience in battle, Castor had also been trained in the art of swordsmanship as part of his royal duties. He wasn¡¯t going to be beaten easily.

    ¡°You¡­..!¡±

    ¡°You killed hi- ghaaa!¡±

    ¡°Are you alright? My Lord!¡±

    The other Rebra soldiers turned their swords on Castor, but he was cut down by Kotaro, who ran up to him.

    ¡°¡­¡­ Sorry, my legs have given up just now, ha¡­¡±

    ¡°No problem. It¡¯s all right, but¡­¡­ I think now we¡¯re in big trouble.¡±

    Kotar¨­ stands with Castor at his back, protecting him.

    Because of their delay in escaping, they were surrounded by enemies. The well, the entrance to the hidden passage, was close by, but they had to cut through a wall of about twenty enemies to reach it.

    ¡°Well, well, well! What kind of mouse wandered in here, but it¡¯s the Prince of Styria!¡±

    A man stepped out from among the Revra soldiers. He was a young soldier with a spear, but unlike the others, he wore a medal on his chest indicating his rank.

    Castor recognised the face of the man with the fiery red hair standing on end.

    ¡°You are ¡­¡­ Zeke Rondos!¡±

    A red-haired man with a face as fierce as a wild animal¡¯s, his name is Zeke Londos. A general in the service of the Kingdom of Lebla, and was known as ¡°Wolf Fang¡±.

    He is known as an excellent spearman, and has made a name for himself in many battles against the Leohart Empire.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa! I didn¡¯t expect you to come out of your cell!¡¡You should have just been executed, but you came all the way here to be killed by me?¡¡It¡¯s very kind of you, giving yourself to me, so I can take the credit¡±.

    Zeke laughed vulgarly and turned his bloodshot, blazing eyes on Castor.

    Castor¡¯s face contorts into a scowl and he bites his teeth.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re still a man of no class. I¡¯m sorry I found you.¡±

    Zeke Rondos was a man of roughness and lack of character, a man who could not have been given the rank of ¡®senior knight¡¯ by the royal house of Lebla.

    But¡­.. his ability is undeniably real. He is one of the best spearmen on the continent.

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡­¡­ not my lucky day to run into this guy in this situation.¡±

    The only way for Castor to escape from this situation is to jump into the hidden passage of the well.

    But the dozens of soldiers surrounding him and the general, Zeke Rondos, would not allow it.

    It must be impossible for Castor and Kotar¨­ to overcome this situation alone.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time to lose. I¡¯ve got to do it¡­¡­.¡±

    Nevertheless, Castor has one means of getting out of this situation.

    Summoning the spirits of the past¨CHe had a blessing from the goddess Izanami.

    ¡°If there was a hero who could kick their asses, of course there is. The only question is whether¡­¡­my body can take the load of the summoning¡±

    Having summoned F¨±ma Kotar¨­, Castor is now suffering from ongoing severe fatigue.

    If he summons more heroes here, it may be fatal.

    ¡°Hyaaaaa, Why don¡¯t you put up a good fight and let me have some fun? ¡¡If you surrender too easily, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    ¡°Hmm ¡­¡­ even if it sucked all the power out of me and left me to dry, it¡¯s better than being fucked by these crazy outlaws.¡±

    ¡°Aah!? What did you say to me?

    ¡°Kotaro, I¡¯m summoning now, Buy me some time!¡±

    ¡°My lord!!¡±

    Ignoring Zeke Rondos, Castor ordered Kotar¨­ to buy him time for summoning.

    Seeing that the hooded ninja nodded, Castor held up his hand.

    ¡°Summoning the spirits of the dead¡±

    A pale blue light appeared in front of him and dyed Castor¡¯s vision.

 Chapter 8

    When he opened his eyes, which had been closed after being burned by the light, Castor¡¯s body was covered in darkness, and Kotar¨­ and the Revra soldiers had disappeared.

    Castor was drifting alone in what looked like outer space, with countless stars floating around him.

    ¡°Come on ¡­¡­ let¡¯s call out the heroes¡±

    Castor was not surprised and calmly began to do what he had to do.

    The place is a world on the border between life and death. It is a place where the souls of heroic spirits gather, ruled by the goddess Izanami.

    This is the second time that Castor has come to this space. He had also visited this place when he summoned F¨±ma Kotar¨­.

    ¡°What I need now is not a secret agent like Kotar¨­.One of a kind. A hero like a god of war who can turn a battlefield upside down with just one man.¡±

    Castor inspects the stars floating around him, one by one. The floating stars are the souls of heroic spirits. They are the warriors who fought in the ¡°Warring States Period¡± that once took place in another world.

    ¡°Soul of a Hero¡­¡­Now I¡¯m not sure which one I should choose.¡±

    As heroes, they were all skilled in the art of war.

    They were masters of the sword. Masters of the spear. Masters of physical arts. Some of them were even skilled in unknown weapons such as ¡®guns¡¯ and ¡®cannons¡¯.

    All are shining, beautiful souls, and one cannot help but be selective.

    As Castor was wondering who he should summon, a star jumped in front of his eyes.

    ¡°W-wha¡­¡­?!¡±

    ¡°Summon me! Give me life and ¡­¡­ body!¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you ¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°Summon me! Summon me, or I will burn your body to the ground!¡±

    A red star blazing like the sun leaps into the sky in front of him. and from there, flames like a red lotus shootout. It burns through Castor¡¯s body. He is engulfed in a whirlpool of fire that consumes his entire body, his face contorted in heat and pain.

    ¡°Don¡¯t! Stop it!!!!¡±

    Castor never thought he would be attacked by the spirit of a hero. Confused by the unexpected, Castor cries out in desperation.

    But the flames did not stop, they only increased in intensity.

    ¡°This time I will not make the same mistake as before! I would not die if I were to lose my supremacy by stumbling over such a trifle!¡¡I have been given the chance to live again. I¡¯ll do better this time!¡±

    ¡°St-o¡­ghaaaaaaaaa¡±

    ¡°Summon me quickly! Choose me quickly!¡±

    The flames are so intense that Castor¡¯s consciousness is finally fading away.

    If he continues to be in this state, he might really die. As he reached forward for help, he felt the red spirit in front of him grinning and laughing.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. That¡¯s all right, you just do as I say. Then I will carry you like a decoration.¡±

    ¡°Ts¡­¡­!¡±

    ¡°Wise decision, boy. I will protect your country. Let¡¯s destroy ¡®Revra¡¯ and ¡®Leohart¡¯ once and for all, so that we can rule the world!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..!¡±

    Castor tried to summon the red spirit as it demanded. It is the only way to escape the torturous pain.

    ¡°Mmm, ¡­¡­ you are?¡±

    ¡°My Lord, you¡¯re being too playful!¡±

    However, before Castor could carry out his summoning, another soul intervened in front of him.

    The attack of the flames was stopped by the soul that stood to protect Castor.

    ¡°We must not harm the new lord!¡¡Let me take this place!¡±

    ¡°You! You youngsters¡­¡­ dare to stand in my way of becoming High King!?¡±

    The flames try to engulf the soul that is protecting Castor. The soul is resisting, but the flames are clearly stronger than the soul.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you ¡­¡­ do this!¡±

    Castor reaches out and touches the star of the soul that is acting as his shield.

    In a moment ¨C a pale blue light enveloped the world in front of him again, and he returned to this world from the sea of stars.

    Tl: Probably the red flames was Oda Nobunaga

 Chapter 9

    The name of the newly summoned hero is Sanada Yukimura.

    A young warrior dressed in red armour and wielding a cross-shaped spear.

    His hair, like Castor¡¯s, was black, a rare colour in this world. He wears a strange headband with six copper coins on his forehead.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Where the hell did he come from?¡±

    ¡°Is that ¡­¡­Sanada Nobushige?¡±

    Suddenly, Yukimura appeared, and Zeke raised his voice suspiciously.

    At the same time, Kotar¨­, who seemed to know his true identity, peeled his eyes behind his hood.

    While Kotar¨­ is a [ninja], a scout, Yukimura is a [samurai], a knight from another world. He is a true expert in battle.

    The air around him is as sharp as a knife. Even in Castres¡¯ eyes, it was clear that Yukimura was an incomparable hero.

    ¡°Gghnnn¡­.!?¡±

    Castor is relieved to have reinforcements, but at the same time he feels very weak.

    It seems that the depletion of power caused by the summoning of the heroic spirit has attacked, Castor consciousness is fading and his eyes are getting darker.

    However, Castor is still struggling to keep his consciousness together. Before he collapses, he has to explain the situation to Yukimura.

    ¡°Yukimura¡­..I¡¯m sorry to summon you so suddenly, but ¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°No explanation necessary, my lord.¡±

    He was trying to squeeze out some words of explanation, but Yukimura cut him off with the palm of his hand.

    ¡°This Yukimura is already prepared to obey you, my lord-that he is. Simply command me to slay them.¡±

    Yukimura speaks encouragingly as he looks at the enemy before him.

    Castor, in a faint voice, gives his first orders to his newly summoned hero.

    ¡°A-llright¡­Then, as your lord and master, I command you to¡­¡­slay my enemies. Show me your heroic prowess¡­¡­!¡±

    With these words, Castor lost consciousness. Kotar¨­ supports his lord¡¯s crumbling body.

    ¡°By your will, I¡¯ll show my lord the valour of Sanada!¡±

    At his master¡¯s command, Yukimura smiled and swung his spear wide.

    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡±

    Yukimura slams his spear into a Revra soldier and swings his spear, some of the soldiers were blown away by the side-swiping spears.

    ¡°Uwaaaaa?!¡±

    ¡°W-what is thi-ghhhh¡±

    A soldier screams as he flies through the air with tremendous force.

    It¡¯s a great skill that can knock people off their feet like a joke. It surprised everyone present, even Zeke Rondos, a master of the spear, was astonished by its power.

    ¡°Who the hell is that? What the hell is he doing?¡±

    Zeke is ready to kill Castor, but the thought of the escaped prince disappears from his mind.

    He was his equal. In the face of such a great man, who might have been his equal or even greater, the thought of defeating the enemy prince and taking the credit for it vanished from his mind.

    ¡°Interesting¡­¡­.Interesting! This is the most fun I¡¯ll ever have!¡±

    Zeke¡¯s spear tip came out at an alarming speed.

    Zeke¡¯s spear was as strong as the name ¡°Wolf Fang¡±, and an ordinary user would have been pierced through the chest without being able to react.

    But ¨C Yukimura knocked down the lightning-like thrust towards his chest with the tip of his [Jumonji spear] without hesitation.

    ¡°A fine blow, that is it! You must be quite a handful!¡±

    ¡°Hyaa¡­you too!¡±

    Yukimura and Zeke bumped glances at each other from close range and grinned at each other.

    They were happy to be fighting a strong opponent ¨C their faces clearly said so, and they were truly enjoying the situation that had turned into a battlefield.

    ¡°Sanada Nobushige¡­¡­!¡±

    Kotar¨­, who was supporting Castor¡¯s body, called out to Yukimura¡¯s. Yukimura answered the call without looking back.

    ¡°Please leave this to me, Lord F¨±ma Kotar¨­! I¡¯ll do my best to keep you safe!¡±

    ¡°But¡­..¡±

    ¡°You and I are not on the same side. But¡­now we are warriors serving the same lord. Let us do what must be done for each other!¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll let you do that. I am going ahead of you, and you must catch up with me.¡±

    Kotar¨­ leaves Yukimura where he is and disappears into the well, carrying Castor¡¯s body on his back.

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    ¡°Run after him!¡±

    ¡°Oops, I can¡¯t let you through here!¡±

    As they tried to flee, the Revra soldiers tried to chase them, but Yukimura stood in front of them.

    Although he had knocked down a few soldiers, he was still surrounded by a large number of soldiers and Zeke Rondos, an exceptional master of the art.

    Hearing the commotion, even the soldiers inside the castle were gathering more and more, and he was clearly outnumbered.

    But there was no fear or nervousness in Yukimura¡¯s face.

    ¡°I am the warrior,¡± as Yukimura declared, slamming his spearhead into the ground.

    ¡°Sanada is the best soldier in Japan, A hero without an ancient story, that he is! If you are going to stand in front of a Sanada on the battlefield, be prepared to give up your life!¡±

    ¡°Ugh! ¡­¡­!¡±

    When Yukimura raised his voice and threatened.A bright red aura erupted from his entire body.

    In the face of the Revra soldier, astonishment and fear float in the torrent of the power which blows like steam.

    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D

    Yukimura Sanada

    Occupation: Samurai

    Bravery: 10

    Statistical rate: 9

    Politics: 3

    Knowledge: 6

    Special Ability:The Best Troops in Japan

    If the enemy army outnumbers his army, his fighting ability will increase according to the difference in the number of soldiers. (Max 10 times)

    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D

    Yukimura Sanada also received supernatural powers when he was summoned to this world.

    This power was to improve his physical abilities in combat with a small army. This is the perfect way to attract the enemy.

    ¡°Oooohhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Aaaaahhhh!¡±

    With his red aura, Yukimura swung his spear left and right.

    The Revra soldiers who were trying to follow Castor to the well were blown away one after another by the spears that spun like a tornado.

    He is a true warrior, reducing the number of his enemies as quickly as he can. It is a fitting hero for a time of war.

    ¡°Ha-ha-ha-ha!¡¡Oh my god, this guy is really bad!¡¡He¡¯s the coolest!¡±

    While the soldiers on his side were being killed, only Zeke Rondos was laughing loudly with joy.

    For Zeke, the invasion of the kingdom of Styria was a dull affair.

    They took advantage of the wedding ceremony to trick the king, and then used the prince as a hostage to subdue the enemy knights. It was a boring job with no real fighting and no chance to wield a spear.

    For Zeke, who became a knight because he loved to fight and to see blood, it was a mission that was too short.

    But¡­¡­now he came across an unexpectedly strong enemy.

    He did not expect to find such a great spearman in the kingdom of Styria. He didn¡¯t think there was anyone in the kingdom of Styria who could put their life on the line in a fight that they didn¡¯t know if they could win.

    ¡°You¡¯re not only good with a spear, you can also use magic to strengthen it!¡¡That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good! I¡¯ll kill you myself! You¡¯re mine and mine alone!¡±

    ¡°Stand back, Lord Rondos!¡±

    ¡°Get out of the way! Get out of my way!¡±

    Zeke thrusts his spear at the Revra soldiers, who are supposed to be his allies, and removes any obstacle to the fight.

    ¡°Come on, why don¡¯t you join me? Let¡¯s have a great fight!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ I don¡¯t like the idea of stabbing an ally. I thought you were a good spearman, but you¡¯re nothing but an animal, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what happens to the little fish! Air cutter!¡±

    ¡°Mmm!?¡±

    Zeke thrust his spear from a little distance away. It was obviously not within the reach of the spear, but a wind blade shot out from its tip.

    Yukimura quickly jumped to the side to avoid the oncoming wind blade.

    ¡°Funny trick¡­¡­you¡¯re a sorcerer, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not sorcery, it¡¯s magic! Hora, hora,hora,hora!!¡±

    Zeke unleashes a series of wind blades.

    He was a master of the spear, but at the same time he was a wizard skilled in the properties of wind.

    The continuous attack of the wind blade by the unstoppable spear is not something that can be followed with the eyes.

    An ordinary soldier would have been chopped to pieces in seconds.

    ¡°Mu¡­¡­what a bewitching attack!¡¡This is a nasty one, that it is!¡±

    However ¨C Yukimura is a hero of turbulent times.He ducked under a barrage of windblows.

    Zeke¡¯s wind blade is so powerful that even a single blow can be fatal but Yukimura evades it with a juggling move.

    How much courage does it take to walk such a tightrope? Yukimura¡¯s movements were without a hint of fear, and he danced his way through the line of death.

    ¡°I¡¯m on fire, man! This is still not enough, I¡¯m still going!¡±

    Seeing Yukimura¡¯s god-like evasion, Zeke¡¯s excitement rose to a crescendo.

    The spear that cuts the wind accelerates further. As the spear moves, the number of wind blades it fires increases ¨C right, left, up, down. Up and down. They attacked Yukimura from various directions.

    ¡°Oh! What a fierce attack!¡±

    ¡°Hahahahahahahaha!, If you stop moving even for a second, it¡¯s a Namasu slash!¡¡Let¡¯s see how far you can avoid it!¡±

    ¡°Hmm!¡¡But my eyes are getting used to it!¡±

    ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha ¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°Mu-mun!¡±

    Yukimura strikes down a wind blade flying at him from ahead with the tip of his spear. He used the tip of his spear to thrust the wind-blades one after the other, and used his spearhead to dispel them.

    ¡°Oi,oi,oi! Are you kidding me?¡±

    The mysterious technique is easily defeated, and Zeke, who is a fluke, bared his eyes and shouted in astonishment.

    ¡°An opening!¡±

    The momentary gap created by Zeke¡¯s surprise was enough for Yukimura.

    He lowered his posture, avoided the wind blade above his head, and took a large step forward. He caught the enemy within the range of his jumonji spear.

    ¡°Haaaa!!!?¡±

    ¡°A fine spearman,¡­.., but you¡¯re still lacking training  to stand before a Sanada!¡±

    Yukimura swings his spear out from a low position. The tip of the jumonji spear plunges into Zeke¡¯s abdomen and blows him wide open with its momentum.

    ¡°Guh ¡­¡­ Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    Zeke was thrown from the courtyard towards the castle and disappeared indoors through one of the windows.

    ¡°The enemy general is defeated by a Sanada¡¯s spear!¡¡Who will be next,will you step forth?¡±

    Yukimura declares victory in high spirits with a red aura.

    The defeat of a leading figure in their army in front of their eyes caused great unrest among the Revra soldiers.

    ¡°Im-imposible¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous that General Rondos was killed. ¡­¡­!¡±

    Having witnessed the defeat of the fierce warlord Zeke Rondos, the Revra soldiers stood stunned, forgetting to point their spears at Yukimura, the avenger of their general, or to chase after Castor, who had fled.

 Chapter 10

    Meanwhile, Castor and Kotar¨­, who had escaped to a hidden passage in the well, had reached the exit on the other side of the passage.

    This was a forest on the east side of the capital. The hidden passage led to a cave hidden in the dense trees.

    In the middle of the night, the forest was so dark that Castor couldn¡¯t see more than a meter ahead, and through the darkness he could only hear the cries of insects and owls.

    ¡°¡­.. There¡¯s no sign of the enemy. Have we managed to escape?¡±

    He looked at the surroundings with the keen gaze of a bird waiting for a prey.

    The darkness was so dark that ordinary people could not see through it, but Kotar¨­, who was a ninja and had good night vision, was familiar with it.

    After carrying his lord this far, he lowered Castor¡¯s body to the base of a nearby tree and sat him down with his back against the trunk.

    ¡°My lord, are you all right? Pull yourself together¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­.¡±

    He shook his shoulder lightly and called out, and Castor slowly opened his eyelids.

    ¡°Th¡­¡­ the castle, or rather,¡­¡­ the enemy, where is ¡­¡­ it?¡±

    ¡°The enemy is contranting Sanada Nobushige¡­.who now calls himself Yukimura. We have just escaped out of the well passage.¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡­ we have succeeded in escaping¡­¡­.¡±

    Castor breathed a sigh of relief and clenched his fists weakly.

    He stood up with his hands on the tree trunk and shook his limbs lightly to check his physical condition.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­? I¡¯m no longer tired,¡­¡­?¡±

    Having summoned Kotaro Fuuma and Yukimura Sanada, Castor had fainted, feeling severely fatigued and drained of mental strength.

    But now, strangely enough, his body had regained its vitality and his consciousness was clear.

    It has been an hour or so since Kotar¨­ carried him through the hidden passages on his back, and Castor thinks that is not enough time for him to have healed naturally.

    ¡°My lord, are you feeling better already?¡±

    ¡°Yes, strangely enough, I feel much better. I don¡¯t know why¡­¡­.¡±

    Castor tilted his head in confusion and turned his attention to the cave, the exit to the hidden passage.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad we made it out of there in one piece, but¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do now. If possible, I would like to hide somewhere and wait for dawn¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, we can¡¯t be sure that the enemy won¡¯t use the passage to chase you. In the meantime, leave here¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°TOUuu!!¡±

    ¡°HM?!¡±

    ¡°!!!!¡±

    As Kotar¨­ and Castor were talking about what they were going to do, a figure came flying out of a hidden passage.

    They hurriedly tried to take up their weapons, but it was not the Revra soldiers who appeared.

    ¡°Ooo, we have caught up with you at last, that we have! I see you are both safe!¡±

    ¡°You are ¡­¡­ Sanada Yukimura!¡±

    The second hero summoned by Castor is Sanada Yukimura, who emerges from the cave carrying a jumonji spear.

    Yukimura is covered in blood from what appears to be the blood of Revra¡¯s soldiers, turning his red armour even more vermillion. He appears to be unhurt and gives a lively, fresh smile at Castor.

    ¡°My Lord, your vassal, Yukimura Sanada, has returned! Kotaro is well, that he is!¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, you have fought well.¡±

    He smiles a little at the sight of the bloodied samurai, as Castor gives Yukimura a pat on the back.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    Kotar¨­, on the other hand, was silent. The hood over his face obscured his expression, but he seemed to be in a bad mood.

    Apparently, Kotaro does not have high regards towards Yukimura.

    As a summoner of spirits, Castor has a vague idea of the abilities and background of the heroes he summons. Both of them belonged to opposing forces and served different lords before they died.

    They may bring back their rivalry or hatred from their time in another world and start fighting. Castro was concerned, but Kotar¨­ shook his head slowly.

    ¡°¡­.. As usual, you too. Glad to see you¡¯re back safe and sound.¡±

    ¡°Compared with the fierce battle at Osaka, that battle was but a mild one. He was no match for a Sanada!¡±

    ¡°That is very good of you. Many things have happened between Hojo and Sanada, but from now on I will rely on you as my friend. Together, we will support our lord.¡±

    ¡°Hmm! It is reassuring to know that Kotar¨­-dono, the man behind Hojo, is now on our side. Please take care of him from now on, that you will!¡±

    The two were enemies in life, but it seems that they do not intend to drag their past into this world.

    Castor breathed a sigh of relief and asked Yukimura a question.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡­¡­ made it back safely, by the way. What did the Revra soldiers ¡­..do with Zeke Rondos?¡±

    ¡°Zeke¡­¡­is he the one with the spear? He was quite skilled, but we defeated him. We were not able to capture his head because we swung too hard, he might still be alive¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, ¡­¡­ it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Castor¡¯s expression darkened slightly when he was told of the possibility that an enemy as powerful as Zeke Rondos could still be alive.

    It is not reasonable to blame Yukimura. It was thanks to Yukimura that Castor was able to escape from a desperate situation.

    ¡°We also killed about thirty of the enemy¡¯s men, But reinforcements appeared on the way, so we had no choice but to retreat.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very brave of you. You have done well.¡±

    ¡°What a waste of words! I am honoured by your praise, that I am!¡±

    Yukimura¡¯s face beamed with joy at his lord¡¯s praise.

    Kotar¨­, who was listening to the conversation between the two, interrupted.

    ¡°Excuse me for interrupting. I know we have a lot to talk about, but we must leave now. We don¡¯t want the enemy to follow us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Shall we hurry?¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, there¡¯s no hurry. The enemy won¡¯t be after us for long.¡±

    Castor and Kotar¨­ were in a hurry to leave the place, but Yukimura stopped Castor with his right hand.

    ¡°We have broken down a tunnel in the middle of the road, so the enemy will not be able to follow us right away. It will take a whole day to restore the passages, that it will.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how you do it, Sanada Nobushige¡­¡­ no, Yukimura.¡±

    Kotar¨­ looks impressed by Yukimura¡¯s words.

    Castor nodded and turned his eyes to the other side of the dark forest.

    ¡°But it¡¯s best to get as far away from here as possible. There should be a huntsman¡¯s hut a little to the east of here, and we¡¯ll rest there tonight.¡±

    ¡°Yes, My lord. Leave it to me to guide you through the dark night. I¡¯ll lead the way.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Good luck, Kotar¨­-dono.¡±

    ¡°Leave the back to Sanada. I will protect your back.¡±

    A ninja of great skill and a master of valour.

    Sandwiched in between these talented people, Castor makes his way through the forest at midnight.

    He had succeeded in escaping from the royal castle, which had been taken by the enemy, but the road ahead was still as steep as a precipice.

    His father has been murdered and there is no telling how many knights are left to protect the royal family.

    In the few days that Castor was in captivity, how much of his country did Revra control? How many troops are left to stand up to Revra?

    ¡°The path before me is dark, I can¡¯t see even an inch ahead, unsure where I¡¯m going¡­¡­, but there¡¯s still a glimmer of hope.¡±

    Castro puts his hand on his chest and bites his lip.

    The taste of blood and mud fills his mouth. It is the taste of humiliation, of being betrayed by someone he trusted, of having everything he held dear taken from him.

    ¡°I will never forget this taste.¡±

    ¡°I will never forget this taste until the day I overthrow the kingdom of Revra, avenge my parents, and reclaim my country.¡±

    ¡°[Summoning Heroic Spirit]¡­¡­I have a hero from another world with me!¡¡I don¡¯t know why that goddess has given me this blessing, but I will definitely use this power to reclaim the kingdom of Styria. ¡­¡­!¡±

    Castor nodded resolutely and ran with his new vassals step by step through the darkness.

    No matter how hopeless the situation is, as long as he was born as a royal, he cannot give up until the end.

    The moment Castor dies, the blood and history of the royal family of Styria would be cut off.

    Castor Styria

    This was the moment when the days of rebellion and defiance of the exiled crown prince began with a bang.

 Chapter 11

    Castor was captured by the kingdom of Lebla, but with the help of a summoned hero from another world, he escaped from the castle.

    The news was also brought to the King of Revra ¨C Zardis Revra.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you let him escape, Castor.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­..¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    Hearing the report from his men, Zardis fell silent with a somber expression.

    Currently, he was in a room in the castle of Styria, which was occupied by his forces. This room was once used by the king.

    The room where the King of Styria used to sleep not so long ago is now occupied by the invader Zardis Revra.

    In the middle of the night, Zardis was awakened from his sleep by the sound of a whistle and was told by the soldier who had come to report the incident.

    ¡°It seems that someone has helped him to escape. A strangely dressed warrior and a man in black rescued Prince Castor and escaped through a hidden passage in the palace. The passage has been destroyed and it is impossible to see where it leads!¡±

    A Revra soldier, his forehead covered with sweat, reports the situation.

    A prisoner of war, who should never have been allowed to escape, has managed to escape. The soldier who has to report this, is shaking his shoulders, looking like a prisoner awaiting his death sentence.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Zardis, meanwhile, sits back in his chair with a pained expression on his face.

    He can¡¯t let Castres go. If he lets him go, he will surely return to them with vengeance.

    Zardis has subdued the Knights, the main force in the Kingdom of Styria, by taking Castor, as a hostage. The main figures of the knights have already been captured and some have been murdered.

    However this execution hasn¡¯t yet been able to eliminate the hostile forces within the kingdom of Styria.

    With the king killed and the prince captured, half of the nobles belonging to Styria have accepted submission to the kingdom of Revra.

    But some knights and nobles are still refusing to be ruled by him, and have become the rebel resistance. The resistance is planning to rescue Castor and is still looking for an opportunity to rescue him.

    In this situation, Castor¡¯s presence is no longer a hindrance.

    The Knights have already been subdued, so they are of little value as hostages. It is better to execute Castor to break the banner of the rebels than to let him live and wait for the enemy to take him.

    It was with this in mind that Zardis planned to carry out the execution tomorrow, but Castor escaped.

    It is only a matter of time before Castor comes into contact with the rebels.

    Zardis has to find him as soon as possible and make sure he is killed this time.

    ¡°Why, ¡­¡­ why won¡¯t you die quietly? Castor.¡±

    Zardis gritted his teeth and twisted his face in anguish.

    Although Zardis killed the King Styria and wanted to execute Castor, he did not have any hatred for Castor himself.

    The reason why Zardis wanted to betray and destroy his allies was because it was a condition from the empire.

    For years, the Kingdom of Revra has been at war with its northern neighbour, the Empire of Leohart.

    With the support of the Kingdom of Styria and the Republic of Parthenos, the kingdom has been able to keep the invasion at bay but in recent years, however, this has reached its limits.

    In the last few years, the Leohart Empire has been growing rapidly, and it has reached the point where it is no longer possible to keep up with their attacks.

    If this continues, the kingdom of Revra will be conquered in the not too distant future.

    Revra would become a colony of the Empire and its people would be conscripted as slaves.

    Zardis¡¯ decision was swift. He came to the negotiating table and made peace with the Empire before it had been decisively defeated and lost its power.

    With enemies on all sides, the Empire had no shortage of soldiers. There is no reason to refuse if Revra can submit to the Empire and acquire troops intact.

    ¡°Castor¡­..I feel bad for you. But¡­..I am the king of Revra. I have a duty to do everything I can for the kingdom of Lebra.¡±

    It was to protect the Kingdom of Revra that Zardis brought the Kingdom of Styria to ruin. He wanted to show his loyalty to the Empire by sacrificing an ally.

    He never disliked Castro. As the husband of his sister, he was supposed to be his brother-in-law.

    ¡°¡­¡­If I could, I would have wanted you to die without a struggle. I didn¡¯t want you to suffer for nothing.¡±

    ¡°Have you sent out a chaser? Where did Castor run off to?¡±

    It was with a bitter, navel-gouging heart that Zardis questioned the soldier.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know where they ran off to, because the hidden passage was destroyed by the enemy. From the direction in which the passage stretches, I think it is to the east¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Then send your men to the east. Don¡¯t let Castro escape!¡±

    ¡°Aha!¡±

    ¡°And do you know the identity of the man who rescued Castor?¡±

    ¡°No. The men who were working with Prince Castor wore strange clothes and we do not know their affiliation. One of them was a fearsome spearman, so skilled that Captain Rondos was driven out of action¡­¡­.¡±

    After being defeated by Yukimura Sanada, Zeke Rondos was seriously injured and was being treated. He is still in bed in the infirmary, muttering ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, I¡¯ll kill you¡± to someone who is not here.

    ¡°He¡¯s a warrior, enough to beat Rondos. He is not a nobody. It could be a remnant of the knights or a private army from the nobles. There may be someone on the inside who has helped them. The sooner you investigate, the better!¡±

    ¡°Ha, yes, sir!¡±

    Having received his sovereign¡¯s orders, the soldier immediately left the scene.

    Zardis looked sternly at the soldier as he walked out of the door at a running pace.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Zardis, who was left in the room, opened the curtains and looked out of the window.

    It was pitch black. There was no moonlight or twinkling stars in the cloudy sky. The sky was ominously dark, as if it was hinting at their future.

    ¡°O Kastor! No matter how much you resist, the kingdom of Styria will fall. It is inevitable. It has been decided¡­¡­¡±

    Zardis spits a few words in his mind to a man who is probably fleeing under a dark sky ¨C his would-be brother-in-law Castor.

    ¡°Stop your futile resistance. Please¡­¡­die for our country¡±

 Chapter 12

    The southernmost country on the continent is the Republic of Parthenos.

    The country was once a monarchy, but thirty years ago the oppressive king was ousted and the country became a republic.

    The country¡¯s legislative body is the Parliament, made up of the country¡¯s leading merchants, priests and nobles, and the highest administrative and military office is the Consul, who has the confidence of the Parliament.

    It is the youngest of the three states on the Liguanian peninsula, and diplomatic relations with Styria and Revra were not established until ten years after its foundation.

    It is now the economic centre of the Tripartite Pact, funding its allies with the rich resources it has acquired as a maritime nation.

    The tragedy in the Kingdom of Styria has already reached the Parthenos Republic, causing great confusion.

    Capital of the Parthenos Republic. The Central Council Chamber.

    In the urgent session of the Parliament, an old man stood up from his chair and shouted furiously.

    ¡°Revra has turned to the Empire!¡¡Then what will become of this country?¡±

    The assassination of King Styria and the capture of the Prince Castro during the wedding ceremony.

    The alliance between Styria and Revra was as good as broken. Then the question arises as to the position of the third country, the Parthenos Republic.

    Parthenos, too, has fought alongside Revra and Styria against the northern empire.

    Although they rarely sent soldiers because of the distance from the battlefield, Parthenos was the richest of the three countries in terms of economy. However, Parthenos has the richest economy of the three countries, and has provided large quantities of food and weapons.

    The Empire is the enemy. This should be a fact that will never change in the Republic.

    ¡°We must send help to the Kingdom of Styria!¡¡We must punish Revra, who has become a dog of the empire!¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, Revra has betrayed us and the fate of Styria is in the balance. We can¡¯t win against the Empire and Revra alone.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we make peace with Revra?¡¡They are not at war with us yet, are they?¡±

    The participants in the Congress were expressing their opinions verbatim, confusing the debate.

    A week has already passed since the discussions began, and no conclusion has yet been reached.

    It was no wonder. The Republic of Parthenos was founded 30 years ago. There have been times when pirates in the South Seas have been a problem, but never a war on a national scale.

    If they¡¯re not careful, the country will be destroyed. No one in the Congress knew how to deal with such a situation.

    ¡°The relationship between Revra and Styria is no longer repairable. However, we do not have the strength to fight. Should we set up a negotiation with Revra?¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡¡Our ambassador who attended the wedding has been captured and has not returned!¡¡We have every reason to believe that they regard us as enemies!¡¡We should work together with Styria against Revra and the Empire!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ We¡¯re in trouble because Styria might be destroyed.¡±

    Flinching at the shrill voice of the old senator, the young male senator modestly countered.

    If they were to face their enemies to the north, they will of course need the help of the Kingdom of Styria. But, they have been informed that the King of Styria has already been murdered and that the prince has been captured and may be executed at any moment.

    There was no way they could rely on an ally who might or might not be there.

    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous to fight. It would be better to make peace with Revra¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a very quick decision!¡±

    The high-pitched ringing of a bell shook the air, cutting through the almost resigned voices of the male members of the House.

    It came from a seat at the back of the chamber, next to the Speaker.

    ¡°It is not yet time for a decision. The kingdom of Styria has not yet fallen.¡±

    She is the only woman in the room, sitting in a chair and speaking in a calm voice.

    The female member of parliament, with her fiery red hair pulled into twin tails on either side, was a girl who looked to be in her early teens.

    The girl¡¯s comments were so out of place in a political setting that most of the members present fell silent.

    ¡°General Grein¡¯s daughter¡­..¡±

    A small voice purred from the edge of the chamber.

    The girl¡¯s name was Natalia Grein. She was the daughter of General Grein, the leader of the Republic¡¯s national army.

    Natalia was there on behalf of her father, who was supposed to be at the Congress, and her comments were not to be underestimated because they came from a general¡¯s daughter. An insult to Natalia would be an insult to her father, the general. It is no wonder that everyone present was silent.

    ¡°But Miss Grein¡­¡­we have heard that the King of Styria has fallen by a deadly blade and the prince is in captivity. The country is already as good as dead.¡±

    It was a young male councillor who spoke to her, choosing his words carefully.

    Even though they were sitting around the table as participants in the same parliamentary session, it did not mean that they were equal. Regardless of age or gender, Natalia¡¯s position was far superior to that of the male member.

    The male member of parliament was slightly frightened, his voice trembling, but he did his best to give his opinion to Natalia.

    ¡°That¡¯s old news. Senator William. I¡¯ve already got more information than that.¡±

    ¡°More information you say?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the captive prince, His Royal Highness Prince Castor Styria, has already escaped from Revra¡¯s clutches. He is now fleeing towards the south and is trying to make contact with the remaining resistance groups. If His Royal Highness Prince Castor is able to rally his remaining troops to oppose Revra, the Kingdom of Styria will come back to life.¡±

    ¡°How¡­¡­ did you get such information ¡­¡­?¡±

    A murmur arose from the members of the Council.

    They had already sent a secret agent to the kingdom of Styria, but no one had been able to obtain such detailed information.

    ¡°Is it then worthwhile sending reinforcements?¡±

    ¡°Would it not be better to take custody of the Prince in our own country?¡±

    ¡°If we can work together to drive Revra back, or ¡­..¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    The parliament was inclined to agree with Styria, but there was a dissenting voice.

    The objection was raised by an elderly man sitting next to Natalia. He was the chairman of the parliament.

    ¡°It is true that we are glad that His Highness Prince Castor is still alive. But the fact remains that Styria is still at a disadvantage. If they are able to rebuild that ruined country, can they really defeat Revra?¡¡And even if they did, could they defeat the empire to the north?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    The assembly, which had been welling up, became quiet again. The speaker of the House gave them a cold shower of words and they calmed down.

    While everyone in the assembly was silent with a somber look on their faces, it was Natalia, also the youngest, who spoke up.

    ¡°So, Mr. Chairman. Even if we were to make peace with Revra ¡­¡­ would we be able to defend our republic from that point forward?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that, Miss Grein?¡±

    ¡°If we make peace with Lebla, we will both be part of the Empire. The Lion of the North, who wants to conquer the continent, will not miss us. Our republic will crumble and we have to serve a king. After thirty years how can we protect the freedom and peace of our people under a republic?¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±

    At Natalia¡¯s rebuttal, the old chancellor bit his tongue.

    There was a time when the Parthenos Republic was oppressed by tyrants,everyone was oppressed and suffered. Even some of the members of the council here know what it was like.

    Even when they allied themselves with the monarchies of Styria and Revra, they were met with a number of objections. There was no way they would accept to be under them as a vassal state.

    ¡°If our Republic were to come under the Empire, the Parliament would certainly be dismantled. People¡¯s freedom will be lost and they will be treated as less than imperial people, under imperial law. Can you stand it? Can you teach your children to endure it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Natalia¡¯s words were met with silence by all.

    That¡¯s the common understanding of all participants in republican politics, regardless of their position or profession.

    ¡°So what do you think we should do Miss Grein? Do you think we should go on with an all-out war?¡±

    ¡°No, I may be young, but I don¡¯t mistake recklessness for bravery. If I¡¯m going to fight, I want to be in a fight that I know I can win.¡±

    Natalia stood up for the first time and smiled.

    It was a mature and sexy smile, not something most people would expect to see from a girl in her early teens.

    ¡°I will go to the Kingdom of Styria with my private army to see if we can be allies to His HighnessCastor and fight together against Revra and the Empire. If I have failed, please dismiss it as my own fault. Please explain to my dad that the little girl has gone off on her own without the approval of parliament, and that the Republic has no intention of fighting either the Revra or the Empire.¡±

    ¡°What ¡­¡­ that much determination ¡­¡­!¡±

    The chancellor¡¯s eyes widened and he growled slowly.

    If she sided with Castor and saw him not a worthy man, they would go down together. It is for this reason that Natalia is going to the kingdom of Styria.

    ¡°I¡¯m committed to the Republic, there¡¯s no point in arguing. Is that alright with you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    When Natalia asked, she was met with a silent affirmation.

    The chairman hadn¡¯t decided what to do, of course. There was no reason to stop the young girl from making her move.

    ¡°Then it is decided that Miss Natalia Grein shall be sent as an envoy to the kingdom of Styria, and we shall wait for her report before taking any further measures.¡±

    ¡°I have to go to prepare, so I¡¯ll leave you now. I hope you will forgive me for leaving before you.¡±

    The chairman made a decision and the discussion was over.

    Natalia, with a gentle smile on her face, left the room before anyone else.

    ¡°Ha ¡­¡­ ha ¡­¡­!¡±

    As soon as she was out of the hall, Natalia clutched the edge of her skirt with both hands and ran. Out of breath and at an unladylike trot, she climbed into the Grainne family carriage, which was parked outside the hall.

    She instructed the coachman to go to the mansion and sat down slowly in her seat.

    ¡°Fuu¡­.¡±

    On the carriage, Natalia hugged herself with both arms.

    She shakes her shoulders and lets out a throaty cry.

    ¡°Huh ¡­¡­ huh ¡­¡­ huh ¡­¡­!¡±

    What came out of Natalia¡¯s mouth was an unconcealed squeal of delight.

    The girl¡¯s lips lifted in a crescent shape and she made a distorted laugh, as if she was so happy.

    ¡°Ahhh ¡­¡­! How long we have waited for this day to come! At last you will meet me, my dear brother¡­¡­!¡±

    Natalia¡¯s cheeks were rosy with excitement, her eyes were moist with the colour of mad love.

    Her feverish, lustful expression was far too sensual for a teenage girl, and she had an unearthly quality about her.

 Chapter 13

    As the two camps of Revra and Parthenos begin to move in on Castor, the crown prince is hiding in a mountainous area.

    Surrounded by dense trees, Castor is sitting on a fallen tree trunk as a chair.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    Castor was dressed in the common clothes worn by commoners, his serious face turned to the ground and his hands moving.

    In his right hand he held a stone the size of a fist. He was using the stone to scrape and break up the dead grass on the ground.

    ¡°Alright¡­¡­that¡¯s about as good as it gets¡±

    He nodded his head in satisfaction when he saw that the grass had been reduced to a powder.

    He then covered the ground grass with another piece of dead grass. He then placed a pine branch on top of the dead grass and rubbed it together with another branch.

    As he continued his work, the pine branches became blackened by the friction, and a small cloud of white smoke rose from them.

    ¡°Now wrap this up and breathe on it¡­..¡±

    Castor wraps the sparks in a bundle of dead grass. With a ¡®Fu-Fu-¡¯ of air, the sparks ignite the crushed grass and create a flame.

    The rest is easy. Castor put branches into the flame, starting with the thinnest ones, to make the flame grow.

    Having succeeded in building a fire without the use of flint or other tools, Castor looked down at the flames he had fostered and nodded in satisfaction.

    ¡°Well, well, I¡¯ve got the fire going quicker than yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve improved a lot, that you have. My Lord!¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back. Yukimura.¡±

    When Castor turned to look at the voice behind him, he saw the figure of Yukimura Sanada, a samurai in red armour. Yukimura lowered the large boar he was carrying on his shoulders to the ground.

    ¡°We have a harvest too, that we do! You must be pleased!¡±

    Yukimura says proudly, slapping the body of the fat boar with his palm.

    The boar is very fat and weighs well over 200 kg. Yukimura¡¯s physical strength was such that he was able to lift it easily without feeling its weight.Once again, Castor sighed.

    ¡°That¡¯s a big one. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have any food problems for a while.¡±

    ¡°It is a gift from the mountain gods, that it is. The blood has already been drained from this one, so it will be ready soon. Please wait a moment.¡±

    Yukimura laughed vivaciously and plunged the tip of his spear into the boar¡¯s body.

    The blood did not gush out of the beast¡¯s body after it was drained, but it was still a living body. The black blood dripped out and spread slowly on the ground.

    Yukimura expertly dismantles the boar, separating the meat from the bones. Not so long ago, this would have been a nauseating sight, but Castor was already used to it and felt nothing.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting adaptable by the minute. If the environment changes, so do the people¡­..¡±

    It¡¯s an unbelievable change when he considers that he used to live in a castle as a Prince.

    With the help of two heroes, Castor escaped from the enemy¡¯s clutches and fled eastwards, dodging the chase of the Revra soldiers. He is now hiding in the mountains, sleeping in a cave he found in the mountains.

    The cave is far from the road and hidden by the surrounding mountains, making it difficult to find even if you build a fire. It is also close to a stream, which makes it easy to get drinking water, and the deer and wild boar that live in the mountains make it easy to get food.

    It was a perfect place for hiding ¨C a hiding place that the ninja F¨±ma Kotar¨­ had given his seal of approval.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you have to do such a lowly job as building a fire. Normally, it should be for us, your vassal, to do this¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m just glad there¡¯s something I can do, no matter how trivial it may seem.¡±

    Castor waved his hand from side to side at Yukimura, who looked apologetic.

    ¡°I¡¯ve put you all in a dangerous job. Let me at least do this.¡±¡±

    At the moment, the two summoned spirits have different tasks to perform.

    Yukimura¡¯s role is to keep a watchful eye on the area around the base. He is in charge of procuring food such as meat and wild vegetables. And F¨±ma Kotar¨­, who is not present here, has gone down to the village to gather information.

    The movement of Revra, the remnants of Styria, the Leohart Empire and the Parthenos Republic. There were so many things that Castor wanted to know and needed to know.

    ¡°We need to be vigilant about the movements of the enemy¡­.. I¡¯m also curious about the remnants of the kingdom of Styria. In order to regain the kingdom, we must join with the knights and nobles who are resisting.¡±

    It is very difficult to overturn the situation of the war by itself, no matter how much divine blessing the summoning of the heroic spirit has.

    For example, Sanada Yukimura is a peerless warrior. He has the power to turn the tide of battle, knocking down a hundred or two hundred soldiers with a single spear. But if one were to ask Castor if he could win against ¡­¡­one thousand or two thousand soldiers, the answer is no.

    No matter how heroic or heroic a spirit is, he is still a mere human being. There is no way that he can win just because he has the power of God.

    ¡°We will join with the remnants of Styria and create an army with the combined strength of the heroes. Then we will fight and drive Lebla out of this country. ¡­¡­!¡±

    ¡°By the way, my lord¡­¡­.You look much better, but how much of your ¡®strength¡¯ has returned?¡±

    As Castor was thinking about his next move, Yukimura suddenly asked a question.

    He questions in a chit-chat-like tone while he stabs the wild boar meat with a stick and puts it on the fire.

    ¡°Mm¡­..?Oh, yes. I seem to be close to full recovery. Maybe now I can summon at least one more.¡±

    Castor thinks for a moment and answers.

    It¡¯s been a week since they have escaped the castle. In the meantime, some new facts about the summoning of the heroic spirits have been discovered.

    For one thing, summoning the spirits of the dead drains Castor¡¯s energy and stamina to a great extent. Lost ¡®power¡¯ cannot be recovered over time. It is not a matter of resting to heal, but the exhausted strength is to remain exhausted.

    So how do Castor get his power back?¡­¡­By killing living things.

    When Castor, or a summoned spirit, kills a creature, the creature¡¯s ¡°power¡± ¨C a kind of soul energy ¨C flows into Castor¡¯s body. By consuming that power, Castor is able to activate the blessings of the [Heroic Spirit Summoning].

    When he summoned F¨±ma Kotar¨­ and Yukimura Sanada, he had not killed any living creature and had used his blessing without accumulating any ¡®soul power¡¯,thus he fainted.

    But now, Yukimura has killed beasts and thieves in the mountains, and Castor¡¯s soul power has recovered considerably. Now, he could summon another spirit.

    ¡°That is good, that it is! It was worth a while to hunt these bears and the wild boars, that it was!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself, because even if you are a heroic spirit, when you die, that is the end.¡±

    Another thing Castor found out was that once he summons a spirit, it will never disappear, but it continues to exist.

    In this world, there existed mystical powers such as ¡°magic¡± and ¡°witchcraft¡±. There are people who have received blessings from the gods of the Twelve, not just the goddess who gave Castor his powers.

    It is a miracle to summon spirits and demons, but it is common knowledge that beings summoned by normal summoning magic disappear with the passage of time.

    Kotar¨­ and Yukimura don¡¯t seem to disappear, and they can continue to exist in this world like normal human beings.

    ¡°Same as a normal human ¡­..which is probably also the case when they die¡±

    And, although this is intuitive information that he has never tried, it is not possible to summon a dead heroic spirit ever again.

    Castor can only give life to an otherworldly hero once. If he dies, he will never be able to see him again.

    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna give you both up. And the other spirits that I will summon later. I¡¯m grateful for all you¡¯ve done for me, but please be careful with your lives.¡±

    What comes to Castor¡¯s mind is the tragedy at his wedding. It was the scene when his father was stabbed to death in front of him.

    For the first time in his eighteen years of life, he realises how much of a loss it is to have someone close to him taken.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know anything, did I? I didn¡¯t know anything about the war, about Revra, nothing¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Aaa, what a waste of words, that it is!¡¡I am convinced that my pledge of allegiance to you, Yukimura, was not a mistake!¡¡I will continue to serve you with all my life, that I will!¡±

    Unaware of Castor¡¯s inner thoughts, Yukimura raises his voice in a cheerful manner.

    His cheerful words blow away anxiety and depression. Is this also the result of the energy of a hero?

    ¡°I told you not to die, didn¡¯t I? Do you really know what you¡¯re doing?¡±

    With a wry smile, Castor broke off a branch and threw it into the fire.

 Chapter 14

    In the evening of the same day, F¨±ma Kotar¨­, who had been out gathering information in a nearby town, returned.

    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. My Lord.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Kotar¨­. I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re back safe and sound.¡±

    Kotar¨­ was dressed in his usual black costume and cape.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t go to the town dressed like this. He used his ninja skills to disguise himself and sneak into the town.

    Whereas Yukimura¡¯s skill, ¡®The Best Soldier in Japan¡¯, is a combat-focused ability, Kotar¨­¡¯s ¡®Ninjutsu Mastery¡¯ is a much more applicable skill.

    He could disappear under the cover of darkness, change his clothes with the aid of illusions, or disguise himself as others. He can also pick locks, set and disarm traps, identify drugs, and sense the presence of enemies in the vicinity.

    ¡°I¡¯ve just finished preparing dinner. We¡¯ll listen to Kotar¨­¡¯s report while we eat.¡±

    The evening meal consisted of grilled wild boar meat caught by Yukimura and garnished with edible wild plants. And Kotar¨­ had bought some wine in town. For the time being they are all being hunted. Castor decided not to get drunk, so he will drink a moderate amount of wine.

    ¡°The northern half of the kingdom of Styria has already fallen into the hands of the kingdom of Revra. The noblemen who hold lands in the north have surrendered to the enemy and have fallen into their arms.¡±

    With a mouthful of wild boar meat, Kotar¨­ recounts the information he has seen and heard in the town.

    Immediately after the tragedy that occurred at the wedding, the army of the Kingdom of Revra broke through the northern border and invaded.

    The army of Revra subjugated the nobles who had territories in the north one after another, and cut off the territories of the Kingdom of Styria.

    The king, who was supposed to control the nobles, was killed by a deadly blade and the prince was imprisoned. The nobles were forced to surrender with little resistance and pledge their allegiance to Revra.

    It was a clear betrayal of the kingdom of Styria, but Castor is not to blame for it.

    It was Castor¡¯s fault that he was caught up in King Zardis¡¯s plot and taken into custody. He could not blame the nobles for his own lack of ability.

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t resist badly¡­It would have caused less damage to the people. On the contrary, I am relieved¡±

    ¡°In the southern part of the¡­¡­kingdom, some nobles have colluded to clash with the Revra army. It appears that the Duke of Caesar is in command and is confronting the enemy forces.¡±

    ¡°Lord Caesar is ¡­¡­! I see, if it was him, he wouldn¡¯t have betrayed Styria!¡±

    Castor clapped his hands and thought of the face of the Duke of Caesar.

    The Duke of Caesar was the father of the Queen, who had died of illness a few years earlier. In other words, he was Castor¡¯s grandfather.

    For Castor, he was an ¡°outsider¡± who had his back and was the most reliable of all the noblemen.

    ¡°So ¡­¡­ should we head south and meet up with Lord Caesar?¡±

    ¡°I think it is a good idea. The Duke of Caesar seems to have been overpowered by Revra, but with the addition of the royal family, he may be able to turn the tide.¡±

    Kotar¨­ affirms Castor¡¯s words and continues his report, ¡°But ¡­¡­¡±.

    ¡°The Revra soldiers have already discovered that my lord is hiding in this neighbourhood. The town and the roads are patrolled by many enemy soldiers, and it will be difficult to head south without being detected.¡±

    ¡°I see.., so what does ¡­¡­ Yukimura think?¡±

    ¡°Mugguh¡­¡­me, that I am?¡±

    Yukimura, who had been munching on the boar meat, moved his mouth rapidly and swallowed it.

    ¡°If there is an enemy, let us defeat him, that we may. I shall lead the way and open the way for you.¡±

    ¡°That would be too reckless. We¡¯re outnumbered.¡±

    Kotar¨­ shook his head in disappointment.

    He knows that Yukimura is an unparalleled warrior, but it is impossible for him to take on all of the Revra soldiers by himself.

    ¡°I wish we had other allies, but¡­..the lord of the nearby town has betrayed us to Revra.¡±

    ¡°Ha¡­¡­Viscount Ruizen, the ruler of the town at the foot of the mountain, has turned side with Revra very early on, and it will be difficult to rely on him for reinforcements.¡±

    ¡°So ¡­¡­ what is to be done? We can¡¯t join Lord Caesar at this rate.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    They all fell silent and stared at the fire in silence for a few moments.

    Castor had studied military affairs as part of his royal education, but he was a novice with no real experience on the battlefield.

    Yukimura and Kotar¨­ must have been excellent warriors and ninjas, but they were not military strategists or strategists.

    The group lacked a ¡®brain¡¯ to help them develop their strategy.

    ¡°If it¡¯s like this, I¡¯ll have to summon a new heroic spirit from ¡­¡­.¡±

    Castor sighs in resignation and makes his decision.

    If he invokes the spirits of the heroes, he will be back to fighting fatigue, but he can¡¯t stay in the mountains forever.

    If he does nothing, the remnants of the kingdom of Styria, headed by Lord Caesar, will be annihilated, and the country will fall completely into the clutches of the enemy.

    ¡°If I had to summon someone, it would be a military strategist or someone who could handle the brain work. There are several candidates ¡­¡­¡±

    Castor put his hand on his chest and invoked the blessing of [summoning the heroic spirit].

    He has to be vigilant to make sure that the ¡°Red Lotus Soul¡± does not appear, and he has to select the souls that meet his wishes.

    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D

    Shigeharu Takenaka

    Occupation: military strategist

    Valour: 2

    Command: 5

    Politics: 10

    Wisdom: 9

    Special ability ¡°Konkomei.¡±

    During the activation of the ability, calculation and arithmetic abilities are dramatically improved. He is able to process multiple pieces of information in a compressed amount of time.

    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D

    .

    .

    .

    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D

    Yoshitaka Kuroda

    Occupation: Military strategist

    Valour: 1

    Command: 5

    Politics: 9

    Wisdom: 10

    Special ability ¡°Master of Castle Building¡±

    When directing the construction of castles and civil engineering works, the efficiency of the work is greatly improved. It also increases the fighting ability of the soldiers under his command when attacking or besieging a castle.

    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D

    .

    .

    .

    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D

    Yamamoto Kansuke

    Occupation: Military strategist

    Valour: 5

    Command: 5

    Politics: 7

    Wisdom: 8

    Special Ability: ¡°The Single-Eyed Strategist¡±

    He is able to share his vision with his men and see things at a distance.

    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D

    .

    .

    .

    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D

    Shima Sakon

    Occupation: samurai, military strategist

    Valour: 8

    Command: 8

    Politics: 7

    Wisdom: 7

    Special ability ¡°Oni Sakon¡±

    Makes surprise attacks more likely to succeed. When a soldier under your command is in hiding, he is less likely to be found by the enemy.

    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D

    There were others, such as Kobayakawa Takakage and Ishida Mitsunari, but these four in particular stand out.

    ¡°If I had to pick one hero for overall ability, I¡¯d have to go with ¡®Sakon Shima¡¯. His overall ability is high and he will be very useful in battle.¡±

    But this general is more of a military strategist who is active on the battlefield. In the current situation of Castor, who has no soldiers, he cannot make use of the special ability of ¡°Oni Sakon¡±.

    For the same reason, ¡°Yamamoto Kansuke¡± was also rejected. The ability of ¡°The Single-Eyed Strategist¡± also seems to be useless in the situation which has nothing to do with the castle.

    ¡°Then there¡¯s¡­¡­¡®Shigeharu Takenaka¡¯ He¡¯s the only one who should be summoned.¡±

    Castor nodded his head and reached for his soul.

    As soon as his fingertips touched the blue-white ball of light, it became a blinding flash of light that covered Castor¡¯s vision.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Author¡¯s Note:

    The abilities and personalities of the warriors are based on our own judgment and prejudice.

    Sanada Yukimura has a strong image of a fierce general in games, but in reality he was a small, gentle and intelligent general. The role played by Masato Sakai in Sanadamaru(check it out, it¡¯s a good drama) was a perfect fit.

    In this film, I will be using the role of Yukimura the Fierce General.

    If you are a fan of ¡°Yukimura the Wise¡±, I apologise.

 Chapter 15

    ¡°Summoning Spirit¡­ Reveal yourself to me, Takenaka Shigeharu!¡±

    Castro shouts. A blue-white flash of light fills the air in front of them, illuminating the trees around them.

    This is the third time he has seen it. It is the light of a goddess who transcends the barriers of time and space to bring down heroes from other worlds.

    Eventually, the light fades and a figure emerges from inside but it¡¯s a boy at least a size smaller than Kotar¨­.

    ¡°¡­A child?¡±

    ¡°How do you do, My new lord. His Highness Castor Styria. Takenaka Shigeharu¡­¡­ but those closest to me call me by my street name of ¡®Hanbei¡¯, so I hope you will call me that.¡±

    A boy who looks no more than twelve or thirteen years old speaks to Castor in a crisp, clear tone.

    This boy is a rare military strategist who has made a name for himself in the Warring States period with his wisdom. Is he one wing of the ¡°Ryobei¡± who raised a man from a peasant family to the rank of emperor?

    ¡°Is this the Takenaka Hanbei¡­¡­?¡¡Why is he in the form of a child?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re like, F¨±ma Kotar¨­?¡±

    Kotaro murmured a question, to which Shigeharu Takenaka ¨C Hanbei replied without pause.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all younger than you were when you died, cured of injuries and illnesses. Perhaps the spirits summoned by Your Highness¡¯ power will appear in their prime, in their prime age and form?¡±

    Hanbei held out his hands and spun around in a circle.

    The white kimono worn by the diminutive soldier, like a death suit, fluttered at the hem.

    ¡°I was sick when I came of age, and I was sick when I died. Hideyoshi-sama stayed with me until the end, but ¡­¡­ I died a little unhappily for a warlord of Japan, and I was very disappointed. So it seems that in this life, I was summoned in the form of a child before I became ill.¡±

    ¡°I see, that I understand. By the way, I also had a bad leg and back, but it is getting better, that it is.¡±

    After listening to Hanbei¡¯s explanation, Yukimura slaps his palm with his fist as if he is convinced. Next to him, Kotar¨­ also nods in admiration.

    ¡°It seems that the rare warrior is still alive and well. Master Castor.¡±

    ¡°Aa. I can¡¯t complain about being a child or an old person, as long as Hanbei can show his wisdom. Please, lend us your knowledge.¡±

    ¡°As His Highness says¡­¡­ So, let¡¯s have a chat. The situation we¡¯re in, our strength and the strength of the enemy. Everything you know, down to the last detail.¡±

    Hanbei sat down on the ground and urged him to explain.

    His manner was not that of a superior, but that of a child who has no sense of propriety.

    However, rather than being offended by his rudeness, Castor felt confident and reliable.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Eventually, when he had heard everything, Hanbei fell silent and put his hand over his mouth.

    ¡°Hanbei?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like some time. I¡¯ll come up with a plan.¡±

    Hanbei stays silent and ponders.

    Castor decided to wait for the boy soldier to get his thoughts together¡­¡­Then a strange phenomenon occurred.

    A jade green circle appeared around Hanbei¡¯s head and began to rotate at high speed.

    ¡°Oi,oi! Hanbei!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Castor couldn¡¯t help but call out to the circle, which spun like the wheels of a carriage.

    But Hanbei didn¡¯t react to his lord¡¯s call and continued to think in silence.

    At any rate, there seems to be no harm done to the circle, but it is a clear anomaly.

    ¡°Well¡­¡­perhaps this is Hanbei¡¯s special ability¡­¡­?¡±

    Eventually Castor arrived at the answer.

    Hanbei¡¯s special ability ¨C ¡°Kon Komei¡±. It is the blessing of the goddess that has the power to accelerate the ability to think and calculate.

    As Castor can imagine, the calculator is playing at a frightening speed in Hanbei¡¯s brain.

    Hanbei, who originally possessed unusual intelligence as a military strategist, has had his calculation speed further boosted by a special ability. His devilish thinking must be incomprehensible to ordinary people.

    ¡°Un¡­¡­ perfect. The whole forest is in my hands.¡±

    Hanbei was silent for about a minute.

    The jade-coloured circle disappears at the same time Hanbei opens his mouth confidently.

    The young soldier has a smile on his face, like a little boy who has come up with an amusing prank.

    ¡°A tiger is waiting for us in front, and a wolf is chasing us from behind. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll bite the tiger and the wolf together and make them both disappear.¡±

    ¡°I see you¡¯ve come up with a brilliant idea. Can you tell us about it?¡±

    ¡°Of course. This time, the plan will put a bit of a strain on Kotar¨­-san. ¡­¡­ Is there a problem?¡±

    When Hanbei glanced at the hooded ninja, Kotar¨­ gave him a deep nod.

    ¡°Of course not. A man¡¯s life is a small price to pay if he can be of service to his master.¡±

    ¡°Un, with Kotaro¡¯s help, it¡¯s perfect, even more perfect. It¡¯s as if all the pieces have fallen into place.¡±

    With a childish giggle, Hanbei talks about his newly devised plan.

    Castor and the others listened to the young soldier¡¯s proposal with a mystified look on their faces.

    The discussion went on until midnight, when Castor and his party decided to take action.

    The half-moon was rising above them, casting its golden light down on the secret talks.

 Chapter 16

    Alvan is a town in the east of the Kingdom of Styria.

    Ruled by Viscount Ruizen, the town was a prosperous logistics centre in the eastern part of the kingdom.

    The town of Alvan is currently under the control of the Kingdom of Revra, an invader from the north.

    However, despite being under the control of the enemy, the town is as lively as ever, with many traders coming and going.

    When Viscount Ruizen heard that the king had been defeated and Castor taken prisoner, he was the first to turn to the Revra side and ask for submission.

    Viscount Ruizen¡¯s decision to abandon his loyalty to his sovereign before he had even been advised to surrender was rightly condemned by friend and foe alike. Not only his fellow countrymen on the Styrian side, but also the Revra side and his own people called him a ¡®coward who surrendered without a fight¡¯, which shows how out of line his actions were.

    Nevertheless, it is also true that the turnover was convenient for Revra.

    Alvan is a trading city that attracts peddlers from many towns in the east of the kingdom. It is also the place where they can find a lot of people who are willing to work for them. If Revra can keep the city under them control without a fight, there is nothing better than that.

    Viscount Ruizen was admitted to the Kingdom of Revra and allowed to continue his reign as ruler of the city of Alvan.

    ¡ð¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ð¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ð

    ¡°What? I am suspected of treachery!?¡±

    In the house of Viscount Ruizen, an old man¡¯s voice rang out in anger.

    The old man¡¯s voice rang out like a child in a tantrum. He is the lord of the town of Alvan.

    Viscount Ruizen rises from his chair and stares at the man sitting in front of him, his eyes red and bloodshot.

    The knight in shining armor of the kingdom of Revra sits in front of Viscount Ruizen. The knight, a man in his forties, frowned slightly and wiped the spit from the old man¡¯s mouth with his hand.

    ¡°¡­.. I¡¯m very sorry, but you¡¯re right. You are suspected of harbouring the Crown Prince of Styria, Castor Styria, Viscount Ruizen.¡±

    The knight pronounces in a low voice.

    Viscount Ruizen shakes his fist and his wrinkled face contorts in humiliation.

    ¡°I have already broken with Styria and sworn allegiance to Revra! I will not shelter the Prince now! You think Revra doesn¡¯t trust my loyalty?¡±

    ¡°Of course¡­¡­¡­..not¡±

    The knight gulped and swallowed the words he was about to say with a spit.

    ¡°How can I trust a man who betrayed his master in seconds? Do not speak of loyalty when you are a disloyal man who thinks only of his own safety.¡±

    The old man in front of him will never be convinced by such a good argument.

    Bird-ruizen( ¥Ð©`¥É?¥ë¥¤¥¼¥ó) has no faith, no pride. All he wants is to rule the town and make a profit.

    He has no shame in betraying the kingdom of Styria and turning to the kingdom of Revra.

    ¡°¡­¡­As much as we would like to believe you, we have been informed that a dark-haired man, like the fugitive Prince, has been in and out of the city. As you know, black hair is a colour that rarely appears. It¡¯s too good to be true.¡±

    B¡±ut even if it is Prince Castor, there is no reason for me to betray him!¡¡He might just be coming and going as he pleases¡­¡±

    ¡°How lax the town¡¯s management is, that a wanted man should come and go unnoticed. Are the guards who stand at the entrance to the town imitating scarecrows?¡±

    It was hard to believe that the soldiers had missed the unusual black hair. Viscount Ruizen is at a loss for words as he suspects that he has been deliberately overlooked.

    ¡°Ugh ¡­¡­, that¡¯s ¡­¡­, but ¡­¡­¡±

    But, no matter how many questions he is asked, Viscount Ruizen really has no idea.

    If Castor was in town, he would have been the first to capture him and hand him over to Revra. For him, his own career is far more important than the life of his former lord. He has no hesitation in selling the life of the Prince.

    ¡°This is a warning. Viscount Ruizen.¡±

    The old man is at a loss for words and the knight points his finger at him as if to give him an ultimatum.

    ¡°You must hand over Castor Styria to me in the near future. If you do not surrender Castor¡­.. or allow him to escape from the estate, I will have you punished as a traitor.¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡­? Please wait, wait!¡±

    When he was told in no uncertain terms that he was to be punished, Viscount Roizen was flabbergasted.

    He had turned on Revra, and had survived a great deal of criticism from his enemies. He could not afford to be falsely accused and lose his position now.

    He must clear up the misunderstanding even if he has to cling to a knight who is a lower-ranked.

    ¡°I have not really betrayed you! Please believe me!¡±

    ¡°If you want us to believe in you, then show us by your actions and results. To capture and hand over to us Castor Styria.As a nobleman of Revra, you must show your loyalty to His Majesty Zardis.¡±

    The knight coldly dismisses the old man, who clings to him, and quickly leaves the room.

    ¡®I¡¯ve said what I had to say. I have no use for you any more¡¯ ¨C the old man¡¯s face flushed with anger at such a blatant attitude, but there was no time for shouting.

    If he doesn¡¯t find and capture Castor as soon as possible, his life and position will be in jeopardy.

    ¡°I have to find Castor¡­¡­! If I don¡¯t, my position ¡­¡­ and my life ¡­¡­ will be in jeopardy!¡±

    Viscount Ruizen ordered his steward to summon the captain of the town guard.

    When the captain and his men arrived at the lord¡¯s house, the viscount shouted angrily at them.

    ¡°The fugitive Castor Styria has been coming and going in this town! Why didn¡¯t you see it coming?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­my men have not reported any dark-haired figures, have they?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be! Revra has asked you to hand him over! You disgrace me, you disloyal bastard!¡±

    ¡°No, the disloyal ones are¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ Gohmm!!¡±

    A soldier under his command tried to say that it was him who was disloyal, but the captain of the guard coughed loudly to disguise his words.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the gatekeepers have missed His Highness Castor, but it is possible that he has been in and out of the town in some way. His hair can be disguised with wigs and dyes, and he can even sneak in with his luggage.¡±

    The old captain of the guard breathed a sigh of relief and put on his armoured chest.

    ¡°¡¯From now on we will increase security at the entrances to the town. In addition, how about putting a bounty on His Highness the Castor for any sightings?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Now get on with it!¡¡Don¡¯t let Castor escape!¡¡Never let the Castor escape! We¡¯ll catch them with our own hands, even if we have to split the grass!¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    On receiving the Viscount¡¯s order, the captain of the guard acted immediately.

    It was not that they did not like the idea of hunting down their own prince as a wanted man, but for them, as town guards, their own lives were far more important than their loyalty to the Crown.

    The town¡¯s inhabitants and neighbouring villages were widely informed of the sighting, and the soldiers of Viscount Ruizen set out to find the whereabouts of Castor Styria.

    It was not until three days later that a local hunter reported that a ¡°dark-haired figure¡± was hiding in the mountains.

 Chapter 17

    At last, having received information about the sighting of Castor Styria, Viscount Ruizen mobilised his soldiers and sent them to the mountains to the east of the town.

    About 200 soldiers were sent. The soldiers were not only the town¡¯s guards, but also mercenaries hired for money.

    Relying on eyewitness reports, the soldiers first visited a small village on the west side of the mountain.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. A dark-haired man bought wheat, vegetables and wine in this village and went into the mountains.¡±

    An elderly man, who earns his living as a hunter in the village, describes what he saw with a peculiar intonation.

    ¡°It was definitely His Highness Prince Castor, was it not?¡±

    The commander of the soldiers ,the captain of the town guard, tried to confirm with the elderly man.

    But the huntsman shook his head, scratching his head in annoyance.

    ¡°We country folk don¡¯t know what the prince looked like. But he had dark hair, that¡¯s for sure. I¡¯m sorry, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve known for a long time that there was someone living in those mountains. I¡¯ve been hunting deer and boar, and I think the bandits who lived there were killed too.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­do you know where these people are hiding or where they are?¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t know exactly where it is, but I know a mountain road they use a lot. I¡¯ll show you.

    ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    The captain of the guard paid a huntsman to lead the soldiers up the mountain.

    In addition to Castor, there are two or three other people who live in the mountains, according to eyewitness accounts.

    The captain had brought two hundred soldiers with him in anticipation of hunting in the mountains, but by the looks of it, he may not have needed that many men.

    About 20 of the 200 soldiers were sent to guard the entrance to the mountain, and the rest of the soldiers set foot on the mountain path.

    The mountain is used not only for hunting beasts but also for forestry, and the road has been paved by the villagers at the foot of the mountain. The road was wide enough for soldiers to march on, as it was used for transporting timber.

    Guided by a hunter, the soldiers made their way up the mountain and soon came to an area where the forest had been cut down and cleared.

    ¡°It was around here that I saw the ¡®Black Hair¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ do you also know where he might rest?¡±

    ¡°No,I don¡¯t think so¡­..because he immediately went into hiding. I can see that he may have gone deep into the mountains.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, well then, so much for guidance. We¡¯ll set up a base here and start searching in small groups!¡¡Be careful and be back by nightfall!¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    The soldiers under Viscount Ruizen were divided into prearranged groups of around ten men and dispersed throughout the mountains.

    They have brought enough men with them to search the mountains. If Castor Styria is really in this forest, the captain is sure he will find him in less than three days.

    The captain of the guard ordered his men to set up camp in the clearing and make a makeshift camp.

    He sat down on a tree stump and sighed deeply from the fatigue of climbing.

    ¡°Oh dear,¡­¡­not as good as when I was young.¡±

    The captain of the guard, who is well into his fifties, the unaccustomed climb is painful. The pain in his legs and feet was palpable.

    He was tempted to throw away his armour and weapons and just lie down, but that was not going to happen. If the soldiers under his command saw him relaxing alone, the morale of the entire troop would be lowered.

    ¡°Well ¡­¡­ I hope I will find the ¡®black hair¡¯ safely ¡­¡­.¡±

    As he drinks from his canteen, the captain¡¯s mind wanders to the dark-haired figure who is said to be hiding in the mountains.

    ¡°The question is whether the ¡°black hair¡± in question is really the Prince Castor¡­¡­.. Even if it is not the same person, handing over the dark-haired person to Revra will allow us to explain that we are not hiding the prince. As long as the black-haired person is captured, the viscount family will not be destroyed¡±

    Revra does not want to destroy the city of Alvan for no reason.

    The invading kingdom of Revra has enemies every corner, including the Duke of Caesar to the south. They cannot afford to make more enemies unnecessarily.

    If the suspicion of harboring Castor is cleared, they will not go to the trouble of causing unnecessary strife and destroying the Ruizen Viscount family.

    ¡°I was surprised by the Viscount¡¯s sudden betrayal, but ¡­¡­ I guess, we were lucky to be on the winning horse. I¡¯m glad that we were not involved in the deception of some stupid royal family¡±

    If a lord is a lord, then a vassal is a vassal.

    The captain of the guard also has no loyalty to the royal family of Styria.

    He has no loyalty to the royal house of Styria, but only to protect his own position, his own life and his own interests. He has no need for pride or honour, as long as he can continue to sip his ¡°good taste¡± as Alvan¡¯s captain of the guard.

    As a commercial city, Alvan receives a wide range of goods from the east of the kingdom.

    Most of the goods are foodstuffs, crafts and metals from the mountains, but there are also illegal drugs that are prohibited by law from entering the city.

    It is the job of the guards to prevent such illegal goods from entering the town, but¡­¡­ the captain of the guards deliberately overlooked this.

    ¡°It is a small price to pay for a stingy viscount. It¡¯s a pittance compared to the bribes he gets from the merchants¡±

    Of course, Viscount Ruizen did not know that the captain of the guard had been bribed by the merchants to commit fraud. If he had known, he would have dismissed him.

    But the baron is unaware. He doesn¡¯t even notice.

    The only thing he cares about is how much money is coming into his own pocket. He may not even remember the name of the captain of the guard.

    ¡°In order to keep my money and position, the foolish and indifferent viscount must still be alive. I must find the ¡°Black Hair¡± and protect the Viscount¡¯s family!¡±

    The captain of the guard was motivated not by loyalty, but by mutual interest.

    It was an unbecoming sentiment for a knight or a soldier, but at least the spirit of ¡°getting it done¡± was genuine.

    If things had gone in order, his troops would be able to find Castor.

    The motivation was real, and the captain of the guard had the ability to do so.

    ¡°Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!¡±

    ¡°He-Hel-Heeeeelpppp Meeee!!!¡±

    ¡°Wha..?¡±

    Suddenly the screams of the soldiers echoed through the camp.

    Unfortunately, things did not go the way the captain of the guard wanted.

    No matter his motivation or ability, the man is just one of the pawns dancing in the hands of a rare military ????? master.

    ¡°Captain, we¡¯re under attack! We¡¯re under attack!¡±

    ¡°Who are they? Castor¡¯s men?¡±

    Arrows are shot one after another into a makeshift position in the mountains.

    There are dozens of bows and arrows shot into the air. The captain had heard that Castor is working with two or three people, but obviously there are too many arrows.

    ¡°The enemy are the Revra soldiers!¡¡The Revra are attacking!

    ¡°What? How is that possible?¡±

    It¡¯s impossible.

    The captain of the guard shouted in agitation at the improbable situation.

    ¡°¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸ ooohhhh! ¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡±

    Please be wrong.

    The armoured soldiers of the kingdom of Revra rushed into the camp, as if to counteract those wishes.

 Chapter 18

    Half a day before the soldiers under Viscount Ruizen entered the mountain.

    From the south side of the mountain, soldiers from the Kingdom of Revra set foot in the mountain.

    They were soldiers who had come to the eastern part of the kingdom on the orders of the king, Zardis Revra, to hunt down Castor, who had escaped.

    The Revra soldiers had set up checkpoints and blocked off the roads, and were canvassing the neighbouring towns and villages in search of Castor.

    A week has passed since Castor¡¯s escape, still no trace of him, and as the search for him was about to be widened, the soldiers of the Revra received a strong report. A dark-haired figure was said to be hiding in the mountains to the east of Alvan.

    The information came from a mountaineer who lived in a village on the south side of the mountain. He had seen the dark-haired man drawing water from a stream in the mountains.

    Black hair is a hair colour rarely seen on the continent. Naturally, the Revra soldiers decided that it was Castor who was the target, and sent soldiers after him.

    Half of the Revra soldiers who had been sent to search for him ¨C about 300 soldiers ¨C decided to hunt the mountain, and they entered the mountain path from the south side of the mountain.

    It was clear from the wounding of Zeke Rondos that Castor had a very good bodyguard. The mountain hunt was carried out with a sufficient number of men.

    ¡°¡­¡­Archers!¡±

    ¡°The enemy! The enemy is coming!¡±

    After several hours of searching, the Lebla soldiers finally succeeded in catching sight of the enemy. The Lebla soldiers finally succeeded in catching sight of the enemy. A mysterious figure, his face hidden by a hood, shot a bow and arrow from behind a tree.

    ¡°Go after him!¡¡Don¡¯t let him get away!¡±

    ¡°So fast¡­¡­? We¡¯ll lose him!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a ¡­¡­ trap! Watch out!¡±

    The Revra soldiers chase after the attackers, but the enemy is surprisingly quick on its trail. In addition, there were booby traps all over the mountain to keep the soldiers on their toes.

    The Revra soldiers chase after the enemy, but when they reach the west side of the mountain, they are confronted by a new enemy.

    ¡°Enemy! Kill them!¡±

    ¡°How dare you do that to me just now!¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    Viscount LRuizen¡¯s soldiers, who had entered the mountain slightly late, were attacked by the Revra soldiers.

    The Viscount¡¯s private army and the Revra soldiers, who were supposed to be in the same camp, quickly got into a melee and came to blows.

    ¡°You! Do you have any idea who you¡¯re pointing your swords at?¡±

    ¡°You killed my men!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got me by the balls!!¡±

    ¡°Aaahhhh!¡±

    The Viscount¡¯s private army and the Revra soldiers begin to fight each other.

    The mountains are filled with shouts and screams, and the blood spatter turns the green trees to red.

    What they did not know was, this was the result of a plot drawn up by Hanbei Takenaka and realised by F¨±ma Kotar¨­.

    Hanbei sent a paid villager to Viscount Ruizen and the Revra soldiers to inform them of the mountain where they were hiding.

    Of course, they corroborated the information, but it is true that Castor is hiding in the mountain. There were others who had seen ¡®the dark-haired man¡¯ known as Yukimura Sanada, doing hunting and soldiers were soon sent to search for him.

    But what was unexpected for both of them was that each side of the mountain was searching for Castor¡¯s party.

    And that they were fooled to fight each other by F¨±ma Kotar¨­, who was disguised using his ability ¡®Ninjutsu Master.¡¯

    Kotar¨­ made full use of his mobility as a ninja to guide the two groups and also made them aware of each other as enemies by disguising himself as the enemy and attacking both camps.

    It was also significant that the soldiers had been divided into platoons for the search. The chain of command was dispersed, and the uncoordinated soldiers were caught up in the scheme one by one.

    ¡°It seems that ¡­¡­ your plan has succeeded, Hanbei.¡±

    ¡°Of course, who do you think was behind the ruse?¡±

    In the meantime, Castor left his hiding place in the mountains early in the morning and escaped to the southern part of the kingdom by breaking through the thinly guarded barrier with ease.

    Despite being thinly guarded, they had to rely on Yukimura to dispatch the Revra soldier during their escape.

    Castor, Hanbei and Yukimura, each riding a horse taken from a Revra soldier, rode through the streets without being touched.

    ¡°Hanbei¡¯s plan was brilliant, but it was Kotar¨­¡¯s performance that made the difference. So he played the enemy to his advantage.¡±

    ¡°That is F¨±ma Kotar¨­. The ninja who defended the impregnable Odawara Castle from the shadows, that he is!¡±

    He nodded his head in admiration, but his red armor was stained even redder by the blood that came back, making him look too dangerous.

    Kotar¨­¡¯s ability to use ninjutsu was a key element in this operation.

    This blessing, with its unique power of disguise, enabled him to lure the enemy into a fight.

    The Revra messenger who visited Viscount Ruizen¡¯s house was also Kotar¨­ in disguise. He disguised himself as a knight of Revra and made him feel threatened that he would be punished if he didn¡¯t capture Castor, so that he would send out his soldiers.

    ¡°I¡¯ve put Kotar¨­ in a dangerous role, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll make it out alive.We¡¯re going to head to the town where the rendezvous will take place!¡±

    Castor tells the spirits on either side of him and shakes the reins to accelerate the horse.

    They are on their way to the Duchy of Caesar. Ilius, the capital of the realm.

    It was a place of hope and battle, where the remnants of the kingdom of Styria gathered to fight against the invading army of Revra.

 Chapter 19

    Grayson Caesar, ruler of the Duchy of Caesar, is a man of character, known for his honesty and hard work.

    He is the ally of the nobility in the south of the kingdom, and the most trusted vassal of the royal family, whose loyalty has remained unchanged since the founding of the kingdom. His loyalty, which has lasted for 500 years, is the treasure of the kingdom of Styria and its last hope in this time of war with the kingdom of Revra.

    In the past, the Duke of Caesar was responsible for the defense of the Parthenos Kingdom in the south of the Kingdom of Styria.

    Since the transformation of the Kingdom of Parthenos into a Republic and the signing of an alliance thirty years ago, the role of border defence has diminished, but even now, as a large noble family with one of the largest armies in the country, it has great influence.

    The kingdom of Revra has taken control of the northern half of the kingdom of Styria in the past month, but it is the Duke of Caesar who is stopping them.

    The army of Revra marching to the south of the kingdom is 15,000. In contrast, the Duke of Caesar¡¯s army was 3,000. There was a clear difference in numbers, but the Revra army was unable to defeat the duke¡¯s army, which used its geographical advantage to fight, and was forced to fight a hard battle.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got the upper hand at the moment,¡­¡­, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be pushed around sooner or later if we stick with it. We need to do something to turn the tide of the battle.¡±

    The leader of the Duke¡¯s army, Garayle Caesar, calmly analyzed the battle situation and muttered.

    Garayle, the son of Grayson Caesar, had come to the front line of the battlefield in his father¡¯s place, leading the army.

    Although young, in his early twenties, Garayle was a man of valour and courage, and a trusted successor to his father.

    Garayle is on the south side of the Llanis River, which runs east to west, separating the north and south of the kingdom.

    He has his army in front of the river and is staring down the army of Revra on the other side.

    The duke¡¯s army, led by Garayle, has clashed with Revra¡¯s army three times, each time depleting his men.

    They have been able to prevent the enemy from invading thanks to their geographical position and superiority, but Garayle knew that they were slowly being hunted down.

    Garayle is staring at the north side of the river, where the Revra soldiers are massing, intent on overthrowing the Duke¡¯s army and crossing to the other side. The Revra soldiers were equipped with large shields, as if they were wary of being attacked by archers.

    The enemy has five times as many men as they have. A desperate power gap stands in front of Garayle¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°But we can¡¯t afford to be defeated by these¡­..filthy invaders. Surrender is not an option.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s movement in the enemy army!¡¡They¡¯re advancing towards us!¡±

    ¡°Just in case, we¡¯ll stick to the plan.¡±

    Nodding back at his deputy¡¯s report, Garayle draws his sword from his waist.

    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸ ooohhhh! ¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹

    A battle cry came from the other side of the river and one by one the Revra soldiers entered the water and came towards them.

    The river Llanis is a broad river. A bridge was built a little to the east of their location, but it has already been destroyed by the ducal forces.

    This is the only place where the Revra soldiers can cross the river, which is a fort, which means that if they can defend this place, they can stop the Revra from entering the southern part of the kingdom.

    The Revra soldiers kick up water as high as their knees and march towards the south side of the river.

    ¡°Archers, ready yourselves!¡±

    Garayle shouts to his troops.

    The duke¡¯s soldiers, lined up along the river, held their bows diagonally upwards.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    There was a moment of silence, broken only by the sound of the Revra soldiers treading water.

    When the enemy soldiers had come within a certain distance, Garayle shouted:

    ¡°Fireeeeeeeeeee!!!!¡±

    The soldiers of the Duke¡¯s army fire their bows and arrows in unison.

    The arrows flew in a parabola and struck the Revra soldiers from above.

    The Revra soldiers held their shields above their heads to block the rain of arrows, but some of the arrows failed to catch them, and some of the soldiers fell into the river.

    ¡°Don¡¯t rest your hands! One sweep!¡±

    On the commander¡¯s orders, the soldiers shoot their arrows one after another.

    If they hit the enemy with a large difference in numbers on the plain, they would not stand a chance. How many of the enemy can be reduced before crossing the river ¨C that will be the difference between victory and defeat.

    ¡°Shit! Styria¡¯s remnants!¡±

    ¡°You dogs have lost your master, and their fight is but hopeless!¡±

    The Revra soldiers are swearing and approaching the south side of the river one step at a time.

    Their speed of march is slowed by the water, but the difference in numbers is still great. It was only a matter of time before the enemy soldiers, who could not be stopped by a volley of arrows, reached the other side of the river.

    ¡°Spearmen, advance! Archers, continue to block the enemy¡¯s approach!¡±

    When the Revra soldiers had crossed a third of the river, Garayle gave them new orders.

    At the commander¡¯s order, a pikeman came forward with a long spear, about five metres long.

    The pikeman held his pike head up to the river and built a wall to prevent the enemy from crossing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! If we can get into the enemy¡¯s pocket, we will win!¡±

    The weapons carried by the Revra soldiers, equipped with large shields to protect them from archers, are swords and short spears. In order to attack the enemy, they had to step into close quarters.

    They were at a disadvantage, considering that their legs were caught in the river water, but Styrian were still outnumbered. They tried to break through the enemy¡¯s spears by sheer force of numbers.

    ¡°Wha!¡±

    But then something unexpected happened to Revra side.

    They were caught by something protruding from the bottom of the river, and fell over.

    ¡°The enemy has stopped moving! Kill them!¡±

    ¡°Ooooo!¡±

    A few meters from the south bank of the river, the Revra soldiers stopped moving, and the soldiers of the Duke¡¯s army launched spear points one after another.

    ¡°Aaaaahhhh!¡±

    ¡°Ku ¡­ what is this ¡­!¡±

    It was a wooden stake about 30 centimeters long that was blocking the advance of the Revra soldiers on the riverbed.

    The duke¡¯s troops had planted them in advance, and the Revra soldiers kicked and tripped over them.

    A mere thirty centimetre stake. It was a small obstacle that only needed to be lifted and straddled, but hidden in the murky water, it acted as a formidable barrier.

    The arrows and spears struck at the halted Revra soldiers, reducing their numbers one by one.

    ¡°Proud warrior of Styria! Shoot the enemy and stab the traitors! Let justice be done to the fools who betrayed our allies!¡±

    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸ ooohhhh! ¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹

    The Duke¡¯s army, encouraged by Garayle, attacked more vigorously and destroyed the Revra soldiers.

    This is the fourth clash between Revra and the Duke¡¯s army.

    The damage was 2,000 soldiers on the Revra side. The duke¡¯s army ended up with a difference of 150 soldiers. A huge win for the duke¡¯s side.

 Chapter 20

    While many warriors on the front line shed their blood and struggle, behind the scenes a conspiracy is crawling through the mud.

    ¡°Gilius¡­¡­, what are you doing?!¡±

    Duchy of Caesar. Ilius, the capital of the realm.

    A man¡¯s angry voice rang out in the house where the lord lived.

    The man who let out the cry of fury was a man who had reached the age of old age.

    The man¡¯s name was Grayson Caesar. He was the master of this house and the lord who ruled over the dukedom of Caesar.

    Grayson had been paralysed on the right side of his body by an illness he had contracted some years before and was now unable to walk without a cane.

    The lord is struggling to get up from his chair and is shouting angrily at the man in front of him.

    ¡°Do you know what you have done?¡¡This is treason against the Dukes of¡­..No, against the Royal House of Styria!?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ Calm down, Father.¡±

    The man who called Grayson his father is a young man who is currently being subjected to an ongoing series of angry words.

    The name of the man, who was in his early twenties, was Gilius Caesar.

    He was Grayson¡¯s own son, and the younger brother of Garayle, who was currently fighting on the front line against Revra¡¯s army.

    ¡°Do you think this will keep me calm? Betrayed and imprisoned by my own son!¡±

    Grayson¡¯s hands were shackled like those of a prisoner.

    Grayson was locked in a room in the house with fetters, which had been placed on him a few hours earlier by Gilius and his men.

    Grayson¡¯s face is contorted in rage at the betrayal of his own son. Gilius, who had never seen his father so angry, turned away from him with an uncomfortable look on his face.

    ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s all your fault, Father. I didn¡¯t want to do this either.¡±

    ¡°What the hell ¡­¡­ are you talking ¡­¡­ about!¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s the only way!¡¡Father won¡¯t stop unless I do this! If I don¡¯t, the Dukes of Caesar will be destroyed!¡±

    Finally, Gilius couldn¡¯t bear it, and he vents his feelings.

    ¡°Do you really think you can defeat the Kingdom of Revra?¡¡Do you really think you can take back the Kingdom of Styria when the King has been killed and you have no support from the other nobles? It can¡¯t be, it¡¯s impossible!¡±

    ¡°Gilius¡­¡­!¡±

    ¡°There is no king left to be loyal to!¡¡What¡¯s wrong with trying to save our own lives?¡¡Is it such a sin to wag your tail to the invaders in order to survive?¡¡No, absolutely not!¡¡The one who is wrong is you, who are fighting for nothing and letting your soldiers die because of your petty stubbornness!¡±

    Gilius imprisoned his father in order to stop him from waging a full-scale war against the kingdom of Revra.

    Even though the Dukes of Caesar are the strongest and most powerful in the kingdom of Styria, the difference in strength between them and Revra is obvious. It will be torn down eventually.

    Revra will never forgive the Dukes of Caesar for resisting him as an enemy until the end. It was clear that all those who had joined the dukes would be killed.

    ¡°We owe the¡­¡­royal family five hundred years of gratitude since the founding of our country. We cannot bow to the invaders who murdered His Majesty the King.¡±

    It was the natural thing for a vassal in the service of the Crown to do.

    The Dukes of Caesar were given the southern part of the kingdom five hundred years ago and allowed to rule it.

    It is only natural to return the favor. They can¡¯t be so disloyal as to turn to their enemies.

    ¡°Five hundred years of gratitude. ¡­¡­ No, the dukes have been serving for five hundred years! We¡¯ve been a vassal to them for a long time, what¡¯s wrong with wanting to save our own skin for last?¡±

    Gilius was speaking of an ideal way of being a nobleman, a belief of which he should be proud.

    But¡­¡­such a good argument did not reach Grayson. There are some people in this world who put greed and self-preservation before faith and justice. And to this day, Grayson has never realized that it was his son who shared his blood.

    ¡°Gilius ¡­¡­ wake up. You¡¯re making a mistake ¡­¡­!¡±

    ¡°It is you who are wrong¡­¡­.Please, Father. Please give me the title of head of the family. I¡¯m sure we can work out a deal with Revra to end this war. So please, please!¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡­Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s what you wanted?¡±

    ¡°Give me the head of the house¡± ¨C Grayson¡¯s eyes change colour at the words.

    Gilius has locked up his father because, in his own way, he is trying to protect the Dukes of Caesar ¨C if that had been the case, he would not have been disappointed in his son.

    However, it is a different story if he is trying to become the head of the family.

    ¡°Gilius, if you thought it so barren to quarrel with Lebla, why did you not act sooner? Why did you wait until Garayle¡¯s departure?¡±

    ¡°Th-that¡¯s..¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just persuade me with words before Garayle led his army to the north? Why did you choose such a dastardly way to attack with your brother¡¯s absence?¡±

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    Gilius, who had spoken so eloquently before, fell silent at his father¡¯s questioning.

    His reaction was the best answer of all. Grayson had seen exactly what his son was hiding from him.

    ¡°Gilius, from the very beginning¡­you wanted to kill your brother and take the next head of the family, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    The succession of the Dukes of Caesar has been decided upon by the eldest son, Garayle.

    Gilius is now living in another house as a member of the ducal family, but it has been decided that he will eventually become an independent vassal.

    If Garayle had been unsuitable to be the head of the family, Gilius might have had a chance. But Garayle had the talent and the popularity. He will not be dethroned as the next head of the family.

    ¡°I knew you were jealous of Garayle.But¡­¡­how dare you use such spiteful means ¡­¡­!¡±

    Gilius was not incompetent, but¡­.the feelings of envy towards his brother, who was born a year ahead of him.

    If he had been born before him, he could have avoided feeling this way.

    Garayle is currently engaged in an ongoing war against the kingdom of Revra.

    If he had been a good son, he would have taken credit for killing many Revra soldiers.

    However, if he does, he will inevitably incur the resentment of Revra.

    Even if the Dukes of Caesar surrender now, there is no guarantee that Garayle will be able to remain as the next head of the family. It is also possible that they will demand Garayle¡¯s head as a condition of surrender.

    ¡°No, ¡­¡­ that¡¯s what this son of mine has been trying to do all along. That¡¯s why he¡¯s been negotiating with Revra. ¡­¡­!¡±

    Gilius intends to negotiate with the kingdom of Revra to surrender the head of Galail.

    This is how he plans to get rid of his brother without getting his hands dirty and become the head of the Dukes of Caesar.

    ¡°¡­¡­ this conversation is over. I will continue to negotiate with Revra, and I hope you will consider making me the head of the family.¡±

    When Grayson discovers Gilius¡¯s true intentions, he looks guilty and tries to escape his father¡¯s icy gaze.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let him go like this.¡±

    ¡°Wait! Are you running away?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    ¡°Ghh¡­¡­!¡±

    Gilius shakes off his father¡¯s hand as he tries to run after him.

    Grayson, who has a bad leg, is unable to stay on his feet and falls to the floor.

    ¡°It¡¯s your fault, ¡­¡­. It¡¯s not my fault. Not my fault¡±

    ¡°You¡­.¡±

    ¡°This face ¡­¡­ what eyes you have ¡­¡­!¡±

    As he lay on the floor looking up at Gilius, Grayson gritted his teeth.

    In the eyes of Gilius, hatred, jealousy, delusion, immorality, regret ¡­¡­ and other negative emotions are mixed together in a crucible.

    The dark, sombre look on Grayson¡¯s face was an unavoidable reminder.

    Gilius had moved on to a place from which he could no longer return. He would never be able to mend the relationship.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault¡­..the fault lays on you, who gave birth to me as a younger brother¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Without helping his father to his feet, Gilius leaves the room.

    Grayson watches his son leave with a pained look on his face and punches the floor with his left fist.

 Chapter 21

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