One Stone, Three Birds (6)
A man sat slumped in a chair, his body a canvas of agony. The Assassination Squad Vice-Captain pressed a sharp needle under the man's fingernail.
"Kkkhhh!!!"
His eyes, bloodshot and bulging, glared with defiance as Hades gritted his teeth. Cornered and desperate, he had sought refuge in Eustia's mansion—a fatal mistake that led to his capture.
"Hades," the Vice-Captain hissed, "tell me why you ran. What do you know?"
"...."
His lips remained sealed, a clam guarding its secrets. Another needle pierced his flesh.
"Aghkk!!!"
His fingers, mangled and broken, could no longer bear the torture. The Vice-Captain, eyes cold and sharp as ice, leaned in.
"What did Zeke Clayman tell you?"
"N-Nothing... j-just n-nonsense..."
Hades struggled to keep the small bead hidden beneath his tongue. Fortunately, his mangled face and slurred speech, a result of his desperate fight, masked his efforts.
A vein throbbed on the Vice-Captain's forehead.
"As if Lady Hela would waste her time on the likes of you!"
Despite their brutal interrogation, they extracted nothing. Frustration gnawed at the Vice-Captain's insides.
*Creak—*
The heavy door to the dimly lit torture chamber swung open, revealing the weary figure of the Assassination Captain. His face was drawn, his shoulders slumped, and fresh wounds marred his body.
"C-Captain!?"
"Indeed."
"What happened…? Was it Zeke Clayman!?"
The Vice-Captain's face contorted with fury. The Captain, noticing his subordinate's reaction, furrowed his brow.
‘Did my men not inform him? Perhaps they went straight to Lady Hela.’
"No, it wasn't him... We'll discuss that later. You've apprehended Hades. Well done."
"But, we haven't learned anything yet. Give us more time—"
The Captain cut him off.
"Vice-Captain, could you give us a moment alone?"
The Vice-Captain's eyebrows twitched. Had the Captain also been swayed by Zeke Clayman's words?
"Captain…"
"..."
An uncomfortable silence descended upon them. Finally, the Vice-Captain bowed his head.
"Yes, as you command."
*Creak—*
The heavy door shut behind him, leaving the Captain and Hades alone.
"Did he tell you not to trust anyone?" the Captain asked, his voice low and steady.
"..."
"After all these years serving Eustia, you would betray Lady Eustia's orders and trust that traitor, Zeke Clayman…? How laughable."
Hades lifted his head with a groan. The torture had taken its toll.
"I just met with Zeke Clayman. We've confirmed the identity of our enemy. Will you still refuse to speak?"
"P-please f-forgive me..."
The Captain pinched the bridge of his nose, his face etched with exhaustion.
To think he had to bring a traitor before Lady Hela personally.
He understood the Vice-Captain's reaction.
‘Hah… who's playing who here?’
He let out a sigh.
"Very well. I must report to Lady Hela. You're coming with me. But step out of line, and I will cut you down myself."
Hades nodded silently.
*
Hela sat upon an opulent throne within a grand chamber.
Her gaze, cold and calculating, settled upon the kneeling figure of the Assassination Captain.
"You let Zeke Clayman go?"
"Yes."
One of her eyebrows rose, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face.
"So, on one hand, we have the Assassination Captain who returns defeated, having lost twenty of his men to Zeke Clayman…"
Her gaze shifted to Hades.
He trembled under her scrutiny.
"And on the other, we have the Surveillance Unit Leader who, swayed by a traitor's words, abandoned his post and fled…"
A humorless laugh escaped her lips.
How had Eustia fallen so far?
The Captain's eyes flickered with confusion.
"Twenty men? What do you mean? Lost to Zeke Clayman…?"
"That's what you reported. That they were all killed."
"I… I sent the three survivors back to Eustia. They were to call for reinforcements."
Hela's eyes narrowed.
"No one came."
"!"
Hades' eyes widened.
'Damn it, Zeke Clayman was right. There's a traitor within Eustia! Did someone kill them? Or were they the traitors all along?'
The Captain, mirroring his thoughts, spoke up.
"We must track those three down."
Hela sensed the tension between them. Something was amiss.
"Tell me what happened, Captain," she commanded.
"Yes. First and foremost, there is a faction targeting Lady Iriel."
The Assassination Captain, though surprised by the disappearance of his surviving men, continued his report in a composed manner.
"...Iriel?"
"Yes. The Assassination Squad engaged them."
"While ignoring the order to secure Zeke Clayman?"
The Captain nodded grimly.
"I apologize, but I do not regret my decision. They are dangerous. They wield dark magic, a type that can even twist ordinary people into fearless killing machines. And… their leader... his strength was… different."
The Captain hung his head, ashamed.
"I engaged their leader, but we lost many men. I was defeated."
Hela gasped.
The Captain was the strongest warrior she knew.
She had assumed Zeke Clayman, knowing Eustia's methods, would prioritize weakening their forces and avoid a direct confrontation with the Captain.
To think he had been defeated…
‘A group of dark magic users… I knew those who wielded magic were dangerous, but…’
"Defeated… by skill?"
"Yes."
"This group of dark magic users… what are they called?"
"Lost Hope," the Captain answered.
"They are completely absent from Eustia's intelligence network."
Hela tapped her lip thoughtfully.
‘Normally, the Captain would be punished for failing his mission…’
A shiver ran down her spine.
Their timing was too perfect.
It was as if they had been waiting for the perfect moment to reveal themselves.
Could it be that this suspicious group had been plotting Eustia's downfall for a long time?
"Is it possible they know about our plan? Or worse, could Yohaiden be involved?"
"I don't believe so. At least, I haven't noticed anything suspicious from Yohaiden."
"True, Yohaiden wouldn't have missed something like this. So, how much does Zeke Clayman know?"
The Captain recalled Zeke's demeanor.
"We need to meet with him again to gather more information, but… it seems he was aware of the kidnapping and intervened after gathering information."
"I see… so that's why… I had wondered why he left the military… It's Iriel. It all makes sense now. However…"
As Hela fell into thought, Hades spoke up.
"If I may, Lady Hela."
"Hades! How dare you interrupt! Have you no respect for Lady Hela!?"
The Captain glared daggers at him.
"It's alright. Speak freely," Hela said, her curiosity piqued.
"My apologies, but… I believe it would be wise to keep Zeke Clayman at the academy for the time being."
"Him? Explain yourself, or this will be your last day on earth."
"Yes, ma'am. It's clear that Lost Hope was targeting Lady Iriel. And as the Captain experienced, they are incredibly powerful. Perhaps… keeping him by Lady Iriel's side would be the safest course of action."
"You're suggesting that Ramielli is safer than Eustia? That Iriel should remain at the academy?"
Hela's voice turned icy, but Hades swallowed his fear.
He had witnessed Zeke's unwavering dedication to Iriel's safety.
If he could use this opportunity to speak on his behalf, he would.
"Yes. Zeke Clayman has formed a group with the First Prince, the Second Prince, and even the Princess of Yohaiden. It seems he intends to use their notoriety as a shield."
Hela pondered his words.
He was right.
For Iriel's safety, it might be best to utilize the combined forces of the royal family and Yohaiden. It would certainly deter Lost Hope from attacking directly, as it would make them enemies of not just Eustia, but powerful allies as well.
'I can't expose them just yet. That's why he went to Yohaiden. Clever, Zeke Clayman.'
If she were to reveal Lost Hope's existence, it would only embolden Yohaiden and the royal family to turn a blind eye, perhaps even support them.
The world of nobility was merciless when it came to eliminating their enemies.
That was precisely why Eustia had devised their plan in secrecy.
'I'll need the Head of the Family's guidance on this.'
However, dealing with Zeke Clayman and Iriel's presence at the academy were within her purview.
She could always recall them when the time was right.
"Hmm… Captain, your thoughts?"
"Though he disobeyed a direct order, his actions have yielded some positive results. He identified a dangerous enemy of Eustia and protected Lady Iriel…"
"Where is he now?"
"He's in Ramielli, protecting Iriel."
"Hah, how foolish… Protecting that naive girl. Captain, contact him. We need information on Lost Hope."
"As you command."
And so, Zeke's plan had succeeded, diverting Eustia's attention towards Lost Hope.
"However, Captain, you will be punished for failing your mission. And Surveillance Unit Leader, you too will be held accountable for disobeying orders."
Hela's gaze was as sharp as a blade.
'I cannot afford to punish them now. It would jeopardize our plans.'
"The Surveillance Unit Leader and the Assassination Captain will be demoted to regular members. You will serve without pay for the next six months."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"As you command!"
*
Meanwhile, the three surviving members of the Assassination Squad fled to safety.
"Damn it, they're all dead! We're… we're the only ones left…"
One of the men trembled, his fist clenched tight.
"I-I'm scared," another stammered, his eyes wide with terror.
In the heat of the battle, they had been blinded by the loss of their comrades.
But now, the chilling reality of their situation sunk in.
They had faced enemies who reveled in death.
They had trained to be emotionless killers, but this… this was a new kind of fear.
Monsters, when wounded, showed pain.
Humans, when threatened with death, begged for mercy.
But these enemies… they were different.
The fight with their leader… it was like something out of a nightmare.
The way he fought, the joy he took in their pain… only someone who had stared death in the face countless times could be so utterly devoid of fear.
It was like witnessing a clash between worlds—the world of romantic fantasy they knew and the brutal, unforgiving world of dark fantasy.
They had gone into that fight prepared to die.
Their spirits had been broken long ago.
But the Captain's sacrifice had given them a second chance, a chance they desperately clung to.
"I've… I've never seen anything like that. They're monsters! That wasn't a fight, it was hell…!"
"..."
"..."
Silence met his words, a silence thick with terror.
"We… we have to fight them again?"
"The Captain… he's gone, isn't he?"
"Even with reinforcements… if they can control people with their magic… what's stopping them from turning everyone into those things?"
One of the men swallowed hard, his voice barely a whisper.
"We… we should run."
"!"
"!"
His words were met with shock.
"Are you insane!? Run from Eustia? Betray the Captain like that!?"
"He's dead! We're alive! Everyone's dead! Do you think they'll even notice we're gone?"
"I… I agree. I don't want to die…"
The man who had spoken out against it fell silent.
The three exchanged uneasy glances before changing direction, abandoning their mission to return to Eustia.
Instead, they walked towards the unknown, their hearts heavy with fear and uncertainty.
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