Sword Emperor, Becoming the Young Lady of a Viscount House

Chapter 26: Ambush (1)

“Night watch, huh.”

“It’s the most efficient method in the current situation.”

Argos suggested the night watch.

“Damn it, I can’t even sleep as I want?”

“We have no choice. It’s better than not doing it.”

The servants of this mansion stayed in the basement.

And the nobles slept on the third floor.

“I’ll set up alarm magic with Saint by the windows. For the central corridor, which is the most important, let’s form teams of two to guard for two hours each. Anyone have objections?”

“Why not just set up that alarm magic in the central corridor as well?”

“The alarm can prevent sneaky intrusions. If it rings, we’ll wake up, but if a large group attacks head-on, there’s no way to stop it.”

The windows had basic protective measures.

There was no way to unlock them from the outside; they had to be broken.

Thanks to that delay, the alarm was sufficient to respond.

However, the central corridor had no defense system.

If they attacked directly, it would be too late to prepare even if the alarm went off.

“That’s a reasonable judgment, Argos.”

Beatrice supported Argos.

‘As expected, he’s a smart one.’

She also thought there wasn’t a better way.

However,

‘…I just hope they don’t attack during my shift.’

Her mana was completely depleted.

In this state, she could manage to take down one or two people, but more than that was impossible.

It would take 24 hours for her mana to fully recover.

Still, she wasn’t overly concerned.

‘Since we’re standing in pairs, I just need a strong partner.’

It was a very simple solution.

“Since there seem to be no objections, let’s decide the shifts.”

Beatrice’s eyes sparkled.

When it came to night watches, the first and last shifts were the best.

“I’ll take the first shift.”

Among those, the first shift was preferable.

The enemy wouldn’t be foolish enough to attack at an hour that wasn’t even dawn.

“Alright, Beatrice will take the first shift. Then, the person paired with Beatrice for the watch is…”

“You.”

“Alright, it’s me… Why is it me?”

“Because you’re strong.”

“…Beatrice. You’re the strongest here. Pairing the strong ones together for a watch is the height of foolishness. Strong individuals should cover separate shifts.”

‘He’s perceptive.’

However, Argos didn’t know.

That Beatrice was someone who could make use of everything at her disposal.

“Me? How am I strong? I’m weak.”

“Beatrice, if that’s what you’re claiming, you shouldn’t have destroyed Clone.”

Argos looked at her as if asking what kind of trick she was trying to pull.

“I used up all my strength back then.”

She revealed the truth instead of spouting absurdities.

“My mana is depleted. I don’t even have the strength to hold a sword right now.”

Mana was an important energy resource.

In this group—or rather, in this continent—there was no one who didn’t know the importance of mana.

Even with a contract with a spirit, without mana, it was useless.

Argos, perhaps unaware of that fact, nodded seriously with a thoughtful expression.

“I didn’t know that. Fine, then you’ll work with me tonight. Alright, moving on to the next…”

‘I’ll make full use of him.’

Beatrice imagined happily.

Argos was strong.

He could handle most situations alone.

Which meant she was free.

‘I should use the time for mana training.’

Time had to be used efficiently.

**

“Gareth, will it be alright?”

In the dead of night, when everyone was asleep, the defeated nobles had gathered in one room.

“Of course.”

“…Wouldn’t it be better to attack at dawn?”

“I told you, my spirit’s ability resets at midnight.”

Gareth had the ability to condense and release energy.

And that ability reset at midnight.

It was a somewhat peculiar ability.

Unlike others, he didn’t use mana as a medium.

“The route?”

“We have to go head-on. The windows of this mansion are thoroughly fortified with protective magic. Breaking them is the only option, and that would alert everyone.”

A rational choice.

Most of the group seemed positive about it.

“True, they’d never imagine us launching an ambush. They’re probably only thinking about how to clear out those fat pigs.”

“Today was hellish. I want to become a victor as soon as possible.”

“I never want to be a loser again.”

The discussion continued in secrecy, illuminated by a single candle.

The room reeked of a musty smell.

Even a pigsty wouldn’t be this filthy, they thought.

Sleeping in such a place was unthinkable.

However, not everyone shared the same sentiments.

“Hmph! I don’t like it.”

It was the Clone.

Crossing his massive arms, he flaunted his imposing muscles.

“An ambush? Such an underhanded trick wouldn’t be used even by women. Who came up with this idea? Step forward so I can beat you!”

“If beating you made one a victor, I wouldn’t hesitate. Be grateful for your worthlessness.”

“What? You don’t even have the pride to challenge me honorably!”

“Call me cowardly all you want. In the end, only the victors are remembered. I can’t stand sleeping in this filthy room, unlike you.”

Gareth and the Clone clashed in a war of nerves.

As the atmosphere grew tense, someone stepped in to stop them.

“Enough. We’re about to take action. What do you think will happen if infighting breaks out before we even begin?”

Gareth nodded, his gaze disdainful.

“There’s no need to waste energy. Clone, stay here and don’t get in the way. After today, persuade the new losers to have honorable duels with you. Make sure you do that.”

“Hmph! Just wait and see. Let’s see if your cheap tricks work.”

Clone turned his head away.

Then he left the room and headed to his own quarters.

Gareth’s brow furrowed slightly.

‘Pathetic fool.’

He couldn’t understand it.

Clearly, Clone had the strength to rise on his own.

Anyone could tell just by looking at his enormous frame.

But that mediocre strength worked against him.

Why choose the hard path when an easier one existed?

‘That’s probably why he lost to the viscount’s daughter.’

He’d heard the story.

The only woman and youngest member of the academy, Beatrice, had completely defeated him.

It was truly pathetic.

Gareth sincerely thought the clone’s muscles were wasted.

“One bad fish ruins the water. Forget it. We just need to do our job.”

“There’s about an hour left. Let’s go over the battle plan in detail. Failing would be more embarrassing than anything else.”

If tonight’s ambush failed, there would be no second chance.

While they could replace a few weaklings, it was impossible to have a majority change at once like this.

Tonight was the first night, so they wouldn’t be prepared, but if they managed to thwart the ambush, they would be thoroughly ready next time.

‘Not that failure is an option.’

It was a strategy that wouldn’t even be considered if the gap in skill was overwhelming.

At most, there were two strong individuals: Argos and Saint.

Fortunately, both of them were mages.

Mages were particularly vulnerable to ambushes.

No matter how skilled they were, they would be preoccupied with protecting themselves.

But overconfidence was dangerous.

Gareth emphasized it again.

“I’ll say it one more time—don’t touch Argos and Saint. Their skills are beyond comparison to ours.”

**

Beatrice and Argos stood in the central corridor.

In Beatrice’s hand was a wooden sword, which she aimed into the air.

“What are you doing, Beatrice?”

“…Be quiet. I’m training.”

This was her unique method of training.

It was a technique she used only when the environment was unsuitable or when silence was necessary.

By focusing while holding her sword like this, stray thoughts would disappear, and her mind would calm down.

The tangible effect was that it sped up the recovery of her mana.

If internal techniques increased the maximum capacity of mana, this training focused on recovery.

In the current situation, it was the best training method.

Of course, aside from these direct effects, Beatrice had practiced this training habitually in her previous life whenever she had free time.

“I’ve heard that knights have their own routines, but every time I see it, I find it fascinating. Does such a simple method really work?”

“Don’t talk to me and focus on your shift.”

Argos stared at Beatrice with a baffled expression.

“Beatrice, don’t you have any conscience? A night watch is supposed to be done together. It’s not just me working here!”

She lowered her sword.

Narrowing her eyes, she replied,

“You’re so petty, Argos.”

“……”

“What, can’t I train a bit during a night watch?”

Argos, now labeled petty in an instant, closed his mouth.

It was an awkward situation for him to get angry because doing so would indeed make him seem petty.

Incidentally, in the world of Krapos, where greatness was measured by generosity, being called petty was an unbearable insult.

“Just kidding.”

Noticing Argos’ displeased expression, Beatrice chuckled and responded.

Only then did Argos feel relieved.

“That was a really unfunny joke.”

Afterward, a slight silence fell.

‘He seems like he wants to say something…’

Argos glanced at Beatrice for clues.

With platinum blonde hair and golden eyes, even her coloring exuded elegance.

Beatrice seemed to carry an overwhelming aura about her.

In truth, from the moment he first saw Beatrice, Argos had wanted to become closer to her.

It wasn’t solely because of her appearance.

In an unfamiliar place where most would be frightened, she displayed unwavering courage.

Despite being the only woman and the youngest among them, she exuded unshaken confidence.

Above all, her skill seemed hard to measure.

These factors combined had drawn him in.

Argos was naturally sociable and had no fear of speaking to strangers.

Yet, for some reason, making trivial jokes with Beatrice felt challenging.

Like now, he was racking his brain for a meaningful topic.

“Argos.”

Beatrice, who had been staring into the air, suddenly spoke.

Argos, who had been planning how to start the conversation, was slightly taken aback when she initiated it.

“Uh, uh.”

“I have a question.”

Beatrice asked casually.

“You have quite remarkable skills.”

“……”

“Why are you here? Or did the Argos family not send anyone useless?”

Most were composed of mediocre individuals.

But some exceptions existed.

Beatrice wondered if Argos was one of those cases.

After all, Argos’ skills were among the best she had seen so far.

‘At least he seems capable of defeating Chris single-handedly.’

His abilities surpassed her guardian knight, Chris.

“No, I was abandoned. Like everyone else here.”

“…Why? Did you fail to form a contract with a spirit?”

Argos shook his head.

“I summoned a high-rank spirit when I turned ten.”

“Even so, you’re not the successor?”

“…Until about a month ago, I was. If nothing had happened, I would have become the family head. I wouldn’t have come to this place.”

It sounded intriguing.

She looked at Argos.

“And then?”

“My younger sibling.”

He smiled bitterly.

“They summoned a spirit far greater than mine. My status as the successor was revoked immediately. Twenty years of effort, gone.”

Beatrice felt sorry for Argos but was also curious.

“Is there a being greater than a high-rank spirit?”

[There is.]

“There is.”

The voices came from both sides.

Even Solid, who had been quiet recently, joined in.

“There are divine spirits, sometimes called supreme spirits.”

“I see.”

[That’s me. Now you know what an incredible opportunity you have. So let’s form a contract already. I can’t stand waiting any longer.]

Naturally, Beatrice completely ignored him.

“I was resentful, but it’s hard to deny it. …The spirit my sibling summoned was the divine spirit Solid.”

“…Solid?”

[What?]

This was shocking news.

“Are you certain?”

“You know spirits don’t lie. It manifested directly and revealed its identity. Of course, it’s true.”

‘Were you a counterfeit?’

[Have you lost your mind, young Beatrice? Grab that guy by the collar and shake him! How dare he lie about me…!]

His reaction was intense.

Beatrice decided to trust the one she had spent time with over some stranger.

‘Could there be two of you?’

[Of course not!]

She furrowed her brow.

If the sibling had lied and Argos had been deceived, what could be more unfair?

“You don’t have to look at me like that. I’m going to use this war to become the family head. If I can achieve military merit and gain the crown prince’s favor, I believe I can overturn the difference in spirits.”

[What are you doing? Tell him already!]

Solid was extremely frustrated.

‘Do you have a way to prove yourself?’

[Of course! What do you take me for? I’m the divine spirit Solid. If I can’t do that, I might as well die.]

Beatrice sighed.

Well, even if Solid weren’t throwing a tantrum, it was something she needed to do to lift Argos’ spirits.

“Argos, about that spirit, Solid…”

Just as she was about to explain,

“Wait, enemies.”

The ambush began at an annoyingly perfect moment.