215: The Battle Maiden is at the Crossroads of Marriage (32)
The Paradise of the South, said to have been created by the Southern King for his own enjoyment, shone brightly even at night. The intricately paved and well-maintained walkways were equipped with gas lamps at regular intervals. The light from the western lamps shinning under the eaves of the bars and casinos that remained open at night reached all the way to the back alleys.
Compared to the day, the traffic was higher at night—perhaps because of how scalding the afternoon was. In some streets, stalls were lined up as though a festival were in full swing.
It was a city that never slept, where day and night were reversed.
I can’t see the stars.
Jill squinted atop a circular tower overlooking the city. She arrived at the location somewhat earlier than Lawrence had planned.
If they just wanted to avoid detection, going during the day when the temperature was higher would have been better. However, at night, tourists and businessmen who didn’t want to stand out were prowling around. As long as they blended in with them, they would remain unnoticed.
There were many who paid no heed to others due to being too focused on concealing their own identities.
Also, even if it was nighttime, they could just enter by bribing the gatekeeper. The fact that she was a subordinate of the crown prince also made infiltrating the outer court a lot easier.
But above all else, despite the ample illumination, it was still night. Where the palace shone the brightest, the shadow it casted was even darker.
“Did you find it? The magic circle of the seal.” Asked Lawrence.
He managed to reach the rendezvous point thanks to Rick and Andy.
The inner court of the palace was surrounded by an outer wall—and not an ordinary one, either. The outer wall was made of magic being channeled from four circular towers built in the North, South, East, and West.
The circular towers, which could also be used to deploy anti-aircraft magic barriers in case of an emergency, were built on high locations, allowing them to overlooked the palace.
The palace itself had the shape of a cross with an open courtyard in the center. From there a pillar of light rose towards the sky. That was most likely where the protective sword was stored.
At a glance, it seemed like a normal light. However, a closer inspection allowed for a faint magic circle to be seen shining through it.
“That must be the magic circle of the seal. Although, we don’t know for sure if the national seal is there. What of His Highness Geraldo?”
“Right now, as planned, the Southern King is conversing with his child. His Highness Geraldo is ensuring he won’t step out of the room until he agrees to talk.”
“I didn’t expect the Southern King would trouble himself with anything His Highness Geraldo has to say….”
“I’m sure he is just playing along to see what His Highness is planning.”
“What about Mother?”
Andy raised an eyebrow, caught off-guard by Jill’s question.
“I told her to remain in the hideout so that she can move freely in case anything happens.” (Andy)
“Uh-huh. Mother isn’t part of the group.” (Rick)
“Do you think yourself incapable of handling the seal?”
Jill shook her head at Lawrence’s accurate assessment.
“That’s not the case. But I guess that’s where the problem begins.”
“Certainly, it’s not that complicated of a strategy… So far.”
First, Geraldo would lead them into the palace, allowing Jill, Lawrence, Rick, and Andy entrance inside. So far, that was the strategy.
Afterwards, Geraldo would rescue Natalie while keeping the Southern King occupied. At the same time, Jill, assisted by Lawrence and her brothers, would break the seal and retrieve the national seal.
“Escaping will be the most dangerous part …Probably. Rick and Andy will protect Lawrence as we escape, right? I wonder how far can you go.”
“Huh? Are you saying that we won’t be able to keep up with you? You see, we’ve already completed Kratos’ training. We’re full-fledged warriors. Whenever something happens around the house, we always take care of it.” (Rick)
“Mom entrusted Sister Jill to me. Originally, Rick was supposed to go alone, but I was assigned to Sister Jill as her assistant.”
Jill smiled bitterly at the complaints of her younger brothers.
“I know… Perhaps, I’m worrying too much? But we’re going against the Southern King…”
“We can only put our trust in His Highness Geraldo in that regard.”
“If it’s just about escaping, in the case of a crisis, mother will take care of it. We’ll be able to manage.”
Charlotte could stand her ground in a fight, and was quite nimble when it came to escaping. In fact, no one knew where she was hiding at the moment. Lawrence and her brothers didn’t seem to be hiding anything, either.
…I knew it, my mother is the most troublesome one.
Lawrence glanced at his pocket watch.
“It’s almost time for the operation to begin.”
Jill exhaled deeply
Then, she got behind Lawrence, swept him off his feet, brought him to his knees, and tightened her arms around him.
“What—!?”
“Sister Jill!?”
“Too slow.”
She had measured the distance between herself and her brothers. In the first place, they should have been aware to the stark difference in strength between them. Above all, they seemed stunned by Jill’s sudden action, and Lawrence was no exception.
Jill’s lips curved with love and sadness.
“You are all underestimating me too much. Be it you, His Highness Geraldo, and His Majesty.”
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