I Became a Mythical Knight King

Chapter 58: Infiltration (1)

Yoo Seong did not explain the specific methods to the lords.

However, the lords had no grounds to stop Yoo Seong based on this.

The barons present, except those under Count Carian’s domain, were all equal in status. Moreover, though none voiced it aloud, the current authority in this group clearly rested with Yoo Seong.

In fact, it wasn’t just authority.

If Yoo Seong wished, he could have killed all the lords here on the spot.

Of course, this was merely a hypothetical. None of the lords believed Yoo Seong would suddenly lose his mind and murder them.

But regardless of how they perceived it, Yoo Seong held the decision-making power in this situation.

If Yoo Seong made a decision, the lords might voice objections but could not forcibly change his will.

“Well, setting that aside…Does this mean we have to…walk?”

At Baron Laval’s words, the lords’ faces grew grim for a different reason.

The Pegasi they had been riding were summoned based on Yoo Seong’s chivalry.

In other words, without Yoo Seong’s presence, they could not continue their journey on the Pegasi.

“How far is it to the monastery?”

Baroness Ober asked with a nervous sweat trickling down her face. One of the lords counted on his fingers before making a pained expression.

In the end, the lords, with the strong and combat-ready Baron Anjou leading the way, began trudging forward.

Although they each had at least one knight escorting them, which meant the journey to the monastery would not be particularly dangerous, the mood was grim.

As Yoo Seong watched the lords’ receding backs, he turned to the remaining companions, specifically to Jillian, with an apologetic expression.

“I’m sorry for making such a difficult request.”

At Yoo Seong’s words, Jillian bit her lip.

She wanted to say, “How could we possibly return to Lushen, destroy tunnels, and rescue people on our own? Is that even realistic?” But she couldn’t bring herself to voice her doubts.

Instead, the words that finally escaped her lips were entirely different:

“I… I’ll do my best. Really…”

Her voice, tinged slightly with tears, drew a bitter smile from Yoo Seong. He looked past her at Ruan, whose fiery resolve contrasted sharply with Jillian’s unease, and then at Rene.

Rene, who had been drinking a mana potion obtained from Yoo Seong’s Castle, wiped her lips with her sleeve upon meeting Yoo Seong’s gaze. Her eyes were sharp as she asked,

“So, Successor, what exactly is your plan?”

A method to destroy the tunnels opened in Lushen with just the strength of their current group.

At Rene’s question, Yoo Seong began explaining.

Melios had failed.

It wasn’t just a simple failure. Of the three hundred Ratmen who had gone with him, nearly a hundred were dead or injured.

Ratman mage Regal, who had reluctantly lent the elite Wolf Rat Cavalry to Melios for the pursuit, burst into a fit of rage, demanding an explanation. However, he fell silent upon noticing Narcis’ sharp gaze.

But even Narcis was more curious than angry, so he directed the same question to Melios.

“What exactly happened? Did they have reinforcements?”

He had considered the possibility of a small reinforcement of about a hundred troops, which was why he sent three hundred Ratmen.

But nearly a hundred Ratmen were incapacitated, and none of the Dark Elves sustained significant injuries?

If melee forces had clashed directly, such a result was unthinkable.

Yet the reality of the situation pointed to something else entirely.

“Y-yes. There were elves.”

“Elves?”

The vermin who clung to humans, begging for the scraps of their civilization’s light. Outside the walls, they were all but extinct.

Narcis, shocked, pressed Melios for details.

“There was an elven archer unit. There were at least forty of them by rough count. They kept shooting from a distance and fleeing swiftly, making it impossible to close the gap.”

Melios clenched his teeth, suppressing his frustration as the scenario played out in his mind.

“I understand. Go back and reflect on your failure.”

Today marked Melios’ second failure, but given the dwindling number of their kind since the loss of civilization’s fire, Narcis couldn’t afford to harshly reprimand him.

As Narcis dismissed Melios with a token scolding, Regal let out a derisive snort.

“What will you do now? Didn’t you say handling the lords was the Dark Elves’ responsibility?”

“Further pursuit is impossible. It’s not the best outcome, but we’ve achieved partial success by securing the city and the infiltration route.”

Regal scoffed.

Calling it a partial success was laughable. The Dark Elves had failed their task, leaving the Ratmen to pick up the pieces.

Of course, the operation’s success depended on the Dark Elves’ preliminary reconnaissance, but the level of Narcis’ shamelessness was excessive.

‘I told them I should have gone personally!’

Regal wanted to snap back but restrained himself. He knew it could cost him his life.

In normal circumstances, even Regal’s sarcastic tone would have been enough for Narcis to glare daggers at him, but the current situation forced tolerance.

“Additional forces?”

“They’re crossing as we speak. They’ll arrive by tomorrow.”

With Lushen’s concentration of forces, the Dark Elf-Ratman alliance’s campaign in the south would gain momentum.

“And the humans?”

“They’ve been appropriately culled, and the rest are gathered. Weak creatures. Some will be used as food, while the others are considered for slavery.”

The population of Lushen was many times greater than the Ratmen, but they were almost entirely non-combatants. To Regal, who came from beyond the walls where non-combatants were a foreign concept, humans seemed pathetically weak.

“Do as you wish.”

“I’ll take my leave, then.”

As Regal turned and left, Narcis closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.

‘The Black Knight of Lothian…’

Though Regal dismissed humans, Narcis remained wary.

Among humans, there were individuals like the hateful King Arthur and his knights who defied common understanding.

Especially concerning was the chivalry wielded by human knights.

‘But ultimately, we’ve succeeded in seizing the city and the infiltration route.’

As he told Regal, it was a partial success.

By tomorrow, with the Ratmen’s arrival, Lushen’s defenses would be fortified, enabling coordination with their army crossing the border.

Meanwhile, at the tunnel entrance near the inner city…

As Ratmen cackled over their plundered goods, a small, white bird flew silently through the night sky above them.

Yoo Seong and his companions hid in the bushes near Lushen, keeping their eyes on the moat.

Time had already passed midnight, plunging the night into deeper darkness.

“Most of the people seem to have been gathered somewhere. Likely in the church or town hall…”

Rene, seated on the ground with her eyes closed, spoke in a soft voice, concentrating on controlling her bird of light.

Yoo Seong remained silent, careful not to disturb her, and waited for Rene’s next words.

“There’s a Land Worm near the tunnel. Its body is partially exposed, but it seems to be asleep.”

Rene, who had scouted Lushen with her bird of light, slowly opened her eyes.

“The Ratmen are scattered all over. Some are on the walls, but overall, they’re spread throughout the city.”

“And the numbers?”

“They might be hiding, but…it’s probably between one or two thousand.”

Yoo Seong nodded slowly at Rene’s assessment. The situation in Lushen was roughly as expected.

He mentally reviewed his plan one more time and then looked at Rene.

“Rene, can you do it?”

“Yes, I can.”

Rene nodded resolutely, summoning a new bird of light in her palm.

“Good, I’m counting on you.”

“Yes, Successor.”

Rene had already overcome life-and-death crises several times with Yoo Seong. This time, her determination seemed even stronger, likely due to Baron Varian’s death.

After exchanging a look with Rene, Yoo Seong turned toward Jillian.

“Saintess.”

At Yoo Seong’s call, Jillian nodded with a face that looked on the verge of tears.

The plan Yoo Seong had explained on the way here.

It made sense.

The odds of success weren’t zero.

No, objectively, the odds of success were actually higher than failure.

But that didn’t change the fact that it was a reckless plan.

‘No, who even comes up with such a crazy plan?!’

Jillian wanted to scream but couldn’t, as the lunatic in question was standing right in front of her.

So, instead, Jillian tried to calm herself by focusing on optimistic thoughts.

Yes, it’s a crazy plan.

But if they’re going to infiltrate a captured city with so few people and destroy the tunnel, then a plan this crazy might be necessary.

High risk, high reward.

And besides, it does make sense, doesn’t it?

For something so reckless, the odds of success are relatively high.

‘Sob. But why are only three of us infiltrating a captured city to destroy a tunnel in the first place?!’

No matter how she spun it, Jillian couldn’t escape the conclusion that it was madness.

“Saintess?”

“N-No, it’s nothing. I’ll do my best. Really…”

When Jillian, looking tearful, clenched her fists and spoke, Yoo Seong felt a guilt heavier than he had anticipated. But there was no other way.

The success of the operation—or rather, the likelihood of everyone surviving—depended on Jillian’s presence.

“Um… thank you.”

It felt unfair to keep asking her for help when she was so clearly struggling, but if this was what it meant to be a saintess, then perhaps it was fitting.

Yoo Seong apologized again with a guilty expression, then turned to Ruan, the last member of their group.

“Ruan, stay here and monitor the situation. If things go wrong, escape and report what happened.”

At his words, Ruan nodded grimly. Unlike Jillian, Ruan didn’t have a specific role in this operation.

The mission involved infiltrating Lushen, and only Yoo Seong, Rene, and Jillian were tasked with that.

Yoo Seong looked up at the sky.

They had rested briefly upon returning to Lushen and spent additional time scouting. Now, the night had deepened, and the hour had long passed midnight.

And that was good.

It was the darkest time before dawn, when most of the Ratmen would be deeply asleep.

“Let’s move.”

Yoo Seong spoke in a low voice as he rose. Rene and Jillian also stood.

Their goal was to destroy the tunnel constructed in Lushen.

After glancing once at the city wall, Yoo Seong took his first step forward.