The Villainess Captured The Grand Duke - Chapter 195

Chapter 195

With a sharp sound, the monsters were sliced apart by the sword, quickly turning to ash and vanishing. The countless members of Blenga’s extermination squad let out a sigh of relief at the sight.

Even amidst this, the mages were busy picking up the black magic stones left behind where the monsters had vanished, as if they were gathering grain.

“Oh, this is a black magic stone! ”

“It’s fascinating. If we purify this, can’t it be used for anything?”

“I think we need to modify the purification formula a bit.”

The mages were already distracted, eager to satisfy their curiosity. Naveed, who was in the rear, called out to Raygrain from a distance.

“We’ve finished here too, Your Grace! ”

Raygrain nodded in acknowledgment. He was in charge of leading the extermination of the monsters ahead. Some of the monsters, instinctively fleeing, were being slaughtered at a rapid pace.

As they wreaked havoc, the number of monsters Raygrain had to handle was increasing day by day. He was aware that some were causing chaos in nearby villages, but there was no time to worry about that.

As they approached the black magic stone mining area, the number of monsters each knight had to deal with was growing daily. With the battle dragging on, the weaker mages were already starting to complain, Oh man, I’m going to die. Before we catch these monsters, it feels like the mages will be extinct on this continent. Lord Leilda, can’t we just tell the Duke to let us take a short nap? ”

“Seriously! After burning the midnight oil for research, having to support the extermination squad is taking a toll on my back!”

Amid the mages’ grumbling, Naveed stepped in, throwing an arm around their shoulders. 

“Let’s think of this as a chance to exercise together. If we’re always sitting, we won’t build up any strength! ”

“The average age is 61.6 years, so if this is exercise, we’ll soon be in need of joint replacements! ”

The determination not to retreat this time was strong. Leilda nudged Raygrain, who was examining the map, and asked, 

“Did you hear that? Just because the Duke can’t sleep doesn’t mean everyone else is the same.Got it. We’ll camp around here for the night.”

As soon as his permission was given, everyone cheered. The atmosphere was surprisingly uplifting for a prolonged extermination mission. With Scheuer’s flowers on hand, they needn’t worry about dying even if they were injured, and Raygrain’s blade made combat smoother.

Watching everyone hurriedly prepare for the camp, Leilda quietly asked, 

“What about your blade? ”
“It’s fine.”

For now, there was no issue until the battle dragged on for too long. The feelings bolstered by Scheuer’s presence felt inexhaustible, transforming into the strength of his blade. However, as the extermination continued to stretch on, a slight change began to manifest. It was becoming unclear how much longer he could sustain this outpouring of emotion.

Suddenly, a familiar instinctual feeling washed over him, as if the world around him had momentarily emptied.

The distant cry of a hawk echoed through the air.

Naveed raised his arms high, and with a flutter of wings, the hawk landed gracefully. He held up the letter hanging from its neck and shouted, 

“Your Highness! The response from Duchess Scheuer has arrived! ”

As he rushed toward Raygrain, the hawk effortlessly snatched a piece of meat offered by another knight and perched itself on a nearby tree.

Opening the letter from Naveed, Raygrain was met with Scheuer’s handwriting, densely filling the page. Interspersed were hearts and strange doodles, making the letter seem almost playful. Leilda, glancing at the contents, clicked her tongue and remarked,

“Even after getting married, she has so much to say? I’ve never seen writing that looks so noisy.”

“How so? That’s just Scheuer being herself.”

There wasn’t much content. It was all mundane details about some mistake Celia made and how she had to check on Jess’s complexion. The ending always included how much she missed him.

As always, it concluded with a constant refrain of how much he missed Raygrain.

As he gazed at the letters, a warm sensation spread within his chest. The thoughts of her refilled the dwindling emotions he had, reigniting his drive to head back into battle. The letter was not only a means to reassure Scheuer but also a source of comfort for himself.

From the beginning, he had no intention of keeping his messages short with her. However, Raygrain struggled with words, and he didn’t want her to worry excessively. As a result, he found himself running out of things to say. Yet she filled an entire side of the paper with her response.

Seeing the faint smile spreading across his face, Leilda shook his head. He quietly added to Raygrain, who was busy writing his reply, 

“You know? The mining area seems to be close. The closer we get, the stronger the monsters become, probably due to the power of the black stones.”

“Opportunities always arise.”

Raygrain responded firmly. Despite the challenges at hand, he was determined to succeed.

He had to create a northern territory where Scheuer could live peacefully to protect the one he loved.

***

It was no longer just one or two. It didn’t take long for the monsters to descend to the vicinity of the palace. The imperial knights found it difficult to hold out.

Although Netriaga had already dispatched knights, the number of injured was even greater. Unable to watch any longer, the Emperor ultimately issued an imperial decree for the nobles to send out their private soldiers.

Each house had to send their children to the hunting party, which was no different from a battlefield, even if they were reluctant. Some nobles even sent their illegitimate children or hastily adopted orphans as substitutes, claiming them as members of their house.

Despite those efforts, the sounds of mourning for the dead were increasing in the central region. The once lively streets had long since emptied of people.

Even as reinforcements increased, their effectiveness was minimal, leading the nobles’ resentment to naturally focus on one person.

“If only Prince Silcaro hadn’t broken the treaty…”

“What on earth is the North doing? How could they have let so many monsters slip through? ”

“Isn’t it because they want to spite the central region?”

Some who supported the North had already spread rumors that they were receiving flowers from Scheuer.

While such rumors stirred the center, Erina, who had no choice but to participate in the extermination squad due to the imperial decree, mounted her horse with an indifferent expression. Looking around, she asked,

“Is Count Rode still not here? ”

“Indeed. They’re quite late. Count Mael is also still absent.”

“How can they be late for the extermination when they see the imperial decree so lightly?”

At Erina’s sharp remark, Silcaro pulled the reins of his white horse and approached her. He smiled kindly and replied,

“With so many knights, it’s understandable that the first commander might be delayed.”

“We don’t have much time.”

“Since the Grand Duchess is sending flowers anyway, shouldn’t we just let the knights handle it, even if there are casualties? ”

Among the members of the extermination squad, the mention of the North felt like a taboo. It was both a relief and a source of slight resentment.

The word evoked complex feelings, along with regrets about not having prevented the agreement from being broken. As they exchanged such conversations, Silcaro waited for the knights, but strangely, a considerable number of families had not arrived.

At that moment, a servant rushed out of the palace, squeezing through the crowd of knights.

“Silcaro! Your Highness! Urgent news! ”

As Silcaro nodded leisurely from atop his horse, the breathless servant shouted with a pale face,

“Count Rode and Count Mael, along with five other families, have issued a statement! ”

“What is it? ”

“They said they won’t send their knights unless the North negotiates a new agreement! ”

In an instant, the knights preparing for the extermination began to stir. Silcaro replied kindly but loudly enough for everyone to hear.

“Is the North allowing this? The ones who broke the agreement are over there.”

However, the servant continued, undeterred,

“The seven families in question have colluded with the North and agreed to send all their knights to the North’s extermination squad in exchange for healing flowers! ”

Only then did it become clear why some families had not sent their knights despite breaking the imperial decree.

The servant trembled as he handed over a piece of paper from his pocket.
 Silvio received the letter while wearing thick leather gloves. 
The seal of the house was stamped on it. 
The seal held by the head of the house was proof that they had written it themselves.

[The houses below hereby declare that they believe Prince Silcaro Waker’s judgment is incorrect and will clearly refuse the decree].

They did not break the imperial decree. They had certainly sent reinforcements. 
They just sent them not to Silcaro and the imperial family but to the North instead. 
Realizing this, the reinforcements began to quietly withdraw. Silcaro crumpled the letter in his hand and shouted loudly,I have already proven that we can conduct the hunt without the North. Let the Walker Empire step forward without shame! ”
But it was silent. No one responded to Silcaro’s words. 
Among so many knights, not a single one looked at him with friendly eyes.

“What’s done connot be undone.” – William Shakespeare