Chapter 53 : Lana’s Testimony of the Frost (2)

Where there is light, there is darkness, and where there is the sunny side, there is the shady side.

That is an unchangeable, immutable truth, and an uncomfortable reality.

If that’s the case, then wouldn’t it be better to make use of the darkness?

The kingdom also chose to make use of the darkness. 

Those who handle the kingdom’s enemies and carry out tasks in the darkness.

Though they were even denied their existence by the kingdom, they loved the kingdom more than anyone else.

Those who knew of their existence called them “owls.” And now, they had hidden in the darkness for the hunt.

The night was as dark as pitch, with no moonlight in sight. 

This was also proof that our time had come.

In the daylight, perhaps, it wouldn’t be possible, but in this thick darkness, no one could match the owls.

Soon, one of them raised a telescope.

It seemed almost impossible for a telescope to be visible in the darkness, but the telescope, made with magic, was enchanted with the “piercing gaze” spell, allowing it to see through even the darkness and clearly observe the interior.

And this meant that it was possible to clearly see two people rushing toward this location.

Had they noticed their presence in this darkness?

But there was no time to hesitate. 

Even if they had been noticed, nothing would change.

One of the owls immediately drew his sword and swung it.

A loud clang echoed as metal collided.

“Can you block this? Not bad.”

“We’re risking our lives here too.”

Boom!

After parrying the attack with his sword, the owl quickly kicked out, pushing the opponent back.

It worked. For now, there was some distance between them, so…

Thud.

“Huh?”

But just as the owl was about to counterattack, he froze in surprise.

After all, if a perfectly fine leg were to suddenly disappear, wouldn’t anyone be startled?

Rustle…

At the same time, a chilling sound struck his ears.

The sound of meat being greedily torn apart was impossible to ignore.

The owl’s eyes shifted forward, and there he saw his leg.

It had been swallowed whole, along with his chainmail armor.

What had once been his leg was now a piece of meat being devoured.

The fact that it had been eaten whole, including an adult man’s leg, was almost unbelievable.

“Ah, I see, you’re Jackal of the Vendetta Legion.”

“Do you know about me?”

“Not knowing about Vendetta’s cannibalistic monsters would be more unusual.”

The owl served as an executioner, handling the kingdom’s threats in the darkness.

At the same time, he also worked as a gatherer of information.

Naturally, the Vendetta Legion was a major point of concern.

He was well aware of their reputation and knew they were a threat.

However, one thing had been a mistake.

He had underestimated the true strength of the Vendetta Legion.

That’s why he had ended up in this situation.

‘Honestly, I thought the Vendetta Legion’s power was exaggerated, but it wasn’t. In fact, we had underestimated them…!!’

The owl had always seen the Vendetta Legion as a target of caution, but there was another organization that the empire had feared even more.

An organization whose true identity was unknown, even to the owls.

It was they who had caused the empire’s infiltrators to be wiped out.

And because of them, the owl had to retreat his own spies.

The Vendetta Legion, though dangerous, was still a known threat.

But it was the other organization that made the owls truly anxious.

The rumors about the Vendetta Legion were loud, yes, but the real threat had always been the unknown enemy.

The strength of the Vendetta Legion was undeniable, but this… was something else entirely.

‘I need to report this immediately! We must eliminate them by any means necessary!!’

“Still a long way to go?”

“Oh.”

Crack!

The sound of bones being chewed echoed from the roof, as Galina nodded.

Yeah, this is much more comfortable.

The man who had been devoured by Jackal wasn’t weak.

Whoever he was, he wasn’t someone an average person could handle.

But Jackal had ambushed him, and that’s why he fell.

Now, the Vendetta Legion had limitations.

[Until my orders come through, fight at full strength is forbidden.]

The members of the Vendetta Legion were powerful enough to face entire armies.

But their strength was controlled by Wolfgang, the one who led them.

The Vendetta Legion’s might was unmatched, but they had been restrained.

This wasn’t something the average soldier could even comprehend.

The Eastern Defense Forces, who had fought with them during the Winter War, were the only ones who could keep up.

Even they had suffered some mental strain from facing them.

As a result, Wolfgang had chosen to control their power.

And no one had disagreed with her decision.

“These damn monsters…”

“Indeed, if the Commander hadn’t been there, we’d all have turned into monsters.”

Galina observed the other owl, who was bleeding in front of her.

Another nuisance.

She hadn’t expected there to be more hiding to observe their comrades.

But there was no one who could evade Galina’s keen sense of smell.

Thus, she cornered him, forcing him into a dead end.

Realizing his escape route was blocked, the owl, in desperation, swung his sword at Galina.

His sword was swift and precise, piercing her heart.

At that moment, the owl was sure of his victory.

After all, a heart pierced like that couldn’t be survived.

But unfortunately for him, the one standing before him wasn’t human.

Screech!

With that sound, the second owl lost his life.

Galina had never even drawn her sword.

Her claw-like arms, covered in fur, had done the work.

Her arms were like those of a wolf.

Her massive claws, honed from countless experiences, sliced through him.

The once-human corpse lay at her feet as she stared down at it coldly.

To us, humans are like prey.

They’re easy to crush without any real effort.

There are very few exceptions, but they are just that—exceptions.

No matter how skilled a trained soldier may be,

they could be killed so easily.

“…That woman should have died too.”

Galina thought about the thief who had stuck close to the Commander, but she quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts.

Giving in to instinct would only turn her into a monster.

Perhaps that wouldn’t be so bad, but to stay with the Commander, she needed to remain human.

Yes, that was the Commander’s wish as well.

And so, we accepted her control, to move forward with her toward that brilliant future.

It was an obsession with the Commander, our savior and guide.

But it was also an unconscious desire to return to humanity.

We longed for her more than anything.

But just like the stars in the sky, we knew we could never reach her.

That’s why, with a look of ecstasy on her face, Galina whispered,

“Ah, yes. That’s why we must stay with the Commander. No matter how many people we devour, no matter how easily we kill, we will remain human.”

The owls were the secret knights of Saint Jeanne, the blades in the darkness.

In terms of pure strength, they were below the Royal Guard, but in the tasks they specialized in, the owls were far more capable.

Assassination, espionage, reconnaissance, and more.

They were perfect for such tasks.

However, the owls, who had always operated in secrecy, had been discovered, and were now being attacked in return.

Even the second and third waves of reinforcements had been wiped out.

The owls had suffered devastating losses, leaving them unable to function effectively.

In the end, they had to retreat.

This situation couldn’t be brought to light.

The owls were the dark knights of the kingdom, handling all of its dirty deeds.

They existed within the kingdom, but at the same time, they didn’t.

If this issue were to be brought to the surface, all the filthy deeds they had carried out would be exposed.

No one had expected things to go this far.

Jeanne clicked her tongue.

“Previously, I could explain away the killing of the Guardian Dragon by saying it was due to the dragon’s carelessness. But now, with the owls suffering like this… their reputation wasn’t just a false boast, was it?”

Of course, Jeanne understood.

At least she knew that Wolfgang Leonhardt’s strength was no exaggeration.

However, she had never imagined his subordinates were just as strong.

Still, as Jeanne walked toward the noble meeting, she felt lighter than ever.

In fact, she thought this situation wasn’t all that bad.

After all, it meant she would gain tremendous power.

What should she do first if she gets her hands on the Jackal?

As she pondered, Jeanne arrived at the meeting hall.