Chapter 146:The Story of the Princess Escaping the Demon King’s Castle to Save the Hero (2)
Suddenly, black figures descended from the sky.
Startled by the unexpected arrival, the 49th Cadets hurriedly assumed formation, but they were already surrounded.
As they realized the identities of these intruders, the 49th Cadets broke into a cold sweat.
‘Black Sword Corps?!’
‘Why are the Black Sword Corps here?’
Encircling them on all sides were none other than the Black Sword Corps.
While everyone was bewildered and unsure of how to react, Theresia stepped forward and asked.
“What’s the matter?”
Although she directed her question at the Black Sword Corps, the response came from behind them.
“Isn’t it a common trope for heroes rescuing princesses from the Demon King’s castle to face some trials?”
Step, step—.
With small footsteps, the owner of the voice appeared.
He wore a white epaulet symbolizing the 46th Cadets, the 5th year group.
Tall, with a slender build.
White hair and red eyes.
It was Yulia who first recognized the young nobleman emerging from the dark tree shadows.
“…Brother?”
Yulia’s murmur sparked a buzz among the 49th Cadets.
“Yulia’s brother?”
“…Fritz senior?”
Fritz Singh.
Yulia Singh’s older brother, and a direct descendant of the Singh family who entered the Cradle three years before her.
His red eyes bore the same silver rings as Yulia’s, a clear sign of their lineage.
Fritz was also known as the previous owner of the Bluebird before passing it on to his sister and dedicating himself to completing his Cradle training.
Everyone was surprised by Fritz’s sudden appearance, but Yulia was the most shocked.
She frowned as she glared at her brother.
“What brings you here when you’re supposedly too busy to show your face?”
“No matter how busy I am, I wouldn’t miss the chance to see my ugly little sister.”
“That’s rich coming from you. Our faces are the same.”
“Even if it’s the same product, there’s still a difference in quality. I’m premium, you’re… not even low-grade, just defective. And what are you? Talking to your heavenly older brother like that.”
“Weren’t our titles settled twelve years ago? You, this guy, that guy, this girl, that girl?”
“Really? Maybe you just decided that on your own. And what’s with ‘guy’ and ‘girl’? Have some class.”
“Yeah, learned that from you.”
“Hmm, don’t recall teaching that. You must’ve picked it up on your own.”
As the Singh siblings’ conversation dragged on, the tension that had surged with the Black Sword Corps’ arrival dissipated in an instant.
Everyone’s expressions grew awkward.
‘Even people from Hyungha are… human, after all.’
‘So even in that family, sibling rivalry is a thing.’
True to their reputation for sharp wits, the siblings’ biting remarks flowed seamlessly without pause.
Eventually, realizing the silence that had settled around them, the siblings flinched and fell quiet.
“……”
“……”
A brief silence.
Shortly after, Yulia, who had been bickering just moments before, composed herself with a dignified expression.
“So, what brings you here, Fritz? And why are those Black Sword Corps members with you?”
To this question, Fritz responded with an equally dignified smile.
“If it’s a hero’s story, shouldn’t the Demon King’s army appear to hinder them?”
“Not wrong, but isn’t the Demon King’s army a bit too strong?”
Yulia’s remark was met with nods of agreement from the 49th Cadets.
They gazed nervously at the Black Sword Corps members surrounding them.
There were about 30 Black Sword Corps members.
Though their numbers didn’t even reach half of the 49th Cadets, even just ten of them could toy with the entire 49th Cadets.
In other words, if the thirty Black Sword Corps members were the Demon King’s army, the heroes would be defeated before even reaching the Demon King’s castle.
To his sister’s grumbling, Fritz responded with a smile.
“Ah, don’t worry too much. If you comply with my request, I’ll let you all leave safely.”
“And what’s that request?”
As soon as she asked, two Black Sword Corps members moved.
Step—. Step—.
A table and chairs were set between Fritz and Yulia.
On the table lay a familiar object.
Yulia’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.
‘…A chessboard?’
A chess table and pieces appeared out of nowhere.
Fritz leisurely crossed his legs as he sat in the chair.
He flicked his finger.
“My request is simple. Play a game of chess with me.”
“That’s it?”
“Of course not. Capture a pawn from me, and I’ll let two people pass. For a rook, knight, or bishop, five each. The queen will grant twenty, and if you capture my king, I’ll let everyone through, regardless of numbers. If that doesn’t suit you… feel free to force your way through.”
As Fritz shrugged, leaving the choice to them, the 49th Cadets were unsettled.
Though their sibling banter had slightly diminished his aura, Fritz was a man of Hyungha.
Beating him in chess, let alone capturing one of his pieces, seemed impossible for an ordinary person.
In other words, this was…
“You just want to play against me, don’t you?”
It was basically an invitation for Yulia to sit across from him.
‘That smug face… I really hate it.’
Fritz’s signature smirk.
Yulia, knowing it stemmed from confidence in his impending victory, felt a surge of irritation.
‘Haa…….’
She let out a deep sigh and sat across from Fritz, glaring at him.
“…What’s the penalty if I lose a piece?”
“As an older brother, I’m not so heartless as to impose penalties when playing against my little sister, you know? If you want, I can even start the game with fewer pieces, like the old times.”
Fritz’s smirk deepened, and Yulia’s expression hardened.
“No need, I don’t want that.”
“Oh dear… Are you sure this is the time for pride? Has my foolish sister ever beaten me in chess?”
“What ancient times are you talking about? Don’t worry about it. Just make sure you don’t cry when you lose today.”
“Haha, my foolish sister’s all grown up? As your brother, I’ll let you have the white pieces.”
“Suit yourself.”
Yulia wore a pout as she gathered the white pieces.
While arranging her pieces, she calculated.
‘If I capture all pieces except the king, I can pass 66 people.’
There were 68 people besides herself.
‘Considering various factors, we need at least 53 people to safely capture the Demon King.’
But the question was whether the Cradle’s interference would stop here.
Who knew what other disruptions lay ahead.
‘The best strategy is for me to quickly defeat my brother and go to the Demon King’s castle with everyone!’
As Yulia steeled her resolve, the silver ring in her eyes glowed.
In response, Fritz’s silver ring also shone.
And then.
Clack—.
Yulia moved a white pawn forward.
Clack—.
Fritz countered with a black pawn.
Clack—.
Thus began the chess match between the siblings in earnest.
Clack— Clack—.
The two moved their pieces swiftly across the board, their hands darting back and forth.
The pace quickened, growing ever faster.
Clack— Clack— Clack—.
Eventually, their movements reached a speed that was impossible for the average person to follow with the naked eye.
Clack-clack-clack-clack—.
The chessboard’s formation changed rapidly.
The spectators couldn’t tear their eyes away from the intense strategic battle unfolding between the two young geniuses, each move calculated meticulously.
‘As expected of Hyungha with the Silver Rings?!’
‘My God… They’re predicting each other’s moves and countering!’
‘How are they calculating all of this?’
While an average person could anticipate a few moves per second, the two siblings were predicting dozens, even hundreds.
The fierce exchanges continued for a long while.
In the end, the first piece to be captured belonged to Fritz.
Clack—.
Yulia’s rook knocked down Fritz’s pawn.
Fritz chuckled and took his hand off the board.
“Oh dear, my pawn got captured? As promised, I’ll let two people go ahead. Who will you send?”
Crossing his arms, Fritz looked at Yulia with a serene gaze, and Yulia quickly replied.
“The vanguard will be Theresia Winchester and Jerry Bee.”
Theresia remained calm at her name being called, but Jerry looked visibly flustered.
“M-Me?”
There were two types of vanguards.
One was sent ahead as sacrificial lambs to scout out unknown threats, while the other possessed the strength to clear all obstacles for the following troops.
‘Choosing Theresia suggests she’s going for the latter… But putting me in that group?’
Jerry considered himself at best average among the 49th Cadets.
He didn’t feel qualified to be selected as a vanguard.
While Jerry wore a puzzled expression, Yulia stood up and whispered something into his ear.
“……?!”
As Yulia continued her whispering, Jerry’s expression shifted rapidly.
After a moment, Yulia finished her whisper and patted Jerry’s shoulder a couple of times.
“I’m counting on you. You can do it!”
“…….”
What exactly did Yulia say?
Though her encouragement wasn’t quite reassuring, Jerry’s face reflected a mix of complex emotions.
“Well, those who are leaving should go quickly. We need to resume the game.”
At Fritz’s urging, Yulia glanced briefly at Theresia and Jerry before returning to the chessboard.
“Go ahead and wait. I’ll send the others up soon.”
Saying this to the two of them, Yulia started moving the chess pieces again.
Clack-clack-clack—.
The chessboard’s formation changed rapidly once more.
Watching briefly, Theresia led Jerry away from the scene.
“Let’s go.”
“Y-Yeah.”
As the two tried to leave, a member of the Black Sword Corps blocked their path with a stern face.
“Follow only the visible path. If you stray into a nonexistent shortcut… you’ll bear the consequences.”
With that chilling warning, Jerry and Theresia nodded, and the Black Sword Corps finally cleared a path for them.
The two then sprinted towards the Demon King’s castle.
Theresia and Jerry ran swiftly along the path.
Tap-tap— Tap-tap—.
Only the sound of their footsteps echoed along the forest trail.
They continued in silence for a long while.
Eventually, it was Theresia who broke the silence.
“What did Yulia say to you earlier?”
If Yulia had spoken only to Jerry, there had to be a reason.
But curiosity got the better of her, and she asked despite herself.
“Oh… that?”
Running alongside Theresia, Jerry rubbed his chin.
He hesitated, debating whether he should say anything.
After some contemplation, he decided that Theresia deserved to know.
“Well, it’s like this…”
However, both Theresia’s question and Jerry’s decision to speak came just a bit too late.
Rustle—.
As soon as they reached a small clearing, just like before, dark figures dropped from the sky, blocking their path.
‘The Black Sword Corps again!’
Though fewer in number than the previous encounter, they were still surrounded by about a dozen members of the Black Sword Corps.
Among them, one person stepped forward.
A woman approximately 170 cm tall, carrying a long spear on her shoulder.
Her white epaulet stood out distinctly, and she was as renowned as Fritz Singh.
Theresia never forgot her name.
“…Vangelis Aniston.”
A member of the distinguished Aniston family.
A woman who wielded a spear, just like Theresia.
Moreover, she was the top cadet of the 46th group.
Thud—.
Vangelis struck the ground with her spear and sent a fierce gaze towards them.
“Did you pass the Gate of Wisdom that Fritz was overseeing?”
Though she said “you,” her gaze was fixed solely on Theresia.
“This is the Gate of Strength. If you wish to pass through here…”
Step—.
Vangelis pointed her spear at Theresia with a sly smile.
“One of you will have to play with me.”
Faced with Vangelis’ formidable aura, Theresia gripped her spear tightly.
Yuri, eyes brimming with madness, watched the decision of strength unfold.
Goetz, observing Yuri, was certain that Yuri would cause trouble at any moment.
But contrary to his expectations, Yuri remained quiet.
Just for a brief moment.
After scanning the surroundings for about 10 minutes, Yuri simply lay down, staring at the wall.
As if he had lost interest.
Perplexed, Goetz hovered around Yuri, but Yuri didn’t react.
He truly seemed to be resting.
Or perhaps genuinely asleep, with his eyes closed and completely still.
Goetz tilted his head in confusion.
‘Hmm… Was I mistaken?’
Had Yuri’s wild, crazed eyes, which seemed on the brink of causing chaos, been merely a fleeting moment?
Goetz, staring at the back of Yuri’s head, turned to look at the Demon King seated on a chair.
The Demon King exuded a solemn aura, resting his chin on his hand.
“…….”
As Goetz studied the Demon King, his gaze grew deeper, lost in thought.
Thus, he failed to notice it.
Twitch-twitch—.
Yuri, quietly curled up, was making slight movements.
Subtle, barely perceptible twitches.
Tremble-tremble.
Yuri’s body shivered unnaturally.
And then.
Click—.
With a strange sound, Yuri’s back shuddered violently.