Chapter 43

“He’s every bit the boy we were told about,” a colleague running alongside him remarked suddenly. They were currently split into two groups, making their way toward the settlement where the Stella Clan was said to reside.

“Yeah. It’s a good thing the Master briefed us beforehand.”

Callous, perhaps, or simply arrogant.

If they hadn't been warned about his personality in advance, there was no way they would have readily accepted entrusting their lives to a boy like Harold.

However, as his final words of encouragement had proven, Harold was merely a youth brimming with a kindness he was unable to express honestly. If he weren't, he never would have gone this far.

The operative recalled the day they had received the emergency summons and their orders.

With a somber expression, their master, Tasuku, had spoken of an intervention on a battlefield where a large-scale conflict was imminent.

They had completed life-threatening missions many times before; it wasn’t the danger of the secret order that bothered them. Rather, it was the feeling that this wasn't like their Master. Sensing their hesitation, Tasuku began to explain the background of the situation.

“Regarding this assignment—on the surface, it is a clash between the Knight Order and the Stella Clan. In truth, the Sarian Empire is pulling the strings. They intend to force the knights and the Stella Clan into a war of mutual destruction.”

“...What is the Imperial Army’s objective?”

“I cannot be certain of the finer details, but I have intelligence suggesting their goal is to capture the Stella Clan.”

If that were true, it was a national crisis. If left unchecked, it could spiral into a full-blown civil war. Yet, the operative couldn't shake a lingering sense of doubt.

“If the situation is truly that grave, shouldn't regular soldiers be dispatched instead of shadow-operatives like us?”

“The evidence for this information is thin, so we cannot move openly. Truthfully, I wanted to avoid even your deployment if I could. Above all else, you must ensure that no connection to House Sumeragi is discovered.”

“So, you are sending us despite such risks?”

The question was an implicit why?

In response, Tasuku offered only a bitter smile.

“...It is nothing to be proud of, but I find myself personally invested in young Harold.”

Harold. It was a name they recognized.

The fiancé of Erika, the daughter of House Sumeragi.

They had been gathering intelligence on Harold since the engagement was finalized, but he was not a boy associated with many positive rumors. Consequently, many within their ranks found it difficult to offer their sincere congratulations.

“Why does his name come up now?”

“Harold is planning to head to the battlefield alone to stop this fight.”

“...That is beyond reckless. He must be stopped.”

“That boy won't stop. He has spent his whole life fighting alone, in total solitude.”

Tasuku’s whisper was heavy with sorrow. He looked like a man blaming himself for his own powerlessness.

Tasuku was willing to gamble the very survival of House Sumeragi to support Harold. To someone who didn’t know the boy’s true nature, it was a nonsensical story.

“Why go so far for him?”

“...This is something that should normally remain a secret. I intended to take it to my grave, but it is better that you know, since you will be placing your lives in his hands. However, what I am about to tell you must never leave this room.”

The temperature in the room seemed to plummet. Tasuku radiated a heavy, commanding pressure so intense it felt physical.

Cold sweat trickled down the cheeks of men who had survived countless brushes with death.

“We swear it upon our loyalty to you, Master.”

“Thank you. Now, have any of you heard the story that Harold killed a servant?”

“We have.”

Even as spies, they had heard reports of Harold’s villainy. The murder of a servant was the most prominent among them—a primary reason for the fierce opposition to the engagement.

“The truth is, he never killed anyone. He shielded a servant who was about to be murdered by his own parents, taking the brand of a killer upon himself to save her. Thanks to the unconditional financial support Harold provided, that woman and her daughter are living in peace to this day.”

It was a story almost too difficult to believe.

The incident had occurred three years ago, when Harold was only ten. Could a child of that age truly orchestrate something so profound?

“If that is the truth, why keep it hidden? Making it public would silence those against the engagement.”

“Harold doesn't want that. He prioritized the safety of the women he rescued above all else, going so far as to claim he ‘killed’ the servant to ensure no one went looking for her. Fame and praise mean nothing to that boy.”

Tasuku had likely decided to take the secret to his grave out of respect for that wish.

A mere ten-year-old had made such a sacrifice. The thought made the operative's chest tighten. How painful must it have been to be reviled by everyone? Yet, he had never wavered.

“...Furthermore, Harold is the one who developed and provided the Resistance Medicine for the miasma, as well as the LP Farming Method.”

“Can that be true?”

This revelation left them staggered.

The Resistance Medicine, which they assumed had been produced under Tasuku’s sudden orders—they knew exactly how many lives it had saved. The revolutionary LP Farming Method—everyone understood its massive role in the Sumeragi Territory’s economic recovery.

The people of Sumeragi praised Tasuku daily, calling him a visionary lord. Harold Stokes’s name was nowhere to be found. Every achievement was attributed to Tasuku.

“Yes. Even so, he refuses to let his name be known. He feared that if his parents discovered he was the inventor, they would seize the rights and exploit them for profit. He likely realized that would mean fewer people could be saved.”

He cast aside the praise he deserved and accepted infamy he didn't, never even attempting to clear his name. He suppressed his own existence solely to protect and save others. That was the true essence of Harold Stokes.

“Harold is also the one who uncovered the current intelligence. He likely crossed a very dangerous line to get it, yet his only request to me was for a Sarian Empire military uniform. He said he would handle the rest himself.”

“...”

They finally understood why Tasuku was so invested.

Harold was the savior of House Sumeragi and its lands. They owed him a debt that could never be repaid. And now, that same boy was heading to a battlefield alone to stop a war.

“Harold has grown used to being solitary. He is a clumsy boy, terrible at relying on others. His mouth is foul and his attitude is arrogant, but in truth, he is kinder than anyone. I want to protect him, no matter what.”

Tasuku spoke with the affection of a father for his own son.

Fulfilling that wish was their duty. They, too, felt an immense debt of gratitude to Tasuku and the land of Sumeragi.

“We understand perfectly.”

With synchronized precision, they all bowed their heads. Not a single man raised an objection to the perilous mission ahead.

---

Having discarded his Knight Order armor for the Sarian Empire uniform, Harold sprinted through the dense undergrowth. He moved at high speed through the trackless wilderness.

The black-clothed operatives followed close behind. It was impressive that they could keep pace with Harold’s speed, even if he wasn't running at full throttle.

(I hope that little speech earlier raised their morale a bit...)

Harold kept his eyes forward as the thought crossed his mind. He knew he was being soft, but he truly didn't want any of them to die if he could help it. Of course, statistically, he was the one most likely to get hit.

He mentally organized the intel he had received.

The Sarian Imperial forces numbered around 150. Of those, roughly 100 were currently engaging the Knight Order. The remaining 50 were moving to attack the Stella Clan.

While the numbers were five times higher than the initial reports, Harold was actually relieved; it was fewer than he had feared. The total number of knights dispatched exceeded 200, so they weren't at a numerical disadvantage overall.

However, this was Kingdom territory. It would have been difficult for a large force to infiltrate unnoticed. In fact, it was a feat that they had managed to get 150 men in at all.

Furthermore, the 120 knights on patrol were split into teams of fifteen. If they were being systematically lured away, their search formations were likely exposed. In that case, the numerical advantage meant nothing—especially against an ambush.

He had assumed the Knight Order would be annihilated based on the "original story" where Robinson and the others died, but from the mastermind Justus’s perspective, he only needed to capture the Stella Clan and create the appearance that they had attacked the knights. He didn't actually need to wipe out the Order.

If Harold’s hunch was right, Robinson and the others had simply been unlucky—or perhaps they just had to die for the sake of the scenario.

Ideally, he would settle this before the support units arrived, but that was probably impossible. He’d just have to count on Cody to handle things once he returned to the fray.

“...They’re close.”

Shouts and screams began to drift through the trees, growing louder with every step. He finally caught up to the first team.

“Disperse. Scout the perimeter while I take the lead.”

“Sir!”

With a chorus of acknowledgment, the shadow-operatives vanished into the forest. Their stealth far exceeded Harold’s; as long as he drew the attention of both friend and foe, they would be able to operate at peak efficiency.

Harold pulled on a leather mask that covered his nose and mouth. If his identity was revealed here, it would lead to a nightmare of paperwork and politics later. He’d considered a full-face mask, but he couldn't risk the loss of peripheral vision during combat.

Taking a deep breath, he lunged forward, accelerating.

To intentionally broadcast his presence, Harold fired a bolt of magic into the sky. Thunder roared as lightning tore through the canopy and vanished into the blue.

He revealed himself to his nameless colleagues, who were still reeling from the sudden bolt of lightning.

Only knights were visible. The Sarian soldiers were likely concealed, raining down long-range attacks to whittle down the knights’ numbers.

“W-What is that?!”

“Hey, look up there!”

One of the knights pointed, shouting. Harold was standing regally atop a branch, looking down at the Knight Order. As he drew his sword with a dramatic flourish, the knights shifted into high-alert status.

But it wasn't enough yet. He had to cement the idea that the enemy was the Sarian Empire.

Pointing his sword at them, Harold exuded a thick aura of villainy as he spoke.

“Rejoice, knights of the Kingdom of Liber. You shall serve as the foundation for the Empire’s glory.”

“The Empire’s glory...? Are you trying to start a war?!”

(Wait, is that how they’re taking it?)

Harold was currently wearing a Sarian uniform. His scripted lines sounded exactly like a declaration of an invasion for territorial expansion.

If it were revealed that the Sarian Empire was attacking the knights and the Stella Clan, what would happen? Thinking about it now, the answer was obvious: it could ignite a war between the two nations.

Cold sweat ran down his back as the realization hit him. But he couldn't back down now.

Besides, Justus was the one who had incited the Empire. If this whole mess were exposed, Justus’s involvement might come to light. A genius like him wouldn't leave such a glaring loose end. He likely had a plan to ensure that even if the Empire’s role was discovered, it wouldn't escalate into a full-scale war.

It’ll be fine, Harold told himself.

“There is no need for the walking dead to know. All units, ready!”

Acting the part of a commander, he gave the signal to the Sarian soldiers who were undoubtedly lurking nearby.

To the Sarian troops, Harold was a complete mystery—an irregular who had suddenly appeared. However, he wore their uniform and was clearly hostile toward the knights. Furthermore, the medal on his chest identified him as a Second Lieutenant. To ignore him was to disobey a superior officer.

If they fell for the bluff, Harold won.

“Commence attack!”

And Harold claimed his victory.

The moment he gave the order, a volley of arrows hissed from the shadows. The Sarian soldiers had obeyed.

The knights parried and dodged. Fortunately, there were no immediate fatalities. But more importantly, the hidden positions of the Sarian soldiers were now exposed.

All that remained was for the shadow-operatives to pick them off according to plan.

(Please, just finish this as fast as possible! Seriously!)

Maintaining his distance to buy time, Harold fired off magic—taking extreme care to miss—while he pleaded desperately in the privacy of his own mind.