BBYW Vol. 4 Chapter 37 (WN)
Chapter 37 – Oath with the Maiden
“To what do I owe the honor of this summon, Sir?”
“I want your opinion on a certain matter. Well, take a seat.”
Vert motioned to a chair, and I promptly complied. Naam sat next to me, while Sakuya stood behind me.
Vert waited for us to sit down before continuing.
“Thanks to your help, the creatures of the ‘Terror Armies’ that invaded our clan’s territory have been mostly wiped out. In order to completely cut off their invasion route, I have decided to take back Fort Giza.”
“I see. I also thought a chance would come soon…so the time has finally arrived.”
I nodded. As long as Fort Giza was in the hands of the enemy, the undead could continue to enter the western province. The retrieval of that strategic point would mean erasing the threat posed by the “Terror Armies” to the Sphinx territory.
“Yes, so we sent a spy to scout the fort…and things are rather suspicious.”
Vert looked troubled. His aged face became even more creased.
“There still are a few hundred undead inside the fortress. It won’t be simple to take it back.”
“Hmm? That is odd.”
I furrowed my brow as well. Something felt wrong about what Vert said.
“Those mummies are always on the hunt for living beings, correct? And as far as I know, it is not in their nature to stay in one place.”
“Indeed…I too found that bizarre. As it turns out, it seems like a ‘Lord class’ is in the fortress.”
“A Lord class…?”
I repeated Vert’s words. I wasn’t familiar with such a title, but I had a bad feeling about it.
“A ‘Lord class’ is a rare kind of undead. Unlike the rest of its kind, it possesses a certain level of intellect, which it can use to command its brethren. That might be the reason why they are staying inside the fortress.”
“I see…so that Lord class must be defeated in order to take back the fortress. That is the plan, yes?”
Vert nodded to my question.
“Yes, exactly. Lord class undead are much stronger than others. Coupled with the fort’s defenses, it will not be easy to handle them.”
Vert paused for a moment and looked directly at me. He then put his hands on the table and lowered his head.
“Dyngir Maxwell…I ask you to lead the troops in this battle…!”
“Sir, but that is…”
“I am well aware. You have no obligation to accept. However, you can clearly see the state my body is in. I could not possibly command an army in battle like this. That is why I plead with you, Dyngir Maxwell. Please take back the fort in my stead…!”
“Nh…”
“Father…”
Seeing a man around the same age as my father lower his head in such a manner made me swallow my breath. Naam, next to me, seemed very surprised.
We were in Sphinx territory, and taking back the fort was their greatest desire.
To plead with a foreigner to carry out such an important mission…I could not imagine how deeply his pride must have been wounded.
“…this will incur a steep debt, Sir.”
“You have my deepest gratitude.”
I shook hands with Vert and formally promised to take back Fort Giza.
I returned the old man’s wrinkled smile with a wry one, and we started discussing the details.
“By the way, do you have a strategy to take back the fort? If I have to hatch a plan by myself, it might take some time…”
“Yes, we do have an idea for that. There is a secret passage that leads inside the fortress, so it can be used to sneak inside.”
“I see, that’s not bad.”
I had my doubts on how tightly the “Terror Armies” were guarding the fort, but as it was known for being impregnable, I definitely wanted to avoid having to take it down conventionally. We did not have much leeway in terms of numbers either. If the troops of House Sphinx decreased any further, the reconstruction efforts after the battle would become really difficult.
If we managed to sneak a small elite force inside the fortress, we could keep casualties to a minimum.
“So you will go to battle again…and to Fort Giza, of all places…”
Naam whispered in a soft voice. Her small hand grabbed my sleeve.
“………….”
I had almost forgotten that Fort Giza was where her brother had fallen in battle.
She was probably feeling anxious at the idea of me going in the same place: Naam looked at me with pleading eyes.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to die.”
I held Naam’s hand and swore with confidence.
“I’m stronger than Valon, you know. You have seen us fight at the royal martial tournament, haven’t you?”
“But…Lord Dyngir…”
Naam’s eyes were already brimming with tears, which she barely kept from falling.
(I can’t win against a woman’s tears…they’re stronger than any Magic Tool…)
I took her head in my arms and pulled it against my chest.
“This will be the last time I make you cry. It won’t happen anymore. I will definitely come back alive.”
“…Understood. Please, please be careful, Lord Dyngir.”
Naam held my shirt tightly. Smiling at all the energy she used, I turned towards Vert.
“That is it, then. I’ll be counting on you to lead the way, Sir.”
“Yes…certainly…”
For some reason, Vert looked conflicted. He glared at me and Naam for a while, then his shoulders dropped, dejected.
“…I will have Jaar take you to the fortress. I sure hope you can win as easily as you make people’s daughters cry, boy!”