BBYW Vol. 4 Chapter 41 (WN)
Chapter 41 – The Last Betrayal
【POV: Jaar Menfis】
(Well…I never thought I’d get a chance this quickly.)
I whispered to myself as I watched Dyngir Maxwell mow down the undead creatures with his blade.
When Nahib Massab ordered me to assassinate Dyngir Maxwell, I felt desperate. How was I supposed to kill a warrior of his caliber?
However, after we snuck into Fort Giza, we ended up separating from the rest of the troops, and he was not even facing me right now. I couldn’t have asked for a better chance.
(Forgive me…I have no other choice.)
Every time Dyngir Maxwell swung his blade, an undead was cleaved in two and its dust scattered in the wind. While witnessing him battle like a lion, I pointed my blade to his back.
I had just met him some days ago: we barely knew each other. Compared to Valon, whom I had shared much of my life with, and regarded as a younger brother, it felt much easier to turn my blade against Dyngir.
However, that did not mean that I did not feel any guilt.
The thought of having to kill someone completely unrelated — someone who bravely fought for the sake of the people of the western province, even — created an ounce of hesitation in me.
(However…this act should finally allow me to save my mother and sister. I cannot turn back, not anymore.)
I had made Viscount Massab promise me that once this assassination succeeded, my mother and sister would be freed.
After that, I too would be freed from the living hell of having to choose between my loyalty and my family.
I would be freed from all chains, and could finally face justice.
(Thus…I beg for your forgiveness. Dyngir…Maxwell!)
A new group of undead appeared from the front. I waited for the brave hero from the east to be completely focused on them, and swung down the blade in my hand.
However—
“Hmm!! You moved earlier than expected!!”
“….!?”
Suddenly, I heard an unfamiliar voice behind.
I hastily turned around, but before I could I felt a sharp shock on my back.
“Gwah…!”
I could not endure the sudden impact and fell forward.
I collapsed on the floor, riddled with the remains of the “Terror Armies”, bitter sand and dust filling my mouth.
The burning sensation on my back, however, prevailed over everything else. At the same time, I felt all of my strength leaving my body rapidly.
“Y-You…”
I used as much strength as I could to raise my head and look behind me. What I saw was a man, clad in a set of armor just like those provided by House Sphinx.
(When did he…but…why….?)
The Sphinx soldiers had separated from us several minutes ago. How could one of them have approached me from the back?
“Phew! These desert armors are stuffy indeed!”
The man removed his helmet and threw it on the floor.
The face of a young, black-haired man became visible: I was not familiar with his appearance or his features.
“I see, so you finally acted, huh.”
“Gh…”
After taking down the undead around us, Dyngir came walking in my direction, wiping the sand from his blade.
He looked down at me, his lips twisted into a grin.
“Did you stab Valon from behind too? How does it feel, when it happens to yourself?”
“…gh…you…realized…that I…betrayed…Lord…Valon…!?”
My voice was trembling.
The man who stabbed me was not a soldier of House Sphinx: he was probably one of Dyngir’s subordinates.
He probably suspected me from the beginning. He let me act freely, as one of the suspects of Lord Valon’s assassination, and created an opening on purpose.
(And I completely fell for it…)
I grabbed a fistful of sand and clenched both my hands and teeth out of frustration.
“Since when…since when did you…suspect me…?”
Dyngir and I had barely interacted: I could only remember us exchanging minimal words.
There should have been no reason for him to be suspicious…
“Since you said that you witnessed Valon’s final moments. Since then, I thought that you might be a traitor.”
“What the…that is nonsense…why…!!”
Why would such a thing be enough to classify me as a possible traitor?
I pressed further, my eyes wide open.
Dyngir looked down at me coldly, opened his arms wide and laughed.
“I crossed swords with Valon several times. At mock battles in the academy, at the royal martial tournament, even once when we both got drunk at the tavern. That is why…I know, better than anyone else, how fearsome he is.”
“………..”
“As a man, Valon Sphinx is always steadfast, genuine, straight as an arrow. His sword arm is incredibly solid, his defense hardly ever fails. He analyzes the opponent’s moves with precision and parries them all…it was like a nightmare. That bastard is cautious to the point of insanity. Would he ever die just because he lost one to an enemy? No. The only way he could die was because something completely unexpected happened.”
“So…you thought I betrayed him.”
“Yes. From the manner in which you spoke of it, it seemed like Valon died too simply, too easily.”
His words were convincing. Indeed, Lord Valon would never fall in battle in such a manner. Not in the case of a mere battle, but of treachery, however…
“Hah…haha. I see…that was my mistake…”
I felt laughter well up from within.
Despite the terrible pain coursing through my body, I laughed so hard my shoulders started shaking.
“Hahaha…I managed to fool Lady Naam…even Lord Vert…and an outsider saw through it all…”
“Valon and I were not just students in the same academy. We were eternal rivals, who crossed swords too many times to count. Sometimes, one ends up knowing his enemies much better than his allies.”
“I…see…that’s…frustrating. To think that you…knew Lord Valon better than…I did…so…frustrating…”
“If you admired him so much, why did you betray him?”
“Because…”
I paused for a moment, and coughed blood.
It seemed that I did not have much time left.
At this point, I had no choice but to leave everything to the man before me.
“My mother and sister…are being held hostage. The man behind everything…Nahib Massab…”
“Massab…as expected.”
Dyngir nodded, seemingly convinced.
He had probably investigated Nahib Massab already.
“The capital’s nobles are involved too…I know I have no right to say this…but…please, help my family…”
“Sure.”
Maxwell agreed, with surprising ease.
I looked at him, wide-eyed, but the words that followed made me freeze.
“I love older women too, you see. If they’re pretty, I’ll save them.”
“Should I…be reassured…?”
I felt worried in a different way…but there was nothing else I could do.
I might have been biased, but I was sure both my mother and sister could be regarded as beauties.
If he rescued them, nothing too bad would happen to them. Surely.
Thus…I had nothing left to worry about.
I could finally….die.
“Lord Valon…Lord Vert….my…apolo…”
If we met in the afterlife, would Lord Valon forgive me?
For some reason, I imagined that rather than my betrayal, he would be more concerned with Dyngir and Lady Naam…
As such thoughts ran across my mind, I closed my eyes.