I’ve Decided to Let You Go - Chapter 112

“I think we can continue forward. Once we’ve infiltrated the capital, we’ll move first. The rest of the knights should follow at a distance, just in case anything goes wrong.”

Sir Dante spoke to the youngest among their group of ten, signaling for him to go back and relay the instructions to the rest of the unit.

Handling the imperial knights was the responsibility of X-1, led by Sieghart and the knights from the Duchy of Kshant.

Their mission, as X-2, was to reach the Emperor’s chambers and carry out the assassination. If they caused too much noise, their target could escape, so stealth was essential.

Moving as one large group would only increase the risk. Sir Dante’s judgment made sense.

“Understood!”

The young knight nodded briskly and moved quickly.

Sir Dante slung his pack back over his shoulder and then gave Natasha a small glance.

“Will you be coming with us, Captain?”

He avoided using any identifying titles that could hint at her true identity.

Even in this urgent moment, he asked her opinion first. It was clear he didn’t want her to be in the front line.

And for good reason. The lead position was always the most dangerous.

Even if the rear gate had been lightly guarded, the inside of the palace could be crawling with imperial knights. Despite receiving intelligence from Kayeina that security had grown lax due to the festival, there was still the risk that it had all been a trap.

“Of course.”

Natasha wasn’t unaware of that risk.

“But in a situation like this, the commander stepping back doesn’t make sense.”

Still, that wasn’t enough to keep her from moving forward.

“Very well,” Sir Dante said, smiling faintly, as if reminded once again how stubborn his lady truly was.

“Then let’s move.”

Encouraged by Natasha’s resolve, Sir Dante took the lead and crept ahead.

He fitted an arrow to his bow, keeping low and silent as he slipped past the gate. His bow moved from side to side as he checked their surroundings, ready to fire the moment he sensed danger.

After scouting the area, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“No one’s here.”

Thankfully, the rear entrance was completely unguarded.

Natasha reached into her coat and pulled out a folded piece of paper. It was the map she and Sir Dante had drawn during the palace banquet, the one marking the location of the secret room.

She pointed her finger at the route leading from their current location, X-2, to the final target marked with an O.

“Do you remember the path clearly?”

They could follow the map, but Sir Dante had already walked the entire route in secret once before. He would be the most reliable guide.

“Of course. We snuck in and confirmed it ourselves, remember?”

He answered with confidence and a slight shrug of his shoulders.

“Just in case, keep your heads down while moving.”

Lanterns were hung along the hallway, casting small pools of light. It was highly likely that patrolling knights might spot them if they weren’t careful.

At his suggestion, the group crouched and began moving in a single line, like a line of ducks quietly crossing a stream.

Sir Dante’s movements were sharp and disciplined, matching the confident tone of his earlier reply.

The path was surprisingly quiet, as expected for such a hidden route. It was unknown even to the imperial knights, which explained the lack of guards.

Thanks to that, they were able to reach the target area without much trouble.

Sir Dante stopped abruptly while scanning the grassy area. He crouched down and began feeling along the ground.

“This is it.”

He brushed the grass aside, revealing a hidden metal ring embedded in the ground.

Crouching down, he gripped the handle with both hands and tried to lift it.

Despite his strength, the door didn’t budge. The resistance was more than expected.

Breathing heavily, he clenched his jaw.

“…Damn it.”

He almost never cursed in front of Natasha, but this time the words slipped out under his breath.

Clearly, something was wrong.

Natasha crouched down beside him, concern in her voice as she asked what had happened.

Sir Dante’s face turned grim. He looked guilty, like he hated having to deliver bad news.

“The door is locked.”

“Locked? But we made it out through here last time, didn’t we?”

“You can get out from the inside, but not in from the outside. It makes sense for a place this important to have a security mechanism. I can’t believe I didn’t check… how foolish of me.”

Because of the intense palace security, Sir Dante had only confirmed the location of the passage. He hadn’t actually gone inside.

The night of the palace banquet had been their first and last time using the secret passage. So he hadn’t thought to consider the reverse situation.

“Then we can’t go in?”

Sir Dante gripped the handle again and pulled. It didn’t budge.

He let out a quiet sigh and explained their two options.

“We can try to break the handle using weapons. But we won’t be able to avoid making noise.”

“You mean other knights might hear and come running.”

“And if this was sealed with divine power, then breaking the handle won’t work. It would be much harder to damage, and it would take too long.”

“Then not only would we fail the mission, we’d blow our cover too.”

Just thinking about it was terrifying.

Natasha stared at the door and then placed her hand on the handle.

“It’ll work.”

“…”

“No. I have to make it work.”

She had no choice.

There was no turning back now.

As she sat beside the door holding the handle, she was struck by a strange sense of familiarity. Like she had experienced this moment once before.

Back then…

She remembered standing in front of the Emperor’s bedchamber.

That door had also been sealed with divine power.

No matter how many times she had struck it, it wouldn’t open. Until, suddenly, it did.

Natasha stared hard at her other hand. Her fingers slowly curled into a tight fist.

She took a deep breath, lifted her chin, and glared at the door. The same handle that had resisted Sir Dante’s strength now seemed to wait silently for her.

Just like that time. Just like before. She would recreate the moment when fate had given her a chance.

One.

My god, please. That cursed door…

Two.

Let me destroy that cursed Kail Letius…

Three.

Natasha slammed her fist into the handle.

Pain came rushing in after a short delay. Her knuckles throbbed, her skin torn from the impact.

“Captain, your hand… are you alright?”

Sir Dante, startled, quickly checked on her. He looked so shaken, his mouth kept opening and closing without saying anything.

And then it happened.

A pale, wispy smoke began to rise from her hand, still resting on the handle.

The soft haze wrapped around the metal for just a moment. Then the door gave a long creak, and slowly, it began to open.

Natasha raised her bruised hand and pointed toward the open space. It was a signal for Sir Dante to make sure it had actually worked.

He turned to the knights and told them to support the princess. Then he walked up to the door himself. Though still cautious, he gently tugged on the handle.

“…It’s open.”

The door was wide open.

He leaned in to check the space below.

“The ladder is still there. We can climb down and follow the underground passage straight to the Emperor’s chambers.”

It was good news. A flicker of relief crossed his exhausted face.

“Alright. Let’s move.”

Natasha got to her feet and approached the door.

After Sir Dante climbed down the ladder first, Natasha followed. He reached up and helped her as she stepped down.

All ten members of the advance group made it safely into the passage. The rest of the team arrived shortly after, without any issues.

“It’s dark in here.”

The sound of their voices echoed off the walls. It felt like being inside a cave.

Once the door above was closed, they were surrounded by complete darkness. Natasha, not used to it, reached along the walls, trying to feel her way forward.

Sir Dante lit a small lantern and handed it to her. The light wasn’t strong, but it was enough for them to see as they walked.

The passage was wide enough for two people, so they moved in pairs. Natasha took the lead, and naturally, Sir Dante walked beside her.

They moved as quietly as they could, careful not to make any sound.

About halfway through the passage, a figure appeared up ahead.

“…Kayeina Ten.”

It was her.

The unpredictable ally.

Kayeina Ten.

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