My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros' Obsession-Chapter 48Vol 2.

The emperor’s face turned deathly pale, but I continued speaking without hesitation.

"The Adolph Empire has had its time, hasn’t it? It’s about time it was overturned, Your Majesty."

It was a crude, disrespectful statement to make right in front of the emperor. But XX, what else could I do? This world had only taught me rough and straightforward words.

Meanwhile, the effects of the incense were beginning to take full hold. The emperor coughed violently, desperately trying to dispel the lingering scent. I leaned in and whispered to him.

"Your Majesty, where is the black magic artifact?"

"Urgh, it’s in... ugh—!"

He started to say something but abruptly clamped his own hand over his mouth. Hm. So he could stop himself from speaking if he forced it.

I signaled Winter with my eyes, and he moved instantly.

Bang—!

Using his free hand, Winter grabbed the emperor’s wrist and twisted it behind his back. Then, with just one hand, he seized the emperor’s other wrist, pinning both behind him in a perfect restraint.

Humiliation darkened the emperor’s face, but I pressed on with the interrogation.

"The black magic artifact is in the underground chamber, isn’t it?"

"That’s... correct... ngh!"

"What does the artifact look like?"

"A mirror... urgh!"

He struggled to resist, but the incense was doing its job. Internally, I made a mental note to thank April for this.

"And where is the entrance to the underground chamber?"

This time, he writhed as if he would rather die than speak. But his own mouth betrayed him, spitting out the truth against his will.

"If you exit through the south gate on the first floor and push through the thicket... ngh, the entrance will be visible...."

"Good. Are there any traps along the way?"

"There are no—"

Bang—! Bang—!

The emperor suddenly began smashing his head against the desk to stop himself from speaking.

Blood trickled down from his swollen forehead. His bloodshot eyes burned with rage as he glared at me, but it was too late. He had already given us everything we needed.

"Winter, we need to move."

"Understood."

At last, Winter released him. The emperor erupted into a fit of violent coughing but still managed to shout after us.

"Do you really think you’ll leave this palace alive?! You’ll be captured by the guards before you can escape!"

Because of the incense affecting me as well, I found myself unable to ignore such an obvious provocation. A sneering remark slipped from my lips.

"Your Majesty, thanks to you, we were trained to be strong. Did you think the Border Defense Army would obediently march to war? I’d wager they’re already on their way here, storming the palace. We learned from the best how to betray a nation properly."

"I have given you so many benefits!"

The emperor’s voice was hoarse with frustration.

"I am not like my ancestors! I pitied you!"

Ah. When he said "pitied," he must have meant the minor reduction in our military service time. What a laughable display of hypocrisy.

"Very well, Your Majesty. Let’s make a deal."

I curled my lips into a smirk.

"We originally planned to exile you to an island for eighty years. I’ll be merciful and reduce it to seventy-nine."

"W-What?!"

"Please be grateful to us, Your Majesty."

With that, I turned, ready to leave with Victim. He had been standing there, frozen stiff, but now, his lips parted as he muttered in disbelief.

"I... I’ve become a traitor...."

"Should we send Benny to fetch Sanchez? Let’s see if he calls it treason or revolution."

"In the wise and extraordinary leadership of Comrade Salvia, I feel infinite gratitude. Comrade Salvia is truly a revolutionary figure."

...Where the hell did he even learn to talk like that?

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Anyway, with our mission accomplished, we prepared to make our way underground. That is, until the emperor suddenly staggered to his feet and shouted.

"You will all pay for this crime against the empire—!"

Thwip—!

"Urgh!"

The emperor collapsed mid-sentence.

Victim’s eyes widened in shock. Winter instinctively reached for the back of his own neck.

A tranquilizer dart was embedded in the emperor’s neck.

I twirled the remaining dart between my fingers and playfully winked.

"Consider it Winter’s revenge, Your Majesty."

***

With Winter’s revenge complete, we kicked open the office doors and stepped outside.

A swarm of soldiers had surrounded a lone figure.

"Aquila...!"

The soldiers were all focused on him, forcing him to defend himself with nothing but his sword. His uniform was tattered, slashed apart by countless blades.

He was barely holding on. No matter how skilled Aquila was, facing this many royal guards without a single wound was impossible. The only reason he hadn’t been captured yet was because he was using his fire aura to keep them at bay.

The moment I stepped outside, the soldiers turned their attention to me, charging forward. I cut them down as I called out to Aquila.

"Aquila, can you clear a path?"

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"Salvia...."

He glanced at me, his expression grim.

"...That’s going to be difficult."

"Sorry, just hold «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» out a little longer! I’ll find another way!"

Aquila gave a firm nod.

It hurt to see him cornered like this, but now was not the time to hesitate.

Slashing my way backward, I grabbed Winter and Victim and retreated back into the emperor’s office.

"Salvia, why are we going back?"

"It’s too difficult to break through outside! We need another exit!"

My gaze landed on a large window on one side of the office. It was big enough for a person to fit through.

I peeked down through the glass. It was about three stories high—not too bad. Actually, this height was nothing for me. After all...

‘I trained for rappelling!’

I had never expected my Border Defense Army training to come in handy like this.

I tore down several curtains and began tying them together into a makeshift rope. Winter, catching on, helped me secure it.

Soon, we had a sturdy rope.

I searched for a place to anchor it, but unfortunately, there was nothing strong enough near the window. Strange. Didn’t protagonists in romance fantasy novels always escape with curtain ropes just fine?

As I hesitated, Winter took the curtain rope from my hands.

"Salvia, I’ll hold the rope from up here. You and Victim should go down first."

"Then what about you...?!"

"I’ll stay. Aquila needs my help. He won’t last much longer on his own."

I had a strange sense of déjà vu. One by one, my comrades were staying behind so I could reach my goal.

But I didn’t act like an idiot, crying, ‘No, I can’t leave you behind!’ or anything like that.

Because I knew exactly what I had to do.

"Salvia."

"...Thank you."

I bowed to Winter in a proper Border Defense Army salute, then took hold of the curtain rope, preparing to descend.

"See you later, Winter."

"Make sure you succeed."

I loosened my grip, and my body smoothly slid downward.

Thud—!

I landed perfectly and waited for Victim to follow.

"Aaaahhh—!"

Thump—!

With a loud crash, Victim landed in a heap. I sighed and pulled him up, scanning our surroundings.

"Let’s move."

With all the noise Victim made, the guards might come rushing this way. I quickly led him forward.

"South entrance... south entrance... There it is!"

Luckily, we managed to reach the south entrance without being spotted. My stealth training from the Border Defense Army had come in handy—we had practically melded into the walls as we moved.

I was just about to push through the thicket when a shadow loomed over me.

"What exactly are you doing here?"

The moment I recognized the voice, a deep sense of frustration washed over me.

It was her.

One of the noble ladies who had tried to pick a fight with me earlier, the ringleader with golden hair, now standing alone.

Why on earth had she left the banquet hall and wandered here?

As I stiffened, she smirked, her voice laced with arrogance.

"Hmph. The guards are in a frenzy because of some intruders. Meanwhile, I lost my escort and have been looking for him. I cannot return home without him, obviously. Who else would help me into my carriage? But you—what exactly are you doing here?"

She looked me and Victim up and down with suspicion.

Damn it. She was the perfect example of an entitled noble brat.

I hesitated. What could I possibly say to explain this situation?

I glanced around desperately, hoping to spot Dalin. But, of course, at the one time I actually needed her, she was nowhere to be found.

Still, I couldn’t afford to lose here. I, Salvia, had never lost a single battle. This was no different.

So I did what first came to mind—I mimicked Dalin’s speech pattern.

"Eh?"

...Unfortunately, I had no idea what to say next.

‘What do I do?’

I racked my brain.

And then, it hit me.

‘I’m not Dalin!’

That’s right! I wasn’t Dalin. I had no reason to act like her!

I would deal with this noble lady my way.

"Ha!"

I chopped the back of her neck with my hand, and she collapsed on the spot.

"Violence and fear shall save us all...."

I murmured in satisfaction. This was the correct solution.

After that, Victim and I searched through the thicket, and sure enough, just as the emperor had said, we found the entrance to the underground chamber.

"Step aside! One, two—!"

I heaved the door open, revealing a staircase leading into pitch-black darkness. It looked eerily similar to the underground tunnels I had seen in the homes of black magicians.

"I’ll go first. Follow me."

"D-Do I have to go with you?"

"Benny! Benny!"

"In the esteemed leadership of Comrade Salvia, I am overcome with immeasurable gratitude. Comrade Salvia is truly a revolutionary figure."

...Where on earth did he even learn to talk like that?