Home/I confined you, but I have no ill will/ch 111

111.

Kite's gaze was fixed on the jewel in his palm. Its blue flickering light was now pulsing at a much faster rate.

"It won't be long now."

At Kite's words, Kailun's expression turned fierce. Martin watched him with an odd look—they hadn't gotten along, yet now they moved in perfect sync to protect Ibelin. Perhaps after the marriage, Kailun would get along with Kite better than expected.

Before long, a mansion came into view behind a hill. Its unusually high walls blocked any view of the garden, and no light escaped—it looked uninhabited.

But this was it. This was where Ibelin was.

The knights surrounded the mansion at a distance. Then, the infiltration team was decided.

"Taysh."

Martin's nephew Taysh was among them.

"Yes."

"Ready?"

"Of course."

Taysh replied, pulling on a mask. The Intelligence Department head's face was known, but the agents' identities were kept hidden—it made their work easier.

Taysh carefully climbed over the wall. But as he took a few steps inside, he noticed people moving about in agitation.

"Is he there?"

"No—no one here."

"Damn it—where did she hide?"

"Did she already escape?"

Their impatience and anxiety were palpable. Their voices were low, but in their haste, their caution slipped. It wasn't hard to piece together the situation: someone they'd captured had escaped—and that someone was almost certainly Ibelin.

Impressive.

A noble lady escaping her own kidnapping—she was clearly extraordinary.

Deciding the others could follow, Taysh sent a signal. Suddenly, the wall vanished—Kite had swung his sword, bringing down the tall, thick barrier.

"Huh?"

In the middle of a covert operation, Taysh had momentarily forgotten to stay silent.

"Good grief."

Beyond the wall, Martin could be seen pressing her hand to her forehead. Kite and Kailun stepped through the rubble.

"Why would you do that?"

At Martin's exasperated question, Kite replied.

"Since Ibelin has already escaped, it's better to cause a commotion here."

He intended to draw the enemy's attention to make Ibelin's movement easier—possible only because he trusted her.

"I dislike agreeing with you, but I concur."

Kailun had taught his granddaughter many things to keep her safe. Even in this situation, he believed she would overcome it.

Martin narrowed her eyes at them, then shook her head.

"The enemy might escape."

"If they can give up on Ibelin, maybe."

Martin already knew Ibelin was a seer. If the enemy knew that too, they wouldn't abandon her easily—the ability to see the future was too great an advantage.

"In that case, let's make a bigger scene."

Martin lit a long cylinder and threw it into the air.

Bang—

Fire blossomed with a loud boom.

"Intruders!"

"Over there—there!"

People began to swarm—all masked, dressed like assassins. But neither Kite nor Kailun retreated.

"Tonight will be their last."

Kailun clicked his tongue; Kite nodded.

"So it will. But leave some alive."

"Rational of you."

"I believe Ibelin is safe."

And so they began to move swiftly.

---

Pavltin, searching for the vanished Ibelin, received a report.

"We have intruders!"

"Damn it—a headache."

Ibelin had disappeared, and Richt was furious, ordering an immediate search. But no matter how many men were sent, she couldn't be found. Eventually, he had no choice but to seek out Unknown. However—

"Unknown is also missing."

"What?"

Could Ibelin have taken him hostage? If so, it explained why she couldn't be found—Unknown was larger, but he couldn't fight. He was frail from harming himself for prophecy. Ibelin, by contrast, had been armed.

Now intruders had arrived, setting off explosions—it all felt familiar. Pavltin ground his teeth.

"Pabeln found us already?"

The flare was typical of Pabeln's Intelligence.

His mind raced. He needed to send Richt out through a secret passage, then deal with Intelligence while searching for Ibelin. Getting her this time had been easy—next time might not be.

He barked orders, moving quickly.

"Get His Highness to safety first!"

"He's already moving."

"Then the rest of you, hold off the intruders. I'll find Unknown myself."

Even a well-behaved dog couldn't be left without a leash. He'd implanted a tracking artifact in Unknown's body.

The artifact showed him motionless, not far away. If he could find Unknown, Ibelin would be close. Armed, Pavltin moved quickly.

Outside, the chaos continued.

---

Kailun gripped a pair of daggers made from light-absorbing material. Though retired, his steps were utterly silent.

Swish—!

With each dance of his blades, attackers clutched their necks and fell. More kept coming, but he paid no mind—he'd faced worse. Martin joined him.

The infiltration inside was left to Taysh and Kite.

They just keep coming.

It was as if they were springing from nowhere. But they posed no real obstacle—with each swing of Kite's sword, men crumpled. Most died; the few who survived couldn't rise, their eyes wide with terror.

"Terrifying."

The words slipped out before Taysh could stop himself; he covered his mouth. Kite seemed not to notice, his focus on Ibelin's safety.

Then Kite stopped.

"Familiar faces."

"We've met before."

Two knights blocked his path—unlike the rest, these were formally appointed imperial knights.

"Ah—from that friendly tournament."

Years ago, Pabeln had held a knightly tournament with Teyrin, and Kite had taken part.

"You severed my comrade's arm."

"Oh—that scrawny fellow."

At Kite's remark, the knight's expression turned fierce. That knight had insulted Pabeln's young Emperor, so Kite had cut off his arm—he'd nearly taken his head, but was stopped.

"He had to quit knighthood."

"Good—he wasn't fit for it."

Kite lowered his sword, watching them. Unlike others, they'd come unmasked—a sign they intended to face him head-on, and that Teyrin no longer cared to hide. Pavltin would have been furious, but these knights had been sent by Richt.

Both knights—and Richt—seemed to believe that together, they could defeat a Swordmaster.

"A Swordmaster—that's just a title from legend. Is there any proof of his strength outside a battlefield? Defeating those useless barbarians—does that truly make him strong?"

Richt had spoken those words. And the knights believed the same.

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