Chapter 175
“A wyvern?”
Kazhan frowned and looked up at the sky.
At first, he thought he was mistaken, but the flying creature approaching at high speed was undoubtedly a wyvern.
The Wyvern Knights shouldn’t be patrolling the hunting grounds.
Since they were the Emperor’s direct order knights who only moved at his command, Kazhan was certain of that. He had given them other tasks, so there was no reason for a wyvern to be here.
Even more absurd was the idea that a wild wyvern, which primarily inhabited high mountains, had come all the way down here.
“What the…!”
His doubts quickly turned into shock.
A massive cloth bundle, gripped in the wyvern’s talons, suddenly unfurled—spilling people down from the sky.
Figures wrapped entirely in black cloth, their identities concealed.
Assassins.
Clang!
“It’s an ambush!”
Kazhan shouted as he swiftly unsheathed his sword, blocking an incoming attack.
The knights had been resting, so the sudden attack caught some of them completely off guard, and several were taken down before they could react.
“Aagh!”
“Who are these bastards?!”
The knights roared in anger, demanding answers, but the assassins remained silent.
Even in death, they fell without so much as a groan, triggering a memory in Kazhan’s mind.
The ones he had encountered at the Hertian Kingdom’s borders.
His expression turned ice-cold as he decapitated a third attacker, then quickly assessed the battlefield.
Each assassin was at least at a knight-in-training level, but unlike before—when they had used poison—this time they faced the fully capable Imperial Knights. They were no match.
Their numbers weren’t even large enough to justify such a reckless assault.
Did they really think I would fall to an ambush of this level?
“We need information—keep three of them alive. Kgh!”
Clang!
Kazhan reflexively swung his sword in response to a heavy attack, his hand stinging from the impact.
A massive iron bolt from an unusually thick crossbow embedded itself into the ground beside him.
His gaze shot upward.
A man, likely an archer, perched atop the wyvern as it soared freely through the sky.
That one will be hard to take down.
Kazhan clicked his tongue.
He had a bow as well, but shooting from the ground to the sky was an entirely different challenge compared to firing downward.
On top of that, wyvern hide was notoriously difficult to pierce with arrows.
The enemy archer seemed aware of this, maintaining a high altitude where he wouldn’t be easily reached.
“Your Majesty, are you alright?”
“Leave the game behind. We’re retreating to regroup with the main force. Be careful not to get hit by the crossbows.”
Ironically, the first thing that came to Kazhan’s mind at this moment was Ysaris.
Her group had far more people and should be safe, but the attack made his concern for her surge to the forefront.
Rather than waste effort trying to fight an enemy that was difficult to deal with, it seemed wiser to fall back and lend a hand in protecting the woman he loved.
That thought changed when several more wyverns appeared, carrying additional enemies.
“…They’re going all out.”
Kazhan muttered under his breath, his gaze sweeping across the sky.
The wyverns were only circling his location—leaving the main force’s direction completely untouched.
It was clear who they were after.
If I’m the sole target, that actually makes things easier.
Kazhan unshouldered his bow.
He would wait until the wyverns descended low enough to drop more assassins—then take a shot at the archer.
“Change of plans. Send an emergency support signal. We’re wiping them out here before returning.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Rather than risk leading these enemies toward Ysaris, it was better to eliminate them now.
If anything happened on her side, they would send a signal as well.
For now, he would entertain these assassins.
* * *
Boom!
A bright signal exploded high in the sky, drawing the attention of the tournament officials.
The emergency magic tool, distributed to participants in case of unforeseen accidents, was finally put to use.
“What’s going on?”
“It seems to be far away. Could they have run into a pack of wild beasts in the deeper forest?”
“Judging by the color, it doesn’t seem urgent. They might just be calling for assistance nearby.”
“Still, it would be best to send someone to check the situation.”
The officials, momentarily flustered, quickly dispatched a knight on horseback.
From a short distance away, Runellia watched the scene with intrigue.
“I wonder what’s happening?”
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