Water Magician-Chapter 619: The Royal Residence Defense (3)

Editor: Tseirp

“Flying Corps, annihilated!”

“Impossible!”

The report delivered to the command post sent shock through the staff officers.

“That fireball earlier…”

Only Lin Sui’s voice remained calm—though in his heart, he was bitterly gnashing his teeth.

(That’s why I wanted the adventurers to attack after we broke through the front gate! If we’d done that, even if the first few were shot down, we could’ve suppressed the towers firing those fireballs from within and reduced our losses! But instead…)

The front gate still hadn’t fallen.

But Lin Sui had a plan to bring it down.

While the Second-Rank Adventurers were keeping the defenders busy, preparations in the rear were nearly complete.

“Lin Sui-sama, the ‘Red Flame Needle’ is ready.”

The long-awaited report finally arrived.

But the words startled the officers present.

“Lin Sui-sama, are you truly going to use the ‘Red Flame Needle’?”

“That is a treasure among treasures… If you use it within the capital, there’ll be no excuse that could save you.”

“Besides, in this situation, it would only fire once at most.”

Even at this stage, the officers still hesitated.

Lin Sui cursed them inwardly, though his outward expression remained calm.

“The reason the front gate hasn’t fallen is one person—Lu Yao. If there’s anything else that can pierce through Lu Yao’s Moonlight Causality—and Lu Yao herself—I’d like to hear it.”

His voice was steady, yet the irritation bleeding through it could no longer be contained.

Naturally, none of the officers could answer him.

The ‘Red Flame Needle’ was an ancient secret treasure passed down in the Darwei Imperial Family.

Secret treasure, in this context, meant something that modern humans could neither recreate nor comprehend—an artifact capable of invoking incomprehensible phenomena.

The Red Flame Needle had been entrusted to Prince Bin when he was bestowed the title of Imperial Prince, by Prince Kouri, the Second Prince, who had originally been tasked with its custody.

Prince Kouri had been entrusted by the Crown Prince himself, back when the latter was still alive, with the care of three secret treasures.

Symbols of imperial authority.

Later, Prince Churei, the Third Prince, was granted one of these three treasures—not by the Crown Prince, but by order of Emperor Tsuin himself.

And when Prince Bin, the Fourth Prince, was bestowed the title of Imperial Prince, another of the three treasures—since the Crown Prince had already passed away—was given to him by imperial decree. ℞ÄＮòꞖËᶊ

Thus, the treasure bestowed upon Prince Bin was the ‘Red Flame Needle’.

However, it was only entrusted to his care— use of it was strictly forbidden.

The prohibition had been explicitly stated.

If he used the ‘Red Flame Needle’ now, even as its custodian… Emperor Tsuin’s trust in Prince Bin would be completely lost.

He would undoubtedly be stripped of his title as imperial prince.

And likely… lose his life as well.

Was it worth going that far—just to destroy Prince Ryun’s Royal Residence, or Captain Lu Yao?

Among the staff, there were still a few who retained some semblance of reason.

Of course, by participating in this assault, they had already crossed a line.

Whether they succeeded or failed in assassinating Princess Shio Fen, it made no difference.

They were attacking a Royal Residence.

Still, some believed they could at least claim they had no choice but to obey the prince’s command… a faint defense at best.

They knew they would almost certainly be banished from the capital and stripped of all positions.

Yet even so, some thought that, with time, reinstatement might be possible.

Thanks to their networks and connections.

But… if they used the ‘Red Flame Needle’ and earned the emperor’s wrath directly—that faint hope would vanish.

No one would ever dare employ a staff officer despised by the emperor himself.

That was why they desperately tried to stop Lin Sui from using it.

“Send every reserve soldier to the front line. Not just magicians and sorcerers—everyone!”

“L-Lin Sui-sama…?”

“Force Lu Yao to be too occupied to notice what’s coming. We must not let her realize the ‘Red Flame Needle’ is being aimed at her.”

“But if we do that, our soldiers will overlap in the firing line. It will be extremely difficult to avoid hitting our own…”

“Then let it pierce through them all.”

“W–What…!?”

“The ‘Red Flame Needle’ pierces everything. It doesn’t matter how many stand between.”

He swept aside the officers’ objections. Lin Sui’s order was executed.

“The enemy pressure has increased!”

The shouted report from a magic artillery operator reached Captain Lu Yao’s ears as well.

“Hold the line! The enemy knows they’re running out of time! If we endure this, victory will be ours!”

Captain Lu Yao shouted.

She had already received the report that all aerial attackers had been repelled.

And that Princess Shio Fen and her entourage had been temporarily pinned down by assassins hiding within the Royal Residence.

However, those assassins were soon eliminated— almost simultaneously with the defeat of the aerial attackers—and both Princess Shio Fen and her maid Mifa had successfully entered the shelter.

Guard Captain Bijis and the others were reportedly securing the perimeter.

Now, all they needed to do was hold the front gate.

But the mounting pressure was severe.

Originally, they had planned to install automatic fire-type magical defenses on the gate, like those on the watchtowers.

If this attack had come just one week later, that would have been completed…

Lu Yao clenched her teeth in frustration.

But regret was useless now.

At present, not only the magic artillery unit but also elements of Prince Ryun’s Yulin Guard were participating in the defense.

The enemy’s attacks had grown fiercer—not just magical barrages, but intense close-quarters combat.

Between each wave of magic bombardments, melee clashes erupted on the approach.

Because of that, the enemy’s rear lines were completely obscured.

At first, the Second Unit—led by Friendship Token No.2-kun—had charged directly at the enemy magicians, but now they too were locked in melee.

From time to time, they pulled back near the magic artillery line, cutting down enemy swordsmen who tried to break through.

Spears leveled—a single, simple motion.

Yet with remarkable efficiency, they inflicted serious damage.

“Even simple movements, used effectively, can yield tremendous results… As expected of Duke Rondo—he’s experienced far more battlefields than I ever have.”

Captain Lu Yao murmured, watching Friendship Token No.2-kun and its squad.

Of course, Captain Lu Yao knew of the songs spread by bards in the Kingdom of Knightley—the Ballad of Duke Rondo.

She understood that Duke Rondo was not only a magician and alchemist but also a man of war.

That same experience was clearly reflected in Friendhip Token No.2-kun and its unit’s movements.

“I couldn’t grasp the full logic behind No.2-kun’s cognitive-type magic formula… Once Duke Rondo returns, I’ll have to ask him to teach me properly.”

Captain Lu Yao nodded once.

But this was the battlefield.

She needed focus.

She was the commander.

A single mistake could mean the gate’s fall.

If she were taken down, the gate would fall regardless.

She knew she was being targeted.

Thanks to her deployed ‘Moonlight Causality’, all magical attacks were automatically intercepted.

But she had doubled the usual six ‘moons’ to twelve—the headache was excruciating.

She could barely stay upright, at times dropping to one knee…

That she could still command clearly under such strain was proof enough that Captain Lu Yao was far from ordinary.

However, not even someone like her could sense the threat aimed from over two hundred meters away—through layers of melee combat.

An attack that would pierce friend and foe alike…

A red beam tore across the battlefield.

In the next instant, Captain Lu Yao was thrown aside.

As she twisted midair, she saw who had pushed her.

But it wasn’t a person…

“No.2-kun? Why—?”

Before her astonished eyes, the space where she had stood was pierced by a crimson light.

She instantly understood—that attack had been aimed at her.

And that Friendship Token No.2-kun, who had knocked her out of the way, had taken the blow through its chest.

“No.2-kun!!”

Time stopped on the battlefield.

When something truly shocking happens, all movement halts.

But not for everyone. Some did not stop.

Because they were not human.

They instantly detected who had shot their captain—and charged.

The Second Unit, whose captain had fallen.

Their charge struck directly at the enemy command post.

Their charge would determine the battle’s outcome.

Their charge… was the strike that avenged their fallen commander.

When all the fighting was over, only one woman remained— beside a motionless golem, chest pierced through.

“No.2-kun…”

Captain Lu Yao could do nothing but repeat that name…

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