Chapter 179

Chapter 179
## Chapter 179

### Operation: Escape from the Demon King’s Castle (1)

Tarak, a major metropolis situated in the northwestern territory of the Ion Continent, greeted the dawn as daylight broke across the horizon.

Though the bustling city rarely slept even during the dead of night, the current level of movement was entirely different from the nocturnal hours, as the majority of the population began to awaken and stir.

Creak—

“I’m heading out now!”

“Take care, and watch out for the carriages!”

Diana, who had only recently relocated to Tarak, was similarly caught up in the morning rush.

She stepped out of her residence early in the morning, keeping pace with the rest of the working populace.

Yet, a bright grin remained fixed upon her face.

Every corner of the city felt foreign due to her brief time here, but she found immense contentment in her current circumstances.

‘And this place! Even if it’s just a long-term lease, still…’

This comfortable dwelling was incomparably spacious compared to the cramped quarters attached to the grocery store where her family of five used to squeeze in. Furthermore, the amenities were spotless and brand new, requiring absolutely no maintenance.

To top it all off, it was situated right within the secure central district, leaving absolutely nothing left to desire!

It was the quintessential definition of a high-value property, boasting every single amenity that drove up real estate prices.

It was only natural that she adored it.

“Ah! Good morning, Grandma!”

As she hurried along, Diana caught sight of a familiar neighbor and offered a lively greeting.

The elderly woman, resting on a rocking chair upon the terrace while peacefully taking in the morning air, turned her intricately tattooed face toward the girl and offered a gentle chuckle.

“Hehehe… Off to your duties already? You certainly are industrious every morning.”

“Ehehe, I’m still in training. I can’t bear to let down Master Hu… I mean, Master Hubert, who placed his confidence in me for this role!”

“Such a splendid young lady at your age. Hehehe…”

Initially, she had harbored anxieties about having a rather intimidating old woman living right next door. Fortunately, contrary to her stern appearance, she proved to be incredibly warm-hearted toward youth.

She frequently handed out treats just like an actual grandmother, and she possessed a wonderful talent for spinning tales.

Because of this, the youngsters, who had been cautious at first, had grown quite attached to her.

Even her younger brother Aaron, despite his timid nature, now felt perfectly at ease dropping by her place next door, to say nothing of the outgoing Rafi.

‘That elderly lady also receives financial backing from Hubert’s Trading Company… If mister places his faith in her, I have no reason to fret.’

Granted, it remained challenging for Diana to offer her trust unconditionally following her recent encounter with betrayal. Still, she recognized that she couldn’t spend her entire existence paralyzed by doubt, meaning she had to put in the effort to heal.

She needed to at least attempt to open her soul to individuals who had been vetted by someone she trusted entirely.

“Well, I must be off!”

“Go safely, dear. Though… you hardly need to worry about safety within this neighborhood.”

Hubert’s Trading Company had established itself as the premier mercantile powerhouse within Tarak.

Their advantages were vast: powerful ties ranging from the Church to the local nobility, an array of distinctive and peerless merchandise, an immense treasury that permitted them to instantly secure top-tier merchants, and a distinct knack for conducting clandestine movements through hidden channels…

Leveraging these diverse strengths, they had swiftly dominated the marketplace within a mere handful of years. This specific district where they currently resided served as their primary stronghold, the very place where their authority held the most sway.

Sniff, sniff—

Diana’s nose flared slightly as she made her way down the pathway.

Vaguely familiar aromas drifted from every corner.

There were the city guards, assigned to watch over this specific avenue due to some under-the-table agreement, alongside the private defense force of Hubert’s Trading Company, positioned throughout the mercantile sector to safeguard vital assets and storefronts.

And beneath all of that…

The subtle, iron scent of blood, drifting silently from the shadowed recesses across the urban landscape.

‘To think the day would come where such a scent actually brings me peace of mind.’

It was an aroma she once dreaded and fled from, yet now, its complete absence would make her feel exposed.

It made perfect sense, considering that every vampire operating within these borders was bound by mister’s commands.

‘Reflecting on it, it truly is astonishing. Scarcely two years have passed since mister transitioned into a vampire, yet how did he accomplish a feat of this magnitude?’

Judging by the sheer volume of loyal servants he commanded in Tarak at this moment, combined with the effortless immigration arrangements, his standing within their hierarchy had to be incredibly elevated.

Evaluating it against the political climate of the Talia Kingdom that she had caught wind of… he was effectively functioning as a high-ranking aristocrat.

‘Then again, the finer details don’t concern me. My only duty is to ensure I can return his generosity.’

Shaking away her wandering thoughts, Diana accelerated her pace toward the enterprise’s central office.

Unlike her uncle, who performed routine duties centered around provisioning logistics, the assignment she had received through Hubert’s backing carried significant weight.

She operated essentially as an inspector, tasked with evaluating the caliber of the merchandise handled by the enterprise and maintaining rigorous quality benchmarks.

Predictably, her nepotistic placement had drawn a fair share of pushback from veterans…

However, Hubert’s word within the firm carried absolute weight, leaving the detractors with no choice but to observe silently, waiting to see if she would falter.

‘…In all honesty, my nerves are frayed, but my only path forward is to pour my entire soul into matching his belief in me.’

Just as Diana arrived outside the enterprise’s central office with ironclad determination,

Murmur, murmur—

An atypical disturbance reached her ears from nearby.

Accompanied by a deeply comforting aroma.

“Ah, Master. Good morning!”

“Ah, Diana. You’ve beaten everyone here again. Your dedication is commendable.”

She happened to cross paths with Hubert, who was likewise making his way toward the corporate facility.

Yet, starkly contrasting with his customary tranquil poise, the demeanor of his personal guard appeared altered…

Where previously they maintained a respectful distance save for a select few, they had now formed an impenetrable circle around him. A few even cast defensive, sharp glares toward Diana as she drew near.

‘Wait. And this particular aroma…’

Furthermore, a handful of the guards bore fresh scuffs, and a subtle trace of blood lingered on their blades, indicating they had only just emerged from a violent skirmish.

A confrontation must have taken place prior to their arrival here.

“Um… did an issue arise?”

“Hmm? Ah— think nothing of it. Merely a routine occurrence. There will always be fools testing their boundaries.”

Hubert dismissed the matter casually.

Having already taken flawless precautions, he guided the puzzled Diana inside the enterprise’s central office.

Even back on Earth, where modern advancement and legal systems were highly refined, underhanded tactics were rampant whenever massive wealth was on the line. Consequently, there was no reality where coercion wouldn’t manifest in this world, which leaned far closer to savagery.

Naturally, taking measures against such threats was standard practice here, and the masterminds behind the ambush likely never anticipated succeeding on their initial strike.

They were merely attempting to rattle his composure and probe for a weakness in his armor.

‘The audacity to direct such schemes at me.’

In truth, the ascent of Hubert’s Trading Company to its current heights had been anything but peaceful.

For that very reason, he consistently funneled a massive portion of his revenue back into fortifying his security apparatus for these exact scenarios.

Achieving this level of expansion would have proven impossible without the critical backing of Harley and his companions during their foundational period, supplemented later by the alliance with the Brokoslack Clan.

Following the aggressive incursion by the Ufersh Clan, he had become doubly meticulous regarding their defensive arrays, ensuring he personally wore a collection of premium enchanted artifacts, yet…

As the present outcome demonstrated, the final conclusion invariably left him triumphant, regardless of the complexity of their plots.

It was an inevitable reality.

Their adversaries had likely constructed their strategy under the assumption that they were dealing with nothing more than a prosperous mercantile firm, completely blind to the fact that the shadow network mobilized to crush them operated on an entirely different scale.

‘Now then… time to uncover the identity of the instigator.’

Needless to say, their doom was already written.

—

The Rohan Duchy had degenerated to a state where it could scarcely claim the title of a sovereign nation.

They were clinging to survival by a thread, maintaining a desperate final line of resistance in the vicinity of the capital city with the direct assistance of the Empire and the Church.

It was a paradoxical twist of fate that they managed to endure even this much due to the actions of the Immortal King…

The tide of beasts ravaging the duchy had begun to drop off drastically, a direct consequence of him establishing his domain as a massive shield within the northern peaks, from which the heaviest concentrations of beasts typically descended.

Naturally, not a single soul offered gratitude, given the collective conviction that the Immortal King was the root cause of their ruin in the first place.

They merely viewed his positioning as a twisted mockery, a passing whim designed to toy with them.

And at the epicenter of these cataclysmic events—.

The dark sovereign’s stronghold… rather, the Immortal Fortress, a place whose physical form remained unseen by the public eye but whose dark reputation was universally acknowledged. Within its walls, certain individuals were plotting a breakout after enduring a lengthy period of captivity.

“Heron, what does the situation look like today? Do you believe we stand a chance?”

“Hmm, grant me a second… It’s highly complex.”

The speakers were Riley Carte Azeria, the Fifth Princess of the Azeria Empire, and Hesperon, a traveler from Earth and a newly awakened individual who had arrived in this world less than two months prior.

They were currently engaged in their routine arcane drills, enveloped within a protective ward, when…

Hesperon knit his brows, adopting a strained look in response to Riley’s inquiry, which she had delivered in hushed tones, highly attuned to the potential listeners lurking outside.

In reality, he possessed the capability to trigger the plan at any moment of his choosing, deliberately dragging his feet to maximize the theatrical gravity of the moment. However, it appeared her tolerance had reached its absolute limit over the past few days.

“Whew— The sheer anxiety has robbed me of sleep, yet you behave as though we are on a casual outing. Are you absolutely certain this plan is viable?”

She turned her lips downward in a pout, clearly irritated that she seemed to be the only one gripped by urgency.

“Look, this isn’t some trivial trick. I was captured the literal moment I materialized in this world, leaving me entirely ignorant of its geography. By extension, I lack any baseline knowledge regarding our coordinates or our destination.”

An exact comprehension of one’s surroundings was an absolute prerequisite for utilizing spatial dimensional talents.

The efficacy of such a power was directly tied to its inherent peril; a single miscalculation could precipitate a catastrophe far more lethal than staying put.

“That is undeniable… but given that this stronghold is situated at the northernmost rim of the land, our objective should simply be to travel southward…”

“And which path dictates south from our current position?”

“…Ugh.”

There existed no method for individuals of their modest arcane standing to discern external orientation from within the heart of this Immortal Fortress, which functioned essentially as an isolated pocket dimension.

Riley’s countenance fell as the harsh truth of their predicament finally sank in.

“Then… are we truly devoid of options?”

“I never claimed that. I actually possess a reasonable hypothesis. I was merely exercising extreme care to guarantee our survival.”

The rekindled spark of optimism instantly brought light back to her features.

She was displaying a broad spectrum of raw emotions, a stark departure from the reputation that earned her the moniker of the Iron-Blooded Princess, likely brought on by the immense pressure of confinement.

“…Though, aren’t you taking liberties with your manner of speaking to me?”

“Oh, come off it, what does rank matter now? We are bound to the same destiny! Let’s drop the formalities! Hahaha!”

He had at least maintained a facade of deference while absorbing her lessons on magic.

Her expression shifted to one of sheer incredulity at his brazen response, realizing he clearly felt he held all the leverage in their arrangement.

Yet, it was an undeniable reality that he commanded the sole path out of their current trap…

“Sigh— Do try to mind your tongue when we are around others. In stark contrast to your homeland, this realm is populated by individuals hyper-sensitive to social standing. A slip of the tongue could invite genuine ruin.”

Ultimately, Riley let out a weary breath and conceded the point to him.

In truth, her irritation regarding his informal dialect stemmed from the accounts of Earth she had gathered from Isea, rather than a petty desire to demand respect.

If he grew overly accustomed to addressing a royal figure with casual familiarity while still novel to this world, it would exponentially raise the likelihood of a fatal blunder once they crossed into civilization.

Should that transpire, he would be the one to pay the ultimate price, which was why she had intended to discipline his speech patterns going forward…

‘I surrender. He isn’t devoid of intellect, so surely he will exercise caution in public… Though observing his antics makes me question my own judgment.’

Riley exhaled a second time, eyeing him as he wore a cunning grin that contrasted sharply with his refined appearance.

She weighed internally once more whether placing her faith in him was a sound choice.

Yet, her analysis brought her to the identical crossroads.

‘Two months have already pushed my sanity to its edge, I refuse to rot here for years! By then, any opportunity to reclaim my destiny will have vanished.’

She was compelled to wager on every available avenue.

Having witnessed the raw potential of ‘unique skills’ firsthand through Isea’s capabilities, she deduced that risking her future on him was a calculated gamble worth taking.

The reality that Hesperon’s innate potential appeared to dwarf even Isea’s played an equally monumental role in her decision.

‘…May the heavens let this succeed.’

Scarcely a few days prior to the cataclysmic shift that no soul across the continent could have possibly foreseen,

The first act of the grand breakout was officially set in motion.