Chapter 262 - COUNT KAGEHAMA (1)

It was a chaotic night.

Because Kajsa, the beheading witch of the Ophand family who was believed to have died, and Sebastian Leguin, the Sword of Swiftness who had gone missing, had both returned alive, though the latter was unconscious.

‘There’s also us.’

The young heroes who saved the royal capital.

The couple of the century who were well-known in the entire kingdom.

The two people, who in the royal capital had created the trend of running away because of love, were now in the south, and they had also saved Kajsa’s life, so from the gossipers’ point of view, it was a complete feast of topics.

“But isn’t it strange? Sea Wolf Kajsa was captured by the pirates.”

“Why is Sebastian Leguin unconscious in the first place? Moreover, he’s with Kajsa. Could it be that Sebastian is her kidnapper – no, he’s involved in her kidnapping case?”

“It’s also strange that the fantasy couple saved Kajsa.”

“Maybe they’re also involved with it?”

“The 12 northern families and the 7 southern families? That’s impossible.”

“Anyway, I caught a glimpse of Lady Cordelia from afar, and she was indeed as beautiful as an angel just like the rumors.”

“Wasn’t there a rumor that she’s actually a real angel?”

“Have you lost your mind? You believe in that rumor? Except for Lena, there’s no other angel in the world. She’s the only angel left in this world. It can only be Holy Angel Lena.”

“Uh, is that so?”

“Why are the fantasy couple here in the south anyway?”

“Is something going to happen in the south?”

Because when they thought about it, huge events always happened wherever the fantasy couple passed by.

It happened in the north, in the wild lands beyond the borders, and even in the royal capital recently!

If the gossipers had also known about the incidents in the Forest of Eternity and the Kraken in the sea, they would have been convinced that Jude and Cordelia were like a plague, but fortunately, they didn’t know about that.

In any case, as the rumormongers gathered and tattled, the bards also began to sing eagerly everywhere.

Some made new songs by combining the rumors on how Kajsa was saved, while others sang songs from the royal capital that told about Jude and Cordelia’s past activities because they were still uncertain about the recent events.

“Jude, did you hear that? Our names are being sung in the song.”

It was also a very dirty love song.

The embarrassed Cordelia pulled Jude’s sleeve, and he whispered in a low voice.

“There’s also a play.”

“A play?”

“Yes, a play in which you and I are the main characters. And it’s not just one as there are several of it too.”

“What’s the play about?”

When Cordelia asked in embarrassment, anticipation, and anxiousness, Jude whispered small again.

“Like how we fought the Lord Protector, how you and I… Oh, that person is talking about us.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a one-person play. She must be a storyteller.”

As he pointed to a corner instead of passing through the night market, they saw a female storyteller and several people sitting in groups and listening to the story.

“Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged.”

“Then have my lips the sin that Milord has took? Or has Milord took the sin from my lips?”

“O, trespass sweetly urged! Lady Cordelia, give me my sin again.”

“You kiss by the book.”

T/N: The above 4 lines are direct references to a kissing scene in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The lines are taken from Act 1, Scene 5, with some minor differences and additions. Obviously, there are no ‘Milord’ and ‘Lady Cordelia’ in the original lines, and the sentence ‘Or has Milord took the sin from my lips’ is added by the author and not part of the original lines.

Cordelia was in a daze as she listened, and blushed when the storyteller glanced into the air alone.

W-what’s that?

No, what’s that about? Is that about a kiss? W-while saying those cheesy lines?

‘W-wait!’

We haven’t kissed yet! Not on the lips!

We’ve never kissed on the lips, so why is she talking about that?!

“What’s with your reaction? Don’t tell me… you haven’t kissed that lewdly like those rumors?”

Cordelia groaned at Kajsa’s question before she pursed her lips, and Kajsa giggled as she spoke again.

“Hey, you’re already like that when it’s just that much? There are a lot more erotic versions.”

“T-there’s more?”

“Yes, aren’t love scenes essential in love stories?”

Cordelia blinked her eyes and swallowed hard before she clung to Scarlet as if she was running away.

“The south is weird. The south likes erotic stuff.”

Scarlet had a bitter smile at Cordelia’s words.

These stories were only exported to the south as they were originally from the north and the royal capital.

But Jude was looking at the storyteller in curiosity aside from what she was talking about.

‘Isn’t that Shakespeare?’

To be exact, it was Romeo and Juliet.

It was a scene where a pilgrim encourages a saint to kiss him by saying that she should replace her hands with her lips.

‘Well, it’s just a coincidence.’

People lived in Pleaides and the world they lived in their past lives.

There could have been someone who had a similar idea to Shakespeare.

“Anyway, let’s hurry. Count Kagehama is this way.”

Kajsa spoke as she pulled down the hood that hid her face, and the group nodded as they moved forward.

Argon Port had a night market that was open regularly, so it became quite noisy when Marquis Ophand held a small festival celebration too for Kajsa’s return.

“Right there.”

Count Kagehama’s mansion.

Unlike the center of the port that had bright lights even in the middle of the night, the outskirts were quiet and even calm.

Having climbed on top of a low wooden building, Kajsa looked at a distance, and Jude and Cordelia also turned to the same place.

[I think… it’s similar to the houses that we robbed in the royal capital.]

[Because it’s a house of one of the 7 southern families. It’s a mansion where the family head lives.]

Although the 7 southern families had their own territories, most of them lived in Argon Port which was under the direct jurisdiction of the royal family.

“Scarlet, are you sure about this?”

That the token was in this place and not in their fief.

“I’m certain. Right now, it isn’t just Count Kagehama as most of the 7 southern families keep their tokens in Argon Port. That’s why they’ve been robbed in succession.”

Kajsa nodded at the explanation of Scarlet that she said in a low voice.

Given Kajsa’s facial expression, the token of Marquis Ophand seemed to be in Argon Port too.

“Rather than that, Black Cloak, are we really not going to send a notice card?”

Scarlet was highly dissatisfied about that more than the others.

I know it’s urgent, but I can’t believe we’re not sending a notice that the Rogue Master is going to appear. It’s hard to accept that.

“Sending a notice will provoke the that thief. So how about we send it now?”

“No, not this time. Isn’t it a bit offensive to send a notice just before you steal it in the first place? We can’t give them time to respond. If you care about the Rogue Master’s reputation, it’s better if we don’t send it.”

“That’s true, but…”

Can’t you just send a notice now and come tomorrow?

Jude shook his head again at Scarlet’s gaze.

“We’re in a situation where we don’t know how that thief will act. So let’s secure Count Kagehama’s token first and send a notice before we rob Count Luculia’s token. Then we can catch that thief.”

Jude and Cordelia’s goal was to collect the tokens.

It was not to stop that unidentified thief.

“Hmm…”

At this point, Scarlet had no choice but to back down.

After all, she was quite rational.

“Then, are we really going to wear this when we steal? Why are you wearing a rabbit headband in the first place? Though it’s cute, of course.”

Cordelia, who was wearing a rabbit ears headband and a butterfly-shaped mask out of habit, responded in a flustered manner at the words of Kajsa.

“Well, this is the tradition of the Rogue Master…”

“Hey, there’s no such tradition, okay? Stop making up stuff!”

As Scarlet growled, Cordelia made an ‘eueueu’ sound.

If I say that it’s Jude’s taste, they’ll think of him as a pervert.

‘He is a pervert, but I hate it if others call him a pervert.’

If Jude had read her thoughts, he would have strongly denied that he was a pervert, but the two had not made eye contact, so it was impossible for him to know that.

“Anyway, it’s fine because it’s cute. And Pink Bomb is known for her butterfly mask and rabbit ears headband, so it’s like my official uniform.”

“Wait, why are you wearing a rabbit ears headband in the first place?”

“How did the Rogue Master’s clothes end up like this…”

After listening to Kajsa’s question and Scarlet’s laments, Jude changed the subject like always.

“Anyway, let’s finish this chat and check our plans for the last time.”

The thorough Scarlet had conducted an investigation in advance.

Written meticulously on the map were the places where the tokens that Carlos handed to the 7 southern family were. It also included the hiding place of the token, which was a fist-sized emblem that had the family’s crest in it, as well as the structure of the mansion’s interior, and the movement and composition of the guards.

“As expected of the Rogue Master’s descendant. You’re amazing.”

“Wow, it’s indeed amazing to see this. Have you investigated my house like this too? Do you have one for my house?”

Cordelia and Kajsa’s admiration made Scarlet chuckle and raise her chin up, but Jude drew everyone’s attention again.

“Hey, we’re going to steal something from now on, right? We’re not going on a picnic, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ll follow you. But we just have to wear a mask, attack them, get rid of everything in our way, and come out with the token. Easy, right?”

Scarlet immediately frowned at Kajsa’s words, but Cordelia unconsciously nodded her head.

Come to think of it, most of our thefts in the royal capital was closer to an armed invasion rather than an elegant infiltration.

‘It’s been a long time since I used the detonating cord.’

Cordelia smiled again as she stroked the new detonating cord that Jude made.

Because she felt good from just touching it.

And when Cordelia entered her own world, Jude made a similar headache-stricken expression like Scarlet before he spoke.

“Let’s at least create a diversion. We’ll turn Count Kagehama’s attention while you get the token.”

“Are we going to lure his troops by pretending to steal something else?”

“Yes, that’s the plan.”

“That’s not stealing, that’s an armed intrusion.”

Scarlet let out a long sigh as Kajsa chuckled again.

“Anyway, I don’t like the plan, but I understand since we don’t have much time. Black Cloak, if you and that beast girl are going head-on, I’ll sneak in and take the Green God’s Tears that Count Kagehama treasured. Then they’ll think that you guys are a diversion and focus their attention on me afterwards.”

“Then we’ll leave after that, right? We’ll even say that the diversion is actually a trap! Is that right?”

“Yes, you’re right. You have the most important role, Pink Bomb.”

Cordelia giggled and looked proud at the words of Scarlet who frowned again before speaking.

“It’s because you have the Moon Crystal. It’s the best means of escape.”

The Moon Crystal was the Rogue Master’s treasure that enabled short-distance space leaps.

“Yes, it’s simple but effective. Anyway, let’s go and move now.”

Everyone nodded at Jude’s words, but suddenly…

Boooooom!

The sudden explosion sound turned everyone’s attention. It was from Count Kagehama’s mansion.

“No way…”

Did someone get ahead of them in stealing?

Boom! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Roars broke out in succession, and flames arose. A group of men dressed in black from head to toe were then seen crossing Count Kagehama’s walls. At first glance, they seemed to number twenty, and were crossing the wall opposite the place where Jude and his group were. That was why they didn’t notice it until the men attacked.

“Wait, wasn’t it only a thief?”

Isn’t that an army?

Scarlet could not answer Kajsa’s question right away. Because she was confused too.

“S-something changed.”

The thief didn’t act like that when they previously robbed the four families.

No, maybe they were planning to attack from the very start?

Or is it possible that other forces intervened in this ‘battle for the tokens’?

“Stop them!”

“Protect the count!”

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Loud bell sounds rang from inside the mansion alongside the shouts.

It was to call the royal knights who were in charge of the port’s security.

“What now? Are we just going to watch? I don’t think these people are normal.”

Even though they were hiding on the other side, Kajsa and Cordelia could tell that the intruders were not ordinary people.

Moreover, the movement of the people beyond the wall was unusual.

It was clear that they were a proper army and not a gathering of curious onlookers.

In response to Kajsa’s question, Jude made a quick decision.

‘We can’t retreat now.’

They just couldn’t ignore these intruders even if they were not ordinary people.

They needed Carlos’ tokens in order to effectively stop Malekith.

“We attack them.”

Their black-masked group would squeeze into the chaos in Count Kagehama’s mansion and take the token.

‘And subdue them.’

Their target was that person whom they had referred to until now as ‘that thief’.

An unidentified thief who robbed the 7 southern families.

Even if it wasn’t that thief, it would be fine.

They just had to subdue those attackers and gather more information.

“Scarlet, you move separately and secure the token.”

“What about you?”

At Scarlet’s question, Jude put on a black butterfly-shaped mask and took a deep breath. He looked back at Cordelia who blinked her eyes. But in Jude’s vision, her blue eyes were brightly sparkling.

As if answering Jude’s gaze, she grabbed the detonating cord on her waist while a dark smile spread across her face.

***

“F*ck bang!”