The secret passage leading to Black Rose Castle was completely made up of tree roots.
The roots were so massive that a person could walk in line through them, and they formed a cavity that was neatly hollowed out inside.
The castle boasted a vast garden, where several giant trees stood tall. The roots of these giants connected underground, creating an escape route that extended far into the outskirts.
It was a setup very characteristic of the Dark Elves, living in harmony with the deep forest. Since it wasn’t integrated into the castle’s architecture to begin with, no secret passages could be found no matter how much one searched within the castle. The Crusaders, composed solely of humans, would probably never be able to discover it.
“This way.”
Brigit confidently stopped at a fork in the path.
One route appeared to lead deeper into the passage, while the other seemed to connect to the surface.
Indeed, the escape route through the tree roots remained undiscovered, and they successfully arrived at their destination. They were already at a corner of the garden of Black Rose Castle.
With a word from Brigit, a spell was cast, and the entrance to the surface opened up.
The opening in the giant tree’s hollow made a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through silently.
In the garden, a few sentries were meandering about. They were likely more concerned about the fierce fighting occurring near the main gate than securing the garden, so their attention didn’t reach every corner.
“From here, we’ll rush straight to our objective. Are you ready?”
“Any time is fine.”
After my reply, Brigit smiled and counted down, then sprang out of the hollow.
“Hmm, what was that… I heard a noise――――”
“Hey, what the――――”
We had a small squad’s worth of people here. If we all burst out at once, even if we tried to suppress our footsteps, the nearby sentries would surely notice.
However, it was Sariel and the others who would quietly take them down.
Blending in with the garden foliage and the shadows of the night, Sariel, Celis, and Falkius quickly fanned out, hunting down the nearest sentries.
As they advanced, the range of caution widened, and chosen Dark Elf assassins from the Fahren Army similarly ambushed sentries and guards.
Thus, they had progressed smoothly to the location indicated by Brigit, but their limits soon caught up with them.
“Intruders!”
“There are intruders! Stay alert!”
The discovery of the first corpse in the garden caused an uproar within the castle.
Once they entered a state of high alert, our location would quickly become clear. There was no helping that with this many of us.
“This tower is not connected to any other place. Please hold the entrance until we finish.”
Just as the enemies were about to pour in, we reached the facility we were after.
The tower built at the corner of the castle grounds was unremarkable. It appeared to be just another watchtower, but its location, which didn’t seem to protect the castle from outside threats, felt strange. This tower… something was off…?
“Sariel.”
“We will establish a defense line here.”
As if already aware, Sariel immediately gave orders.
It was a seemingly sturdy tower. Positioning the cannon-wielding units at the top, we should be able to buy enough time just by barricading ourselves here.
The “Dark Knight Corps” we brought along were all in ancient armor, and there was also a barrier defense from the Fahren Army’s druids. Although it was an impromptu setup with elite soldiers assembled, it would surely serve as a robust stronghold.
If I joined in too…
“Lord Chrono, please come with me.”
“Understood.”
Just when I was eager to pull out “The Greed,” Brigit took my hand and led me further into the tower.
Brigit exchanged a few words with her priest subordinates and then opened a door.
Inside, at first glance, it looked like just a storage room, but…
“Lord Chrono, this way.”
“I see, it connects further underground from here.”
This time, instead of tree roots, the stone floor was cracked, revealing stairs leading down.
Brigit and I descended together.
What awaited us underground was…
“As expected, an altar.”
A stark stone ritual altar stood there, plain and unadorned.
The circular space, which seemed to be about the size of an eight-mat room, had just a gray pedestal in the center.
There were no engravings or patterns on the walls, pillars, or pedestal, giving the impression of being abandoned mid-construction. It merely looked like an altar for some kind of ritual.
Aside from this altar, there was nothing else. There were no attention-grabbing treasures, nor any hazardous materials that would make one question their eyes.
If the Crusaders were to discover this place, they would likely conclude that some secret altar was still being crafted. In fact, I was beginning to harbor that very doubt myself.
“Hey, Brigit, are you really going to———”
As I turned back to ask, my words halted in that moment.
“Now, Lord Chrono. To the pedestal.”
“Why are you taking your clothes off…?”
A dazzlingly brown nude figure was boldly displayed before me.
Sure, it wasn’t my first time. But still, there are times and places for things. If someone suddenly undresses before you, it’s startling.
“I will be joining with you right here, right now.”
She gave a sultry smile, as if inviting me to a bed normally. While her words were consistent with her behavior, again, times and places…
“I’d heard that my magical power was needed for some kind of secret rite.”
“Just pouring in magical power won’t make the cursed black rose bloom.”
She wasn’t lying.
It was a large-scale ritual that could allow us to reclaim the Royal Castle all at once. They said my power, which harbored immense black magic, was required to activate it. That was the reason I was engaged in this dangerous infiltration mission.
Indeed, my magical power was necessary. The problem was simply that the method of supplying it had not been explained.
“So that’s why Lily and Fiona were being flirty, huh?”
“Yes, to be honest, I thought they would do everything possible to prevent this. Of course, those two could have arranged substitutes as well, but wouldn’t that be too much of a buzzkill?”
As she spoke, Brigit edged closer.
She caressed the “Tyrant’s Armor” I wore with a finesse that was reminiscent of a lover. Having spent many nights together with her already, I naturally sensed her rising heat.
However, considering the situation, telling me to get excited right away was…
“Emergency withdrawal!”
“Hey, Miria, don’t undress me without permission!?”
As if having read the atmosphere perfectly, my armor was released and sank into the shadows. I heard Miria’s voice in my head, stating that my role in this battlefield was now finished, and I was completely stored away.
Even if I called out now, there would be no response…
“Lord Chrono.”
“Uh, yeah, I get it… I was just a bit thrown off by the suddenness of it all.”
Pushed by Brigit’s heated gaze, I approached the pedestal.
However, even in that state where I was completely swayed by the situation, I quickly noticed the change.
“Is something green starting to grow on the pedestal?”
“The lack of any magical engravings on this altar is because these vines are acting as substitutes.”
I see, so it’s the Last Rose style.
To utilize the altar, a practitioner capable of directing the wild green vines sprouting from all over the room was needed to activate it. Truly, this place was designed to be manageable only by a limited number of practitioners, even if it were found.
As the green vines intertwined complicatedly, the inorganic gray stone chamber transformed into a setting reminiscent of unexplored dungeon ruins. A somewhat eerie magical power began to fill the room, transforming it into an altar fitting for launching a large-scale ritual.
“This altar was created by the king who built Nevan. The king at the time was reputed to be an exceptionally powerful ‘sorcerer.’”
“Such intricate mechanisms, what great taste that king had.”
“Even that strong sorcerer couldn’t activate such great magic alone. To make this black rose bloom, the king had to summon the best shrine maiden from the Morrigan Temple, separate from his queen.”
I feel like a cheating man too.
There are my subordinates fighting for their lives on the surface. Moreover, among them is my real fiancé.
I certainly don’t possess the kind of perverse interests that would allow me to be straightforwardly excited in this situation… but now that I think about it, I have experienced something similar before.
I pushed Brigit this far. I must brace myself.
“When I first heard that a single spell’s activation required such harsh conditions, I thought it was outrageous―――― but, heh, I’m currently feeling rather roused indecently.”
With a flushed face and a sultry sigh, Brigit sat down on the pedestal, which was now fully covered in greenery.
Having sprawled across what resembled a gravestone was a bit much, and despite those thoughts, the pedestal had become cushioned with layers of soft, grass-like tendrils that formed a splendid mattress. It seemed the sorcerer king had also provided for proper bed-making.
“Do you despise me as a filthy woman?”
“No, you’re beautiful, Brigit.”
I ran my fingers through her cascading golden hair and sat down beside her.
Wow, it really is fluffy and feels great to sit on.
“Come to think of it, isn’t this quite an exhilarating story? Just by making love to you here, I can send those up there into a bloodbath.”
“Ah…”
Her expression seemed stunned, as if I hit the nail on the head.
“I love you, along with that dark and stagnant hatred.”
“Oh, Lord Chrono――――”
From there onward, words were unnecessary.
I simply intertwined with her as she desired, on the altar crafted by the sorcerer king.
—
The first to sense the abnormality were the soldiers deployed with a high alert in the garden.
“Hey, what is this…?”
“Ugh, could it be pollen?”
“Come on, I can’t stand this stuff!”
“Fool, there’s no way mere pollen glows like this. Can’t you sense this strange magical energy?”
In the garden, something resembling pale golden pollen began to waft about.
It truly wasn’t mere pollen; among the many soldiers, no one sneezed… but the magicians were the first to detect the strange disturbance in magical energy.
“Be alert! The invading Dark Elves might have set something up!”
“Tch, I didn’t want to be stationed in such a creepy castle.”
“Hurry, let’s find if there are any traps!”
As the unmistakable abnormality became apparent, the area grew even more chaotic, culminating in a scream the next moment.
“Ahhh, it hurts so much!”
“Hey, something’s in the bushes!?”
“It’s a snake! I got bitten by a snake!”
“Watch your feet! They’re everywhere!!”
With night having fallen completely and the garden poorly lit, it would have been impossible to notice creatures crawling at one’s feet, illuminated only by the light of their lanterns.
Thus, the attacks began at their feet.
“Gahhh!?”
“Damn it, what is this thing!?”
“It’s not a snake… the vines are moving!?”
Amid a sudden confusion, the writhing sounds became apparent, and at last, the true nature of the abnormality was revealed beneath the light.
It was green vines. The mistake of assuming them to be snakes was due to their serpentine movement and the thorns that had formed in place of fangs. They resembled beautiful roses, armed with sharp thorns to protect themselves.
“Plant manipulation magic… it really is the work of those Dark Elves!”
“Damn it, swords won’t get us anywhere!”
“Magician Squad, burn them to ashes now!”
“Uh, hey… something’s moving in the castle too…”
As the squirming thorny vines began to coalesce into massive bundles like a giant snake in the garden, order was quickly slipping away. The number of vines crawling along the ground increased at an accelerating rate, and merely slashing at them with swords wouldn’t keep pace with their proliferating speed.
When it became clear that there was no choice but to burn them away, calls for support to the magician squad were heard, only to find that changes were occurring within the castle itself.
Along the walls of Black Rose Castle, vines and leaves began sprawling like a forest manor. Before anyone realized, they too began to wriggle in unison as if they had a will of their own.
Moreover, from the cracks in the walls and gaps in the stone pavement, vines equipped with deadly thorns began to crawl out, mimicking the behavior of desert worms.
Seeing this, the soldiers recognized that safety had vanished from within the castle as well.
“Captain, we can’t control this anymore! We must retreat!”
“R-retreat! Retreat!!!”
“Wait, don’t leave me behind?!”
“It’s the vine monsters…”
The blooming vines formed bundles, and those bundles congregated like ropes, becoming even larger in size… and finally began to blossom.
Those were roses with black petals. Under the dark night, the black flowers illuminated by faint lights were nothing short of ominous.
But what was truly terrifying was the fierce mouth filled with carnivorous fangs that lay hidden within the blooming petals.
“Gahhhhhhhhhh!!”
“Ah, ahhh… I’m being eaten… by the flower…”
“Whoa?! Don’t come near, don’t come near!!!”
Thus began the true feeding frenzy. The black roses, equipped with mouths to devour their prey, charged at the soldiers like giant serpents of vines.
Some stood frozen in fear, unable to move, only to be quickly bitten from the head. Others desperately swung their swords, but were entangled by the vines that sprung from all directions, rendering them immobile, and they met their end.
A soldier gripping a blaster fired wildly at the approaching rose monster, only to scorch its vine flesh slightly without halting its advance, falling victim to its assault.
The once chaotic garden now turned into a hellish tableau of screams, as soldiers hurriedly retreated into the castle.
Vines were already emerging one after another along the castle’s walls, but even so, it seemed far better than the garden.
When a soldier looked back at the garden, he could see that there were far more writhing heads of roses than human forms.
Eventually, when no living humans were left in the garden, the vine serpents clustered together and underwent further transformation.
The soldiers who had rushed into the castle watched in despair as they looked up.
“It’s a dragon… the black rose dragon…”
Transformed into a towering figure like a spire reaching to the sky, the tip of the giant tree that bloomed the black rose took on the form of a dragon’s claw, letting out a roar that echoed throughout Nevan.