Chapter 51: A Mob! A Mob!

A Dire Warning

“Your task is to kill Rita, true, but I don’t expect a failure like you to succeed tomorrow. One thing you must do.”

Last night, after the succubus left, a grim-faced Lady Mel entered Kross’s real room at the brothel.

“No matter what happens, keep Rita at your place. Understood?”

Mel only shared what was necessary. Prying into what she shouldn’t know would do Kross no good.

Kross didn’t know what might happen tonight, but she was certain something would.

A City Under Siege

After dark, Solus City’s streets lay shrouded in blackness, lit only by the faint glow of patrolling soldiers’ lanterns.

One soldier, eyeing the empty streets, grumbled, “So quiet. No one’s around. What are we even guarding against?”

His partner, paired for the patrol, echoed the complaint. “Exactly. Even if a succubus attacked, we couldn’t stop it. Why deploy so many of us? Such a waste.”

“Sigh,” the first sighed. “Tomorrow’s the second exam round. We’ll be swamped. Hopefully, after this, the city lord gives us a break.”

“Dream on. We’ll just get comp time. Overtime doesn’t mean days off.” His partner chuckled, then froze, spotting a shadow dart by like a rat in the dark. “Who’s there!”

Patrol routes and times were fixed—two teams shouldn’t cross paths without reason.

The figure carried no lantern, looking suspicious.

“Could it be a succubus?”

“Let’s check.”

Emboldened, they chased the shadow into a dark alley where it waited.

Raising his lantern, the soldier revealed a ragged, filthy old beggar wrapped in a tattered blanket, ill-suited for autumn’s chill.

Pity stirred, but duty prevailed. The soldier’s tone hardened. “Solus is under curfew. Didn’t you know?”

“Huh?” The beggar gaped, his unclouded eyes prompting a frown.

“I said, curfew’s on,” the soldier repeated.

“Huh?” The beggar’s mouth opened wider.

“Forget it. A succubus wouldn’t target him, but it’s curfew. Take him in, find him a place to stay.”

Abandoning talk, the soldier spoke half to his partner, stepping closer to grab the beggar.

The beggar’s vacant gaze turned feral. From his blanket, he drew a grimy dagger, lunging at the soldier’s gut.

The soldier reacted fast, but the blade sank into his side, buckling his legs.

Grunting, he retreated, thrusting his spear. The beggar, as if possessed, didn’t dodge, letting the spear pierce him, clutching the shaft to trap it.

“Help—” The soldier’s plea cut off as dizziness hit, and he collapsed.

Before blacking out, he glimpsed a man with a club behind him, his fallen partner, and several armed civilians emerging from the corner.

Similar attacks erupted across the city. Crowds appeared from nowhere, striking patrolling soldiers indiscriminately.

Some fell before reacting; others fought but were overwhelmed. Blood flowed like sparks on paper, threatening to ignite the city.

Ignorant soldiers marched into the night’s unknown orders. Those informed raced to hunt rats in the gutters.

“Who are you? Why attack us?”

“Get back! Move!”

Peace had lasted too long. Many soldiers hadn’t seen blood and steel clash. Only when familiar streets ran red did they wake.

“Kill on sight! The guard commander’s orders—attack anyone armed approaching you!”

“Strike! Strike! Brothers have fallen! We can’t let them run rampant!”

The mob lacked organization or discipline, crumbling when soldiers retaliated.

But their numbers, cloaked in darkness, waged guerrilla warfare. Rooting them out was no easy task.

Left unchecked, the city faced untold harm.

The battle grew tense.

A Strained Defense

At the city lord’s mansion, Angus, still in his day clothes, strode down the corridor, issuing orders to a messenger soldier.

“Send reinforcements. Pull a third of the manpower from each checkpoint into the fight. Request aid from the barracks. And—never move the guards from the mansion or city gates! Absolutely!”

A third sounded substantial, but Solus’s inner city was small compared to the outer city, where the barracks lay. Mobilizing took time.

If enemies struck from outside, the barracks would respond first. But the threat was internal, and the city’s security forces were stretched thin. A third wasn’t enough.

“Lord Angus, a third’s too little! Ignoring them will only worsen things!” the soldier pleaded, voice breaking.

Angus didn’t know what he’d lost, but the situation before his arrival must’ve been grim.

His earlier unease felt prophetic, but now wasn’t the time for explanations.

“Do it! That’s an order!” Angus roared.

“Yes, sir!” The soldier ran off.

“Lord Angus.”

Another voice came from behind.

“Speak fast!” Angus snapped, then realized who it was.

At the corridor’s end, Cecilia approached, flanked by four or five soldiers.

The night’s commotion was loud enough to rouse her, unsurprisingly.

Angus held no bias against Cecilia, but with danger looming, formalities could wait.

Not slowing, he said, “Your Highness, forgive my rudeness, but the situation’s urgent. I must go.”

“Your guards briefed me,” Cecilia said, matching his pace. “If you’re heading to the front lines, reconsider.”

“Why?” Angus slowed slightly but kept moving.

“The mansion is your most fortified point. With Rita gone, if something happens to you, not only will I be unprotected, but Solus will descend into chaos.”

“Rita’s gone?” Angus’s foreboding deepened. “Has she betrayed you?”

“Loyalty aside, with the city in this state and her unmoved, betrayal would be the best outcome.”