‘Poison?’
I tilted my head in confusion while leaning my tea cup.
Did they put poison in here?
“In just one day, you’ll be groaning in agony, waiting for death, Crab. If that happens, your promise with the Crown Prince will also go up in smoke, right, Crab?”
“Hmmm… poison, huh.”
[?]
[Poison?]
[Whoa, is there poison in the tea?]
[Lily’s so unaffected; it must not be a big deal.]
[Seriously, lol.]
[Is Crab going insane? Ah, lol.]
[He looks like he could be cooked up right in front of us.]
[Crossing the line a bit.]
[Amid all this, look at Lily being loyal.]
[When it comes to loyalty, it’s always Lily.]
Everything perfect about the Celestial Race always maintains the best condition and state.
Temperature regulation and immunity to all diseases.
A seriously fast recovery rate.
Transcendent sensory enhancements and a robust body.
Perfect, but oddly enough, there’s one drawback: resistance to poison.
‘Demon Race.’
Some among the Demons, called the gods of magic, often use extreme poison.
So when the Demon Race and Celestial Race wage war, the Lower Celestial Races can get swept away by waves of poison.
“It’s dangerous.”
“Now that I know, our side… Crab?”
But since the opponent was a Demon, they could do nothing but submit.
Even Celestials who reach adulthood can swallow the Hydra’s poison like medicine.
The hammer was in front of Crab.
I didn’t know when it appeared, but there it was.
“Wha—”
Kwahhh!
Crab got hit by the hammer and flew through the door.
He didn’t stop there, breaking through two more walls before crashing down with a loud bang!
Debris from the building fell on top.
“…Is he dead?”
I tried to hit gently, though.
[?]
[?]
[What even is this, lololololol.]
[What a destructive power.]
[Isn’t it likely he’d be dead after that?]
[Hoping to survive that hit is kinda weird, right?]
[He must’ve been turned to mush.]
[What kind of Spearman swings a hammer like this? ;;]
[What a joke.]
Whew~ The hammer naturally returned to my hand.
The feel was just right.
Using a spear feels the same, like I’ve gone back to the past.
When I used to swing the hammer, smashing the heads of Demon Beasts.
Crack. I stepped on the fragments and slowly walked towards the aftermath.
“Grrr… Crab…”
“He’s not dead.”
His left leg and claw, along with part of his body, were crushed but still alive.
To be exact, something was keeping him ‘alive.’
“…Poison. There’s poison! Crab!”
“What is that?”
“……”
“If you’re not going to speak, I’ll remove the orb stuck around your neck.”
“Wait a second! Crab!”
The one who was just screaming suddenly sits up and steps back.
“Wh-what’s going on, Crab? Get out of the way…”
“A filthy guy has crawled in, Crab.”
“C-Crown Prince?! Crab!”
Most of the Claw Knights, including the Crown Prince, were standing behind Crab.
They must have rushed over after hearing the commotion.
“I thought my little bro finally made a move… But more importantly, haven’t you grabbed the Second Prince, Crab?”
You could have done it if it was you.
As Crabnius asked that, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I’m not the type to betray.”
[Rilly is loyal, haha.]
[Rilly chose Yena over a 10 million won donation, you know.]
[Rejection!]
[Rejection (but still takes the money, lol).]
[Ah, lol, how could you not accept it when she just wants to give it?]
At my words, Crabnius wags his claw as if he expected it.
“That’s a relief, Crab. Deputy Captain Crab!”
“Yes! Your Highness, Crab!”
“I think it’s time, Crab!”
Ooooh! Crab!
The claws of the Claw Knights clash against each other.
The roars of Crabs echo through the castle.
The atmosphere is heating up, aimed at the cocky Crab who intruded into the castle.
“Wait a second! Crab! You can’t kill me, Crab!”
“You won’t die even if you want to, Crab. Don’t you have the ‘Pearl that Revives Twice’?”
“H-how do you… Crab?”
Crunch! Just then, something small located on Crab’s neck shatters.
Now only one pearl remains.
Crabnius’s claw grabs Crab’s neck.
Having already lost half his body, Crab struggles to resist with his remaining claw, but it’s futile.
Creak!
Crabnius, who carries the blood of the Emperor, is stronger than the Commander of Knights.
“Who do you think I am, Crab?”
“C-cough… If you kill me, that person won’t let you go. Craaaab!!!”
“That’s good, Crab.”
Snap!
“Because I was thinking the same, Crab.”
[Oh.]
[That’s kinda cool for a Crab, isn’t it?]
[Crab swag ;;]
[Crab, lol.]
[Rilly looking dumbfounded is cute.]
[Hahahahahaha.]
[Ah, it’s popcorn time, Crab.]
[Crab Crab.]
Crabnius looks back at me.
Even though it’s just a crab’s eye, it has a determined gaze.
“Is it time now?”
“By now, that guy should have realized the situation, Crab. We’ll quickly subdue the Second Prince and head to the royal palace, Crab.”
“Do we have any evidence secured?”
If we were going to start this succession war recklessly, we should have launched it much earlier.
Even the powerful Crabcrows couldn’t start a succession war without justification.
Crabcrows couldn’t even start a succession war without a justification.
Crabnius laughs.
“Since that day I went to confront my younger brother, I was already prepared, Crab.”
I just needed a spark to ignite this explosive.
■
“Crabdon has been hit, Crab.”
Crabcrows nodded with a sulky mood after hearing the news through the ‘messenger conch.’
Crabdon isn’t a knight, but he had been an outstanding subordinate for a long time, showing remarkable results in various missions.
He had even handed over artifacts that lay dormant in the imperial secret place for smoother operations…
“By now, he’s probably dead once… and since he was caught by Crabnius, he likely lost the artifact too, Crab.”
The ‘pearl that resurrects twice’ is one of the most valuable artifacts among the imperial secrets.
Losing it is a significant loss, but for now, it’s still manageable.
There are plenty of artifacts, and capable soldiers abound.
“My brother is coming… Crab.”
Crabnius and the Claw Knight Order can win easily.
Even though the Claw Knight Order is composed of strong individuals, my knights boast strength and numbers that can rival them.
However, that guy—whether he’s a mermaid or an outsider—is the problem.
Based on all the information heard so far, that guy is comparable to a secret weapon or even beyond.
“…Crabness Crab.”
Behind Crabcrows, red eyes quietly emerge from the black space.
Something possessing a terrifying power just by looking at it.
The sharpest blade of the Second Prince, who has eliminated numerous foes, and the Empire’s long-standing secret weapon.
“Yes, Your Highness Crab.”
“Can you capture him, Crab?”
“Of course, Crab. I will tear off that guy’s head and present it to Your Highness, Crab.”
Speaking with confident words.
In reality, Crabcrows shares the sentiment, but given the current situation, the odds of victory are 50%… no, even 20% would be a stretch.
“Such words won’t suffice, Crab.”
Ting~
“I need to open the secret place, Crab.”
Today, the strongest being in the empire will be born.
■
We quickly arrived at the Second Prince’s palace and organized the operation for the last time before parting ways.
The Crown Prince and the Claw Knight Order split into two, approaching the front and back of the palace.
I will secretly infiltrate and head towards the Second Prince’s imperial secret place.
“This is the way, right?”
“Yes, Crab. Since he should be aware of your presence, he will likely be in the safest spot, Crab.”
That guy is a coward who can’t fight.
[Is it war?]
[OMG]
[This will be fun]
[A preview of a mock siege]
[I’m feeling a betrayal coming on]
I nodded and readied myself to move immediately.
Ting~ I reflexively caught the key flying over my head.
“That doesn’t seem right, but take it for now, Crab. If it doesn’t open, feel free to smash the door down.”
“Is it an easily breakable door?”
“Not really… But with the strength you showed, Crab, it should definitely be possible.”
Alright! Let’s go!
The Crown Prince and the Claw Knight Order are off.
Waaah! It seems like chaos is already unfolding in the Second Prince’s palace.
“We should head out too.”
[ betrayal incoming? ]
[If you betray here, it will be super fun!]
[Hahahahahahaha]
[Crown Prince crying]
[LOL for real]
[Crab LOL]
■
While the front and back were in chaos, I sneaked into the castle.
It was so hectic that I managed to hide my presence, and no one noticed as they dashed to their positions.
Before I knew it, we arrived at the secret place, where guard soldiers appeared.
‘Eight at the entrance.’
Compared to the battle outside, there were quite a few soldiers guarding the door.
It seems the Second Prince is indeed inside.
“Who─”
“How dare you Crrrraaack!”
“Kiii! Crab!”
“Yap.”
I flattened them all like catching moles.
I felt kind of bad for the Crabs, getting squished in an instant.
I tried the key I brought to open the door.
“It won’t open.”
The door looked sturdy right off the bat.
Compared to Crabnius’s secret place, this one seems reinforced a lot more, with a similar shape but much sturdier feel.
It’s impossible to simply knock on it.
“I’m gonna have to use some strength.”
[?]
[What?]
[If you use more there…]
Vwooom~
The air in the basement swirls into one spot.
A hammer spinning purely from body strength, not a spirit’s wind.
The form of the hammer blurs, revealing a rough, red something that spins around wildly in the air.
[Wait a sec]
“Bang.”
Thud…
Kwaaaang─!!!
“It opened.”
The door opened.
[Isn’t that normally called smashing it?]
[Isn’t it all wrecked inside?]
[This is lil’ Lily LOL]
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