Chapter 23: TBSL

Chapter 23

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The sound of flesh striking flesh echoed sharply. It was so harsh that even the servants waiting outside unconsciously touched their own cheeks.

“You useless woman. A woman who brings no benefit to the family!”

Clap! Smack!

There was no mercy in the man’s hand.

The woman’s cheek had already turned bright red, then dark purple from the swelling. Blood pooled at her lips, which were already split and bleeding heavily.

And yet the man did not stop.

“You filthy woman! Why did you come back instead of dying! And what? You brought back soldiers too?”

Smack!

The woman’s head snapped to the side.

The man’s hand had become so swollen from repeated slapping that he could no longer even feel it properly.

“Deploy immediately.”

“……”

“Reinforcements from the capital have already arrived! Go and redeem this defeat! And then die there. Just die! Don’t bring that filthy body in front of me ever again!”

Crash!

Decorations, vases, and ornaments shattered violently.

Even after all that, his rage had not subsided. The man glared at Rishikida while breathing heavily.

“I should never have taken in trash like you.”

“……”

“I fed you, clothed you, gave you a place to sleep—and you repaid me by wagging your tail and stabbing me in the back. If I had known you’d block my path like this, I would’ve let you die in the slums, you worm.”

Her mind went blank.

She wanted to cry, wanted to collapse from the pain in her chest—but Rishikida could not.

She had forgotten how to cry.

She had killed everything within herself and moved forward, fighting only for that man.

She had even forgotten how tears worked.

“Get lost. Don’t ever come back. Die. Just die.”

“…Yes, my lord.”

Her master had finally told her to die.

She wanted to say something—anything—but she could not find the courage.

Rishikida lowered her head and left the count’s office.

As soon as she left, servants entered, and immediately more things were smashed and destroyed behind the door. The man’s screams continued.

“……”

Rishikida closed her eyes and walked on.

She wiped the blood from her split lip with her sleeve and left the castle, her body still heated from the battlefield.

There, reinforcements from the Nuadia capital were waiting.

“Sir Rishikida.”

She recognized the man. A commander she had seen a few times in the royal capital.

He was a fairly average tactician, but he cared for his soldiers—so that was fortunate.

At least he would take care of the troops she was about to leave behind.

“…Let’s go. If we waste time, the enemy will regroup.”

“Will you not rest?”

“I’m fine. I still have an unfinished duel to settle.”

The commander, having seen her face, seemed to want to say something—but stopped.

Rumors about her were already circulating in Nuadia. He could not speak carelessly.

Rishikida moved to the front and led the troops quickly.

The enemy scouts, caught off guard by how quickly Nuadia had resumed the offensive, hurriedly ran toward the Clausen Margrave’s castle.

…That man… will he appear again?

I should have died by his sword instead.

She regretted dodging that strike—cursing her foolishness.

Why had she imagined something so absurd?

Wanting to fight beside a nobleman of an enemy nation—of all people, the heir of the Clausen family, eternally hostile to Nuadia.

“Contact will be soon. Sir Rishikida, what is your judgment? Will Hispania fight a pitched battle, or force a siege?”

“They may try a field battle due to their recent victory. But if they realize our troops are fresh reinforcements, they may switch to defense.”

“The situation swings both ways… troublesome.”

Their advance slowed.

They were now at the enemy border, directly in front of the Clausen Margrave’s fortress.

This was the same stronghold that had repelled Nuadia countless times—and had even launched a counterattack just hours ago.

“……”

“……”

But something felt wrong.

There should have been movement—drawbridges lowering, soldiers preparing for battle—but there was nothing.

What is this?

Rishikida knew war. She had seen countless changes in momentum.

But this silence was strange.

Clunk…

“Look!”

A soldier pointed at the drawbridge.

It began to lower slowly. The gates opened.

The commander raised his hand.

“Form ranks!”

It looked like the enemy was preparing a field battle.

But what emerged was not armored soldiers.

“…Huh?”

Ordinary men and women walked out.

They crossed the drawbridge and began cleaning the road in front of the gate.

They sprinkled water, swept the ground, chatted casually—completely ignoring the army standing right in front of them.

“W-what is this?”

“Commander… they look like civilians.”

“Are you insane? They opened the gate with an army right there?”

Suspicion spread immediately.

Is this a trap?

When reality becomes too favorable, doubt comes first.

This scene was like an enemy suddenly lying down mid-battle and saying, “Welcome!”

“What is… going on…”

“Are they surrendering?”

“Surrender? Clausen?”

Even the commander hesitated.

The soldiers murmured.

Then—

Ring—

A lute string echoed.

All eyes turned upward.

On the castle wall, someone was sitting casually, plucking a lute.

Ting, ting—

A melody began.

“…What is that…?”

Over three thousand soldiers stood ready with weapons.

Yet civilians cleaned the road, and a man on the wall played music under the afternoon sun.

If someone had said, “Just attack,” the commander would have killed them for stupidity.

This was the Clausen Margraviate.

A fortress that had defended the border for over a hundred years, crushing Nuadia’s ambitions again and again.

And now it was… welcoming them?

Tintintin—!

The lute grew more lively, almost urging them forward.

The man—Sion Clausen—was playing a song that, in his previous world, would be recognizable as “Open the Door” by a certain famous singer.

‘Come in, come in~’

“Excuse me? Sir, what did you just say?”

“Lower all soldiers from the walls, open the gate, lower the drawbridge, and clean up a bit.”

At Sion’s confident words, Lion was speechless.

An enemy army was approaching.

This was the time to reinforce defenses, not open the gates and start cleaning.

“Didn’t we just finish a battle?! We should be resting!”

“I’m serious.”

His smile looked friendly—but it was clearly not sincere.

Lion turned to the Margrave, hoping for sanity.

“Your Grace…!”

“Open the gate.”

“…Pardon?”

“Do as Sion says.”

“W-What?!”

Lion raised his voice despite himself.

But the Margrave remained firm.

“Prepare it immediately.”

“Th-this is madness!”

“Execute it.”

The cold command silenced him.

Thus, the gate opened.

Sion chuckled as he prepared his “trap.”

“So we’re really doing this. Wow… is this how Zhuge Liang felt?”

Well—Zhuge Liang was probably more stressed than excited.

Still…

“We’re not completely unprepared.”

Behind the gate, Kim Yoo-hyun and knights were already waiting.

If the enemy didn’t take the bait, they would switch to defense.

But Sion believed they would.

The more people there are, the more fear multiplies.

War was not about who fought better.

It was about who panicked less.

“……!”

Suddenly—

Hoofbeats thundered.

“A cavalry charge!”

Sion turned toward the sound—and his face twisted like he had just bitten into a half-rotten fruit.

“What the hell…!”