Chapter 54

I didn’t expect to train in the Royal Castle.

“As you know, I run a flower shop.”

I nodded.

“My family’s work involves planting trees. My grandfather is even a royal gardener… Oh, there he is over there.”

She pointed at an older-looking man who seemed especially murderous.

So, he was the gardener.

“Uh, they seem to be glaring at me a lot?”

“The people that are gathered here tonight are the Left Hands who protect the outer compound of the castle. But you wouldn’t know that, because you always pass right through.”

Yes, I hadn’t met any of them.

Uh, how was I supposed to greet them?

Nice garden…? No, that wasn’t right.

I’m sure they were all working hard and tightening security, but it was too much trouble for me to say hello every time I was passing through.

Regardless, this was one time where I thought I should be friendly so I wouldn’t hit any more nerves.

Well, that might not be enough.

Maybe I could add something about trying my best to not be a burden for them.

Something like that should be good.

“Uh, sorry that I never noticed you guys before. Please don’t mind me when I’m passing through. Thanks.”

For some reason, their anger seemed to increase.

“…I’m impressed that you would say that here.”

Did she mean I was being considerate?

“No, I just said what anyone would.”

Wait, why were they getting even angrier?

As for the lady, she seemed exasperated.

She held her head as if it hurt.

“Well, perhaps we should start your training before everyone just kills each other.”

“What are we going to do?”

“The Left Hands are going to invade the castle from the outside. The training will involve you detecting them and either capturing or disarming them. The area will be this entire garden. Are you alright with that?”

“Fine. But how long is this going to go on?”

“Until you catch everyone or someone enters the inner compound.”

Well, the requirement for victory was clear.

All of them…well, there were only five of them here.

So I just needed to capture them.

“These five. That shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I see. You are confident then. Alright, the Left Hands will leave the castle for now. And we will start on my signal.”

The five Shadows moved on light feet and disappeared from the scene.

They were Left Hands who guarded the Royal Castle, after all. There was precision in the way they moved.

“Now, begin!”

The lady had climbed up onto a watchtower. She looked down as she shouted.

So, five against one. They also had an advantage in terms of terrain.

How would they come?

If they all came at once, it was possible that one of them might slip through.

However, they were proud and would likely hate to win with such a strategy.

I was sure that they would send one person to scout first…ah, there you go.

They knew where every tree, rock, and statue was located and where they could hide. I could sense a presence approaching, but it moved in a way that I could not actually see it.

But when you moved in shadows, the shadows moved too.

I only needed to detect the shadows then. That was easy.

“One down.”

I appeared behind the person who was hiding in the shadow of a tree. I pointed my sword at them and then bound their limbs.

Once they were unable to move, I sunk them into the shadows and threw them into the tower where Siluru was watching.

“Four to go.”

The first one was easy to capture, but how about the others?

As I waited, I sensed that something was moving doggedly in the shadows.

It was moving just like the last one. I mused and was about to head towards it, but then I noticed a strange presence from a little far off.

“A feint?”

They pretended to send someone out using the same method but had the real person come from a different direction by the quickest route.

Speed was clearly prioritized. They must not care if they were detected.

I wouldn’t make it in time if I ran now.

However, I was able to melt into the shadows.

“…Yes. Got you.”

I didn’t know why, but I was much faster when shadow crossing.

I grabbed their ankle from the shadows. A horrified face turned to look at me.

And just like that, I pulled their struggling body into the shadows.

They stopped moving when I put a blade to their neck. When they went limp, I threw them down next to the others.

“Hmm. There was another one.”

They must have seen me disarm the second one.

I could see them as they ran frantically towards the inner compound at full speed.

Did the castle Left Hands lack experience?

I found it hard to believe that they wouldn’t pull out after being caught.

I would have left once and started over.

And so I sunk into the shadows again and caught up easily.

Ultimately, I captured the third one just as easily as the others.

“Two more.”

Things were going well.

Perhaps they were going too well.

I was able to capture three of them without much effort.

“…Hmm.”

I waited for some time, but couldn’t detect any presence coming closer.

I considered going out to search for them, but that wasn’t the point of this training.

Tonight, I was supposed to wait until the people who were trying to ambush me arrived. And then disarm them.

“What’s going on?”

This was boring.

As I thought this, I noticed that something was strange again.

A shadow had moved somewhere.

But where?

I scanned the area but couldn’t find it.

Were they too well hidden this time?

“No…it’s from above.”

When had they prepared it? There was a shadow gliding through the air with the help of some cloth and wood.

“Well, that’s interesting… But I can’t reach them.”

If I didn’t do something, they would reach the top of the castle.

And I would lose if they entered the inner compound. That was bad.

“Damn it. …I have to use it then.”

One of my magic spells.

And so I unleashed ‘Shadow Blade,’ which sent a blade soaring out from the shadows.

Thankfully, the area was incredibly dark, and no one would see me.

The blade tore up the black cloth and the Shadow spun wildly as it fell.

“I won’t need to tie that one up.”

The Shadow fell hard and would likely be unable to move for a while.

As for the last one. I was able to capture it just as it went over the wall.

They were out of ideas, it seemed.

In the end, the whole invasion attempt was a joke.