Ever since the assassination attempt a year ago, the Emperor had wised up. Wherever he went, an entourage from the Imperial Guard shadowed him closely, and within the palace, his personal bodyguards never left his side. Excursions outside had become exceedingly rare, each meticulously overseen by General Budo himself.
This time was no exception…
"Lancer!" Budo's voice boomed authoritatively. "I'll be personally guarding His Majesty today. If any miscreants dare to target the Emperor's procession, eliminate every last one of them!"
"Yes, sir!"
Lancer had wanted to caution him—"Honest could strike at any moment, it's better to stay vigilant"—but without solid evidence, his warnings would fall flat. Besides, this wasn't some casual outing. The Emperor was conducting an official tour to assert his dominion throughout the Empire.
Such inspections, aside from the inauguration tour, occurred only once every five years. They wouldn't postpone, let alone cancel, something of this magnitude over Lancer's ungrounded suspicion. This was also the Imperial Guard's largest mobilization.
As the elite force protecting the Capital, the Imperial Guard's strength was unquestionably the Empire's finest. Though the Capital had remained peaceful for centuries, it was only thanks to generations of strict discipline maintained by Budo's family that the Guard hadn't devolved into corruption.
At the moment, Lancer was spearheading an advance party, tasked with clearing the path ahead with roughly one-tenth of the Guard's soldiers.
In truth, this was usually a routine assignment. The provincial governors, irrespective of their usual laxity, always tightened security during these visits, and even organized bandits wisely chose to lie low. No matter their disdain for imperial authority, none wished to provoke the wrath of the Empire's strongest warrior.
Typically, Lancer's squad encountered only petty brigands, and the fate awaiting such vermin was obvious:
Utter annihilation.
"Clean up this mess quickly!" Lancer barked orders decisively. "His Majesty's carriage will arrive shortly—I don't want him laying eyes on this filth!"
"Yes, sir!"
Initially, many within the Guard had felt indifferent when Lancer was reassigned. But now, witnessing him in action firsthand, they truly comprehended his terrifying power.
Though his orders—encircle the enemy while he personally dealt the killing blow—might have seemed like mere bravado, his raw strength was undeniable. No skirmish lasted longer than a few minutes. Even this formidable bandit force of over a hundred men, nearly matching their numbers, had been swiftly dispatched.
As Lancer swung his lance, the bandit leader's corpse hit the ground with a sickening thud, eyes wide in shock and disbelief.
Yet, as Lancer folded his lance away, he stared at his men clearing the battlefield, his brows deeply furrowed.
Something's not right here. Something's seriously wrong.
Even considering they'd already left the Capital's sphere of influence, there shouldn't have been this many bandits roaming openly. According to Budo, during the previous Emperor's reign—before Budo himself succeeded his father—he had led this same vanguard role. Even on the busiest day, they'd only faced two battles. Yet today?
It wasn't even noon, and they'd already encountered three groups. He'd suspected these bandits were being manipulated, but the terror on their leader's dying face suggested otherwise…
And if that wasn't unsettling enough, the feeling of being watched these past few days made his skin crawl.
What the hell is going on here?
"Colonel!" a subordinate reported briskly. "Battlefield cleanup complete!"
"Good. Prepare to move out. Has the messenger returned yet?"
"Not yet, but he should be back shortly…"
Lancer nodded briefly, remaining silent. The messenger—a speed-type Shingu user tasked with relaying reports—might have been held up with Budo. Delays like this weren't unheard of. Thus, he simply ordered the troops to rest briefly.
But then, arms crossed, his eyes snapped open sharply.
Wrong. It's all completely wrong. Too much time had passed!
Though he'd not served long alongside Budo, the general's disciplined nature was legendary. Even if busy, Budo would never delay a messenger's return for this long without sending advance notice.
"All troops, move out!"
With a disciplined rustle, soldiers who'd been leaning or crouched against trees straightened instantly.
"Change direction—back to the main force!"
At Lancer's crisp command, everyone swiftly mounted their horses, turning around without hesitation.
Lancer took the lead, riding at the forefront. The closer they got to the main force, the stronger his sense of dread grew. Rationally, with Budo by the Emperor's side, nothing should go wrong. So why did anxiety claw at him so relentlessly?
Suddenly—
Shit!
"Halt!" Lancer shouted desperately, but the moment his voice rang out, bizarre sparks flickered around him and his leading troops.
A deafening explosion ripped through the air, vaporizing a ten-meter stretch of earth instantly. Broken limbs and mangled horses fell from the sky, littering the ground.
...
BOOOOOM!
In the distance, the massive explosion jolted the Emperor awake within his carriage.
"Budo, what happened up ahead? Did Lancer run into trouble?"
"Unlikely, Your Majesty," Budo answered solemnly. "Judging by the explosion's proximity, it seems closer than Lancer's position. Besides, the messenger hasn't returned… We don't know enough yet. I'll send scouts immediately!"
Though the explosion was unnerving, the Emperor found comfort in the presence of his loyal friend, the Empire's mightiest warrior, and forced himself to calm down.
The convoy halted immediately, and as Budo stepped outside, every soldier stood rigidly at attention.
"Send the Third Cavalry Unit ahead to investigate!" Budo commanded sharply.
"Yes, sir!"
A lightly armored cavalry unit swiftly mounted their horses and galloped forward. Budo remained standing near the Emperor's carriage, arms crossed, vigilant and unwavering.
Tension thickened in the silence. Soldiers watched their surroundings keenly, muscles coiled, until—
Clop-clop-clop!
Urgent hoofbeats approached rapidly, two riders emerging from the distance.
The lead soldier pulled sharply on his reins, slowing his steed before leaping off and dropping to one knee in salute before General Budo.
"General! Our advance squad has been ambushed! Colonel Lancer is critically injured!"
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T/N: FUUUUCK STUPID LANCER LUCK