The Gargoyle Attack

It was a space filled thickly with darkness. And in this space, over a dozen people had gathered and were conversing. On their faces, there was anger and irritation that could not be hidden.

“The foolish pope of the Rat Religion has had our precious asset taken from him.”

“Hmph, and despite that, he wants us to make Holy Knights for him again.”

“Do you know how much damage we have suffered because of that man, who is nothing but greedy and utterly incompetent?”

“Finding the body of a compatible person is one thing, but the researchers, and even the materials, have all been completely handed over. What should we do about this?”

“At least, in anticipation of an emergency, there are materials we had separately removed in the meantime, so there is no need to worry about the progress of the research, but…”

“Mm, the Polia Kingdom has once again inflicted such great damage on us.”

They showed that they knew well about what the Polia Kingdom had done. From the start, the Rat Religion could not even guess the culprit, but they had already followed the traces and realized that this was something the Polia Kingdom’s intelligence department had done. At that moment, thud, someone struck the desk hard and burst out in anger.

“Just how long must we keep suffering this much damage from the Polia Kingdom? Because of them, we have already lost many things.”

“That is right! Now we must make them pay the price!”

“How? Are we going to strike the royal palace directly like before? Do you not know that it is impossible just from what we have already learned about their strength? They also seem to possess powerful forces, so should we really consume the strength we have gone to the trouble of possessing?”

There was also someone who spoke skeptically. At those words, several people nodded as though agreeing. No matter how angry they were and how irritated they were at the Polia Kingdom, they thought this was not something they could approach emotionally. At that moment, someone raised his hand, gained the right to speak, and said.

“Even so, I think we must counterattack. If we do nothing after being hit like this, our people may begin to have doubts. I think we should at least inflict damage as a way to prepare for such a situation.”

“What do you intend to do? In the current situation, the Polia Kingdom’s military power is tremendous.”

“We should not strike the Polia Kingdom itself, but target King Ian’s side.”

“King Ian? I said it earlier, but striking the royal palace would instead be an act of wasting our strength!”

“I have no intention whatsoever of putting in a large amount of force to strike King Ian directly. It will merely chill their hearts, and if it succeeds, it will be an act that allows us to take revenge, so it will be good for us.”

Just what method was he going to use to say such a thing? The moment everyone looked at him with questioning gazes, he said one name.

“Gargoyles. I intend to use those things.”

“If you say gargoyles, do you mean those flying ones?”

“You intend to use the biological weapon completed only recently?”

“As everyone knows, the Polia Royal Castle is protected by many forces. Amid that, isn’t there an empty space?”

“Ah, the sky! If it’s there, we can certainly infiltrate!”

At those words, everyone’s expressions brightened. Who in the world would think they would attack through the sky? They thought that if they released the gargoyles, they could inflict quite a bit of damage. Of course, they were not thinking of releasing the gargoyles merely to kill a few people inside the royal castle.

“From what I heard, Princess Karina, the only descendant of the Polia royal family, is now already at an age where she can walk. Surely she comes out to the royal garden regularly, does she not?”

“Huh, so you mean we should target Princess Karina?”

“That’s right. What would happen if we could kill Princess Karina?”

“From what I heard, King Ian cherishes Princess Karina that much. If it succeeds, we could drive him into despair, no?”

“That is exactly what I mean.”

Everyone showed delight at this plan. In any case, it was not as though large-scale forces would be deployed, and they would simply release and use the latest biological weapons called gargoyles. In effect, even if it failed, it would be good because it would chill their hearts, and if it succeeded, it would become a huge success.

“Let’s do it. Through this opportunity, will it not become a matter of sending King Ian a proper warning?”

“We must use the foundations remaining in the Polia Kingdom as much as possible.”

“Transporting the gargoyles will not be easy. The port security there is quite strict, is it not?”

“What is there that money cannot do? In the end, even if they manage corruption thoroughly, there are always holes.”

Everyone agreed and was about to begin moving in earnest for the counterattack. Whether what they were trying to do would succeed could not be known immediately.

November 3.

“Karina, over here.”

Clap clap. Ian clapped his hands and called his daughter’s name. Responding to this voice, Ian could see her toddling towards him as she walked. That sight was so cute and lovely that he wanted to run over and hug her immediately.

“Papa.”

The moment Ian heard those words, he ultimately could not hold back and ran over, then lifted his daughter into his arms. At this, Ian could see his daughter enjoying it while going, “Kyahaha~.” At that sight, his heart could not help growing emotional on its own. She had grown up so well that now she could even walk and speak a little.

Since she was born last November, it was now almost the moment when a full year had passed. Ian wondered when time had passed like this, and at this rate, wouldn’t she quickly become a teenager(?) reaching puberty? Meanwhile, warm smiles had settled on the faces of Queen Adrina and Consort Helena as they watched this sight.

“His Majesty really does like Princess Karina.”

“He cherishes her so terribly much that sometimes even I feel jealous.”

“Princess Karina is probably the happiest princess in the world.”

At Consort Helena’s words, Queen Adrina could not help nodding on her own. Just as she said she was the happiest princess, His Majesty was gifting her so many things as though even giving her everything would not be enough. He was so devoted that the separate room was filled with gifts needed for the child.

‘Why does he give her this many gifts when she cannot even use them all? Later, I should speak separately to His Majesty and suggest donating the things she cannot use.’

Since she managed the Royal Welfare Foundation, she was thinking of donations first. Amid her appearance, what entered her eyes was King Ian lowering his daughter Karina back onto the floor. At that sight, he stepped backward, and Karina was following after him while moving those small two feet as though chasing her father.

At that sight, Queen Adrina formed a pleased smile. Amid that, seeing her daughter going only to her father and refusing to come to this mother for no reason made a pouty feeling arise, and she began clapping her hands.

Clap clap clap!

“Karina, come to this mother too!”

At that shout, Karina, whose gaze turned toward Queen Adrina, seemed to glance once at her father Ian and her mother Adrina, then immediately moved toward her mother Adrina with toddling steps.

It was a sight that seemed as though she knew the order of priority well. Meanwhile, Ian was staring blankly as though shocked by that sight. He seemed to be like that because she was going to her mother. Seeing that, Helena wondered what kind of reaction people of the world would show if they knew this side of His Majesty.

“Hohoho, come here.”

At the fact that her daughter was coming to her, a smile of victory naturally formed. When she had reached about the middle, perhaps, black dots suddenly appeared on the ground. At that moment, she wondered what that was. At the same time, without realizing it, her head rose toward the sky.

Something that grew larger and larger entered her vision. At first, she wondered if they were birds. But in the sight of them immediately drawing closer, she could tell that was not the case. Those things, which had two horns and long snouts to the point that they could be thought of as small demons, were descending while spreading two wings made of membranes.

“Ah…”

For a moment, she could not properly understand the situation, so she had no choice but to blankly look up. But as soon as she realized that those things were descending toward her daughter, she felt as though her heart sank. Soon, she ran forward and hurriedly called her daughter’s name.

“Karina!”

Was it the moment she hurriedly approached her daughter? All the approaching monsters suddenly began being pulled into one place. It was a phenomenon that happened in the blink of an eye, and soon, the things that had gathered together literally grew smaller as though being compressed.

The thing that had become small enough to turn into a dot in an instant soon disappeared without even a trace to be found. Wham! At that moment, Queen Adrina, who had run over, hugged her daughter and felt relieved. From the monsters that had suddenly appeared to the fact that they had targeted her daughter, her heart could not help pounding as though it were hammering.

At that moment, the surroundings became noisy. Only then had the guards understood the situation and were hurriedly running over. At this moment, Ian also ran over to Queen Adrina and his daughter Karina and embraced them tightly. Ian’s face, as he repeatedly asked if they were all right, could not help being coldly hardened.

In the situation where they had targeted his daughter, anger that could not be handled toward the bastards he had erased entirely with psychokinesis was surging up. At that moment, Karina burst into tears while going, “Waaah.” She had been bewildered, and then, after feeling that the atmosphere of her father Ian was bad, she burst into tears.

At that sight, only then did Ian’s expression soften, and he stroked her head as though apologizing.

“I am sorry. Calm down.”

Meanwhile, the guards who had gathered thickly around them could be seen watching the sky while holding submachine guns. Of course, at this moment, Camyu could also be seen. In truth, even realistically speaking, it could be said that the situation was not that dangerous.

Even if Ian had not stepped forward, Camyu, who had already been nearby, would have stepped forward. In addition, the Holy Knight Midran, who had recently become his subordinate, was also right beside them. From the start, the reality was that they could not have approached beyond a certain distance and would have had no choice but to be shot down.

‘Was it them? It must have been those bastards who did it.’

He could tell just by guessing that this was something done by those bastards of the secret organization. They probably did this because of the previous attack on the Rat Religion’s Holy Knight mass-production facility. It had to be called a kind of revenge.

‘I want to capture all of these bastards and beat them all to death.’

Thinking of what had just happened, his anger still rose to the top of his head. He knew it in his head. That it had not been dangerous at all, and that he could have prevented it any number of ways. But thinking that his daughter had been attacked, his anger would not calm down. However, it seemed that now was the time to get rid of such emotions.

‘Karina must not become afraid after seeing me like this.’

Ian, who calmed his daughter while forcing a smile, immediately spoke to Queen Adrina.

“Queen, for now, take Karina and go inside the palace.”

“Ah, all right.”

She tried to stand up with that answer, but perhaps because the strength had left both of her legs, she could not stand properly. Ian supported her and helped her up, then looked at Helena, who was standing to one side as though startled, and spoke as though asking her to help.

“Helena, will you support the queen?”

“Ah, all right.”

Helena quickly ran over and showed that she was trying to support her. Amid that sight, a maid who had run over was lifting Princess Karina into her arms. Like that, they moved into the palace while receiving the guards’ escort, and amid that sight, Ian stood in the garden and looked up at the sky for a moment.

‘They targeted us from the sky.’

Honestly, it was something he had not anticipated at all. To think they had attacked from the sky. He wondered if perhaps he had been careless all this time. If things were like this, preparations for the sky would also be necessary. Thinking that, he remembered how he had used birds before.

‘I should make sure that only birds who follow solely my commands stay in this garden. Then it will become a little safer.’

Birds like that would be able to sufficiently block the flying monsters that appeared to be biological weapons. In truth, it did not matter even if they could not block them completely. Once a commotion occurred, vigilance would be strengthened, and then they would no longer be able to become a threat.

Meanwhile, the secretary Mardin approached and bowed his head with a grave complexion as though deeply apologetic. It seemed that he felt a sense of responsibility over such a thing having happened inside the royal palace.

“Your Majesty…”

“Mardin, impose silence about this matter. There will be nothing good in having the news that the princess was attacked become known. Rather, it would only fulfill the objective of the bastards who instigated this attack.”

“Understood. I will immediately impose silence. And I will immediately bring anti-aircraft batteries into the royal palace.”

“That would not be bad either.”

If there were various layers of interception, it would become safer. More importantly, he could not help wondering how he could return this to those bastards. The reason he had not been able to properly wipe them out until now could be said to be because those bastards had hidden themselves thoroughly. There was no way they would be found so easily at this point.

‘By the way, there are almost no places in our kingdom that can mass-produce such monsters. So they must have brought them in directly.’

“There must be traitors who brought in the monsters we just saw. Find those people too.”

“Understood. I will definitely find the traitors.”

Anger was also present on Mardin’s face as he spoke with shining eyes. It seemed he thought monsters had entered because of traitors. Meanwhile, he wondered how the monsters that had tried to attack just now had disappeared.

What was certain was that it was something that had happened due to some hidden power of His Majesty the King.

‘It is probably not something I need to know deeply.’

Like that, the attack incident on Princess Karina quickly sank beneath the surface through the imposition of silence.