Lord Summoner's Freedom Philosophy: Grimoire of Love
Chapter 275: The Wolf Duke (3) The Infiltration

Chapter 275: The Wolf Duke (3) The Infiltration

The night air was thick with tension as Lyan, Erich, Julius, Vilgira, and Borton approached the castle walls. The group moved with practiced stealth, their movements almost imperceptible as they slipped through the shadows. The moonlight cast a silvery glow on the stone walls, and the silence was broken only by the distant sounds of the encamped army maintaining their ruse of retreat.

Lyan led the way, his senses honed by years of experience. They encountered their first obstacle—a pair of guards patrolling a side entrance. With swift, silent precision, Lyan dispatched one guard with a quick slice of his dagger while Julius took out the other, muffling his target’s final gasp. The bodies were hidden in the underbrush, and the group continued forward.

Inside the castle walls, they encountered more guards. Vilgira moved ahead, his agility and speed allowing him to neutralize enemies before they could raise an alarm. She signaled for the others to follow, and they moved through the corridors, taking down guards and securing key positions.

They reached the main gate controls, and set to work sabotaging the mechanisms. With careful, deliberate actions, they ensured that the gate would be stuck open when the time came, making it easier for the main army to enter.

"There’s an alarm system here connected to that bell. We need to disable the alarm systems next," Lyan whispered, his eyes scanning the corridor ahead.

Borton nodded, his large frame moving surprisingly quietly as they made their way to the alarm room. Inside, they found several guards and technicians. Julius and Vilgira took point, quickly and efficiently taking down the guards while Lyan and Borton handled the technicians. Within moments, the alarm systems were disabled, wires cut and mechanisms broken.

The drawbridge controls are next," Erich said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.

The team pressed deeper into the heart of the castle, each step fraught with increasing resistance. The guards in this part of the fortress were more alert, their eyes scanning for intruders. However, the group’s tight coordination and exceptional skills allowed them to slip past undetected or swiftly neutralize any threats.

Erich led the way, his eyes constantly scanning for signs of danger. Lyan, right behind him, kept his glaive at the ready, while Julius and Borton flanked them, their weapons drawn. The corridors were narrow, the stone walls pressing in with the weight of centuries of secrets. The air felt thicker here, heavy with history and the Duke’s most guarded mysteries. Every step was taken with caution, for they knew the Duke’s most trusted advisors and elite soldiers would be near.

Their first hurdle came when they reached a T-junction. Erich raised his hand, signaling for the group to halt. He peered around the corner and saw a pair of guards patrolling the corridor. They were heavily armed and seemed more alert than the others they had encountered.

"We can’t take them head-on," Erich whispered. "We need to find another way."

Lyan glanced around, his eyes falling on a narrow staircase leading upwards. "Up there," he suggested. "We can find a vantage point and take them out quietly."

The group nodded in agreement and moved up the stairs. The stone steps were worn from centuries of use, and each footfall echoed ominously. At the top, they found themselves in a small room with a window overlooking the corridor below. From this vantage point, they could see the guards clearly.

"Julius, you take the one on the left. Lyan, the right," Erich instructed.

Julius and Lyan readied the crossbows they got from the knocked-out guards, aiming carefully. With silent precision, they fired. The guards crumpled to the ground without a sound, and the group quickly descended the stairs to continue their journey.

As they approached the drawbridge controls, the group encountered their second hurdle. The corridor leading to the controls was heavily guarded, with a half-dozen soldiers standing at attention. Erich quickly assessed the situation and formulated a plan.

"Julius, you and I will create a distraction. Lyan and Borton, you circle around and take them from behind," he said.

Julius and Erich moved into position, ready to draw the guards’ attention. Erich threw a small stone down the corridor, creating a noise that drew the guards’ attention. As they moved to investigate, Julius and Erich sprang into action, engaging the guards head-on. The clash of steel echoed through the corridor as they fought, their movements quick and precise.

Meanwhile, Lyan and Borton circled around and approached the guards from behind. With swift, lethal strikes, they took down the distracted soldiers, clearing the way to the drawbridge controls.

They reached the controls, a large mechanism with gears and levers. Erich and Lyan set about sabotaging the mechanisms with practiced efficiency, ensuring the drawbridge would lower at the exact moment needed to allow their main forces to breach the castle’s defenses.

With this task complete, they began their cautious journey toward the inner keep. The corridors grew narrower, their stone walls pressing in with the weight of centuries of secrets. The air felt thicker here, heavy with history and the Duke’s most guarded mysteries. Every step was taken with caution, for they knew the Duke’s most trusted advisors and elite soldiers would be near.

Their infiltration led them to a heavily guarded chamber. Peeking through a narrow window, Lyan observed a table covered in maps and documents, around which the Duke’s advisors were engaged in intense discussion. The group listened, piecing together crucial details about the Duke’s strategies and troop deployments.

"We’ve done our part. We’re going to need someone to tell the main army," Erich whispered. His voice was low but urgent. "Vilgira, can you do it?"

"As you command, milord," Vilgira replied, his voice a mere whisper. With a nod, she slipped into the shadows, his

form melding with the darkness as she went to relay the vital information to the main army.

"We need to create a diversion," Julius suggested. "Something to scatter their defenses and draw attention away from our main force."

Lyan nodded in agreement. "We’ll set a few fires and create chaos. That should be enough to divert their focus."

They moved swiftly and quietly, igniting small fires in strategic locations. The smell of smoke began to permeate the air, and soon, shouts of alarm echoed through the corridors. The plan was working; guards abandoned their posts to deal with the sudden commotion.

Erich signaled for the final phase of their plan. They positioned themselves strategically for a coordinated assault. As the sounds of the main army’s approach grew louder, the castle’s defenses fell into disarray. Arnold’s forces poured in through the sabotaged gates, and, as planned, the drawbridge lowered to grant them entry.

The courtyard erupted into chaos. Lyan and his team struck from within, targeting key opponents and spreading confusion. The clash of steel and the cries of battle filled the air as they fought their way toward the throne room. Lyan’s glaive flashed in the firelight, cutting through enemies with lethal precision. Beside him, Julius’s sword was a blur of deadly motion. Borton, using his brute strength, cleared a path through the mayhem, while Erich directed their movements with a composed authority.

Reaching the throne room, they found the heavy doors barricaded from within. Borton and Lyan forced them open, revealing Duke Ravindor standing tall with a giant axe in his hands, his armor gleaming in the dim light. Flanking him were his elite guards and a man in a black cloak whose aura crackled with powerful mana.

"You’ve done rather well ruining most of my plans and damaging my reputation in front of the Duke," the black-cloaked man said, his voice cold and mocking.

Lyan could sense the power radiating from him. "Who are you?" he demanded.

The man smiled. "I am the one who will end you."

The Duke’s eyes burned with fury. "You dare bring your war into my home? You will pay with your lives."

Erich stepped forward, his sword raised. "This ends tonight, Duke Ravindor. Surrender, and your men will be spared."

The Duke laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "Surrender? To you? Never."

_____________________________

Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore

Occupation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary, Unofficially Baron Evocatore of Grafen

Money: 3,775,710,950 Elnes / 3775 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers

Weapon: Magic Glaive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 5 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow, 1 Gryphon-Winged Sword

Equipment: 3 Black leather cloak, 2 Leather Armor, 2 Breastplate, 4 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials

Grimoire’s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 74), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 19), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12), Fenris (Lv. 1), Gargoyle (Lv. 1), Shadow Nymm (Lv. 1), Seltas Queen (Lv. 1), Rune Wolf (Lv. 1)

Grimoire’s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army (24 Goblin Champion Skeletons, 226 Hobgoblin Skeletons, 550 Goblin Skeleton Army), 80 Acid Ants Workers, 30 Acid Ants Soldiers, 4 Female Winter Wolves