41. Conflict With Astra Part 9

Face with the vivacious presence of General Schalberg, the overwhelming guilt and remorse was eating away on Claude. He had trusted him, devoted and sworn oath to protect every single townsfolk, yet, his faith and foolishness to him were betrayed and trampled.

The lone guard, Claude, finds the words he wanted to ask: "why?! General Schalberg... I, I trusted you!"

Chucking on his bearded chin, relishing the spectacle on Claude's furious eyes, questioned: "why you ask?" Putting down his crossed feet above the worktable, he rose from his bottom. Their eyes followed him as he took a few steps back and forth.

"Claude, Claude, you know exactly why. Stop acting so foolishly! This city hardly pays us with a suitable amount of money. What can a few Platas do to bring food to our table?! Everything was done all for money. It should have been obvious."

With criminals loitering around the city, Malkar doesn't get that many tourists and merchants barely do business inside the city. Sooner or later, the town's fall will be soon upon its doorstep.

"Still!" Claude exclaimed angrily. Surely he knows that any further converse will pointlessly lead to nothing but argument. Thus, he unsheathed his long sword once again. "I don't want to do this, General, but I must."

There won't be any need to worry about swinging Claude's sword around now that the room they were in was spacious. The night breeze swept the blue curtains and, the red moon, so round on its shape, flashed them with its crimson light.

"There is going to be a bloodbath tonight," Schalberg muttered under his breath.

Truth be told, Fritz was not the slightest bit worried about what is about to transpire. Witnessing the couple's strength, he will vouch that Claude and Silvana will come out victorious. Although, ominously, he is sensing that Schalberg is not to be underestimated.

There seemingly was no room for Fritz to butt in. Knowing this fact, he tugs on Silvana's sleeve and wished to speak to her.

"What is it, Fritz?" She asked. Her eyes were still fixated on Schalberg. "Is there something wrong?"

"I am worried about my friends who were abducted," his hand still tug on her sleeve. "Right this time, the perpetrators might be planning their escape."

Seeing the helpless look on Fritz's face, Silvana couldn't help but feel compassionate. She forced a sweet smile on her face and reassured him that Astra wouldn't be making any move.

"Even so, I want to find them quickly," he insisted.

There are risks in letting Fritz go on his own. "Then, I shall accompany you." Fritz extended his arm forward, causing her to fret.

"Don't worry, Miss Silvana. I might not look like it but, I am quite reliable!" He showed her his tiny muscles on his biceps and, she laughs.

"Is that so? Then, I guess I should stay here with Claude. Do be careful."

Proceeding on his path, Fritz waved his hands at Silvana and went descended on a stair that leads to the prison cells.

"It was best that you decided to stay, Silvana. Claude here is not enough to kill me after all." He cackled. There were traces of arrogance in his tone.

Claude kicked off against the floor. He acted like he did not hear a single word his General said.

"Fast as always." Calmly, Schalberg followed his steps and waited for him to attack. "So, you have no intention of talking to me."

Their sword clatters when Schalberg parried Claude's attack. Gritting his teeth, forcefully trying to overpower the general, he headbutted him and took a few steps back.

"Use your damn brain, fool, not your damn steelhead! Ah, this fool."

Claude was still silent. He would rather exchange blows than entertain Schalberg's idle talks. Kicking off against the floor once again, Claude used his skill 'Steel Pride' and keep General Schalberg accompanied.

"Don't even think that I have not seen this tactic!"

Their plan was blatant stupid, thought the general. He had seen this combo a lot of times now that it doesn't amuse him anymore. Followed by the Steel Pride was Silvana's Appeasing Hoarfrost. Just as Schalberg had expected, he jumped to avoid freezing away.

"Persistent!"

He saw Claude preparing to launch in his direction as the guard crouched. Eventually, he sprang swiftly.

"He's going to burst!"

Striking was futile since Claude was being protected by his barrier. And, Schalberg, confident that he will not be able to cut through it, fall flat on the barrier. Instead of falling down, he went up as Claude was not at his jump's peak.

"Y-you fucking ungrateful bastard!"

To avoid severe damages, Schalberg used one of his exclusive skills, 'Stumbling Block.'

A part of the ceiling was slightly burnt after Claude exploded mid-air. Due to its force, Schalberg flung away, piercing through the walls of the room. Before he knew it, they were already outside the road and, Claude stood in front of him. His eyes met Claude's.

"Ungrateful! So ungrateful!"

Veins bulged on his muscles terrifically. His slowly enlarging muscles broke free of the tight steel armor, ferociously gritting his teeth in anger, repeating the word 'Ungrateful' over and over again, Schalberg loses his sanity and turned into a ravishing beast.

After descending two floors, Fritz saw Silverwar's henchmen guarding the door to the prison cell where Lily and Newt were held captive.

"Give me something sneaky," he begged as activated his unique skill.

[Skill Generation Complete...]

[Faint Acts]

[Groundwork]

Both were from an Assassin-type skill.

"Time to do some underground works." Chuckling at his own words, Fritz activated Faint Acts and sneakily approached the two unaware pitiful guards.

Although he didn't turn invisible, the fact that the two henchmen didn't notice nor see him made him thought that he was not visible.

Grumbling as they aided their slit necks, blood streamed down their body and soon fell to the ground.

"Am I OP? I need your honest opinion!"

~