Chapter 609: Shadows in the Dark ( 609 )

“I’m going,” Javier said softly, his voice firm but gentle.

“Be careful, young master…” Liana’s voice trembled as her eyes began to glisten. She tried to smile, but her lips quivered.

Gloria stepped forward slightly, her hands folded neatly in front of her. “Please be safe,” she said in her usual calm, slow voice—though this time, it carried a weight of quiet emotion.

Felicia stood tall, arms crossed, but her voice betrayed her true feelings. “Come back to us.”

“I will,” Javier replied.

Then he turned and shouted, “Buddy!”

Cuquawked!! Buddy squawked loudly, dashing over with familiar energy.

Javier climbed up swiftly onto Buddy’s back and looked at the girls once more from atop the mount. His gaze was steady.

“Remember what I said,” he reminded them, one last time.

The wind blew gently as Buddy took his stance, ready for departure. The three girls stood in silence, watching the young master ride off.

“All right, Buddy! Let’s go! Dash!!”

Cuquawked!!

With a burst of speed, Buddy dashed forward like a streak of orange wind. Javier leaned forward, gripping the reins, eyes focused ahead.

Liana stood quietly as her young master’s figure grew smaller in the distance, vanishing through the gates.

She didn’t say a word.

But inside her chest… a quiet ache bloomed.

Please… finish this mission quickly.

She closed her eyes for a moment.

Come back safe, and let us return… to the life we had before.

To the mornings where she would gently wake him up. To reading books at his side under the sun-dappled windows of the estate library. To walking together through town—him wearing a plain clothes, her standing proudly behind him.

Not as a battle maid… but as his personal maid.

Just as it had always been.

Her hand lightly touched her chest.

“Come back soon… young master.”

Meanwhile, in the Halfling Kingdom.

Deep beneath the capital city, hidden within the underground labyrinth, a secret meeting was taking place.

The air was thick, silent. Only the flickering crystal lamps on the wall gave light.

Around a long stone table sat twenty humans, their forms disguised perfectly through high-level transformation magic—each appearing no different from regular halflings.

Their ears were stubby. Their stature short. Their faces—round and cheerful-looking, exactly like the real ones.

But their eyes… were sharp. Focused. Deadly.

A man at the head of the table stood up. Unlike the others, he carried a faint aura of command.

“We’ve received the latest command from His Majesty, King Edmund.”

Everyone straightened.

“Our mission is clear: Secure this main supply road—” he pointed to a glowing map on the table, “—and this alternate path. Ensure no resistance force uses them. You are authorized to sabotage and destroy if necessary.”

He moved his finger again.

“Target elimination is also top priority. These two individuals must be quietly killed and replaced.”

Two glowing illusion profiles appeared above the table.

“Two among us will undergo mimicry reinforcement. The strongest among us will take their place until final command is issued.”

Someone asked, “And what if they detect the replacement?”

The leader’s eyes turned cold.

“There’s no way they’ll notice. The artifact we’re using guarantees perfect mimicry—no aura leaks, no mana fluctuations. As long as we stick to protocol, not even their own kin will detect the swap.”

He glanced around the table, ensuring every pair of eyes was locked onto him.

“A king’s command is absolute. We carry this out with precision. No mistakes. No improvisation.”

He tapped the map again. Small glowing indicators marked key locations around the Halfling capital.

“Diversion teams will be deployed here and here. Small skirmishes to draw their attention. Meanwhile, we move quietly, infiltrate deep. Our primary objective must be secured.”

One of the disguised agents raised a hand.

“When do we begin the final phase?”

The leader gave a sharp smile.

“When the signal is given. Until then, we blend in, collect information, and make sure all paths are clear.”

He turned toward a heavy steel door at the back of the chamber.

“Now prepare. Once everything is ready… the gates to the capital will open. And what follows—must happen flawlessly.”

“We have 100 special units, including me and all of you. Make sure the others are fully briefed—no misunderstandings, no errors. This mission cannot afford mistakes.”

The leader’s voice was steady, sharp.

“We are the elite. The finest our kingdom has produced. Everything we need has already been provided—equipment, artifacts, cover identities, routes.”

He scanned their faces, each one disguised, each one silent.

“Your job is to ensure every preparation is perfect. Once everything is in place, I will report directly to Sir Arnold and await his signal.”

He paused, then spoke slowly, firmly.

“Until then, blend in. Stay alert. We are shadows.”

The room remained silent, but the air thickened with pressure.

They bowed slightly, then dispersed—one by one—vanishing into the darkness of the tunnels, leaving no trace behind.

The leader stepped out from the hidden door nestled between twisted roots and moss-covered rocks. The forest greeted him with silence, save for the gentle rustle of leaves.

He adjusted his coat, brushed off a twig from his shoulder, and calmly walked toward the nearby town.

“Ah, Sir Gilbet,” one of the halfling guards at the entrance greeted with a nod, saluting with casual familiarity.

“At ease,” he replied with a warm smile, his voice steady.

He passed the checkpoint without issue.

But inside, his thoughts were anything but calm.

I have to blend in perfectly. No hesitation, no slip.

If I mess up…

His mind flashed with the image he’d seen only once before—King Edmund’s hand piercing a man’s chest, the terrified scream as the body turned to vapor, and the sickening sound of breath as Edmund devoured him.

A fate worse than death.

There’s no escape. Not when my family’s still inside the Human Kingdom.

I follow the mission… or I vanish, like the rest.

Smiling politely at the passing merchants and halfling citizens, “Sir Gilbet” stepped deeper into the town—his eyes scanning, calculating.

Everything must go exactly as planned.

No one suspects a thing.

( End Of Chapter )

Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.