A week ago, due to the duke’s affairs, the majority of the castle personnel were dispatched for a search party, and there was no one available to take shifts.

Nodding.

As if about to doze off, the knight, who had been yawning continuously, lowered his head, then perked it up with a start.

“What brings you here at this hour? Aren’t you tired?”

The knight looked at Ohenri with a pleased expression.

Ohenri responded with a cool smile to the knight’s words.

“What’s there to be tired about? Is there anything different from what I’m doing?”

“If you look at it that way, aren’t we no different from each other?”

“Am I the same as a knight standing here unarmed and you armed?”

The knights chuckled at the affectionate banter.

“It’s okay.”

“It’s okay, but I dozed off because I was tired.”

The face of the knight, who had been humming all along, brightened.

“It’s too quiet… well.”

“Is the Duchess asleep?”

“…Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no particular reason. It’s just quiet, so I was wondering if something was going on.”

“What’s going on? And even if something is, we… Huh? What are you doing here?”

The knight’s gaze shifted behind Ohenri, feigning ignorance.

It was the moment he turned his head to follow, just before checking the face.

Before confirming the face, as if swallowed up in the inhaled breath, the tip of the nose tingled, and the world turned dark.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shayne lightly dusted his hands after silently stacking those who fell one by one against one side of the wall.

“Why did you suddenly run out?”

Once the knights were sorted out, the man behind Shayne, who had drawn the dagger, approached while putting it in his pocket.

“…Is there any other meaning to it?”

The man’s gaze was fixed on Ohenri’s body lying on the ground.

“It probably wasn’t distributed for use at a time like this.”

“Do you not know you should leave quietly?”

With his lips barely moving, Shayne issued a stern warning.

“Hurry. The sleep powder effect lasts two hours.”

After staring at the fallen Ohenri for a long time, the man finally moved.

It was easy to take off and put on the armor of the fallen knights.

Transformed into Balrok knights, they moved seamlessly.

After taking care of unconscious knights, the man looked at Ohenri, who had disappeared by then.

“That’s it?”

“I’ve taken care of it.”

The man, who seemed to want to say something in response to Shayne’s words, only sighed deeply at the end.

Now was not the time to be concerned about trivial matters.

Quietly, it was important to take out the Duchess.

“You, let’s see each other later.”

Chuckling at the merciless reminder, Shayne, using the edge of his cloak, firmly covered his mouth and nose before carefully approaching the door.

The hallway was filled with a faint sleep scent, and the maids had been ordered to give tea with plenty of sleep powder.

Now the Duchess’s maids and guards should all be asleep.

‘Give me, give me the money.’

Suddenly, the face of the maid who was trembling and asking for money flashed, her face turning pale.

‘Check it.’

‘When do I check it! This is different! You said you’d give me money if I brought the tea!’

‘Words may be different, but if you handle the job properly, you’ll be given a golden coffer, right? Wouldn’t giving such a large sum without checking be foolish?’

At that time, the distorted face of the maid was quite impressive.

‘Tomorrow morning, come to the main gate.’

‘Keep your promise. Otherwise, I’ll expose everything.’

Shayne chuckled at the memory.

Foolish enough to believe that a maid with no abilities could obtain gold?

Thinking that she would be the ‘cut tail’ to receive the wrath of Balrok.

“How is it?”

“Let’s go.”

Shayne, who had been absorbed in his thoughts, opened the door at the man’s words.

As expected, the bedroom was quiet.

The moment Shayne stepped lightly into the room, it happened.

With the sound of the wind being cut, something touched his neck.

“Woah…”

Shayne gripped his long slit neck and rose from his body.

“It’s an ogre, what the hell.”

“It’s a Balrok knight.”

The man came closer while putting a dagger in his pocket after stowing it away.

“…No meaning in particular?”
Shayne’s sleep scent, meant for beasts, was quite potent. Even a sturdy bear couldn’t open its eyes for three days after inhaling the sleep scent. Having ingested such a substance without an antidote, the situation was a mess.

“To endure this sober, you deserve praise.”

“It’s a matter of course; no need for compliments.”

“How have you endured until now? Well, more importantly, the knight on your side must have made a noise at the east end tonight. Haven’t you checked?”

“The castle’s security is a matter for the steward or the lady-in-waiting to worry about.”

“But you’re a knight too.”

“I protect the duchess; it’s not about the security of this castle.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Shayne, observing the trembling tip of the knight’s sword, took slow steps.

“Stop.”

“I’m deeply moved.”

In the end, the stumbling knight knelt on one knee, and Shayne burst into laughter at the sight.