"…Didn't you say that you're not going to fight inside the city?" Nevreal muttered as he looked at the flashes of light, as well as the sound of loud explosions that could be heard near the Merchant Guild Building.
"Lux might have encountered some difficulties," Robin, who was standing beside Nevreal, commented. "Besides, it's fine. The battle is contained on that plot of land. Thankfully, Lucius owns all the structures in that part of town, so even if they are turned into smithereens, it's not our concern."
Nevreal sighed. "Your Highness, you seem to be siding with Lux on this one."
"I'm on the side of the Royal Family. Since he is fighting against Twilight Rain, then I'm naturally taking his side. Are our own preparations ready? Make sure to deploy our men to prevent the battle from spreading to the rest of the city."
"Understood, Your Highness. I'll make sure to let everyone know your intentions."
Robin nodded before shifting his attention back to the battle that was currently taking place inside the city.
Although the sounds of explosions intermittently sounded every five seconds, the Prince of the Kingdom of Gweliven calmly crossed his arms over his chest and wished the Half-Elf victory over the unexpected surprise that Twilight Rain had prepared for him.
Three hours earlier…
"This will be a Blitzkrieg Operation," Lux explained to his Named Creatures, as well as Nevreal and Robin, who were with him inside the middle-aged Dwarf's VIP Room. "We break in, we kidnap Lucius, then we get out. After we've captured the Head of the Merchant Union, we will immediately leave the city. Any questions?"
Nevreal cleared his throat and asked his question.
"Are you confident that this plan will go smoothly?" Nevreal asked.
"Of course I am confident," Lux replied.
"What are the chances of a large-scale battle occurring inside the city?"
"A large-scale battle? That's not going to happen. This operation will end before they even know what hit them."
Lux was confident that as long as they were able to grab Lucius from inside his residence, the rest would be easy.
Nevreal looked at the Half-Elf's determined expression before nodding his head.
"I have asked a few people to watch over the surrounding residences and deal with any unexpected surprises," Nevreal stated. "Since the area around the Merchant's Guild is owned by Lucius, certain damage to property is fine. Just make sure that the fighting doesn't spread to the rest of the city."
"… Sir Nevreal, please, don't raise a flag," Lux said with a serious expression on his face. "There will be no battle. It will just be a kidnapping operation with a high chance of success. Everything will be fine."
"I hope so," Nevreal shrugged. "I don't want to clean up after your mess, that's all."
Lux shook his head helplessly. Clearly, the middle-aged Dwarf had lost faith in him after that time the Half-Elf scammed him for ten million gold coins to help build his Guild Headquarters.
"The operation will start at midnight," Lux declared. "This is an important mission, so please, everyone, do your best."
All of Lux's Named Creatures, as well as the members of his Covenant, nodded their heads in understanding.
They were Lux's Main Fighting Force, and their presence gave the Half-Elf the assurance he needed in order to succeed in his Night Raid Operation.
Half an hour before midnight, Lux looked down at the Merchant Guild from the sky. It was a moonless night, but countless stars illuminated the heavens.
The majority of the residents of Whitebridge City were already asleep, and only taverns and a few entertainment districts were active during this time of the night.
The red-headed teenager sighed as he gazed upon the City, which he had defended alongside the other Guilds of the Kingdom of Gweliven who didn't want to see its destruction.
They had succeeded in doing so, but they hadn't defeated the true monsters that lurked within the Kingdom—the members of the Dark Guild, Twilight Rain.
If he were to be honest, Lux feared them in the past.
It was to the point that he had no choice but to fake his death in order to protect himself and those whom he held dear in Elysium like Colette and his friends.
But now, it was different.
He was no longer that inexperienced Beginner of the past, who was almost killed due to a Monster Outbreak of Undead in Leaf Village.
He had proven himself to be one of the strongest members of the young generation in the Lionheart Tournament that was held at Barbatos Academy.
Lux was still an Initiate, but he had the ability to contend with most Rankers.
Even so, he knew that he alone was not enough to root out the foundations that Twilight Rain had cemented over the past several decades. It was an organization that even the Royal Family was unable to rid themselves of, no matter how hard King Uther tried.
But now, Lux would take that first step to create cracks within that Behemoth's foundation, and soon, he would make them understand that there were still those who would stand up to their tyranny.
"When was the last time I appreciated the night sky?" Lux muttered as he raised his head to look up at the heavens. "I see it almost every day, but I've been so busy that I haven't had the time to enjoy the scenery."
The Half-Elf sighed as he thought of the time when he was still back on Earth, cooped up in his own room.
There were times when he would look at the night sky outside of his window.
The light pollution of the city was bad, and the only stars visible to his eyes were the brightest stars in the heavens.
Back then, he could still count them all. But now, the countless stars in the sky winked at him, as if daring him to start counting them all, which was truly impossible.
Lux smiled as he thought back on the time when the Angel, Himea, brought him to the Celestial Heavens and made him fill out several sheets of paper in order to map out the settings of his next life.
Many years had passed since then, and Lux often wondered what would have happened if he wasn't chosen to become part of the Heaven's Gate Project.
There had been more than one occasion when the Half-Elf would think about these things, and the answer would still be the same.
'There's no use in thinking of what if's and what might have been's,' Lux thought as he rubbed his face with both hands.
Right now, he was living his life to the fullest, and in order to keep living that life, he had to make sure that those who threatened his happiness would be erased from his life.
Taking a deep and long breath, the red-headed teenager calmed himself.
He then glanced at his subordinates, who were already in position, from where he stood in the sky, and he knew that they were all ready to fight with him even if he was going to fight against the entire world.
Slowly but surely, Lux raised his hand, signaling everyone that their long wait was finally over.
"Commence the operation," Lux ordered. "Operation Blitzkrieg starts now!"
