Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part Two]

CHAPTER 252: Retaliation - From Decree to Prisoners

Daisuke and Lyndoria's gaze swept across the silent ballroom. The musicians stood frozen, as if trapped in a moment of suspended animation. One man's fingers remained poised over the note holes of his flute, another clutched his violin and bow, while a third had his index finger still curled around the string of a harp.

"It's so bizarre," Lyndoria murmured.

"Tell me about it," Daisuke muttered back.

They were the only ones who didn't get whisked away by Lumielle's spell. Everyone else stood with eyes closed and heads bowed like lifeless marionettes while the princess carried out her plan to corner the Mhaledictus mastermind and their loyalists.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Daisuke noticed Zephyr's MP bar flickering. His HP remained at a hundred percent, but that did little to ease his nerves.

Would the canine be alright on his own? Where had Midnight rushed them off to—and who in the city could they possibly be fighting?

"Impeccable timing," Daisuke muttered as the Djinn emerged from his shadow and leapt onto his shoulder. But the feline's sudden arrival only deepened the knot in his chest. "Does Zephyr need backup?"

The deity inclined his head.

"Alright. But before we head out, I need a quick favor." Daisuke turned to the girl beside him. "Lynn, we're short on time—can you show Midnight the top officials so he can mark them like we planned?"

"Okay," she replied with a nod.

Just as the feline completed the task, anchoring a fragment of his own shadow to Lord Zerbst's, the ballroom doors burst open and a wave of soldiers flooded in with weapons at the ready. Behind them, a party of mages began chanting in unison, their incantation swiftly unraveling the spell cast by the songstress.

One by one, the aristocrats snapped back to awareness with startled gasps—but many of them didn't awaken in confusion. They rose in rage.

"Secure the room!" Vaerythos bellowed, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. Lines of fury etched deep into his face. "No one leaves unless I say so!"

"Seize the princess," Cassius added coldly, lifting a hand in command.

The soldiers froze, glancing at one another in uncertainty. "Your Excellency...?"

"You heard me," he growled, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "My word carries the weight of the king's will. Follow the order. And find her assistant. Detain them both—immediately."

Lumielle glowered at the man as a soldier clutched her arm.

Cassius held her gaze, unflinching. "Did you truly believe there would be no consequences for your actions? Royal blood or not, no one stands above the law—not even you, Princess."

She pursed her lips.

"What if innocent lives are caught in the crossfire because of your little spectacle?"

Lumielle's expression tightened. "You and I both know that, dark guild or not, Absolution doesn't pass judgment without undeniable proof. So, unless someone has something to hide... there's no reason to be afraid."

Cassius's frown deepened, but he said nothing.

Meanwhile, the lieutenant general who led the raid leaned in close and urgently whispered something into his superior's ear.

Varrick's jaw tightened as he listened, then swept his arm forward. "Spread out!" he barked. "Search every corner—he's here, I can feel it!"

The soldiers, clearly briefed prior to the raid, fanned out across the room—searching, interrogating, and appraising every guest. Their confident strides and coordinated movements left no doubt: they knew exactly what they were looking for. But who, and why?