I Planned a Su*cide Mission and Got Kicked Out of the Party

---

“So, the hill, where an army of 200,000 is estimated to be gathered, is where the Succubus Queen’s flag is planted.”

Jenis spoke to confirm if she had properly grasped the situation.

“And further reconnaissance has revealed that the main forces of the Gargoyle Queen, which seems to be aiming to encircle us, are moving southwards from our east…”

Walter nodded, indicating that Jenis’s summary was accurate. The newly appointed Great Sage of the Magic Tower smacked her lips and tilted her head.

“I think the hill can be left alone. If we don’t block the Gargoyle side, they might circle around us and march down to the border.”

“If we are surrounded, that’s an issue in itself. Anyway, if we lose or get cut off from our supply route, we won’t receive timely support. We must secure the transport route from Caprice to here at all costs.”

The Hero said. Jenis let out a shallow sigh.

“The enemy is moving quickly. What should I do?”

“Realistically, the Ironclad Knights are the only ones who can urgently stop the Gargoyle Queen’s movements. But Alex Caprice can’t take on this mission alone yet. There’s a possibility that the Gargoyles and Succubi will work together, so we can’t be careless about preparing for their 200,000 forces. That’s why I want you to assist him.”

“Realistically, I’m no match for the Gargoyle Queen.”

“That may be true. So, Rose will be leading the reserve force. Your and Alex’s mission is to hold the enemy in place until Rose can arrive leading the infantry legion.”

This was Jenis’s first real combat mission bestowed upon her in the Northern Campaign War. Following Walter’s urgent decision that time was of the essence, Jenis mounted her horse and began marching in the southeast direction alongside Alex’s royal knight order.

It didn’t take long for the Ironclad Knights to spot the Shadow Knights from a distance. At a distance of 400 meters down the hill, Jenis stopped in a position where she could spot the enemy with the naked eye and spoke to Alex beside her.

“I don’t think we’re late, Your Highness.”

“Shadow Knights, huh? Yes, that unit must be the vanguard.”

“They’ve noticed our presence too. It would be wise not to delay.”

Given the terrain, Alex’s cavalry would appear as if they had suddenly sprung from the ground. About 2,000 black knights that had been moving south turned their heads slowly westward. Jenis held her staff in her left hand, drawing her sword with her right. Alex, seeing the shape of the sword, grasped his lance and asked.

“Is that an Elven longsword?”

“It’s a gift from the High Elves. If you’ve got the strength to wield it, they say it’s useful for channeling magic too.”

Even a half-vampire possessing claws of the mightiest monster would obviously have a shorter reach than a sword. Generously, Margaret offered one of her swords—the very one she had carried herself.

Even Jenis, who was clueless about sword and metal forging, could tell that it was a far superior sword compared to the ones used by regular imperial soldiers. If it weren’t, it wouldn’t fit the dignity of the Great Sage.

“This side has the high ground. Even if the enemy has cavalry, we should have the upper hand.”

Alex confidently lowered the faceplate of his helmet as he spoke. After a moment of sheathing her sword, Jenis pulled out a pocket watch from inside her blue robe and looked at it.

“I’ll send the signal in three minutes, so get ready before then. We will charge straight ahead.”

“It seems the enemy’s right flank appears loose. It might be better to attack there.”

“No, it’s head-on. Two minutes and thirty seconds left. We should hurry.”

With a single remark dismissing the imperial prince’s claim, Jenis deftly slipped past the formation of the knight order. Alex looked perplexed by Jenis’s insistence on a frontal charge without a detailed explanation, but with her rank as the Great Sage, he couldn’t afford to disregard her position.

Eventually, Alex decided to break through the enemy’s cavalry’s center, raising his spear ahead as he prepared to charge. Glancing at the watch, Jenis tucked the pocket watch back into her robe and drew her sword again.

A firework shot into the sky from the young Great Sage’s staff. As the firework bloomed like a firecracker high in the sky, Alex realized it was Jenis’s signal and urged his horse forward.

“Charge! Charge! Don’t let the demon knights live!”

With Alex’s thunderous shout, 2,500 knights surged towards the center of the Shadow Knight order. Jenis, who had fallen slightly behind the charging knights, leaped down from her horse, running down the hill to gain momentum for her ascent into the sky.

When Jenis was about halfway down the hill, the first clash between the knights of her order and the Shadow Knights erupted. Jenis leapt into the air, unfurling her vampire wings. At an altitude of 10 meters—not too high, but not too low—a balanced Jenis examined the battlefield with wide, darting eyes.

“Here? Or there…”

Perhaps due to the effectiveness of Alex’s surprise attack, the Ironclad Knights were penetrating the ranks of the Shadow Knights at a very quick pace. Many enemy knights were turned into mere shells of mist and ash from the spears thrust by her knights.

As Jenis rolled her eyes in a frenzy while lost in thought, she pointed towards the enemy’s northwest flank with an exclamation.

“There it is, Elios!”

Landing unencumbered from her wings, Jenis touched down exactly where she had pointed. In the seemingly empty open field, Jenis struck the ground forcefully with her staff and shouted.

“Dispel!”

The magic released from her staff flew towards the north. Jenis had never thought that the Shadow Knights would move independently from the start. No, she hadn’t thought that the Gargoyle Queen was mobilizing this force either.

As Jenis’s powerful dispel spell struck the magic circle, the stealthiness of the Succubus Queen that had been moving to secretly encircle Alex’s cavalry was shattered in an instant, revealing her every move.

If Alex had targeted the enemy’s center instead of from the northwest flank, the Succubus Queen’s forces would have easily been able to ambush the rear of the knight order. Conversely, this meant that the southwestern flank was safe, but with Jenis still not cognizant of where the enemy units were moving while they were concealed by magic on the hill, breaking through the enemy’s front was her best option.

While Alex furiously swung his spear to drive the Shadow Knights back, he glanced northward and caught on to Jenis’s intentions. There were a few knights from his side who had fallen to the Shadow Knights, but they were still pressing the advantage in momentum.

“Changing the banners was too easy a trick. The Gargoyle Queen likely aimed to mislead us into thinking she was active, drawing a stronger force this way, but logically, that rockhead couldn’t have the subtlety and precision to execute a flanking maneuver like this.”

The Succubus Queen frowned from the vanguard of the Orc troops.

“I didn’t think it would take long, but getting caught up this quickly is a failure.”

“Come out. Though I don’t particularly enjoy blood, I won’t refuse it if I can taste the blood of the Succubus Queen as a half-vampire.”

“I refuse. Frankly, I’m starting to get bored of vampires.”

Wisely, the Succubus Queen didn’t accept Jenis’s suggestion for a frontal duel and swiftly retreated. Large orcs, armed with swords and armor, surrounded her for protection, but Jenis, still charged with her aggressive temperament, swept her staff and sent the surrounding orc sentries flying.

“Are you planning to set up these skeletons and run away!”

“Still a pup. Show what you’ve got while surrounded!”

At the Succubus’s command, the orcs began to close in on Jenis in a circular formation. Jenis’s delicate form was encircled by orcs much taller than her, all pointing their weapons and creating a scene of intimidation.

However, the intense warrior spirit that had manifested within her felt quite ‘tedious’ in this situation.

As Jenis fired a blast of flames from the staff in her left hand while beheading an orc with her sword in her right, Jenis twirled in the air gracefully, channeling mana into all her weapons and delivering a powerful strike straight ahead.

The shockwaves that spread forth simultaneously from her staff and blade crushed dozens of orcs at once. Like a miracle of Moses, a path opened among the orc horde, but Jenis’s true target, the Succubus Queen, barely withstood the Great Sage’s strike with her defensive magic circles in both hands.

As Jenis sent dozens of orcs flying in one go, she licked the blood that had splattered onto her face.

“Ugh. Orc blood is disgusting. Even realizing I’m half-vampire doesn’t change that.”

The Succubus Queen, perhaps deeming it pointless to continue fleeing, trudged through the bloodied path toward Jenis. Gripping her weapons firmly in both hands, Jenis grinned.

“Let’s have some fun, Succubus Queen. You’re the only one here with whom I can spar.”

“Jenis, Van Helsing.”

The Succubus Queen wound black magic circles around her hands. With a sharp gaze that felt captivating, her ample figure clad in seductive attire wouldn’t distinguish her from a high-class courtesan. But the demon wings sprouting from her back, the two horns on her head, and the dark, vile mana surrounding her revealed that she was a high-ranking officer in the Demon King’s Army.

“James warned me to be cautious of Holmes and Van Helsing no matter what. I’ve known why Holmes is feared for a long time… but today I see just how powerful Van Helsing can be.”

“Are you finished?”

Without a response, the Succubus Queen let out a battle cry and fired two streams of black lightning towards Jenis. A magic of similar power to that used by Dracula. In Jenis’s former state, she might have fallen helplessly to it, but today’s Jenis crossed her staff and blade to block the Succubus Queen’s attack.

Confirming that her attack had been effortlessly thwarted, the Succubus Queen flapped her wings and soared into the sky. Jenis spread her wings as well and flew after the Succubus Queen.

Typically, vampires possessed superior flying abilities compared to succubi, but the Succubus Queen was undoubtedly the strongest among them in her role.

On the other hand, Jenis showed frightening talent in her flying skills but was still just a beginner, and her wings were rather small because of the limits of being a half-vampire.

Although she soared into the air energetically, the flames Jenis fired from her position did not hit the Succubus Queen even once. The Succubus Queen skillfully avoided Jenis’s attacks, flying gracefully in all directions while opening her wings and slowing down to slip behind Jenis.

Realizing that she had inadvertently surpassed her enemy, Jenis turned around just in time to see the Queen’s lightning strike her right after.

“Damn it…”

Upon realizing she was thoroughly toyed with by the enemy, Jenis began to lower her altitude slowly, her robe now riddled with holes. Thanks to her robe’s defense, she could endure one attack, but enduring several such spells consecutively would be difficult for Jenis. Still, it seemed that as long as she kept the Succubus Queen occupied, the situation on the ground was turning favorably for Alex.

As Jenis determined that there was no longer any point in fighting in the sky, she tucked her wings in and dove quickly towards the ground. The Succubus Queen, as if having fun, kept shooting beams from both hands while pursuing Jenis. Though Jenis deftly dodged the lightning bolts that came after her several times, the dangerous spectacle kept unfolding.

10 meters… 5 meters… 1 meter!

Just as Jenis landed and raised her staff to target the Succubus Queen, a massive metal lump came flying out of nowhere and whizzed right past Jenis’s face.

“Crown Princess… Your Highness?”

Surprised by the sudden appearance of Rose, who had kicked the Succubus Queen away for over ten meters, Jenis collapsed to the ground in shock. Rose, having elegantly sent the Demon King’s mother flying with a well-executed kick, hovered mid-air and smiled at Jenis.

“I expected better performance from you, and I’m a bit disappointed.”

“I’m s-sorry… even though she’s part of the Demon King’s army, she’s stronger than I expected…”

“No need to apologize. Just help by cutting down orcs if you know what I mean. That’s what I’m…”

As Rose landed on the ground and pulled out her sword from her waist.

“I’ll handle it myself.”

The Succubus, who had been rolling on the ground, raised her head slightly to identify the identity of her assailant. With a face resembling one who had lost the world, she muttered.

“I see, my mission has now become to return alive.”