Chapter 36
No matter what means Kardu used, there was no way to stop the Empire’s archmage.
Seeing the Three Jewels glow ominously, Fulcare modified the magic circle and hurried back to Blanc.
Countless red threads, as though spun from crushed rubies, fluttered through the air, and Vieta stared down the dim basement corridor.
Judging by the countless presences crouched in the darkness and the flow of mana, the entire basement corridor was undoubtedly a trap.
But there was no reason to hesitate. Laura’s presence could be felt at the end of the corridor.
Vieta stepped into the darkness one step at a time. Each time she moved, the presences hidden in the corridor began moving in perfect unison.
After walking for some time, Vieta sensed a presence rushing toward her and, without hesitation, drew her dagger and swung.
“Gah.”
In an instant, the enemy’s hand, still gripping the sword, was severed.
Vieta struck the screaming enemy on the head once more with the dagger’s hilt, knocking them unconscious.
As their companion was so effortlessly taken down, the energies of the hidden enemies began to tangle chaotically.
‘What a nuisance.’
Attacks capable of killing someone with a single blow flew viciously through the darkness, but nothing could stop her.
The narrow corridor and the dagger’s short range meant it took longer than expected.
If Fulcare had been here, he would have told her to burn down the entire corridor, but in situations like this, she really missed having a swordsman around.
“Gah!”
Vieta ruthlessly plunged her dagger into the man’s shoulder.
The man’s body trembled, and lukewarm liquid ran down the dagger’s hilt.
Vieta retrieved her dagger, then picked up the long sword the enemy had dropped with her bloodstained hand.
All that remained was the simple repetition of dodging, slashing, dodging, and slashing.
Every time the keen blue blade flashed, blood sprayed and dying screams erupted.
After cutting down more than twenty men, she arrived in front of a grayish-white wooden door.
Laura was beyond this door. Vieta carefully pushed the door open with her left hand.
“Hello?”
To reward the person who had been waiting all this time, she thrust her sword straight ahead. Tuang’s subordinate, who had been waiting in front of the door with his sword drawn, collapsed on the spot at the unexpected attack.
***
Tuang could not hide his astonishment. It was unbelievable that a woman with such a delicate build, who looked as though she had never held a sword, possessed such remarkable skill.
“Where’s Laura?”
After they finished sizing each other up, the woman spoke first.
The blood of the subordinate who had just died was still dripping from the sword in the woman’s hand.
“We’ll ask the questions first. Were you the one who took Celine?”
“Yes.”
It was an answer without the slightest hesitation.
“Then this should be simple.”
Tuang, who had been sitting in a chair, clasped his hands and leaned forward to shake off the pressure bearing down on him.
Whenever Tuang spoke, the woman radiated an indescribable killing intent and oppressive force. It was an aura comparable to that of Kardu’s executives.
“Give her back, and I’ll release this one.”
Given the circumstances, it was only sensible to avoid a fight if possible.
Taking Celine was important, but dealing with Prince Roen was just as important.
The prince had the Empire’s archmage on his side. The executives were unlikely to be defeated easily, but to minimize their losses, Tuang also needed to wrap things up here quickly and join Prince Roen.
“What say you?”
The woman stared blankly at the place he had pointed. Her eyes shimmered with strange colors.
“I must decline.”
“Are you saying you’ll abandon that woman now?”
The unexpected answer made Tuang’s voice rise slightly.
“No. It’s not as though I’d give up on Laura.”
With a harsh metallic scrape, the dented sword fell from the woman’s hand.
“Then wouldn’t it be far better to negotiate with us here and now?”
Tuang summoned the demonic energy he had kept hidden to make the negotiations proceed more smoothly.
“No. There’s no need.”
A wave of potent demonic energy swept through the basement, but the woman remained impassive. Just then, dim moonlight entering through the basement’s only ventilation shaft illuminated her figure.
‘What is that?’
Wherever the moonlight passed, glittering red threads emerged, then vanished.
The strange, mystical sight raised gooseflesh across the man’s entire body.
“Want to know why I refused your offer? First, because Laura is hurt.”
The energy emanating from the woman grew even more intense.
“Second, because I don’t want to hand over Celine.”
I’ll die if this goes on!
To keep from being overwhelmed by the woman’s energy, Tuang released all the demonic energy he had stockpiled inside his body at once. The energy filling the air became a vortex and began turning the basement upside down.
Despite its fierce momentum, the woman spoke with an impassive expression.
“Third, because no one is getting out of here.”
As soon as the woman finished speaking, a dagger appeared from nowhere and flew toward Tuang’s throat.
***
Excessive manipulation of mana had burned the white gloves black.
Fulcare removed his gloves and looked at those he had invited into his subspace.
He had wanted to avoid bringing others into his precious subspace whenever possible, but it could not be helped.
If he started flinging spells around in a place ravaged by flames, the damage would only worsen.
“Urgh!”
Several of those invited into the subspace collapsed, clutching their chests.
This was a world both real and unreal; the weak often fainted from the mere shock of crossing space.
“Are you all right?”
While the enemies were still unable to get their bearings, Fulcare approached Alos and Blanc to examine them.
Alos was kneeling, his entire body stained with blood and ash. His condition was not good, but he did not appear to have suffered any life-threatening injuries.
The goddess’s golden dust still clung to both of Blanc’s eyes. It seemed the Emperor’s Eye had activated once.
“I’m fine.”
Leaning against his greatsword, Alos answered in a pained voice.
“We need someone to hold the line. Can you hold out?”
Two of the enemies had gotten back to their feet.
On his own, he might somehow have been able to deal with them, but now he had someone to protect.
“…I’ll try to hold out.”
Before Fulcare could say anything, Alos picked up his greatsword and stood in front of Blanc.
As Alos took an attacking stance, the enemies who had been standing still also threw off the black cloaks wrapped tightly around their bodies. One was bald, while the other was a man with long hair braided into a single plait.
“The Empire’s loyal dog has finally shown himself!”
The long-haired man with a bow slung over his shoulder shouted with a mocking sneer.
"Enough. Shouldn’t we exchange greetings first? A pleasure to meet you, Chief Fulcare. And long time no see, Alos. How have you been?"
The bald man stopped his companion, stepped forward, and bowed with a precise movement.
“You?!”
Alos’s voice trembled, harsh with emotion, as if he recognized the bald man.
“I see you haven’t forgotten me. It’s been so long that I assumed you had.”
“How could I forget you, Piolkan! I wandered the continent looking for you!”
“…Piolkan?”
The name sounded vaguely familiar. Fulcare tilted his head and turned to Blanc, who answered him.
“He’s a knight who handed his own unit over to the magical beasts as soon as the war broke out.”
That one sentence was enough to explain everything. The men who had been so busy fleeing faster than anyone else during the war were now trying to command magical beasts. Fulcare found that rather distasteful.
“Looks like my introduction is over. Shall we get started? I’m rather busy myself.”
“Silence. You will not return alive!”
At Alos’s shout, Piolkan gave a thin, sinister smile and moved rapidly.
His movements were remarkably light and nimble, almost like a bird’s.
The reason lay in Piolkan’s sword. It was made not to smash or slash, but solely to thrust, so it was exceptionally thin and sharp.
Alos also kicked off the ground and lunged forward, raising his greatsword to block Piolkan’s thrusts coming from every direction.
As the two swords clashed violently, an arrow came flying toward Fulcare and Blanc with a sound that sliced through the air. It was an attack from the long-haired man. The demonic energy imbued in the arrow left behind a long tail like a meteor.
Complex magic circles formed over both of Fulcare’s hands, and the arrow struck a golden barrier with a clang before dropping uselessly.
Although his first attack had failed, the long-haired man did not care and raised his bow again.
“With power like this, I wonder if you can block it even once.”
“Thanks to having a good teacher, I believe I can manage that much.”
At Blanc’s glib remark, Fulcare grinned and summoned his staff.
The moment the staff rising from the floor touched his hand, the archmage’s subspace shook violently once more.