43 – Knights (6)
The robe that was billowing revealed a familiar face amidst the smoke.
Santaeugi, or Isajel, couldn’t help but freeze upon realizing the identity of the man standing before her.
Clark was part of the adventurer party that she had encountered in the mountains of Fezark Province.
Back then, she didn’t even know who they were.
She simply thought that adventurers or imperial guards had come to chase after her infamous self.
While she hadn’t learned magic to kill people, there were occasions when the villagers of Chonrak, who had lost their homes, pooled their money and hired her through the association.
Until then, she had never worried about being caught.
How could they find me in the inaccessible flames?
The forest, full of distractions, was no different from a mine filled with explosives to Isajel.
Approaching was impossible, and even adventurers skilled in tracking had given up after seeing nothing but ashes.
So, as usual, she thought that if she played around enough and got bored, she would leave the mountain range, even if it meant sacrificing her life.
Until the moment the fire she had spent her whole life unraveling was devoured by darkness and a spear flew towards her heart.
“Ugh, I feel like vomiting…!”
Just remembering that day brought back the excruciating pain that shattered her chest into pieces.
If it weren’t for the artifacts and various potions that covered her body, she would have died before being handed over to the guards.
Her magic was not surprising, even if she were swallowed by a forest fire.
She risked her life thanks to the items she had prepared for emergencies.
Later, it was heard that the three people were hunters who had gathered to catch a dragon.
Under the command of the lord, they searched all the famous mountain ranges of the continent.
The fact that they were captured by these adventurers, who later became known as the great three, was a source of pride even in prison.
A year later, after successfully escaping, she received a scout offer from Black Star, which had a significant influence on her background…
“She supposedly died in the dragon’s mountain range! Damn it, I never believed those ‘band’ bastards…!”
To avoid meeting again, she paid a large sum of money to the information organization and periodically checked for any developments.
Since the successful subjugation of the dragon, it had been five years since the last message stating that the fate of the three was unknown.
The day his identification mark was found on the steep slope of the valley, where nothing remained but death, he rejoiced loudly in his hideout!
He even performed the act of burning the missing person posters officially distributed by the adventurer’s association, wanting to slap himself and go back to the past.
“How have you been all this time?”
“Ah, um… I’m busy right now, so if it’s not too much trouble, could I come find you after I’m done?”
“What a coincidence? I’m busy too.”
“Ah, I see! Then let’s stay far away from each other so we don’t disturb…”
“You’re disturbing us right now.”
Damn, damn, damn it!
As the veins on the back of his hand holding the spear throbbed, Izajel’s face turned pale.
He didn’t know why, but it was clear that the situation they had gotten involved in was bothering him.
As if one misfortune follows another, a group of people emerged from the exit of the labyrinth.
It was a gathering of Glacia and Meteor magic scholars, the Black Star, and members of the Order of Knights.
“Ah, ugh…!”
“We made it out, finally!”
“Shut up, you idiot…!”
“Irene, double-check to make sure no one was left behind. Owen, confirm the path to the next floor. Lady Mariel should be nearby.”
“Understood.”
“Wait, Captain, who are these guys?”
As the smoke began to clear, a heavy silence fell.
It was a situation where if anyone drew their sword or summoned their magic power, chaos would ensue.
Eunik, the leader who assessed the situation, two representatives of the henchmen exchanging glances, all took the opportunity.
And even Clock, who carefully examined the height of the 11th floor.
“Faster than expected.”
“Since we don’t know how long the client will keep the security forces, it’s better to be on the faster side here. Shall we start soon?”
“Don’t leave any witnesses. Otherwise, they might get contaminated.”
“There won’t be any members from the Haeju School here, right?”
“What’s this, a distraction? Did they come here for negotiations?”
“Where did Rob go again?”
It was stolen.
As soon as Clock extended his hand with a displeased expression, it was snatched away and thrown back.
Unbeknownst to them, the dark wizards joked and laughed, mocking their failed spells and how they even ended up consuming their own possessions.
The failure of the plan was a given, and Izajel sensed that his fate depended on the choices he made in this very moment.
He would have to face the worst criminals on the continent, alongside a knight order without horses or armor, and the trembling servants in the lower ranks.
Or he could turn his staff around and betray his former comrades who were still unaware of the situation.
The source of this request came from a high-ranking officer in the security forces, but behind that was one of the prestigious schools of the magic tower, and even further, it was connected to the royal family.
If he chose the latter, it would be impossible for him to live in the Empire peacefully ever again.
“Did you throw it away because it was too hot?”
“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen you without your robe.”
“Oh, even if we can’t see your face because of the magic, your body is quite… something.”
“Tsk, not my type. I wish you were blonde.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Your weird preferences must be on some gallery.”
“Wha- what’s wrong with a bee?!”
But who cares? He was already wanted, so it couldn’t get any worse – putting a knife in the backs of these criminals, who had no loyalty or morals, was better than fighting alongside assassins.
Instead of worrying, they seemed to be more concerned about showing off, just like the students from the Hwaju school who tended to expose themselves.
It must have been the same when they first learned magic, living in the magic tower without popularity or friends like their own school.
“How about roasting some meat? If you have any plans, we can have a party later…”
“You’re ridiculous. I’d rather be eaten alive under that crazy monster than be with you guys.”
“What?”
“At least try to clean yourself up a bit! I’ve been holding back because I thought you were extraordinary, but even with a perception disruptor, your bad breath won’t go away!”
“What are you doing!? aaah!!”
From Isajel’s gloves, flames imbued with magic burst forth.
At the same time, all members of the Eunik Knights drew their swords, and the battle began.
*
“Damn it, this is black magic, isn’t it?”
“Are the guys next to us also enemies?”
“We can’t retreat after coming this far!”
“Secure the path to the upper level!”
“Charge! For Holcroft!”
Clang!
A peculiar three-way battle between mages, black mages, and knights had begun.
However, since the Black Star focused their attacks solely on the Eunik Knights, who were their main target, it was practically a 2-to-1 situation.
The reason the balance of power could be maintained was twofold.
One was an unexpected strike of betrayal from a comrade.
And the other was my existence, which the Black Star hadn’t anticipated.
Every time the sound of tearing air echoed and spread, one by one, my comrades fell.
No defensive magic was effective in front of the spear with the finesse and skill of a master and a commander.
Until now, I hadn’t had a way to automatically retrieve a weapon once thrown, but even that weakness has been somewhat compensated for now.
As the liquor flowed around the spear embedded in the wall, it settled on my hand.
“Well done, Salia. You have your own use, don’t you?”
— I can’t handle this situation, so… instead, I’ll grant you the authority to deal with 100 gangsters later.
— ….
— You don’t want that? It’s a special list of high-ranking gangsters that I personally manage.
However, this method was not foolproof.
Realizing that it wasn’t just a level of attack that could be ignored like other magicians, they immediately changed their target to me.
Not only direct magical attacks, but even gentle summoning magic started to be disrupted.
If it were before, that alone would have made me extremely powerless, but as someone who has mastered interference devices, I had one more weapon.
“Oh, you’re a senior. Have you ever used the gallery?”
“We don’t use that kind of thing. Die…!”
“Surprisingly, there is a record of you accessing it. Unfortunately, even the king you worshiped ultimately fell at my word.”
“This is… a curse!? You can’t be serious!”
Even after leaving the mausoleum, Izagel rushed over with her red hair fluttering in the distance, suppressing a dark magician who had been actively participating in the bee forum.
It was the spear that I had held tightly in my arms and brought back.
Taking it, without hesitation, I threw it at another dark magician who was attacking Irene.
And as she gasped for breath, I looked at her blankly and said,
“What are you doing?”
“Hah, hah… What?”
“Go and pick it up again.”
“Shi, shiipal…!”
She had already betrayed the organization, and if the Silver Knights were to lose this battle, it would be the end for her.
She could only curse and move forward, clenching her teeth.
When the gently cast spell successfully retrieved the spear in the middle, it was still a wasted effort as she had to quickly set fire to the battlefield and escape from the midst of it.
Nevertheless, thanks to her efforts in burning her legs, the tide had completely turned, and the Black Mages had lost their advantage.
As some of them abandoned the corpses of the fallen and started to flee, the formation quickly fell apart.
Izajel barely managed to retrieve the spear he had thrown last, using it as a walking stick, and handed it to me before collapsing.
Suddenly, the spell that disrupted perception was lifted, and tears welled up in his eyes, streaking down his soot-covered face.
“Oh, Mother! I can’t do it anymore…!”
“If you didn’t want to meet someone like me twice, you should have lived a good life. Why did you burn down a perfectly good mountain?”
“Well…because there was a mountain there?”
“….”
This time, I should throw him against the ceiling.
As I was about to cast a teleportation spell to deal with the last person fleeing, I hesitated for a moment and changed the direction of the spear’s tip to the exact opposite.
There was still one thing to do at this moment of confusion.
“Um, can I go now too? If I’m any later, I feel like I’ll be caught…”
“Where are you going? I already hit them from behind.”
“Well, I’ll go into a secluded mountain and hide for about five years! As a former guerrilla fighter, I know my way around herbs and fruits!”
“It’s not okay, but there’s still something I need to tell you.”
“I’ll write you a letter later! I promise!! So please…!”
As I didn’t give my permission, Izajel’s face drained of color.
If she, the fugitive, were to be captured and expelled, unlike other outlaws, the imperial guards would be waiting at the entrance of Matau.
Her trembling thighs imagining herself hanging on the gallows.
“If you want to live, I have a good proposal, would you like to hear it?”
I dropped a location note in the meantime and said.