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[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 117: Fire Show!
Speaking of which, maybe it was from spinning so much.
My head was reeling, but like the Crazy Mage I am, I quickly regained my balance. A madman's head spins well, after all.
Gently landing on the ground, I glared menacingly at the bewildered Red Phoenix Division members.
Pointing at the cowering underlings one by one, I declared,
"Follow me, and you die."
I immediately turned and sprinted down the snow-covered forest path, repeating to myself,
'This is not a retreat.'
This was the direction I originally intended to go.
Perhaps because the night was so deep, it was hard to see clearly.
Even after running for a long time, the manor was still out of sight. Then, from behind, I heard a whistle twice.
Tweet— Tweet—
'Sneaky bastards.'
I could sense the Red Phoenix Division members following me from a distance, maintaining a safe gap. It felt ominous.
Why bother whistling twice instead of once?
I picked up the pace, then abruptly stopped.
Kwooong—
Something was approaching rapidly from the opposite direction, splitting the earth.
'The Red Phoenix Grandmaster?'
As soon as the thought crossed my mind, the bushes rustled violently in the wind. "Fast" was an understatement. This was insane speed. I stared straight ahead, then quickly shifted my gaze upwards. This was...
"Heeheehee!"
A green flash illuminated the dark path, and a massive form leaped over the bushes.
A Skeletal Horse.
Emitting a chilling blue light from its eyes, the Skeletal Horse landed gracefully, blocking the path. The Red Phoenix Grandmaster, mounted on its back, looked at me with an incredulous smirk.
Suddenly, his face became incredibly irritating. He pointed a finger at me.
"You madman. How did you escape from prison?"
"It wasn't that difficult."
The Red Phoenix Grandmaster, pondering my abilities, tilted his head.
"Even so, this is beyond expectation."
The Division members who had followed the Grandmaster appeared one by one, lining up behind him. Soon, the underlings who had been trailing me from afar also arrived and shouted towards the Grandmaster.
"Grandmaster! He broke through the magic barrier!"
The Red Phoenix Grandmaster's eyes widened in surprise. After a brief silence, he pulled out a pair of red gloves from his pocket and put them on.
"It doesn't matter. It seems you were trying to escape. I commend you for that."
"This isn't escape. This is the way I was going anyway."
Ignoring my words, the Red Phoenix Grandmaster, full of arrogance, beckoned me with a crooked finger. Seeing him act so condescendingly towards me, I suddenly felt enraged. He muttered,
"Let's go back quietly, young man."
It seemed he wanted to take credit for capturing me. The underlings crowding the path ahead and behind watched us with gleaming eyes.
The Grandmaster then stylishly slapped the Skeletal Horse's flank.
This guy was an idiot huh!!
Why you ask?
Skeletal Horses were Familiars specialized for transportation. They weren't much help in close combat. He would be better off fighting on foot.
The fact that a mage, not a knight with a lance, was showing off on horseback was ridiculous.
The Grandmaster seemed somewhat skilled, but his arrogance made it meaningless.
"Heeheehee!"
The Skeletal Horse charged towards me, its eyes glowing with a chilling blue light.
As the Red Phoenix Grandmaster drew a 5-star hand sign from atop his saddle, I crouched low and leaped into his blind spot. Crossing paths with the Skeletal Horse, I swung the Cold Iron Bar with my right hand.
Thwang—
The Skeletal Horse's hind leg, struck by the bar, froze instantly and shattered with a sickening crack, sending the creature stumbling.
Naturally, the Red Phoenix Grandmaster lost his balance…
I stretched out my left hand towards his falling figure.
'Piercing Wind.'
"No way!"
The Grandmaster twisted his body, desperately trying to regain his balance, but it was too late.
Whack— Deeeng—
"Gah!"
Struck in the head by the pure white Cold Iron Bar, the Red Phoenix Grandmaster crashed to the ground with a resounding clang.
I struck his head once more with the bar and immediately leaped into the air.
The Red Phoenix Division members, witnessing their leader's pathetic defeat, could only blink in astonishment.
With a single leap, I soared over the underlings, then glanced back at them.
"Follow me, and you die. I'll say it again, this isn't running away."
After delivering my message, I sprinted down the forest path.
***
As I neared the end of the forest path, I heard the whistle again.
Tweet— Tweet— Tweet—
Three times? These damn sneaky bastards.
Sensing that things were about to get annoying, I quickly entered the manor grounds and surveyed my surroundings.
Something was different.
As if to confirm the gravity of the situation, the dim lights illuminating the manor now emitted a chilling glow.
Glancing up, I saw a gaping hole in the magic barrier that had enveloped the manor.
"Who's there!"
I launched fire spears at the two men who rushed towards me, then increased my speed.
They had blown the whistle three times, so reinforcements would be swarming soon.
Every second counted.
With each step, I compressed the air beneath my feet, exploding forward. The lightness granted by Haste amplified the force of each push.
My destination was set.
That gaping hole in the magic barrier above the manor.
If Fichte was unconscious, then Ardehain's main family must have taken some action. Perhaps the "Flower Sword Ship" had arrived.
Either way, Fichte was likely there.
"..."
Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks and abruptly changed direction.
I sensed a faint mana fluctuation to my left.
It seemed insignificant at first, but an unfamiliar energy mixed within it set my nerves on edge.
My decision was made in a split second.
I retreated sharply and thrust my hand towards the main building.
'Fire Burst.'
I unleashed a massive fireball, using its recoil to propel myself backward.
At that moment, a wave of blue light erupted from the main building, engulfing the flames.
KwaaAAAAaaang!
A shockwave surged towards me in a semicircle. But I was already retreating, so it didn't reach me.
"Truly... an astonishing insect."
Meanwhile, the Special Task Force emerged from the main building.
The Task Force Commander held a large rectangular object in his hand. I recognized it immediately.
'A Mana Distortion Device.'
An artifact that distorts the flow of mana.
Moreover, the barrier surrounding the main entrance made it difficult to detect.
The Commander and a few of his subordinates must have activated a spell simultaneously.
Underlings began to swarm from all corners of the manor.
Members of the Red Phoenix Division and Azure Dragon Division appeared from everywhere, forming a wide circle around me. Further back, three or four elders stood with their arms crossed.
Balkan was probably watching me from somewhere nearby as well.
The dim lights illuminating the manor felt even more chilling now.
The Task Force Commander stepped forward and sneered.
"Quite the audacity for an insect."
"Watch your tongue. I'm already furious about being falsely accused."
"Trying to escape?"
"As I've said repeatedly, this isn't an escape."
The Commander chuckled.
"It will be difficult."
"Bullshit."
A foul stench wafted from somewhere, and then, to my delight, Blackie emerged from around a corner. True to his battle-loving nature, he charged towards me, barking ferociously.
I barked back with equal enthusiasm.
"Woof!"
Blackie instinctively yelped and swerved. He wasn't the only one surprised. The entire Task Force stared at me with wide eyes.
I was not one to miss an opportunity.
Taking advantage of the confusion in their encirclement, I kicked off the ground and leaped.
With a thwang, I burst through the gap in their ranks. Landing on my feet, I began to run through the manor.
"Follow me, and you die!"
Fighting them all at once would be foolish. The underlings were one thing, but the Special Task Force wasn't a group I could easily dispose of.
And then there were the elders, lurking like sneaky rats, waiting for an opening.
There was a better strategy.
They didn't know my objective.
Seeing them cautiously pursue me, it seemed they were afraid of damaging Balkan's precious manor.
What is the enemy's weakness?
I wreaked havoc, launching fireballs left and right.
"Fire show!"
I even took the time to castrate the peeing cherub statue in the manor's central pond with a swing of my Cold Iron Bar.
I pretended to escape, only to circle back and set fire to the manor. I hurled fireballs whenever I passed the main building.
Fwaaaang—!
Urgon had never experienced anything like this. My unhinged, reckless behavior clearly rattled them.
It was too late for them to regret not taking me down decisively from the start. As I circled the manor, I blended in with Urgon's men, making it hard to distinguish friend from foe.
"You bastard!"
Still, someone was persistently chasing me. My anger flared again.
I abruptly turned and locked eyes with a member of the Task Force.
"Do you think I'm joking when I say I'll kill you?"
I swung the Cold Iron Bar at the forehead of the Task Force member who had been hot on my heels, then kicked off the ground again.
I shot forward like a projectile.
Urgon's men regained their senses and gave chase, but I had already gained enough distance.
Having shaken off my pursuers with a brilliant psychological maneuver, I sprinted until I came to an abrupt halt in front of an ornate annex.
Looking up, I saw the sky through a gaping hole in the shimmering barrier.
"..."
I sensed the lingering traces of a massive magical surge in the air.
Ardehain's swordsmen stood guard at the annex entrance.
"I've found the right place."
Suddenly sensing a murderous intent, I turned to see Urgon's men, who had caught up, spread out and glaring at me.
Moments later, they parted like the tide, and a familiar middle-aged man stepped forward.
"It was you."
Balkan met my gaze with a complex expression.
"Are you confessing to your crime?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Why did you do such a thing? Was Samael's resentment towards us that great?"
Seeing Balkan feigning ignorance, I realized further explanation would be a waste of breath.
I looked at the swordsmen guarding the annex entrance.
"Please summon Lady Loren."
The swordsmen showed no reaction to the conflict between me and Urgon's forces.
"I have urgent matters to discuss with Lady Loren. Please summon her."
"..."
Were these the aloof swordsmen of a noble family? Their faces were utterly indifferent. I took a step back from the entrance and shouted,
"Come out, Loren!"
Balkan, who had been observing my actions, let out an amused chuckle.
Undeterred, I shouted again.
"Do you intend to kill the Third Military Commander?"
The swordsmen's eyes twitched.
Balkan's expression also shifted subtly, and he nodded towards his subordinates. The encirclement tightened.
"If she won't come out, I'll go in."
As I strode towards the entrance, the swordsmen blocked my path.
I started to activate my circles, and the swordswoman who seemed to be their leader narrowed her eyes and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.
"Stop."
"I have urgent matters to discuss with Lady Loren."
"Denied."
"And if I refuse?"
As the swordswoman drew her flexible sword, I fully activated my mana circles.
The moment I extended my hands towards the trajectory of the incoming sword,
Pabat—! Chuck—
The swordswoman abruptly sheathed her weapon and froze.
I withdrew my hands and fixed my gaze on the entrance.
From the depths of the annex,
A petite woman slowly emerged.
Saaa—
Her presence alone seemed to consume the surrounding space.
Even Urgon's subordinates, who had been tightening the encirclement, sensed something and halted their advance.
Loren, standing at the entrance, met my eyes.
Her gaze was cold and indifferent.
Just as I expected. There was no suspicion in her eyes. Loren had no interest in the fight between me and Urgon's forces.
Only...
Fury at the fact that someone had dared to harm a member of the main family within her domain.
Loren wouldn't take any action until Fichte recovered.
She would make her move after that. Urgon had tried to frame me, but it wouldn't influence Loren in the slightest.
After all, it wasn't Urgon's decision to make. However...
"I warned you."
Loren, her eyes fixed on me, tilted her chin slightly.
"What did you say about the Third Military Commander?"
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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