Chapter 171, What One Can Handle (5)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

Kalian said nothing.

 

In the great forest on the path to the Believer, there are Mages and birds, and ‘they’ who include the Deniers, have gone searching for the birds.

 

The believer referred to Tansyll, and the denier referred to the Wolves of the Great Dunes.

 

Kalian, who had confirmed the riddle-like contents written on the letter with his lips pressed tightly shut, handed it to Plants instead of burning the paper. Then, he leaped straight over the terrace and left.

 

Before long, the sound of a running horse’s hooves echoed through the Royal Palace. The black horse carrying the Prince weaved through the Knights blocking its path with fluid movements and galloped straight ahead.

 

Plants, who had been watching that spectacle from the terrace, quietly rose to his feet. Then, like Kalian, he jumped out through the terrace and headed toward Arpia Palace.

 

Hadn’t Kalian returned the letter to him?

 

It must have meant he was entrusting him with the cleanup, so he was going to deliver the message to Arpia Palace.

 

“···Ha.”

 

[My little brother has run away yet again.]

 

* * *

 

Inside the cave.

 

Euria, who had been standing still in place and scattering Mana to survey the outside, opened her mouth.

 

“You little chirpers.”

 

Yellow Warbler, who had involuntarily turned his head at the words heard while tensing from the explosion that had echoed through the cave, made an irritated face. Regardless, Euria’s voice was carefree.

 

“Got your tails stepped on.”

 

Someone was rushing toward this place with clear intent.

 

Given the momentum of charging straight at this cave specifically, it was definitely not the appearance of someone passing by to exchange greetings. Despite detecting such an extraordinary unfamiliar presence, Euria’s expression did not change at all.

 

At Euria’s words, Yellow Warbler frowned and asked.

 

“Have our tails stepped on? What do you mean?”

 

“A tail is a tail. Someone’s been followed here. I don’t know if it’s our tail or your tail. Probably yours.”

 

Yellow Warbler briefly asked Euria, who had already had their tail stepped on by them but now showed baseless confidence that this time it was the spies’ tail that had been stepped on.

 

“Do you not know who it is?”

 

“Nope, don’t know. If I could figure that out standing here, would I be human?”

 

Soon Euria clenched and unclenched both fists once each. Then she rolled her neck around, loosening her muscles. Having created an atmosphere just like Knights before heading into battle, Euria said to Yellow Warbler.

 

“I don’t mind if you guys run away. But if you take the materials outside the cave, the papers will just get ruined. They’ll get ruined if the cave collapses too. So, you better behave and guard the materials properly.”

 

Yellow Warbler made a menacing face. Euria, who again showed a face that did not seem particularly concerned, spoke again.

 

“Since you’re Wolf Pups from the Great Dunes, don’t come out needlessly to die, making things troublesome.”

 

The spies also knew the power of those called Zeon, especially what kind of monster a Warrior with strong martial power like the ‘Wolves of the Great Dunes’ among them could become when wielding that strength.

 

There was no particular reason for Euria to protect them, nor for them to help Euria. Therefore, while they were briefly contemplating how to conduct themselves, a low voice was heard.

 

“Sleep”

 

It was Euria’s voice, having changed her mind from just leaving them.

 

“I think they’d probably steal and ruin all the materials, so that won’t do.”

 

Euria spoke leisurely while looking at the three spies who had collapsed and fallen asleep side by side, then walked sluggishly out of the cave to catch the wolf that had now approached very close.

 

Purple sparks that had gathered at her fingertips began making crackling sounds.

 

* * *

 

It was not visible.

 

The forest echoed, and Kalian had blocked the attack.

 

Long, thin sword marks remained on the ground from far away to where Kalian was now standing. Only after seeing that could Arsene gauge that Kalian had come from the direction of the Teleportation Magic Circle.

 

He also learned from looking at the sword marks on the ground that Kalian had come running with his sword dragging along the ground, then struck upward at the red Aura Blade that was falling down. He belatedly realized that such a loud roar had echoed because Kalian’s sword, which had struck upward with the force of his charge, and Tamira’s sword, which had struck down with the leaping force toward Arsene, had collided head-on.

 

If not for that, he would never have known how Kalian had arrived or how he had blocked Tamira’s sword.

 

Because nothing had been visible.

 

“Capture the Mage. Don’t kill him.”

 

While glaring at Tamira’s light brown eyes, Kalian said this. It was directed toward Arsene behind him.

 

“Yes, Prince.”

 

The wound on his shoulder must have been deep, as the smell of blood was thick. However, since he was answering well, Kalian judged that it was not life-threatening for the moment. Therefore, he immediately turned his attention away from Arsene. Not to the Mage who had caused trouble, but to the Warrior from the Great Dunes standing right in front of him, who seemed to know how to use a sword.

 

*Clang!*

 

Along with a sound that seemed to announce the beginning of battle, blue energy gathered in Arsene’s hands. After gathering the energy that repeatedly spread through the air and then disappeared as if being absorbed back into his hands, Arsene turned his head toward the opposing Mage.

 

Since Kalian would handle Tamira, who had been troubling Arsene up until now, whether Tamira continued to target him or not, he just needed to capture that one Mage. That very Mage who had been introduced as ‘Marsita’ but had left no impression whatsoever in Arsene’s mind. In short, the Mage was nothing particularly worth remembering.

 

*Whoosh!*

 

The energy that had been gathering in clumps was sucked into Arsene’s palm in an instant, swirling as it disappeared. Confirming that the familiar cold energy was concentrated in his palm, Arsene stepped forward.

 

And he reappeared right in front of that Mage, who had been several steps away.

 

Having realized that Kalian’s intervention had made it a fair fight between equals, the Mage was not flustered and swung a red-glowing dagger.

 

*Swish!*

 

It was so fast that it was questionable whether it was really a Mage’s attack, but Arsene, who had already experienced it once, was no longer startled.

 

Arsene’s fingertips moved.

 

Blue energy that felt like gathered water mist, like steam rising from warm tea, like clouds wrapping around high mountains, enveloped the dagger.

 

*Thud! Crack!*

 

Along with that, the Mage’s hand stopped in mid-air.

 

An unpleasant sound like fingernails scraping metal followed.

 

The red light that had been covering the dagger’s surface disappeared in an instant. Like steel entering water immediately after tempering, the dagger’s surface turned jet black and eventually developed pure white cracks.

 

Like Gray’s marble table, the dagger that had been covered in red Aura had frozen.

 

*Clang!*

 

Soon after, a sound like a well-made porcelain bowl falling to the floor rang out, and the Mage’s dagger shattered completely, scattering across the ground.

 

Without time to be moved by successfully shattering a sword containing Aura, Arsene gathered cold energy once more. This was because he had noticed a large Fireball forming in the Mage’s hand.

 

The red flickering Fireball flew toward Arsene who was right there. Arsene’s figure disappeared like a flicker.

 

*Boom!*

 

The Fireball that flew to where Arsene had been just moments before struck the ground futilely and exploded. As if sending a response to that explosion, cold energy that had gathered in an instant swirled around the Mage. Then four Ice Spears flew toward the Mage.

 

*Crash!*

 

The first three Ice Spears were blocked by the Mage’s Shield. The Ice Spears stuck in the Shield changed form and spread wide. Then, just like before, they densely wrapped around the red light shield and froze.

 

The last fourth Ice Spear was shot.

 

*Crash!*

 

*Crack! Crack!*

 

The Shield that lost its form from the impact of the Ice Spear striking it scattered in the air and disappeared. The last Ice Spear, which had not lost its power even after breaking through the Mage’s Shield, pierced straight through the Mage’s shoulder and was embedded into the ground.

 

“Ugh!”

 

The bone-chilling cold that seemed to freeze him to the marrow was more unbearable than the pain of the wound suffered in an instant. A pained sound leaked from the Mage’s mouth. Seeing this, Arsene pointed to his own shoulder and said.

 

“I’d say we’re even now.”

 

Although Arsene’s situation was much better compared to the Mage, whose shoulder was pierced by the Ice Spear still embedded in the ground and not melting, Arsene saw it as a fair trade.

 

Soon Arsene’s Mana moved once more.

 

An ice chunk rounded like a large stone struck down toward the back of the Mage’s head, who could not dodge.

 

*Whack!*

 

A considerably painful sound echoed, and the Mage lost consciousness and collapsed.

 

* * *

 

A weightless sword was quick to change direction.

 

Kalian, who had forcefully struck upward at Tamira’s sword pressing down from above, immediately brought his raised sword straight down.

 

Tamira, startled by that speed, leaped backward and pulled back. Kalian’s sword that had cut through the air changed direction again and persistently attacked Tamira.

 

*Clang!*

 

Similar to what he had poured out toward Valkan’s Mages but distinctly different, killing intent like an unavoidable curse blocked Tamira’s breath.

 

Kalian’s red Aura around his sword had a stark difference from Tamira’s red Aura. That eerie light like a blood clot that had gushed from a split heart flashed along the sword’s trajectory. The sword’s path was cutting through even the dense darkness that had settled on the forest.

 

The Wolf from the Great Dunes, who had been thrusting her sword to take Arsene’s life just moments before, now swung her sword to prevent her own neck from being severed by a momentary mistake.

 

*Swish! Clang! Clash!*

 

The sound of wind being split did not cease, followed by the sounds of sword meeting sword and sword striking shield.

 

Without a powerful shield, the swords would not have clashed twice. If the wounds that opened had not healed quickly, she would have already entered eternal sleep from the first exchange with Kalian.

 

*Crack!*

 

Seeing the shield being cut away without fail, Tamira unconsciously bit her lower lip.

 

The red eyes that had been facing Tamira disappeared for a moment. The long arc drawn by equally red lips remained in Tamira’s mind like an afterimage.

 

[He is strong!]

 

It felt like hearing the growling of a predator that had just torn at its prey’s nape. The sword’s cry that closely resembled that sound full of predator satisfaction, and the defeated feeling of prey wanting to lay down the sword immediately in the face of terror striking from all directions.

 

[How is he so strong? I did not hear of this! How on earth!?]

 

“You’ll die. If you keep that up.”

 

As if it were an answer to her questioning gaze, a still young voice that had somehow approached close was heard from behind Tamira. The moment that sound was heard, Tamira’s sword reacted.

 

*Whooom!*

 

Tamira, gripping the handle tightly, rotated once at lightning speed and swept all around thoroughly. Despite this, nothing touched the blade’s edge.

 

With a *whooom* sound, the red Aura’s light deepened. It felt as if the surroundings had suddenly brightened, but nothing was visible to the eyes.

 

Then,

 

With a small *tap* sound of kicking off, a sword-red sword fell from above.

 

*Clang!*

 

Tamira, who had instantaneously raised her sword, blocked Kalian’s attack. Feeling that the force of the sword that had leaped like flying and struck down was not very heavy, Tamira’s eyes gleamed.

 

A body without even proper muscles, and a light sword.

 

Realizing this, Tamira put strength into her entire arm and pushed away Kalian’s sword. She planned to attack the torso that would be exposed when swept by the sword being pushed back.

 

Soon, the weight that had been felt on Tamira’s sword disappeared in an instant. As she was about to swing her sword again to cut down the one before her.

 

*Swish!*

 

Kalian, who should have lost balance being pushed back with his sword, instead charged toward Tamira. In his hands, nothing was held.

 

Kalian, who had unhesitatingly dismissed the pushed-back sword, leaped toward Tamira.

 

*Whooom!*

 

A red sword that had somehow taken form again rushed toward Tamira’s neck.

 

“···I told you you’d die.”

 

When a whispering voice circled around her ear.

 

A sword that stretched out as if craving something of the same light cut through flesh without hesitation and took a life.

 

*Thud*

 

Then, the body of the Warrior who could no longer breathe fell to the ground.