62. The Burning City, Altberth (2)
*
Guards were gathering to stop the fire spreading through the market. They were destroying buildings in the path of the flames and pouring water on them. Kirhas, her face smeared with soot, darted back and forth across the rooftops.
“Your Excellency! Your Excellency!!”
-Whizz!
A red spear flew and embedded itself at her feet. Kirhas quickly leaped back and swung her sword.
-Clang!
She deflected the spear that had come dangerously close and stumbled backward. The roof she was standing on, weakened by the flames, was crumbling with every small impact.
“You wench!!”
-Whizz!
Another spear flew, this time aimed not at Kirhas but at the roof beneath her. Kirhas barely managed to keep her balance, thanks to her beastman-like sense of equilibrium, but now there was no ground left to stand on.
“Ahhh!!”
Her body fell toward the blazing building below. She desperately grabbed the edge of the collapsing roof, her body dangling precariously in mid-air. Behind her, she could feel the slow approach of her enemy.
“You… damn beast. This is the end!”
“Who says?”
-Thud.
At that moment, Kirhas’ ears perked up. A familiar voice, familiar footsteps, and a familiar scent! Soon, a strong hand grabbed her arm, which was clinging to the edge of the roof, and with tremendous force, pulled her up!
“Your Excellency!”
“You’ve been through a lot.”
Kirhas buried herself in Fernandez’s arms, her tail stiff with fear and confusion. Fernandez gently stroked the back of her neck. Kirhas purred softly as she clung to him.
“What are you doing to my subordinate?”
“That filthy beast burned down my workshop!”
A robed mage shouted at Fernandez from the rooftop. A knight? A mage? He struggled to figure out Fernandez’s identity.
“Your Excellency, that man is…”
“It’s alright. Rest. I’ll handle this.”
The vision scope around Fernandez’s neck whirred fiercely, analyzing the magical structure entwined around the mage’s body. Fernandez had wondered who Moria had learned magic from, and it seemed she had been taught by a rather traditional school. Fernandez smiled at the familiar magic visible beneath the robe.
“Chelini. Long time no see.”
“…Do you know me?”
“Wish we could’ve met at a better time. You were here during this period, huh?”
“What nonsense are you spouting? Who are you?”
The mage flinched and stepped back. The mage’s hands quickly wove through the air, summoning a beastman. Sequence: Creation, Intervention, Fragmentation, Penetration!
-It seems this is close to the peak of that woman’s prime.
‘His experience is far inferior to the Chelini we knew.’
In an instant, the mage’s fingers summoned four beastmen, and a red spear flew out. Simple, but fast! Fernandez shielded Kirhas with one arm and drew his sword with the other, deflecting the spear.
-Clang!
The blade vibrated, shattering the spear. It was a precise strike, but the blade was visibly damaged. The destructive power was immense, and the scarier part was that this wouldn’t be the only attack!
“Kirhas. Do you remember where Lord Baimeer’s house is?”
“Yes, Sovereign 3rd Street… Yes, I know.”
“Go and warn him. Moria will make her move soon.”
“Yes, Your Excellency. Be careful!”
Kirhas slipped out of Fernandez’s arms and quickly ran off. Fernandez, still holding back the beastmen, glared at the mage.
“Impressive confidence. Knowing who I am, you think you can take me on alone?”
“Chelini. Even if Moria inherited your school, there are too many oddities.”
“True. I also have more than a few questions for you. We’ve come too far for a quiet chat. I’ll start by tearing off your limbs, then ask your brain directly.”
‘Ready?’
-What do I have to prepare?
‘Let’s stick to the plan. I’ll handle the attack.’
As the mage summoned the beastmen, Fernandez also extended his left hand and began summoning. Using one hand reduced precision and speed, but with experience and knowledge, he overcame it.
“As expected! You’ve learned magic, kid!”
-Zap!
Red lightning shot from the mage’s hand. Fernandez thrust his sword, piercing through the lightning. The electricity wrapped around the blade and gnawed at his right arm. Flesh tore, and burns like thick snakes crawled up his arm.
“Ugh!”
Fernandez quickly shook off the residual magic and leaped into the air. The distance to the mage was fifteen meters! With Diemonica’s output, he could reach it in five jumps!
-Construct.
His left hand summoned a beastman, and a black halo rose behind his head. Due to the incomplete Bronze Throne’s limitations, he could only use this magic once a day!
-Zap!
Another bolt of lightning shot from the mage’s hand. Fernandez twisted his body in mid-air to dodge the attack and landed on the next roof. His waist twisted, and he pushed off the ground to leap again!
-Exert.
Another beastman was summoned, and a more tightly woven magical bond manifested along Fernandez’s left arm. The black halo behind his head sprouted thorns and burned—
-Crash!!
“You bastard!”
Once more! Leaping off the roof into the air. Fernandez quickly ascended the crumbling roof, stepping on its precarious footholds.
He approached the mage once more. Now, the distance left was about six meters.
-Physical body.
A halo rose behind his head, igniting black flames! The mage hesitated, stepping back, and drew a red spear to throw. Fernandez’s blade blocked the spear, shattering it into pieces that scattered into the air.
“It’s over now!!”
“Yes. It’s over now!”
‘Faijashi! The Bronze Throne’s function has a limit of five minutes!’
-Five minutes is more than enough for me.
Before the mage could launch her next attack, she paused the hand that was gripping the beastman and stared blankly at the approaching Fernandez. Was it a trick of the distorted clock due to the flames? It seemed as if wings were sprouting from his back—
‘Those aren’t wings… What is that…?’
As Fernandez’s body drew closer, she could now clearly discern its true form. Behind him, a faintly glowing spirit form emerged. The skeletal arm of a withered old man!
Auxiliary spell, Three-Headed Six-Armed. The limit was manifesting two hands, but with the two hands Faijashi controlled, attempting a counter-spell was child’s play.
The Bronze Throne had only prepared five minutes of manifestation. Fernandez picked up the broken sword and threw it, then drew a throwing dagger in one hand.
-Crackle!
The mage bit her lip and attempted to shoot lightning at the approaching Fernandez. The beastman was quickly gripped, and as the magical energy flowed through the circuit, materializing at her fingertips—
‘This is!!!’
-Thud thud thud thud!
With every moment the magical energy gathered, precisely timed and meticulously, magical wedges began to pierce through! The mage panicked, preparing another spell, and yet another. It was useless. Her circuit could no longer gather magical energy!
“You, you!! What are you doing!”
-Crack!
“Ugh!!”
Fernandez’s fist slammed into the mage’s face. The rough force caused the mage’s jaw to twist violently. Fernandez laughed as he stabbed the mage’s stomach with the dagger. Sticky blood oozed from between the mage’s lips.
“Chelini. Chelini. We were such a good pair.”
Chelini by the river. Mindplayer. The Great Witch of the Full Moon. Mistress of the Sabbat. One of the fifteen great villains who set the world ablaze. In his previous life, when he led the Calmburg Magic Academy. She was one of his closest friends.
Her method of manifesting magic, her habits, even the way she tied her magical knots—there was nothing unfamiliar about her. Fernandez smiled bitterly and twisted the blade.
“Ugh…!”
“I’m really sorry we had to meet like this. Chelini. Barbatia Chelini Petrasia.”
“How… do you know me? Were you one of those lowlifes chasing me…?”
“Think of it that way.”
-Moria is coming.
‘How much time is left?’
-3 minutes and 20 seconds.
‘That’s enough.’
*
Kirhas was frantically running across the rooftops, heading toward the inner castle. The inner castle was located at the highest point of the hill, and Sovereign’s 3rd Road stretched right below it. Due to the concentration of noble houses, there were many guards stationed there.
‘The smell of blood?’
Her keen sense of smell caught the scent of blood. Kirhas quickly crouched on the rooftop and scanned her surroundings. There was no sign of commotion or guards rushing about. The smell of blood was thickly emanating from one house on 3rd Road.
‘Ah, I can’t afford to get sidetracked…’
Kirhas didn’t know what Baimeer’s mansion looked like. She couldn’t afford to check the nameplates on the gates of each mansion one by one now.
With a half-gambling mindset, she threw herself toward the mansion where the scent of blood was coming from.
*
Baimeer was sitting down, breathing heavily. He spat out blood-tinged saliva and exhaled hot breath. His side had been pierced, and his right arm was severed. He had lost too much blood, and his mind was hazy.
-Clang!
The sound of shattering glass reached his dazed ears. He sighed and thought to himself. Who has come to take my life this time? Death was already at his doorstep.
‘That fool Jayrin…’
Moria. It seems the great knight’s kingdom is about to crumble at the hands of that witch. Baimeer shed tears. Jayrin had been his disciple. His swordsmanship hadn’t yet matured enough. Not enough to defeat his old and weary master.
“Are you crying now?”
“…Are you his servant?”
“You’re badly injured.”
The sound of tearing bedsheets was heard, and soon his wounds were tightly bandaged. Baimeer opened his blurry eyes and looked ahead. He saw Jayrin’s corpse and Kirhas’s face.
“Did you kill that knight, sir?”
“I’m not that far gone yet.”
“Your Excellency… Sir Albert told me to warn you that Moria will soon make her move. It seems we’re already too late.”
“Not yet.”
Baimeer raised a finger and pointed to his sword. When Kirhas carefully brought the sword over, he shook his head.
“Not me, you take it. Take this sword and find His Highness the Prince. Tell him there was a traitor. Tell him to leave the capital and seek out Sir Paliamain. The capital is dangerous.”
“If it’s Moria and her master, my lord can handle them.”
“…Hah. That kid has grown up so much.”
Baimeer chuckled and laughed. He soon shook his head.
“The Church of the Underground Burial is in the royal palace. Moria and her master are just pawns of the Church. They’ve been hiding behind His Majesty, so we couldn’t touch them until now. But it was only a matter of time.”
“You need to treat your wounds, Sir Baimeer. If you leave them like this, your life is in danger.”
“I don’t even consider it a wound unless it’s less than four arrows. I am a Knight of the Round Table, kid.”
Baimeer struggled to his feet and limped toward the door. With trembling hands, he pulled the sword from Jayrin’s corpse.
“Even if three more of these guys come, they’re no match for me. I am the Great Lord of Althais, Baimeer! Knight of the Round Table, Baimeer!”
“Please stay safe. I’ll be back soon.”
Kirhas bowed respectfully to the old knight and slipped out through the window. The sound of armored men running up the mansion’s stairs could be heard. Baimeer loosened his arm and whispered.
“I am Baimeer of Althais.”
*
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