Ethnic Hatred (1)
Chapter 19
The clash between a swordsman and a mage has always been an intriguing subject.
However, anyone who knows anything about combat will say that, unless special conditions like ambushes are set up, mages hold the tactical advantage in most battlefields.
It is a valid statement.
Especially when facing a high-level mage of 6th Circle or above, even a squad of Expert Level warriors would find it difficult to gain the upper hand.
At least a Graduate level warrior, surpassing Expert, would be necessary. Even this is considered the bare minimum.
Thus, Jimy standing face-to-face with David was akin to suicidal behavior.
David momentarily felt an impulse to kill Jimy but quickly regained his composure.
He had noticed there was another enemy.
Where? Beyond the ceiling. On the roof.
Killing two half-Expert level fighters would be far too easy.
However, they were seasoned mercenaries. If they put up a desperate fight, quietly subduing them would be challenging.
With a Count nearby, any noise from the battle leaking out would be highly inconvenient.
While killing the two mercenaries might be manageable, if the situation escalates, other mages hearing the news might grow suspicious.
That would truly be problematic.
‘That thing’ must not fall into anyone else’s hands. It must be monopolized.
There’s no need to rush over a day or two. No one has yet realized the value of ‘that thing.’ Matters needed to be handled flawlessly with an unwavering mind.
David’s hand once again disappeared into the shadow of his robe.
Clomp clomp
David began to walk.
Jimy still had sword aura generated, with all his strength focused on his legs.
David continued walking until he finally stood next to Jimy.
“…”
David simply passed by Jimy.
A bead of cold sweat formed on Jimy’s nose before dripping down.
Maintaining extreme tension for a long time, Jimy exhaled the breath he had been holding after hearing a familiar voice.
“He’s gone, boss.”
“Huuuuuuh.”
Jimy, with his damp hair tossed back, leaned against the wall and asked.
“Did he really leave?”
“I confirmed he left the orphanage.”
“Damn it, judging by the pressure alone, he was definitely a high-level mage!”
“Likely someone from the Count’s household. If it’s a high-level mage, David was probably invited here for Miss Alesya’s education.”
“Why the hell did that bastard suddenly storm into the orphanage?”
Jimy punched the wall.
His bloated liver from his mercenary days managed to give him a formidable appearance, but this time he nearly died.
Truthfully, during his mercenary days, he never faced a high-level mage head-on. If he had, he’d have been dead long ago.
“Is everything alright?”
The pre-pubescent voice of a child.
Turning their heads, Ray stood in the hallway.
“Did something happen?”
“There was some extremely shitty stuff. A mage from the Count’s family seemed to have lost his mind and crawled here…”
Jimy stopped mid-sentence and narrowed his eyes.
“You little bastard, did you know this would happen and send us?”
“…I thought we might run into him.”
Jimy grinned.
“Hey, you little son of a bitch!!!”
Even Ray had nothing to say about this one.
Hanging helplessly in the air by his collar, Ray listened to Jimy’s curses.
“KRAAAAAAA!! You little bastard, you’re trying to get rid of me so you can take charge, aren’t you?!”
“Why would I want to remove a vice-leader?”
“What the hell do you mean ‘vice-leader’?! I’m not a goddamn vice-leader!!”
Jimy continued cursing until his eardrums hurt, then eventually placed Ray down and questioned him.
“So why did that mage crawl here?”
“…I don’t know exactly. He seemed headed toward the orphanage, and since the only people I could trust were Jimy and Matthew, I asked for your help.”
“Even so, you sent us to certain death without any warning!!”
“I believed you would be safe, Jimy.”
It was sincere.
If the mage noticed Luna’s existence and tried to scheme, Ray predicted that ‘combat’ wouldn’t ensue at the orphanage, especially with a Count nearby. Still, asking without warning was indeed dangerous, and Ray honestly apologized.
“I’m sorry. Thank you for protecting the children.”
“Haa, fine. Let’s drop this topic. I’m still shaking like crazy.”
Sitting down, Jimy slowly regulated his breathing.
Calmly composing himself, Jimy brought up a question that had been lingering for several days.
“Why did you send that letter so poorly written?”
“There were circumstances.”
Ray smiled faintly and continued.
“After searching the mountain all day, killing a Wildboar, carrying the whining Alesya, and descending the mountain through the night, I just couldn’t gather my wits.”
Jimy, who had intended to comment, nodded instead.
Jimy had often found himself in extreme situations during his mercenary days. When a person lacks sleep and their stamina drops, their judgment becomes clouded, leading to nonsensical speech.
Among those, the ones calmly seeking their mothers were already exceptional.
“I understand.”
“As for you, Jimy, didn’t you tell the Count that I use sword aura, sealing my fate?”
“Yamama, when Miss went missing, we searched the Sigini Mountain Range with the Count. There, we found Wildboars torn apart.”
Jimy swallowed and pointed at his own belly.
“But some idiot covered the unmistakable traces of a sloppy sword aura. So, I solemnly reported to the Count, ‘Judging by the concealed traces of sword aura, Miss may have been kidnapped.’ And then a bridge flew down from the sky.”
“Hahaha!”
As Ray burst into laughter imagining the scene, Jimy and Matthew joined in.
After laughing for quite a while, Jimy grabbed Ray’s shoulder.
“In any case, thank you. I thought I’d lose my head after this incident. Thanks to you, I’ve relieved one worry. If anything had happened to Miss being torn apart by Wildboars… ugh, I don’t even want to imagine it. But what did you ask the Count for as compensation? He seems like someone who would grant almost anything.”
“I requested knights be dispatched.”
“Knights? Did he agree to that?”
“He readily agreed. He promised to provide the ‘children’ of the orphanage with basic mana cultivation techniques and swordsmanship training.”
Jimy and Matthew’s gazes changed.
“Mana cultivation techniques?”
“Swordsmanship? The kind used by knights?”
“Yes. Though basic, it’s proper knight-level mana cultivation techniques and swordsmanship…”
“OOOOOOOH…”
“OOOOOOOHHH…”
“If things go well after the basics, I intend to request mana refinement techniques…”
“Ma, Mana refinement techniques!”
“OOOOOOOHHHH…!”
Seeing Jimy and Matthew’s strange reactions, Ray furrowed his brow this time.
“What’s wrong with you guys?”
“Ah, Ray, isn’t it obvious?”
Jimy, closing the distance, cautiously reconfirmed.
“Do ‘we’ also get included in the ‘children’ of the orphanage?”
Has this guy’s brain broken after dealing with the mage?
Ray, looking at Jimy with a chilling gaze, soon relaxed his expression as if understanding.
Both had become Experts through cheap mana techniques during their mercenary days.
Though they possessed sufficient talent, it hadn’t blossomed, leaving them with a significant desire for proper learning.
Learning systematic mana cultivation techniques and swordsmanship now might not lead to great success, but Jimy and Matthew were aware of that fact.
“Well, I’ll try to make the request.”
“Uhhihihihihic!!”
“Uhhahahahaang!!”
Jimy and Matthew stared at each other and burst into eerie laughter.
Watching them with a troubled gaze, Ray eventually voiced the question lingering on his lips.
“Jimy, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“If we mobilize the full force of our group, can we kill a 6th Circle mage?”
Caught off guard by Ray’s unexpected question, Jimy’s hand trembled as he had just been giggling moments ago.
As silence stretched on, Matthew beside him shook his head.
“It’s impossible. High-level mages are more difficult opponents than Graduate-level warriors. They carry multiple artifacts with spells inscribed.”
“And if I’m included in the forces?”
Matthew looked Ray in the eye.
It wasn’t clear whether this question stemmed from mere curiosity or had another reason behind it.
“…Your Spatial Blade is still incomplete.”
“That’s true.”
“A mage won’t stay in one place once combat begins. They move constantly to avoid interception. Moreover, a high-level mage would definitely notice the moment mana concentrates enough to manifest sword aura.”
“And since I can’t control the delay of spatial leaps yet…”
“Even if you attempt an ambush, things could go awry, and you might end up cutting through empty air. Even if you hit, it’s questionable whether a high-level mage would die instantly. If the first attack fails, victory is unlikely.”
“Yamama, let’s assume we can kill him.”
Jimy interjected.
“We can’t handle the aftermath. Mages disappearing for a month or two is common, but if the disappearance extends longer, the Magic Tower they belong to will intervene. Even the Count wouldn’t side with us in matters involving mages, and if caught, we’d all die.”
Ray’s face hardened seriously.
Killing is almost impossible, and if killed, cleanup is unfeasible.
A choice had to be made. Whom to save?
Unless the entire orphanage is to be burned down, the remaining option is…
To surrender what the mage wants.
‘Surrender?’
To whom? Luna?
“Kukk…”
After spinning around for a few years, pulling gacha endlessly, and barely obtaining a legendary orphan, should we hand her over to a mage kid we just met today?
If that’s the case, why have we endured all this hardship until now?
Should we keep offering sacrifices every time a unique or legendary orphan appears?
If living means doing such things, we shouldn’t have started this endeavor in the first place.
Since it was either win or lose, Ray intended to keep rolling the dice until achieving complete victory.
‘But…’
Would others really agree to risk their lives to protect a single kid?
Ray doubted it.
Anyone who agrees would be insane.
Adversely opposing a 6th Circle Mage diverged from merely risking one’s life.
Ray, who had been chuckling continuously, abruptly stopped laughing.
“What are you pondering?”
Ray would absolutely not allow ‘his’ possession to be taken away.
Even if it meant dying.
*
“Sniff, huuuh!”
Inside the carriage, Alesya, having been scolded by the Count, wiped her tears while sniffing.
The Count was also troubled seeing his daughter cry, but this matter couldn’t be resolved by indulgence.
Still, considering the hardships she endured over these few days, his resolve weakened. Thus, the Count ceased his reprimand and consoled Alesya.
“Stop crying. Acknowledging your mistake is enough.”
“Sniff! Yes…”
When did Alesya start causing such trouble?
Although she was a tomboy in the past, she never ran away so recklessly.
The turning point where she began disobeying orders more frequently was…
‘When I scolded her for befriending people regardless of social status.’
Just in case, the Count opened his mouth.
“Alesya, did you dislike my advice to choose friends based on social standing?”
Alesya’s body shuddered.
The Count felt a headache coming on but refrained from pressing his temples due to pride and continued the conversation.
“I did not forbid interaction solely because their blood is lowly. People ultimately are influenced by their environment. Those who lack proper education tend to be ignorant, vulgar, unrestrained, and stubborn.”
“…”
“You must lead them, hence you cannot be tainted by them.”
Alesya began swinging her legs back and forth, clearly sulking.
The Count once again felt the urge to press his temples.
“However, that Ray fellow is different.”
Alesya stopped swinging her legs.
“He’s an incredibly wise child for his age. Also, he’s kind and loyal.”
Alesya’s subtle attempts to gauge his reaction were noticeable.
The Count, observing his daughter’s responses, felt a headache brewing.
“Considering the children residing in the orphanage led by such a wise boy, I believe they are suitable companions for you. I will not prohibit your interactions with them.”
Alesya’s lips moved uncertainly.
Alesya tried not to show it, but the Count saw right through her.
In fact, witnessing this, he had previously scolded her to distance herself from Ray.
Now, however, he hoped their relationship would grow closer.
Alesya grinned mischievously and asked.
“Dad, Ray is super strong.”
“Yes. He possesses remarkable talent.”
“Could Ray become a Knight?”
Knight? Is that all?
In the Count’s opinion, if it were turbulent times, Ray would be capable of founding an empire.
“He has the potential to become one.”
“Mmm… Hmm… Hehehe…”
What kind of imagination made her laugh so happily?
Deciding it would only cause further headaches to inquire, the Count gave up.
“By the way, is David still absent?”
Opening the carriage window, David was just approaching.
The Count waited for David to board but, upon meeting the Count’s gaze, David remained standing and slightly bowed his head.
“My Lord, I will be away for a month.”
A month.
Not a short period, so even the Count expressed displeasure this time.
“David, we have a contract. For the next three months, you must focus on Alesya’s lessons.”
“I apologize. An unforeseen event requires immediate action. Upon my return, I promise to compensate adequately for not fulfilling the contract faithfully.”
The Count nodded.
David was a mage affiliated with the Magic Tower, and certainly not someone who spoke lightly.
An apology had been given, and compensation promised, so there was no need for further emotional distress.
“Understood. Proceed as you wish.”
“Thank you for your magnanimity, My Lord.”
David bowed once more before moving away from the carriage.
The Count detected no particular issues.
Mages acting independently was a common occurrence.
