Chapter 161
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 161
Chapter Title: Like a Candle with a Thick Wick
Whiiiiiing.
Blue-glowing mana the size of an adult's head.
The pure hue of wind-element mana, perfectly showcasing its magical properties.
Gulp.
A dry swallow went down.
The 7th Circle mage withdrew his shield spell and unleashed his prepared magic.
'Bebeto, let's meet again alive!'
I didn't want things to come to this, but I'd underestimated the enemy too much.
I'd heard the Mage Tower was sending reinforcements, but I never imagined someone at the Tower Lord's level would show up.
And now the price: a sudden crisis.
I fully activated my mana hole to maximum output.
It was unmistakably a 7th Circle wind spell.
In an instant, it tore through space, drawing in an enormous amount of surrounding mana.
'It's coming!'
The magic manifested at incredible speed.
My focus let me see every detail clearly through my eyes.
It was a breathtaking sight.
The 7th Circle spell demonstrated the synthesis and explosion of mana molecules on a whole other level from 6th Circle magic.
In a flash, the spell filled the space, sweeping through my surroundings with nuclear-explosion-level mana fueled by the caster's will.
"Barrier!!!!!"
The strongest defensive spell I could cast.
Whiiiiiinnnng!
Mana from my upper and middle dantians gathered at the mana hole near my waist, forming a barrier spell.
Ziiiiinnnng!
Protecting just myself wouldn't have been an issue.
It was clearly a large-scale wind spell expanding from the center of space.
If I'd kept the barrier's mana structure dense, it would have been more than enough for my body alone.
But I had to shield the massive Bebeto from the attack too.
A thick milky-white barrier shield took shape beneath the slashing blades of the presumed 7th Circle Wind Storm bearing down.
In that moment, the magic and my body became one.
It wasn't just frontal defense—a full spherical barrier required mana to connect through me like veins.
Swish.
Even in my focus, I gripped my spear.
If I survived this moment.
I planned to make sure he learned my name loud and clear.
"Foolish fool. Kekeke."
A barrier spell unfurling toward the 7th Circle Wind Storm.
The mana circle multiplication rule was an ironclad law.
Not just any lower circle—the exponential mana consumption gap between 7th and 6th Circle was like heaven and earth.
The density and volume of activated mana were incomparable.
The barrier the fool deployed was impressive, but only up to a point.
How could 6th Circle magic block 7th Circle?
Ziiiiinnnng.
The Wind Storm enveloped the barrier as it expanded.
Shrieeeeeek.
Fierce wind blades pierced the ears.
Terobeyan imagined Neruman's lord being torn to shreds mid-stationary flight.
KABOOOOM!
The spells collided, unleashing a deafening explosion.
A clash of mana volumes that could obliterate a fortified city wall in one hit.
Kagagagagagagagagagang.
The Wind Storm, having perfectly absorbed the mana, formed a blue space and wrapped around the barrier.
Then came a barrage of tearing metallic roars.
Nothing was visible.
The space was engulfed in a storm of blinding lights from the mana collision.
Kagagagagagang, pergegegegegegek.
'He's holding out longer than expected.'
A mage's casting time scaled with their mana reserves.
Not being master-class, the Wind Storm took about 20 seconds to fully manifest.
A question arose on Terobeyan's face as he closed his eyes against the light storm and smirked.
A typical 6th Circle barrier should have shredded apart on impact, yet the collision sounds kept ringing out.
The mages had already shifted to stationary flight.
They'd halted to avoid getting caught in the magical backlash.
Now mere spectators, they squinted to watch the 7th Circle spell.
Even Mage Tower mages couldn't casually witness such magic.
They savored the ecstatic world of grand magic amid the brilliance.
"Huh!"
"Huhhh!"
But it was only for a moment.
Screams suddenly burst from the watching mages' mouths.
Though in stationary flight, the upper air was buffeted by fierce winds from the Wind Storm unfolding 300 meters away.
The magic's manifestation had ended; the lights and wind storm had vanished.
Kuaaaaaaaa!
The roar of an enraged wyvern thundered into the stunned mages' ears like lightning.
"Hey, you bastard! Eat this!"
In that instant, a man's desperate shout echoed through the skies.
From the space where the magic had just been, a single wyvern and its rider burst forth.
The wyvern's armor bore hundreds of blade marks from the wyvern leather.
Drenched in blood, the furious wyvern charged the mages.
Kaaaaaaaak!
Kueeeeee!
That wasn't all.
Behind the battered black heteromorph wyvern came five golden wyverns and Skyknights.
They plunged straight into the midst of the stationary-flying mages.
Shrieeeeeek.
Spears flew toward the dazed mages.
The faces of Terobeyan and his mages, who hadn't doubted victory, hardened in an instant.
Puuuuk!
The spear pierced straight through the body of the mage who'd hurled 7th Circle magic at me.
I couldn't see his face under the helmet, but he must be struggling to accept the spear now embedded in him.
Puuuk! Pububuk!
Kueeeeeek!
"Uwaaaaaah!"
That wasn't all.
The beastkin folk suffered no damage thanks to the Wind Storm focused on me.
They dove among the mages, hurling spears at anything in reach.
'Damn it! You're all dead.'
The unfamiliar sensation of twin nosebleeds trickling down.
Rage boiled to the top of my head.
Bebeto was in bad shape too.
His armor and body were mangled from enduring the 7th Circle spell, blood flowing like water from torn leather.
Shwishwishwishwishwish.
I unleashed spears from both hands nonstop.
The mages still in stationary flight.
No different from dumb flies caught in a flyswatter's range.
"My lord! Leave the fighting to us and fall back!"
"My lord! We're back!"
Just then, the squadron leaders' worried voices echoed relentlessly in my helmet, having reformed ranks and completed their pursuit.
"Wipe them all out. Don't leave a single one alive!"
"Chuuuung!"
The cold command rang out.
The knights' furious cries of loyalty echoed from within their helmets.
"Y-Your Majesty, you must hurry back to the Imperial Capital."
"What is it!"
Poltviran, who'd been fondling the lovely maid attending him since Central Fortress—a habit dogs can't break—yelled in surprise at Silvron and Marquis Darbashin barging in without knocking.
He'd lost, but the Three Kingdoms Alliance occupying empty Neruman made up for it.
No matter how fierce Kayer was, seeing razed Denfos would surely break his will.
Yet Silvron entered with an urgent plea to return to the capital.
"What is it, I said!"
Poltviran scolded the trembling, speechless Count Silvron.
"R-Rebellion, sire! Emergency magic communication just reported kingdoms declaring war on the Empire and crossing borders. Krantz Kingdom's capital has fallen to forces led by Crown Prince Byons, with the garrison all captured!"
"Huhhh!"
Poltviran gasped, eyes bulging.
Rebellion from the kingdoms—a nightmare he never dreamed of.
The shock made his mind reel.
"Hurry back to the capital and safeguard your person, Your Majesty. Sound the alert for the full army and rally the lords' forces."
Silvron wasn't a fool.
Even in crisis, he knew how to save his own skin.
"Q-Quick, prepare wyverns! Hurry!!!!"
Even flying fast, it was three days from Central Fortress to the capital.
With the Three Kingdoms declaring war, nowhere was safer than the capital.
"Huuu...."
A held breath escaped as Bebeto landed in Neruman Citadel's hangar.
'I can't do that again.'
How heart-stopping and blood-boiling that moment had been.
Slapping Poltviran's cheek had been fine, but the Mage Tower mages' sudden attack nearly sent me to the gods.
Flap flap, flap flap flap.
As Bebeto landed, the territory's knights followed suit.
Uncertain how things would turn, I'd landed all Skyknights in the citadel hangar.
'30 dead...'
Nothing compared to the enemy, but 30 Skyknights perished.
They'd died on impact before holy water could be used.
"My lord!"
"Kayer!"
"Brother!!!!"
Derbal, Armis, Isis, and other familiar faces rushed over, as if waiting for my return.
'Good thing it ended here.'
Without Duke Hardaim appearing, Neruman would have burned tomorrow or the day after.
Mages and over 1,600 wyverns in an aerial assault.
The knights' deaths hadn't been in vain.
"You've done well, my knights. Rest until further orders!"
"Chuuuung!"
The knights gathered around me after dismounting.
They bellowed loyal roars in response.
'Come, all of you. I'll welcome you!'
The more they oppressed me, the firmer my resolve grew.
Like a candle with a thick wick.
"Tsk tsk...."
In Duke Garviti's territory in the Empire's north.
Garviti clicked his tongue at the stream of dire Empire reports.
What had built this Empire?
Founded by first Emperor Bahillain, 330 years had passed.
It had withstood monster hordes from Ritor Mountains and Temir tribe attacks, emerging as great Vazran Empire amid continental turmoil.
Compared to Raviter and Ofern, its territory wasn't vast.
But Vazran's loyal retainers had served Empire and Emperor with devotion befitting the name.
Yet now the great Empire crumbled in days.
Emperor Poltviran, a tyrant unprecedented in history, with his atrocities.
Kingdoms bound by blood and friendship turned away; the Emperor and Vazran's main forces crushed in one territory.
"The Emperor holes up in the capital, nobles refuse to cooperate with legions... Tough times."
Under former Emperor Habitron's orders, Duke Garviti retained full forces intact.
200 wyverns from the ducal house, 150 reserve from the 9th Legion in the north, and about 250 from minor lords loyal to him—total 600 wyverns secured.
Enough to face a single kingdom.
"The Emperor's decree..."
He pondered.
He'd skipped Neruman subjugation citing illness.
Thus preserving his knight order intact.
But the Emperor issued an edict.
Normally via communication magic, but the duke's deliberate block prevented it.
So it arrived via Lumicar.
After reports of the Emperor's Skyknights swept away like autumn leaves by Neruman's lord and kingdoms rebelling in wait, came the order.
Come to the capital at once and join rebellion suppression.
"Even Lumicar loses his way sometimes."
Tear.
Duke Garviti shredded the Emperor's edict among papers.
He'd already decided.
Sending northern forces to the Emperor now wouldn't stop the momentum of kingdom armies.
No—staying put would check Kubiran Kingdom's advance.
"Now to enthrone the true Emperor."
Garviti had erased Poltviran from his heart.
He thought of the young prince, still childish but most like Emperor Habitron in character.
"Count Kayer, just hold out a bit longer for His Highness."
But not yet.
Garviti remained in Vazran, awaiting the foolish Emperor and useless nobles' self-destruction.
He closed his eyes quietly.
If Emperor Habitron's soul had crossed to the afterlife first, he fervently prayed it would protect Vazran and the prince by safeguarding Neruman.