Chapter 43
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Translator: Xrecker
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Checkmate
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“Margrave!”
I waved as I approached, and the Margrave of Hamburg, spotting me, waved back with a welcoming smile.
“Welcome, Mage Kaldrash.”
“You’re here earlier than I expected.”
“It’s better to be waiting than to be kept waiting, wouldn’t you agree?”
The Margrave grinned and introduced the man beside him.
“This is Fellmond, my most trusted subordinate. He’s been by my side since we were children.”
“Fellmond, at your service.”
The man with a long scar across his eye bowed slightly.
Judging by his mana signature, he was a Sword Expert, on the verge of becoming a Sword Master.
A formidable opponent. Perhaps even a match for the Hero without his holy sword.
Looking around, all the soldiers present seemed to be capable of using Aura, marking them as skilled mana users.
A true elite force.
I shook Fellmond’s hand and then addressed the Margrave.
“It’s quite a long journey. Are you sure you have the time? The city might fall into chaos if you’re away for too long.”
The Margrave waved his hand dismissively.
“I’ll be fine. No matter how busy I am, I have to make sure my daughter is safe.”
“…Then let’s depart. I’ll lead the way.”
Sensing his unwavering resolve, I didn’t argue further.
“You didn’t bring a horse? It’s quite a long walk.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m quite fit.”
I patted my chest, showing off my physique, and the Margrave chuckled.
“Indeed, muscles never betray their owner.”
Like father, like daughter. They shared the same simple-minded logic.
Anticipating the long journey, I channeled mana into my limbs.
I started walking, addressing the Margrave and his men,
“Follow me. I won’t wait for stragglers.”
***
I led the Margrave and his men to a canyon in the southern part of the Vulcan Mountains.
It was a location I had discussed with Dorothea beforehand, chosen for its suitability for an ambush.
We had been marching in silence for three hours, well past lunchtime. But the atmosphere wasn't conducive to a leisurely meal, so we ate our rations as we walked.
Munch, munch.
I forced down the tasteless rations, washing them down with water and saliva, as we trudged through the snow. The Margrave, riding beside me, asked,
“So, Mage Kaldrash, where exactly is this safe house where the others are hiding?”
I traced a path along the distant mountain range with my finger.
“There’s a natural cave used by wild bears, further down that ridge. The rest of the party is hiding there, away from the demons’ eyes.”
“Hmm.”
The Margrave, holding the reins of his horse, stroked his beard thoughtfully.
“Then I have one more question.”
“Ask away.”
“If I’m not mistaken, if we continue in this direction, we’ll reach a valley with sharp rock pillars jutting out like fangs. It’s called Fang Valley. An ideal location for an ambush.”
“Is that so? I wasn’t aware.”
The Margrave’s voice hardened.
“No, you must be aware.”
I stopped walking.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because you were part of the ambush at Fang Valley during the Human-Demon War. I was the commander-in-chief at the time, so I remember it clearly. The rumors about the Mad Mage who suddenly appeared on the scene.”
I feigned confusion.
“That was five years ago. It wouldn’t be strange if I had forgotten.”
“Indeed. You’re right. Human memory is like a flame. Unless it’s a particularly strong memory, it fades quickly.”
“However—”
“Doesn’t it all make sense if you’re trying to deceive me?”
The soldiers who had been silently following us suddenly surrounded me.
I maintained my composure and addressed the Margrave.
“But that’s just speculation. You’re accusing me based on mere suspicion. Me, a member of the Hero’s party, a sixth-tier Archmage of the Emerald Tower.”
The Margrave, unfazed by my mention of my status, smiled faintly.
“If I’m mistaken, I’ll apologize. And I’ll compensate you for my rudeness, within reason. But you know something?”
The Margrave’s eyes, suddenly wide and intense, held a powerful aura.
“My daughter calls me ‘Papa’ in her personal letters.”
“But the letter you brought addressed me as ‘Father.’”
“Even in a serious letter, my daughter would have used the word ‘Papa’ at least once.”
“Why do you think that is?”
The Margrave asked, a hint of certainty in his voice.
“Perhaps because she didn’t trust the messenger, or she suspected the letter would be intercepted.”
“You understand well.”
The Margrave, his gaze fixed on the back of my head, asked,
“So, Mage Kaldrash, where is my daughter?”
I turned slightly and muttered,
“This is why I hate perceptive humans.”
As those words left my lips, the soldiers surrounding me drew their swords.
***
I hadn’t underestimated the Margrave.
But I hadn’t expected him to deduce my betrayal based on the salutation in the letter.
How was I supposed to know that Rachel, who always acted tough and aloof in the party, was a doting daughter who called her father “Papa” at home?
Like a defeated general outmaneuvered by his imprisoned opponent, I had been outsmarted by the woman I had always dismissed as a gorilla.
A strange sense of defeat washed over me.
Anyway,
I didn’t have time for such thoughts.
“Where is my daughter? Is she even alive?”
The Margrave, drawing his sword, pressed the blade against my throat.
I saw no point in hiding it any longer. I raised my hands in surrender and answered,
“Your daughter, Rachel, is still alive. Although she’s currently imprisoned in the Demon Lord’s dungeon.”
The Margrave’s grip on his sword tightened, his knuckles white.
“Was this your doing, Kaldrash? My daughter being imprisoned in the Demon Lord’s castle?”
I shrugged and sneered.
“She brought it upon herself. I’ve been putting up with her for a long time. Your daughter seems to enjoy provoking me.”
“You bastard! How dare you!”
The Margrave, enraged, raised his sword.
But Fellmond, the man who had been introduced as his closest confidant, stopped him.
“Calm yourself, Margrave. Don’t let him provoke you. It’s a waste of energy.”
“Fellmond! Let go of me!”
“Margrave, control yourself!”
Finally, regaining his composure at his subordinate’s rebuke, the Margrave lowered his sword.
But his eyes, still burning with anger, remained fixed on me.
“Kaldrash, don’t even think about escaping. When we return to Hamburg, I will personally torture you until you confess your crimes.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Escape? Why would I?”
Fellmond, stepping forward, pressed his sword against my throat.
“Don’t get cocky, Mad Mage. Do you really think you can take on a hundred of our elite soldiers alone?”
A blue aura, the mark of a mana user, flickered around the weapons of the soldiers surrounding me.
“An ordinary mage wouldn't stand a chance against this many opponents.”
Whirrrr
I took a deep breath, activating my mana furnace.
“But have you forgotten who I am?”
On the battlefield, I was known as the “Mad Mage” or the “Butcher” for my ruthless slaughter of demons.
But long before that, my title as a mage was something else entirely.
I grabbed the cold blade pressed against my throat with my bare hand.
“I am Tempest, the Storm Mage, Kaldrash.”