Chapter 187: Fighter
Chapter 187: Fighter
Sheryl replayed the recent battle in her mind. Although both sides had held back, she didn't feel the satisfaction of having won through her own strength.
She had succeeded in buying time by parrying all the wind blades the Sylph threw at her, but while her opponent had been leisurely preparing her next attack, Sheryl’s stamina had been steadily chipped away until she was left gasping for breath.
Of course, there was the strategic decision not to go on the offensive in order to stall for their numerically superior allies, but even if she had attacked, she couldn't be certain she would have emerged victorious against that Sylph.
In that sense, Mari’s combat ability was nothing short of overwhelming. Even with Nia’s help, Sheryl had never imagined Mari could single-handedly crush a high-ranking fire spirit like Ifrit.
It was a victory carried by Mari's explosive combat prowess, yet Sheryl did not undervalue her own contribution. By handling the Sylph, who was a difficult matchup for the others, she had played a vital role in their success.
"So, the reason you found us was because of the mana barrier I set up?"
"Yes. For those of us with high mana-sensing abilities, a place where the flow of mana is inconsistent is actually quite easy to spot."
Snapping out of her thoughts, Sheryl looked at Irina, who was answering Mari’s questions quite readily. As soon as Elza had been defeated, Irina had immediately conceded and was now listening to the group with a very polite attitude.
"If it were me, I wouldn't have blocked the flow of mana entirely. I would have created a filter that maintained the same mana levels as the outside. That makes it much harder to detect."
"I see. I'll have to be careful next time. It would be a disaster if we got ambushed while Dad was around."
Irina’s attitude—offering advice beyond simple answers—could have been seen as groveling, but she answered the questions with a calm face, seemingly unbothered by any blow to her pride.
"Hmph! I only ended up like this because I let my guard down. Once Lord Oberon or his other inner circle members step in for real, runts like you won't stand a chance."
The conversation, which seemed to be resolving peacefully, was interrupted by Elza, who had just woken up and immediately began to act out.
She was acting triumphant, thinking of the forces remaining at the royal palace, but when Mari raised a fist, Elza’s bound body flinched like a worm.
"Hi-Hieeeek...!? I-I'll behave! I'll behave, so put the fist down and let's talk...!"
Having been beaten black and blue, she had to suppress her temper at the memory of that one-sided thrashing. For a high-ranking spirit who had never experienced such an overwhelming defeat, this bitter loss had become a trauma.
However, Mari didn't lower her fist. She approached her and spoke in a low, heavy voice.
"Apologize. You insulted my Dad."
"D-Dad? When did I ever... I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm sorry. I'm sorry, so please..."
Mari sighed at the sight of the red-haired spirit groveling and nodded. Rather than explaining that the Jaejin she had looked down upon as pathetic was her "Dad," Mari decided it was better to just be satisfied with this and move on.
"You're quite aggressive."
"It's because it involves my family. I've dealt with people like her before—those who looked down on me for being a half-elf."
Elza, who had been trembling in fear, connected Mari’s immense strength, her tough style, and the fact that she was a half-elf. Something clicked in her mind.
"Wait... are you... are you 'Mari the Fighter'? That half-elf who swept two martial arts tournaments with nothing but her fists!?"
"Most people seem to think I'm a full elf, but yeah, that's me."
Mari the Half-Elf. Despite being the daughter of an Archmage and carrying elven blood, her reputation as a mage was not particularly notable.
As a traveler wandering the continent, her name had become famous not for the magic elves took pride in, but for her fists.
Mari the Fighter. She was one of the few individuals who had won championships in both the Empire’s gladiatorial tournament and the Central Continent’s martial arts tournament.
At first, the audience had mocked her—a half-elf, an object of prejudice, and a woman of a race far removed from physical labor. But they were forced to change their minds every time her wind-tearing punches sent a round fighter crashing to the floor.
After her fists defeated seasoned gladiators, renowned Imperial knights, and notoriously cruel mercenaries one after another to claim the championship, the previous mockery was replaced by unbelievable cheers.
Who could have predicted that the elven race would produce a tough boxer who didn't fear getting hit and could bury a fist in an opponent's face?
Mari’s performance, which subverted expectations in the best way possible, gained immense attention and favor. The name "Mari the Fighter" became widely known in the martial arts world, an exceptional feat for an elf.
"You seem to have been quite famous, Mari. Sheryl, did you not know?"
"Uh... I didn't know much about human news, so I only knew the name existed. I had no idea it was this Mari..."
As Sheryl and Nia reacted to the revelation, Mari finally turned red with embarrassment and fidgeted.
"I mean, I wasn't that famous... hehe."
The conversation, which had briefly veered off-track, became more specific and credible with the addition of Elza’s now-compliant testimony alongside the cooperative Irina.
The Fairy King, Oberon, had made a deal with Melia. In exchange for guaranteeing the safety of the half-elf and the three-eyed woman with her, she had proposed a way to humiliate Titania.
As a penalty for failing that, Melia was given a chance to make up for her mistake by violating her newly acquired slave... Jaejin, to shame Titania once more.
Elza and Irina had been ordered to use force to capture the two women who were the conditions of the negotiation, as failing the task meant the original agreement was void.
However, contrary to their expectations, Nia, a Demon Lord candidate of the fairy race, was there. And the presence of a powerhouse like Mari resulted in them being suppressed instead.
Based on the testimony of the two, the group was able to reconfirm that Melia had not betrayed them and that things were progressing.
Furthermore, they gained another important opportunity: a way to reach Oberon. If they used these two to approach him, they could expect to find a good opening alongside the Queen’s persuasion.
Sheryl and Mari expected the interrogation to take some time, as they couldn't read the prisoners' inner thoughts with the Eye of Observation or the Mind's Eye.
However, surprisingly, the two spilled information about Oberon quite easily.
"Lord Oberon is at a villa on the outskirts of the city. But don't think you can just waltz in there just because you're strong. That place will be crawling with people as strong as us, or even stronger."
"...And even if the three of you attack together, you won't be a match for the King."
Irina supplemented Elza’s explanation, even as Elza blustered about why they shouldn't go.
This was only natural. Originally, the gap between a Demon Lord candidate and the elders—especially the core members of the Council of Elders—was immeasurable.
What bridged that gap was Jaejin’s fraudulent enhancement ability, and fortunately, because that crucial information had not been leaked, they still had this chance.
"True... for now, I think it's better to stop here and hear what Melia has to say."
There was no need to take risks without knowing the situation on that side. Their goal was, first and foremost, the rescue and safe return of Jaejin.
Since they had no reason to aim for more or shoulder such risks, the group took their two captives and headed back to the cave that still bore the scars of battle.
After roughly clearing the shattered entrance and the small embers still burning, the three of them entered and remembered something important they had forgotten.
"Ah, Melia’s clone! I completely forgot about it while we were fighting."
Mari dashed inside and found the tiny clone they had left behind. The clone, which had been hiding from the aftershocks of the battle, rushed out upon seeing Mari and delivered urgent news.
"This is bad! Jaejin has been kidnapped!! The culprit is likely... someone from Oberon’s side."
Hearing the clone’s cry, the group felt the blood drain from their faces. Kidnapped at this hour of the night?
While Sheryl pressed the clone for details on what had happened while they were fighting outside, Mari turned toward the prisoners, her fists clenched, suspecting they had lied to her face.
Sensing Mari’s murderous aura, Irina quickly raised both hands again, pleading her innocence.
"I've released all the mana circulating in my body. You have the Eye of Observation, don't you? Check for yourself if what I said is true or not."
Mari focused her mind and confirmed Irina’s plea. Indeed, Irina had confessed everything she knew. She even read Elza’s thoughts just in case, but the information was the same.
"Then what... was it a new order issued after you two left?"
"It's just a guess, but probably not. The King is somewhat emotional, but he isn't the type to distrust his inner circle."
It wasn't the King’s order. Yet, Jaejin had been kidnapped by a fairy or spirit from Oberon’s faction. That didn't leave many possibilities.
"A misunderstanding, a conflict... no, was this a rogue action?"
Nia muttered as she organized her thoughts, and everyone seemed to reach a similar conclusion. Someone in the fairy collective, which didn't always have a unified will, had caused a major incident.
In a normal organization, this would be impossible, but for fairies who tended to be independent—especially high-ranking fairies and spirits with strong egos—it was entirely possible.
Then who, and for what purpose, had abducted Jaejin? As they turned their gaze toward Melia’s clone with lingering questions, she immediately revealed the identity of the suspect.
"I might not know, but there are very few in the kingdom who could deceive Lady Titania’s eyes. I suspect it might be the Spirits of Darkness. The reason is unknown. The motive is unclear. In fact, even Oberon’s side doesn't seem to know about it."
At the mention of the Spirits of Darkness, Nia let out a sigh, and Elza clicked her tongue. Of all the people to get caught by, it had to be those murky bastards. Irina offered her condolences to the man she didn't even know.
"Are they such bad spirits...?"
"It's not so much that they're bad... no, I suppose calling them bad is accurate. They are spirits who won't hesitate to do anything to satisfy their own desires."
Nia paused, wondering how much she should say. Deciding it was better for her to explain rather than letting the others judge based on reading Irina’s thoughts, she spoke up.
"They are the spirits who supply slaves to the large-scale slave market—the dark underbelly of our Fairy Kingdom."