Chapter 325: The Snake's Tomb (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 325: The Snake's Tomb (3)
Tap, tap.
He tapped his toe against the ground a few times.
Was the scent of the flowers this season always so strong?
For it to feel so potent now, he must have grown accustomed to the fragrance of those red blossoms without even realizing it. He still hadn't asked for their name.
—Thump!
A fleeting regret brushed past him—he should have asked Calian to take down one more knight before leaving. Franz pushed the thought aside and lifted Sinasta.
Drowsiness washed over him.
It seemed that slender needle had been coated with an anesthetic. It must have seeped into his body at some point. To think he would feel this incredibly sleepy, when he normally despised sleep.
—Thump!
A sound rang loudly in his head—one he would have been disappointed not to hear, yet wasn't entirely welcome now that it had arrived. It was the power of his blessing, stirring to life.
Tap, tap, tap.
He tapped the ground once more.
"I wonder when... my ever-so-worrisome little brother will arrive."
As he spoke in a low, slow voice, his twin swords caught the wind again. The red trail left in his wake seeped into the ground, carrying a metallic stench of blood thicker than the scent of the flowers.
* * *
A moment ago.
Kyrie, who had instantly snuffed out the lives of his two opponents, rushed to Hina's side. Taking her hand, he ran without hesitation toward the sound of Rachel's footsteps.
‘Take Hina to Marquis Lin's estate.’
He had to carry out the single task Franz had demanded of him.
Seeing one of their targets attempting to escape, the nine knights moved in unison.
Dash!
Kyrie didn't see them exchange a single glance. He only heard three of them remain behind to surround Franz while the other six changed direction to pursue him. And then—
"I..."
Franz moved.
Holding his two differently colored swords at an angle, he blocked the path of all nine knights.
"...am right here."
With those words, the second battle began.
The chaotic ring of clashing steel, the sharp scrape of relentless footwork, and a sudden scream from someone other than Franz. As Kyrie heard and sensed these things, his pace faltered for a brief moment. Hina's voice echoed in his mind.
—He's buying us time. We have to go, quickly. Why are you hesitating?
—Right, Hina.
Answering in his mind, Kyrie broke into a run once more, heading toward the sound of Rachel's footsteps. She wasn't far. To be precise, she was looping back, running toward the back garden from another direction.
"I searched the entire palace, but there are no mages. Where on earth could they be?"
Hearing her, Kyrie listened closely. The sounds of battle from the annex had suddenly vanished. The Silent Magic barrier was still active.
With a tense expression, Kyrie shook his head. "First, we must get to Marquis Lin's estate. We have to move as quickly as possible."
"Where is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? And why Marquis Lin's estate all of a sudden?"
As Kyrie was about to answer, Hina took off her earring again and pressed it into Rachel's hand, then pointed toward the marquis's estate.
"I'll explain on the way. Please, pick up the pace, Dame Grace."
"......Alright, for now."
At Kyrie's words, Rachel, who had been about to check on the annex, nodded and channeled her mana.
Hidden within the deep shadows of the night, the three relied on Kyrie's sharp hearing to evade or quietly knock out the palace guards as they made their way out through the back gate. Since most of the knights were concentrated near the main gate to guard against Marquis Legian Lin's private soldiers, their escape was relatively smooth.
Unlike Kairis, Secritia's capital, Secreta, did not allow noble estates to be built within the inner castle. The inner castle housed only plazas, various shops like cafes and taverns, guild buildings like the Mage Association, and the Temple of Serenti. Therefore, Legian's estate was located outside the inner castle walls.
Fortunately, the inner castle was not particularly large, and Legian's estate was not too far from it.
Having heard Franz's plan on their way here, Rachel poured more power into her active mana. Though on foot, they moved at the speed of galloping horses, and it wasn't long before they stopped within sight of the massive marquisate.
There was only one reason they didn't run straight to the main gate.
"What in the world is..."
Countless knights were blocking the entrance in dense layers.
They were the elite knights of the Secritia Royal Palace, clad in light armor engraved with the royal crest. Across from them, with their backs to the estate, stood other knights and soldiers—the private troops Legian had left behind for defense.
Standing at their very front was Arianne. She was outside the estate, dressed in ordinary clothes without even light armor.
"We will search the interior. If there are no issues, we will leave. Open the gates."
"I told you, I cannot open the gates of this estate."
"We have confirmed that acts of treason against the royal family have occurred here in collusion with Kairis forces."
"Treason? Did we not tell you that Royal Concubine Louise, the mother of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, is currently inside? Are you suggesting Her Highness is plotting treason?"
A heated argument was underway. The situation was unfolding exactly as Franz had anticipated.
"It is His Highness's command. Step aside, Young Lady."
"I know that very 'Highness' handed poison to Her Highness the Royal Concubine. Do you truly think I would allow you to approach her with armed knights?"
"Watch your tongue. If you slander His Highness's honor with such baseless claims..."
"Silence. You demand evidence from us, who are protecting Her Highness, yet condemn us as traitors? What evidence do you have?"
"Step aside. This is a warning."
The knight who had warned Arianne placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Every palace knight assumed a stance as if ready to draw their blades at any second. It was, quite literally, a warning.
Glancing briefly at Kyrie, Rachel moved her hands.
Whoosh!
In that moment, the knights blocking the path between Arianne and Rachel were swept aside, clearing a path. The very ground they stood on had shifted outward.
There was no reason for the fiancée of Kairis's Crown Prince to take the long way around. If there was no straight path, she would simply make one.
"Go on in."
Pointing to the path that had opened like a parting sea, Rachel smiled softly at Hina. Her expression suggested she didn't even see the royal knights surrounding them.
Nodding, Hina took a step forward.
The royal knights gripped their swords. Instantly, a suffocating killing intent—not quite comparable to Calian's, but certainly impossible to ignore—swept over them.
It was a genuine warning, not just empty words: Touch my sister, and I will slaughter every last one of you.
The knight who had been speaking with Arianne frowned slightly and gestured with his chin. At his signal, the royal knights released their grips on their swords. They could not rashly lay a hand on the person standing before them.
Soon, Hina, accompanied by Kyrie and Rachel, walked through the ranks of the royal knights and stood beside Arianne. At that moment, someone who had been standing behind Arianne stepped in front of Hina.
"If you do not withdraw..."
Click.
"...we will deem this an attack on the Kairis Royal Family and respond accordingly."
Eila, once again Hina's bodyguard, spoke as she thrust forward a mana bomb with its safety released.
The lead knight raised his head, his face stiff. He raised a hand, signaling the knights behind him to take their hands off their swords. He had not expected someone of near-royal status from Kairis to intervene so quickly and directly.
Ultimately, the knights retreated fifty paces from the estate. They did not return to the palace, but they would remain quiet until further instructions came from Devlan.
Seeing this, Arianne turned to Hina.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Let's exchange proper greetings inside."
At her attitude, which seemed to have already forgotten the confrontation, Hina smiled back warmly and nodded. She followed Arianne, the lady of the estate, as she led the way inside.
Just as Arianne, Hina, Kyrie, Rachel, and Legian's private soldiers had all entered the estate and locked the doors—
Schwing—
Kyrie, who had been silent until now, drew his sword.
Eila, who was reactivating the safety on her mana bomb, froze. A grey energy began to gather and churn in Rachel's hands.
"Hina, watch out—!"
Rumble!
Cutting off Kyrie's warning, a deep vibration in the atmosphere rang in everyone's ears. Whether they wielded mana or aura, they all heard the same sound. The ground beneath their feet wasn't shaking, yet the entire estate vibrated.
This was... dangerous.
—Crown Prince Chase. It is Kyrie.
Having arrived at the estate as promised, Kyrie hurriedly contacted Chase to relay the situation.
Rumble...
Boom... Crackle!
The sky began to weep.
Sensing the anomaly, Euria's mana conjured thunder. Violet lightning gathered. From somewhere inside the estate, an aura filled with freezing cold began to churn. It belonged to Arsen.
And then, a sandstorm whipped up.
That sandstorm belonged neither to Euria, nor Arsen, nor Rachel.
"...That mage."
That mage.
The one who had cast the Silent Magic barrier over the annex of the Secritia Royal Palace.
"My, we're meeting for the first time. If you're going to be so on guard..."
A mage capable of casting a spell all the way to the palace annex while standing outside Rachel's detection range—outside the inner castle itself. A mage of that caliber.
"...when will we ever get to greet each other?"
A woman with short white hair, appearing to be in her mid-thirties, revealed herself, landing lightly atop the massive gates of the marquisate.
—...Kyrie.
Calian's voice, speaking through Chase, came through. It was not his usual composed tone. It was urgent. Pressing.
—Kyrie. A 7th Circle mage is heading your way. Absolutely no one must engage. Just buy time. Soon...!
"Put away that strange toy."
The bracelet Kyrie had received from Franz crumbled like dry sand and scattered in the wind. It was made of mithril, as hard as Kyrie's sword, yet she had reduced it to dust in an instant.
"If you're bored, why don't you play with me, half-elf?"
Dark crimson eyes, several shades deeper than Calian's, turned toward Kyrie. Just then, Hina's sign language caught his eye.
—That mage, heart, stone.
Kyrie opened his mouth to respond, but no sound came out.
The air around him stopped flowing.
He couldn't breathe.
Crash!
At that moment, violet lightning fell from the sky. Shining brighter than ever, the bolt shot straight down toward the top of the mage's head.
Whoosh!
A wind whipped up.
There was no explosive boom. No acrid smell of burnt earth, no mage struck by lightning. As a single gust of wind wrapped around the estate and vanished, the lightning that had been falling at incredible speed disappeared as if it were erased.
Just a single gust of wind.
With nothing more than a glance from the mage, who hadn't even cast a shield, Euria's lightning was snuffed out.
Swoosh!
From beyond a window, Arsen's ice spear flew in. The sharp spear, hurtling forward at lightning speed, stopped dead in midair. Then, reversing its direction, it shot back toward where it had come from.
Crash!
The sturdy wall pierced by the returning spear crumbled instantly. Through the massive crack, the ice spear could be seen embedding itself into a thick barrier that had been hastily erected, then vanishing.
Through it all, the air around Kyrie still did not flow. Suffocating, blood vessels burst in his dark blue eyes. He bit his lip, enduring the lack of air, and forced strength into the hand gripping his sword.
Noticing his plight, Hina took a step toward him. But just like Rachel's magic, the ground she stepped on moved on its own, pushing her back.
The distance between her and Kyrie would not close.
"I was told to play here for a bit, but this is rather boring."
Adelia.
Eisen Dinahan. The 7th Circle mage who had vanished from Libern.
Staring at Kyrie for a moment, Adelia spoke leisurely. Then, she slowly shifted her gaze, searching for another target. Her eyes landed on someone whose hands were beginning to glow with a golden light. With a small chuckle, Adelia gave Hina a slight wink.
"Next is you—"
"Next is me."
The atmosphere shifted.
The wind howling inside the estate subsided, and the air began to flow again. The invisible force suffocating Kyrie vanished.
He coughed violently, gasping for breath. Hina ran over and quickly channeled her healing power into him. Kyrie raised a hand to show he was fine and looked up.
"How about me next? I happen to be quite bored myself."
Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Adelia turned her head.
The red-silver-haired mage, who had finally been granted permission to vent his anger, smiled gently at her.
"Leave these young ones alone."
Alan Manasil had arrived.
* * *
He felt as though a great light were flickering.
His vision repeatedly went black before returning.
His younger brother had made such a fuss, complaining that Sispanian's blessing was far too considerate. He found himself agreeing with that brother, who, though prone to snapping, was never wrong. Sispanian should have been a little less considerate.
Clang!
To think he would end up like this, unable to block a single drop of anesthetic.
"Ha..."
Franz took a step back. He merged Sinasta, which he had split into two, back into one. His right shoulder was no longer moving properly.
His brother had nagged him so much to use both hands equally, since no one knew what the future held. In any case, Calian, though good at snapping, was never wrong.
He felt like he had just thought something similar a moment ago.
Slowly closing and opening his eyes, Franz stared at the blade shimmering with red light, then raised his arm. He had long since given up calculating how much longer he could hold out, or whether he could keep from falling asleep. He simply raised his sword, thrusting and slashing without thought.
Drip, drip.
Nine were left when Kyrie escaped.
Seven were left when thunder struck the sky.
And now, five.
Because they fought him while maintaining a moderate distance, as if waiting for his knees to buckle, their numbers were slow to dwindle. He had no idea how much time had passed since the violet lightning had struck in the distance.
Curling one corner of his mouth, Franz swung his sword at the knights once more. He could have held his ground by keeping his distance as well, but if he did, he would surely succumb to the drowsiness. So, he kept pressing the attack.
Clang!
An opposing knight quickly raised his sword to block Sinasta, then deflected it upward. Pain flared in Franz's right shoulder, which he had unconsciously strained.
Taking another step back, he exhaled a long breath. He forced his heavy eyelids open and looked ahead.
He kicked off the ground and lunged at them.
They couldn't inflict any major harm on him, but Franz was different.
Clang! Clang!
Seeing the sheer killing intent filling his sharply honed, light-green eyes, the knight blocked the attack. Re-gripping his deflected sword, Franz swung at the knight again.
His movements were noticeably slower, but his precision remained unchanged. He put strength into his hand, determined to reduce their numbers by one more, whether he sliced the knight's throat or cut him in half.
Thud!
But his sword stopped in midair.
It stopped without slicing the knight's throat or cutting him in half.
"I have arrived."
Calian, who had caught Franz's sword with an aura-clad hand, spoke softly. He stood with his back to the knight, facing Franz directly.
Swoosh!
Behind Calian, five daggers imbued with red energy shot out. Flying along their own paths, the daggers precisely pierced the throats of the five knights.
The heavy thuds of collapsing bodies echoed from various directions. Exactly five times. Five knights lost their lives in an instant.
He didn't need to look to know what had happened.
Franz let out a dry chuckle.
"You arrived right on time."
"Yes."
Looking at Calian's short reply, Franz slumped to the ground. The scent of red flowers rushed over him, so thick that drowsiness washed over him in waves.
"Eat... cod."
Calian's red eyes turned toward him.
"And go back... safely."
Franz's light-green eyes closed completely.
Looking down at the Boiled Pea who had fallen asleep sitting up, Calian let out a wry laugh.
One day had passed.
"I will buy it for you."
He answered that he, not Serenti, would buy him that damn cod.