Kidnapping (3)
Rebia was the second-best in the Magic Department and, outside the Academy, she was also the second-best in the magic world.
That Rebia had been kidnapped meant the enemy had a way to deal with her.
They had clearly planned thoroughly and prepared a method to neutralize her.
Unlike Loxia, who was just a bigger wyvern when it came to Rebia's capture—except for the magic-nullifying ability—the situation here was the work of intelligent humans.
‘Quick and cautious, but clean. Let’s end this without giving the enemy time to think.’
I had to move fast, faster than they could react.
From the group assembled to save Rebia were the knights from Rebia’s family and the Duke himself. From them I learned the butler was the culprit.
“Sob… Young miss…”
“Ria, I told you to stay quiet.”
“M-Master… but there’s no Young miss and what am I supposed to do…”
The ones who usually supported Rebia were two in total: the butler and a maid our age.
On the night of the kidnapping the maid, injured badly, had been locked away by the butler.
“The Young miss always acts so strong, but deep down she’s fragile. I should have helped her sooner…”
The maid, bandages wrapped all over her body, was bawling her eyes out. Even the knights and the Duke himself looked pained.
And right beside the maid still sobbing pitifully…
“…We will definitely get her back. Don’t worry.”
“Ah… you…”
Our RoFan heroine Ella gently comforted her.
She smiled softly at the maid, then turned to the Duke with a resolute expression.
“We will definitely rescue her without delay. Right?”
“…Yes. Of course.”
The Duke looked her straight in the eye and said it with surprising boldness.
As expected of the RoFan heroine, the Duke didn’t question the words at all and just nodded.
That was how our group—Duke Gloria’s family, Loxia, Reona, Ella, and me—began following the trail of the kidnapping.
“…The path splits.”
“Detailed search with magic tools is no longer possible…”
“Then we have no choice but to split up…”
Deep in the forest cave, three paths lay ahead.
“Let’s go separate ways.”
While we debated how to divide the group.
Leaning against the wall, I was thinking how I could gain the most experience.
Click.
“Eh.”
The wall I was leaning on slid in like a button, and a blue magic circle shot out instead, teleporting me away.
“Ashen-sama!”
Ella reached out desperately toward me when it happened.
I thought, ‘Found it.’
It felt like I had located a top-tier growth event.
***
“Kuh?! Suddenly my body-”
Slash.
“Haam… sleepy- eugh! Eubugh…”
Thud.
“Something’s nearby… eubeh?!”
Squish.
After being teleported to a dimly lit warehouse-like place.
I quietly opened the door and assassinated the black mage right in front of me.
Why did these idiots make the hallway dark when they couldn’t even see?
Thanks to the black mages trudging along with only one candle, the assassination was easy.
Just kill them before they could scream.
Before they could react.
Since I couldn’t hold my own against these pathetic black mages twice, they didn’t even have time to signal each other and just split in half and died.
While I was steadily cutting them down one by one.
“It’s quite promising. It’s a shame it’s not Loxia, but as long as it’s someone like Rebia, it’ll be a powerful family.”
“I’d love to see the scene with these two eyes, but they said the ritual would interfere…”
“Yeah. We just need to open this door behind us…”
I overheard a very interesting conversation.
Hiding, I saw the two wearing blue single-lens glasses, clearly looking around with some kind of vision-enhancing magic tool.
“But once the ritual ends and they come out, we’ll be first- ow…”
“Kuh!”
The careless black mages didn’t notice me dropping from the ceiling and were instantly paralyzed and sliced to death by my sword combo.
I should have expected someone dropping from the ceiling.
After that, I simply opened the door to where Rebia was.
Creak…
No, it opened by itself.
The black mage exiting the door was immediately cut down.
“Target acquired!”
Slash!
The black mage, half her body cut off, collapsed sideways.
“She was the low rank, too. Looks like she died in one blow.”
“Huh…? Senior…?”
She was saying that as if she knew who I was. She must have been a high-rank after all.
If her rank was a bit lower she might have dodged it.
“How are there any who can withstand two blows?”
I thought a strong one would be waiting to pick up Rebia.
Instead she was halved the moment I opened the door. Disappointing.
But there was something more infuriating.
“…Why did you come?”
“This girl? I came to save her and she says that?”
“…In this situation, wouldn’t it be normal for Loxia to come?”
“No, why are you disappointed…”
Rebia the girl immediately twisted her expression like she was insulted even though I came to save her.
…Do I really need to save her?
‘An ungrateful girl.’
I started feeling reluctant to save her, but I couldn’t just leave her here after coming this far.
“Hand her over.”
“Y-Yes…?”
“The one on your back. Hand her over.”
“Ah, I can’t…”
“No, you can.”
Right as I was about to draw my sword and slice the female black mage.
Ting!
“Trying to backstab me?”
“Hehe… Our young miss has befriended a strong friend, I see.”
I twisted my sword to block the flying weapon coming from behind.
Wearing the single-lens glasses from the black mage guarding the door, I looked out into the darkness.
“Your skill is impressive. As expected, it’s Ashen Sordis, third-best in all departments.”
“An old man in a butler’s uniform…”
In the darkness, an old man with white hair stood still, maintaining his dignity and staring at me.
In places like this it was common sense to be careful of old men and kids, and the atmosphere with the other black mages was completely different.
“You seem stronger.”
“Hehe, I’m grateful for such high praise from you, young lady.”
“Being old just means you survived, doesn’t it?”
“That’s a nice saying. I’ll remember it.”
This world was a fantasy world full of dangers, so who knew when or where you’d die.
In a place like this, surviving as a black mage and becoming that old was proof you were quite strong among black mages.
“Comrade, I’ll take care of your friend. Please hurry to the ritual.”
“Ah, yes, yes!”
“Where do you-”
Ting!
The female black mage tried to block me with her body, but suddenly she was sent flying with a massive impact.
I blocked with my sword and minimized the damage, but between the time it took to get to the wall and the black mage disappearing with Rebia.
‘What did you hit me with?’
I saw no visible weapon.
At first I threw one sword and blocked it, but the second attack was invisible.
Was it a kind of magic?
“You even blocked that. Impressive. Then next.”
Ting!
“Kuh…!”
“Next.”
“Ugh…!”
“Next.”
The invisible attacks kept coming.
They were even at the level of Loxia’s sword that barely grazed me, so it was infuriating.
‘Let me think.’
I had already fought Loxia and felt deathly danger many times.
Since I was used to irrational fights, I needed to calmly think of a counter.
‘If I think there are multiple invisible Leonas…’
Damn, that was too creepy.
‘Let’s say Leonas are throwing rocks from all directions.’
It sounded reasonable, so let’s go with it.
While blocking the continuous impacts.
“Ah.”
I got it.
The core of the attack.
“Is this fake?”
“Hmm?”
“There’s no way Loxia can make such powerful attacks.”
Loxia was a crazy monster girl.
It was impossible for her to attack with that much power.
So this was fake.
“Hehe, your eyes are sharp.”
The butler smiled like he found it interesting and immediately admitted it.
“But what can you do about it? Your friend won’t be able to break it. This is-”
“It’s a mental attack magic. Why can’t you pierce it?”
“Hmm? How would you break it?”
“It’s simple.”
There were exactly two ways to deal with black magic that touched the mind.
Purify it with holy power or expand the Imagery Domain to completely block it.
“From now on, I’ll bully you.”
“You want to try?”
“Not you, me.”
“…?”
“Before I die, the Imagery Domain will appear.”
So I’ll bully you until the Imagery Domain appears.
That was my conclusion.
“Hehe, if you can, please try. Of course, it’s not easy to create the Imagery Domain, so dying might be faster, but…”
The butler kept attacking me with a bored look, as if challenging me to try.