Chapter 103: Volunteer? Activity (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 103: Volunteer? Activity (4)
The public might not know it, but those who have even the slightest brush with dark mages share an old proverb.
Dark mages are like cockroaches.
To the uninitiated, this might sound like a simple insult, treating dark mages as subhuman pests. However, anyone who has dealt with them even once would nod in fervent agreement.
First, their tenacity and life force are indeed as persistent as a cockroach’s.
But the bigger reason is…
—If you see one dark mage in front of you, it means there are at least several more nearby.
Whenever dark mages make a move, there are always far more of them involved than what meets the eye.
The funny thing is, this proverb only applies when dark mages reveal themselves. If you put in all the effort to track down and raid a dark mage stronghold, you’ll only ever catch one or two. But when they’re the ones attacking, they come in swarms.
In short, dark mages were the type of enemies where the reward was pitiful compared to the time and effort required to achieve it. Conversely, when they caused harm, the damage was catastrophic. They were the absolute worst kind of people for a civil servant’s career.
And now, twenty of them had just popped up.
Naturally, since they’d likely be running a diversionary tactic, there had to be a similar number of dark mages elsewhere. And according to the old proverb, there were probably even more hidden away…
Aeryun hadn't spat out those curses for nothing.
However, unlike Aeryun, there were those who were actually delighted to see the dark mages.
“With this many!”
“The event is definitely canceled!”
It went without saying that if dark mages appeared, the event was off. If it were a massive national event like the Empire’s Founding Festival, it might be different, but a minor volunteer activity like this was guaranteed to be scrapped the moment a single dark mage showed up.
The two individuals in front of him, however, didn't seem to care about the danger.
Are they insane? Aeryun wondered.
If he hadn't known their usual behavior, he would have suspected they were under the influence of mental interference magic.
Aeryun didn't know. He didn't know what kind of "room" they had been trapped in just moments ago. If Marco, who was currently unconscious and trapped in a nightmare, were awake, he would have joined Adam and Marie in joyfully slicing through the dark mages.
“……Sigh.”
But Aeryun didn't know those circumstances. Even if he did, it wouldn't change anything.
“I won’t be getting any rest for at least a week.”
The light on his communication device wasn't just flickering from one source. To be precise, he was getting pings from every single place that could possibly contact him.
“I’m screwed.”
He didn't have the luxury of worrying about anyone else.
As if the first explosion and the appearance of the undead were just the beginning, dark mages were popping up all over the place.
“A3. A chimera made of various monster corpses has been confirmed.”
“A8. The Spirit Mages are under attack. We cannot respond with our current numbers; we will establish a containment line and retreat.”
Information poured in from every sector.
Groups ranging from as few as five to more than ten. While these numbers were small for an invasion of the Empire or the Academy, dark mages were notoriously difficult to deal with because, depending on their craft, a single one could take on an entire knight order.
The worst part was that it didn't even require pure skill—just the right ‘materials.’
These were the ones commonly known as Necromancers, those who manipulated the dead. They ranged from those who controlled simple corpses and skeletons to the Chimera specialists who assembled and reinforced bodies to their liking.
“Spirit Mages? Even those annoying bastards showed up.”
But even Necromancers looked like saints compared to Spirit Mages, who dealt with souls. They were fundamentally immune to physical damage, and even mana-infused strikes often failed to land a proper blow. While they were somewhat vulnerable to magic, the best weapon against them was Divine Power.
Fortunately, this place was one of the strongholds of the Goddess Church. With their help, the spirits could be easily suppressed. Therefore, the decision to stall for time with barricades and traps while withdrawing personnel was the best possible move.
“Still no response from A22?”
“None, sir.”
That was why Aeryun was most worried about the sectors that had gone completely silent. Of course, they might just be too busy fighting to report in. Since the enemies were dark mages, they might have abilities like Silence’s to neutralize or destroy magic tools…
But the most likely scenario was that they had been wiped out before they could even send a report.
“They’ve really made up their minds.”
Aeryun clicked his tongue as he listened to the reports coming in from all sides. He had requested reinforcements from the Academy and the Imperial Family, but he was turned down. Specifically, they claimed they were also under attack and had no spare forces to send.
The only silver lining was that the terrorists attacking the Imperial Palace and the Academy were ordinary(?) terrorist groups, not dark mages. Still, getting additional support was out of the question.
To make matters worse, the Magic Towers were also under attack, likely to prevent them from mobilizing. What could they possibly be after to go this far?
“…What is it, really?”
It wasn't that Aeryun was incompetent. It was just that the arrival of the Flower Arrangement Club had created too many variables.
As the Saintess, Daisy was a target that dark mages would desperately want to eliminate. Prince Esid and the other members of last year’s Flower Arrangement Club were also high-value targets. And just as Silence held a grudge against Dale, there could be entities seeking revenge against the new club members or their respective home countries.
“Dammit.”
Aeryun turned his head toward the dark mages. The twenty mages and their undead minions had been reduced to less than half their original number. Seeing the youngsters who still seemed to have plenty of energy to spare, Aeryun gave an order to his subordinates.
“Three of you should be enough to clean up here. The rest of you, follow me to A22.”
“Understood!”
Upon arriving at A22, Aeryun saw it. A creature of myth, with horns growing from its head.
No…
“…It’s not even a myth anymore.”
At the sight of the third Demon he had encountered, Aeryun couldn't help but put on a miserable expression.
At the news that dark mages had invaded, Daisy’s eyes narrowed.
Are you serious?
No, regardless of the circumstances, weren't dark mages appearing a bit too frequently? Was there always this many of them?
Daisy sighed as she watched Loreliya’s panicked reaction.
“I’m glad I brought my sword, at least.”
She had considered leaving it behind, but as of this year, Daisy had transferred to the Swordsmanship Department. A true swordsman should sleep while clutching their blade. Having learned this from Violet, Daisy made it a point to always keep her sword close. And to think it would actually come in handy like this!
She was right.
As Violet’s stock rose in Daisy’s mind…
“What will you do?”
Loreliya seemed to have finished her deliberations. Daisy quietly raised her sword.
“First, I have to deal with this.”
“…I suppose I don’t need to worry about you.”
Loreliya nodded and disappeared, saying she would go manage the internal chaos.
“Then…”
Daisy also began to run lightly to save people. She didn't go at full speed, fearing she might run out of stamina at a critical moment. Though she was hailed as a genius of the sword, she was originally a mage and knew better than anyone that her physical endurance was lacking.
She moved gracefully, avoiding unnecessary exertion. But that was enough.
“Hmm.”
The enemies were flocking to her on their own.
Daisy drew her sword and…
“Burn.”
No, she moved her lips instead.
“Fire.”
She launched a simple visualization of flames. Although she had gained immense power through her potent magic sword, Daisy had no intention of becoming a slave to it. Power was meant to be used as needed. Rather than drawing her sword and charging in, it was much more efficient to attack from a distance and make the enemies come to her.
“It’s the Saintess!”
Assassins clad in suspicious black robes charged toward her. Honestly, it was scary. But her hands moved naturally.
Memories of this time last year filled her mind. Specifically, the memories of the midterm exams a few weeks later. She remembered herself being pierced by Silence, unable to do anything.
She was no longer that helpless girl!
Hesitation vanished. Her mind cleared. And what she visualized was the ideal sword strike. The sword of her close friend… and the boy who seemed to have a crush on her… Ellen’s sword!
“……?”
Just as she thought of it, a sword strike swept through the enemies.
What?
Had she reached a legendary realm where she could cut down enemies just by thinking about it?
“Are you okay, Daisy?!”
“Ah.”
Never mind. Ellen had simply attacked before she could.
“Uh, um.”
She thought it was her time to shine… but apparently not. Daisy felt a bit embarrassed, realizing she had been striking a pose all by herself.
“Here you are. It seems the outside is surrounded by dark mages.”
“For now, we’re evacuating everyone to the cathedral where the defensive magic circles are. Daisy, you should also…”
As the members of the Flower Arrangement Club appeared one by one, Daisy quickly looked around.
“Where’s Violet?”
“She’s evacuating the juniors to a safe place.”
Daisy had worried Violet might have run off on her own again, but hearing she was safe made her breathe a sigh of relief.
“Then we should also…”
The moment she started to speak, a cold sweat ran down Daisy’s spine. At that chilling sensation, she began to channel mana into her sword.
“……!”
But Ellen’s sword moved three steps faster.
Clang!
The sound of steel clashing against steel rang out as Ellen’s blade met a human hand. The eyes of Esid and the others snapped toward the source of the sound.
“……The Liberator. Belex.”
“Kyahaha. An Imperial Prince knows my name? I feel like I’ve become quite famous.”
The figure who had easily blocked Ellen’s attack revealed himself with a cackle.
“That’s…”
Daisy’s brow furrowed as she looked at him. The right hand Belex had used to block Ellen’s strike was not that of a normal human. It was four times larger than his left, covered in coarse animal fur. And that hand—no, his entire body—was covered in countless stitch marks.
“Liberator Belex. A monster who prattles on about ‘liberating the flesh’ while stealing the bodies of those he kills.”
In other words, a human chimera. He was a dark mage notorious across the continent, a monster who had killed numerous experts and made them a part of himself.
“Kyahahaha!”
Belex sneered at Esid, who was visibly tense upon recognizing him.
“Don’t look so scared. A weakling like you isn't worthy of becoming a part of me!”
He licked his lips with a tongue as long as a snake’s, his gaze shifting between Ellen and Daisy.
“Not when there’s such delicious prey right here.”
To devour geniuses while they were still weaker than him—what better opportunity could there be? Belex laughed, but…
“Wait, what?”
The next moment, he was forced to recoil in shock as sword strikes flew at him from both sides simultaneously.