Chapter 24 Hunting Festival (6)
Hunting Festival (6)
His face was so devoid of emotion that not even the slightest flicker of movement could be seen.
Startled by an expression I had never seen on him before, I soon realized that Abel had saved me from falling off the cliff.
The fact that I wouldn't have to endure the agony of death made the tension in my body ease slightly. At the same time, I felt grateful toward Abel for saving me.
With a trembling voice, I forced out words of thanks.
"...Thank you."
The hands holding him trembled uncontrollably without me even realizing it. When he asked if I was okay, I couldn't bring myself to answer—not even with a lie.
Though I was accustomed to dying, I could never grow used to the pain of death.
Especially that sensation—the feeling of something draining away right before death, the way my body gradually turned cold...
It was agonizing beyond words.
"You're welcome."
Abel's reply, devoid of any trace of his usual smile, came as he descended slowly through the air. The gazes of the crowd were now fixed on me and Abel.
Most were looks of astonishment, but among them, a few were tinged with envy. Even in a situation like this, they could still feel jealousy—should I call that impressive?
KREEEEEEE!!
The monster let out a shriek so piercing it made my entire body tingle.
When I turned my head and met its eyes, my body stiffened, and I sucked in a sharp breath. Sensing this, Abel pulled me tighter against him, as if urging me to calm down.
The warmth of his body against mine gradually steadied my trembling.
Then, Abel slowly lowered me onto the snowy ground before turning his gaze toward the monster.
Annoyed by the interruption of its hunt, the creature glared at Abel, continuously letting out eerie cries.
KREEE!
It charged at him with all its might. In the blink of an eye, it closed the distance to less than a hand's breadth—yet Abel's expression remained utterly unchanged.
Before I could even cry out, a deafening roar shook the surroundings, sending clouds of dust exploding outward.
BOOM!
A massive shockwave followed, and the monster's body was sent flying through the air. My mind couldn't keep up with the sudden turn of events.
Abel, unfazed, emerged from the dust, casually adjusting his wrist as he walked forward.
"How bothersome."
Hmm...
The moment he murmured those words, the mana in the air trembled as if resonating in response.
The monster, which had been hurled into the mountain range, immediately raised its head again, showing no signs of exhaustion.
At the sight of its terrifying form, the crowd panicked and began scattering in all directions.
Tripping over each other was the least of their worries.
Some trampled others without hesitation to escape, while some deliberately tripped people to use them as bait.
As I stood frozen, witnessing this hellish chaos, the imperial knights rushed toward the monster.
Their blades, imbued with golden aura, swung toward the creature.
Abel, who had been silently observing, raised his palm.
"Don't assume this will end easily."
Countless magic circles materialized all around.
An enormous amount of mana—far beyond what I could ever hope to wield—began weaving intricate patterns in the air. If my mana was like water held in a crude vessel, his was akin to a vast ocean.
The sheer volume was staggering.
Even the knights, let alone the onlookers, seemed stunned, freezing in place.
"Calculation Deployment."
The spectacle was so grand it was as if he were constructing a palace out of magic circles. People couldn't tear their eyes away.
Despite each circle consuming mana equivalent to high-tier spells, Abel's complexion didn't change in the slightest.
Even the Emperor, intrigued, watched him with keen interest.
"Pierce."
With that single, quiet command, white spears shot forth from the magic circles. Dozens—no, hundreds—of them veered past the knights and embedded themselves deep into the monster's body.
KREEEAAAAAH!!
The creature, pierced all over in an instant, lost all reason and shrieked in agony. Yet Abel showed no reaction, continuing his relentless assault.
The barrage of spears from the white magic circles turned the monster into something resembling an explosive hedgehog.
His usual playful demeanor was nowhere to be seen—only an unfamiliar, emotionless face remained.
'Is he... angry?'
By the time the earth-shaking roars had echoed dozens of times, the monster could no longer even lift itself, only gasping for breath.
Even as the monster lay drenched in blood, gasping pitifully, Abel showed no sign of ceasing his assault.
Krrgh...
Just before the creature's breath stopped entirely, Abel finally halted his attacks. With a snap of his fingers—splurch—the monster's body literally exploded.
Fragments of flesh and blood sprayed in all directions, splattering across the faces of the onlookers.
Yet, the crowd could only stare blankly at Abel and the remains of the monster, utterly speechless.
"...Abel?"
When I called his name, he turned his head toward me. His voice was quiet, subdued.
"Are you hurt?"
"No. I'm... unharmed."
"That's a relief."
He smiled faintly as he said it. But despite that smile, his face seemed steeped in cold fury.
Especially since I was particularly sensitive to others' emotions, I could feel it all the more clearly.
"Evan."
"My apologies, Your Grace."
Evan dropped to one knee, forgetting even his usual dialect in his haste. Yet, Abel's anger remained unappeased, and he let out a sigh before slowly speaking again.
"I don't blame you. You couldn't have anticipated this."
His tone was so icy it could have frozen blood. Evan kept his head bowed deeply, not daring to lift it.
He seemed about to insist that he had done his best, but when he caught my subtle shake of the head, he swallowed his words.
"We'll discuss what to do... later."
After briefly flicking his gaze toward the Emperor, Abel turned back to me.
"I'll be back shortly, Adel."
"...Understood."
"Make sure you guard her properly this time, Evan."
At those words, Evan immediately straightened and bowed at the waist. Watching him, Abel muttered under his breath,
"If this happens again, I might just be disappointed."
"I won't forget, Your Grace."
With that final exchange, Abel turned on his heel and vanished without another glance.
Only the monster's corpse, standing grotesquely at the center of the gathering, remained as proof that he had ever been there at all.
The crowd, who had been holding their breath until Abel disappeared, finally began murmuring among themselves.
"Why would he go that far for her...?"
"Surely he wouldn't cause a scene at my feast, would he?"
"I don't understand. Why would His Grace...?"
Some whispered with envy and jealousy over the fact that Abel had saved me.
The way they hastily averted their eyes the moment mine met theirs was almost comical.
Their cowardice—saying things they wouldn't dare utter to my face—was something I'd grown accustomed to by now.
Hadn't most noble ladies always been like this? At this point, I didn't even expect them to speak to me normally anymore.
"Who knew the Duke of Hardenberg was that strong...?"
"Isn't he beyond even most veteran knights?"
"You're comparing the wrong things. At that level, he's practically on par with a Knight Order Commander."
Comments speculating about Abel's strength were frequent.
The fact that they were comparing him to a Knight Order Commander spoke volumes about just how awe-inspiring his display of power had been.
Honestly, considering the sheer force he had just demonstrated, it was only natural to be impressed.
Even I, who already knew he was the Archmage, was this stunned.
I had always been jealous of Abel's magical talent, but now, faced with the reality of his magic...
All I could feel was sheer wonder.
"Adel, are you alright?"
Lost in thought, I only noticed Estelle reaching out to me as I sat there.
Her suspiciously friendly demeanor put me on guard, but at least she was far better than those wretched women who gossiped behind my back and then pretended I didn't exist.
I forced a slight smile in response.
"Thank you for your concern. I'm fine."
Taking her hand, I slowly rose to my feet. Saying I was "fine" was a lie, but I had no intention of admitting weakness.
Even if I wasn't from this medieval world, I wasn't foolish enough to bare my true feelings to someone I couldn't trust.
§
Perhaps I got a little carried away.
I had planned to demonstrate my combat prowess at the Hunting Festival one way or another, but this might have been excessive. Thinking back, there was no need to lose my temper like that.
Adel is a regressor who can turn back time without restrictions. Even if she died, she could simply reset the situation by regressing.
Given Evan's strength as her guard, she wouldn't have been trapped in an infinite loop of dying to the monster until her mind shattered.
And yet, why had I been so furious?
I don't know.