This Is How You Kidnap (6)
This Is How You Kidnap (6)
All mages pursued the truth. The origin of the world, an absolute proposition no one could refute.
Some sought the answer in the hottest-burning fire, others in the endlessly circulating water.
The White Tower sought that answer in the light.
The origin of the beginning, the start of all life.
Jeina also had a mission to reach the truth. Thus, she slowly but steadily raised her level.
Just today, there was research she had to finish.
So she could not die here...
"What are you guys doing?"
Jeina swallowed hard and slowly turned her head. The crazy witch was glaring at them as if she wanted to kill them.
"M-Me?"
"Yeah. You."
Olivia's fingertip was pointed exactly at Jeina.
'All three of us, actually.'
Frankly, she felt despondent.
'It was my fault for trusting that idiot Aramis.'
Jeina shot a resentful glare at Aramis.
If I'd just kept my mouth shut, it would have ended with an electric shock. But I had to join in, and now I was about to die a dog's death.
"Come here."
"..."
Jeina just hesitated and couldn't step forward.
She looked like the third-generation only daughter of a ducal house, but her behavior was unmistakably that of a third-rate thug. That dissonance made Jeina hesitate.
"These bastards won't come? Tsk, so all the talk about White Tower kids having good character was bullshit?"
As if anyone would go to you!
As Olivia stepped closer, cold sweat ran down Jeina's face.
Honestly, that woman was ten times scarier than a dragon.
As she unconsciously stepped back, a piece of advice she had heard drilled into her ears since childhood came to mind.
- Jeina, in life, there are times you must stand tall. You can achieve nothing if you are consumed by fear.
Jeina gritted her teeth. Her father was right.
As a mage, she couldn't remain afraid forever. Jeina raised her head high and stared at Olivia.
Against any threat, she would stand firm until the end...
"No, why are you guys up again? Just stay lying down."
Bzzzzt.
"Grrrrrk!"
"Gak! Ga-gack!"
...Her courage vanished in an instant.
If she defied that witch who knew no respect for the elderly, she felt she wouldn't even be able to gather her bones.
What would her father have said if he were here? Wouldn't he have told her to survive first?
Jeina's decision was swift.
She knelt down and slammed her head to the ground as if bowing.
"Please spare me! I'll do anything!"
Ro said in surprise.
"J-Jeina?"
"Shut up and bow your head too!"
"Ack!"
Jeina subdued Ro in an instant and pressed his head down.
She felt countless gazes on her, but what did that matter?
It was said that an Archmage's revenge was never too late even after ten years. You had to survive first to get revenge.
"You'll do anything?"
"Yes, yes!"
"This friend here doesn't seem to have any such intention?"
Jeina's head slowly turned sideways. There was Aramis, holding his head stiffly high.
"Aramis? Are you cra..."
"There's no need to kneel. This woman has no intention of killing us anyway."
"Hooh?"
Aramis looked down at Olivia with sharp eyes and said.
"Am I wrong? Witch."
"Aramis, still, speaking so informally..."
Aramis cut Jeina off.
"If her goal was simply to kill, she's someone who could have already killed us and had more to spare. The same goes for only taking down the Tower Lord and the elder. She must have a reason to keep us alive."
At those words, Jeina's mind spun. Indeed, there wasn't a single flaw in Aramis's words.
The lower floors wouldn't be much different. She probably knocked them all out.
Aramis stared at Olivia. Her actions were like a neighborhood thug's, but she wasn't just any thug.
A Tower Lord-level mage does not appear out of thin air. Only the best mages who break through chances of one in thousands, tens of thousands, can claim that name.
A Tower Lord was a decisive weapon in themselves, the empire's most important resource. And the witch in front of him was someone who had brought down such a strategic weapon in an instant.
It wasn't that there was no one stronger than the White Tower Lord, but all such powerful individuals belonged to their own kingdoms or families.
The Knight Commander of the Holy Kingdom was one, and Harten of the eastern Harten School was another.
They could win against a Tower Lord, but they would not commit such a mad act because of the consequences. No matter how renowned a powerful warrior, if they offended the empire, they could not remain safe.
‘A group that didn't hesitate to fight the empire.’
There was only one such crazy group on the continent.
The Waning Moon.
The criminal organization that overthrew a southern kingdom seven years ago.
If the witch before him belonged to the Waning Moon, the reason she wasn't killing them could be explained.
Probably a scheme to sell them as slaves. Mages were a valuable resource, after all.
Slavery was illegal under imperial law, but it wasn't in other kingdoms, so it was a possible action.
"Let me make this clear, witch. Others may tremble in fear at the sight of you, but not me. Do not think you can intimidate me with violence."
The mages who had been terrified fell silent at Aramis's boldness.
'Dammit...'
'How shameful. I am so ashamed of my weak self.'
Some clenched their fists.
Some reignited their fighting spirit.
"If we had all fought with the will to die, not just the Tower Lord alone, the likes of you would have been nothing. We failed to exert our full strength from the start because we thought of minimizing damage, and that was the cause of our defeat."
The atmosphere heated up at Aramis's speech.
But Jeina could not bring herself to join in. Because she made eye contact with Lloyd, who was trembling all over like a palsy patient but desperately signaling with his eyes.
Aramis? ...
The Tower Lord was saying that wasn't it?
He was saying that if we all fought together, we'd all die together?
"Grrrrrk!"
"..."
That was already the third electric shock.
At the gruesome sight, Jeina squeezed her eyes shut.
She could already picture Aramis's end.
"So, if you all come at me at once, you'll beat me?"
"...Yes."
"Really?"
"..."
Olivia sighed and took out her staff.
When she tapped the floor with her staff, ice wrapped around Aramis like chains.
"...!"
"You need a beating."
Olivia raised her staff.
It was an electric shock, everyone thought that for a moment.
THWACK!
A completely different sound rang out.
"What? A gang-up? A gang-up?! A bastard who calls himself a mage goes for a gang-up?"
"GAAAAAAH!"
Aramis, struck in a vital spot, collapsed on the spot.
"When I! Got pissed off! I told you to come out earlier, didn't I?"
"Urk! Grk!"
THWACK! SMACK!
Jeina, who couldn't bear to watch, turned her head away.
Ever since, she had been hitting only his vital spots like a lunatic.
If Aramis blocked with his arms, she hit only his arms until he dropped his guard. If he couldn't hold out and lowered his arms, she went back to hitting the same original vital spot.
Blocking hurt, but not blocking hurt like death, so he had to block even if he didn't want to.
"Grk..."
Olivia didn't stop there. She forced Aramis to his feet and gave him an end befitting a candidate for the next White Tower Lord.
"Grrrrrk!"
At the pain that far surpassed the limits of his brain, Aramis fainted, foam at the mouth, and collapsed.
'She's not human. A demon, a demon.'
Only then did Jeina understand Lloyd's feelings.
It seemed better to just die.
"Do you all think the same? Wanna try ganging up on me?"
Jeina swallowed hard.
The answer was already decided.
***
"Grgh..."
Glacia staggered to her feet. Perhaps due to the heavy shock, she had reverted to her human form.
As she rubbed her head, Glacia spotted the shattered main gate.
"...This is insane."
Since when did dragons become substitute catapults?
Glacia's gaze turned upwards. It was noisy, so they must be going at it up there.
'Crazy psycho bitch.'
Even if I conceded a million times, I could tolerate the hitting. But what I couldn't stand was that while she beat me, a dragon, like a dog, she was lenient to humans.
The word 'lenient' might not suit someone who smashed the Magic Tower's main gate and electrocuted dozens of mages, but at least that was how Glacia felt.
‘Did she think she was too good for it because she was human?’
Even when she ordered me to ram the Magic Tower, she said to ram it just enough so no one died.
Glacia looked around with an annoyed expression. The place was filled with unconscious mages.
But that was it. They weren't charred black, and nothing was broken.
'Damn bastard. This means she could have gone this easy on me too.'
Bruises were forming on her beaten limbs. Just how hard did you have to hit to bruise a dragon's body?
Glacia looked up again. Olivia didn't seem to have any intention of coming down yet.
"..."
Glacia thought for a moment.
No matter how outstanding a mage Olivia was, she didn't seem capable of catching a dragon that made a determined escape.
Especially in a situation where her attention was focused like this!
Glacia's deliberation was short.
"Heh heh heh... Farewell, damn human!"
Glacia laughed and soared into the sky.
'Ptui! I'm never even looking at the North again!'
She felt she would have to flee at least as far as the East to feel safe.
She had to give up her beloved lair, but it was better than living as a slave.
'Let's hibernate for just a thousand years. When that human croaks, I'll come back out...!'
TWAAAAANG!
"[Gahk!]"
With the sound of a line snapping taut, Glacia's body was yanked backwards.
BOOOM!
Glacia, having crashed, felt her nape with a look of disbelief.
Something hard was there.
What.
What was this.
"[Wha-what is this...]"
Even when she pulled with all her might, it showed no sign of coming off.
She didn't know what it was, but it was like a dog collar.
Glacia collapsed on the spot with a devastated expression. It felt like she was dancing on the devil's palm.
That was the moment.
"Hey, what are you doing out there?"
At Olivia's words, Glacia whipped around.
"[I was... keeping watch to see if anyone was coming!]"
"Keeping watch?"
"[Yes, yes!]"
Olivia snorted.
If you were going to lie, you could at least not stammer.
Normally, she would have administered some corrective education, but not now, at least.
'Ugh, my arm hurts.'
It was because Aramis had held out longer than expected.
"Anyway, I need to give these kids a ride, so bend down a little."
"[These kids?]"
Glacia looked down. There were mages, tied up like criminals and staggering.
One woman and two men.
The man standing at the very back had a face that was utterly wretched.
Glacia swallowed.
Just what sin did you have to commit to end up with a face like that?
I took back what I said about her going easy on humans.
This one was a madman who beat humans and dragons impartially.
"[Uh... Are they criminals?]"
"No, my disciples."
"[Ah, is that so?]"
Huh? What did she just say?
Not slaves, but disciples?
At the disbelieving looks, Olivia shrugged.
"Anyway, they are my disciples."
"[...]"
"First, let's go to your lair."
"[I shall escort you.]"
Just as Glacia launched into the sky.
At the edge of Olivia's vision, a light flashed for an instant.
Olivia, squinting at the light drawing closer and closer, shouted.
"Shit!"
Olivia yanked the leash. Glacia, choked, stopped in place coughing.
CRACK!
The next moment, the sky right above Glacia split in two.
"[Wha, what is that!]"
"Shut up and fly! Fly higher!"
Olivia saw it clearly.
'What the hell is that bastard doing here? Why isn't he heading to the capital!'
Jet-black hair, rare on the continent, and a greatsword of an enormous size that overwhelmed you just by looking at it.
There was only one human who satisfied those two traits simultaneously.
Sword Saint Kiel.
It was her first encounter with him.