Chapter 125
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Akanderus (4)
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Since I hadn't been practicing illusion magic for long, layering ancient magic incantations on top of it doubled the difficulty.
'I just couldn't pay attention to the great magic artifact, but the illusion itself is working perfectly.'
Taking into account that Requiem's leader, Chiles, had skills equivalent to level 5 in Blackout terms, the fact that the illusion magic took hold so intricately he didn't even suspect a thing was quite impressive.
Especially since, as an assassin, he wouldn't have let his guard down.
Tat-tat-
But Chiles was a seasoned assassin.
The moment he realized he'd fallen for the illusion, he kicked off the ground and charged straight at Jun.
Two short swords aimed for Jun's throat.
Appropriate for a level 5 user, they were enveloped in aura.
[Shield]
A blue barrier appeared between them, but Chiles swung his swords without hesitation.
Trusting in his own aura.
However, the aura only sliced halfway through Jun's [Shield] before grinding to a halt.
"...?!"
An unexpected situation.
But true to his experience as an assassin, he immediately abandoned his swords and retreated.
He quickly drew a spare from his waist and countered the wind blades flying toward him.
Kagagang!
Wind blades came relentlessly one after another.
As he blocked multiple Wind Cutters, Chiles's mind raced.
'How in the world?'
The artifact he'd used, 'Pertaros's Mirror of Truth,' nullified magic in an area and continuously disrupted surrounding mana flows.
Yet the enemy mage showed no sign of it, casting spells as naturally as ever.
'My aura was blocked, which was shocking enough, but casting magic like this in such conditions!'
This wasn't good.
He didn't know what artifact the mage had used, but the preparations were thorough.
'Mana...'
That wasn't the only problem.
While blocking the incoming wind blades, Chiles was horrified to sense the opponent preparing another spell.
And not an easy one like the wind blades—this one carried tremendous destructive power!
If his subordinates had been there, he might have found an opening somehow, but they were trapped in the illusion from the start and nowhere to be seen.
He had to escape this crisis somehow.
Poisonous intent filled Chiles's eyes.
"Oh."
Jun acknowledged the opponent's bold choice to charge.
Waiting out the mage's mana depletion was one option, but as an assassin, he'd chosen short-range combat.
But that only lasted a moment.
Deflecting and dodging the endless wind blades to close the distance was fine, but he'd hit his limit.
As the gap narrowed, even his reaction speed couldn't keep up with wind blades manifesting right in front of him.
"Kuhk—!"
Chiles boldly sacrificed one arm, closing in on Jun in an instant.
'Trusting the blades' cutting power to reattach it later, huh.'
He'd overcome the terror of losing a limb to lunge at him.
But regrettably...
Jun's spell incantation was faster.
[Ice Break]
Ice spread across the ground in an instant, binding Chiles's legs.
At the same time, over a dozen [Iron Fists] summoned by 'Dreamscape' pummeled his body.
Legs frozen, indiscriminate violence from steel fists raining from all directions!
"Kuhhaaa..."
It didn't take long for Chiles to collapse, spurting blood from all over his body.
"Definitely no pushover."
A little carelessness, and it would've been Jun in trouble.
Jun looked down at the fallen Chiles.
"First things first, healing... Hm. Did I overdo it?"
His arm was gone, for one.
His whole body was covered in bruises; no way a potion or two would suffice.
"Can't rely on Eleanor alone. I should learn some healing magic myself."
With no choice, Jun pulled out an advanced healing potion from his inventory.
It was one he'd recently made using mana fluid.
"This'll hurt during the process, but he'll manage. After taking that much and collapsing."
As he struggled to reattach the severed arm with healing...
"We're back. What's that?"
Maya, having dealt with Requiem's illusion-trapped members, stared at the bloodied, collapsed Chiles.
Jun calmly replied while grinding bones back into place with a crunch.
"Requiem's leader."
Shwaaa!
"Kuh...?! Kuuh, kuhhh!"
Chiles regained consciousness from the cold sensation pouring over him, drooling as excruciating pain wracked his body.
"Kuhheok..."
It was only natural. His body had been battered by steel fists, and his arm severed.
But that shock was fleeting. Astonishingly, he realized his severed left arm was moving.
Though the immense pain remained.
"Heok, huheok..."
"Hm. Must hurt a lot."
"Seems like it."
Only then could Chiles clear his pain-blurred vision.
Beyond the damp basement lit by [Light] magic, two figures came into view.
[Light]
The mage he'd fought and the female warrior holding Akanderus's Fang.
"Kuhk..."
"Looks like the pain's really bad."
No matter how many potions he'd dumped on him, the process itself couldn't eliminate the agony.
"Drink this. It's a numbing potion."
The half-remaining numbing potion eased the pain somewhat. Only then could Chiles assess his condition.
"You... healed me?"
"Yeah."
"...Why?"
"That's awfully naive for an assassination organization's leader."
"..."
What reason would there be for doing this to him?
"Viscount Bedron's weakness. You know something, right?"
"Hoo."
No choice.
Chiles nodded, judging as much.
An assassin should keep their mouth shut by nature, but he had no reason to stay loyal to Viscount Bedron.
"I'll tell you everything I know."
"No need."
"...?!"
To be toyed with like this!
How filthy, even for an assassin...
"I know all the locations of his secret vaults."
At those words, Chiles trembled in greater fear.
What kind of intelligence network did they have to know even that...?
Indeed, was the Imperial intelligence organization led by the count that formidable?
Of course, it was Chiles's misconception.
To avoid wasting time, Jun stated exactly what he wanted from Chiles.
"Your job is simple. Buy time from the viscount."
"How...?"
"We'll tell you the method. You don't follow him out of loyalty, do you?"
"..."
That was enough.
Reclaiming the dagger of vengeance might be a distant dream, but...
"Do well, and I'll let you see the Vassai secrets."
"...What do I need to do? Tell me."
"I like the enthusiasm."
Maya, who had been quietly listening beside him, gripped her sword tighter for some reason.
Viscount Bedron asked Chiles, kneeling before him.
"Did you bring the bastard's head?"
"Yes. Here it is."
Opening the box Chiles handed him revealed the mage's head from the photo, unmistakably.
"Well done. You took some time, but it's not too late yet."
He wanted to spit on the head, but Viscount Bedron prioritized urgent matters.
"Akanderus's Fang?"
"Regrettably, one got away."
"Can't be helped. We'll handle that later. Can you move out now?"
"Not at full strength. The reattached arm hasn't fully healed."
"Tch."
Indeed, the severed traces were visible through Chiles's torn sleeve.
It must have been a fierce battle.
"Then focus on recovery for now."
"Yes."
"By the way, what were the casualties?"
"Fifteen juniors, seven mid-level, three seniors."
"Quite a loss."
But for annihilating a famed mercenary corps, it was decent.
Once time passed and Akanderus's Fang fell into his hands, Requiem would be obsolete anyway.
"Still, some mercenaries remain unaccounted for. Shouldn't we bolster the mansion's guards?"
"Hm."
The viscount pondered briefly and nodded.
"Just in case, station your able-bodied members."
"Understood."
As Chiles withdrew, Viscount Bedron sneered at the spot he'd occupied.
"Fool. Doesn't even realize he's being discarded."
Viscount Bedron never imagined Chiles had defected to Jun.
The injuries looked too severe in his eyes.
Who would sever their own arm just to deceive someone?
Even with healing potions, a mistake could mean losing the arm forever.
"Finally, a breather. Hm. Now to execute the plan against the duke as intended."
He needed to untangle the twisting schemes.
A master of intrigue, Viscount Bedron quickly devised methods and planned to start at dawn.
If only, the next day, his mansion hadn't fallen into Count Mordnain's hands when he awoke.
"Man, things are going way too smoothly."
Obviously, Jun's head was perfectly attached to his neck.
What he'd shown Viscount Bedron was an artifact implanted with illusion magic. Chiles had doubted its feasibility at first.
Viscount Bedron, with many enemies, had thorough anti-magic precautions.
But Jun was proficient enough in ancient magic to overcome even Pertaros's Mirror of Truth.
Having deceived the viscount, Jun and Maya roamed the mansion freely, disguised as Requiem members.
'Luckily, the vault locations match what I saw in the game.'
Even the codes were identical, so Jun secured the viscount's secret ledger in under an hour.
"Would've been trouble if it wasn't here. Good thing."
"...You seemed awfully thrilled for someone saying that."
Maya's jab aside, Jun felt a bit wronged.
Memories of his 'Lee Jung-jun' days grinding in the game flashed by.
Back then, without Gilenoi Merchant Guild, the count's aid, or intel on Viscount Bedron, progress was impossible.
He'd loaded countless saves, enduring hardships to uncover that info.
Just diverting McGray's caravan would have required annoying subquests and fame points without the guild.
'Still, this went easy.'
Even Jun admitted the Gilenoi Merchant Guild's help and the count's permit were cheat-level.
That combo would overwhelm most foes.
Thus, Jun handed the ledger to the count.
The count immediately obtained the emperor's permission and sent knights to infiltrate Viscount Bedron's mansion.
The viscount's soldiers tried to block them, of course.
But Requiem opened the mansion gates first.
The soldiers couldn't halt them upon seeing the count's banner.
When the count's knights finally smashed Viscount Bedron's door...
"Wh-what the—?! What's going on?!"
Awakened by the sudden crash, Viscount Bedron grabbed the dagger by his bedside.
It was a magic-infused artifact, but useless against the count's knights.
"It's been a while, Viscount Bedron."
"Y-you?! No, what is the meaning of this, Count Mordnain! Bursting into another's mansion like...!"
"Too hasty. We'll have plenty of time to talk from now on."
"What do you...!"
Then, Viscount Bedron spotted the familiar ledger in Count Mordnain's hand, his eyes widening in horror.
"That... why do you have it...?"
No matter how quick his mind, he couldn't process this situation.
Like a broken machine, he repeated himself in a daze as the knights dragged him away.
And then.
"Heok! Y-you?!"
Being hauled out despondently, Viscount Bedron saw the mage—whom he'd confirmed dead last night—alive and well, plunging into shock.
Only then did he realize he'd been tricked.
He didn't know the details, but...!
"Ch-Chiles... that fucking bastard...!!! Let go! I said let me go!!!"
Viscount Bedron thrashed like a madman, but the knights soon gagged him forcibly.
Watching, Jun said to the count,
"Count, may I have a brief discourtesy with him?"
"Just don't kill him."
"Haha, I'm not that vicious."
Approaching the viscount, Jun smiled brightly and grabbed his head.
"Wh-what...!"
The viscount trembled, fearing his eyes would be gouged.
Crunch—
"Aaak!!"
Jun ripped out a fistful of the viscount's hair, scalp and all.
Turning back, he approached Chiles, hiding in a corner and watching.
"I win the bet?"
"..."
The viscount's scalp-torn hair in hand.
Chiles squeezed his eyes shut.