Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: Oceanis (7)
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Rius was dumbfounded.
Of course, his current condition wasn't great. He'd gone all out against Galen, so his mana was heavily depleted, and he was mentally exhausted to boot.
But even so, he was Gold, and Elisa was Silver.
Not even a top-tier Silver like Raven, who was treated as a reserve Gold—she was mid-tier at best.
She'd progressed quickly for her age, but judging by the present rather than the future, the rank gap was crystal clear.
"So... you want to fight? You and me, one-on-one?"
"Yeah."
"Your arrogance knows no bounds."
Rius let out a hollow laugh.
"You think you're Gold just because you borrowed a Gem's power to trample our family?"
"It wasn't the family that got trampled—just you three siblings."
Elisa sneered.
"Did even a single family ship get destroyed? Did even one person die? Other than the Golds burning through their mana, what else is there? Oh, right—arrows and iron spears?"
Rius was at a loss for words. The others listening in had a similar realization in that moment.
They'd all been so terrified of the Gem's transcendent magic that they'd overlooked everything else.
But when they thought about it calmly, there really hadn't been any damage at all.
Claiming property loss from the cost of arrows and iron spears would be utterly shameless. Even Rius couldn't bring himself to stoop that low.
As people realized just how much mercy Galen had shown, Elisa's words carried even more weight.
"You killed Jerbon using assassins, and this time you mobilized the full family forces against us. And now you're complaining that I got Galen's help? Then step up yourself. Don't hide like a rat."
"Fine, if that's truly what you want, I'll gladly fight you."
Grinding his teeth, Rius strode forward.
He appeared utterly provoked and furious on the surface, but the faint glimmer of hope had revived his mind, and it was now spinning at full speed.
This was his last chance.
If he could just kill Elisa here?
The situation would flip. Galen's group would become complete outsiders, and the leadership that had been leaning toward abandoning Rius for Elisa would lose its direction without a target.
Of course, Galen wouldn't just shrug and say, "What a shame. Guess I'll be off!" and leave... but at the very least, things would improve from the current mess.
No, setting all that aside.
He simply couldn't tolerate this arrogant Silver looking down on Gold while clinging to a Gem's prestige.
"Come on, then!"
"Don't pretend to yield!"
With a shout, a swirling torrent of water enveloped Elisa's raised arm.
She seemed to have lost her reason to rage, which made for an even easier win, or so Rius smirked inwardly.
Boom!
The two fateful magics clashed head-on in the center like mirroring reflections.
Lilia, watching with worried eyes, leaned in and whispered into Galen's ear.
"Will she be okay? This wasn't the plan."
Galen had handled most of it, but Elisa's heart surely wasn't at ease.
Would she have wanted to leave revenge to someone else? She had no choice due to lack of power.
Among the three siblings, Elisa wanted to take down at least one with her own hands, and naturally, Raven had been chosen. He was Silver like her, after all.
But Rius, of all people? Not even newbie Gold Tarina—he was a veteran Gold of several years.
"Logically speaking, we should have stopped her."
Galen turned his head slightly toward Lilia and murmured softly.
"But emotionally? Even if the three siblings conspired, wasn't Rius the ringleader?"
"Taking down the eldest feels more satisfying than the youngest?"
"Exactly. Plus, it proves the young lady's talent. Beating an established heir ten years her senior through sheer skill."
Of course, Rius wasn't at full strength, so it wasn't purely her skill alone, but even accounting for that, it was an incredible feat. It would also lighten the leadership's burden in changing heirs.
"But that only works if she wins."
"She will. As long as she doesn't get impatient."
Galen declared confidently.
Among the hundreds here, only he could perceive it.
Or rather, sense it through the Revised World.
A power faintly enveloping Elisa, offering faint resistance to Galen's will controlling all water in this battlefield.
A Gold mage's home turf: Fantasy Domain.
And the battle unfolded exactly as he'd predicted.
Boom! Boom! Bababam!
Elisa, half-berserk with rage, nonetheless poured out her magic with unshakable skill.
Rius, initially confident, grew increasingly disoriented as the fight refused to go his way.
"Urgh!"
Rius's only worry had been Galen interfering midway and preventing him from killing her.
Yet Galen was just spectating, and unbelievably, Elisa was holding her own against him.
Magic power was clearly superior for Rius.
But the gap wasn't overwhelming enough to crush her.
Elisa even led in application, enduring with precise control where raw power fell short.
"What... impossible...!"
Rius could never know.
Elisa, spoon-fed perfect solutions by Galen and digested them in her own style, had grown from mid-tier Silver to top-tier in under two months.
In that process, she'd been drilled mercilessly by Galen, far superior to Rius, training auto-responses for any situation.
Just before, witnessing Gem versus eight Golds had granted another breakthrough, partially entering Gold realm.
Overall, Rius still held the edge, but that was at full strength.
After clashing with Galen, his depleted mana couldn't secure victory before running dry.
"Die, Rius!"
"W-wait—"
Finally, mana-short Rius slipped, and Elisa struck precisely.
Splash!
A blade of water slashed across Rius.
"Gah!"
Not a real sword, so no severing—but water's mass didn't vanish.
Regardless of Gold rank, a mage's body was mortal.
His upper body nearly pulverized, Rius flew back. Raven, coincidentally there, caught him reflexively and tumbled together.
"Oof!"
"Ah... aaaah...."
"Haa, haa, haa...."
Rius was unconscious, Tarina trembled in daze, Raven screamed, and Elisa panted heavily.
"No way... no way this...!"
Tarina shrieked like a madwoman, shuddering.
"This can't be!"
Her mind had cracked since losing 4-to-1 to Galen.
Her mana fully lost control, rampaging wildly as it gathered nearby water and hurled it at Elisa.
Whoosh!
Exhausted physically and mentally, Elisa couldn't react properly.
But faster than Terti blocking or Lilia moving—
Galen gently caught Lilia's reflexive arm.
No need for warrior or priest; the mage had already acted.
The water blob hurtling at Elisa slowed abruptly, then rocketed back at double speed.
Boom!
Tarina, struck by her own amplified magic, collapsed without a scream.
No frail mage could tank that barehanded; the outcome was obvious.
"One-on-one, wasn't it, Lady Tarina?"
Galen said indifferently, as if only just recalling.
"Oh, right—forgot to ask. Young Master Raven?"
"Y-yeah?"
"Which of the three sent the assassins the night I was exiled from the family?"
"N-not me!"
Not as broken as Tarina, but half-dazed, Raven yelled instinctively, unaware of his words.
"Oh? I thought it was you, Young Master. Didn't you undervalue me the least? Called me a traitor."
"I-I had no subordinates to order that! Siblings said they'd handle it!"
"Family warrior, vaguely remember the face. Investigate, it'll come out."
"Really! Uh, yeah—sister. Passing comment about an incompetent guy. Referring to the failed assassin subordinate!"
"Aha."
Not intentional, but Galen had avenged regardless.
Raven lying? Didn't matter.
To Galen, Rius, Tarina, Raven—all the same trash.
No more or less hated. Treated as a set, cleared together.
"Understood. We'll call it that. Now... Lord Cled."
Galen turned from Raven to Cled.
With Rius's mouth sealed, Cled was senior by age and status.
"Said do as you please, yet you tried to sink us with full effort."
"...No choice."
"I know. In a family where elders backstab the acting head's proxy, you'd go down fighting. Had to stop us—no complaints there."
Galen spoke softly, reassuring the murmuring Cled.
"But this is the result. Gave ample time to think. Time to decide."
"...Yes."
Cled sighed deeply, averting his gaze.
Irvin nodded with a bitter expression, other Golds silently agreeing.
With Rius and Tarina left untended despite near-death injuries, the answer was set.
"Praetorian Guard, restrain Raven."
"U-Uncle?!"
"Now! That's an order!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Y-you bastards! Let go?!"
Dazed and irrational, Raven alone failed to grasp, raging with magic—but a Silver mage couldn't shake Silver warriors.
Under Cled's merciless no-mercy order, he fainted and finally quieted.
"Conspiring to assassinate kin—even half-brothers from same father—is unpardonably grave. As current head's children, meant to be examples, crime heavier still. Rius Oceanis, Tarina Oceanis, Raven Oceanis shall be escorted to main house for stern punishment."
Not for the unheard parties, but for those aboard the flagship.
Those of high status aboard understood perfectly.
Seemingly flawless justification, solid for public.
But no noble house would strictly enforce family law to behead an heir.
Possible only due to one presence.
"Wise judgment. Well witnessed."
Galen smiled. Cled returned a weary smile.
"Rest handled at main house."
"Mind if we watch?"
"...You'd anyway, even if I said no."
"Come this far, miss the finale?"
"Come see, then."
"See you at Solta."
Galen lightly bowed, supported Elisa back to the midsize ship.
Soon after, the Oceanis fleet turned south.
The vigor from their northward march was gone.