Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: Erased Name (2)
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One application of Water Flow Manipulation involved reading the movement of moisture in the air and using it like radar—a skill Galen had been capable of since his Silver days.
Much less now that he had surpassed Gold to become a Gem.
The radar's precision had advanced beyond comparison, and Galen's mental capacity to process that information had grown in tandem.
Especially since Galen's Revised World didn't alter the direction of Water Flow Manipulation but instead massively amplified its existing capabilities.
The overwhelming authority unleashed during Revised World's deployment left a lingering aftereffect even after deactivation.
It was like briefly tasting a higher realm.
His efforts to recreate that sensation under normal conditions had proven quite effective.
⚔ STATUS ⚔
💧 Water Flow Manipulation Lv.73
Progress to next level: 7%
Even though the only meaningful experience gained from kills since becoming a Gem had come from Tarina, the Oceanis Gold ranker, he had leveled up through incremental insights during training.
Of course, the finer details not displayed in his status window had strengthened even further.
Spotting the suspicious carriage right as he was about to leave Cairoan was pure luck, but recognizing that suspicious nature was thanks to Galen's dedicated efforts.
'Someone's hiding.'
It looked like an ordinary carriage on the surface, windows open to brazenly reveal its passengers.
But that itself was camouflage.
Water Flow Manipulation's sensory field detected a human presence beneath the carriage floor.
Who in their right mind would lie flat on the floor people trample with their shoes? It wasn't luggage.
'And probably... a mage.'
Warriors had strong builds and carried weapons, priests wore vestments or bore stigmata in their eyes.
Mages were indistinguishable by appearance alone—especially when hidden from view.
But as Galen focused his senses on the suspicion, a clue emerged.
A faint repulsion felt the instant he tried to subtly probe the moisture around the hidden figure.
Mana interference during spellcasting only happened in one case.
When the opponent was a Gold-rank mage or higher.
In their Phantasmal Domain, one's own mana was amplified while the enemy's was suppressed. Attempting to cast inside felt just like this.
Once he grasped that much, the suspicion doubled.
What reason would a Gold mage have to sneak into the city under a carriage floor like some criminal fugitive? Unless they had serious skeletons in their closet.
Cairoan happened to be the largest city in the southwest, and the Kalian Merchant Group's branch was substantial, affording them a wide network of informants.
With the intelligence network already in full swing these past few days, Galen could issue orders immediately.
Leaving the teahouse, he blended into the crowd to avoid detection, moving naturally.
As he strolled the main avenue like any pedestrian, a young man sidled up—the same one who had reported earlier.
"I don't think we can track it any further."
"What do you mean? Did you lose it?"
"No, we weren't spotted. But the carriage entered a mansion."
"Lead the way."
"Yes, sir."
The youth took the lead. They slipped through the bustling streets and cut across alleys.
They arrived in the western district.
Rows of unremarkable houses—neither poor nor affluent.
Without tracking it from the start, pinpointing which house among so many would have been impossible.
"There, that one. No one's come out since the carriage went in."
"Keep surveillance tight. Investigate the owner too. Oh, and gather whatever info you can on mages active nearby."
"Leave it to me. And this is the report I meant to hand over earlier."
The youth passed over a folded paper and withdrew. Galen loitered near the mansion, pretending to be a passerby.
Shhh...
Territorial Advance's mana silently burrowed into the ground.
Not a large mansion, so the scan didn't take long.
'No tunnels, good.'
No need for Galen to monitor personally now. At least, no worry of them slipping past surveillance.
Relaxing slightly, Galen retreated to a spot where the mansion was just visible. Leaning against a convenient wall, he read the report.
'Lilia's area.'
Tracing the blood trail, the church had intensively questioned survivors in villages along the path.
Ordinary villagers might not remember outsiders' faces perfectly, but sightings overlapped—especially among traveling merchants.
Of course, they could just be innocently evacuating, so jumping to conclusions was unwise. But their movements suspiciously outpaced the plague precisely.
The church had attached pursuit teams to all of them. This report was from the team tailing the most suspicious group.
The village two hours' ride from here wasn't their 'current' position. Based on direction and speed, it was the site they were projected to hit today.
Preemptively fortifying there could let them net the culprits without casualties...
'...But right now, I trust my instincts.'
The pursuit team's forces weren't weak. The church had concentrated power there. They could handle most threats without aid.
'Lilia will manage.'
Some casualties might occur, but joining them to prevent that was less wise than staying put, Galen judged.
His gaze on the distant mansion darkened steadily.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A streak of blinding light hurtled toward him like an arrow, startling the squinty-eyed man but not panicking him.
From the scabbard at his waist, the blade exploded outward in a violently aggressive iaijutsu draw.
Claaaaaaang!
The radiant spear and blade clashed head-on, erupting in a deafening roar.
The man furrowed his brow—that was it. No real damage.
Still, not leisurely enough to continue the ritual. He clicked his tongue and halted his shaking hand.
The shambling villagers froze in place. Yet their eyes remained vacant of reason.
"What a pain."
As the man grumbled, Lilia expertly reined in her horse a short distance away and hopped down lightly.
She ignored the blocked spear—it had already vanished smoothly. Instead, she drew the flanged mace slung across her back.
"For a passing priest butting in... you seem awfully high-ranking, Your Excellency Bishop."
The radiance miracle itself was bishop-level, making rank easy to guess. But her youth—bordering on childlike—felt off-putting.
"Who are you?"
"That's what I want to ask."
Lilia said, resting the mace on her shoulder. She didn't stop walking as she spoke.
"That thing in your hand—mind-control magic tool, right? Pretty dangerous type. What were you planning with the villagers?"
"If you spotted the magic tool, no need to ask? Just offering minor sacrifices."
Lilia's delicate brows arched sharply in anger. Seeing it, the squinty man cackled.
"Plague death or sacrificial death—same difference, no? Actually, this way they feel no pain. Gentler end."
"You lot spread that plague, didn't you?"
"Misunderstanding. We just set the stage. Think we can control plague at will?"
"Ah, I see. Then smashing you smashes the stage too."
"Think you can?"
The squinty man asked with a sly grin.
Lilia answered with action. Closing distance steadily, her eyes blazed as she charged.
The squinty man reacted instantly, lunging forward.
BOOM!
Nigh-explosive collision. The sound alone evoked mace-on-mace, not sword-on-mace.
Bang! Thud! Boom!
The horizontally swung mace was blocked by the blade, then the thrusting sword tip veered off the mace again.
Each clash sent shockwaves rippling outward.
Not the power—it was something else that furrowed Lilia's brow.
"That sword's a magic tool too?"
"Correct."
"Where do they keep popping from?"
"So curious. Should be focused on the fight."
He chattered too, but from leisure. Sword's versatility held firm even in head-ons against the mace.
Seemed evenly matched, but he held the edge.
Gathering underlings over vague unease had been needless worry.
"You're right."
Lilia smirked. Her smile mirrored an absent man's expression.
"If you'd been focused, you could've claimed ignorance."
"...What?"
The moment his narrowed eyes narrowed further at the cryptic words—
"Attack!"
A booming shout erupted unexpectedly from behind.
Dozens of shadows poured from everywhere but Lilia's direction.
Black robes obscured them, but their glowing eyes shone uniquely.
"Gah!"
"Argh!"
"You bastards, where'd you— Gurk!"
The squinty man's underlings were swept away before acting.
Had the initial encirclement held, they might've swung once.
But distracted by the boss fight's racket, they missed the priests stealthily surrounding the plaza.
Even if noticed, outcome unchanged.
⚡ MIRACLE ACTIVATED ⚡
Luminous Sword (Multiple)
From left, right, rear—unblockable divine blades!
Luminous Swords surged from left, right, behind.
No one withstood even one from the three bishops.
Those dodging to strike other priests gained no ground—instead instantly pushed back.
Clang! Clink-clang! Clang!
Already losing 1v1 swordplay, priests outnumbered them too, ganging 2-3 on one without qualm.
Outmatched in number and quality, underlings were utterly annihilated in blinks. Not a single priest injured, let alone killed.
"Wha-what..."
"Villagers safe, thankfully. Worth the distraction."
The dazedly muttering squinty man whipped around at Lilia's words.
"Planned that from the start?"
"Of course. Bad guys like you grab hostages when cornered."
She smiled sweetly, raising her mace again.
"Not losing to a fake Gold mimicking with magic tools."
The mace viciously cleaved air. He snapped to, swinging his sword.
Thud! Boom!
Deafening roars resounded again.
But this clash ended swiftly.
Restraint gone, Lilia read his patterns, deflected the sword outward with her right-hand mace—
⚡ MIRACLE ACTIVATED ⚡
Luminous Sword (Lv.7?)
Ambush strike through momentary guard lapse!
—then drew a Luminous Sword from her left hand in a surprise thrust. He couldn't block the sudden attack in his brief opening.
Slash!
His left arm severed clean from the shoulder. No need for the seventh miracle.
"Guh!"
Blood fountained from the stump like a waterfall; he staggered.
Balance wrecked aside, untreated it'd kill via blood loss.
Yet oddly, he only groaned briefly—no grimace. He smiled instead.
"Indeed... You must be the Holy Knight Order. Only they travel with four bishops. Hahaha!"
"Laughing like that—guess you're half-mad already."
Diana, wielder of the rear encirclement's Luminous Sword, sneered. Lilia turned to the other leaders with a proposal.
"Subdue first? Need him alive to make him talk."
"Planning torture? Pointless."
"Everyone says that beforehand."
Diana replied coldly. But the squinty man chuckled back.
"No, really pointless. 'This body' knows little."
"...What?"
"Regret getting caught... but luring this much force means the stage rises safely."
"What are you—"
"Cairoan."
He spat casually, grinning. Diana's eyes widened.
"No way—the real target?"
"Too late even departing now."
Chatting leisurely, he mockingly bowed one-armed.
"Despair away. I'll take my leave."
Arbitrarily ending, he toppled forward mid-bow—like a puppet with cut strings.
Lilia hastily grabbed him, muttering in dismay.
"Wait, our main force is there too..."
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