Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 143
>Chapter Title: Master of the Tower
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Midnight.
A suffocating tension swept through Lortel's castle.
The knights who had arrived early were still bewildered, unable to grasp the situation, while those who had just joined gasped at the sight before them.
"Sir Zeke...?"
"No, isn't that Sir Hamelan?"
"How could those two..."
They directed questions at those who had been there first, but no one could provide a clear answer.
Amidst it all.
Zeke gripped his sword tighter, channeling more strength into his hand.
Scrape, scrape.
The blade dug into his flesh, scraping against bone, but he paid it no mind. Such pain was familiar to him.
It was then that the first sword, Hamelan, posed his question.
"Will you truly not let go? You're not trying to protect Lortel's intruder, are you?"
"He's no intruder."
"Then?"
"..."
Zeke clamped his mouth shut.
It was the patriarch's command to keep it secret.
He had to obey, no matter who the opponent was—even if it was the leader of the Ten Swords, Hamelan.
Hamelan's eyes gleamed meaningfully at that moment. But it was only for an instant.
Hamelan spoke again.
"If you won't answer, then I won't know. Is that alright?"
Zeke realized it was time to make a decision.
'No choice.'
Hamelan had made up his mind.
Even if the mad wizard backed down now, Sir Hamelan would surely sever the wizard's head.
In that case...
'I have no choice but to fight.'
His mission was singular.
To bring that wizard to the patriarch.
'I'll give up my right hand.'
That was his resolve.
As he reached to draw his sword with his unfamiliar left hand, a voice rang in his ear.
"Step aside."
"......?"
The voice belonged to Aster.
"That's enough. You saved his life once when he was about to die—it's not like your bed's going to be restless over it."
"What do you... Hmph!"
Zeke let out a gasp.
Aster had grabbed the sword without the slightest hesitation.
It wouldn't have been surprising if it were an ordinary blade, but Hamelan's sword now surged with refined ether.
He himself was pouring out an equal amount of ether just to block it.
One misstep, and the clash of the two ethers could tear his body to shreds!
"Dangerous—release your hand now...!"
Zeke belatedly tried to warn him.
Sizzle—
Clear mana burrowed into the sword.
And that wasn't all.
Crunch, crunch.
'Pushing out my ether?'
It even drove out Zeke's ether!
This was impossible.
Mana was inherently weak in cohesion by nature.
For such mana to repel ether? Even a master of the same realm couldn't do it!
Of course, Aster wasn't unscathed either.
"...Damn it, you monsters."
Urk.
Red blood cascaded from his mouth like a waterfall.
He hadn't planned to step in originally.
Hadn't Zeke said it earlier?
Clashing swords with the Ten Swords without permission was forbidden by family law. So he thought Hamelan wouldn't actually sever Zeke's hand...
'This old man's serious.'
So, what now?
The one who started the mess had to end it.
At this point, half-measures wouldn't cut it. Then again, he wouldn't have come looking for Lortel with half-measures in the first place.
With that, Aster steeled himself and focused his mind.
The pressure he'd scattered in all directions vanished in an instant. He was devoting all his attention to blocking Hamelan's ether.
Zeke snapped to his senses at the sight.
'Dangerous.'
It was merely holding on by a thread.
He tried to rejoin the pressure battle...
But at that moment, a massive wave of ether invaded along Zeke's hand gripping the sword.
"Urk!"
Zeke staggered back from the sudden shock.
He spat up blood from no small internal injury.
Hamelan's voice followed immediately after.
"Third Sword, step back. Didn't the man himself say it? He saved your life once, so no need to lose sleep over it."
But Zeke didn't yield.
"I can't..."
It was then.
"Sir Zeke, forgive me."
Knight Captain Ekst, who had been silently watching, stepped forward.
Thus, the injured Zeke was subdued by Ekst and the other knights and dragged away.
Only then did the center of the scene hold just two: Aster and Hamelan.
Hamelan glanced at Zeke and flashed a grin.
"Thanks. You helped me avoid an awkward situation. But... are you alright? You look pretty roughed up."
"Not alright, and yeah, it hurts."
"You're awfully composed for someone in that state."
"Hardly. I feel like dying right now."
"You should've stayed hidden behind Sir Zeke."
"Regretting it already. Didn't expect you to be such a monster."
"Haha."
Hamelan finally burst into laughter.
"Talking must be hard, yet your spirit's unbreakable."
"Impressive?"
"Hm...?"
"If I'm impressive, maybe you'll go easy on me. I look like a fresh junior, after all."
"Ha!"
Hamelan laughed again.
A bigger laugh than before.
"You're mad! Haha, utterly insane! Even in the old wars, your type was rare!"
It was quite amusing.
Scattering pressure in every direction right in the heart of Lortel—it was madness enough.
But this exceeded expectations.
However, the amusement was fleeting.
Hamelan cut off his laugh and his eyes sharpened.
Amusing was amusing, but what had to be done remained unchanged.
"For protecting the Young Patriarch's swordsman, I won't take your head. Destroying your core should suffice."
Hamelan amplified his ether.
He planned to drive out Aster's mana in one go and crush the core inside his body.
Rumble—!
A torrent of ether raced along the blade.
Sturdy mana blocked its path, but the fierce ether shattered everything and pressed on.
Blood erupted from Aster's mouth in a geyser.
Splurt!
But then.
'......?'
The moment Hamelan sensed the end.
He saw it clearly.
Amid the blood spray, the wizard's lips curled faintly.
The madman's baseless smile? No, something was off. Those clear eyes were those of a beast lying in wait!
The instant Hamelan sensed something amiss.
Crack—!
"......!"
A vortex of mana swirled around the wizard.
A final struggle? No, not quite...
'Dangerous!'
Hamelan heeded his instincts and withdrew his ether immediately. He then expelled it outward, wrapping his body.
An indescribable heat engulfed Hamelan right after.
Roar—!
'W-What...!'
Hamelan shuddered at the most intense heat he'd ever felt.
And just before the flames dominated his vision, he saw it clearly.
The wizard was smiling.
* * *
The sudden pillar of fire illuminated Lortel's darkness.
Beneath it, the knights stared up in daze.
No one spoke.
They all sensed it.
Grind—
The flow of mana raging within that terrifying pillar of fire. The atmospheric mana surging in response.
It was a wondrous sight.
Even knights ignorant of magic were entranced.
But the rapture didn't last.
"What are you doing! Snap out of it!"
A roar pierced their minds.
At Captain Ekst's shout, the knights jolted to attention.
"W-What..."
"S-Sir Hamelan!"
"Put out the fire... Someone fetch a wizard!"
Shocked cries erupted everywhere.
Some wailed the First Sword's name, trapped in the inferno; others sought the family's employed wizards.
But the chaos didn't linger.
"Everyone, halt! Regain your composure!"
The knights froze at the voice laced with ether. Even their exhales stopped.
Captain Ekst addressed the assembled knights.
"Sir Hamelan is unharmed. Do you think he'd fall to some petty spell?"
"...No, sir!"
"Then, what must we do?"
His voice was razor-sharp.
Ether-infused words bored into their minds.
Yes, Lortel's First Sword wouldn't yield to some spell. So what must they do?
Only one thing.
"..."
Kill the wizard who infiltrated Lortel and ambushed the First Sword.
Sizzle—
Murderous intent rose from all directions. Each strand sharp as a honed sword.
And naturally, that intent targeted...
The wizard standing before the pillar, vomiting blood.
Shing—
Scrape.
Swords drawn in unison, their intent sharpened further.
As the knights poised like drawn arrows.
The blood-vomiting wizard straightened up.
The knights froze in that instant.
"......!"
"......!"
Sizzle, sizzle—
For a moment, the air stiffened. No, not the air—it was...
Mana.
The mana in the area froze solid.
It wasn't some physical force restraining the knights.
The reason they couldn't move...
Was instinct. They knew without being told.
The area was under control.
So.
'If we move... we die.'
Gulp.
As all held their breath, the only sound was swallowing, the wizard's pillar of fire shuddered massively.
Was the spell changing?
The thought flashed through the knights' minds.
No.
Slash—!
A single whoosh.
The pillar stretching to the heavens split vertically.
The eternal-seeming flames died right after.
In the spot where the fire vanished.
"..."
Lortel's First Sword, Hamelan, took in the sight ahead. Or rather, the unidentified wizard.
With a somewhat casual expression like before, but eyes sharp as could be, he asked.
"Who are you? You're no ordinary rat."
For the first time, Hamelan directly questioned his identity.
The wizard's prowess had impressed him that much.
Nor was Hamelan alone in his curiosity about the wizard's identity.
Every knight's ears turned to him.
Amidst it.
The wizard answered.
"Master of the Tower."
"...Tower?"
Hamelan tilted his head at the cryptic reply.
Rumble—!
The atmospheric mana surged right then.
"...Gasp!"
Even Hamelan held his breath briefly. A moment of silence. Then... the wizard's voice cut through the quiet.
"Is this how Lortel treats its guests?"
In this instant, no one saw him as mere 'wizard.'
"Fetch the patriarch."
He was a grand wizard.
Master of the Tower.