Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Desert Night
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Only one person reacted to the sudden burst of magic. The moment the cart shattered, a woman named Karin spurred her lizard and leaped into the air. She was the only one in Vera's group who could wield mana.
Vera, Gideon, and Durel were sliding lightly across the icy surface. Karin, kicking off the lizard's back and soaring upward, drew her sword from her waist.
Flash!
Mana flowed from her waist, racing through her back muscles into her right hand. The instantaneous contraction of her muscles imbued the blade with ferocious power. She didn't panic. From the start, she had known this opponent was the one to watch out for most in the group.
The moment the attack registered, the barrier of Gentle Wind asserted itself.
Whoosh!
"Kuh!"
The swiftly swung blade failed to breach the wall of Gentle Wind. Caught in the fierce wind pressure, Karin's body was hurled back, landing on the ice beside them. Durel was the only one to spring up immediately. After rolling lightly across the ice, he drew his sword and assumed a stance the instant he rose. As expected of my disciple—quick on the uptake.
"Aigoo... What in the world..."
"M-Magic...? Did the mage do this...?"
Vera and Gideon were putting on a truly infuriating act, pretending they had no idea. It was odd, now that I thought about it. The typical sentiment ordinary folk in this world held toward mages was fear.
Yet these three were different. Cautious in their demeanor, perhaps, but no fear of mages.
"What... exactly is going on here? Did we do something to inconvenience you?"
The only one in Vera's group standing with her sword aimed was Karin. Even in this situation, she was still playing innocent. My mood soured considerably, and I drew up my mana as I opened my mouth.
"You can drop the act. I know everything."
"What are you talking about..."
"You think I wouldn't know you're sent by the merchant caravan?"
I had confirmed it every time I mentioned the caravan—their expressions subtly stiffening. Suspicion had long since turned to certainty. Karin made no further excuses. Her face took on what seemed like a resigned expression, and she kicked off the ground to charge again.
Not straightforward. Her feet wove erratically left and right, creating an uncanny rhythm to her movements.
Gentle Wind.
The attack flying in from outside my vision chipped away at the Gentle Wind barrier. The erupting wind pressure made my black robe flap wildly. Once more, Karin's sword failed to pass the barrier.
The flat of the blade...?
I noticed belatedly that Karin's sword was angling strangely. The sharp edge wasn't pointed at me. An attack using the broad side. It seemed capture was the goal.
Arcana was the eye that beheld mysteries—meaning the flows of mana within a body were vividly clear. Perhaps because of that, the movements of someone enhancing their body with mana were easier to predict than those who weren't.
I ignored Vera and Gideon charging in late. Ordinary folk who couldn't use mana—they'd never breach the Gentle Wind wall. Besides, Durel was at my back. Right on cue, his spell conjured swords in midair, shoving Vera and Gideon away.
Clang!
A sharp clash rang out, and Karin's form vanished from sight in an instant. But I didn't panic. She'd merely slipped my vision; she hadn't escaped the detection field of Gentle Wind enveloping the area.
Even if she breached the wall, I wasn't too worried. I had Nature's Grace, after all. The incredible protective artifact I'd received from the elf. Simple edged weapons couldn't harm me—that certainty brought immense reassurance.
My calm mind showed in my posture. Arms crossed, I didn't even turn my gaze.
Looping around from the right rear.
Not sensing for defense. From my stationary position, I cast Magic Missile, firing instantly toward her approach vector.
Boom!
Dozens of Magic Missiles shattered the ice, kicking up dust from the earth beneath.
Fast...
Karin avoided it. She darted away swiftly, dodging the Magic Missiles. But that was all. If she dodged, I'd just press the next attack. As she bounded madly across the ground, I unleashed another barrage of light projectiles.
Boom boom boom!
In a razor-thin evasion, Karin slipped out of the attack zone again and again. At this rate, it would never end. I frowned briefly, then kicked off the ground.
Thud.
Blink.
The short-range spatial jump spell I'd recently devised unfolded. Right in front of Karin. Caught mid-stride face-to-face with me, she swung her sword in wide-eyed alarm.
I didn't dodge; I took the attack. The moment the flat struck the Gentle Wind wall, dozens of Magic Missiles streaked toward her body and embedded.
Thud thud thud!
Dulled impacts sounded as Karin's body flew backward and crashed. I had no intention of killing her since she hadn't shown lethal intent toward me. Skidding across the ice, she panted roughly and dropped her sword.
Surrender.
A declaration of no will to fight. I used Magic Missile to blast her sword away, then glanced at Durel.
Conveniently, his fight was wrapping up too.
Clang!
Vera, disarmed, found Durel's blade hovering at her throat. Gideon, her former ally, was already collapsed on the ground with eyes closed. Clear victory.
Durel turned to me with a beaming smile.
"It's over! Shall I kill them?"
I shook my head. That was enough. Closing the distance with Blink, I asked Karin,
"Why did you approach us?"
"Received a commission from the merchant caravan... to bring you all in..."
"Reason?"
"Said you had something to pay back... Didn't hear anything else..."
As expected, it was about that incident. I let out a long sigh and closed my eyes. Sending people now meant they'd do it again. Until I resolved things with the caravan, this problem would keep cropping up.
"Did they demand a specific amount?"
"Said the Balamho's fare was very expensive... No exact figure..."
No precise amount. Meant to squeeze as much as possible. Was that caravan's Kalian unusual? The other merchants I'd met weren't this greedy.
After a moment's thought, I tossed two gold ingots from my bag in front of Karin. Part of the valuables I'd taken when leaving Hayar headquarters.
Thud.
"Fare for two people. If they think it's short, tell them to come again. And add that next time, I'll make sure you never leave that place."
Karin nodded with a strange expression on her face. She tilted her head, not grasping the last part's meaning. Fine. She didn't need to.
The final line was a bluff. A warning that if they bothered me more, I'd seal off the rift to their world completely. Empty words, of course. Actually sealing such a rift entirely was impossible.
The world's rift... Not even someone's inner world. Perfect control over something like that is impossible.
I immediately began crafting an airboard. All it needed was a long wooden plank—easy to make on the spot. Just connect a glider to the broad board.
While tying the plank and glider with thick rope, Durel, who had sidled away to gauge my mood, pointed to the distant sword and asked,
"Master. Mind if I take that one?"
He was pointing to Karin's sword, the one I'd blasted away with Magic Missile. Rare for Durel, who rarely showed greed for possessions. Naturally, I permitted it.
"Take it."
At my casual reply, Karin's body flinched.
"Problem?"
"...No."
I'm no saint. Whatever the reason, they'd attacked me and Durel. There shouldn't be a problem. They ought to be grateful just to be alive. Confirming Durel pick up the sword, I extended my hand to Karin.
"Scabbard too."
A hefty scabbard and belt belt flew onto my small palm.
Swoosh!
Riding the wind like flight, the airboard glided effortlessly over the crimson desert. We arrived at the Kazakh River in the south of the red sands.
The scenery unfolding before us was breathtaking—a sight not done justice by calling it merely spectacular.
The river snaking long through the sands resembled a fragment of the night sky. Starlight settled clearly on the pristine water, unwavering even as ripples spread.
So this is what they meant by the land splitting where it touched the sky...
But we hadn't reached our destination yet. Pausing on a hill to take in the view, I gazed downriver. The single thread of night sky stretching over the red sands led into a vast basin.
"What an incredibly beautiful place...!"
Durel, stepping off the airboard, let out an exclamation as he looked around. Watching him, I tilted my head. His height, once similar to mine, had grown to show a significant difference at some point.
When did he get so big...?