Heartfelt Love
Soon I found myself surrounded by guards. They all had their swords drawn, their expressions grim. Still, I managed to glean a few pieces of information. They're all highly skilled, and their loyalty to their master is extraordinary.
The mere mention of their master had provoked such an intense reaction. Their devotion was remarkable. Moreover, all ten guards encircling me had already completed their 1st Awakening. That was considerable fighting strength. So not everyone has arrived yet?
Only a portion had shown up, yet there were already ten 1st Awakeners. No wonder other gangs steered clear of this place. In any case, I had been unjustly framed. And even in this situation, my personality wasn't the type to resolve things through conversation.
I immediately cast magic. First, I used Bind. Thick plant vines erupted from the marble floor and swiftly wrapped around the guards' bodies. Crunch!
"M-Mage!"
"And a War Mage at that!"
They identified me instantly. These were no ordinary guards. That said, the fight didn't become any easier. Unlike when I dealt with thieves, I unleashed magic from the very start.
Ice Spear.
Dozens of ice lances materialized around me and shot outward in every direction, like thorns of ice scattering through the air.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Gyaaaaah!!
Kuuurgh!!
Screams echoed through the hall. Most wore helmets and armor, so few suffered serious wounds. Still, the impact was no joke. Even if the ice couldn't pierce their armor, the sheer force rattled them violently. The vines binding them snapped under the shock, sending the guards flying.
Thud!!
Thump!!
I didn't stop there. After ice came lightning. My hand glowed blue, and I fired crackling bolts.
Zzzzzzzt!!
If they were wearing sturdy armor, electricity would do the job just fine.
Gyaaaaaaaah!!
Kraaaaaagh!
Every single guard was electrocuted in an instant. Their bodies convulsed as they screamed.
"Gyaaaaah!!"
"S-Save me!!"
The lightning ceased, revealing a gruesome sight. All ten guards trembled uncontrollably, still twitching from the shock. I had neutralized ten 1st Awakeners with nothing but magic. This was the power of a War Mage who could cast without chanting.
At that moment, the woman at the desk shouted.
"D-Dark Mage!!"
She must have heard the rumors about me. Too late, of course. More guards began pouring in, their faces twisted with rage.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"How dare you lay hands on our comrades!!"
The entire remaining force had arrived—roughly fifty in total. Half of them were 1st Awakeners. Definitely not ordinary troops.
They're about twice as strong as the Thieves' Guild, huh?
Still, they were nothing to me. I grinned at them and raised my lightning-wreathed hand.
Zzzzzzzt!!
"Shall we continue, then?"
Red Rose Brothel. A name any resident of Trier would have heard at least once. It was that famous. And its owner was no ordinary person. Literally not ordinary—she wasn't human.
Surprisingly, the owner of the Red Rose Brothel was a dwarf. A short, muscular female dwarf with a thick beard covering her face. Quite the striking impression. At the moment, she was attending to a single dwarf guest, massaging his naked body with devoted care. It was as if she were tending to a beloved lover. Proof of that lay in the heartfelt affection filling her expression. That beard paired with such a tender gaze created an almost unbearable beauty (?)—at least by dwarven standards.
Press! Press!
"Does it feel good, Dubalton?"
"Yeah. As expected, Tilla's touch is the best."
The dwarf receiving her service (?) was no ordinary guest either. He was none other than Dubalton, the Iron Fist, who had just been admitted to the Special Class at the Royal Academy—a major figure even among dwarves. That was why the owner herself was personally attending to him.
"Oh my, thank you. By the way, how's academy life treating you?"
"Heh, it's been a blast. Especially that Magic Paper—it's causing quite the stir."
"Ah! Magic Paper! I've heard of it too! They say it's an incredible invention, right?"
"Yeah. How did anyone even come up with something like that…"
The community feature was so innovative that even a dwarf was impressed. Dubalton excitedly rambled on about it while Tilla listened attentively, occasionally asking questions.
"Oh, right. You must have seen the Hero in person, haven't you?"
"The Hero? Yeah, I saw him. He was a bit different from the rumors, though…"
"Huh? Different?"
"Yeah. I don't know about his abilities, but his personality is a little… Huh?!"
Just as he was about to continue, a deafening explosion shook the brothel.
BOOOOOOM!!
Kyaaaaah!!
Something had clearly gone wrong. Tilla's expression hardened. She bellowed in a voice only a dwarf could produce.
"What happened?!"
A reply came from outside.
"Intruder! He's calling himself the Dark Mage. The Red Swords are being pushed back!"
"The Dark Mage?"
It was a name she had heard recently—the man who single-handedly crushed the Thieves' Guild, said to be an exceptionally powerful War Mage. There were even rumors he was a Grand Mage, but she didn't believe them. No one in the underworld did. A Grand Mage was simply too rare and too powerful.
"There seems to have been a bit of a disturbance. My apologies."
She apologized to Dubalton and prepared to stand. It looked like she would have to handle this personally. Then—
"I'll take care of it."
"Lord Dubalton?"
"I've been getting free service all this time. It's only right I pay you back."
Even though he said that, she knew he would have stepped up regardless. That was the kind of man he was. It was why she loved him. With a lovestruck expression, she threw her arms around him.
"You must be careful!"
Crack.
The sound of something breaking echoed. Her strength was truly monstrous. Dubalton's face twitched for a moment, but he quickly recovered and shouted confidently.
"O-Of course! Just leave it to me!"
He was a renowned powerhouse among dwarves—and a rare 2nd Awakener at that. He would surely subdue the troublemaking mage in no time.
"Then, if you wouldn't mind, I leave it in your hands."
"Yeah. I'll finish this and be right back."
He threw on his outer garment and strode out with bold steps. Stomp, stomp. Well, as bold as a dwarf's short legs could manage.
The beautiful woman at the desk stared blankly, unable to believe her eyes. The scene before her was utter devastation. Nearly a hundred people lay groaning on the floor. Every guard of the Red Rose Brothel had been neutralized. And remarkably, not a single one had died.
If I'm going to franchise this place, having fatalities would be a bit problematic.
It was truly godlike magic. Even an ordinary person like her couldn't help but be astonished.
"Time to go meet the owner, I suppose."
The owner of the Red Rose Brothel was shrouded in mystery. Neither age nor gender had ever been revealed. Naturally, curiosity stirred within me. Just what kind of person could inspire such loyalty?
At that moment, the inner door creaked open. Was the owner coming out personally? From within emerged a small figure. Stomp, stomp. A dwarf walking with an oddly cute gait.
"So you're the Dark Mage?"
He recognized me. I recognized him as well—though unlike him, I knew his true identity.
What was his name again? Something like Iron Fist?
Surprisingly, a Royal Academy student had appeared. And a dwarf at that. Quite the unexpected development.
"Are you the owner of this place?"
He shook his head.
"No, just a regular customer."
"Hmm… I see."
A brothel that even accepted dwarves… Their customer service was truly professional. Anyway, it was obvious why he had shown up.
"Planning to stop me?"
"Yeah. I've been getting a lot of free service here, after all."
"Free service?"
"Hahaha! Jealous?"
"Not really."
The more we talked, the less sense it made. They accept dwarves and even give free service? I gave up trying to understand and prepared to face him instead. A 2nd Awakener, huh?
This would be my first time fighting a 2nd Awakener with magic alone. Strangely enough, I felt excited. I extended my hand toward him.
"Haha! Quite the impatient fellow. Let's talk first—Gah!"
BOOM!!
A spear of blue lightning shot from my hand. He was a 2nd Awakener, so his reaction speed was fast. That meant lightning magic was the right choice.
Crackle!!
But as expected of a 2nd Awakener, he dodged with ease. The lightning spear had been incredibly fast—fast enough that dodging should have been impossible. Yet his fusion with mana made all the difference. He evaded with inhuman reflexes.
"Haha! Pretty quick, aren't you?"
He even had the leisure to taunt me. That was the privilege of being a 2nd Awakener. But I wasn't finished. I continued firing spells at him.
Lightning Spear.
Another lightning spear formed—this time, not one, but a barrage. They all hurtled toward him at once.
Zzzzzzt!!
"Hup…!"
His startled voice rang out. Even he couldn't dodge this easily. Of course, he didn't need to. His hand began to glow.
Flash!!
He was about to unleash the trump card that only 2nd Awakeners could use.