Chapter 547: The Ultimate Move
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 547: The Ultimate Move
"A... a mole?"
The blade of mana pierced through his flesh, and the smell of charred meat wafted from the cauterized wound, nauseating and foul. Violent, foreign mana surged into his body, instantly throwing Cotton’s internal mana circulation into utter chaos.
He coughed up crimson blood, his life force draining rapidly, yet his face remained frozen in a mask of disbelief.
Reflected in his eyes was that resolute, square-jawed face—the subordinate he had trusted most, the deputy who had followed him for years, his most reliable right hand.
Deputy Captain Nell.
Even when carrying out a mission of such extreme secrecy, Cotton had never once doubted him.
That was why the word "mole" coming from Nell’s mouth felt so surreal, so theatrical, and so agonizingly sharp.
Even Seniel, who had been waiting for death on the sidelines, was stunned. He had figured that the damn Slav must have had some kind of backup plan if he was able to contact him under these circumstances, but he never expected this...
Even this honest-looking, straight-laced Nell was a damn mole?
He’s a mole? Who could have possibly guessed he was a mole?
In an instant, Seniel felt that his own skills as an undercover agent were amateurish at best—he was a mere novice compared to this.
"Wh... Why?"
Cotton’s expression contorted as he demanded, "Nell, we’ve been friends for so many years. Is this how you repay me... with betrayal?"
"It’s not betrayal, Cotton."
Nell sighed, his gaze complicated. "From the very beginning, I have belonged to House Campbell."
"From the beginning? Campbell?"
Cotton’s pupils shrank. He was well aware of the current hostility between House Campbell and the Inner Council.
"Yes. I only became your partner when I joined the Royal Mage Corps. But before that, during my time at St. Maria Academy, I had already pledged myself to Duke Campbell, who was also a student back then."
Nell reminisced about those distant years, still feeling a sense of profound nostalgia. How many people, how many geniuses, had been captivated by the radiance of the Lion King back then?
"The Duke saved my life. Very few people know about it. Naturally, you didn't either."
"So that’s why the Inner Council never suspected you?" Cotton spat through gritted teeth.
"Why would they? I haven't had any contact with the Duke’s estate for over ten years."
Nell pulled out a badge depicting the Dragon-Slaying Sword, the symbol of House Campbell, and smiled. "To be honest, I didn't think the day would ever come where I’d be activated. I thought the Duke no longer had a use for me."
"Ten years without contact, and yet the moment they call, you crawl back like a loyal dog?" Cotton sneered, full of contempt for Nell’s "foolish" loyalty.
"Of course. But I’m not just doing this because of my status as a mole," Nell whispered, looking Cotton in the eye.
"Not just because you're a mole?" Cotton blinked. "Then what..."
"You went too far, Captain."
Nell wrenched the blade from Cotton’s body. Blood sprayed instantly, staining the surrounding ground red.
Nell looked around. Following the earlier explosion, the center of the road was a complete wreck. The residents of the surrounding blocks had likely been jolted awake by such a massive commotion, yet the area remained eerily silent.
The commoners of the Lower District, long accustomed to living humble, fearful lives, didn't even have the courage to satisfy their curiosity with a peek.
"Truly, you went too far."
"You... Heh, I didn't realize you were just as much of an idiot as that Seniel. Bastard!"
Cotton’s face grew more hideous with pain, but as several scrolls floated up around him, the violent magic they released instantly tore up the ground where Nell stood.
Nell, however, had already anticipated the move and leaped away.
He dispelled his mana blade and flickered to Seniel’s side, grabbing his hand to help guide his mana flow and accelerate his recovery.
"And you, Seniel. You didn't disappoint me. You did even better than I imagined."
"You..."
Seniel’s eyes widened as he quickly realized the truth. "You were the one who sent me those contact messages?"
"Yes. I originally thought you’d just cause a little bit of a distraction so I could find an opening, but I didn't expect you to shatter their plan all by yourself."
Nell gave Seniel a heavy pat on the shoulder. "I knew I wasn't wrong about you!"
"Deputy Captain Nell..."
Seniel felt a lump in his throat. In this moment, Nell’s fierce face—the kind that could make children cry—didn't seem scary at all.
"Can you still move?"
"Of course. My injuries have already healed quite a bit!"
Seniel stood up abruptly. The fire of hope, which had been extinguished by despair, flared up once more.
"Do you... really think the two of you can change the outcome?"
Just then, Cotton stood up unsteadily.
Blood was still flowing from his wounds, the charred flesh was festering, and the mana Nell had injected was still tearing at his body.
However, as several magic devices were activated and began to hover around him, his injuries were quickly stabilized.
Nell’s gaze sharpened. Mages were indeed physically fragile, but an experienced and powerful mage equipped with a vast array of magical items was incredibly difficult to kill.
It wasn't that Nell hadn't tried to strike a vital organ earlier; it was just that Cotton’s vitals were all protected by magic devices. Even a sneak attack couldn't deliver a one-hit kill.
"As expected of Cotton. I suppose it wouldn't be that easy to finish you off, would it?"
Nell shook his head with a wry smile and looked at the man beside him. "Seniel, are you afraid?"
"Ha! At a time like this, what's the point of being afraid?"
Seniel glanced around. After the initial chaos, the other mages had regained their footing. Under Cotton’s command, they were surrounding the duo once again.
The hope that had just ignited in Seniel’s heart began to flicker in the face of reality.
However, things were different this time. As long as he stood beside this man—someone he had disliked before but who now felt incredibly reliable—he didn't feel that same overwhelming fear and despair.
At worst, it was just death.
"Fine then. Cotton isn't a pushover. Since it’s come to this, I have no choice but to use my hidden trump card—an ultimate move I’ve never shown anyone before!"
Nell’s tone was heavy and solemn.
As soon as Nell said those words, the surrounding mages and Cotton all turned serious.
This was the notoriously rigid and meticulous Nell. If he claimed to have an "ultimate move," it was bound to be something terrifying. He might be planning to take a few of them down with him in a final act of desperation.
Thinking of this, everyone hesitated, unwilling to be the unlucky soul who stepped forward first.
In those few seconds of hesitation, Nell fully unleashed his ultimate move.
"Secret Technique... Spatial Transfer!"
Nell took a deep breath and roared. In an instant, a massive amount of mana erupted. Following a high-speed chant Nell had been preparing for some time, the space behind the two of them began to warp.
"Huh?"
Seniel couldn't react in time.
Not just him—no one else could react either.
Nell’s so-called "ultimate move" was... a Spatial Transfer spell?
A smirk played on Nell’s lips. "I knew the day would come when my identity would be exposed. So, from the moment I joined the Royal Mage Corps, I’ve been secretly practicing Spatial Transfer. In the entire Corps, there probably isn't anyone who can cast it faster than me... and now, this power finally has a purpose!"
"Which means..."
Seniel turned his head slowly to look at the honest-looking Nell. "Your so-called 'ultimate move' is just running away?"
"What else?" Nell replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Two against nine? Do I look stupid?"
"..."
"Don't just stand there, kid. Bolt!"
Before anyone could blink, Nell shoved Seniel into the spatial tunnel and then jumped in himself with lightning speed, disappearing before anyone could react.
Before the intense dizziness of the spatial transfer took hold, Seniel finally reached a conclusion.
This guy was definitely born to be a mole.
*
"Cough... hack..."
At an unknown location, Seniel steadied himself after the nausea and vertigo of the transfer subsided and looked around.
They seemed to be somewhere by a river. A chilly breeze blew across the water, and a light mist obscured his vision of anything further away.
Not far off, Nell’s tall silhouette stood by the riverbank, providing a strange sense of security.
"Deputy Captain Nell, you..."
Thud.
Before Seniel could finish, he saw Nell sway and collapse to the ground.
His face went pale, and he rushed over to support him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine... mostly." Nell waved a hand with a pained smile. "That old man Cotton is as formidable as ever."
Seniel looked down and saw that Nell’s abdomen had been pierced by a spell at some point. It seemed Cotton had managed to return the favor for Nell’s earlier sneak attack.
Fortunately, it wasn't life-threatening.
Seniel breathed a sigh of relief.
After a bit of frantic effort, the two found a place to hide, lit a campfire, and began to recover their strength.
"Speaking of which, is this really okay?" Seniel asked, seemingly casual as he poked at the firewood with a stick.
"What is?"
"Running away. Unlike me, your orders were probably to stop Cotton and the others from assassinating the First Prince, right? If we just run like this, they still have the strength to carry out the hit."
Seniel was still reeling from the night's events. One unexpected thing after another had happened, leaving him feeling somewhat numb.
So... that Slav named Bruce was actually on Duke Campbell’s side? No wonder he’s so rich.
"Is it really okay? You failed the mission and ran. Won't House Campbell blame you?"
"Heh..."
Nell, who had been listening to Seniel’s rambling, looked up at the crumbling ceiling of the abandoned house and suddenly broke into a strange grin. "Kid, who said I failed the mission?"
"Huh?" Seniel blinked in confusion. "You don't call this a failure? You saw it yourself—Cotton is injured, but he hasn't lost his combat effectiveness. The others are fine too. If they go after the First Prince now..."
"I have an ultimate move."
"But wasn't your ultimate move running away?"
"...You're getting a bit cocky, aren't you? Who said a man can only have one trump card?"
Nell gave Seniel a playful kick and chuckled. "Don't worry. The 'ultimate move' I left for Cotton this time is incredibly fierce. It’s a supreme technique designed to crush all laws with pure power. A mere Cotton won't be able to handle it."