Chapter 52 - Volume 4 (2/2)
“s.h.i.+t!”
The fire didn’t show any signs of slowing, instead becoming larger and stronger. The mercenaries who tried to swim to Port City only found that the fire had spread to all of the buildings by the ca.n.a.l, and they soon changed direction toward Ceta District. The knights had spread out in pursuit after the mercenaries during the chaos. Anton now only had a hundred or so knights still following him.
New Port City was already a giant overpopulated slum. It was a maze of poorly-constructed hovels, interconnected by a web of narrow alleyways and dead ends. Even a native of New Port City would sometimes get lost in the city, and it was impossible to expect the knights to regroup in this city, especially with the chaos of fire and the smoke blurring their vision. Now, fighting the fire was a lost cause. Their only way out was to find a safe haven while avoiding the fire. Each time the breath of the wind blew, it added to the fire like a blast furnace. But the most dangerous of it all was the smoke. They might have been able to run away from the fire, but not the smoke.
This was Anton and the knights’ greatest worry. The armor they wore was strong enough to block many fire spells from a rank 1 magical knight, but it didn’t offer any protection against smoke.
As they are living creatures who require air to breath, even Anton, who was ever so close to becoming a master, was at risk of suffocation.
While Anton was in a desperate scramble searching for a way to reach safe haven, he heard one of the knights scream out in panic.
“Sir Anton, the s.h.i.+ps!”
Anton’s eyes were opened wide at those words. Of the two s.h.i.+ps that sailed into the middle of the lake, one was burning bright like a bonfire while the other was sinking to the bottom of the lake.
“Viscount!”
Exhausted, Anton collapsed to his knees. The knights quickly came to lift Anton back on his feet, but Anton still looked to the lake in despair.
“The knights…. They were supposed to be the glory of the Marquis…”
The armor the knights used boasted an impenetrable defense, but was so heavy that it was impossible to even lift without the lightweight magic. The lightweight magic however didn’t reduce the weight of the object itself, instead lowering the wearer’s perceived weight of the armor.
So, any knight who fell into the lake had no chance of survival. The knights whom the Marquis had poured his all into were now given a watery grave without a single achievement under their name.
“What shall we do now?”
The knights asked for Anton’s order, their desperation fueled by the sound of raging fire. The fire sounded like a demon’s ominous whispers about their imminent death.
Anton forced himself onto his feet. The least he could do now was to save what remained of the knights.
“We will go to Ceta District.”
“But…”
“It’s an emergency. Port City may be out of bounds as it is neutral ground, but New Port City has the responsibility to care for us since they are partic.i.p.ating in the war. He has no right to refuse us. All units prepare to move! We will break through the fire and head to Ceta District!”
“Sir!”
The knights quickly made their way toward Ceta District at Anton’s orders. As they made their way, they regrouped any men who they met on the way, be it a mercenary or a knight. They made their way through the fire, making new paths by destroying buildings. But at the end of their destination, they were met with a giant wall of flame. Above it all was Isaac looking down on them.
“Isaaac!”
“Aah, this can’t be…”
Cordnell and Isaac’s hubaes couldn’t believe what they were witnessing. It almost seemed surreal to them.
The city burned in front of their eyes. The fires that started in Meta District were designed to envelop the district from the beginning. The fire pa.s.sed from street to street, building to building. Screams of pain and agony echoed into the air, but they were surrounded by vibrant music and endless laughter. They drank their wine and cooked their meat to the rhythm of the music.
Unable to hold his turbulent emotions, Cordnell threw up on the floor; Selia curled up on the floor, her hands firmly blocking her ears. Kalden and Trentor were at Isaac’s side, begging for mercy.
“We have to save the people!”
“We’ve got to stop the fire!”
Despite their plea, Isaac watched the fire with a straight face and called out for Rizzly.
“Make the preparations.”
“Yes. All units prepare your arrows!”
With Rizzly’s shout, all of the elves and North Bears who were smiling and laughing in the party scattered to their designated positions. They each prepared burning arrows for their bows.
“What the? Sir Isaac, this is against the laws which dictate provincial war!”
“You will be blamed for setting the city on fire!”
“Who says I’m setting fire to the city?”
“What?”
Isaac flicked the cigarette out of his hand, and Rizzly shouted out his order.
“Shoot!”
Like shooting stars, the arrows arced their way toward the barricades that stood in front of their 10m wall. The arrows. .h.i.t their mark, and the barricades were quickly consumed by the fire. When it was set ablaze, it resembled that of a red snake, writhing from the distance.
“Aah… You are mad. You are completely mad!”
Kalden screamed at Isaac. With the port and buildings lining the ca.n.a.l engulfed in flame, the only way the survivors could find safe haven was to jump into the lake or escape into the Ceta District. With this move, Isaac blocked their only path of escape with this move. What was most crazy about this situation was that the four of them were the only people who were taking this situation seriously. Isaac, the elves, and North Bears seemed uncaring of the fire, as if it were a spectacle happening beyond their reach.
“I think we need to make our preparations.”
Rizzly looked at Meta District when he spoke to Isaac. The breath of the wind wasn’t a constant wind which blew from the south to the north. It was a sudden gust which came from moment to moment like a deep breathe, which was where its name came from.
And riding that wind, the fire which spread across all of Meta District was starting to make its way toward Ceta District. Although the barricade was set on fire as backfire, the wind could just as easily spread the backfire into Ceta District.
“Isaaac!”
“Huh? That man’s still alive?”
Isaac smirked and got off his feet when he noticed Anton.
“Was this all your scheme!”
There was a brooding hatred and anger in his voice. Isaac tried to speak back to Anton, but realized his voice wouldn’t carry over to where he was and shrugged.
“I swear, everyone around me suspects me first when something bad happens. And I’m always innocent.”
The syndicate bosses shook their heads in dismay when Isaac proclaimed his innocence, and thought not to cross Isaac ever in the future.
“You will never be forgiven for this!”
Isaac looked at Anton emotionlessly while Anton screamed his lungs out. Isaac then smiled as if he was entertained.
“Lanburton.”
Lanburton seemed to calculate something when he was called out.
“If we can correctly guess when the breath will come, the elves alone will be more than enough.”
“Good. Begin.”
“Yes.”
‘W, what are you going to do?”
Cordnell spoke out in fear, unable to figure out what Isaac was planning to do next. But he quickly figured it out when all of the elves lined up against the buildings which stood behind the flaming wall. The elves summoned their wind spirits, and sent a gust of wind against the breath of the wind. When wind meets wind, it becomes a twister. And the flame quickly rode the twister, turning it into a pillar of flame.
“Isaac!”
The people quickly scattered, trying to avoid the flaming pillar as Anton screamed out.
“I curse you! Isaac! I will have my revenge even in my death!”
It was a wall of flames about 10 meters tall. Anton lost his mind and tried to break through the wall alone, but he was pulled away by the knights. Even as he was being pulled away by the knights in search of safety, Anton continued to shout out Isaac and cursed him with every word he knew.
Isaac looked at the whole situation without a care and simply enjoyed the cigarette in his mouth, when Cordnell grabbed at Isaac’s arm and said his piece.
“How could you do this? There are still survivors in there!”
“Now is the season of northerly winds. If I am to stop this fire, I have to make backfire.”
“That’s a lie! You didn’t need to encircle it completely! You could have made an opening to accept the refugees and…”
“Why should I?”
“What?”
“Do I look naïve enough to extend a helping hand to those who came to take everything from me? You’re wrong. There is only one thing I will say to them.”
“…”
Isaac shook Cordnell’s hand off and opened his arm toward the burning city and the barricade, and shouted.
“What a bonfire!”
“You demon!”
In response to Kalden’s shout, Isaac turned. The engulfing flame acted like a backlight, casting a shadow on Isaac’s face. However, they could still see the expression Isaac was making – a chilling, sinister smile. The smile was etched deeply into the memories of those who witnessed it.
“If I can’t have it, no one will.”
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