Vol 1 Chapter 44 (2/2)
‘This is bad…’
Kelvin’s body trembled as he felt an overwhelming desire.
‘I want to fight. I want to slaughter.’
Despite telling Wynn and Locke to flee from the army of two hundred at Doria Village, he was holding back a desire to charge forward. Of course, he didn’t believe he would win.
He didn’t think he would lose to a ragtag group of a hundred mercenaries and bandits, but there were a hundred more knights. Against mounted knights, they would only be able to take down three or four knights at best.
He savored the euphoria he felt from delineating the border between life and death.
He was willing to risk his life to feel that rush of pleasure.
The two hundred men before him looked delicious. They were first-cla.s.s prey.
Bloodl.u.s.t swelled up.
He couldn’t contain it any longer
“Hey, Kelvin. Your bad habit is coming out again.”
Royce, who had finally clambered onto the horse, called out to Kelvin, bringing Kelvin back to his senses.
“… What are you talking about? Anyways, shouldn’t you lose some weight, Captain? I pity the horse for having to bear such a heavy burden.”
“Urgh… I’m really sorry.”
Kelvin regained his calm and returned with a frivolous rejoinder.
Making sure that Royce was holding on tight, he urged the horse forward.
The hooded figure didn’t even look back at Kelvin.
The hooded figure didn’t even react to the hostility — or rather, bloodl.u.s.t — that had silenced the knights that had picked a fight with Wynn and the others when they had first arrived at the camp.
‘I see. What a monster. That was close. I almost cut him down.’
If Royce hadn’t noticed Kelvin’s bloodl.u.s.t and called out to him, he would have cut Royce down. Royce had interacted with Kelvin for a long time now. It was easy for him to tell what Kelvin was thinking.
‘But it feels like we just bicker all the time.’
Royce desperately struggled to keep his balance on the horse.
Smiling inwardly at the sight of his superior’s efforts, Kelvin decided that he would have to discuss Count Elstead’s eating habits and relations.h.i.+p with women some time soon.
Just as Royce and Kelvin had finally started moving, the pursuing knights came upon a hooded figure standing in the road.
The hooded figure stood in the middle of a small clearing in front of them.
Upon seeing the hooded figure blocking their path, the leader of the knights raised his hand to stop the knights.
The knights split into two groups. One to apprehend the hooded figure, and one to continue the purs–
Whoos.h.!.+ They felt a gust of wind, and before they knew it, the hooded person had drawn their sword.
A long groove in the ground appeared in front of the group that was about to continue their pursuit.
“Who the heck are you!”
One of the knights called out.
The figure threw off the hood. They could see golden hair billow in the wind, and a pair of emerald green eyes.
The young woman’s breathtaking beauty caused most of the knights to be lost for words, but a few of them were trembling in fear.
“Magic… Q- Quickly, cast magic! Everyone, give it all you have!!”
One of the knights, trembling in fear, lost control and started screaming.
Some of the spellbound knights came to their senses and tried to hurriedly cast a spell.
However, the number of spells that were cast was far below the knight’s expectations.
Even then, the few Flame Arrows that were cast all hit the young woman, igniting the area with raging flames.
“You imbeciles! I said all of you, and with all your power!”
However, the knight’s allies only returned bewildered gazes to his impatient shouts.
There was a reason.
She certainly was a beautiful woman, but that was it. Rather, the blaze they had just cast was overkill. Even though it was part of their orders, many of the knights felt that it would be a pity to kill off such a young and beautiful woman.
“Again! Fire the next volley!”
None of his allies sympathised with the knight’s desperate cries.
But when the flames died down and the smoke cleared, the perplexed knights also paled.
They finally understood why that knight was so frantic.
The young woman had not moved a step.
The young woman’s clothes were not even singed, and not a hair on her head was disturbed.
She stood there boldly, as if nothing had happened.
Most of them held the status of Chevalier. They weren’t poor, but they weren’t particularly affluent.
That was why none of them had ever seen her in person. At most, they had only seen her likeness in a portrait.
The knew of her. They knew she was only fourteen. They knew she had golden hair emerald eyes, and a beautiful face. They also knew that she was the third daughter of Duke Mavis, one of the prominent n.o.bles of the Remuls.h.i.+l Empire.
They slowly realized who she was.
Mavis the Brave — Leticia van Mavis — was standing before them.
“First of all, you all have made a mistake. I won’t hesitate to kill all of you. If I had any hesitation, I would not have been able to survive my journey. That’s why, not a single one of you will leave here alive. Please prepare yourselves.”
“Waaaaaaaaah!”
This time, all of the knights cast a spell with all their might.
With a violent boom, the numerous flame arrows created a pillar of fire high into the sky.
“Attack! Destroy her!”
They no longer knew who was screaming. Everybody was casting as many spells as they could.
They put their all into each spell they cast.
Eventually, after having expended as much magic power as they could, sank to the ground, gasping for air.
All of their gazes were glued to one spot.
The raging inferno gradually subsided. Suddenly, a violent gust of wind blew away all the smoke.
Leticia emerged from the smoke, without a burn on her, or a speck of ash on her clothes.
“Eeeek!”
“A monster!”
The once orderly ranks of knights broke ranks and fled in panic.
Throwing away their pride and reputation, the knights tried to flee into the forest, pus.h.i.+ng their supposed allies aside as they fled.
But it was futile.
“W- What?”
“How did we end up back here?”
They should have fled into the forest, but in the next instant, they found themselves back where they were. Those who had fled towards Doria Village also ended up in that same clearing.
“Forest of Illusions — The forest is our domain. In order to protect it, I cast a barrier spell.”
A single elf appeared — it was Tiara Sciurus Belfa.
A single person cast a barrier spell that would normally require the magic power of several individuals to cast it.
“Impossible! Elves don’t interfere with human fights, right?”
“This is a diplomatic issue!”
“We elves are not interfering. We are merely protecting the forest.”
Tiara’s dispa.s.sionate tone doused the incensed knights’ protests.
“A- Ah…”
With nowhere to run, the knights looked at Leticia. She released countless b.a.l.l.s of red light.
She casually sent those lights at them.
The knights instantly chanted a Barrier spell. It was a fruit of their daily training. However, that barrier was quickly pierced.
Many knights fell with cries of anguish.
Only a handful of knights remained. Most of them had used all of their magic power to attack Leticia from the very beginning.
They had been skilled enough to notice Leticia’s overwhelming power.
They hadn’t blocked Leticia’s spell, but due to the barrier absorbing most of the power, they were merely sent flying. Their whole body ached, and their limbs were bent in unnatural directions. They were on the brink of death.
No matter what, they had lost all strength to fight.
Leticia sighed.
“Thank you, Tiara.”
“I was merely protecting the forest. We elves do not interfere in fights between humans. Sorry, one of them escaped.”
The normally expressionless Tiara wore a rare expression of regret.
“The leader?”
“Yes.”
As the knights were enthralled by Leticia, one person had silently observed the situation.
He must have somehow escaped while Leticia’s line of sight was hidden by the second barrage of flames.
By the time she had cleared away the smoke, the man was nowhere to be seen.
He had enough power to break through the Great Sage’s barrier spell.
‘I might have let a dangerous enemy escape.’
As she thought that, Leticia turned around and started running to where Wynn would be waiting.
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