Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 138 (Part 1)
Rodin’s keen senses picked up the presence of figures blocking the road ahead. Their skill levels were yet undetermined, but their numbers were not significant.
“Are they enemies?”
“Probably. They’re standing there blocking the way.”
The carriage did not slow down. Only after proceeding at a steady pace for quite a while could the group spot five individuals standing in the middle of the road.
“Whoa, whoa.”
It was only after spotting the figures that Jena brought the carriage to a halt. Following closely behind, the carriage driven by Karis also came to a stop.
“Brother!”
“Big Brother Rodin.”
“Go check it out. If things get dicey, I’ll step in. But for now, handle it yourselves.”
“Yes.”
Larry and Bianca stepped down from the carriage. The people blocking the road began to chuckle amongst themselves upon seeing the youthful pair.
“What the hell? Just a couple of kids.”
“Did we even need to come out for this?”
“Shut up. Let’s finish this quickly and head back.”
“Hey, brats. Leave the carriage and scram. If you do, we might just let you live.”
The known combat strength on this side consisted of one Iron Badge mercenary and three Wood Badge mercenaries. Hence, the opponents chose to ambush and rob them like bandits instead of launching a proper assault.
“Hah. Dream on. We’re not handing over our cargo to a bunch of bandits.”
“That’s right. We’re not giving anything to you uncles.”
“Kids these days have no fear, huh? Guess they need a good beating to wake them up.”
There were five opponents in total. None of them were magicians; all were swordsmen. Four of them appeared to be first-class swordsmen, with only one being of second-class caliber.
Confident in their abilities, the bandits showed no sign of tension on their faces, not even a trace.
“We’ll see who gets beaten.”
“We’ll see.”
Whenever Larry said something, Bianca would echo it, all the while sticking closely behind him.
The bandits huddled together, whispering among themselves, before four of them stepped forward, leaving the second-class swordsman behind.
Rodin let out a small sigh as he observed the group blocking their way.
“They’re not from the Mercenaries’ Guild.”
The enemies were aware that this group had one Iron Badge mercenary and three Wood Badge mercenaries. As such, they decided the second-class swordsman didn’t need to act and only sent out the first-class ones.
However, they were clearly unaware of Rodin’s presence. The fact that they dared to block the carriage with such a weak composition made it obvious they didn’t know a Grand Mage was among them.
“They only know about the Iron and Wood Badge mercenaries. If they’re not from the guild, the only ones who’d have this information would be the client.”
Only the client would know about the presence of the Iron and Wood Badge mercenaries.
If the information had leaked from the Mercenaries’ Guild, they would have known about Rodin’s existence. Conversely, if there had been no leaks, the enemy would have sent more skilled fighters to ensure their success.
“Brother Larry! Be careful.”
“Don’t worry. This is nothing.”
Larry stepped forward confidently, his shield raised.
He was self-assured. Though it had only happened once, he had successfully blocked an attack from a third-circle mage. There was no way he would fear these half-baked fighters.
The four bandits drew their swords, surrounding Larry as if to enclose him. Their expressions still oozed with confidence.
“Kid, if it hurts, just say so. I’ll go easy on you.”
“If it hurts, don’t tell me. I won’t go easy.”
“Bianca won’t go easy either.”
Thunk!
The fight began abruptly.
One of the men, who had been putting on airs of maturity, suddenly swung his sword in a surprise attack. It was meant to be a decisive blow.
But Larry blocked it with ease, as though he had been expecting it. His composure was evident.
Clang! Clang!
Larry deflected consecutive attacks with his shield. In the meantime, Bianca completed her magic.
“Magic Arrow!”
Swish! Stab!
“Argh! Damn it! Take out the mage first!”
The sudden magic attack inflicted an injury, but the bandits showed no signs of surprise. They had come prepared, already aware of the presence of a mage.
The three swordsmen who had been standing still among the four advanced toward Bianca, intending to eliminate the mage first.
“Karis, Jena. Hold one each and buy them some time.”
“Yes, young master.”
Karis and Jena leaped forward and swung their weapons at the bandits. Their movements were noticeably slower and more lackluster than their usual displays of skill.
Slash!
“What the—!”
“Damn it!”
Karis and Jena intentionally held back their strength, ensuring the fight was evenly matched. Rodin’s order to “buy time” took precedence, and they focused solely on stalling their opponents.
Meanwhile, Larry charged toward the swordsman moving toward Bianca, swinging his shield.
“Damn it! What are you doing? You can’t even handle one kid?!”
“Look who’s talking! Why don’t you do your job?!”
Larry effectively held off two first-class swordsmen with ease. Meanwhile, Bianca completed another spell.
“Fire Arrow!”
Among first-circle spells, Fire Arrow was the most powerful. Though it lacked the piercing power of Magic Arrow, it carried a fire attribute capable of inflicting burns.
“Tsk! Ugh! D-damn it!”
The swordsman struggling to break past Larry couldn’t dodge Bianca’s magic this time either. He was too close to avoid it, and his skill wasn’t enough to counter it.
‘They’re doing well.’
Rodin watched Larry’s performance and kept an eye on the second-class swordsman, who was still waiting in the back. He observed both sides carefully, deciding on his course of action if the enemy decided to intervene.
‘They don’t need me yet.’
Larry was fighting better than expected. Even against a second-class swordsman, it didn’t seem like Larry would be easily overwhelmed.
It was also encouraging to see Bianca using attack magic again. Ever since being caught by Elder Kendrick, she appeared to have undergone some sort of change in mindset.
Clang! Clang! Swish!
“Magic Arrow!”
Magic Arrow and Fire Arrow.
Both were first-circle spells, but the chant for Magic Arrow was slightly shorter. Naturally, this meant Magic Arrow could be cast a few seconds faster.
Clang! Clang!
“Fire Arrow!”
“Ugh!”
One of the bandits dropped out of the fight, unable to continue after being hit in the stomach by Fire Arrow.
“Oh-ho.”
Bianca had executed a clever strategy.
She had pretended to aim at the opponent on Larry’s left, keeping her gaze fixed on him the entire time. However, the magic ultimately struck the opponent on Larry’s right. She had calculated the coordinates to direct her spell away from where she was looking—a difficult feat to pull off.
The math lessons she had grudgingly endured under Rodin’s guidance were paying off. It was a useful technique that gave her an edge in combat against equally matched opponents.
Now, Larry only had one opponent left. And even that opponent had a long gash on his side from an earlier Magic Arrow.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Meanwhile, Karis and Jena continued holding off one bandit each, skillfully stalling for time.
‘Will he step in soon?’
As expected, the second-class swordsman finally began to move, his steps slow and deliberate, his expression still calm and confident.
‘Sending only a few here means the real target is elsewhere.’