Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 149 (Part 2)

In a Quiet Forest.

A group of people was sleeping in their tents. Only two sentries remained awake.

The crackling of the campfire was the only sound in the silence when one of the sentries raised his hand.

“What is it?”

“Someone’s coming.”

“Yeah? Which direction?”

“The west.”

The other sentry turned his gaze in the indicated direction. Straining his eyes, he faintly saw silhouettes approaching.

“They’re really there. Looks like quite a few people.”

“At least ten.”

“Should we wake the others?”

“Of course. They might be enemies.”

Despite their words, they didn’t really believe an attack was coming. They had carried out many mercenary jobs, but they hadn’t made any serious enemies.

“You wake Joel. I’ll get the rest.”

“Damn. Why am I always the one waking the captain?”

“Because Joel doesn’t get mad at you.”

The first sentry entered the central tent, where their captain, Joel, was resting.

“Captain.”

“Mm… ngh…”

“Captain. Wake up. Someone’s coming.”

Snap!

As if fully understanding the words, Joel’s eyes snapped open.

Despite having been asleep moments ago, her gaze was sharp and full of alertness.

Joel was both the captain of this mercenary group and the only woman among them. Her skills were at the level of a 5th-rank swordsman, and her mercenary rank was the highest, just below the platinum badge—the gold badge.

—

“Who? How many?”

“I don’t know who they are, but there are about ten of them. But one of them… their presence feels really unsettling. It’s an extremely bad and unpleasant feeling.”

“Hmm. If a Spiritist feels that way, there must be a reason for it.”

Joel sprang to her feet and quickly put on her clothes.

Like most mercenaries, she wore light leather armor and leather boots. Her sword was an ordinary longsword, and on her left arm, she carried a small shield.

—

“How far away are they?”

“They should be here soon. It looks like they saw the fire.”

“Wake the others.”

“Azar should have already done that.”

Joel stepped outside and sat in front of the campfire. She appeared completely at ease, as if she had never been asleep in the first place.

The other members of the mercenary group also sat near the fire as soon as they opened their eyes. They, too, remained calm, but their weapons were within arm’s reach, ready to be drawn at any moment.

—

“Cory, tell me again about what you felt.”

“It’s just… a bad feeling. Disgusting and unsettling. It’s like being around them would dirty my body.”

“A black magician, huh.”

The word black magician came out of Joel’s mouth. Since it wasn’t just anyone saying it, but their leader, there was no way it was an unfounded claim.

Joel was a young mercenary, only thirty years old, but her knowledge surpassed most. In all her years leading this mercenary group, she had rarely been wrong in her judgment.

That was why everyone in the group trusted and followed her. No one looked down on her for being a woman.

—

“Really? I’ve never seen a black magician before.”

“You’re a Spiritist. The spirits you command instinctively despise black magicians.”

“Is that so?”

As they exchanged casual conversation, the strangers approached. They were all dressed uniformly in black robes, numbering eleven in total.

—

“Excuse us. May we share your fire?”

“Go ahead. It would be appreciated if you tossed in some firewood from time to time.”

“Understood.”

A subtle tension filled the air as the two groups sat on opposite sides of the large campfire. It was an uneasy coexistence, with neither side feeling comfortable.

—

“Do you recognize them?”

“Shh!”

Joel knew who the man at the front, the one wearing the hood, was.

Why is the magician from the Marquisate of Roten here?

Joel was a mercenary based in the Kingdom of Maven. Her career as a mercenary spanned fourteen years, and naturally, she had taken on requests from the Marquisate of Roten before.

During one such request, she had seen the marquis’s magician, Raven, from a distance.

His abilities seem different from what’s publicly known.

Officially, Raven was a 3rd-Circle magician—a common level for noble house magicians.

But the aura he exuded now was by no means that of a mere 3rd-Circle magician. Though Joel couldn’t directly sense magic circles, the atmosphere around him was telling enough.

Not to mention, the fact that he’s a black magician isn’t known.

By nature, black magicians were fundamentally at odds with Spiritists and the priests of the Eastern Continent. Because of this, they could recognize each other’s presence even from a distance.

If Cory, who was a mid-level Spiritist and a Dual (possibly a reference to dual-classing or dual abilities), felt such revulsion and unease, then Raven was undoubtedly a black magician. Likewise, Raven must have immediately recognized Cory as a Spiritist.

—

If it comes to a fight…

Joel, despite only having seven members in her group, was responsible for their safety. As such, she instinctively compared their strengths whenever she encountered strangers.

If I take on the black magician myself, I won’t lose.

The two knights accompanying him as guards were 4th-rank. Any two of her subordinates could keep them occupied.

As for those mercenary-looking or soldier-like men, they aren’t worth worrying about.

Even Azar, the weakest in her party, could probably take them all down alone. The difference in power between the two sides was that significant.

—

“Hmm.”

Joel wasn’t the only one making these calculations.

The one currently inhabiting the body of Raven, the Marquisate of Roten’s military magician, Bronail, was also instinctively assessing the two sides’ power. And he had just reached a conclusion.

Looks like he’s realized the power gap.

A stiff expression formed on Raven’s face. He had recognized that this situation could be dangerous for him.

Conversely, Joel’s expression relaxed. Even if the other side attempted an ambush, there was no way they could win.

—

“Captain, where are we planning to take the next request?”

“For now, let’s get to Otis and decide from there.”

Otis was the capital of the Kingdom of Maven, a city located in the central-northern region of the kingdom. The largest mercenary guild was also situated there.

—

“Ah, I’m so sleepy.”

“Should we sleep?”

“Go ahead.”

“Eh, but with guests around, isn’t it a bit rude for us to just sleep?”

Aaron, Zimmerman, and Broxler, members of Joel’s party, subtly cast glances at Raven as they discussed where to sleep. The meaning was clear—take the hint and leave.

—

“Hmm. We should get going.”

“Why? It’s already late. Why not rest until morning?”

“Our time is short. We can’t afford to rest long. Let’s go.”

Ever since he assessed the power balance, Raven had been waiting for the right moment to leave.

It was incredibly uncomfortable to remain in the presence of unknown individuals who were clearly stronger than them. It was like having a dagger held against his throat.

And then, the other side conveniently created an opportunity. By casually discussing sleep, they had essentially given him a signal to leave.

—

“Safe travels.”

“May you fare well.”

The group that included the black magician departed, leaving only Joel’s party around the campfire.

—

“They’re gone.”

“That guy was really unpleasant.”

“Cory, you felt that way because you’re a Spiritist. The rest of us wouldn’t have even known he was a black magician.”

More mercenaries died or got injured while camping than during actual requests. Every year, hundreds of mercenaries were killed in their sleep by ambushes.

This time, they had avoided conflict. By subtly revealing their strength, they had ensured the other group wouldn’t overstay their welcome.

—

“Captain, this is the Kingdom of Lennox, right?”

“Yes. At our pace, we should reach the Kingdom of Maven in ten days.”

“How far is the Marquisate of Richmond from here?”

Cory had heard a rumor about a Grand Magician while carrying out their latest request.

That magician’s name was Rodin, and he was said to live in the Marquisate of Richmond.

Rodin—a Grand Magician who always wore his hood pulled low, dressed in a robe with sleeves long enough to cover his fingers.

As far as Cory knew, there was only one person who fit all those descriptions.

When he first heard the rumors, he had wanted to shout in excitement, to boast about how proud he was.

But he held back. He wasn’t yet in a position where he could face his friend with confidence.

—

“The Marquisate of Richmond? It’s right below us. A few hours’ journey at most. Why? Do you have someone you know there?”

“I heard that someone I know lives there.”

“Want to stop by? It would only add a day to our route.”

“No, there’s no need. If we meet by chance, then fine, but I don’t want to seek him out on purpose.”

He would go when he could stand before his friend with his head held high. Until then, he left it to fate.

—

“Not on good terms with them?”

“No, that’s not it. He’s my benefactor and my friend. I want to see him right away… but, I don’t know. I guess I just want it to happen naturally? Ah, it’s hard to explain.”

“I get what you mean.”

“Yeah, I think I do too.”

Hyung_Otaku2

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