Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 154 (Part 2)

Larry and Bianca’s gazes were fixed on the sky the entire time. Whenever the dot moved quickly somewhere, they let out sounds like “Huh? Huh?”

“Big Brother Rodin! Isn’t it attacking the village?”

“No.”

“It looks like the dot got bigger.”

“I don’t know about that. It seems like it fought something.”

Rodin, too, occasionally glanced up at the sky as they moved. By directing Jito’s eye upward and sharing its senses, he could see the creature quite clearly.

“Already? With whom?”

“I don’t know either.”

Blood was smeared around the wyvern’s mouth. There were also small wounds on its body.

It had bitten something, and in the process, someone had attacked it.

Judging by the faint, minor wounds, it hadn’t been injured by a Master. It seemed that a knight of slightly lesser skill had counterattacked.

The carriage swiftly exited the forest. Soon, a vast grassland unfolded before their eyes.

“Wow! Big Brother Rodin, there’s a ton of them.”

“It’s already spring here.”

The green grass, which couldn’t be seen during winter, filled the wide plain. Small flowers were scattered here and there, with flying insects buzzing around the blossoms.

However, what Bianca referred to as “a ton” wasn’t the grass or flowers. She was referring to the people filling the grassland.

Roughly 350 people had gathered. Among them, about 50 were knights clad in heavy plate armor, while the rest were soldiers wielding long spears.

“Young Master, what will you do?”

“Wait a moment.”

Rodin gazed past the knights and soldiers. A short distance away, ten robed magicians stood.

‘Slavon.’ (Or Slabon)

All ten wore black robes with golden snake-shaped embroidery on their chests—the same attire worn by the magicians Rodin had seen while escaping from the tunnels of the Moord Wastelands.

‘They’re definitely Slavon. But there’s no way they’d act so openly like this.’

Slavon was a secretive organization, only faintly rumored about in the back alleys. There was no way they would reveal themselves so brazenly, so they must have a separate public identity.

“Young Master?”

“Let’s observe the situation for now.”

Rodin slowed the carriage. As the two carriages approached, the knights waiting for the giant wyvern glared at them warily.

“Hmm?”

“What is it?”

“They’re not soldiers of the Lenox Kingdom.”

Although each territory had its own distinct armor, knights and soldiers belonging to the same kingdom all bore a common emblem.

In the case of the Lenox Kingdom, a long sword positioned diagonally had to be engraved somewhere on the armor.

However, on the chests of the knights and soldiers waiting for the giant wyvern, there was an image of a hand gripping a dagger—an illustration found on the flag of the neighboring Maven Kingdom to the east.

“Is that so?”

“It looks like they’re from the Maven Kingdom.”

“All the way out here? Could they have come to assist the Lenox Kingdom?”

“No way. They’re probably after the giant wyvern’s carcass. It’s valuable material.”

Like all flying creatures, the wyvern’s bones and flesh were generally lightweight. Although its durability might be somewhat lacking, it was the best material for creating lightweight artifacts.

“Ah! Since it’s a giant magical beast, they’d get a lot of materials if they manage to hunt it.”

“Exactly.”

As Rodin’s group approached, two knights stepped forward. Without sheathing their weapons, they blocked the front of the carriage.

Rodin let out a short sigh and stepped forward.

“What’s the matter?”

Karis and Jena intensely disliked anyone blocking Rodin’s path. If the other party’s attitude was insolent, they wouldn’t hesitate to draw their swords and spears.

Of course, Rodin couldn’t leave the knights to Larry and Bianca either. They hadn’t grown enough to take responsibility for the group yet.

“Are you the representative of this group?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Where is your destination?”

“I’m not sure if you have the right to ask such a thing, but we’re headed to Aramia.”

Rodin found the man’s attitude displeasing—arrogant, as if looking down on others.

The carriage Rodin’s group rode in was quite luxurious. Although it was only a two-horse carriage, it was impeccably maintained, looking like something only nobles would ride.

Yet this mere knight, neither a noble nor of particularly high status, dared to act so insolently. He must have great confidence in the fifty knights and nearly three hundred soldiers behind him.

‘Haah, calm down.’

Rodin felt a surge of irritation rising within him but decided to hold back for now. There was something he wanted to find out before starting an argument.

“Aramia? What business do you have there?”

“Do I have to tell you that?”

“If you don’t want to be humiliated, you’d better speak.”

“Haah. Seriously, this is ridiculous.”

Rodin decided not to hold back anymore. He had tried to endure to identify the magicians in the back, but this was his limit.

“Ridiculous? Haah, what an insolent brat—”

“Inferno Buster!”

Rodin deliberately used a 7th-circle spell. Moreover, he maximized its size so that every magician could clearly recognize it.

Kwaaaaaang!

A massive explosion of Inferno Buster erupted right in front of the two arrogant knights. The ground exploded in all directions with a deafening roar.

The two knights, caught in the blast, were flung dozens of meters away, rolling as they landed. They had long since lost consciousness.

“Enemies!”

“Save our comrades!”

“Don’t let them escape!”

The startled knights charged toward Rodin with impressive speed.

In response, Karis and Jena stepped in front of the carriage, ready to cut down any approaching enemies, whoever they might be.

Just as the knights were about to clash with Karis and Jena, a clear voice rang out from the distance.

“Stop!”

“Knights of Laren, halt immediately!”

The knights, poised to strike at Rodin, all stopped in unison. Though their faces were filled with displeasure, none dared to defy the command.

Hyung_Otaku2

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