Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 167 (Part 1)

The forces personally prepared by the House of Marquis Rotten numbered 1,000. It matched the number of troops that had come for the territorial war.

However, the 100 men whom Marquis Richmond had assumed to be knights were not knights at all. They were merely soldiers dressed in the armor of knights. The real knights were only those participating in the Nine-Man Duel.

The rest of the knights were stationed far from where the territorial war was unfolding.

Then, at the moment when the outcome of the territorial war was all but decided, they struck from behind the territory of Marquis Richmond.

“Attack!”

“Kill every last one of them!”

However, Marquis Richmond had brought a staggering 200 knights. Even excluding those who had come forward for the knightly duel, there were still over 150.

These knights easily repelled the Rotten family’s ambush from the rear.

The mages that Marquis Richmond had hired through the Mercenary Guild also played a significant role.

“Larry! Bianca!”

“Big Sister Jena!”

“Sister Jena!”

Jena, whom Rodin had dispatched, joined up with Larry and Bianca. With this, their safety was somewhat secured.

Seeing from afar that Jena had linked up with them, Rodin turned his gaze to the frontlines. The Rotten family’s forces were charging forward madly.

“I don’t understand.”

“Young Master.”

“For now, let’s fall back.”

“Yes, sir.”

Rodin and Karis retreated. It was a relaxed, unhurried movement.

In contrast, the knights who had come with Marquis Richmond ran forward instead, rushing to rescue the Marquis, who was engaged with an old knight.

“Save the Marquis!”

“Block the enemy!”

Fortunately, Marquis Richmond safely withdrew.

While most of the enemies were infantry, Marquis Richmond was mounted. The knights who charged in to save him were all on horseback as well.

“Karis, do you understand the situation?”

“I do not grasp your meaning.”

“Do you think Rotten has any chance of winning this battle?”

“None, Master.”

Even the ambush that must have been Rotten’s trump card was easily thwarted.

If they had attacked those assembled for the knightly duel, they might have achieved some small result. But since they struck at the main force instead, they were repelled without gaining anything.

The main enemy force charging forward from ahead was no different.

Although their numbers were double, in terms of combat strength, the Richmond side was overwhelmingly superior. One could predict the outcome without even fighting.

“Should we lend a hand?”

“Marquis Richmond should be able to handle it himself.”

“Right?”

Having fallen back to the main force, Marquis Richmond reorganized his formation. Then, instead of waiting, he charged toward the Rotten family forces that were rushing madly at him.

“Slaughter the enemy! Do not spare those who have tarnished the honor of the territorial war!”

“Attack!”

“Charge! Charge!”

Nearly 200 knights charged toward the Rotten family’s main force. About 300 soldiers stood their ground, fortifying their defense tightly.

“Graah!”

Cha-chang! Slice! Thud!

“Ugh!”

“Kill them!”

“Do not retreat!”

Screams, roars, cheers, and groans intertwined. Though the battle started fiercely, the result quickly became clear.

“I don’t understand. Why are they fighting so desperately?”

“Sir?”

“I understand why knights fight for honor, but most of them are just soldiers. There’s no reason for them to fight this desperately, right?”

“That is true.”

The Rotten family’s forces fought with brutal desperation. As if determined to at least inflict a wound before dying, they willingly threw away their lives.

In contrast, the knights who had ambushed from the rear surrendered almost immediately once their casualties piled up.

“There must be a reason. A reason they are forced to fight to the death.”

“Could it be black magic?”

“No. I don’t sense any trace of black magic. Besides, there are eyes watching this place. If it were black magic, they would have intervened.”

“Ah! You mean them.”

Though Rodin referred to them vaguely, they understood immediately.

It meant the mages from Slavon, stationed on one mountain, and the mages of the Chronoa Magic Tower, positioned on the opposite mountain.

“Exactly. They are keeping a sharp lookout for any signs of black magic. But if no traces have been found… Huh?”

“What is it?”

“Not a single black mage? Where is Marquis Rotten?”

Rodin did not know exactly how many black mages were in Rotten’s forces—he had estimated around four at most, but he wasn’t certain.

However, one thing was sure: at least one black mage should be present—Marquis Rotten himself. In other words, there should have been at least one black mage among them.

“There are no black mages?”

“Yeah. Not a single one. Where did they go?”

“Could they be planning to attack Marquis Richmond’s domain?”

“I doubt it. There’s nothing to be gained from doing so.”

When Rodin had visited Marquis Richmond, he had sensed the presence of statues and pendants in his tent. They were stored in an ordinary box without special magical protections, making it easy for Rodin to read their magic.

“If that’s the case?”

“Richmond’s estate was already attacked. They probably rifled through Prince Harrison’s wardrobe. They must have realized the item they were searching for wasn’t there.”

Naturally, black magic also had communication spells.

Although the forces that attacked Richmond’s estate yesterday were annihilated, they would have reported to Rotten before dying.

“If what you say is true, then there’s no reason to attack Richmond’s territory anymore.”

“Exactly. No reason to go there… Wait, could it be? Karis, have you seen Hamilton around here?”

“I have not. As the Grand Steward, he would naturally remain at the lord’s castle.”

Hamilton Kylas, though a former knight, currently served as the Grand Steward. It was rare for him to leave the estate.

“This is bad. Marquis Rotten has given up on the territorial war. Since he achieved his real objective, he has no reason to cling to it anymore.”

“His objective?”

“The pendant. More precisely, the map contained within the pendant.”

“Ah! That’s right. Grand Steward Kylas would certainly know the map’s location too.”

When Rodin had checked the pendant map of the Kingdom of Volas, six people were present.

Rodin, Karis, Jena, Marquis Richmond, Prince Harrison, and Grand Steward Hamilton Kylas.

Of those, two were not present now: Prince Harrison, who was already dead, and Grand Steward Hamilton Kylas.

‘No. Not just Hamilton. Even Harrison is a possibility. There certainly was black magic capable of summoning the souls of the dead.’

Among black magic, there were spells that could summon the souls of corpses that hadn’t long decayed. The body would continue to rot, but for a time, the soul could be used like a servant.

“Marquis Richmond… no, there’s no point in rushing.”

The matter had started back at Richmond’s domain. Learning about it a few minutes earlier here would not change the grand scheme.

“Young Master, do you believe Marquis Rotten has gone to find the Kingdom of Bolas’ legacy?”

“Yes. He must have already set out. I don’t know exactly where, though.”

At this point, everything depended on information about Marquis Rotten’s whereabouts.

Hyung_Otaku2

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