Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 168 (Part 1)

The result had been decided from the very first clash, but the battle did not end easily. The troops of the Rotten Marquis’ house resisted so fiercely that even Marquis Richmond, who was swinging his sword at the front lines, was fed up with them.

That didn’t mean he could stop his sword. If he allowed himself to slack, the burden would fall all the more onto his subordinates.

“Hm?”

Marquis Richmond tilted his head as he looked to the left.

He saw two people running forward. They were the two escorts who had been beside Rodin.

The two escorts named Karis and Jena ran across the battlefield. While leisurely dodging enemy attacks, they were heading to the rear.

“Astonishing.”

He had thought only Karis was strong, but the mercenary named Jena was no less skilled. Both were incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, they had cut through half the battlefield.

“But what’s going on?”

Marquis Richmond lightly parried an enemy sword aimed at his side and cut the opponent’s throat. Then he looked back in the direction where Karis and Jena were.

“Hm?”

One of the two escorts, who seemed to be searching for something, had slung someone over their back. Karis was carrying someone.

Following that, Jena also searched the area, then carried two unconscious people on each shoulder.

“Strange.”

As far as Marquis Richmond knew, Mage Rodin was not someone who did pointless things. He was someone who found any kind of action troublesome, and so only did what was absolutely necessary—a person who pursued extreme efficiency.

Thus, he never stepped forward unless it was absolutely required. He only involved himself in things that had to be done and couldn’t be handled by anyone else.

“Bolton!”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“I’ll give you command authority. Take over the battlefield and lead.”

“Understood, Your Excellency.”

Marquis Richmond entrusted the battlefield to Robein Bolton, the commander of the 1st Knight Order. If it was the experienced knight Bolton, he could probably bring the battle to a close.

Marquis Richmond scanned the rear.

Two carriages stood side by side, and atop the roof of one of them, he spotted Rodin sitting. Beside him was an elderly woman, extremely advanced in age.

The Tower Lord Tamia kept her mouth tightly shut after hearing Rodin’s explanation. It was a story that was hard to believe easily.

“May I check it myself?”

“Go ahead. That soldier over there. I put him to sleep, so just wake him and ask.”

Tower Lord Tamia approached the unconscious soldier and used magic.

“Wake Up!”

It was a spell to awaken someone from sleep, but the subject didn’t respond. Though it was absurd, she checked whether he was still breathing just in case.

“He’s alive? Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up!”

“Ugh…”

Only after receiving the 3rd Circle Wake Up spell four more times did the soldier finally open his eyes. That left Tower Lord Tamia utterly dumbfounded.

“Was it a 2nd Circle Sleep? Why is it so hard to wake him?”

To cancel out a mere 2nd Circle Sleep, she had to use a 3rd Circle Wake Up spell four times. It was a result that defied magical common sense.

“Hmph.”

Tower Lord Tamia glanced at Rodin atop the carriage roof, then shook her head.

Rodin’s magic was not ordinary. She had felt it even when witnessing his teleportation magic—his magic seemed to follow a different system from theirs.

‘But that’s not what matters right now.’

Tower Lord Tamia focused on the soldier who had just come to his senses. He still seemed only half-awake, his mind dull and groggy.

“Sigh, Wake Up.”

She further cleared his mind, then began questioning him. But since he was only staring blankly, the conversation wasn’t going well.

With no other choice, Tower Lord Tamia first revealed her own identity. Then she asked for his cooperation, explaining it was to accurately understand the situation, and questioned him again.

“Mm.”

Perhaps because she had said she was one of the four Tower Lords, the soldier finally began to share what he knew. Of course, that included the details about poison and death that he had heard from Rodin.

“You may rest now. Sleep.”

She put the soldier back to sleep and returned. Rodin, who had been on the roof of the carriage, was now standing on the ground.

“Did you ask him?”

“It was just as you said.”

“I see.”

At that moment, Marquis Richmond returned, soaked in blood. Around the same time, Karis and Jena also arrived.

“Mission accomplished.”

“Karis, Jena. Well done. Recovery.”

Rodin used 5th Circle healing magic on the body of mercenary Hurst, who was hovering at the edge of death. Then he took out a potion made using an ancient secret formula, poured half on the wounds, and had him swallow the rest.

“This one’s handled.”

The Hurst whom Karis had brought was too seriously injured to be awakened easily.

But the two whom Jena had brought were only unconscious, without any injuries.

“Wake Up!”

At Rodin’s magic, the two who had lost consciousness opened their eyes immediately.

They were momentarily confused, not grasping the situation, but soon looked around and realized they had been captured.

“Mage Rodin, what is going on?”

“Haa, having to explain this several times is a bit of a hassle.”

A little while ago, he had had to repeat the words he heard from the soldier because of Tower Lord Tamia. Now Marquis Richmond had arrived late and was asking the same question.

“Master, I’ll explain.”

“Please do, Jena.”

Sensing Rodin’s annoyance, Jena stepped in and explained the situation.

Marquis Richmond naturally wore a dumbfounded expression. He had never used poison on the Rotten Marquis’ house, nor did he know how to procure such a thing.

Tower Lord Tamia observed Marquis Richmond’s expression, trying to discern the truth. There were too many questionable parts to believe just one side.

“Marquis, did you truly never use poison on the Rotten Marquis’ house?”

“Of course not. I’m not garbage enough to do something like that.”

“Hmph.”

Tower Lord Tamia recalled the words of the soldier and those of Marquis Richmond, deliberating. She couldn’t yet tell which was the truth.

“Tower Lord Tamia. There’s no need to confirm it right now. The Rotten Marquis’ house should be perfectly fine anyway.”

“What do you mean by that, Mage Rodin?”

“If it’s a place like the Chronoa Magic Tower, then surely they have a network in the Rotten Marquis’ territory, right?”

Even if the Rotten Marquis’ house had no eyes or ears of the Chronoa Magic Tower, the result wouldn’t change.

If it was a major incident—enough to say everyone had died—then of course news of it would have reached the nearby magic towers. Eventually, that news should have reached the Chronoa Magic Tower through a few intermediaries.

“Hmm? Of course there is.”

“Have you received any word from them?”

“Ah! Then those people fighting desperately over there are being fooled by a false rumor?”

“It’s more accurate to say it’s a lie deliberately spread by the Rotten Marquis. Deceiving is always easier than clarifying. Judging by the looks of it, the mercenaries here never even believed it from the beginning.”

Everyone’s gazes focused on the two mercenaries. The mercenaries simply shrugged, wearing expressions that said, ‘So what if we didn’t?’

“Did you all know about the rumors spreading in the camp?”

“They’re not rumors. Last night, Marquis Rotten personally made the announcement.”

“Hey! Mercenary! Watch your mouth. This is Lady Tamia, the Tower Master of Chronoa Magic Tower.”

Hyung_Otaku2

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