Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 53 (Part 1)
Commissioner Habinon hurriedly disappeared by carriage. Rodin undid his invisibility and glared at the departing carriage.
“I should kill Elrov or Kser, not Habinon.”
It was evident from his body that Commissioner Habinon had taken a long break from training. Although he was said to be a Tier 5 Knight, it was unlikely he maintained his past skills.
There was a chance of victory if Hedler, Lant, and Darren took action. It would be strange to lose if a few trainees also helped.
Therefore, he planned to deal with the stronger Commissioner Kser or Commissioner Elrov. This way, the trainees accompanying them would feel more at ease.
But while attending to various matters, Commissioner Kser and Commissioner Elrov had already vanished. Only Commissioner Habinon was left, but it felt unsatisfying to deal with just him.
“I guess it can’t be helped.”
Rodin took out his training clothes from his backpack and returned Jito to its original form. Jito transformed into a small shape and perched on his head.
Rodin put on the training clothes he had taken out and sent Jito into the sky.
‘Look around the area.’
He sent Jito into the sky to search for Commissioner Kser or Commissioner Elrov. While Jito was almost stationary in high altitude flight, they shared their senses.
‘Ah! This is bad.’
Not far from the Special Forces training center, two carriages were parked. They belonged to Commissioner Kser and Commissioner Elrov. There, Commissioner Habinon’s carriage, which had left the training center, joined them.
Hedler, Lant, and some trainees on horseback surrounded the carriages as if escorting them.
None of the trainees had trouble riding horses, having received equestrian training. Some looked a bit uneasy, but none seemed likely to fall.
‘They’re moving together?’
This was his mistake. He naturally thought they would move separately and only join after arriving at the port city, Melcos.
‘They trust each other enough to watch their backs? Impossible.’
Jito fixed its gaze on the commissioners’ carriages and slowly turned its eyes to another direction. Then, far to the north, it spotted another group.
‘Ah! So that’s it.’
The group to the north consisted of about thirty people. Their armor and uniforms were different from those of the soldiers of the Riyaz Kingdom.
‘The Empire’s army is here already.’
The three commissioners realized that the terrifying Duke Bernstein and the imperial army were close. The fear of being pursued brought the commissioners together.
‘About 8 kilometers? 9 kilometers? There’s still some distance.’
When the Riyaz Kingdom killed Count Bahas of the Ingram Empire, they used the elite Royal Guard. It was to ensure mobility and minimize damage.
Naturally, the imperial army that entered the Riyaz Kingdom would also be elite. There were no regular soldiers, only knights, and surely some wizards were mixed in as well.
‘At most, we have two hours. If we delay, they’ll catch up.’
Cold sweat ran down his back. He finally realized the imminent danger.
“Rodin!”
“Huh? Drok! What are you doing here?”
“I woke up all the trainees. I already told them about the slave rod.”
Drok’s tone was cheerful, as if expecting praise.
“Run immediately. Don’t head north. Avoid the west too, because of the royal capital. Head south or east. Just run.”
“Why? Isn’t there still time?”
“The imperial army is close. They’re much faster than expected. If they catch you, you’ll be their target for venting their anger.”
“Ah!”
Drok quickly ran to where the trainees were gathered. Rodin also turned south and ran.
‘I’m in danger too if I’m caught.’
Fortunately, Rodin had Jito.
The summoned familiar Jito could sense a much wider area from a higher place than a wind spirit. By seeing in advance and avoiding, it was unlikely to encounter anyone.
Also, when sharing vision, a summoner uses the eyesight of the summoned familiar, while a spirit mage uses their own. Rodin could scrutinize the ground with Jito’s incredible eyesight.
‘I have no choice but to follow.’
As he moved south, the distance from the imperial army widened. Instead, he kept a certain distance from the commissioners’ carriages and followed them.
* * *
Two hours passed, matching the speed of the carriages.
The commissioners arrived at a city called Sentos.
Sentos was one of the most famous resort cities in the Riyaz Kingdom, known for its beautiful scenery. It was close to the royal capital, so it had many villas belonging to nobles and wealthy merchants.
‘Impressive.’
The rising sun gradually illuminated the scenery of Sentos. The harmony of white walls and blue roofs was beautiful.
The mountains blocking the west, the moderately wide river flowing from south to north, and the windmills and splendid mansions built here and there caught his eye.
The roads were wide and clean, and the signs of the shops adjacent to the roads had pictures indicating their type of business.
‘So, this is how nobles live.’
Sentos was a beautiful city anyone would want to live in. Rodin also briefly considered settling here.
‘I must not forget my purpose.’
The commissioners’ carriages split in three directions upon entering Sentos. The commissioners headed to their respective homes.
Rodin hesitated for a moment and then followed Commissioner Elrov.
Commissioners Habinon and Kser seemed to live nearby. They went in a similar direction, and their carriages stopped shortly after.
In contrast, Commissioner Elrov’s carriage continued south and then veered off. After traveling for a while, it stopped at a large mansion.
It was close to the southern city gate, far from the homes of the other commissioners in the northeast.
‘Let’s handle it here.’
It would get noisy, but this was the best option. If they left Sentos, the commissioners wouldn’t scatter until they boarded a ship.
‘The mansions are quite far apart. Even if the noise is heard, it will take at least an hour for them to arrive.’
This was the last chance to reduce the number of commissioners. Rodin steeled his resolve and used magic.
“Invisibility.”
First, he made himself invisible and approached the mansion.
There were quite a few guards at the mansion entrance, but none were skilled enough to notice the invisible Rodin.
‘Fly.’
He recited a rune spell and used magic. Flying, he crossed over the mansion wall and walked leisurely towards the main building.
Nineteen trainees were resting in front of the main building, one of them being Lant.
“What are you doing here?”
He whispered softly from directly behind Lant.
Lant flinched but fortunately did not make a sound. Instead, he looked towards the distant mountains, unsure of what to do.
‘Such bad acting.’
Seeing the flustered Lant made him want to laugh. His face must have turned bright red.
“Speak quietly. Quietly.”
“They told us to wait. They’re moving some belongings.”
“Belongings?”
“They’ll move them once they open the warehouse.”