Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 67 (Part 2)
As the knights charged towards them, the distance between the two groups quickly closed.
“Chain Lightning!”
As soon as the knights charged, Rodin unleashed one of the spells he had prepared in advance.
A 4th-circle spell, Chain Lightning.
Lightning bolts that replicate and spread out upon impact, dealing damage to multiple targets with considerable power.
However, like all lightning spells, it had the drawback of being difficult to hit the target.
“Dodge it!”
“Block it!”
The imperial knights’ responses were slow due to the conflicting orders.
The lightning bolt Rodin sent out began as just one. The single bolt struck the leading imperial knight, then split into two.
The two bolts quickly spread, becoming four, then eight, sweeping through the entire front line.
“Argh!”
“Gah!”
“Dodge it!”
“Scatter!”
About ten knights were electrocuted and fell from their horses on the spot. Although none died immediately, they were severely injured and couldn’t move for quite some time.
“Block them!”
“Don’t let them escape!”
“Finish him off before he can cast another spell!”
Despite being hit by the magic, the imperial knights didn’t give up. Instead, they saw it as an opportunity and clung to their mission with determination.
“Close in on him!”
“Kill the mage first!”
The knights believed they were safe now that Rodin had cast his spell. It was common knowledge that casting magic required a cooldown period.
However, Rodin could use hand seals to sequentially prepare spells. The second spell he had prepared erupted in front of them.
“Wind Storm!”
The massive windstorm generated in front of them scattered the charging knights in all directions.
Unlike the 4th-circle Chain Lightning, Wind Storm was a 5th-circle spell. It covered a larger area and was far more powerful than Chain Lightning.
The tremendous force didn’t discriminate between horses and people. Anything caught in it was blown away, creating an open space in front of them.
Rodin kept riding forward, heading straight into the path of the Wind Storm.
“Isn’t that going to hit us?”
“Just keep riding. We’ll figure it out somehow.”
“Damn it!”
As Rodin charged ahead, Bron’s group had no choice but to keep up. Just as they feared they would enter the storm’s range, the windstorm vanished as if it had never existed.
Bron’s group surged through the opening. The first-generation trainees who had been following closely also took advantage of the opportunity.
The imperial forces were not easily deterred. Although the unexpected magic had cleared the path, they could simply regroup and pursue again.
But Rodin’s magic wasn’t finished yet.
“Fire Wall!”
A 4th-circle spell, the Wall of Fire, rose behind them, blocking the imperial forces’ path. With a towering wall of flames in their way, the imperial forces could no longer pursue.
“Damn it!”
“Who the hell is that guy?”
The imperial forces were out of luck. Among the Ingram Empire’s magic corps were not only 6th-circle mages but also 6th-grade knights. If even one of them had been there, they wouldn’t have suffered such losses from this level of magic.
Unfortunately, the 6th-grade knights were busy protecting the exhausted mages who had just cast their spells. Since they were on the opposite side of the village, it was difficult to call for their help.
* * *
Rodin, Bron, and their group continued to ride for a while before finally stopping. The first-generation trainees who had been following them were no longer in sight.
“Who were those people back there?”
“How would I know?”
“But they followed us without a word. Could they all be knights?”
“Probably not. But they were pretty skilled overall. There seemed to be a few knights among them, and the ones being carried looked like mages.”
Rodin and Bron’s group were on horseback, while the first-generation trainees were all on foot.
The first-generation trainees had run with all their might. Their training level wasn’t low, allowing them to keep up with the horses for a short time.
But as time went on, the distance between them grew. Carrying their gear, the first-generation trainees soon grew tired, allowing Rodin and Bron’s group to pull ahead.
“But Rodin! What about you? The spell you used first was Chain Lightning, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. I’m sorry for hiding it.”
“So, you’re a 4th-circle mage?”
Ellice hadn’t recognized the 5th-circle spell, Wind Storm. She had only identified the Chain Lightning used at the beginning and the Fire Wall used at the end. Both were 4th-circle spells.
“No, I’m a 5th-circle mage.”
“Really? Wow! Well, you did cast the spells really quickly.”
“As expected. Rodin is a genius.”
No one doubted Rodin’s claim of being a 5th-circle mage, even though he was only 14 years old. Their reactions were more like, “I thought so,” which left Rodin feeling a bit awkward.
“You believe me?”
“Why wouldn’t we? We saw your magic. Besides, you were impressive from the moment we first met.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Looks like we’re almost there. Is that the Lamaton River?”
In the darkness, the large river came into view, its waves shimmering beautifully in the moonlight.
“Wow! It looks wider than I imagined.”
“Yeah. Rodin, are you sure we can cross here?”
“Yes. It won’t be difficult.”
Even when he was pretending to be a 3rd-circle mage, he had a way to cross the river. By using the water spirit Undine to control the water and combining the 1st-circle spell Shower with the 2nd-circle spell Shield, it was possible.
Now that he had revealed himself as a 5th-circle mage, he could temporarily stop the flow of the river by combining Undine with a 5th-circle spell.
“But it looks a bit scary at night.”
“Yeah, I feel the same. My feet won’t move.”
“Let’s rest for a bit. We can move after the sun rises.”
There was no sign of the imperial forces pursuing them. Although Rodin hadn’t sent Jito to scout, he could sense whether the knights were nearby.
“Should we? My stomach has been acting up, too.”
“Mine too. I couldn’t even go to the bathroom after waking up.”
Bron and Marlon headed into the bushes by the river. The bushes rustled briefly, then the sound of water could be heard.
“Damn it, couldn’t they go further away?”
Ellice covered her ears in disgust.
Rodin understood Ellice’s complaint.
The sound of water was quite loud. It really sounded like they were relieving themselves close by.
“I should go too. You’re coming, right?”
“Yeah, I need to empty out too.”
“Keep watch for me.”
“Sure.”
As usual, the one looking out for his sister was Baker. He calmly kept watch as he waited for Bron and Marlon to return.
“Rodin, what about you?”
“I’m fine.”
After a while, Bron and Marlon returned. Ellice and Baker then disappeared into the bushes as if taking their place.