Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 74 (Part 1)
Even those with aura or magical power were merely pushed back by the shockwave. Though they were thrown back several meters, it wasn’t enough to cause significant injuries.
However, those without aura or magic were paralyzed on the spot, stiffened from the shock. It was akin to paralysis, but they felt an intense pain within their bodies.
Yet, they couldn’t move, nor could they even lose consciousness.
“If they were willing to kill others, they must have been prepared to die themselves.”
Rodin walked forward leisurely.
About fifty men stood frozen in place, their eyes darting around helplessly.
“Wind Knife.”
He conjured the second-circle magic, Wind Blade, and held it in his hand. Then, as he walked by, he stabbed the necks of the men frozen by the shockwave one by one.
There was no need to exert much force. The Wind Knife, though short, was sharp enough to easily cut through those without aura.
*Pook!* *Pook!*
The only sound was the blade effortlessly piercing through flesh.
Even as they were being stabbed, the men couldn’t scream. Their tongues were stiffened, and all they could do was die in fear, unable to do anything else.
In less than ten minutes, all fifty-two bandits were dead.
Rodin casually surveyed the gruesome scene and sighed.
“I’d rather not see things like this anymore.”
Up until now, Rodin hadn’t personally killed that many people. He had always aimed for people like Elrov, but aside from him, he only killed when there was no other choice.
Today, too, he had no choice. If he had let them go, they would have come after him and targeted others as well.
“Sigh, this kind of thing is unsettling.”
He didn’t feel good about it. He felt the need to wash his hands somewhere.
“Undine.”
Nod.
Without needing to explain, Undine created water, sensing his mood. She washed Rodin’s hands and wiped the blood from his clothes.
“Sigh, maybe I’m thinking too much. Magic Hand.”
Rodin used magic to gather the bodies of the victims, not the bandits. Then, using magic, he dug the ground and carefully laid them to rest.
“May you be born into a better world next time.”
He covered the bodies with the earth he had dug up, mounted his horse, and rode off. The air felt unpleasant today, more so than usual.
—
The five family corpses he had come across were just the beginning. As he traveled, more bodies discarded in the mountains and fields came into view.
Seeing dead bodies once or twice a day made it clear that they were, indeed, in the midst of war.
“Looks like there are deserters too.”
They had been attacked three more times during their three-day journey. Some of the attackers had been well-equipped.
“Surely, things won’t get even stranger here, will they?”
They had just arrived in a city.
The city’s name was Hostang.
Located in the southern part of the Beros Kingdom, they would reach Lanse within two days if they passed through here.
Just then, a group approached Rodin. He roughly counted their numbers and let out a short sigh.
“Please, no…”
“Hey, you!”
A group of about twenty men surrounded him naturally, exuding an oppressive aura.
“Are you talking to me?”
“Are you a traveler?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I’m Alphon, the captain of the Hostang Security Force.”
Rodin almost burst into laughter at the mention of “security force.”
The group didn’t look like any kind of security force. Their attire was mismatched, and their stance was too relaxed. They looked more like back-alley thugs than properly trained soldiers.
“And so?”
“Because of the war, the streets have become dangerous. There are more thieves, and people are being killed left and right. So, what can we do? A security force like ours has to step up.”
Wasn’t the job of the security force to prevent such things in the first place? The idea that they only stepped up after thieves and murders increased was ridiculous.
“Ah, I see. It must be tough for you.”
“Yeah, it’s tough. But no one appreciates the hard work. It’s truly sad.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
“I wish at least you could understand. You see, maintaining security costs money. Don’t you think you should contribute a little, for the sake of this city’s safety?”
In the end, they were asking for money. They truly did act just like the thugs they appeared to be.
“How much are we talking?”
“I can’t ask for too much, can I? We’re all in tough times. About a hundred gold should cover it…”
*Whoosh!*
Before Alphon could finish his sentence, Rodin had already cast a spell. It was a clear sign to get lost.
“Hah, are you trying to threaten me? Just because you’re a mage, you think you can act all high and mighty?”
“Who knows? What do you think?”
From the man’s reaction, it seemed he was a swordsman. He was likely around the second Tier.
Though Rodin wasn’t particularly sensitive to aura, he could tell just from the atmosphere. The man wasn’t higher than third Tier.
“Oh, so you’re confident in your skills?”
“Shall we test that?”
Rodin immediately conjured flames around him. Not just a simple Fireball, but a fourth-circle Fire Wall that encircled them.
The heat radiated from the center, spreading outward and creating a clearing of about ten meters.
As the heat spread, those who had formed the perimeter scattered. The man, who had been standing confidently moments before, now looked stricken.
“Th-this…”
“So, what do you prefer? Grilled? Frozen? I prefer to roast with lightning.”
Rodin created fire, then ice, and finally summoned lightning. The bolt struck the ground with a sharp, acrid scent.
“Th-that…”
“Get lost. And never show yourself in front of me again. I’ve already killed too many today, so I’ll let you go this time.”
“Y-yes! We won’t appear again!”
“Sigh.”
Even in the city, these things kept happening. He had been glad to pass the checkpoint without trouble, but all it brought him was more headaches.
The reason he had stopped by this city before heading to Lanse was to resupply.
Lanse, a port city, was the only place in the Beros Kingdom where one could escape. By now, it was surely overcrowded.