Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 80 (Part 2)
“Let’s go back inside.”
“B-Big Brother, there are strange people outside, and they’re setting fires.”
“Yeah, Rodin. They looked like they were wearing armor made of metal.”
“I see.”
From what Larry and Bianca were saying, Rodin deduced that the imperial army had arrived. They were probably here to retaliate for what had happened earlier in the day.
‘Shouldn’t have provoked them?’
It was too late for regrets now. There was no point in dwelling on it. For the time being, he had to focus on protecting his siblings.
‘And make sure the ship doesn’t get damaged.’
If the ship were destroyed, they would have no choice but to travel by land. That would mean constantly worrying about being chased by the imperial forces.
“Get inside.”
Rodin ushered Larry and Bianca into the ship’s cabin. Then, he created a temporary magical lock on the door and engraved temporary reinforcement spells on the walls and door.
To permanently engrave them would require using mana stones, and the process was complicated. At the moment, the best he could do was a spell that would last an hour or two.
“No matter what noise you hear outside, don’t come out. I’ll come back for you.”
“What about you, Big Brother?”
“I’ve got to go out. If there’s anything I can do to help, I’ll do it.”
“Be careful.”
“Big Brother Rodin, be safe. Don’t get hurt, okay?”
“I can’t promise that. The opponents are a bit strong this time.”
Rodin wasn’t one to make empty promises. He wasn’t always cold, but he saw no point in saying something was possible when it wasn’t.
His siblings needed to know the truth. Even if it made them anxious now, it was better in the long run. That way, they’d be able to handle any situation that might arise.
“Big brother!”
“Rodin!”
Ignoring their calls, Rodin stepped outside. He took a deep breath and slowly made his way to the deck.
* * *
Darren, Jefferson, and Sylvia instinctively realized that the current situation was far from favorable.
The knight before them was manageable, no matter who among the three faced him, but the mage standing behind him was a serious problem. Even with all three of them working together, this was not going to be an easy fight.
Moreover, there were more enemy knights than expected. Initially, they had thought there were around 40 to 50 of them, but once they had gathered, the number was closer to 100.
On the other hand, the mercenaries guarding the ship only numbered about 30. And on top of that, the individual skill levels of the enemies far surpassed that of the mercenaries.
“This doesn’t look good.”
“Yeah, this is turning into a real headache.”
The overconfident demeanor of the enemy mage grated on their nerves. The enemy knights’ expressions, full of trust in their mage, only added to their unease. If the mage weren’t there, they could manage, but there was no way to ignore the mage.
“Sylvia and I will take on the mage. Jefferson, you must take out that knight up front as quickly as possible.”
“As quickly as possible, huh… well, that’s my specialty.”
Jefferson was a speed-focused knight who wielded a thin sword. While he struggled against strong opponents, his swordsmanship allowed him to massacre weaker foes with ease.
“As for the mercenaries… hmm.”
There wasn’t much they could do to help. They’d just have to hope the mercenaries could hold their ground against the hundred enemies in front of them.
“In that case, I’ll—”
Whoosh!
The battle began suddenly. The mage, who had been quietly preparing a spell during the conversation, unleashed a massive spell.
“Damn it! Dodge!”
“Scatter!”
“It’s a 6th-circle spell!”
Sylvia, who had recognized the spell, shouted a warning.
She had seen a 6th-circle mage once before when she was part of a noble household. She had even sparred with one. Back then, she hadn’t been able to put up much of a fight.
Fwoosh!
The moment the flames touched the ground, they spread out in front of them like a fiery wave.
“Haaah!”
“Paah!”
The fight had already begun. There was no point in trying to maintain their standoff any longer.
Darren, Jefferson, and Sylvia charged forward. The enemy knights, led by a 5th-rank knight and around a hundred others, rushed toward them at the same time.
“Sylvia!”
“I know!”
Sylvia deftly maneuvered past an enemy knight and dashed backward, aiming to close in on the mage.
Darren, coordinating with Sylvia’s movements, quickly analyzed the mage’s position and made a swift dash, attempting to strike from behind.
Clang!
But their efforts were blocked by others. More than 20 enemies stood in Darren and Sylvia’s way, doing everything they could to hold them back.
At that moment, a scorching heat washed over them again.
“Flame Strike!”
Another 6th-circle spell. The blazing flames shot toward Darren, who was trying to advance.
Darren twisted his body just in time, but the flames exploded in the air before reaching him.
Boom!
“Urgh!”
Darren clutched his arm and rolled to the side. Smoke billowed from his scorched arm.
Luckily, his arm wasn’t severely damaged. The explosion had occurred just far enough away to lessen the impact, and Darren’s quick evasive maneuver had also helped.
“Darren!”
“Damn it!”
Ignoring the pain, Darren pushed himself forward again. As Darren moved, Sylvia also charged ahead.
In battles between swordsmen and mages, the outcome usually depended on whether the swordsmen could close the distance. If they couldn’t, they had no chance of winning.
Clang!
“Hah!”
“Get out of my way!”
Darren and Sylvia struggled to reach the mage, but the obstacles in their way were too many, and their opponents were no pushovers.
“Hold! Fire Blast!”
Two spells were cast in quick succession. One was *Hold*, a 3rd-circle spell that temporarily immobilized its target. It wouldn’t last even a second against a 5th-rank knight.
But the mage’s skill in timing these spells turned that brief moment into something much longer.
Darren broke free from the *Hold* spell almost instantly. However, before he could fully escape, the *Fire Blast* spell hit him head-on.
Boom!
“Urgh!”
The spell sent Darren flying backward, his chest scorched and his insides shaken. Blood poured from his mouth.
“Darren!”
“Damn it.”
It was a miracle Darren was still alive after taking such a blow. In this situation, victory seemed impossible.
“Haah, is it hopeless?”
“Damn it all.”
Even Jefferson, who was locked in combat with the enemy’s leading knight, wasn’t faring much better. He was clearly pushing his opponent back, but it was far from a decisive victory.
The enemy knight’s defense was particularly strong. He deflected Jefferson’s attacks with remarkable skill and grace, his shield blocking every strike.
“Black Thunderbolt!”
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice echoed through the air. The sound was so faint that even the one hit by the spell hadn’t heard it clearly.