ushernet Chapter 50
Chapter 50
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 50: Variable (4)
"......."
Kaya Lockwood momentarily thought she was dreaming.
What filled her vision was a fist, but beyond it, she could catch a glimpse of a massive wave.
‘A mental image...?’
It didn’t make sense.
A mere Level 3 mage not only grasping the nature of mana but also embedding their mental image into magic was unbelievable.
‘If I get hit by something like that without any protection spell...’
No matter how skilled she was, she wouldn’t escape unscathed.
Her expression hardened as if time itself had stopped, like a spell had been cast.
“Damn it!”
Oscar bit his lip.
His magic power had run low, causing his『Isolation Garden』spell to dissipate.
They were so close.
If it had lasted just one more second, or even half a second longer, she would have been caught off guard...
Regaining control of her body, Kaya quickly used 『Acceleration』 and leapt backward.
"Ugh!"
Oscar's fist only struck her afterimage, his finishing blow missing its mark.
The proof lay in the sudden 10-meter gap that had formed between them.
"......"
Oscar examined the distance between them.
Kaya was also observing something similar.
More precisely, she was looking at the footprints on the snow-covered ground in front of her.
Those footprints were proof that she had retreated from her opponent.
Her heart was still pounding violently.
She couldn’t tell anymore.
‘Am I still excited...?! Or is it the sense of danger I felt in that moment?’
She slowly raised her head, staring at the genius—or rather, the monster—in front of her.
"What the hell are you?"
It didn’t make sense that a mere Level 3 mage possessed such combat intuition and situational awareness.
Moreover, that final attack, which mimicked the sound of crashing waves, was a type of magic she had never encountered before.
‘To have created such magic at his age and level... It's not just talent.’
She genuinely felt the danger.
Her clenched fist tightened, then relaxed repeatedly.
Her instincts screamed that she needed to eliminate this threat now, yet her curiosity as a mage wondered what kind of fruit this budding talent might eventually bear.
"......"
Oscar received her complex gaze directly but showed no reaction.
For two reasons:
First, he didn’t have the strength left to respond.
And second...
‘Ah, if I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have pushed so hard.’
Because there was no longer any need for him to react.
Thud!
A pitch-black sword plunged into the ground between the two of them.
"...The Black Sword?"
Kaya squinted as she recognized the weapon.
As she lifted her head, the sky above Baran City was filled with colorful fireworks, and a man descended like a meteor.
Boom!
The man, dressed in a deep navy uniform, landed in front of Oscar and the unconscious Killian as if to shield them.
His short, jet-black hair matched his gaunt, indifferent face well.
"I am Superintendent Walker of the Imperial Ministry of Internal Affairs."
After identifying himself per the guidelines of the Ministry, he pulled the black sword out of the ground with a sharp sound.
"Kaya Lockwood. I am here to arrest you for murder, arson, and 17 other charges."
* * *
The previously relaxed atmosphere of the forest tightened like a pulled string.
An explosive standoff where death on either side wouldn’t be surprising.
After staring at her opponent for a moment, Kaya was the first to speak.
"........The Emperor's Black Sword."
Hearing her voice filled with suppressed discomfort, Oscar was convinced.
This time, the imperial family had indeed sent proper reinforcements.
‘A Level 7 Knight. He is no less skilled than Kaya Lockwood herself.’
And that wasn't all.
He could sense other mana signatures gradually converging from a distance.
They seemed to be powerful figures, estimated to be at Level 5.
"Even the elite of the Ministry of Internal Affairs?"
Kaya, sensing the same thing, furrowed her brow.
Dealing with just the Black Sword would be tough enough, but facing his elite squad as well would be a significant challenge.
"Tch."
After running through some calculations in her head, she clicked her tongue and withdrew her mana.
Since the imperial family had already caught on to the Violet Brigade's involvement in the Baran City election, it wasn’t worth continuing this fight.
In short, there was no profit in dragging this out any further.
The sharp tension dissipated like smoke, replaced by a harmless smile on her lips.
"Alright, I’ll call it quits. I’ll just head back quietly."
"I'm afraid I can’t let you leave so easily."
"A wise person knows when to retreat gracefully, don't you agree?"
"...You’re not listening to me."
Ignoring Walker’s words, Kaya lifted one foot.
Simultaneously, the tension that had been present before was nothing compared to what came next.
The air of the forest began to vibrate intensely.
Her red eyes swept over both Walker and Oscar.
"I won’t forget the debt from tonight. Especially you."
Her gaze, filled with indecision, lingered as if debating whether to kill or spare them.
"I’ll make sure to see you again, kid."
With seven tattoos activated, Kaya executed a swift advance.
Boom!
A shockwave swept through the area, forcing Walker to erect a shield to protect the two behind him quickly.
"........"
As the dust settled, there was no trace of Kaya in the crater left behind.
"To think she’d resort to using hostages,"
Walker clicked his tongue lightly, his black sword losing its color and reverting to a normal appearance.
"How long was I out?"
"Three days."
For having been unconscious for so long, he surprisingly felt in good shape.
He’d had a dream, but nothing was distorted or unpleasant.
It had ended neatly.
Above all, this high priest did a fine job with the healing.
Aside from some mild muscle pain, there wasn’t much to worry about.
"How’s your condition?"
"A warrior of the forest recovers quickly. I was declared fully healed in two days."
"Must be nice to be so sturdy. What’s the situation?"
"The Ministry of Security’s elite squad apprehended the surviving mercenaries and raided the Sweet family. Mark Sweet has been arrested, and his secretary, terrified, confessed to all their wrongdoings."
Glad things worked out well.
Now there was no risk of Baran City falling into the hands of a drug cartel.
"......."
Oscar looked at Killian thoughtfully.
He didn’t seem affected by fighting against his own family.
...Or was he just pretending not to be?
Hard to say which it was.
One thing was clear, though: in Oscar's eyes, Killian just looked like a machine that consumed apples.
"Oscar, sir! You’re awake!"
At that moment, Jake entered the room with a broad smile.
He looked over and asked,
"Are you really okay to be up already? You’re not pushing yourself too hard, are you?"
He’d heard this same thing from Marin.
Maybe this fragile-looking body of his tends to invite concern from others.
"I’m fine, thanks to the high priest you called."
"Of course. I never would’ve imagined that Mark Sweet would actually be arrested."
"I told you, didn’t I? He would pay for his crimes."
After exchanging smiles, Jake spoke with determination.
"I always dreamed of becoming a great politician, following in my father’s footsteps, but I’ve changed my mind."
Oscar, noticing the bright gleam in Jake’s eyes, rubbed his nose with a bit of embarrassment.
Though it was slightly embarrassing, he was used to hearing such things.
"Thank you for the compliment. If you work hard, one day, you’ll surely become as great a mage as I am."
"...What? Oh, well, that would be nice, but I want to become a civil servant and join the Ministry of Security. I want to punish wrongdoers and help even one more citizen who has been wronged."
"........"
Next to him, Killian chuckled, munching on an apple.
"A good dream. I’m sure you’ll make a fine civil servant, Jake."
"Thank you. Oh, and here’s the payment I promised earlier."
Inside the envelope Jake handed over was a check for one million bels.
Killian’s share was 250,000.
"I’ve received the full commission."
"I’d love to give you more, but there’s a lot my family needs to deal with as well."
"It’s alright. This is more than enough."
All he needed, anyway, was the 400,000 bells for the Blood Tower.
Jake gave another deep bow of gratitude.
"If you ever visit Baran City again, please reach out."
"I’ll make sure of it."
"Yes, you must! Next time, I’ll treat you to the best food in this city."
After laughing cheerfully, Jake led his attendants out of the room.
Then Chief Walker entered the room.
"Quite the price on your heads."
"...Pardon?"
Looking back and forth between my and Killian's heads, he added,
"A bounty of 300,000 bels was placed on you two. A woman named Ara Sweet put it there. Do you know her?"
"We’ve crossed paths."
"That woman will end up in prison, too. She’s killed countless people she didn’t like. Living freely outside might have been a harsher punishment."
True enough, perhaps.
The Sweet family, which was her pride, had crumbled, and many held grudges against her.
"And that was a good call."
"What was?"
"The royal communication crystal. Jake Hoover told me you were the one who used it."
"...Ah, well, about that..."
Needless to say, the code for the royal communication crystal was top secret.
If they asked me how he knew, what would he even say?
As he began to sweat, Walker brushed it off.
"How is the Tower Master?"
"...Pardon?"
"Well, you were in a rush, so you probably didn’t have time to exchange greetings."
Ah, so he thinks he asked Sasha to contact the palace.
Oscar didn’t bother to correct the misunderstanding.
"It’s about time I left."
"Already?"
"Not ‘already’—I’m only now leaving. Coming here set me back on my work."
The Ministry of Security must be quite busy.
That must mean there’s no shortage of people to apprehend.
"That must be tough."
"I’m just doing my job. Rest up."
As Walker was about to leave the room, he suddenly stopped, looked back, and asked,
"Are all mages of the White Tower like you two?"
"..."
Killian glanced at me, seemingly leaving the answer to Oscar.
After a brief pause, Oscar asked,
"What do you mean by ‘like us’?"
"Are they all..."
Walker trailed off, shook his head, and said,
"No, never mind. Rest up."
After a curt farewell, Walker left the room and walked down the corridor, pausing to glance back once more.
All the mages he’d known so far had been mostly selfish, focused only on their own interests.
But these two from the White Tower were different.
‘If the mages of the White Tower in previous generations were like these two...!
Maybe now I understand, at least a little, why the elders cherish the White Tower so much and why they still hold it dear to their hearts.'
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]