Chapter 21
“Damn it—get her!”
Two retainers who had been standing behind him charged forward with vicious looks. Unlike Baron Beiton, they were properly armed with longswords.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Ailesia struck the knee of the one who rushed first, then fully extended her leg and kicked him straight in the abdomen.
Bang!
Incredibly, the man shot into the air and smashed straight through the ceiling, getting stuck there.
“Uh—uhh?”
While the other retainer hesitated, Ailesia slammed the end of her foot down hard on the pommel of his sword.
Thud!
His grip tore open and he dropped the weapon. Before a scream could even escape his mouth, Ailesia grabbed him by the collar.
“Did you know people can fly too?”
Of course, not by their own will. Channeling her mana, she hurled him toward the terrace.
“Aaaagh!”
Crash!
Beyond the loud sound of shattering glass, the bloodied man rolled across the ground.
“Uuuh…? Teacher?”
Woken by the commotion, Eleonora rubbed her eyes and sluggishly sat up.
“Sweetie, even if it’s noisy, bear with it for just a moment. Come to your teacher.”
“What’s goin’ on…?”
“Seems there are lots of people curious about how pretty our Ellie is. You little celebrity.”
“Heehee.”
Smiling drowsily, Eleonora nestled into her arms. Patting the child’s back, Ailesia headed toward the terrace.
Of course, she didn’t forget to stomp hard once on the man sprawled on the floor.
Crunch!
“Guhhhk…!”
The feeling was oddly unpleasant—looks like she stepped on something she really shouldn’t have.
Snap!
With a light flick of her finger, Baron Beiton and the other intruders were tightly bound by transparent ropes. It was a binding spell so strong that even an Aura Master couldn’t break free.
“Let’s see.”
Ailesia had been spreading her mana for quite some time. Even after Eleonora fell asleep, she’d kept her eyes wide open, monitoring the entire mansion.
Nine were facing off against the Tygel Knights. Six were near the main building. Five more were waiting around the western wing’s entrance and corridors.
No need to worry about the main building. As for those five… the kids will handle them.
Awakened by the noise earlier, Whitey and Blanky were already up. The moment the attackers moved in panic, they’d probably get a taste of hell.
Lastly, one man floated in midair before the terrace. When their eyes met, Ailesia’s lips curled into a grin.
“Hi there. You’re friends with that frog lying over there, right?”
He was clearly the man who’d been whispering with Baron Beiton in the warehouse. Even with his face covered, the vibe was unmistakably similar.
What’s with this guy?
For some reason, a pungent smell of burning wafted off his body—an unpleasant stench, like rotten leather being scorched.
“…I heard you were just an ordinary mage.”
Brantin muttered in a low, heavy voice as he glared at Ailesia, realizing she’d identified him.
“Oh dear, who said that? I’m a super-strong witch.”
He didn’t know what “super-strong” meant exactly, but one thing was clear—she was anything but ordinary. Sensing his plan going awry, he frowned.
If I can just take the Archduke’s daughter…!
As Brantin tried to cast a spell, Ailesia suddenly produced a staff from somewhere and thrust it forward.
“Are you insane?”
A restraint that crushes the source itself
『Force Pressure Around』
“Guhhk!”
Pressure like a towering mountain assaulted him from all directions, crushing Brantin’s body.
Crack—!
With a sinister twisting sound, blood sprayed from his mouth as he plummeted to the ground.
He was still breathing, thankfully, but his mind was already half gone. The pain, like his entire body being wrung out piece by piece, left him unable to think straight.
If he hadn’t reflexively drawn on dark magic, it would’ve been instant death.
“T-This is impossible…! Cough!”
Dark red blood streamed from between his mask as he hacked violently.
I have to report this—to headquarters!
There had been no incantation, no hand gestures—not even the unique mana fluctuations that usually appear when magic is used.
No matter how high-level a mage was, using magic this powerful in such a way was beyond common sense.
At least Tier 8… upper mage level…!
Brantin desperately moved his trembling hand. Since he couldn’t teleport on his own, he had to use a scroll he’d prepared just in case.
As he barely pulled the scroll from his chest and was about to tear it open with his teeth—
A streak of golden light shot into the air from the terrace.
Fwaaash!
The flash bursting from Ailesia’s staff spread in a hemispherical dome, covering the entire Archducal estate before vanishing. It all happened in the blink of an eye.
“T-This can’t be…”
Spitting out the scroll, now torn in half, Brantin’s face filled with emptiness.
The dimensional coordinates of the entire mansion had been distorted. The coordinate distortion barrier—supposedly deactivated—was working perfectly fine.
At this point, the only option was to seal his lips voluntarily. As he tried to send the dark magic within him into a frenzy, Ailesia’s mocking voice reached his ears.
“Isn’t your thinking a bit too obvious? Just pass out quietly.”
As she raised the staff in her hand, Brantin muttered in despair without realizing it.
“N-No…!”
“Yes.”
Smack!
With a dull pain striking his head, Brantin’s vision went completely dark.
“Awooooo!”
Somewhere far away, the faint howl of a wolf echoed through his ears before fading.
* * *
“All intruders have been dealt with.”
Kubera reported to Termion. His armor was stained here and there, but all of it was other people’s blood.
“Good work.”
Termion replied calmly as he flicked his sword through the air, shaking off the blood droplets.
Everyone who’d infiltrated the main building had died by his hand. Aside from a few splatters on his sleeves and trousers, his attire remained perfectly neat.
“What about the western wing?”
“Finished.”
Step. Step.
Hearing footsteps, both men turned their heads at the same time.
Holding a staff in one hand and Eleonora in the crook of the other arm, Ailesia walked over with a relaxed expression.
“Grrr.”
For a moment people flinched at the massive shadow looming behind her—then Whitey and Blanky appeared, tails swaying.
“The five were caught by our kids. I took care of the rest.”
Whitey and Blanky dropped the intruders they’d been carrying in their mouths. Termion and Kubera’s eyes widened at the sight.
“I expected as much, but still… impressive.”
“They really are artists when it comes to hunting.”
“Your Highness, allow me to take a look.”
With Termion’s nod, Kubera examined the bodies on the ground. Their conditions were so horrific it was hard to look at them directly.
Faces and torsos are clean. Even after losing an arm or a leg, they charged relentlessly.
Meaning, the wounds weren’t immediately fatal. After organizing his thoughts, Kubera looked up.
“They’re all dead, but it doesn’t seem like they were killed by the wolves.”
“You’re saying there’s another cause of death?”
“Hard to say without an autopsy.”
Hearing this, Termion narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Ailesia, did you intervene?”
“I went over after hearing the kids, and they were already like that. Neither I nor my kids kill people casually.”
She lightly tapped the ground with the tip of her staff, and four unconscious men dropped from midair.
“These are three frogs from inside, and this big one’s a king toad from outside.”
“…An apt description.”
Crunch.
After checking Baron Beiton’s face, Termion ground his teeth without realizing it.
Whatever had happened, the two retainers were utterly wrecked. Even Baron Beiton, who looked relatively intact, had his jaw completely dislocated.
He paid dearly for his crimes.
Finally calming himself, Termion checked the last remaining man. There were no visible wounds, but his mask and clothes were soaked in blood.
“Is this one the leader?”
“Probably? He tried something pathetic, so I smashed him good.”
“Well done. Better that than you getting hurt by half-baked handling.”
Termion smiled faintly at Ailesia’s slightly smug reply. She, in turn, snorted softly back at him.
“Anyway, looks like the plan worked. You’ll handle the rest, right?”
“From here on, it’s the knights’ job. Thank you for your efforts.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Listening nearby, Kubera looked at Ailesia with a puzzled expression.
“A plan? What do you mean?”
“Termion didn’t tell you?”
“His Highness… didn’t?”
“Even if no one else, I thought he’d at least give Sir Dayfold a hint. How sly.”
At that, Kubera snapped his head away. Avoiding his gaze, Termion replied awkwardly,
“Well… I thought that to deceive the enemy, it’s best to deceive your allies first….”
