Chapter 54
The mage, blinking, rubbed his bony chin with a thin finger.
“More importantly, how did you survive? Was it that annoying green-haired guy’s doing?”
“What’s your goal?”
Eslyn clenched her teeth as she asked. Her head throbbed with every word.
“My goal?”
“Yeah. You must have a reason for looking for me.”
“Of course! To make you the Empress!”
She was speechless for a moment.
“…”
“I don’t like the other princes. I like you, Princess!”
“Why?”
He didn’t answer—just gave a creepy smile.
“Because… you seemed the most valuable. Perfect to be my doll.”
Eslyn scoffed. It was such a childish answer.
He was no different from a spoiled kid throwing a tantrum for a better toy.
“My chess piece should be the winning one, right? That way, I become the greatest!”
The mage laughed happily.
Eslyn let out a long, mocking breath.
“Right… you said that kind of crazy stuff back then too.”
She remembered him saying similar things when they first met.
“But did I ever say I’d be your doll?”
She sneered and stood tall with strength.
“Eshi.”
“I’m okay. I can stand on my own.”
She moved away from Tebet’s arms, straightening her back. Her legs trembled, so she rested one hand on his arm for support, but her expression stayed calm.
With a cold voice, she said:
“I told you before—I don’t need you.”
Her words cut like a blade, and the mage’s expression cracked.
“Because I already have a mage far better than you.”
“…What?”
The mage’s face twisted like a demon’s. He flailed his arms and screamed in rage.
“You’re saying Dierian Frey—a normal mage—is better than me, Tathulan?! That idiot who couldn’t even sense me in the palace?!”
“Yeah. Should I say it louder?”
“You arrogant brat!”
Dark magic exploded again. It shot toward Eslyn like chains.
But this time, Tebet didn’t just watch.
Whoosh!
His sword moved fast and rough. With a loud slash, the dark magic faded and disappeared.
“Should I keep holding back?”
“No.”
Eslyn answered coldly.
“Kill him now.”
“…”
“We got all the info we need—who he is, what he wants… even his weakness.”
Her voice was cold and confident, like a predator.
“What did you say…?”
Tathulan’s head twitched like a broken doll.
There wasn’t much known about dark mages, so they had to learn as much as possible.
I was wondering how he survived being stabbed in the heart…
Eslyn smirked.
Luckily, he was careless and easy to provoke.
Even if he was a dark mage, no human is truly immortal. There had to be a weak spot.
“Sir Tebet, aim for his eyes.”
“His eyes?”
“Dark mages are like monsters. Unless you destroy their core, they don’t die. And I think this one hid his core in his eye.”
For a second, time felt frozen.
“He stupidly put his core in his eye.”
She remembered how the mage blinked excessively and had instinctively protected his eyes when Tebet threw a dagger earlier.
He blocked his eyes… not his heart.
That was a reflex. He was protecting his weak point.
Eslyn laughed quietly. People with too many obsessions often reveal their own weaknesses.
“Shut up!”
The mage flinched violently.
That was his answer.
“I see.”
Tebet smiled like he’d found something fun. The mage tried to shield himself in dark magic, but Tebet was faster.
He was suddenly right in front of the mage.
“Eslyn Bertaniaaa!”
Tathulan screamed with bloodshot rage.
“You dare speak her name so carelessly.”
“Damn you!”
“If your core was in your mouth, it would’ve been easier.”
Tebet’s blue blade slashed down. A white streak of light flashed—and blood sprayed.
“Puhaha!”
But the blood wasn’t from Tathulan.
“…A monster?”
Eslyn whispered in disbelief.
A dark creature had appeared out of nowhere and acted as a shield for the mage.
Tebet’s sword had sliced it cleanly, and the monster collapsed, gushing blood.
“Princess! Eslyn Bertania! You never disappoint!”
The mage’s crazed voice echoed through the forest.
Tebet swung his sword again.
Clang!
His sword hit a magical shield. But Tebet didn’t flinch.
He drove his blade deeper into the thick barrier.
“Hey, don’t space out in front of me!”
“Ugh… You’re breaking my shield that easily…?”
The mage mumbled in disbelief. Tebet cracked his neck.
“Whether it’s dark magic or regular magic…”
“…”
“It’s all just cheap tricks to me.”
“Duke Ripherius!”
There was a loud snap! as something shattered.
The magical barrier that had covered the area disappeared, and the forest returned to normal.
The forgotten mountain breeze blew through Eslyn’s hair.
“I won’t be fooled like last time, Duke!”
Tathulan shouted angrily. Dark energy surged up from the ground.
That swirling darkness… is that dark magic?
Eslyn had never seen such dense, eerie energy before.
An ominous wind blew. The magic stone around Tebet’s neck shook violently.
“How arrogant.”
Tebet smirked, licking his red lips.
He had faced monsters on battlefields since he was young. Even a dark mage didn’t scare him.
All that mattered was this:
If I hesitate, Eslyn could get hurt.
“Be careful!”
Eslyn shouted from behind.
Dark energy rose like a storm around the mage. Dry leaves whipped through the air.
“Don’t underestimate me!”
The mage twisted his fingers in a weird shape. Black spikes of magic shot up from his fingertips.
The wind grew wilder. Trees and bushes shook violently.
“Sir Tebet!”
Tebet stabbed his sword into the ground to stay steady. If he lost balance, he’d be swept away by the storm of magic.
Rumble…
Out of nowhere, lightning struck the clear sky.
“Don’t worry, Eshi.”
He whispered. The wind was loud—maybe she didn’t hear it.
Sharp dark magic grazed him like spears. His clothes ripped and blood dripped, but he didn’t flinch or back away.
“Let’s see how long you can last, Duke!”
“Same to you.”
The mage laughed wildly. He moved his hands again, and monsters sprang up from the ground.
Tebet instinctively turned to check on Eslyn.
She was a bit away, holding onto a tree—but the monsters hadn’t reached her.
Because he had killed them all first.
“What a disappointment.”
“What?”
“Dark magic… I thought it’d be something completely new.”
Tebet smiled genuinely.
“If all you can do is summon monsters, that’s not very impressive.”
He was already moving easily through the windstorm. Monsters jumped at him again, but were quickly cut down by his sword.
There were many of them—but Tebet was used to this.
“Damn it! Damn it!”
Tathulan ground his teeth. Tebet was getting closer.
Then, suddenly—
“Aaaaagh!”
Blood burst from one of Tathulan’s eyes. He clutched it and summoned more dark magic.
“Ugh! My left eye’s still fine!”
“Let’s see who holds out longer.”
Tebet’s voice was ice cold. Tathulan roared as thousands of needle-like attacks flew toward him.
Then, a monster leaped out toward Eslyn.
“…”
Without hesitation, Tebet threw his only weapon—his sword.
The monster heading for Eslyn was pierced in the head and collapsed.
But now he was unarmed.
Another monster jumped at him.
Tebet couldn’t stop it—it bit deep into his shoulder.
“Sir Tebet!”
Eslyn screamed his name. At the same time, a stabbing headache struck her. She fell to the ground, clutching her head.
Tebet’s blood ran cold as he saw it.
He grabbed the monster on his shoulder with his bare hands and crushed it.
Then rushed over to Eslyn.
“Eshi!”
He caught her as she collapsed.
Eslyn weakly lifted her head. Her deep blue eyes, filled with shock, stared at his bloody shoulder. Her lips trembled.
“Oh no… there’s so much blood…”
“I’m fine.”
“But the blood…”
Eslyn spoke incoherently in panic. Tebet studied her face and body carefully.
Thankfully, she wasn’t physically injured.
But her face was pale, and she looked unwell. She’d been suffering from strange headaches for a while now.
It’s the dark magic…
Tebet clenched his jaw hard. He wanted to finish off that cursed mage and let her rest.
Tathulan, now missing one eye, stumbled like a drunk.
“Yeah, Duke Ripherius. I guess these monsters won’t be enough to beat you.”
The dark energy surrounding the mage’s face made him hard to see now.
