Ch.65The Seven Deadly Sins (1)

BOOM!

Flames erupted with a thunderous noise, as if announcing their artificial origin.

The fire spread in an instant. Mountain fires were always fast, especially in Dellin’s Forest with its overwhelming mana concentration.

Professor Lepen Chaser, who had been teaching a practical magic class in a nearby annex, rushed over urgently. Several students were already shooting streams of water, but their efforts were too weak to contain the flames.

“P-Professor!”

“Stand back.”

Lepen drew patterns with his silver-decorated staff. Complex computational formulas materialized instantly, summoning dozens of water streams that rushed forth.

The students, who could barely maintain a single stream of water, gazed at Lepen with admiration.

“When did the fire start?”

“F-five minutes ago. There was a sudden explosion, and then the fire…”

Lepen furrowed his brow. The flames weren’t easy to extinguish. He could increase his mana output, but Dellin’s Forest couldn’t be burning without reason. He decided to conserve his mana in case there was a hidden enemy.

“What’s happening?”

Fenicia and her students came running from a distance. Without any instruction, all the students took out their staffs and began reciting runes.

Fenicia sprayed water streams just like Lepen. With dozens of magicians concentrating their efforts, the flames were fortunately extinguished.

“Fenicia. Please handle the aftermath.”

“Yes. Are you going to the site?”

Lepen nodded. Fenicia nodded back and began checking the students’ safety.

After watching briefly, Lepen walked steadily into the forest.

The trees of Dellin’s Forest, once full of vitality, were now blackened, with embers still faintly burning.

Fallen branches crumbled at his touch. Lepen stopped and crouched down.

“This isn’t just scorching.”

There was no trace of life energy. Come to think of it, he couldn’t sense Dellin’s mana, which should have been strongly present by now.

Lepen stood up and looked around. Once certain no one was there, he spoke.

“What are you planning, Pride?”

“Hehehe.”

A low laugh echoed.

Ashes swirled, forming a vortex. Soon they took human shape and materialized.

“It’s been a while, Lepen. You never show up at regular meetings, so I had to come personally.”

He hissed like a snake, flicking his tongue.

His skin was excessively pale, his eyes sunken. He wore a white shirt with a black cloak and a fedora, looking extremely aristocratic.

“I told you to avoid the Academy.”

“Why should I? There’s nowhere the Donatus faction cannot go.”

“I’ve told you many times. It’s still premature. Especially in Dellin’s Forest.”

Pride, Bedro, frowned deeply.

“…Because there’s an entity here we shouldn’t disturb.”

“Yes. I’ve heard. A child comparable to our Seven Deadly Sins of Donatus.”

Bedro wore an obvious sneer.

“I came to prove that’s not the case.”

“…That pride will prove fatal to the Donatus faction.”

Bedro nodded as if acknowledging the point. He paced around, seemingly contemplating something.

Then he pulled out a skull-shaped staff hidden under his cloak and swung it.

“Urgh.”

Lepen collapsed in extreme pain.

“How insolent. Since when can a Donatus executioner dare to speak so boldly to one of the Seven Deadly Sins?”

Looking down at Lepen, who had fallen under the powerful gravitational force, Bedro stopped his magic as if granting a favor.

“Huff, huff.”

Lepen, his head damp with cold sweat despite the brief duration, barely managed to straighten himself.

“Even if that child is a great magician, they’re no match for the Seven Deadly Sins. Especially not against me, Pride Bedro. You’re underestimating the Seven Deadly Sins. That’s also disloyalty, so how will you atone for this sin?”

“…I’m not talking about the child.”

Lepen spoke with a trembling voice. He raised his head and glared intensely.

“Provoking the Windsor family is dangerous. We shouldn’t give them a reason to get involved.”

“Hmm? Strange. Isn’t this the year 1246? The Windsor family’s notoriety was only relevant 200 years ago.”

Bedro spoke dismissively.

“Should we fear the Windsor family, weakened by peace?”

“They may have weakened. But they’re still certainly the most powerful family in the empire. Why take an unnecessary risk?”

Bedro stroked his chin with interest.

“That’s an interesting perspective. However, you’re still insolent. Executioner, it’s good to show loyalty to the bishop, but know your limits. Do you think I came here on my own initiative?”

Lepen’s eyes trembled slightly.

“Are you saying the bishop ordered an attack on the Academy?”

“Ah, that reminds me, Lepen. You’re an executioner, so you don’t have this prophecy book. The prophecy states…”

Bedro’s eyes filled with madness. He whispered something to Lepen, whose hands began to tremble as he listened.

At that moment.

SWOOSH!

The sound of air being torn apart echoed. A blue light cut through the gray trees and struck Bedro directly.

BOOM!

A tremendous roar shook the ground. Bedro’s body flew far away.

In place of the flying Bedro appeared a blonde knight wearing silver plate mail.

She held a two-handed sword raised to the sky, then lowered her stance and brought the sword to her waist.

Blue flames flickered in her eyes. White smoke rose from her entire body, perhaps traces of acceleration.

“You, you are.”

Amelia spoke without even looking at Lepen.

“Step back. I’ll handle this from here.”

Lepen couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

‘Could she have heard our conversation?’

But she was still calmly staring in the direction where Bedro had been thrown.

Judging by her lack of wariness toward him, it seemed unlikely she had heard anything.

Lepen swallowed his confusion and lowered his voice.

“Let me help.”

“You’re not skilled at fighting while protecting someone.”

“No professor abandons Academy students.”

“Then do as you wish. But I won’t take responsibility for you.”

“How dare you…!”

Hearing a voice from far away, Amelia turned her front foot vertically. She infused her sword with an enormous amount of mana. The blue-burning mana enveloped the sword and soared high into the sky. Amelia raised her sword high.

“Hah!”

With a shout, she swung her sword horizontally. A slash extended in an unbelievable trajectory. What clearly began as a single line split into multiple branches.

‘At this rate, the Academy will be damaged!’

Lepen’s instinct warned him that this slash was dangerous. The mighty Windsor mana would extend endlessly.

“Ruide!!”

Amelia shouted loudly.

As if on cue, magic circles adorned the air. The slash ignored the magic circles and cut through, but its angle changed, heading toward a single point.

BOOM!

A few seconds later, an explosion was heard. Lepen’s eyes widened. To bend the path of a knight’s sword energy of this level?

The sword energy was a massive force. It might break, but it shouldn’t bend. What just happened was magically impossible.

Lepen couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Sis, you’re too fast.”

Lepen turned around.

Ruide was panting, leaning against a blackened tree. He looked exhausted.

But the charred tree was weak. Too weak to support even a small boy’s weight.

The tree crumbled, and Ruide lost his balance and fell to the ground. Some soot got on his face.

“R-Ruide. Are you okay?”

“…Yeah.”

‘Ruide Christopher. Could he really be this powerful?’

Lepen swallowed hard. He had heard of the genius child magician’s reputation, but seeing the magic he could seriously perform left him speechless.

They say you can know ten things by seeing one. Lepen was truly an excellent magician, and that’s why he realized from just this one spell that Ruide’s skills were beyond comprehension.

“He’s still alive, sis.”

“What a tenacious one. Ruide, I’m counting on you. But you know, right?”

Amelia said, pressing her sword against her left chest.

“Don’t interfere. What Ruide needs to do is—”

“Block any stray attacks to prevent damage. You’ve said it five times, Ame sis. I’m not stupid like you.”

Ruide complained. Amelia looked embarrassed briefly, then became serious again.

“Will you tell me his location?”

Ruide’s eyes turned blue like Amelia’s.

Soon, his small mouth opened.

“13.45 degrees, 910 yards. The tree to the right of Dellin’s Lake.”

As soon as Ruide finished speaking, Amelia kicked off the ground and moved instantly.

“L-let’s go together.”

Ruide stared helplessly in Amelia’s direction.

It was impossible to redirect Amelia’s slash while also using teleportation magic.

‘I’m dying of exhaustion. How am I supposed to go?’

Always sleeping, he couldn’t have good stamina. Getting here was already his limit. Ruide wanted to collapse and sleep, regardless of being the mastermind or whatever.

He resented Amelia for leaving him behind and running off. He thought he should definitely tell on her to their eldest sister.

‘I need to go… but if I leave this guy alone, there’ll be a lot of trouble… I should eliminate him now…’

Should he close his eyes and use teleportation magic?

But what if Justin, who was probably struggling with Skeleton Soldier #1008 by now, got hit by Amelia’s reckless slash?

Major accident!

In the end, he had no choice but to run, but he really didn’t want to.

At that moment, his eyes met with those of the second villain, Lepen Chaser.

Though a villain, he looked like a savior…!

He quickly approached and tugged at Lepen’s clothes.

“Take me to my sister.”