Chapter 54: Branch – 3

Chapter 54: Branch – 3

“…Everyone, gathered?”

“”Yes.””

Night had fallen on the Duke’s mansion.

The servants were busy dealing with the aftermath of the sudden guest’s invitation, and the guards were also relying on the Imperial Guard, the strongest force available.

…Unfortunately, the Imperial Guard they trusted so much were the very ones who smiled and opened the gates to those aiming for the necks of the masters they were supposed to protect.

“The elite forces will all go to restrain the young lady. Even with a surprise attack, the chances of defeating the young lady are slim, so hold out until the signal flare is fired.”

“Understood.”

“And the rest of us, including myself, will go to the top floor of the mansion where the Duke is. It would be good to take care of that ‘guest’ fellow while we’re at it, but… our top priority is the Duke.”

“”Yes.””

All actions were planned in advance.

Thus, the attackers quickly moved to their positions after their Commander’s very brief briefing.

Naturally, after activating the magic tools that blocked all sound.

The guards who would have prevented intrusion had all moved, deceived by the Imperial Guard’s false statement that they had discovered suspicious movements.

Furthermore, the mansion’s servants, naturally, were not skilled enough in combat to notice the attackers’ stealth.

If they were servants from the Duke’s usual territory, it would be a different story, but…… this was the mansion in the capital.

There was no way the Duke’s family, who trusted the Imperial Family, could stop an attack that the Imperial Family itself supported by sending even the Imperial Guard.

Therefore, the attackers were able to easily reach the top floor of the mansion.

All that remained was to open the door to the Duke’s room and kill him.

The Duke’s own combat prowess, at best, was slightly above that of an intermediate knight.

Even he could not defeat four assassins, each capable of easily assassinating a regular knight, and their Commander.

Of course, they weren’t wearing most of their high-level defensive gear that would hinder their movement, in order to launch the attack as quickly as possible…

But the Duke wasn’t such a formidable opponent that he could only be defeated if they wore such gear.

Thus, both the plan and its execution flowed perfectly.

All that remained for the attackers, who had arrived at the top floor with all sounds blocked, was to open the door to the Duke’s room and kill him.

……Surely, that should have been the case.

Clang!

Until a clear sound came from somewhere, and a chilling mist of ice spread, momentarily obscuring their vision.

***

“…Who are you?”

It should have been a perfect attack.

The biggest variable, the young lady, was probably engaging the elite attackers in her room by now, and there was no way the Duke would have used such magic.

The Duke had no talent for magic, to begin with.

Then, who on earth…?

“Well. Do I really need to say? Let’s just say I’m the Duke’s hidden bodyguard?”

“That’s nonsense…!”

“Anyway… no matter who I am, you’re going to fight me, aren’t you? I have no intention of backing down, and neither do you.”

Visibility dropped due to the sudden emergence of the ice mist, and because of that, the opponent was invisible.

The voice itself was that of a delicate girl, but if that girl was a magic user, things had gotten quite serious.

The armor they were currently wearing could block physical attacks, but had no defensive capabilities against magic attacks.

Since neither the Duke nor the young lady used magic, they had lightened their gear for the sake of attack speed… but if the opponent was a magic user, things would get complicated.

“…Commander-nim. What are your orders?”

“First, clear this mist. Anyway, if she’s a magic user, we’ll have an overwhelming advantage in close combat.”

They didn’t know for sure, but the magic that magic user girl had just used was by no means high-grade.

At most, low-grade magic? 

Even if it could buy a little time… there wasn’t much a magic user without a bodyguard could do.

And, it wasn’t as if they didn’t have a magic user on their side either.

Surely, with five people, they wouldn’t have failed to include a magic user.

“Ha. I don’t know who it is, but I don’t know what they’re trying to do with such trivial low-grade magic.”

“…Shut up and clear this mist quickly.”

“……Understood.”

But… at the same time, with another shattering sound, the surroundings instantly brightened.

The next moment, the magic user who had been sneering just moments before was covered in soot on his clothes.

…In addition, his face and hands were severely burned, and loud screams were erupting from his mouth, but that wasn’t the important fact.

What was important was that the person who created this mist would continue to attack them.

“Everyone. Stay alert and engage.”

Of course, their plan wouldn’t be derailed by just one girl.

What could a lone magic user do on the battlefield, anyway?

It was just…… that an incredibly annoying situation had arisen.

***

The top floor of the mansion, thick with mist.

Within it, four assassins and one magic user were on alert.

The magic user seemed to have been hit by something, his face and hands burned, but the assassins didn’t pay it any mind.

After all, the magic user’s role was merely to neutralize any magical barriers or tools that might exist, and he was faithfully fulfilling that role even now, cursing in pain.

And… the moment the magic user completely fulfilled his role, all the mist instantly vanished.

The mist that, though not very threatening alone, constantly emitted cold air and reduced visibility.

…In the place where the mist cleared, there was a girl.

……With several glowing glass bottles floating beside her.

“…You came out faster than I thought?”

And, with that remark and a single flick of her hand, all the glass bottles shot towards the assassins.

Some were thrown by the girl herself, and some were thrown on their own.

…It was a very shabby and seemingly insignificant attack.

Therefore, the assassins sneered, breaking the glass bottles with their respective weapons, or simply letting them fall to the floor.

……Unaware of the hell that would unfold the next moment.

“……! Idiots! Dodge!”

Despite the Commander’s urgent shout, what the assassins saw the next moment were fireballs relentlessly pursuing their fleeing comrades, burning them,

And streaks of lightning that, after burning them, were chaining to their comrades standing nearby.

Their power wasn’t incredibly strong, but… it wasn’t an impact to be ignored either.

The bigger problem was……

“Do you like it? There’s still… a lot left.”

Even at this moment, it was that girl, summoning those mysterious glass bottles and throwing them at the assassins.

If they approached? They’d get hit by a glass bottle, and their bodies would be scorched by the lightning streaks that burst out.

Their comrades following behind would get scorched as a bonus.

If they kept their distance and waited for an opportunity? They’d still get hit by a glass bottle, and get roasted by the fireballs that burst out.

No matter how much they dodged, if it was within the girl’s sight, the fireballs would pursue the assassins to the very end.

The magic user brought to neutralize magic?

Far from neutralizing the girl’s magic, he was scrambling to avoid the glass bottles the girl was throwing.

If a magic user who hadn’t undergone physical training was hit by those glass bottles, before simply being magically scorched or roasted, at least one bone would break first.

……Since the sound of something exploding from glass bottles that missed their target and fell to the floor could be heard, this was a fact that could be easily surmised.

However… the assassins, despite this, continued to look for an opening in the girl, distracting her gaze and slowly seeking an opportunity.

……After a while, as the magic users were being scorched and roasted by the girl’s magic, the girl noticed something unusual.

That while the other assassins were struggling with the girl’s magic, their Commander had disappeared.

And… that their Commander, unlike the assassins being scorched and roasted over there, hadn’t suffered significant damage from her magic, to begin with.

“The game has gone on too long. You little rat.”

Saying that, a sword strike slashed towards the girl’s neck.

At the Commander’s chilling voice, the assassins smiled, and everything seemed to be over.

The girl’s appearance, revealed as the mist cleared, was one that truly suited the word ‘fragile.’

……Although her magic was quite stinging, her body surely couldn’t be.

However… the next moment, an incomprehensible sight unfolded.

The Commander’s sword strike, clearly aimed at the girl’s neck.

That sword strike was blocked. 

The assassins and magic user accompanying him here were not exceptionally skilled, but their Commander was different.

He was an individual with skill equivalent to those called the elite among the forces hastily gathered for the Duke’s attack, who were currently facing the young lady.

According to the original plan, while he easily restrained the Duke, the assassins would inflict injuries on the Duke, and the magic user would block any potential magic tools.

To that extent, the assassins’ Commander himself was evaluated as having combat prowess comparable to a high-ranking knight.

But… such a person’s sword strike was not dodged, but blocked head-on.

By a seemingly fragile girl who appeared to be a magic user, and with her bare hands at that.

Since she hastily blocked the sword with her bare hands, the blade dug into her hand and blood flowed, but… the girl clearly blocked his sword strike.

“…You, what are you?”

However, instead of answering the question, the girl chuckled softly.

…The next moment, another color of glass bottle was in her hand, and that glass bottle was aimed directly at the man’s face.

Thwack!

With a very dull sound, the glass bottle struck the man’s head, and the ice mist seen at the beginning spread out.

At the same time, the man’s head snapped back, and… for an instant, the man’s balance was broken, and the sword he was holding wavered.

The girl didn’t miss the opportunity and hid herself in the mist, and the man, with his face and sword freezing, had no choice but to retreat out of the mist.

…Soon, seeing the girl reappear in the space on top of a pillar in the center of the top floor, the man let out a hollow laugh.

The top floor, structurally supported by three pillars, and the girl standing on one of those pillars.

It was a nimble movement, more like an assassin than the assassins present here.

……It was a movement very far removed from what a magic user would display.

“…All you small fry, get out. You’re just being noisy.”

“B-but…”

“Shut up. Get out.”

At those words, the assassins and magic users hastily fled.

The girl did not bother to attack them.

……Because she knew that just the one man glaring at her now would be enough to make her struggle.

“Alright, good. Now that all the nuisances are gone…”

The man who said that…

“Let’s really get started.”

Had somehow followed the girl to the space on the pillar she had climbed onto, and was standing behind her.

The next moment, with a flash, a sword slashed towards the girl…

On the narrow space of the pillar, there was nowhere to escape……