Magic Is Learned For Nothing [EN]: Chapter 166

# 167

“Amanda, who is that man?” Lord Signal asked, his voice laced with a tremor of fear.

Lord Signal was speechless, struggling to grasp the absurdity of the situation. How could things have spiraled so wildly out of control?

The mercenaries, initially hired to capture Dark Elves, were now embroiled in a chaotic free-for-all before suddenly surging into the castle like a rogue wave.

The castle gates were usually open, a testament to Signal’s perceived power.

The gates officially closed at 6 PM each evening.

At dawn, the inner castle gates would reopen. So, by all rights, the gates should be open now.

The number of soldiers guarding the gates was also far below usual.

Most of the privately hired soldiers had deserted in the wake of recent events. “Those bastards, just wait until I catch you,” Signal muttered under his breath.

The remaining soldiers barely numbered around fifty. That’s why the mercenaries were so crucial.

But now!

The mercenaries roared as they flooded through the castle gates.

“Capture Lord Signal!”

The declaration was utterly baffling.

Why capture *me*?

The few soldiers still guarding the gates were paralyzed by terror and scattered. The knights, loyal to Lord Signal, drew their swords and stood their ground, but they were hopelessly outnumbered and outmatched by the mercenaries with their crazed, bloodshot eyes.

The knights didn’t last long, falling quickly in a spray of blood.

The mercenaries tossed the fallen knights into the moat. They waved their swords above their heads, shouting, “Dondekman is watching us! Fight more bravely!”

Lord Signal, watching the unfolding chaos from the castle walls, turned to Insta. “Why are they doing this? What grudge do they have against me? Weren’t they supposed to be my men just a moment ago?”

“Well, that is…”

“Why is everything being done so poorly!”

“I apologize. It seems the cause is that man,” Insta said, pointing.

“Who?”

Knight Insta pointed to a fully armored warrior striding purposefully towards them.

As he pointed, his eyes met the armored warrior’s. Startled, Insta reflexively retracted his finger.

The man’s murderous intent was palpable.

*How many people did he have to kill to have such terrifying eyes?*

Even Insta, who had seen his fair share of battles, was shaken to his core.

“Shit, I almost pissed myself. What? What *is* that monster?”

Although Signal was arrogant, he wasn’t completely blind. He recognized that the armored warrior was no ordinary person.

“Listen to what the mercenaries are saying,” Signal ordered.

“What the mercenaries are saying?”

“Yes.”

Lord Signal suppressed his annoyance and strained to hear the mercenaries’ shouts.

Most of them were-

“For the Butcher of Death!”

“For Dondekman!”

The Butcher of Death, Dondekman. No noble in the kingdom could be ignorant of the kingdom’s Seven Great Warriors [seven of the most powerful warriors in the kingdom].

Among them, Drayzer and Dondekman were rumored to be the most ruthless. There were so many vile rumors about them that Lord Signal actively avoided any possibility of encountering them.

But the mercenaries were shouting Dondekman’s name.

“It seems the mercenaries have been subdued by the Butcher of Death, Dondekman, without us knowing.”

“In such a short time?”

“He didn’t earn the title of one of the kingdom’s Seven Great Warriors by playing tiddlywinks [a children’s game].”

“Okay, fine. But why are they after *me*?”

“I don’t know.”

“What *do* you know, you bastard!”

“All I know is… Dondekman is after your life, my lord.”

“I don’t even know him. Why is he after me?”

“Would you like to ask him yourself?”

Lord Signal trembled. He wasn’t about to risk his life to ask that.

He shook his head rapidly.

“Let’s go. We must leave the castle immediately. Escape and… request help from there.”

‘There’ meant the Stone Head Church branch [a religious organization].

The branch leader would be at least a 4th Circle mage or a 4-Star Black Knight [powerful magic and combat ranks]. Not only were they strong, but they were also in contact with the main church. Using a portal stone, they could summon elite followers here in an instant.

*If I can bring them here!*

Even Dondekman, with all his fame, wouldn’t be able to act recklessly.

Nodding, Lord Signal and Knight Insta quickly moved.

* * *

“We’ve got him!”

“Lord Dondekman, we found him first! My name is Abdul Jabbar. Please remember my name!”

“Although *he* found him, it was our Monday Chicken Mercenary Company that surrounded him. Please take that into consideration!”

Dozens of mercenaries surrounded Legion, their necks strained. Some were even spitting blood as they shouted, desperate for his attention.

*I really don’t understand.*

*Why are they shouting so loudly? Doesn’t their throat hurt?*

“Where is he?” Legion asked, his voice flat.

He referred to Lord Signal as ‘he.’ The target was a noble. As expected of Dondekman, who sweeps away opponents without regard for their status.

“Follow me.”

“No, let *me* guide you.”

The war mercenaries, who were quite well-known in this field, did their best to catch Legion’s eye. They bowed at a 90-degree angle, unable to meet Legion’s gaze, and led him to where Lord Signal was cornered.

Lord Signal was blocked on the stairs leading underground.

Hundreds of mercenaries blocked him from the front and back. Unless there was a secret passage in the wall, it was impossible for him and Insta to escape.

The knights, who had served the family since his father’s time, desperately tried to break through the wall of bodies, but there were simply too many mercenaries.

Lord Signal felt despair creeping in.

He couldn’t pinpoint where things had gone wrong. Thinking about it, things started to unravel when he went on the expedition to that damned Dark Elf village.

*If God would give him just one more chance, he would definitely sell the Dark Elves as slaves.*

*Even if he took a loss.*

“Is there a way out?” Lord Signal asked, his voice barely a whisper.

“I’m sorry,” Knight Insta said, sighing briefly. He was the only knight who knew that the lord was associated with the Stone Head Church. Of course, he had also converted to Stone Head.

They were very close, knowing each other’s secrets….

“You stupid bastard,” Signal hissed.

“I, I’m sorry.”

“If I die, you’re finished too. You know that, right? Do you think you can survive? Do you think the main church will leave you alone after losing me?”

“…….”

“If I die, you and your family will never survive.”

“I know.”

“But if I live and you die… you will become a martyr.”

“What do you mean?”

“I will take care of your family. I’ll make sure they live well.”

“…….”

“I will also write letters of recommendation so that both of your sons can enter the kingdom’s knight school.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Insta gritted his teeth. Lord Signal was telling him to clear the way at the cost of his life. There was a chance, however slim.

Just once.

He opened the capsule he had in his pocket.

It was a potent poison that Bishop Sunday, who had visited the territory sometime ago, had given him.

“This is a potent poison made from herbs from the Demon Realm. If you take it, you will die within ten minutes.”

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“It’s the last resort.”

“What do you mean by the last resort?”

“If a desperate situation arises, take this. Instead of just dying, you should drag your opponent to hell with you. This will allow you to condense the power of the rest of your life into ten minutes. For just ten minutes, you will have the strongest body you could never experience.”

Bishop Sunday had said that.

A thumb-sized pill that shone with a silent gray light.

It had a very fragrant scent. Just smelling the scent made his mind sharpen. It felt like every cell in his body was awakening.

“If I take this, run away. I will clear the way.”

After speaking, Insta swallowed the pill.

Just swallowing the pill-

“Kuaaaaaak! This is it! This is it!”

Veins burst in Insta’s eyes. Dark veins popped out on his arms, neck, and wrists. The mana he originally had was increasing like crazy. The mana converted into magical power, forcibly suppressing the surrounding energy.

“Kuaaaaaaak!”

Insta lightly swung his sword.

Kwajijijijijijik!

The castle wall shattered, and the five mercenaries blocking the front were sent flying without being able to defend properly.

“I’ll kill you all!”

No skill was needed.

Simply converting magical power into a blade was enough. Every time he swung his sword, a tremendous amount of blades shot out.

In an instant, dozens of mercenaries were hit by the blades and fell.

The floor was quickly stained with the blood of the dying mercenaries.

“Th, th, th, that’s Aura! That bastard is using Aura Blade! Everyone, dodge!”

Someone shouted.

As he said.

That guy was using Aura Blade, which only 5-Star Master or higher knights could use.

And it wasn’t just any Aura. It was crazy.

Red mist flowed from the sword. The mercenaries’ abilities could not block that energy at all.

Once he swung his sword-

Kwakwakwakwakwang!

Everything in front of him was completely destroyed.

It was an incredible power.

The encirclement that the mercenaries had locked like a padlock collapsed in an instant.

“Damn it, why are there so many stairs? I want to live in a place without stairs!”

Just in time, Legion appeared in front of Lord Signal and Knight Insta, who had taken the medicine made from herbs from the Demon Realm.

“Youuuuuu! Dondekman!” Insta roared, his eyes bloodshot, as he lunged at Legion.

Meanwhile, Lord Signal was slowly moving down the stairs where the formation had collapsed. His face showed a glimmer of hope, confident that he could still escape.

“Lord Dondekman, it’s dangerous! Step back! I will weaken that guy’s power. You should be the one to cut off his head!” Rice shouted, eager to impress.

“No, *we* will cut off his head! Lord Dondekman, just watch!” Abdul Jabbar also shouted, not to be outdone.

“Shut up,” Legion said, frowning.

Those guys were shouting so loudly that his ears were hurting. Legion’s honest feeling was that he just wanted them to shut up.

Fortunately, they listened to him very well.

“H, however…”

“Stand back.”

“O, he is using Aura Blade. I am very afraid that your body will be harmed. It would be better to use a war of attrition….”

“Enough. Please stand back,” Legion said, choosing the phrase ‘please’ in the tone of Sergeant Kim, who had returned from hell [a reference to a strict military figure].

From the mercenaries’ point of view, it didn’t sound like ‘please.’

It sounded like, ‘Stand back unless you want to die. Just watch my skills.’

*Of course, we’re crazy.*

*To doubt the skills of one of the kingdom’s Seven Great Warriors.*

“I, I’m sorry,” the mercenaries stammered, stepping back. They looked at Legion with wide, sparkling eyes. He was even scarier from behind. It was truly an enormous murderous aura.

But the opponent using Aura Blade was also formidable.

*How on earth is Lord Dondekman going to deal with such a powerful opponent?*

Their question was soon answered.

“Kuaaaaaak! I’ll kill you!” Insta, with his eyes rolled back in his head, gathered his life’s magical power and lunged at Legion-

Legion grabbed the iron sword with both hands and swung it.

“One-Hit Kill!”

The option skill attached to the iron sword was activated. [a special ability of the sword]