The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 252

Explosions erupted in quick succession.

Despite the unexpected attack, we weren’t flustered at all.

‘Hmm. I was a bit worried since they said he was smart… but he’s more foolish than I thought.’

It’s true that I was surprised.

It was an unexpected attack, after all.

But that was it.

I was just a little surprised.

There was no sign of panic or agitation.

There was no reason to be agitated in the first place.

This situation wasn’t disadvantageous for us at all.

‘To think they’d make the foolish choice of jumping into the tiger’s den themselves.’

Sein-nim scoffed and held out his hand to Stella.

Stella quickly ran over and handed him the sword she was holding.

Sein-nim drew the sword and slowly walked out the door.

Step, step.

Slowly. But not sluggishly.

A sovereign’s gait that made the word ‘absolute being’ come to mind.

‘Their goal is likely reconnaissance. Hunting dog, pull your guys back.’

‘I already told them. Except for him, they’ve all run far away.’

He grinned, pointing to the mercenary who had announced the ‘attack’ at the same time as the explosion.

‘……Indeed. Your judgment is quick, and your work is efficient. I like you more and more.’

Sein-nim also smiled faintly.

‘But from what I’ve heard, there are at least 20 of them. Can you handle it alone? Ha… Ahem. Should we take Luan with you?’

I was horrified.

Did I almost say ‘Ha-yul’ just now?

‘I don’t need it.’

Sein-nim smiled confidently.

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to notice the ‘Ha…’ from before.

‘Watch comfortably. It’ll be over soon.’

With that, Sein-nim opened the mansion door and stepped outside.

And at the same time.

Ooh!

A chilling sensation ran down my spine.

Suddenly, Sein-nim’s sword sliced through my neck.

‘……What was that feeling just now?’

Of course, I wasn’t actually cut.

It was just an illusion created by the mana and killing intent that Sein-nim was emitting.

‘Wow.’

Charles, the captain, whistled and touched his neck, as if impressed.

It seemed he had seen the same illusion as me.

‘That killing intent is amazing.’

I let out a hollow laugh, looking dumbfounded.

‘But isn’t it too much? With that level of killing intent, they’d just run away.’

I frowned, looking at the attackers who were frozen outside the door.

Eyes consumed by fear.

Lips and eyelids trembling.

‘They’ll definitely run away.’

It was certain.

At least 18 of the 20 attackers would run away.

For the record, the remaining two were excluded because they couldn’t run even if they wanted to. They had already lost strength in their bodies and were sitting on the ground.

‘Luan, go and stop the ones who are fleeing…’

Just as Captain Charles was about to tell me to go and help.

‘You don’t have to worry.’

Stella cut off Captain Charles’ words.

Her eyes were filled with undisguised pride and admiration, shining like stars.

Perhaps because of that.

Although she was putting on a cold expression and a cold attitude, she didn’t look so cold.

‘All the attackers are within my mother’s attack range. It’s impossible for them to escape.’

‘All 20 of them are within range? The guy standing at the very end is at least 20 meters away, just by looking at him?’

The weakness of a sword is its range.

No matter how skilled a swordsman is, they can’t attack an enemy far away.

Unless they throw the sword, it’s impossible to attack an enemy 20 meters away.

‘You’ll see.’

As Stella said that.

Kugung!

Sein-nim’s mana became even heavier.

A heavy and solid mana, wrapped in a tingling killing intent like an overcoat.

The moment I felt that mana pressuring my body.

Swoosh….

The killing intent and mana vanished at the same time.

As if they had never existed, they completely disappeared.

‘What is it?’

Something that had clearly existed, completely disappeared in less than 0.1 seconds.

My head was going blank from the incomprehensible phenomenon.

‘……Are they all dead?’

Beyond Sein-nim’s back, I saw the attackers lying on the ground outside the door.

Their upper and lower bodies were cut off, rolling on the ground.

‘When? How…’

I didn’t even see him swing his sword.

How on earth did he wipe them all out?

I couldn’t imagine it.

It was beyond my common sense.

‘Stella.’

Sein-nim turned around and walked towards us.

‘I’ve left two alive. Go and stop the bleeding, then tie them up.’

‘Yes.’

Stella walked past Sein-nim and out the door.

Sein-nim stood in front of me.

Then he grinned, as if amused.

‘Why are you so surprised?’

‘What… did you do?’

‘What did I do?’

Sein-nim stared intently at the sword he was holding, then swung it down with a whoosh!

Kuuuuuung-!

It was just a simple slash, but the wind swirled.

Was it because it was a sword strike imbued with mana?

It was a different level of sword strike than when we sparred before.

‘What else can a swordsman do? I just held my sword and swung it.’

Held a sword and swung it?

My mouth slowly opened.

‘So, in that instant… in that instant when the killing intent and mana momentarily over-expanded… you released a sword aura and cut down all the attackers?’

‘Hmm. You felt that moment of expansion. As expected of Luan. Your future is frightening.’

He didn’t deny it.

That meant what I said was correct.

‘Who was the one who said swordsmen were declining… What the hell is that…’

Captain Charles laughed, looking dumbfounded.

‘Captain.’

I called out to Captain Charles in a very small voice.

‘Why?’

‘If you were to fight Sein-nim, do you think you could win?’

Captain Charles scoffed.

He had a look that said, ‘Why are you asking something so obvious?’

‘Win? I didn’t even see the sword…’

Captain Charles looked at Sein-nim with a strange expression.

As if he had felt Captain Charles’s complex feelings through his gaze, Sein-nim’s laughter grew louder.

* * *

After that.

Captain Charles and I returned to our rooms first.

Sein-nim had instructed us to go up and rest while Stella and the servants took care of the scene.

‘But you. There’s a rumor that you fought that monster on equal terms. Is it true?’

As soon as we arrived in the room, Captain Charles sat on the bed and asked.

‘It’s true that we fought on equal terms.’

‘It’s true?’

Captain Charles looked at me with eyes as if he was looking at a monster.

He had an expression that said he couldn’t believe it.

‘Of course, it wasn’t equal terms because we fought with all our strength.’

‘If it wasn’t with all your strength? Did he hold back?’

‘Should I say he held back? The previous sparring match was a penalty match. It was a sparring match where we didn’t use mana.’

‘It was a battle using only physical abilities?’

‘Yes.’

Captain Charles stroked his chin.

He had an expression that said he roughly understood.

‘So, you’re saying that you were on equal terms in a sparring match that excluded mana and only used physical abilities.’

‘Yes.’

‘Hmm. Then it makes sense. Even a skilled swordsman would have limits with only physical abilities. With your physical abilities, you might be able to compete.’

Captain Charles let out another hollow laugh.

He seemed to be admiring the scene of Sein-nim swinging his sword just now.

‘Anyway. There was a reason why Madam told me to act politely no matter what. I understand now.’

‘Did Sophia-nim say that?’

‘Yeah. She told me to be polite to Sein Vinoche no matter what. She said that if I didn’t, I could die. She kept telling me that…’

‘So that’s why that awkward honorific was born.’

‘……Was it that awkward?’

‘Yes. Very much so.’

There was no way it wouldn’t be awkward when I was doing something I didn’t usually do.

‘Tsk. I practiced all the way on the plane.’

Captain Charles frowned and grumbled. He clearly had an expression that said he had practiced for nothing.

‘But thanks to that awkward honorific, your first impression was good, right? Then it’s fine.’

‘I guess so.’

He added that it was also true and chuckled.

‘But your face. It’s too awkward. Can’t you change it back to your original face for a moment?’

‘Face change consumes too much mental power. I don’t want to waste it on something I’ll have to change back soon.’

The magic to change faces consumes a considerable amount of mental power.

Once you use it, you’ll be completely drained of mental power.

There’s no reason to undo such magic.

Since it’s a magic that lasts semi-permanently once it’s cast, there’s no reason to undo it.

‘……Hmm. Is that so?’

Captain Charles glared at me with a very dissatisfied expression.

I roughly knew what he was thinking.

‘You’re thinking that it’s not very exciting to nag at me with this face, and that you should nag at me properly when I have my original face, right?’

Twitch.

Captain Charles’s shoulder trembled.

It was the reaction of someone who had been caught off guard.

‘You perceptive bastard…’

Captain Charles clicked his tongue.

He had an expression that said he was upset that I had read his mind.

‘Yeah, that’s right, you brat. When we go back to Korea, you’re in for it. I’ll nag at you properly, with interest, for not contacting me.’

‘Can’t you let it go? It’s not like I didn’t contact you because I didn’t want to.’

‘Nope. I’m going to tear you apart.’

Captain Charles smiled sweetly.

It was a smile that felt sincere.

I had a feeling I would be tormented for a while when I returned.

I should prepare myself mentally in advance.

‘Well, let’s put that aside. What the hell happened?’

Captain Charles made eye contact with me with a serious expression.

‘I roughly explained the situation, didn’t I?’

‘That was rough. Explain the details. What did you do here to run into a Black Magic Tower executive?’

‘Hmm…’

I slowly began to explain what I had experienced.

How I accidentally found out about the research lab.

How I infiltrated the research lab.

And how I fought the Doctor during the infiltration.

Finally, how I stole the item I was looking for.

I explained everything in detail.

‘And this is the item I was looking for.’

I finally took out Ignis’s medium and showed it to him.

‘An artifact? No, the mana isn’t at the level of an artifact. What is this?’

‘Would it be easier to understand if I said it’s a divine object deeply related to my magic?’

Captain Charles muttered ‘a divine object…’ and made a puzzled expression.

‘So it’s a divine artifact that was created in the era of Ray Bell Vaitener. Can I touch it?’

‘No. It’s dangerous.’

‘Really? It doesn’t look particularly dangerous.’

‘It’s only calm now because it’s synchronized with me. If someone else touches it, it’s highly likely to go berserk again.’

‘This thing goes berserk?’

Captain Charles trembled slightly.

It seemed he had gotten goosebumps just from imagining it going berserk.

‘Ugh. Put that ominous thing away quickly.’

‘Yes.’

I put Ignis’s medium back into Aes.

‘Anyway, you stole that divine object and became a target of the Doctor. That’s the situation, right?’

‘Yes.’

‘Even if you try to run away, it’s difficult because of that Hermes guy.’

‘That’s right.’

‘But even if it’s difficult, can’t you go back since you have a fake identity? Aes will prevent the medium from being detected.’

‘That’s true, but…’

That wouldn’t do.

In order to obtain information about the black magic that the Doctor uses, I absolutely had to fight the Doctor now.

‘Ah. I see. If you run away from here now, the Vinoche family will be targeted.’

I was wondering how to explain my current situation.

Fortunately, he came to a conclusion on his own.

‘That’s also true.’

If I disappeared now, the Vinoche family would bear the brunt of the damage.

That wouldn’t do.

I had to keep my duty as a human being.

Even if I was going to leave, I had to clean up the mess I had made.

‘So, the way to safely resolve this situation is to defeat the Doctor, and for the person named Luan to leave France, thus ensuring the safety of the Vinoche family. Is that it?’

‘Yes.’

‘Okay. I understand the situation.’

Captain Charles smiled faintly with an expression that said he understood 100%.

‘Then, what’s the execution date? As planned, early this morning?’

‘Yes.’

‘They did something unexpected. Shouldn’t we review the plan?’

‘It’s okay. There’s no need to review it.’

‘……Why?’

‘Because he’s arrived.’

‘What are you talking about all of a sudden? Who arrived?’

Captain Charles tilted his head with an expression that said he couldn’t understand the meaning.

‘Who else…’

I glanced at the shadow in the corner of the room.

A shadow that exuded a darker light than the other shadows.

I stared intently at it, in silence.

‘The fox isn’t here today either. How did he notice?’

The shadow soon took the form of a person.

‘Wow, geez! You scared me!’

Captain Charles was startled and shouted at the sight of Shadow, who had appeared from behind.

‘When did you get here?’

‘I’ve been here for 10 minutes.’

‘……10 minutes ago means you’ve been here since I started talking about the current situation?’

‘Yes.’

Captain Charles frowned and glared at Shadow.

He seemed to be upset that he hadn’t noticed him at all, even though he had been in the same room for 10 minutes.

‘Do you know why I said there was no need to review the plan?’

‘If there was a need to review the plan, that dark guy would have stepped in and stopped us?’

‘Yes.’

‘……That makes sense.’

Captain Charles looked away from me and looked at Shadow again.

‘What do you think? Is he right? Is there no need to review the plan?’

‘Yes. There’s no need.’

Shadow slowly opened his mouth.

‘Currently, the Doctor is at the research lab. Tomorrow at dawn. If you’re going to attack, that’s the right time.’