Chapter 111

In case of an unforeseen attack, Fernan’s preparations were not limited to Professor Rosalia, nor to the Red Turtle, nor to the holy water.

Wooden.

The ego golem, into which he had embedded the pinnacle of the Pellenberg Family’s technique, was the ultimate weapon Fernan had conceived as his final card.

— Kyu.

It was not just a weapon of brute destruction.

The sensitivity and detection capabilities of spirits were much sharper than those of humans, and Wooden, strengthened as a golem, was even more so.

Thanks to that, he had managed to locate the hidden corrupt and drag him into the terrain he desired.

With Wooden’s sword bathed in holy water and aura, he split him in two, soaked him completely, and finally incinerated every trace of him.

Not having captured him alive was somewhat regrettable, but once Wooden entered action, the best course was to reduce the target to ashes immediately.

Besides, Rosalia would take care of capturing another if necessary.

“Well done.”

— Kyuu kyuu!

Fernan patted Wooden’s head, now reduced once again to his small size. His eyes curved like crescent moons, satisfied after having grown to his real size for the first time in a while.

“But next time don’t absorb so much mana. My mana heart is empty.”

Forging an aura blade in such a huge sword required a tremendous consumption of mana, and the source of that power was none other than Fernan himself, his contractor.

— Kyuu.

“Yes, yes. I was the one who gave you that sword, so who am I to complain.”

The exhaustion made him consider drinking a mana potion, but he dismissed the thought immediately.

There didn’t seem to be any immediate enemies, so it wasn’t worth wasting resources.

“Let’s see…”

He carefully peeked out from the crack. The outside had nothing to do with the underground calm—it was a snowy mountain landscape.

Snow covered everything and a white storm battered violently.

Fernan pulled his head back in, shivering.

“Better to stay here for a while.”

— Kyuu!

He sat down in front of the wagon, lit a fire, boiled water, and made coffee.

— Kyuu?

“Too calm? This won’t be over soon, and it’s not the time to rush in recklessly.”

In a fight where Rosalia was unleashing her full power, Fernan had barely any room to intervene. There was still a big difference between the two.

‘And it’s not like we lack a contingency plan.’

He had confirmed that the monsters had been eliminated, but didn’t call the Red Turtle.

As agreed, they would remain hidden in the snow, ready to intervene only in case of emergency.

If Rosalia was in danger, they would rush to help her.

If the corrupt tried to escape, they would block the path.

And if Rosalia successfully defeated him, they would simply return as spectators.

‘The best outcome is for emergency plans to never be used.’

— Kyu, kyu kyu!

“Bring the others too? No. They have their own tasks.”

— Kyuu!

“Cruel? Where did you learn that word?”

Fernan let out a laugh.

“Listen closely, Wooden. Humanity is divided in two—those who pay and those who collect.”

— Kyu?

“They’re getting a fortune for this job. They don’t deserve sympathy.”

In the end, it was Pellenberg’s money. And sooner or later, Fernan and Pellenberg would become one.

Slurp—

Above, the wind swept the snow relentlessly.

Maybe it was the landscape, but the coffee tasted especially good that day.

“Here, try this.”

— Kyuuu!

Wooden hugged the World Tree bark chocolate bar Fernan gave him tightly.

He couldn’t eat it, but absorbed the faint spiritual energy contained in it.

‘Mixing World Tree branches into the core was a good idea.’

Wooden loved that forest energy, and Fernan had discovered by accident that it made him grow.

The first time was when Wooden secretly devoured a box of chocolates Fernan had prepared for Luina.

‘The drained chocolate turned into bland, flavorless sugar.’

But since Wooden had strengthened his energy, Fernan hadn’t scolded him. Since then, he would toss him one from time to time.

‘If I ever left him in front of the World Tree to absorb everything—what would happen?’

Impossible, of course. But the idea made him smile.

He patted Wooden’s head, who trembled with joy while absorbing the energy.

— Kyuu!

His whole body quivered with delight.

***

“Captain.”

“Wait.”

Harten sank into the sudden snowstorm, concealing his presence.

The extreme cold couldn’t penetrate the thermal artifact vest Fernan had given to all members for this situation.

“There are only two cases in which we must intervene—if Professor Rosalia is in danger or if the corrupt tries to escape. Before that, the young master ordered us not to move under any circumstances.”

“Yes, sir.”

“As expected, a mage referred to as the next Archmage is something else.”

“No doubt.”

The knights of the Red Turtle couldn’t help but admire what they saw.

───!

A transparent ice wall blocked the cursed energy and collapsed onto the corrupt.

When he forced his way through it, a white light struck him head-on.

The corrupt, half frozen, barely survived. But immediately after, hundreds of ice spears rushed at him.

Merging his body with the shadows, he saved himself for a moment, but as soon as he stepped on the snow, he slipped.

The snowy treetops merged to swallow him whole.

The destructive power was impressive, yes, but the most surprising thing was the perfect fluidity of the combinations.

There were no gaps between spells, and each magic chained into the next, using the environment to the fullest to corner the enemy.

“Asen, how do you assess this corrupt?”

“I couldn’t beat him. And you, Captain?”

“If I fight well, we’re even. If not, I’d lose.”

“That much?”

“He’s strong.”

But that didn’t discourage him.

Everyone knew the value of the research object—the Mana Stone Core. That the corrupt coveted it only meant enemies of this level would come for it.

It wasn’t a lack of will; it simply wasn’t the right time. He trusted that one day he would surpass them.

“Split into two groups, surround and secure the rear. Without being detected.”

“Yes, sir.”

Harten led half his men in a careful flanking route.

Meanwhile, the battle reached its climax.

“Ugh, this isn’t easy…!”

The hooded man repelled the ice shards aimed at his chest, retreating.

“Damn…!”

An ice wall appeared behind him without him noticing.

He paused for an instant—just enough for a blue lightning bolt to strike him directly.

───!

When the white mist cleared, he was no longer there. Rosalia had used a Blink.

A moment later, the enemy’s dark aura sliced the air.

“How…?”

“Pathetic.”

Rosalia wasn’t the type to explain her secrets mid-battle, nor did she intend to.

In combat, the fewer words, the better. Long speeches were reserved for when the enemy was half dead.

Tap—

She struck the ground with her staff, and the ice beneath the hooded man turned into dozens of spikes that launched him into the air.

With a perfect target before her, Rosalia didn’t waste the opportunity.

First, she cast hundreds of ice spears, and while reciting the spell, formed a hand seal.

Above the hooded man’s head, a colossal magic circle began to form—impossible to measure at a glance.

While repelling the spears with his cursed energy, the hooded man frowned, disturbed by the chilling aura emanating.

“This is dangerous…!”

Suddenly, he vanished. It wasn’t magic or a special technique—he simply stomped the air with overwhelming force and shot off like an arrow.

─!

The ground where Rosalia had stood split into a huge crack, scattering rocks in every direction.

“There you are!”

─!

─!

The hooded man fired his energy at the spot she had Blinked to.

Rosalia dodged at times, and at others, raised walls and barriers to resist.

And still, her spells and formulas were uninterrupted.

The magic circle was finally complete.

“T-this is impossible…!”

An enormous magical power stirred.

The spell manifested.

The world turned blue and swallowed the hooded man’s scream.

When the beams of light completely vanished, the man was still there, his entire body frozen except for the head. His face was pale, and no trace of demonic magic remained.

“…His head is intact?”

Could it be his trump card?

Rosalia slowly approached.

“This doesn’t compensate…”

“If what you have in your head isn’t worth my effort, so be it.”

“No, I don’t mean that. You know? I’m actually just a decoy.”

The hooded man let out a laugh.

“A decoy?”

Rosalia floated the polished ice like mirrors around her.

In them, the wagon didn’t appear. Only the traces of a fierce battle remained.

“My target from the start was you. To stall, to buy time. Honestly, I thought I could beat you, but after facing you, I understood. Rosalia Vienderk, you’re a monster. Now I get why everyone says you’ll be the next Archmage.”

“I don’t know your name, but you know mine.”

“Want to know who I am?”

“Not particularly.”

There was no reason or need to know the name of a corpse.

The hooded man, with only his head intact, gave her a crooked smile.

“Corpse? I’m alive. How inconsiderate. Doesn’t your heart tremble? Your research was already stolen. The missing wagon and Fernan Pellenberg confirm it.”

“I usually don’t chat with enemies. I only make exceptions if I capture them.”

“Well said. I can’t move.”

“Then let’s clear up your mistake.”

Rosalia struck the hooded man’s head with her staff. The cold intensified, fed by her magical aura.

“Fernan Pellenberg is a ruthless man. He never allows what’s his to be taken. He’ll do whatever it takes, regardless of method.”

“What are you implying?”

“That you’re not a decoy, but the fish swallowed by the hook.”

“You’re too trusting. Do you really think Fernan can stop it?”

“I already said it. Fernan never loses what’s his. And if something is taken, he always gets something greater in return. But he’d never negotiate with repulsive beings like you. There’s only one possible outcome.”

Six years. No less than six years.

“Fernan was my first sponsor, and the money invested was enormous. My research was always a bottomless pit.”

And now they expected him to hand over to those bastards what he salvaged after all the disaster caused by the inquisitors?

“Wake up, idiots. That will never…”

Rosalia’s eyes widened. Blood began pouring from the hooded man’s mouth.

“Hehehe… soon we’ll see who was right. But I’m not staying here.”

Crunch, crunch—

The man’s eyes turned bloodshot.

His body twisted grotesquely, growing to twice its size, while black magic exploded like a dark tide.

The ice that had imprisoned him shattered, and black vapor emerged from his mouth.

“…Ah, this is killing me. A beer would be perfect.”

Caressing his swollen muscles and bulging veins, he turned and fled without hesitation.

“Stop right there!”

Rosalia’s magic exploded on his back.

“Stop him!”

“Step aside if you don’t want to die!”

The knights of the Red Turtle, already prepared, drew their swords. The monster rammed into them, blocking strikes with his body and trampling through without stopping.

He ran in a straight line with brutal, nearly suicidal speed.

“…His legs.”

It wasn’t a wound from magic or aura.

It was his muscles, torn from overexertion, ripping apart in real time.

Even so, he didn’t stop. The dark magic forced him to keep going.

It was impossible to catch him.

“…The fool was me.”

She thought him a fish in the net and talked too much.

She usually didn’t, but the rage over ruining her research and frustrating her presentation blinded her.

She hadn’t anticipated that he’d use his very life as fuel to escape.

“…I made a mistake.”

“Professor, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. What about the other knights?”

“There are injuries, but nothing serious. The enemy just wanted to flee.”

“He deceived us. By the way, where is Fernan?”

“The young master is beneath the crevice. Don’t worry—the research is safe.”

“The crevice?”

Rosalia descended with firm steps.

And there she found him.

“…What are you doing?”

Fernan, sitting in front of a campfire, was calmly drinking a cup of coffee.

“Having coffee.”

“I hope you don’t think I’m asking because I don’t know.”

“Regaining strength. It might not look like it, but I had my own battle too.”

The signs of a skirmish around confirmed it.

Rosalia couldn’t find a response. She just let out an ironic laugh and sat beside him, extending her hand.

“What’s that?”

“Cigarette.”

“I already gave you one.”

“I don’t have mana to open the subspace. You always stock plenty.”

“Very well, distinguished client. One piece, a hundred gold.”

“Robbery.”

“The market depends on supply and demand.”

Fernan smiled as he pulled out the pack from his subspace. Rosalia narrowed her eyes.

“…If you really fought, how do you have mana to open the subspace?”

“Some things are best overlooked. I’ll let you have it for ten to one.”

He handed her the cigarette, ignited a flame with his fingers, and lit it.

Ssshh—

Rosalia inhaled. The magical stimulant filled her lungs, clearing her mind.

“…Better.”

The magical stone combination was intact.

At least, the story that corrupt tried to spin hadn’t proven true.

“You’ve worked hard. Come close and have something.”

“Thank you, young master.”

The knights gathered and shared a break. Ten minutes of calm.

“By the way… the corrupt escaped us.”

“…Pardon? But we killed him right here.”

“He ran so fast it was unstoppable. If someone had left the coffee and helped, the story might be different.”

“……”

Until the snowstorm fully cleared.