Overwhelming Firepower

In a different part of Caelhart, while everyone was distracted by the monsters, someone was heading to the port area to steal an airship.

This person was none other than Zehn. He did not know how long the monsters could distract the warriors stationed in Caelhart, so he needed to act fast.

There were not many people guarding the airship port, as most of them were helping the citizens to a safe place. Zehn easily bypassed the remaining security and finally saw an airship up close.

”Truly unexpected. Who would think a kingdom of warriors would produce such things? How remarkable.”

”Well, your work is also quite interesting.”

The second Zehn heard that voice, he sighed. He had expected someone would catch him, but he was thinking it would be Lucen.

”So you followed me, the so-called mad alchemist, Robert Duskwell.” When Zehn turned around, he saw another unexpected figure, Lysette Crowlorne, holding a short sword and a dagger. ”Even the golden lady has come to meet me. I was expecting Sir Lucen to come, but you two are a surprise.”

Lysette showed a smile and did a curtsy. ”It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Spy. Will you come and have a little chat with me?”

Zehn looked at Lysette’s smile for a few seconds before chuckling softly. ”A chat, is it?” Zehn spoke as if he were really thinking about it. ”How charming. Unfortunately, I am in a bit of a hurry.”

”That is rather unfortunate, but I must insist,” Lysette replied, her smile never fading as her aura mantle that was grey like steel enveloped her body and weapons.

”Don’t waste time asking for permission. Let’s just beat him up, tie him up, and ask all the questions we want. I need to know more about how you created those pills of yours. How were you able to use the soul in its creation?”

The second Zehn heard what Robert said, the calm expression on his face disappeared for a moment and was replaced with disbelief, but that only lasted a second as he returned to his normal expression.

”Heh, truly amazing that a genius like you and Lucen would appear in this backwater kingdom.”

”Huh?” When Robert heard what Zehn said, he could not help but sigh. ”I thought even though you were an enemy, we could still have a good conversation about many things. How unfortunate that you are of such a low level.”

”Did you just call me low level?” Zehn repeated, his eye behind the mask narrowing slightly.

”Yeah, what else should I call a person who seems to care about things like one’s background or the place they live affects their skill. Ideas can come from anyone, from anywhere. If you limit your thinking to that kind of thing, you won’t get anywhere interesting.” Robert answered while shrugging his shoulders.

Zehn stared at Robert in silence. After a second or two, he suddenly burst out laughing. ”I see. So that is how the mad alchemist of Norvaegard thinks.”

”You make it sound like you learned something profound.” Robert rolled his eyes as he spoke.

”Don’t be like that, Sir Robert. Mr. Spy just realized how small-minded he was.”

”Oh, is that so? I guess that is something to celebrate.”

While Lysette and Robert were talking amongst themselves, Zehn’s laughter slowly faded. Something changed with Zehn, but it was hard to know what.

The smile on his face remained, the cool demeanor was still there, but for some reason, there seems to be something sharper lying beneath now.

”Well, that gave me a good laugh.”

”So are you going to come with us now, or do we need to beat you up a bit?” Robert asked.

”Hm, no, how about the two of you join me instead. If you come with me, you’ll have more opportunities to create whatever you want. Unlike Norvaegard, we have much more knowledge about magic, sorcery, and alchemy. Not only that... Heh, I was going to say the quality of life in my home is better, but the current Norvaegard isn’t like that anymore. Still, it would be better for you two to join us now than be purged later.”

”Purged?” Lysette’s smile did not disappear. If anything, it became even softer. ”That is quite the frightening word to use so casually.”

Zehn shrugged, ”Well, it is something that will come to pass. So how about it, save yourselves the torment and come with me.”

For a brief moment, neither Robert nor Lysette answered. The wind blowing through the airship port carried the smell of smoke from the distant battlefield.

Far away, the sounds of battle still echoed across Caelhart, but here, beneath the shadow of the airship, the silence felt strangely sharp.

Lysette placed one hand lightly against her cheek and tilted her head. ”How unexpectedly kind of you. To think that Mr. Spy would be worried about our safety,” she said softly.

Zehn smiled. ”Well, in a way, you can indeed say I’m kind.”

”Kind? I think you and I must have a very different understanding of the word. You broke into our kingdom, unleashed monsters, tried to steal an airship, and now you’re asking us to follow you?”

”Well, you guys do keep on saying it is honorable to die in battle. So in a way, this is my kindness. Not to mention they might be luckier to have died now than to see what’s to come.”

”I see... How unfortunate, but I will not be joining you, Mr. Spy,” Lysette answered, her smile still there, but for a second Zehn felt a sharp killing intent directed at him.

”Of course, I won’t join you as well. Why would I leave for a place that produces an idiot like you?”

Robert answered as he used transmutation on part of the steel floor and created a spear. He then spun the spear in his hand. Despite being a mage and one who preferred not to do direct combat, Robert knew a thing or two about how to use weapons.

Zehn looked at the spear in Robert’s hand and smiled. ”An alchemist wielding a spear. How curious.”

”Hmph, an idiotic b*stard like you deserves a beating, which is why I’m using this so that I don’t accidentally kill you.”

Zehn’s smile widened slightly. ”How considerate of you.”

The moment those words left his mouth, the air around him twisted. A black magic circle formed beneath his feet, and his figure suddenly blurred, but he was unable to do anything as Lysette made the first move.

Her short sword flashed upward, cutting through the space where Zehn’s neck had been a moment ago. At the same time, her dagger stabbed toward his ribs from below.

However, Zehn had already stepped back. The tip of the dagger only grazed his coat. ”I thought you needed me alive?”

”I know, I already knew you would dodge. That was just a greeting,” Lysette answered with her usual polite tone.

”Is that so. Then I guess negotiations have truly broken down.”

It was at that moment that Zehn created a wall of earth to block Robert and Lysette’s vision. Robert had already anticipated this move and had started chanting and used the spell fire lance to break down the wall of earth.

Despite looking like he was ready to fight to the last breath, Zehn was actually looking for an opportunity to escape.

He couldn’t use the sacrificial teleportation anymore since that was a one-time thing, and the distance covered by that spell was not enough to escape from Caelhart.

He also knew that he would not be able to defeat Robert and Lysette; in fact, Robert alone could fight him on even terms, and victory or defeat could go either way. Adding Lysette to the mix just guaranteed his defeat.

He only needed one opening. The moment Robert’s fire lance shattered the earth wall, Zehn raised his remaining hand and whispered something in a language neither Lysette nor Robert understood.

The way Zehn was controlling his mana was different from all the spells Robert knew of. The incantation lasted only for a second, and several spells activated all at once. Each spell only held the power of a first-circle spell, but to unleash that many almost instantly was quite impressive.

Lysette dodged the incoming spells while trying to press forward. Robert defended himself using his mana barrier, but before he did so, he threw the spear in his hand towards Zehn.

The spear shot forward like an arrow. Zehn, who was backing away quickly, created an earth wall to block the spear.

”Quite strong for a mage,” Zehn commented.

”Quite irritating for a spy,” Robert answered.

The earth wall shattered as Robert transmuted the steel floor beneath it into jagged spikes. Zehn leapt back, avoiding the spikes by a narrow margin, but Lysette was already there.

Her short sword flashed toward his leg. Zehn twisted away, but the blade cut across his thigh. Blood splattered on the steel floor, yet his expression did not change.

He raised his hand, and several small magic circles appeared around Robert and Lysette at the same time.

Robert clicked his tongue. ”Annoying.”

The spells fired. Stone bullets, wind blades, and small black lances shot toward them from different angles.

Lysette’s gray aura mantle flared as she cut through the nearest attacks. Robert raised his mana barrier, then immediately transmuted part of the floor into a curved shield to block the rest.

By the time the smoke cleared, Zehn was already running toward the nearest airship.

”He really is going for it!” Robert shouted.

Lysette once again shot forward. Her figure blurred, but Zehn threw something behind him. A small black bead struck the floor and burst into a cloud of dark smoke.

Robert’s eyes widened. ”Don’t breathe that in!”

Lysette held her breath and stepped through the edge of the smoke, but Zehn had already reached the boarding ramp. His hand touched the side of the airship.

He could feel it by his touch that this thing had little to no mana involved in its creation. The only mana he felt was from the rune engravings, which basically just made the ship lighter and sturdier.

”Mostly mechanical...” Zehn muttered, his voice filled with genuine admiration.

He tried to force the boarding ramp open, but the mechanism did not respond. Robert’s voice came from behind him. ”Did you think we would leave the airships without a lock?”

Zehn clicked his tongue and placed his hand against the metal plate beside the ramp. Dark mana gathered around his palm, but the runes engraved along the frame lit up. The mana was rejected, and he was pushed back.

Lysette then appeared behind him, her short sword aimed at his back. ”It is over, Mr. Spy.”

Zehn slowly looked over his shoulder. Despite his situation, he still wore that smile on his face. He thought briefly about what he should do next.

Should he fight Robert and Lysette despite knowing he would lose, maybe he could get lucky and take one down. The probability of that happening was slim.

He had already used all the monsters he brought over, and he had no other pill to momentarily enhance his strength.

Should he then perhaps allow himself to get captured, and wait for a chance to escape... If he did that, there was also a chance that they would be able to get information from him, even if he didn’t want to say anything.

That was when he thought of the last option he could do. When he came to that conclusion, he laughed softly. ”No. I suppose this is where my path ends.” Zehn raised his hand and drove his fingers into his own chest.

Lysette felt surprised by the action, but she then felt something was wrong, and she quickly reacted as she backed away.

Zehn’s body began to swell grotesquely, his skin stretching as black flames leaked from the cracks. ”A failed spy leaves nothing behind, heh.”

Zehn chuckled as his body burst into black flames, leaving nothing behind.