Saikyou Mahoushi no Inton Keikaku (LN) - Volume 13 - Chapter 73

Seventy-Third Chapter

Those Who Lurk in the Shadows

This recounts when Alus returned to the Fable family estate just after allowing Lilisha to escape.

The head butler, Selva, and the chamberlain, Sithaima, were gathered in Frose’s study. Ever since employing Selva, Frose had anticipated that something like this might happen.

What she hadn’t expected was for it to take around thirty years. When the time came, it felt like a long time coming. Any surprise was surprisingly little.

Selva, of course, apologized profusely for the trouble he’d caused as the one who had invited Vector and Lilisha in and for leaving Lilisha’s fate up to Alus, who had ultimately let her escape. However, Frose didn’t seem to care and brushed off Selva’s concerns.

“I’m sure Mr. Alus must have had his own plans,” Frose said. “If that girl was from Aferka, she must have gotten him caught up in some other problems. At any rate, raise your head. Your excessive apologies are unnecessary, Selva. I knew this was trouble that would come eventually. Preparations were put in place, and I’ve built up strength in this house for that sake.”

“As you wish. I am deeply moved by your magnanimity.” Selva bowed once more.

The chamberlain next to him put on a thin smile. “In any case, she was a trivial opponent. Her goals and movements were almost transparent. She was less of an assassin and more of a child playing hide-and-seek. Selva, you could have just left it up to Hest and Eight.”

Sithaima snickered and smiled bigger.

Selva responded, “No. They would have just killed her right away. Besides, she used the same mana threads as me...”

Selva looked down and his expression softened. The supposed assassin was around the same age as Tesfia. She was clearly still inexperienced, and her naivety and youthfulness was almost heartwarming.

Anyone looking in on this scene would see a good-natured, smiling old man who. But of course, Selva hadn’t just gone along with Lilisha for amusement.

Frose nodded in understanding. “I see. Good decision. It would be foolish to ignore obvious suspicions, so you had to fight to get a glimpse of her real skills and intentions.”

“It is as you say,” answered Selva. “By fighting the assassin myself, I was able to see a lot of things. And the person who trained her was most likely Miltria Tristen.”

“Was she one of the tops when you were in Aferka?” asked Frose.

“Yes. I didn’t think she was still alive. In any event, seeing Sir Alus’s behavior, it was best that I fought her,” Selva explained in a suggestive way.

Frose had an interest in Alus as more than just a potential candidate for her daughter’s husband. Selva knew that, so he’d taken Alus’s intentions into consideration and left the assassination up to him so as to not twist his relationship with the Fable family.

And if Miltria Tristen were involved, it would be unwise to have carelessly laid a hand on the inexperienced assassin.

“Yes, well. Things became a little complicated,” said Frose, “but if you decided to let her roam, then that’s fine. So, Selva, there is something else, isn’t there?”

Selva and Frose had known each other for a long time. Even if he didn’t put it into words, she could tell that there was more.

Sure enough, Selva lowered his eyes and mentioned what he thought was very important information.

“There’s still no certain information, but a certain person’s presence is in the shadows of this incident.”

After a moment, Frose leaned forward and got straight to the point. “From how you put it, I take it that it’s that tomboy ruler. That does make sense. The timing just matches up too well with the Tenbram. By the way, Selva, what is the connection between Aferka and Womruina?”

“I am looking into it now. But I still don’t have all of the details. I am also looking into the other attacker... It shames me to say that he was my old acquaintance, Vector. I believe he had just broken out of captivity. However, the threads of my investigation were cut off in the vicinity of Hedshiram in the middle district.”

Hedshiram was an old-fashioned, lonely country town in the middle of the civilian areas of the human domain. It featured mainly wooden houses and had nothing to see.

“Hedshiram... It’s never been the slightest bit suspicious before,” said Sisty. “I hear it’s quite safe due to its low population. So?”

“Well, there are several suspicious people there, and they are quite skilled... Isn’t that so, Sithaima?” Selva said, handing the initiative over to the chamberlain.

In a very clerical tone, Sithaima began to explain. “Yes. It is just as Mr. Selva says. I have photographs of a group of five men and women leaving the inn.”

Sithaima placed rough-quality pictures on the desk.

“To think such dangerous ruffians are still within the human domain...!!!” Frose narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brow.

“As you can see,” continued Sithaima, “this woman noticed the photographer. Considering the angle and such, I would say it was a picture taken from over two hundred meters away.”

“Not many could notice someone from such a range,” commented Frose.

“This woman is Mir Ostayka. She is a serious magical criminal who has killed dozens of people. According to the security forces database, she resisted arrest and died,” Sithaima stated as a matter of fact.

“That sure is suspicious,” said Sisty. “And if the tracks end here, does that mean...?”

“Yes,” said Sithaima. “I have lost contact with the informant after they sent in these pictures. My lady, should we check the military headquarters database?”

That was, of course, illegal, but Sithaima didn’t hesitate to make her suggestion. Frose shook her head. She already knew what they would find. Any criminal with a similar record would no doubt have the same details in their record—or no information at all.

Lately, there had been a strange rumor circulating concerning serious magical criminals. According to the rumor, for more than a decade, there had been an increasing tendency by the military to treat apprehended serious criminals with complete secrecy. And some who were listed as dead were actually still alive.

The criminal database was shared by the seven nations and managed by a common system, so the reason for this was unknown.

The rumor went on to say that the criminals were secretly rounded up and sent to the Outer World. Since criminals obviously wouldn’t be given weapons, it could’ve been a really roundabout death sentence, since only death awaited them in the Outer World. But there was no real need to do something so violent, so the information lacked credibility.

Frose had thought the same until now.

“Mir Ostayka...a supposedly dead magical criminal...is alive and partying with some friends after being released from prison? Surely there had to be better people to bring back from the dead. Criminals, of all things... I don’t think God is using his miracles correctly,” Frose spat out, sarcastic.

Suddenly, Selva whispered, “By the way, Master Frose, have you heard of a secret prison in the Outer World.”

“Ah yes...the Trojan Prison, wasn’t it?” said Frose in a quiet voice. “I thought it was only a rumor.” She furrowed her brows.

“Yes,” said Selva. “Where there is smoke, there is fire. Perhaps it is real... If we assume that Vector was imprisoned there, the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place. However, if it is in the Outer World, wouldn’t escape be all but impossible?”

“If this Trojan Prison exists, then it would have been made and managed by man. Nothing could truly be impossible. I can only hope these are needless worries.”

Frose contemplated for a while...but Selva soon saw the change in her expression that meant she had come up with something. And it was Frose Fable’s nature to take action without hesitation.

“Let’s make a move of our own,” said Frose. “I thought it might be bad timing, but perhaps the situation is in our favor. Sithaima, please leak this information to our ruler. But be as discreet as possible.”

“I completely understand,” said Selva.

Sithaima kept her eyes down and bowed respectfully.

This sort of foreign intelligence work was primarily Sithaima’s job. While Selva had served the family longer than anyone else, his main job was to serve guests, manage the house business, and assist the head guard.

Sithaima, on the other hand, was not just the chamberlain but also performed a role similar to the head of the household personnel. As such, she was primarily in charge of managing those who worked in the house.

As the head butler, Selva was, of course, involved in the hiring process, but Sithaima handled most of the managing and education afterwards.

Like Selva, Sithaima was a loyal servant to Frose, and most importantly, she didn’t allow any personal emotions to get in the way of her work. She could be trusted to do her job perfectly.

“Then I will take my leave, my lady.” Sithaima said and turned to leave the room with the same graceful gesture as Selva.

Before she left though, Selva called out to her. “Chamberlain, I will borrow a few of your personnel afterwards.”

“You originally brought them here, so by all means,” responded Sithaima.

“While they might know how to fight, they are still maids of the house, and I don’t want to leave you shorthanded by taking them without notice.”

Sithaima smiled at Selva’s consideration. “Mr. Selva, with all due respect, the reinforcements you are counting on are those who have been trained in combat like Hest and Eight yes? If that’s the case, they can’t be assigned to delicate work in the house anyways. They have ruined over a hundred pieces in the house including vases, paintings, carpets, expensive furniture, and dishes.”

“I thought you were training them?” Selva asked after a brief pause.

“I have,” said Sithaima. “However, you appear to have a habit of finding very clumsy personnel.”

“Oh my. I’m ashamed. Perhaps it is my poor upbringing. My previous occupation being what it is, I am still lacking in a lot of places as well.” Selva, clearly disheartened, stroked his white beard.

But Sithaima calmly responded, “Not at all. You are accomplishing the lady’s desire to expand the Fable family fighting strength. But that doesn’t mean that we can afford to put the finances in dire straits. As such, I am having them do work they are more suited to for now.”

At that, Selva remembered the recent attack. Hest, Eight, and the others had been in charge of some sort of clean up in the mansion. However, they had been careful not to come into contact with any of Tesfia’s guests.

He realized their mission hadn’t been cleaning and security but rather just the latter. Any cleaning was apparently just for show.

“To help you save face, I don’t just have them do security work. They are a great help for things like pulling around carts of dishes and utensils, carrying bags, and other heavy work,” said Sithaima.

“I see,” said Selva. “Thank you for your consideration.”

It seemed that the people he had picked to increase the number of workers and one day replace him weren’t much use outside of combat. Selva was sullen, but Sithaima paid him no mind as she left the room to get to work.

“Now then... I think we’re done here, Selva.”

“Yes, Master Frose.”

“To think there were things even you find difficult. And that disheartened face...! It appears Sithaima is the only one who could bring out that side of you.” Frose chuckled.

“I’m afraid I have no words to express my regret,” said Selva.

“I don’t mind,” said Frose. “You brought in Hest and Eight, and they’re doing a good job in general. While the cleanliness of the house is important, I wouldn’t be able to sleep in peace without good security. If they could only smile a little more, I wouldn’t mind them serving Fia. Right now, Minasha is the only one I can trust with that. Perhaps we’ll need to wait for them to grow up a little more.”

“Indeed,” agreed Selva. “Perhaps they need to learn how to smile naturally.”

“There’s no need to rush. They need to repair the walls, windows, and doors this month,” replied Frose.

“I deeply apologize for that,” Selva said, letting out a rare sigh.

While it had been while uncovering the attacker, Hest had damaged the doors and windows. As the one to give her the orders, it was Selva’s responsibility. He had expected better of them, considering their skill.

“I will say it again,” said Frose. “I don’t mind. From my experience as an instructor, some property damage is not a big deal if it allows rookies to grow. But I do wonder how long they will stay rookies. I suppose that’s their charm, though.”

“I am honored by your generous views, but I will refrain from telling those two. I fear they might just misunderstand.”

“Ha ha, surely they are not that slow. No matter, I take it you will be leaving too, Selva?” Frose asked.

“Yes,” Selva responded. “I let Sir Alus save face back then, but this is a different matter. An attack on the Fable family cannot be forgiven. I suppose I should consider myself fortunate that it happened now while I am still able to move to some degree.”

“You’re right,” agreed Frose. “So don’t hesitate to bring anyone who can help crush Aferka. This might just be the perfect time to sever ties with your past. I don’t know what the ruler is planning, but we can use her silence on the matter to our advantage. We just need to act like we’re protecting ourselves against danger.”

They would ingratiate themselves with the ruler by leaking information about the escaped convicts and their whereabouts. If that was enough to distract her, it was all the more fortunate.

But Selva was a little concerned about Frose’s intentions.

“Remember, Aferka was once the previous ruler’s right hand,” he said. “They get special treatment, and there’s no telling what the higher-ups will decide to do. If we make any careless moves, there will be consequences, great noble family or not.”

If push came to shove, Selva was prepared to reveal his bloodied past and resign his position to settle things. If his connections to Aferka became public, he would have an excuse for going after them that wouldn’t involve the Fable family.

“Selva, I know that you are worried, but I decided long ago that I wouldn’t forgive anyone who threatens to harm the Fable family. And you’ve been a member of this family since long ago. Our family motto is that all who serve are equal. Besides, I hear that Lady Cicelnia has already parted ways with Aferka—she never really did like all that bloody stuff—so they are already nothing more than a headless corpse. Even if they’re crushed, nobody will say that we killed them.”

“If you are resolved to go so far.” Selva bowed his head.

“Not to mention that we would be third-rate nobles if we went to war against outlaws completely unprepared,” Frose said with a fearless smile.

However, some unease still gripped Selva. He knew Frose had some sort of plan, but he felt like she was underestimating Cicelnia to some degree.

Despite her young age, Cicelnia was exceedingly smart. If anything, she was much more cunning and politically skilled than most of the old nobles, who had done nothing but age.

No matter what, Selva couldn’t allow disaster to befall the Fable family. Frose had barely finished speaking when Selva said, “Then I will carry out my role without fail.”

Frose knew he would no doubt cross a dangerous bridge, with heavily unbalanced risks and rewards.

“I’m sorry for the trouble. Selva,” she said. “I’m sure that you already know this, but there’s still the Tenbram after this. It seems Aferka’s not entirely disconnected from that either, so if things go well it might end up in our favor. In any case, Fia can’t take on Womruina without you.”

“Understood,” said Selva. He knew that thanks to her military background that was her roundabout way of saying she wanted him to come back safe. “So what should we do about the estate’s defenses? I was thinking of leaving Hest or Eight behind.”

“Like I said, don’t concern yourself with that. Just take both of them with you. That is an order,” said Frose. “Aferka’s target is not me but you. Even if I misread them and another attacker comes here, you don’t have to worry. Sithaima will deal with them. And I may have left the military, but I’ve still got it too. Besides, as they’ll be busy receiving your courtesy call, I doubt they’ll have much time for anything else.”

“I understand.” Seeing the head of the Fable family’s composed smile, relieved Selva, and he deeply bowed once more before leaving.

Preparations took two whole days. On the evening of the third, it was finally time...

A somber atmosphere enveloped the Fable family estate, but the silence was eerie and strained.

Selva, still in his usual butler outfit, wore a calm smile as he looked back at the people lined up at the entrance of the mansion: six battle maids stood in orderly formation, each dressed in an outfit closely resembling a maid uniform but darker.

Although the clothes were tight, they hid weapons beneath them. And while they were easy to move in, they were still somewhat flamboyant. That made them different from the old Aferka that Selva had been part of.

Those chosen had particularly stood out to Selva. They were experts in not just antipersonnel combat but also assassination. They may not have taken part in many large-scale battles, but Selva had trained them himself to be skilled at gathering intelligence. And they could all fight if it really came down to it.

They had been raised in the festering hive of malice that is the slums, a world where people stole and killed to survive. And even though every day of their early lives they had been at risk, none of them were rotten or corrupt.

Now they were practically Selva’s granddaughters, just like Tesfia.

Even so, despite the many years they’d been together, he could count on one hand the number of times most of them had smiled. But he’d come to terms with it .

Regardless of their clothes, they lack the charm of girls their age. Once this is settled, I’ll need to give them thorough training on how to smile, he thought, taking a look at the maids’ faces.

“Now then, let’s get off our backsides,” he said out loud. “The head of the family won’t forgive anyone who threatens the Fable family. That said, this problem stems from my own personal matters, and I am afraid you have been dragged into it.”

“All of it is for Lady Frose and Mr. Selva’s sake. Shall we slaughter them with a smile?” Hest took the initiative to answer.

Eight spoke next, her expression a vacant stare. “We will kill all enemies. But can I ask something?”

“What is it? It’s rare to see you ask questions, Eight,” said Selva.

“What we do if we find thread-using troublemaker again?” asked Eight. “The chamberlain was angry. Said not to give her a second chance.”

“It seems you still have that broken speech,” said Selva. “How many years have I not told you to correct it?”

Selva smiled wryly at the other two. Among the maids, Hest and Eight were particularly skilled if also particularly lacking in emotions and humanity.

“But yes,” Selva continued, “back then I left it up to Sir Alus to handle. But if she shows up as an enemy again, there is no need for mercy. Kill her.”

There were no second chances when it came to a noble’s tolerance. If she made a second move against the Fable family, whether she was trained by Selva’s former colleague or not, he would show her no mercy. The reaper didn’t retract his blade once thrust at your neck repeatedly.

“Although I hope it doesn’t come to that, I assume you have no objections,” said Selva as he put on his symbolic white gloves and turned his back to the maids. “The other night was only a warm-up... It’s been a while since I put my skills to full use. Let the hunt begin.”

As the sun set behind the horizon, evening darkness set in, turning the ground black and leaving only a red afterglow. The sky slept and people rested. It was the time when assassins became more active, the darkness their battlefield.

Seven shadows disappeared into the melancholy of the night.

Through several coincidences these past few days, the Fable family had managed to get a grasp on Aferka’s movements.

Aferka had originally been a political specter, an invisible entity. Then they and many other radical elements had been buried in people’s minds, and as its name had disappeared from the political scene those who knew it even existed became scarce.

As someone once known as Aferka’s Bloodied Blade, Selva felt an ironic twist of fate hearing that name again and knowing he was going to do battle with them.

They seem to have lost their minds, he thought. Do they abhor the darkness so much that they’ve deluded themselves into thinking they can just walk in the light of day?

Right now, Selva and his subordinates were watching a residence of the Rimfuge family that occupied a fifty-meter square area in the woods. Tall trees lined all four sides, limiting the view.

This property was located in one of the few places in the human domain where nature still existed, a green belt of vegetation that separated the middle district and the area the wealthy lived.

Compared to the Outer World, it was meager, but it was more than enough for Selva and the battle maids to conceal themselves. Ironically, the very trees meant to block outside views became the perfect hiding place for people like them.

Knowing this, Selva always took meticulous care of the Fable garden to prevent giving any intruders any place to hide. He was extra careful to keep any trees or large bushes from creating any blind spots near the mansion. In that sense, the security here seemed rather lax for Aferka.

Oh, how Aferka has fallen, he thought. Even the quality of their guards seems to have declined.

As Selva lamented this fact, he sensed something moving around above them. He looked and saw a lone man hanging off a thick branch of the tree. He frantically clawed at his neck, where Selva’s thread was wrapped.

He desperately moved his mouth, but as he was being choked, no air came out. When he struggled and kicked with his legs, Selva loosened the thread around his neck slightly.

“Now then, I have several questions for you. I trust you will answer them.”

“Ack...ugh...” The man couldn’t even breathe properly, but he struggled to break free from the mana steel thread and escape.

In the midst of it, he turned his bloodshot eyes to Selva, seemingly pleading for mercy. Selva frowned and gave him a cold glare.

“What is with those eyes? Are you begging for your life?” Selva asked. “I’ve changed my mind. You don’t need to answer anything. I have no doubt your answer would do nothing but disappoint me. You are a member of Aferka, aren’t you? So brace yourself, youngster.”

The man made a final guttural sound and breathed his last. His head slumped down, and a discolored purple tongue peeked out from his open mouth.

“Mr. Selva, I finished one off too.” Like a hunting hound coming back with its prey, Hest dragged over a large man by the neck.

Her breathing was calm and her expression unchanged. As usual, there was no emotion on her face. Even her respectfully addressing Selva seemed to be just a formality, so Selva knew better than to expect any more words from the unsociable girl.

“Well done, Hest. But it looks like you won’t be enough on your own.”

“No problem,” she responded.

They were only getting warmed up, but it was enough to measure Aferka’s current strength. Selva hadn’t expected it to go this well.

It wasn’t like the Rimfuge families were all gathered in one place. Due to their family business, they had hideouts everywhere. They had put their sights on this location because the information gathering had gone unexpectedly well.

Selva had had a few of his subordinates stake out this mansion, and he’d come to believe it was the home base of Aferka’s leaders, the Frusevans.

Their reactions when Frose put her plan into action had proved him right.

As soon as Selva and the others were informed, they made their move to neutralize the estate’s guards, who easily fell for basic diversions and were just as easily hunted down.

Still... Something is strange. This is too easy, thought Selva, a long career’s worth of intuition kicking in.

At first, he’d let himself think that Aferka had just become weak, but it was strange that they’d be so defenseless. Plus, the member he’d just finished off just a moment ago was noticeably far from well trained. He’d let his bloodlust give him away, while practically claiming he was a member of Aferka.

“What about Eight?” Selva asked Hest with a furrowed brow.

“I am back,” responded the person in question suddenly.

There were bloodstains clearly visible, even on her dark clothes, not because she’d been in an intense battle but largely because of how she killed.

“Eight, stop playing around after killing.” Selva couldn’t help but criticize her. An assassin should be swift and efficient.

Even though Eight was the least emotional among the combat maids, she looked a little guilty when Selva reprimanded her, and for a moment after that, she looked a little happy, even though it was hard to tell.

“I will bury,” she said.

“That’s not the problem. Are you sure they are even a part of Aferka?” asked Selva.

“Ah.” Hest gave him a dumbfounded look after a momentary delay.

Selva was dismayed. “So you didn’t confirm it? I don’t understand youngsters.”

Hest didn’t really seem to mind. “Don’t worry; he had enough skills to kill people. So no problem,” she answered.

“I see. Now then, we’ve killed several of them already. Will they fall for our provocations?”

Even in the dark, Selva’s vision was sharp as he observed the mansion.

“Oh, that was faster than I thought,” Selva muttered.

At that moment, one of the maids was knocked off her feet and slammed to the ground, her head held down. There was a heavy sound, like a rock crushing a rock.

“!”

Distracted by that, Hest and Eight reacted slowly to the rapidly approaching assailant. They quickly threw up their guard before a powerful impact hit both of them.

Hest braced herself, but unable to kill all the momentum, she was pushed back and her legs dug gashes into the ground. After a few meters, she kicked off the ground to forcibly cancel out the impact, flew into the air, and landed.

Eight had been thrown into the air by the impact. She’d grabbed a nearby tree trunk and managed to regain her posture.

“Oh?” Selva alone wasn’t flustered. He simply observed his opponent with his arms behind his back.

The arrogant-looking blond man in front of him looked familiar. He’d appeared after Selva had finished off Vector for attacking the Fable family estate.

Like before, he had a cynical, irritating tone. “I went out of my way to give you a warning that we would be back, but you came to offer your head directly, huh?”

While he glared at Selva, he raised an arm and wriggled with his fingers. That arm had blown away both Hest and Eight. He had inhuman strength.

The hand was covered in a hint of mana. However, since Selva didn’t have to strain his eyes to recognize it; it was quite unusual.

Is that some sort of body enhancement through mana? wondered Selva. Still this power without a weapon is...

Selva couldn’t recall seeing something on this level before.

Well, I can see why tools would be unnecessary. I suppose this means that, slow or not, assassination techniques are advancing even now, Selva thought to himself as Hest and Eight lined up behind him as if nothing had happened.

But Selva simply smiled at the man and said, “Those are quite some skills. I believe you are Aferka adjutant Elvi Aristedt...unless the information we gathered is wrong, that is. Please don’t mistake this for some sort of chivalric joust. We are here to kill, and yet we’ll give you a moment. Ha... Excuse me.”

Selva couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

“You bastard...!”

The veins in Elvi’s temple bulged, and he roughly concentrated mana in his hands, a move that was a far throw from an assassin.

“Oh, you want to begin already? I’m glad to see you’re quick to get to the point, Elvi Aristedt. Now you will die.”

Elvi’s eyes were wide open. He cracked his fingers and roared, “You senile old fool! Your fighting style has already been leaked!”

At the same time, Hest and Eight disappeared. A moment later, Hest jumped skyward and attacked from above, and Eight swung around behind him and attacked from a blind spot.

They fought in perfect coordination, carried out with exceptional speed and complete silence.

“Tsk!” Elvi clicked his tongue at the realization that even Selva’s subordinates were quite formidable.

“Payback,” said Eight as she filled the hand behind her back with power.

After that momentary pause, she swung a knife hand sideways, relying almost purely on force.

Instinctively sensing that the chop was far beyond normal, Elvi twisted his body and used his mana-clad arm to avert the hand rather than block it. As expected, the impact was so great that his arm would have been ripped off if he had taken the hit directly.

Instead of bracing, he’d skillfully escaped the impact by letting his body slide with the momentum. But that ruined his stance, and Hest followed up, unleashing an attack too quick for the eye to follow.

She thrust her hand forward like a spear, her five fingers equipped with a sharp claw-type AWR.

Elvi blocked the thrust with his hand, catching the claws and twisted his wrist. Just as he thought it had worked as planned, Hest’s entire body spun. Instead of resisting, she followed the momentum, twisting her body in the air and quickly jumping back.

Even though they’d gained the upper hand with Eight’s attack, the fight was an even match again. Hest and Eight put some distance between themselves and Elvi. Their expressions were completely unchanged despite failing to finish him off.

Selva watched from a distance and quietly muttered, “Oh, martial arts, is it? An interesting use of mana.”

“This ain’t a fuckin’ show, old man!” Elvi’s shouted as he took a kung fu stance.

It seemed that Elvi didn’t just use the mana on his arms for offense. It changed shape depending on the shapes he made with his fingers, which could create an ironclad defense to repel even magic head-on.

It wouldn’t be easy to get through, even with Selva’s mana steel threads. But the shield was made for one-on-one fights, as Elvi’s ability wasn’t suited for fighting multiple people at the same time. Elvi would no doubt be at a disadvantage fighting Selva, Eight, and Hest at the same time.

“What, three on one? Fucking cowards!” Elvi spat out.

Selva only smiled.

“What a strange thing to say. Like I said, we are just here to kill. I believe I’ve said this before, but you speak too much for somebody who walks the path of the shadows. And you do a lot of barking. You don’t happen to be a watchdog, do you?”

“Don’t get so full of yourself!” Enraged, Elvi leaned forward to attack, but before he could do anything, he immediately tilted his body to dodge something he’d noticed. “Kuh.”

A red line of blood ran down his cheek where the thread had grazed it.

“Oh? I’d hoped to lop your ear off, but it seems you have fine intuition,” taunted Selva.

Elvi really wasn’t well suited to a career as an assassin. He was highly emotional and easy to upset. Selva, naturally, exploited this weakness.

“Now then, I would like to wrap this up. I can’t spend all that much time on just you.”

Selva signaled his subordinates with a look, and Hest and Eight kicked off the ground.

“What?!” Elvi let out a yelp of surprise at the attack.

Not only did they have assassins’ skills, but they fought with highly refined martial arts as well. In fact, despite the mana wrapped around his arms, Elvi felt like Hest and Eight had the upper hand when it came to fighting people.

Selva picked people exceptionally well.

In any case, with all three of them fighting together, each had enough power and speed to be fatal.

Eight in particular hit with so much force she could crush the outer shell of a Fiend.

However, even she had limitations, and her punches weren’t equally effective against everyone.

Flesh rumbled and air burst as they exchanged blows at an unbelievable speed, and Selva listened to the delightful sound with relief.

Hest’s martial arts were no match for Eight’s, but her claw-type AWR made up for it.

Oh... It looks like he won’t just let them push him around, Selva thought, sensing something strange in Elvi’s movements.

Even while fending off the barrage of attacks, Elvi seemed to have a trick up his sleeve to turn things around. It most likely rested in his mana-clad arms, but not even Selva could predict what he would do.

Plus, the man’s ability to hold off both Hest and Eight made Selva reassess his initial judgment.

At the very least, he has some bite to back up his barking, he thought. But...that won’t be enough, youngster.

Even now, Elvi had taken advantage of a brief opening, and his fist was headed for Eight’s face. Eight dodged, and her counterattack was unleashed with twice the force of her opponent’s. Elvi tried to catch the blow in his palm...but the sleeve of his uniform burst open.

Just as Elvi sensed something wrong and used a hip movement to pull back his center of gravity, his arm shot backward as if it had been hit by a cannonball. He fell back a few steps, but immediately took his stance again.

“Are you a monster?!” he demanded.

His intuitive jump back had been right. His arm would have been destroyed if he’d done nothing. He was saved by his martial arts expertise, but since Eight wasn’t alone, even that glancing blow put him at a disadvantage.

Hest’s claws slipped out of the shadows in Elvi’s blind spot and tore at the flesh of his right flank.

“Ack!” Elvi rolled away.

Coming out of the shadows, Hest gave him a sidelong glance as she picked pieces of cloth and flesh from her claws.

“Where will it hit,” she muttered.

This was the first time she had spoken since the battle began.

“...!!!” Shortly after those words, Elvi understood what she meant. He’d lost the use of one of his hands.

“Bingo. The right arm,” Hest said, confirming her answer.

Beads of sweat formed on Elvi’s forehead. He didn’t know what had happened. He couldn’t even pour mana into his completely useless right arm. It was like it had been petrified.

This was one of the effects of Hest’s AWR: Magdala, the Six Paths.

The claw on the middle finger had the ability to paralyze someone’s muscle tissue and mana pathways, but the effect of the seal was always random. As a general rule, it was limited to one place per person.

Potential targets were not just the limbs but the senses as well, but since it struck at random, it was not always a big advantage. Depriving someone of their sight or hearing in the middle of battle was one thing, but the sense of smell or taste didn’t do much good.

Fortunately, this time it sealed Elvi’s right arm, a fatal blow to someone who relied heavily on enchanting their limbs.

“So you use the middle finger’s Animal Realm. It picked a good spot,” Selva extolled.

Strength left Elvi’s arm, and it hung limply down from his shoulder, the flow of mana shut down and the nerves paralyzed.

But while the effects were powerful, they wouldn’t last long. Magdala’s other flaw was that it was, in essence, five AWRs strung together, and each claw could only handle the spells that corresponded to it.

This meant all of Hest’s resources were gathered in her five fingers. As such, it was time to finish things quickly.

However...

Selva looked at Hest drawing closer to her prey and frowned a little.

That’s right, he thought. Hest is...

Hest’s fighting style was sly and merciless. She weakened her opponent and gradually cornered them.

Meanwhile, Elvi, her prey, cursed in anger as his arm hung down.

“What the fuck? What did you...? Oof!”

The moment he focused all of his hostility on Hest, Eight saw her opening and snuck up in the shadows and landed a blow. With a strange toothy smile, she swung her fist through, but it wasn’t as lethal as before.

That’s why, while Elvi was blown away and blood rolled down his lips, he could stand back up.

There was a reason her punch didn’t pack the same power as before.

Eight had a special ability that allowed her to replicate any attack she had. More specifically, she could evaluate and re-create any spell she saw for her own use but at several times the force, making it even more powerful.

This included all forms of magic; even if it was a barrier spell, her special ability let her measure the mana poured into it and transform it into power for her next attack.

Since Elvi’s strikes were not just physical but used magic as well, he was the perfect target. However, the loaded attack could only be used once. To use another, she needed to witness some other spell or mana-clad attack.

It was an unusual ability, but it was one that was always one step behind.

In the sense of using mana, Eight’s ability was close to a normal Magicmaster’s, but Selva couldn’t understand the logic behind it no matter how many times it was explained to him.

Neither Hest nor Eight had the right personality to become proper Magicmasters. That was why Selva had chosen to train them, to sharpen such unique blades and elevate them to greater heights.

“Fuck! Why’d you have to attack when we’re so busy? Cut this shit out already!” Elvi roared, overcome by emotion.

Selva calmly observed him. He saw the mana in Elvi’s other arm swelling and his bloodshot eyes burning with rage. Selva read his opponent... It was in that moment that Selva became convinced that Elvi’s attention was focused purely on Hest and Eight.

Emotions had swallowed the reasoning in his mind, and Elvi was no longer on guard against Selva. It was the perfect chance to entangle the wounded mark with the threads of defeat.

“‹‹Black Rope››” Selva snapped one of his hands imperceptibly fast. In response, the mana steel threads buried under the ground shot to the surface and weaved into a thick bundle.

The threads, now thick as a rope, weaved through the middle of Hest and Eight and turned black. They were easily capable of splitting a body in half and now moved faster than the speed of sound.

At the same time, Hest and Eight were closing in. Eight caught sight of Selva’s Black Rope, and its power projected into her right hand. Her muscles tensed as if made of steel. However...

“Hmm?!” Selva let out a surprised grunt.

Selva had been certain Elvi was distracted, but just before the trap sprung, he leaped out of the way of Black Rope. Fractions of a second later, Hest and Eight unleashed their attacks.

They had anticipated that dodging Black Rope would break Elvi’s stance. Eight leaned forward and unleashed a right hook, but even if he defended against it again, he couldn’t sidestep it like before. And if he took the impact at all, it would crush his wrist and more.

At the same time, Hest attacked with Magdala from the left, her body low to the ground as she swung her claws upward.

They were both unsuccessful.

Eight’s fist was not just parried; Elvi unleashed a counterattack. She barely dodged, and the blow glanced across her cheek. Before Hest’s claws could stab him, he stepped on her wrist and kicked her in the chest with his other foot.

Though surprised by the counteroffensive, they quickly got back to their feet.

As Elvi was about to follow up, steel threads as sharp as blades shot out from around him and tore through the area. They gouged the earth and sliced the trees.

It was a deadly tempest of high-speed steel threads that was difficult to even see. But after the trees and leaves had fallen, there was no sign of Elvi.

“What a miscalculation,” Selva said seriously. “I thought he would be too hot-blooded to even consider escape.”

Did I misjudge him? he thought. Even if I did, that sudden change at the end was strange.

Seeing the fight, Selva had no worries that Hest or Eight would fall behind in a battle. Elvi was skilled; he even covered his blind spots. But the moment he had sensed his overwhelming disadvantage, he quickly made an escape.

It appeared to Selva that in that moment Elvi’s abilities had all suddenly been enhanced.

But a sudden growth so powerful didn’t seem possible, especially in the midst of battle, while cornered and unable to even focus, facing desperate odds.

But Selva of all people knew it was not possible to comprehend more than a tiny fragment of everything. After all, even that strange martial art that relied on mana was unknown to him.

The only thing that he could say for certain was that in that moment, Elvi’s speed had surpassed that of Hest and Eight. And it was this sense that something was unusual that made Selva hesitate to order the two to chase after Elvi.

When Elvi was definitely gone, Hest and Eight returned to Selva. They should have been upset, but neither of them appeared frustrated as they expressionlessly awaited further instructions.

“How is your injury, Eight?” asked Selva.

“It smarts,” responded Eight as she rubbed the scratch on her cheek.

“I see,” said Selva. “He seemed to do more than simply wrap his arms in mana, so there might be something more to it.”

Noticing how much Elvi’s abilities had skyrocketed at the end had almost made Selva question if the man had been hiding his true abilities when fighting. But Selva didn’t think he seemed so duplicitous; plus, he had been cornered and at his limit.

 Rimfuge used to research the human body, thought Selva. One of his studies had dealt with limiter theory... 

While Selva didn’t really know the specifics, he’d heard that it was research on the latent power of the human body.

In fact, research on magic and mana was a common practice among several influential noble families. Several of them created their own secret magic, the Fable family included.

So it wouldn’t be strange for the five branch families of Rimfuge, the ones behind Aferka, to have all sorts of dubious knowledge and skills.

“Mr. Selva, should we continue the operation?” Hest asked in a clerical tone, bringing Selva’s attention back to the present.

“No, let’s cancel it. The others are still not back, and we don’t know the true depths of the enemy. Elvi was clearly nothing more than an adjutant. Our target is the leader, but he doesn’t seem to be here. He doesn’t have many guards, so they might be dealing with something else. Now that I think about it, Elvi did mention being busy.”

Not wanting to overstay his welcome, Selva decided it was time to call the mission off. When the scattered battle maids returned and lined up, Selva noticed that two were missing.

One had been slammed into the ground by Elvi’s ambush. Judging from the devastation around her body, the other was also almost certainly Elvi’s doing. It had likely happened before he’d encountered Selva, Hest, and Eight.

Her body was covered in blood, and nearby lay the corpse of an Aferka combatant. Elvi must have struck right after she’d defeated them.

“Eight, you follow Elvi. He is most likely headed for their headquarters. But make sure not to do anything hasty,” commanded Selva.

“’Kay,” Eight acknowledged quietly and disappeared. As she left, anxiety showed on Hest’s usually inexpressive face as she watched her friend go.

After securing the belongings and having a makeshift funeral for the fallen, Selva and the others stopped at a farmhouse barn they had found earlier. Waiting for them there was another maid.

She’d been sent as a messenger from the mansion, but that fact was somewhat unusual. To keep the Fable family separate from this conflict with Aferka, Selva had refused any contact from them unless it was something.

Knowing Frose should be well aware of that, Selva suspiciously confirmed the contents of the sealed letter brought to him.

He said nothing, but his expression visibly changed as he read through it.

“Is there a problem Mr. Selva?” Hest asked, her face again blank.

“Yes, this has become a serious matter. There’s no worry about repercussions reaching the Fable family, but the situation is worse than that. This will greatly interfere with the noble society... I see, so this is what the ruler was after...”

Selva’s brows furrowed, and new wrinkles of deep and unfathomable concern were etched on his forehead. Hest simply stared at him with emotionless eyes.

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