Chapter 41
Everyone works hard to treat the injured . The Guild staff goes around carrying supplies, and the whole room smells of healing potions .
The adventurers were disconcerted to see the soldiers, who until seconds ago were attacking them relentlessly, fall to the ground moaning in pain . Yuri immediately understands that Angeline has defeated the puppeteer and orders the Guild members to bring the emergency supplies to help the soldiers .
The infirmary is at full capacity and the staff is forced to use the dining room tables as emergency beds . Yuri sends a message to the military station to report what has happened, but as the number of soldiers is high, the information cannot be transmitted properly and it makes the situation a bit chaotic .
If only I had eliminated the puppeteer earlier, thinks Angeline as she walks among the wounded soldiers .
Angeline heads to the infirmary and on entering finds a scene that resembles something out of a battlefield . The soldiers have no recollection of the incident and some of them cannot understand why they are in this condition .
Rosetta is lying on a bed at the back of the room . Charlotte is sitting on a chair next to the bed .
Charlotte sees Angeline approaching and her eyes soon filled with tears . “Big sister…”
“Are you all right, Lottie? How’s Sister Rosetta…?” Angeline strokes Charlotte’s head and turns to look at Rosetta . She’s lying face down because of the wound in her back . The bleeding has stopped and it looks like she’s been given some medicinal ointment . Her complexion has improved a little and Angeline can hear a soft, but regular breathing .
“That’s good…” Angeline breathes a sigh of relief knowing they’ve managed to avoid the worst outcome .
Charlotte hugs Angeline and hides her little face in the adventurer’s stomach . “Th-This is my fault…”
“No . It’s not your fault, Lottie . You have to stop blaming yourself for this…”
“But…!”
“Uhhh…” Angeline and Charlotte turn to the bed and see Rosetta open her eyes slightly . “What happened? Where am I…?”
“Sister Rosetta . Don’t push yourself too much, okay? You have a serious injury…” Angeline approaches Rosetta quickly as she tries to get up .
“The little girl… Angie, the little girl…” Rosetta realizes that Charlotte is at her bedside and her expression relaxes . “You’re okay… Thank goodness you’re okay . ”
Charlotte bites her lips and cries at Rosetta’s words . However,
“You’re a fool! A fool! After all the horrible things I said…! Why!” shouts Charlotte .
“Haha… I think you’re right, I am a fool . I don’t know why I did what I did, my body moved on its own . But I’m so glad you’re okay…” The wound still seems to hurt, but Rosetta laughs weakly and puts her hand on Charlotte’s head .
Charlotte hugs Rosetta tightly as she continues to shed tears . “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Thank you for saving me!”
“Fufu, you’re welcome . ”
Angeline sighs and then turns around . “How bad are Rosetta’s injuries?” She asks one of the employees at the infirmary .
“Well, her wound is big and it looks like she lost a lot of blood . Fortunately, there was no damage to the internal organs or the spine . She will make a full recovery, but she needs a lot of rest . ”
“I see…”
The situation is under control at the moment . Angeline turns to see Rosetta and sees her stroking Charlotte’s head and whispering something tenderly to her .
I don’t think there’s room for me, Angeline thinks . Then she slowly walks out of the infirmary .
In the lobby, Angeline finds Yuri cleaning and tidying the room .
“Miss Yuri . ”
“Oh, little Angie . It’s been a busy night, hasn’t it?”
“Yeah… thanks for everything . You were a big help . ”
“Fufu, it was nothing . When there’s trouble we must help each other . ” Yuri says with a smile .
“…I’m going to cool my head a bit . Rosetta and Lottie are in the infirmary . Could you look after them for a moment?”
“Yes, leave it to me . Don’t strain yourself too much, little Angie . ”
“…Thank you . ”
Seeing Angeline’s expression, Yuri doesn’t ask any more questions, leaves the cleaning of the lobby in the hands of another employee, and heads to the infirmary .
Angeline leaves the building . There’s no wind tonight and one can feel the heat of summer .
Angeline takes a deep breath and looks around . There is a bystander who seems to have heard the commotion in the guild, but in terms of the bustle, it is similar to the usual .
As she moves her eyes she finds Byaku leaning against a wall, looking up at the sky . As Angeline approaches, the boy frowned and smiled sarcastically .
“This is a mess . Aren’t we supposed to be safe by your side, big sister?”
“…I’m sorry . ”
“… It’ s odd . I never thought you were so capable, you little twig . ”
“I had some luck . It’s the first time I’ve ever wanted to protect someone like that…”
Every time Charlotte hugs her and looks at her with hopeful eyes, Angeline feels a warmth in her chest . She’s sure it’s the same feeling Belgriff has when he sees her . Now, she only hopes that Byaku can open up his heart as well .
It may seem somewhat selfish of her, as her relationship with Byaku and Charlotte is still somewhat shallow . But Angeline is convinced that it is something truly worth achieving .
Angeline stands beside the young boy and she too leans against the wall . She looks sideways at Byaku . The lad is younger than her, but he’s almost as tall as she is .
“Would you have done it differently?”
“No idea…”
“Hah~ . ”
Seeing Angeline so down, Byaku can’t help but click his tongue . “You are just like that child, you twig . ”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re always blaming yourself for everything . It’s like you want to carry that weight on your shoulders on purpose . As if you were a hero of a tragic epic . ”
Angeline is surprised to hear the relentless sincerity with which Byaku is talking . “What do you mean? That was never my intention . ”
“Hmm, yeah, I know . What I mean is that right now you’re doubting yourself and I don’t know if that’s more obnoxious than when you were annoying . ”
“Well, the actions I took led to this…”
“Wait…”
“But, Byaku…”
“Silence . ”
Byaku extends his arm and moves forward . The boy activates one of his three-dimensional magical patterns . The lanterns dimly illuminate the traffic on the street . A few seconds later, Angeline feels a chill run down her back and instinctively pulls out her sword .
“What is that?”
A small crowd has gathered just across the street and they’re watching a strange creature . The creature is as tall as Angeline’s waist, is black, and apparently can barely retain its humanoid form . The creature’s dark, slippery skin glows quite brightly when illuminated by Byaku’s magical pattern .
That… is the same shadow creature that Angeline fought in the abandoned dungeon on the outskirts of Orphen . However, the childish and pitiful behavior the creature had back then has completely disappeared . The whole body overflows with clear hostility and killing intent, just looking at it is sickening .
The shadow creature stands up and turns its head as if confused . At that moment, a pair of eyes appear on its face and the creature looks around .
“Insects…Kill…” Suddenly the shadow creature increases in size . It is now approximately the same size as an adult, and the creature’s hands and feet appear to be as hard as steel .
People immediately sense the danger and begin to walk away from the shadow creature amidst screams and looks of distress . Unfortunately, the creature already has its eyes fixed on those people .
With incredible speed, the creature jumps into the crowd and tries to grab the face of one person . The attack threatens to end the man’s life, but the claws do not reach him . Angeline has also jumped forward and blocks those deadly claws with her sword .
The impact is so strong that a loud metal clang can be heard all over the street . Angeline’s hand is immediately numb and she is even forced to take a step back .
“Run!” Angeline shouts to the people and they immediately run away from the place .
Angeline puts all her strength into her sword and throws the shadow creature back . The creature spins its body in the air and lands slowly on the ground . Then the creature fixes its gaze on Angeline .
“Annoying…”
“Don’t look down on me!”
Angeline and the creature jump again and another loud metallic clang is heard in the night . The two exchange blows at incredible speed for a few moments before separating again . Angeline jumps backward to take some distance and frowns as she notices the wounds on her arms and legs . They are just scratches, but they are uncomfortable and they are bleeding .
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It’s different from when I faced him in the dungeon, he’s much stronger now, thinks Angeline as she clings tightly to her sword .
After so many fights that night, Angeline begins to feel the mental exhaustion, she can feel her mind slowly wandering .
No! Focus! You can’t afford to be distracted in the face of this enemy, Angeline rebukes herself silently .
Angeline raises her sword and… a three-dimensional magical pattern is shot from behind at full speed . The attack hits the creature’s body with tremendous power, leaving a dent in the skin . However, the shadow creature does not appear to have suffered any serious damage . It just shakes its body like a wild beast and lets out a thunderous roar .
Angeline scowls and looks back . “You shouldn’t have gotten involved, I can protect all of you . ”
“Tsk!” Byaku ignores Angeline’s words and throws more magical patterns at the creature .
The shadow creature easily dodges Byaku’s attacks in one jump and then pounces on Angeline .
“Come!” She takes up her fighting stance and prepares to receive the attack .
The sword and claws collide again and another metallic rumble echoes in the street . The impact generates a vibration that travels from the blade to the hilt and then into the adventurer’s hand .
Still, Angeline concentrates all her strength in her arms, trying to push the shadow creature back . However, the monster is also doing the same, but since the creature is not using a weapon but its hand, it seems to have better control over the situation .
Right then and there, Angeline feels a sharp pain in her shoulder . The shadow creature seems to realize this and begins to push Angeline harder . The adventurer can’t stand the tremendous force and takes a couple of steps back .
At this point, Byaku throws one of his magical patterns at the fighters . The shadow creature is so focused on its exchange with Angeline that it doesn’t notice the attack and the impact throws it back several meters .
Angeline is breathing heavily as Byaku approaches her .
“Hey, twig . You think you can win this fight by fighting so recklessly?”
“Shut up! I won’t fail again! I-I’ll protect you all!” Angeline screams in frustration .
Angeline, as if possessed by something, steps firmly and wields her sword again .
“The only thing you’ll achieve by fighting like this is to hurt yourself, you idiot! You can’t let your selfishness get the better of you!” shouts Byaku in exasperation .
Angeline is silent as if she doesn’t know what to say, but still takes a step forward and attacks the shadow creature again . Similarly, the creature pounces on the adventurer with a look full of hatred and contempt .
The adventurer wields her sword at incredible speed, her movements are so fast that it is almost impossible to follow them with the eyes . However, the shadow creature matches her speed and parries Angeline’s attacks .
The exchange between Angeline and the creature lasts only a few seconds, but the ferocity and speed of the attacks leave marks on the street and nearby buildings, and a large cloud of dust rises in the air, making it a little difficult to see .
Angeline’s attacks are swift, but there is no technique behind them . The impatience and frustration that Byaku pointed out a few moments ago are reflected in the adventurer’s reckless movements .
“Annoying…” mutters the shadow creature .
Immediately, Angeline feels a sharp blow on one side . A third arm, extending from the torso of the shadow creature, hits Angeline’s flank . The adventurer is thrown several meters and rolls on the ground a couple of times . The fall and the impact draw the air out of the adventurer’s lungs and she begins to gasp for air .
“Cough! Cough! Agh!” Angeline looks up even though her chest feels like it’s on fire and sees the creature of shadows approaching her with its claws raised .
“Kill…”
“You’ve got to be kidding me! There’s no way I’m gonna lose!”
Angeline roars like a beast and stands strong with her sword in her hand . Her joints seem to scream in pain, but she manages to control her body with her sheer willpower .
However, her movements become slower and before she can assume a fighting stance, the creature pounces on her . But the creature’s claws never reach Angeline . A magical pattern strikes the monster in the body and sends it flying backward .
Moments later, a barrage of magical patterns falls on the shadow creature, preventing it from rising and visibly denting its hard skin .
Byaku runs towards Angeline . His face is twisted with rage .
“Do you have a death wish?! Damn it!”
“What’s your problem? I haven’t done anything wrong…!” Angeline murmurs with an empty look, but clearly angry . Her anger is directed at no one but herself .
Byaku finally loses his patience and takes Angeline by the shoulders and shakes her . “What the hell are you saying? Stop acting like a spoiled brat! You always say we should trust you, so act like someone we can trust!”
“But I…!” When Angeline is about to respond, Byaku turns abruptly to the side and raises his arm . Immediately, several magical patterns appear and protect Byaku and Angeline .
However, the jet-black nails shatter the magical patterns and Byaku is blown back . He disappears from Angeline’s sight .
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Angeline turns her head slowly and can see Byaku lying on the ground, several meters away from her . His clothes are torn and he appears to be injured . But despite this, Byaku raises his arm again and, with a courageous look, he creates more magical patterns . Suddenly, white spots appear in his black hair, only to fade a few moments later .
The shadow creature pounces on him .
While some magical patterns protect the boy, others are thrown directly at the creature . The shadow creature dodges several of the magical patterns while disintegrating the rest with the ferocious attacks of its claws .
Byaku exhales in exasperation and creates more magical patterns and throws them at terrifying speed towards the monster . Unfortunately, the creature again proves to be much faster than the magical patterns and emerges relatively unscathed from the attack .
After the third barrage of magical patterns, Byaku runs out of magical power, his face is extremely pale and he seems to have trouble raising his arms, then the boy starts coughing and ends up spitting out blood . The effort has exhausted him and Byaku sinks to the ground . The number of magical patterns that protect him has decreased as well .
Angeline feels like screaming . She wanted to let her emotions of anger, frustration, and despair leave her body through the scream .
“No, this isn’t right . ”
Although Angeline seems calm, several feelings swirl through her heart . Just as those feelings are about to explode, the image of Belgriff appears inside Angeline’s mind .
Remember what Daddy said, Angeline thinks . Under no circumstances should I lose my temper . I must not allow my momentary emotions to create an irreparable situation . We adventurers always face life-and-death situations and must take action in a matter of seconds . Therefore, I must always analyze situations with a calm mind and with my emotions under control .
Suddenly, Angeline’s vision becomes clearer . It is as if a fog has lifted and her eyes can see clearly once again .
“What the hell have I been doing?”
She boasted of being able to protect everyone and this made her vision narrow . Her mind was in the clouds and that prevented her from seeing things objectively . In other words, Angeline had let her emotions control her .
That’s kind of embarrassing .
But this is no time to be obsessed with such things and be in a state of self-loathing . Angeline has to deal with the problem at hand . Otherwise, she could end up disappointing Belgriff .
After she calms her mind, Angeline can move her body more easily .
The hand holding the sword, which once felt very heavy, now feels very light, as if it were holding a thin wooden rod . Her legs also feel light . Angeline takes a deep breath and everything around her seems to stop, then she concentrates her strength on her legs and kicks the ground .
In an instant, Angeline is beside the shadow creature, which is about to dig its claws into Byaku and kick it with all her might . The creature is caught off guard, the kick sends it flying away and ends up crashing hard into the street .
“Yeah, this thing is nothing compared to my Daddy . ”
The shadow creature’s attacks are indeed swift and extremely powerful . But its movements are repetitive and therefore predictable . If Angeline remains calm, she can even avoid the attacks of the third arm . Belgriff’s attacks are much harder to predict in comparison .
“…You’re late,” says Byaku with his hands on his chest .
“I’m sorry, little Byaku . I will take care of the rest . ”
“Don’t call me little Byaku… “
“Fufufu… Step back . ” With an almost imperceptible movement, Angeline kicks the ground and rushes to the shadow creature .
The creature is standing up and giving the adventurer a hateful look . Angeline raises her sword and says with a serene expression . “Come on . Let’s play . ”
“Kill…” The shadow creature also kicks the ground and pounces on Angeline .
The creature’s movements are different, much faster, and sharper . This is possibly due to the battle it had against Byaku moments ago . However, Angeline can easily read the trajectory of the attack and twists her body so that she can parry the attack with her sword . The adventurer repeats her strategy for subsequent attacks and she can stop all of the creature’s attacks . Her hand is somewhat numb, but it is not as bad as before .
Then, taking advantage of the momentum generated by one of the attacks, Angeline raises her sword and strikes the body of the shadow creature .
“Argh!” The shadow creature groans in pain and flies backward . Even though Angeline hit it with the blade, the creature doesn’t seem to have taken any cuts . But the blow certainly affected the creature .
“That’ s right… I couldn’t cut this thing so easily . ” Angeline says, recalling the fight in the abandoned dungeon . Not even Dortos’ spear could penetrate the creature’s skin on that occasion and Angeline could only cut it with her last attack .
She needs to get that feeling back .
Angeline focuses on the hand that holds the sword . Now that she has shaken off her anxieties, she can feel her blood boiling from the battle .
Angeline enjoys fighting powerful enemies . These fights raise her fighting spirit and sometimes even make her smile broadly .
The magical power of her body gains momentum like a whirlwind, passing through her entire body with every heartbeat . From her arm to her fingertips, and even the sword she holds in her hand, she feels as if everything has become a part of her body . The magical power that overflows without being contained shines brightly .
The shadow creature gazes at Angeline with a look of intense hatred and increases the number of arms that emerge from her torso .
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“Kill!”
Like the legs of a spider, several arms surround Angeline, reaching out to her . Each has the power to be lethal at the slightest touch .
“——-!”
Angeline dodges the creature’s arms with elegant movements and with a single stroke of her sword, she cuts her enemy with her sword with a calm expression . The blade cuts through the shadow creature without feeling any resistance . (Here Angeline uses a technique of cutting her opponent and sheathing the sword afterward . Also known as Iaido, but I didn’t know how to include that name in the translation)
The torso of the shadow creature is split exactly in half and all the arms that were trying to get close to Angeline twitch and then slowly begin to fall apart .
“Argh…” The shadow creature staggers and falls to the ground with a thud . Its body crumbles in stale smoke, melting into a black, muddy puddle .
Angeline sheaths her sword and breathes heavily . Suddenly her body runs out of energy, but somehow she manages not to fall to the ground . Then she turns to see Byaku and smiles at him .
“How about that? Do you trust your big sister now?” After saying that, Angeline closes her eyes and sits on the floor . Byaku simply watches the girl, lets out a sigh, and shakes his head .
The wind has begun to blow .
“Interesting . Maybe it’s not a bad idea to let her grow up a little more…” murmurs the hooded man after witnessing the fight between Angeline and the shadow creature . The man takes a few steps around the edge of the building with one hand on his chin . The wind blows hard and the hem of his robe flutters aggressively .
Satisfied, the man places his hand on his chest to activate the Space Transfer Technique . However, nothing happens . The man frowned and turned around .
“Oh my . What do we have here…?”
“What are you doing here, you bastard? *Cough*” Maria is standing there, her gray hair blowing in the wind .
A ball of magic power shines in the palm of her hand, slightly outstretched and pointing upwards . This has prevented the man from moving elsewhere .
The man laughs fearlessly and cracks his bony knuckles . “What am I doing? I thought it was obvious . By the way, are you planning to stay in this place for the rest of your life?”
“Hmph . Don’t put me on the same level as bastards like you . And you should be dead in the first place, you scum…”
“Kukuku, I can’t believe the legendary magician ‘Ashen’ is so stupid . ”
“Who’s the stupid one here, scum? You dared to appear in front of me . *Cough* *Cough*“
The man laughs when he sees Maria coughing .
“You don’t look very healthy . Do you really think you can kill me in that condition?”
“You insolent fool . ”
Maria moves her fingers and invisible walls appear on both sides of the man, threatening to crush him instantly . However, the man crosses his arms, chants an incantation and blue-white lights come out of his hands, crashing into the invisible walls . The impact generates a loud bang .
“Was that all? You’re not as skilled as you used to be, Maria,” says the man with a sneer on his face .
“Don’t get too cocky, that was just a test . ”
Maria moves her fingers once more and immediately the ground the man is treading on softens, as if it were a swamp, swallowing the man’s feet . Suddenly a large number of light spheres appear around the man . Maria moves her fingers again and the light spheres shoot out towards the man . By their appearance, these spheres are much more powerful than ordinary magic bullets .
The man clicks his tongue and puts his hands in front of him . “In the dark night, the blood turns silver, the fire flickers, and in the moonlight, everything is dyed . ”
As soon as the chanting ends, a ball of light explodes in front of the man .
Maria scowls at the violent flash . Even the people walking on the street turn to see that intense light .
“He has escaped…”
Maria sighs heavily and lowers her arm . The man has disappeared . He was able to break Maria’s spell with that spell just long enough to teleport .
“I’m getting too old for this… *Cough* *Cough*“
Maria looks grimly at the traffic from the top of the building . She could see the people looking up in amazement at the flash of light . The ground is uneven after the battle between Angeline and the creature of shadows .
As she looks around, a puddle of a black substance catches her eye .
“…It’s a pain, but I think I should look into it . ” At that moment Maria presses her chest . “Cough! Cough! Cough Cough!” Maria struggles to catch her breath and then spits blood with a grumpy expression . “Damn it . The effect of this medicine doesn’t last long . I’ll have to find a new formula…”
Maria frowns and slowly makes her way down the building .