Volume 2, Chapter 57 – Return

Holding a pair of short blades, Shinku leaped directly from the second floor without using the stairs. She then ignited her weapons and darted through the panicked imperial soldiers, their bodies ablaze. Though the soldiers attempted to organize a counterattack, Shinku’s unique abilities, combined with the flammable materials scattered across the floor, made it impossible for them to approach her.

In just a few breaths, three imperial soldiers had already fallen to Shinku’s blades.

Glancing at the screaming the imperial fallen alongside Ander, Camilla questioned him once more.

“What is your goal?”

“Fire!”

“The tavern’s on fire!”

“Hurry, put it out!”

Shouts from outside echoed in. It wouldn’t be long before people realized a battle was raging inside the tavern.

Hearing this, Ander snorted coldly. At this point, there was no need for further concealment. Even if he and his subordinates found Yisi and swiftly eliminated Camilla’s group, evading the city guards afterward would be nearly impossible. As expected, they would ultimately have to rely on the “Empire’s Blessing” to break through the city defenses by force.

With this thought, Ander’s impatience gradually subsided. His task now was no longer to rush but to stall for time. Once the city guards arrived, he would summon the burning stone monstrosities to annihilate all resistance in one fell swoop—victory was already within his grasp.

“Hmph, what do you think?”

“The [Eye of Dusk]?”

“Don’t tell me you possess another divine artifact… That would indeed be an unexpected boon.”

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Ander’s response made Camilla frown. Aside from the stolen [Eye of Dusk], the only other unique thing in the tavern was Margaret’s brewing method, and Camilla doubted the imperial fallens would go so far as to steal a recipe for alcohol.

Noticing Camilla’s confusion, Ander slowly sheathed his sword, ignoring the agonized cries of his subordinates.

“Of course, we’re here for the witchcraft that can cure the fallen. Where is the cleric named Yisi? Hand her over, and I’ll spare your lives.”

“Who are you?”

Instead of answering Ander, Camilla responded with another question.

For a covert unit, revealing their identity was strictly forbidden. But with the Empire’s Blessing in his possession, Camilla and everyone in the tavern were already as good as dead. Ander saw no reason to hold back.

“The Seventh Covert Unit of the Norta Empire. Are you satisfied with that answer?”

“…For imperial dogs to infiltrate this deeply into the heart of the Hearth Kingdom, the realm must already be rotting from within.”

“Precisely. That’s why His Majesty, in his boundless compassion, has resolved to save this fallen humanity.”

“Is that what you believe?” Regrouping, Camilla and Mary stood back-to-back, ready to fight again. “If you’re after Yisi Onee-sama, then there was never any need for conversation. □□□—『Ice Wall』.”

A frigid, bluish wall of ice materialized in the hall—but not to block Ander. Instead, Camilla summoned it beneath his feet.

Caught off guard, Ander lost his balance and toppled backward.

Seizing the moment, Mary, under Camilla’s direction, raised her shield and charged at Ander with 『Shield Rush』, the only active magic she could use, granting her immense force during the assault.

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“Tch. 『Fortitude』.”

Though Ander lacked magic that defied physical laws, he was far from helpless. As an orange-red glow enveloped his body, Mary’s shield struck him as if hitting a fortress. The impact sent Ander flying backward, shattering the ice wall, yet he remained unharmed. Meanwhile, the recoil left Mary’s arms numb.

『Fortitude』, a fundamental instant-cast combat spell, temporarily hardened a warrior’s body to an extraordinary degree.

Landing a second later, Ander swiftly regained his stance and lunged at the isolated Mary, sword in hand. Now aligned in a straight line, any attack spell Camilla cast would have to go through Mary first.

“Mary, fall back!”

“Ugh.”

Mary knew she was exposed, but the momentum from her charge and her numb limbs made retreat impossible. Her fallen abilities left her with only two choices: drop her weapon and hit the ground or brace for impact, betting everything on 『Shield Counterattack』.

Dropping her weapon was suicide on the battlefield, so Mary steadied herself, stepping back half a pace, knees slightly bent, raising her iron-plated oak shield to cover most of her body.

If 『Shield Counterattack』 could withstand Ander’s strike, she might buy enough time to retreat.

But that relied on her shield actually blocking his attack. Would a Level 21 warrior rely solely on basic magic? Of course not.

Ander’s charge halted abruptly three meters from Mary. With a fierce swing of his sword, two crescent-shaped shockwaves shot forth.

“『Sword Shockwave』”

Instead of closing in, Ander opted for a magical strike. While 『Shield Counterattack』 could endure heavier blows than usual, it faltered against multiple simultaneous impacts.

Realizing this, Camilla immediately abandoned her attack spell and prepared to summon another 『Ice Wall』 to buy time.

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“Camilla, don’t lose focus!”

Shinku’s warning came from the side. Instinctively, Camilla glanced over, meeting Shinku’s frantic gaze—so urgent that she even hurled one of her short blades as a projectile toward Camilla’s back.

Something was behind her.

Camilla reacted by throwing herself forward, but she was a fraction too slow.

“Too late!”

Somehow, Ander had already flanked her. His descending sword tore through the air with a shrill whistle.

From the start, Ander’s target hadn’t been Mary. As a spellcaster, Camilla posed a far greater threat. The 『Sword Shockwave』 was merely a feint to lock Mary into a defensive stance, allowing Ander to flank Camilla while her attention was divided.

In the firelight, Ander caught a glimpse of Camilla’s delicate features, her eyes wide with shock and panic.

Beautiful, but steel knows no mercy.

With regret, Ander watched his blade bite into her neck—

Or so it should have.

Just before the sword could pierce her skin, it struck as if hitting solid stone, letting out a metallic clang that stunned Ander. Then, the blade refused to budge further.

A pale, slender hand had caught the sword mid-air.

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It was a scene even heroic epics wouldn’t dare depict.

“To think mice would scurry into my home while I was away investigating—and even lay hands on Camilla. You’ve got quite the nerve.”

A voice colder than death itself, so devoid of life it unsettled even Ander. What shocked him more was that the one gripping his sword was none other than the cleric girl, Yisi.

No matter how hard Ander tried to force the blade down or wrench it free, the sword remained immovable as a mountain. Faced with this impossibility, Ander felt something he rarely experienced—doubt.

“Y-You… Who are you?”

“Who am I? True, I never introduced myself. Then, enjoy this last moment of freedom—somewhere undisturbed.”

Narrowing her eyes, Yisi retrieved a staff engraved with a sun and snowflake—Twilight of Eternal Frost—and struck its base against the ground.

Had anyone been watching from above the city, they would’ve seen an intricate white barrier erupt from the Margaret Tavern, spreading across the ground.

In a flash of light, Yisi and the imperial fallen vanished from the tavern.

『Mass Teleport』

A pre-laid teleportation array beneath the tavern, allowing Yisi to select targets at will and transport them to the outskirts of Celtic City.

Translator Note

u ded smh :<