Even though I drew my sword first, I respected the knight’s etiquette.
I didn’t attack immediately; instead, I gestured for him to draw his sword.
“You’ll regret this.”
Heinz frowned as if his pride was hurt and drew his own sword.
His style was a bit unique.
He held the hilt with both hands, but his grip with his left hand was weak so that he could move it freely at any time.
“Heinz. Don’t leave a scar on his face.”
“Well. That’s not really my style.”
Step—
And he rushed at me first, even though I was the one who gave him time to draw his sword.
‘He’s definitely not a knight.’
Clang—!
Soon, our swords clashed violently.
“……!”
“…….”
Those who use swords can sometimes predict the result after the first exchange.
It doesn’t happen every time; it’s a flash of insight, like the rare chance of lightning striking a person’s head.
It felt like that just happened.
Heinz’s eyes widened.
His arms trembled as if he couldn’t believe the sensation he felt through his hands.
When I raised my sword to counterattack, he quickly retreated.
“……Heinz?”
“Damn it. Didn’t they say he was unbelievably weak?!”
Heather, not knowing the reason for his behavior, made a confused sound, but he didn’t seem to have the time to listen.
Of course, he couldn’t escape my reach with just that much distance.
I charged forward quickly with my sword raised, and he bit his lip as if gripped by fear.
“Ugh!”
And as expected, his loosely-held left hand moved.
He reached into his vest and thrust his hand forward rapidly.
Driven by that speed, a sharply honed dagger flew toward me like an arrow.
But perhaps because his fear was so great, it flew straight toward my heart.
The heart.
If it hit, wouldn’t I die instantly?
‘Didn’t you say you’d use me as a hostage to buy time?’
Heinz’s face turned pale.
It was clear he was worried the dagger might actually hit my heart after he threw it.
His worry was obvious. It wasn’t because he couldn’t use me as a hostage.
He just didn’t have the confidence to handle the consequences of killing a Caldrich with his own hands.
Clang—!
But that was just a useless worry.
With a light swing of my sword, the dagger was knocked away.
There was no way I would be hit by an attack coming straight from the front.
His face went beyond blue and turned white.
Clang, clang!
I knocked away the second dagger he threw as well.
After pushing aside his sword as he tried to counter, I struck his blade hard once more.
It was impressive that he didn’t drop his sword from that.
“Heinz!”
Heather, finally snapping out of it, screamed his name. And then,
Whoosh—
Just before I could swing my sword, a wave of flames poured toward me.
“With just this much, you dared to try and take on me, the son of Caldrich?”
Roar—
As I cut through the magic with Levatein, the blade absorbed the flames.
Even though the fire was burning right above my hand, it wasn’t hot at all.
I swung it just as it was toward Heinz.
“Magic on the sword?!”
“Aaaaargh—!”
He quickly threw himself aside, but he couldn’t avoid an attack that had already predicted his movement.
The flames exploded from the blade as it slashed across him.
Engulfed in hot flames, he screamed and writhed in pain.
However, while it was painful, he wouldn’t die because I avoided his vital spots.
Furthermore, since Heather hadn’t intended to kill me, the fire only burned his skin slightly despite looking dramatic.
These were injuries that could be easily treated with a healer’s medicine.
‘I’ll have to ask them to prepare a very bitter one.’
Since he lived in the Eastern Tower, he probably knows best how bitter that medicine is.
Surely he won’t refuse it, considering it’s to heal his body.
When I turned my gaze toward Heather,
Crack—!
“Gah—?!”
“Huh?”
Suddenly, sharp pieces of ice fell and pierced deep into her arms and legs.
Falling from the clear sky, it looked like a divine punishment.
“Ugh! Argh…….”
But that couldn’t be it.
Even as she curled up in pain, Heather glared at the sky.
“Don’t exaggerate.”
‘That voice!’
With those cold words, Klen dropped down from the sky.
Was it because he fell from the heavens?
Or was it because the surroundings were being dyed in darkness?
A chilly aura drifted from the person standing in front of me as if to protect me.
I rubbed my arms at the coldness that felt like it would freeze my body.
‘But how did this person fall from the sky?’
I looked up at the sky.
A vivid blue bird was floating in the darkening sky.
Aren flew in a large circle above our heads.
[Could you not pour out more magic!]
And a voice more agitated than ever pierced my ears.
I was a bit curious how that voice, filled with rage, would sound to other people.
‘How…… did he get here?’
When I saw Aren, I could understand why Klen had fallen from the sky.
But that understanding soon turned into a question.
It was impossible to ride such a small body.
Could it be that the bird grabbed his shoulders with its feet and flew here?
But could such a small bird withstand Klen’s weight?
Even if any other bird couldn’t do it, it might be possible for a Divine Beast.
As I was piecing the situation together, the air, which had just been chilly, turned into a raging cold.
“……?!”
I looked around.
The landscape surrounding us was frozen white.
It wasn’t just a metaphor; it was literally frozen.
[Are you alright!]
“Aren!”
As Aren landed on my shoulder, the freezing sensation that had numbed my senses vanished, and warmth filled my body.
It wasn’t that the cold around us had disappeared.
It was just that a protective spell seemed to be placed only on me, wrapping me in a faint warmth amidst the frozen scenery.
Sssss—
As if waiting for that, the chill increased noticeably.
The frozen grass couldn’t even flutter in the wind.
Heinz, who at first welcomed the cold air surrounding him, began to look stiff.
Thanks to this energy, the flames and heat that covered him were certainly extinguished.
But now, it was his turn to feel pain from the freezing cold that felt like it would turn his body to ice.
White steam rose from his body now that the fire was gone.
Because the power was adjusted properly, he wasn’t bleeding, and the burns were relatively light.
It might be dangerous if he stayed in this cold for a long time, but he’ll probably be fine for a while.
“Ugh. Magic? That’s impossible! I’ve never heard any information about Klen Valuncio using magic!”
Klen didn’t give any answer.
Usually, even while giving off a cold vibe, he had a certain softness as if leaving a gap for one to escape.
But now, not even a tiny gap could be seen.
Right now, he was the ice itself that covered the area.
Whoosh—
