The moment Shirwin's voice fell, the air in the mine shaft seemed to be instantly sucked completely dry.
Blake was the first to react. His pupils shrank sharply, and fine ice crystals began to condense in his palm once more.
“Who's there?” Blake shouted toward the corner of the mine shaft.
There was no response from the shadows around the corner.
Blake could feel it—there was something in the darkness, and it was up to no good.
Shirwin raised her right hand and tightly gripped her silver-white wand. The seven magic gems at its tip lit up almost simultaneously.
“Princess Ilovina, please get behind me.”
The princess didn't say much this time, swiftly retreating behind Shirwin.
“The one hiding in the shadows is a dark elf, isn't it?” Shirwin's magic began to activate, with countless magic circles floating in the air, ready for battle.
Shirwin's voice echoed through the mine shaft without fading. The magic circles floating in midair rotated slowly, each of their focal points aimed at where the enemy might appear.
“Shirwin, esteemed Grand Mage, I have long admired you.”
The voice from the darkness carried a sort of lazy politeness, like a thief knocking on the door before entering a house.
An elf stepped out. He had lavender skin, short dark yellow hair, and two slender ears poking out from between his locks. His features were delicate, and a dark red tear-shaped mark hung below the corner of his right eye.
“A pleasure to meet you,” he said as he walked out of the shadows. “My name is Carlyle.”
Leopold had never heard of this name, but judging by the change in Shirwin's expression, the newcomer was clearly bad news.
“Carlyle... To think you would come in person.” Shirwin's expression was grim. “If I remember correctly, the last time you made a move was thirteen years ago, when you assassinated the Dwarf King of the Northern Forest?”
Carlyle tilted his head. “Grand Mage Shirwin's intelligence network is indeed as formidable as they say. Yes, that was me.”
He raised his right hand, holding a rapier that gleamed with a silvery light. “However, the reward that time wasn't very ideal. The Dwarf King was only worth three thousand gold coins. Far too cheap.”
His gaze drifted past Shirwin to land on the long golden hair behind her, the corners of his mouth curving slightly. “But this time's mission—the Third Princess of the Yegati Empire—is priced at ten thousand gold coins!”
Ilovina shrank her head back in fear.
“It seems someone hates you very much, Your Highness. Ahahaha—”
Leopold and Blake exchanged a look. It was a tacit understanding they had developed in that cave sixteen years ago—no words were needed; a single glance could convey their meaning.
Blake gave a slight nod, and Leopold smiled as well.
“Run!” Leopold and Blake bolted at the same time, sprinting toward the depths of the mine shaft.
The shadows in the depths of the mine shaft quickly flew past on both sides. Leopold and Blake ran one after the other, not daring to stop their pace for even a second.
Leopold had no desire to get involved in some political dispute. Helping either side right now would only result in offending the other.
Carlyle stood in place, his gaze tracking the two departing figures.
“It seems your teammates have abandoned you?”
“They can hardly be called teammates!” Shirwin raised her wand and began chanting her first spell.
“Sanctus Vinculum, Umbra Clausa!”
Golden chains shot out from the magic circle, piercing through the spot where he had been standing just a moment ago.
But the chains only pierced an afterimage—the dark elf assassin's physical body had already turned into a cloud of black mist the instant before the chains closed, dispersing into the deep shadows of the mine shaft.
“Tch.” Shirwin furrowed her brows tightly. The tip of her wand spun rapidly as she redeployed four defensive magic circles around herself. “Ilovina, close in on me! In close-quarters combat, I—”
“Teacher Shirwin!” Ilovina's voice came from behind, laced with panic.
Shirwin whipped around. Carlyle had already appeared less than three feet behind Ilovina.
“Vitae Saepio, Umbra Seclude—”
Shirwin's innate nature magic triggered instantly! The roots of vegetation hidden deep underground burst through the soil, turning into a barrier of interwoven green vines that instantly stood between Carlyle and Ilovina.
Carlyle's pupils shrank slightly as three vines lunged toward him with lightning speed!
“How boring...” Before Carlyle could even finish his sentence, the three vines had already pierced through his body. However, he once again dissolved into black mist, causing the vines to strike empty air and embed themselves into the rock wall behind him.
Shirwin did not pursue him. She quickly took two steps back to shield Ilovina once more, the seven gems at the top of her wand flashing alternately.
The enemy's position was difficult to pin down, and it was hard for her to use spells that required long chants. Her accompanying guards were still on the surface; the situation was highly unfavorable for her.
She had no choice but to use a wide-range spell first to test and find his location!
“Ignis Fluctus, Tenebrae Combure!”
Blazing fire erupted from the tip of her wand, turning into a rolling fire tornado that swept through the mine shaft, even burning away countless rocks that seemed indestructible.
Yet Shirwin did not dare to stop. She unleashed a succession of short-chant spells, solely to pinpoint his location.
Boom! Boom!!
Finally, under the continuous magical bombardment, Carlyle's figure was struck by the debris kicked up by Shirwin's magic, giving Shirwin the opportunity to use an intelligence-locking spell!
“Tch!” Carlyle vanished into the shadows once more.
But Shirwin had already locked onto his position. Without giving him any room to breathe, she spun the tip of her wand.
“Ventus Gladius, Acies Invisibilis—”
A massive sword of green wind formed beside Shirwin. Without hesitation, she pointed the tip of her wand forward.
The wind blade tore through the air at a speed difficult for the naked eye to track, skimming close to the floor of the mine shaft.
Carlyle had just emerged from the shadows, not even having enough time to completely dissolve his form, when the wind blade sliced into his left shoulder, drawing a mist of dark purple blood.
Grimacing in pain, Carlyle fell to his knees, his blood splashing onto Shirwin's face.
“You have lost, Mr. Carlyle.” Another massive sword of green wind formed beside Shirwin, pointing quietly at the kneeling Carlyle.
“Hey, hey, this is too unfair. That abnormal chanting speed of yours... Unfair, completely unfair...”
Carlyle knelt on the ground, the wound on his left shoulder still seeping dark purple blood that dripped onto the floor of the mine shaft. Yet, he burst into laughter.
“What are you laughing at?”
“Grand Mage Shirwin, you got my blood on you, didn't you?” Carlyle's tone suddenly dropped, all his previous madness vanishing without a trace.
“What—” Shirwin suddenly realized she couldn't move, and she couldn't even mobilize the magic power within her body.
“My, my, I was almost killed by you...” Carlyle slowly stood up from the ground, the wound on his left shoulder still bleeding.
...Shadow blood curse. She had been careless.
The expression on Carlyle's face had completely changed—no longer that lazy composure from before, but a focused and dangerous look.
“Spare... her. Ilovina is... royalty.”
“Teacher...” Ilovina closed her eyes.
“Royalty?” He let out a chuckle. “Ilovina Yegati, of course I know she is royalty. That is precisely why someone is willing to pay ten thousand gold coins for her life.”
Carlyle ignored her further, walking straight past Shirwin toward Ilovina behind her.
Ilovina took a step back until her back hit the cold rock wall. She had nowhere left to retreat.
Carlyle raised his silvery-white rapier, while Ilovina tremblingly raised her wand.
“My apologies, Your Highness.”
He brought his wrist down—
“Nordus Glacies, Penetra—”
An ice spike hurtled over from the corner of the mine shaft, forcing Carlyle to dodge out of the way.
“Looks like we finally made it in time.” Leopold wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Rate on N.U.
