IWRYWYM Ch. 118 â The Fall of the West
The world was red. Everything he could see was burning. Ash and heat seeped between his gaping upper and lower teeth, but William didnât even think of closing his mouth.
Because he was right amid that terrifying flame.
âUgh⊠UhâŠ!â Williamâs mouth twitched, but he couldnât make a proper sound as if he had been burned deep in his throat.
William raised his index finger and pointed to his front. The sole beautiful woman stood opposite the main hall of the crumbling castle.
âUh⊠Wha⊠HowâŠ?â
How could you use fire energy instead of water?
He thought by becoming an 8th-circle mage, he was qualified to enjoy a higher glory and become the closest to the truth of mana! But now, after a water spirit, she had also summoned a fire spirit?
He didnât think about whether he could win. He couldnât even think of a way not to die in this hot heat. But it couldnât end like this.
Williamâs eyes, full of hatred and venom, narrowed fiercely. He swore that if he could not have it, he would not give that glory to her either!
A force was added to the rattling and rotating mana rings. As William emitted strong energy while the aftermath of Elishaâs explosion had not died down, they vibrated again.
Elishaâs eyes were not the usual sky blue. A silver wick emerged from the middle of the sky blue eyes, lit. It devoured the original coldness, turning her eyes as red as the setting sun, eroding her whole. Those eyes slipped silently and headed toward the person who pressured their owner.
When he met Elishaâs red eyes, William was sweating coldly all over his body. Even in this situation, it was difficult to call that being that did not show a single emotion human.
No, William thought. She was originally like that. Yes, she wasnât like a human from the start, even when she was a little girl.
William, who turned the feeling of being bullied and feared by his pupil into shame, began to break the mana rings.
Two, three⊠Each time the mana ring was broken, the mana that should have been condensed in the mana ring spread throughout Williamâs whole body.
The manaâs physical path, in which mana moved, could not withstand the torrent and was broken. It eventually spread throughout Williamâs body, swelling like a leather bag that had been inflated.
His body trembled, but not because of fear. Before the last mana ring broke, there was the sound of struggling as if this leather bag had reached its limit without a wrinkle, implying Williamâs body was about to explode.
Sure enough. William, whose body floated in the air, looked down at Elisha with a sneer. At the same time.
Williamâs body exploded, and what was inside was scattered everywhere. But what was scarier was next. The mana that had been trapped inside his body swirled around Elisha and her surroundings.
After the battle between Elisha and William, the dukeâs castle, which had begun to collapse in half at Elishaâs power, was totally shattered this time.
Large stone carvings and decorations that fell from above landed on the concourse floor.
Without Elishaâs warning, those inside would have been annihilated if they hadnât escaped the dukeâs castle earlier.
Those who escaped from afar watched the end of the Verdin Duchy, a castle with a long history and a splendid splendor in the heart of the West.
âBy the way, what about the 2nd Consort?â
âShe couldnât come out.â
âWhat should we do? Shouldnât we go and bring her out?â
The one who spoke among the Eastern knights was someone from the Cain Viscounty. Someone looked at him distastefully.
âYou want to go into that chaos and rescue the 2nd Consort? Youâre lucky if you donât die.â
The knight frowned at Prince Raymondâs seemingly ignorant remark. Heâd fainted at every important moment, and now he acted proud upon waking up.
The expression of the other Eastern knights was also not very good, so Count Dyke had to step in again. Count Dyke knew that the Prince wasnât very good at thinking, but he hadnât expected him to be this bad.
The only time the prince caused more trouble than necessary was when Knight Commander Rohan, the emperorâs first sword, was at stake. Apparently, the 2nd Consort also annoyed or provoked the prince that much.
âItâs already late. But even if itâs not, what can we do by worrying about the 2nd Consort? What do you think? Is there anything we can do?â
Count Dyke diverted the attention of the knights from the prince to the crumbling dukeâs castle.
Indeed. The faces of those who had been reminded of the magnificent and absurd power were once again distorted. Longing and jealousy, envy and fear. Even Count Dyke was no exception. Confused, he shook his head to shake off his confusion and continued.
âThe life and death of Duke Verdin, the main culprit, and the whereabouts of Prince Patrick and his wife are still unknown. Checking out the secret passage the consort had heard from Madam Vera is what we can and should do right now.â
Count Dyke moved the Eastern and Imperial Knights. So, Viscount Cainâs knight didnât mention the strange thing heâd seen as he was getting out of the castle at the end.
Everyone seems to think that the fire burning the castle was caused by the explosion from the collision of the two powerful menâŠ
âBut the 2nd Consort had definitely shone red.â
Right before the explosion, that is. But his murmur was distinguished as soon as it was uttered.
Yes, what did that matter? Maybe he had misunderstood. How could someone who had contracted a water spirit have a double contract with a fire spirit? How much power was that?
That would never happen in history. There was no need to fuss over something that wasnât accurate, only to raise vigilance against him.
The knight took his gaze away from the collapsed dukeâs castle. No matter what anyone said, the first contributor to the suppression of the rebellion was the 2nd Consort, the general.
It seemed like it would be difficult for her to survive amid that turmoil, but his expectation had not disappeared as she had succeeded in nonsensical things so far.
Otherwise, he would not have been able to recover his mind so quickly and fulfill Count Dykeâs orders.
A scream rang out, and the smell of blood spread. The Eastern and Imperial Knights scattered and searched the secret passage to deal with the remaining remnants.
The resistance of those caught was surprisingly not strong. Most of the nobles and knights who were strong or famous enough to rally power or lead others had been killed in groups in the castle.
âLet go! Do you know who I am?!â
Most of those caught in the secret passage said the same thing.
âArenât you a traitor?â
Count Dyke stepped on the manâs back without showing any emotion. Then he turned his arms behind his back, tied them up, and knelt on the floor.
The knights of the rebel had all been killed, so all that lay on the floor were nobles. It was fortunate that Count Dout was among those caught, but it was unfortunate that the whereabouts of the eldest young master and the eldest madam was still unknown.
âDidnât the 2nd Consort raid the dukeâs castle? I donât think they could have run away from the 2nd Consort⊠But since thereâs no circumstance of them leaving the secret passage, does that mean they got buried under the rubble of that castle?â
Someoneâs words were quite credible.
âThen why donât we just clean it up when the reinforcements arrive?â
Some knights agreed with Prince Raymondâs blunt opinion, but Count Dyke shook his head straight away.
âIndeed, Viscount Tara and other troops who have returned to the Imperial Army are on the move, but it will be quicker for the remaining nobles and troops of the rebels who had been scattered to find us within the duchy before they arrived.â
âEven if the dukeâs castle has collapsed and the duke died?â
âThe dukeâs castle has fallen, but the dukeâs body has not been found. They wouldnât think the duke is dead. If we had caught the duke, we would have taken him straight to Barossa, and if we had killed the duke, we would have hung up his body. But we have not done so. So who would believe that the duke is already dead? Theyâll think that weâre cheating them.â
âWe must find the dukeâs body in the castleâs ruins and hang it up before the rebels scattered across the duchy arrive. Once we do so, they will run away with their tails tucked between their legs.â
âBut isnât there still the couple of the eldest young master? He has no justification and ability because heâs never been pointed out as a successor, but wouldnât his bloodline be enough to make him a puppet leader?â
âCome to think of it, shouldnât the troops protecting the outer walls surrounding the entire city center hurry to clean up? The commotion of the collapsing castle was so great. They must come and check it out.â They meant the fellow knights who had originally worked in the dukeâs castle and left at various points. Those knights mustâve wanted to quickly rejoin the castle as they could not just wait and see the duchy collapse.
The increased number of people asking questions made the situation more chaotic. In addition, Count Dyke had a headache because each of them was valid and had something to keep in mind.
It was a miracle that they had succeeded in passing the enemy line alone, accumulating great achievements, and eventually infiltrating the enemyâs heart to achieve victory. The problem was that only the enemyâs main forces had been eroded as they moved quickly. The head was struck, but the torso remained.
It would put them into a difficult situation if the enemies tried to crush them with their dull body. It also meant that getting out of there would never be easier than coming in.
⊠Above all, there was no 2nd Consort now. Count Dyke would not have thought about this in the first place if she had been there. He probably didnât have to.
Count Dyke paused, thinking that if at least the portal were intact, he wouldâve been able to send the prince to the central or eastern region first for safety.
Sensing the strange atmosphere, the other knights gathered around Count Dyke and straightened their swords. The eyes of the captured nobles lit up.
âHa! Do you think you can get out of here safely? Thatâs a long shot!â Count Dout shouted, and a nearby Eastern knight kicked him in the chest. No one had ever looked at him since.
The wall surrounding the castle was also half torn down due to the ground shaking as the castle collapsed. The main gate was barely hung, but the wall leading to it collapsed, and the outside was clearly visible.
The road leading up to the castleâs main gate was visible through the gap. And the road was black.
âAre the troops guarding the outer walls surrounding the city center here already?â
The Eastern and Imperial knights looked back at Count Dyke with a blue complexion.
If only the 2nd Consort were here! If only she dropped the wreckage of the collapsed castle and emerged from the ruin, it would work out somehow. Even Count Dyke thought the same thing as the knights under his command.