After earning the nickname of Deculan's Flame Demon, this kind of treatment was a first. It was as if he had been thrown back to a past where his name was unknown.
"You're quite amusing, Professor. Well, sure. The stench, it could be overwhelming. I don't particularly like their smell either. So, let's get to the point, shall we? First..."
Karahen pointed at Pola with his finger.
"This one will die."
His finger moved to the next target.
This time, it pointed at Professor Falun, who smiled with a twisted grin after being singled out.
"Professor... how about it? Do you think you'll die, or survive? You're a smart one, teaching kids, so you should know, right?"
His tone was openly mocking.
However, the targeted Professor Falun showed no reaction.
He merely looked at Karahen with a disdainful gaze.
"Tsk. You've got some nerve, Professor. Consider yourself lucky. The family ordered that you be brought back alive. Otherwise, you wouldn't have seen the light of day again."
Karahen seemed genuinely disappointed, licking his lips before continuing.
"Before that, there's something I want to confirm. That envelope. It came from Blando, right? I need to see it. Will you hand it over quietly? I'd appreciate it."
Karahen stared intently at Professor Falun as he spoke.
His gaze, contrary to his words, seemed to hope that Falun would resist.
Indeed, his thoughts were as clear as his expression.
The family's order was to bring Professor Falun back alive if the contents of the envelope were research papers on the Thousand Yuan Gong. The intention was to keep Falun alive to continue the research.
The key was whether or not the research could continue.
As long as he had two arms to hold a pen and two eyes to read, it shouldn't matter. Perhaps even one arm and one eye would suffice.
So...
'Yes, one arm. One eye, that's all.'
Just as Karahen thought this, Professor Falun spoke.
"Pola."
"..."
Seeming to recognize the seriousness of the situation, Pola did not deny her existence this time.
"From this moment on, think of yourself as a mercenary before a student. So, take care of your own life."
"..."
Pola nodded heavily.
It was supposed to be a simple delivery mission. How did it end up like this?
If it weren't for the fact that the target was an Academy professor, it wouldn't have been such a big deal.
With the situation becoming complicated, Pola was lost in various thoughts, which she then erased.
"Huff."
A shallow breath.
Her hand touched the hilt of her sword.
Having handled the sword so much, the hilt felt like it was glued to her grip.
When she was ready, senses heightened and stance set.
"Hahaha. That's right, that's right. That mercenary brat will fight to stay alive. But, Professor, will you be okay? You might end up with just one eye and one arm."
Professor Falun did not respond.
He merely placed the envelope in a subspace within his robes and fixed his gaze on Karahen.
A low sound echoed immediately after.
Crack!
Suddenly, ice shards appeared in the air.
Or rather, not in the air.
Masked men appeared in what seemed to be empty space, their bodies shivering as they were frozen.
The ice that bound the Troubleshooters' bodies sprouted sharp spikes almost simultaneously.
Crunch!
Two Troubleshooters were killed by the ice spikes.
Karahen laughed heartily at the sight.
"Haha, not bad. I like it."
Karahen's eyes gleamed with a murderous intent.
As those hiding nearby revealed themselves, the spacious office felt cramped.
Pola quietly observed the scene.
'Masked men...'
Dozens of them.
Judging by their sudden appearance, they were not from the Ether realm but from the Magic realm.
Of course, they were not all of them.
Until just a moment ago, she hadn't even detected their presence, but now, with her senses fully extended, she could sense several more.
The number was overwhelming, but she felt a sense of relief.
The Flame Demon's specialty magic was fire-based, as his nickname suggested.
In a space filled with allies, the Flame Demon would not be able to use his full power.
Just as she thought this,
"Shall we play a bit?"
Karahen's voice whispered in her ear.
Flash!
In an instant, flames erupted from Karahen's body.
'...Crazy!'
Pola realized she had been completely wrong.
She had seen countless madmen in her mercenary days, but Karahen was beyond the norm.
Two words were etched in her mind at that moment.
Death.
* * *
"Hahaha!"
Karahen's laughter echoed through Professor Falun's mansion.
Boom! Bang!
Explosions resounded everywhere, and with each one, the once beautiful mansion crumbled.
The battle was more intense than initially expected.
Professor Falun, whom Karahen had underestimated as just a researcher, used practical combat magic that could rival that of a battle mage. And Pola, whom Karahen had dismissed as a mere mercenary...
"Huff, huff."
She was still fighting amidst the explosions.
Pola, despite being out of breath, did not stop moving for a moment.
'Damn it.'
At the moment she sensed death.
It was good to have survived that far.
- Pola, it's an admission gift. I found it on the way, so do what you want with it.
The dirty talisman given by the captain turned out to be a one-time defensive artifact, but its protective power was exceptional.
If she had thrown it away, she would have been in serious trouble, but it was typical of the captain.
Of course, the captain had his own confidence. He believed she wouldn't throw away a gift he gave. It was a kind of trust, not really trust.
Perhaps, if she had thrown it away and died, he would have laughed, saying she deserved it.
But, that was as far as it went.
'These guys, what the... '
A barrage of spells from all directions.
None of them were high-level spells. They were all common spells that could be cast without special training.
However, the timing and combination of their attacks were quite tricky.
No big hits, but they gradually tightened the noose.
Clang!
"Whew, huff!"
Pola deflected an incoming ice arrow and panted heavily.
Her well-trained body was now exhausted, drained of all strength.
Even when she had blocked a monster wave during a mission, it hadn't been this difficult. She felt like she could collapse at any moment.
But Pola regained her composure.
'I have to hold on.'
Her gaze briefly fell on Professor Falun standing behind her.
If Karahen was a monster, then Falun was no less. In fact, from Pola's perspective, he was even more so.
Sizzle...
Boom! Bang!
Dozens of spells rained down from the air.
He formed a reverse field in the air to alter their trajectories.
A truly transcendent calculation.
Even as he did this, he continued to cast spells, reducing the number of enemies. How many attributes was he handling?
Starting with ice magic, then fire, lightning, and earth.
During the battle, he had shown at least four different attributes.
One, the reason Professor Falun could display such capabilities was because she was holding the line.
Just then, Falun's voice echoed in her ear.
"Not bad. I can trust you more."
"Huff, huff."
She was already at her limit.
But, trusting her more meant focusing more on offense and less on defense.
"Is it possible?"
"Whatever it takes...!"
Pola squeezed out a response.
It was no longer a matter of possibility. If she didn't, she would die. There was no other choice.
* * *
I observed the battle from a distance, concealing my presence.
'Indeed.'
A mage and a guarder.
The teamwork of Professor Falun and Pola, forming the smallest unit of a party, was remarkable.
Of course, Professor Falun's monstrous computational ability played a significant role, but Pola's ability to protect the mage as a guarder was far beyond that of a student.
However, the situation was not favorable.
How many Troubleshooters had already fallen here?
'Deculan is determined.'
The number of Troubleshooters deployed to the Academy was less than ten, but the number deployed to Professor Falun's mansion was in the hundreds.
It seemed that the troops monitoring the city of Hagen outside the Academy had been mobilized.
Most of them were no-numbered, lacking individual numbers, but their numbers were not insignificant.
Especially...
'They are herding us.'
My gaze fell on Karahen, who was in the middle of the formation.
"Professor! Is that all?! You should try a bit harder! Hahaha!"
Karahen, known for his fearsome reputation, was casting spells recklessly. However, that was only on the surface.
'He's breaking the flow of the battle.'
To prevent Falun and Pola from gaining the upper hand, he would interrupt their momentum at the right moments.
On the surface, he was acting like a loose cannon, but inside, he was like a snake.
Perhaps, Professor Falun also sensed this and was holding back his full strength.
If he lost his composure or became exhausted, Karahen's fangs would tear into him. If that happened, all their efforts would be in vain.
It was a wise choice.
But.
'It's just a slow death.'
I waited silently, biding my time.
'If I were Professor Falun...'
I would take a gamble.
Karahen, a seasoned mage with extensive battle experience, would not be unaware of this.
The moment Professor Falun took a gamble, Karahen would counter it. Then, the fate of both sides would be decided by a single spell from the two mages.
And...
'The opportunity will be then.'
Just as I thought this,
Sssss...
A massive amount of mana suddenly flooded the battlefield.
The source was none other than Professor Falun.
In the midst of it, it seemed that Pola and Falun had exchanged some kind of secret communication, as Pola's movements suddenly intensified.
She cast spells without even breathing, and the faint glow on her sword blade was none other than ether.
The ether-infused sword created a barrier, blocking all the spells aimed at Professor Falun. It was as if she was preparing for the final moment.
Karahen also took action immediately after.
"..."
Indeed, he seemed more at ease.
Unlike Professor Falun, he maintained a reverse field around him and emitted mana.
The amount was on par with Professor Falun's, if not more.
Grrr...
The natural mana in the air screamed as the two mages prepared their spells.
It was a contest of control.
The amount of mana in the natural state was limited, but there were two entities issuing commands. Inevitably, it turned into a battle for a share of the pie.
'Now.'
I seized the moment.
Bang!
A single step.
The distance between Karahen and me was halved, and the Troubleshooters in my path fell helplessly.
The destructive aftermath of the collision was the only testament to their deaths. I took another step forward.
This was half a breath.
"!"
"Ambush...!"
The Troubleshooters only realized my presence at this point.
But, my second step had already been taken.
I was now standing in front of the sturdy reverse field Karahen had set up.
I placed my hand on the field and whispered.
"Karahen."
"..."
Was he confident in his reverse field?
He kept his eyes closed, still focused on the control battle with Professor Falun.
I could guess his thoughts.
This was a truly seasoned combat mage's judgment.
Maintaining his composure in a critical situation, he trusted his reverse field and focused on the most urgent battle with Professor Falun.
But.
Sizzle...
Karahen's reverse field became hazy.
The starting point was my palm.
"!"
Karahen finally opened his eyes.
The light in his eyes was a mix of shock and indescribable confusion.
There was only one thing I could say to such a Karahen.
"This place will be your grave."
Bang!
Karahen's body staggered from a single blow.
Sparks flew from his body.
The protective artifacts he wore, which had been hanging all over his body, lost their function.