Chapter 134 : Chapter 134
Chapter 134:
After the matter in Ruhindorf was settled, I was told I had passed a turning point and received skill points and relationship chart points.
The biggest achievement was obtaining the Revealed Eye skill, but using it whenever I felt like it had severe side effects, and I also had to be mindful of my reputation.
'They said that all who saw the Count's eyes open would die. He really lived a dirty life.'
Therefore, at least to the people of the Empire, the Count opening his eyes and attacking meant either to kill or be killed.
Even if I had no such intention, everyone thought so.
I even heard that Tarif of Stetten, who I fought last time, was being praised for having fought the open-eyed Count and returned alive.
It meant it was a finishing move that also put my social reputation on the line.
It wasn't a card I could pull out just because I was making a mess in someone else's reception room.
"I'll ask just in case. May I take this as a declaration of war from the Three Blades?"
"Is there really a need for such a noble act? The moment you, Count sir, made an enemy of the Duke, it was destined to be this way."
"My, my, but it's not to the point of immediately pulling out blades and slinging magic, is it?"
Grumbling, I slowly backed away towards the small outdoor garden.
Except for the Count shadow corps, the headquarters personnel are all office workers who use their heads.
If they get swept up in this, it will affect the upcoming fight with Johann.
It was also better for the battlefield to be wide to properly use the skill I was preparing.
"How about you stop breaking someone else's house and come out."
"...Very well."
Semia obediently came outside.
Thank goodness.
At least the repair costs wouldn't increase any further.
"Because I also prefer a wide space to fight."
Rumble!
As Semia took a step, mana fluctuated and the ground rumbled.
The garden split apart and the ground shot up sharply where I had been standing.
"You dodge this much with ease."
"I wasn't particularly at ease."
It was a good thing my body reacted first after seeing the movement of mana, otherwise I would have been skewered.
Looking around the ruined garden, I clicked my tongue without realizing it.
3rd-tier spell, Tectonic Wave.
I only knew the simple setting that it twists the earth with the power of mana, but seeing it in person, its power was considerable.
Bang!
Without a moment to leisurely analyze, the next attack poured down.
With an explosion, rock fragments scattered in all directions and flew towards me.
I blocked them lightly with the defense spell engraved on my staff, but in the meantime, a flashing Silver dagger came right before my nose.
I instinctively tried to block it with a defense spell as well, but then stepped back.
I was able to narrowly avoid the blade that tore through the barrier.
"Being from the Three Blades, you use such expensive items so casually. I'm envious."
"......"
Semia, having created distance, stood tall and corrected her posture again.
An ominous black light overflowed from the silver dagger in her hand.
It wasn't exactly the same, but it was an item I had seen when I went to the Royal Blacksmiths' Guild.
I was tempted by it, as it was said to be able to nullify most defense spells.
Of course, I gave up after seeing the rough price tag.
If I had bought it with the money the Eight Council uses in a year, it wouldn't have ended with just a nagging from the Finance Head.
According to what I heard from Til later, she criticized it, saying that it had to be made using a special metal that shines black when imbued with mana, so the blade length was short and its practicality was low.
'It's more economical to just practice magic harder than to use that to break through a defense spell. It's practically a decoration.'
That was Til's cold assessment.
Seeing it in person, I could vaguely understand what she meant.
The blade was too short, and it revealed the intention to attack too clearly with its ominous light.
That's not to say it wasn't tricky.
Just the fact that she had a means to nullify defense spells increased the things I had to be careful about.
Besides, Semia didn't just use that short dagger.
In her right hand, a long rapier had appeared at some point.
Swoosh!
This time, the long blade aimed for my side.
As I activated the defense spell once more, the silver dagger in her left hand lightly tore the barrier.
In the end, I had no choice but to retreat far back again.
"If you keep running away like that, you'll fall into the lake."
"I don't know what to do with myself, you're so worried about me."
I glanced back and saw that there were only a few steps left to the cliff that met the lake.
I wouldn't die if I fell, but it would be hard to dodge magic pouring down in the water.
As if not to give me any room, Semia charged forward.
The ground shook again, and spikes of rock and earth shot up.
"!"
As a black hand shimmering with mana forcibly pushed the approaching spike aside, a brief look of surprise crossed Semia's stoic face.
But she soon returned to her original expression.
It was impossible to simply deflect a rock manipulated by immense magical power with sheer force.
Of course, I knew that well too.
Mana Grasp was not enough to strike away a chunk of rock flying faster than an arrow.
But it was enough to make its trajectory shift slightly.
Crunch!
With an unpleasant sound, a great impact was delivered to my left shoulder.
My body was nonchalant to most pain, but it didn't completely block the pain of my arm almost being torn off.
Nevertheless, I clenched my teeth, leaned forward, and charged.
"What the...!"
"Materialization."
As I watched the astonished Semia take a defensive stance, I murmured, and a flashing silver object squirmed and formed in the air.
I grabbed the thin, long, spear-like silver object and thrust it forward.
The silver object tore into Semia's side, who was defending with the thought that I would swing my staff.
"Ugh!"
Dark red spread across her neat clothes.
She quickly struck the silver object away with her rapier, but the silver object had already lost its form and shattered to pieces.
"Hmm, the spell doesn't unfold as I thought."
"What on earth is that spell...?"
"You don't know? It's the 5th-tier Mana Materialization."
"That's ridiculous."
Semia flatly denied it.
I understand.
Because this spell wasn't originally meant to be used like this.
"I've never even heard of being able to materialize with that much size and strength."
"You've seen it now, so you can consider it a good experience."
I replied with a sneer.
The Mana Materialization I had barely learned by pouring in the lowered probability and the points I got last time was both a great and not-so-great spell.
Magic in this world is the momentary gathering and utilization of scattered mana.
For example, the 3rd-tier spell Tectonic Wave that Semia used manipulates the ground by channeling mana into it.
At this time, mana is utilized as an invisible energy that moves the earth.
It is powerful, but it is not of a nature that can be seen or grasped.
In contrast, Mana Materialization is, as the name suggests, a magic that momentarily gives substance to mana, creating something tangible out of thin air.
It's not like Mana Grasp where you have to endure huge restrictions to materialize; it's a ridiculous spell that just creates anything in mid-air.
'Normally, maintaining a simple ball or stick for a moment is the limit.'
Instead, the forcibly substantiated mana collapses after a short time.
It's also nearly impossible to create complex shapes.
Moreover, it takes a long time to cast as it requires gathering not only one's own mana but also the surrounding mana to the extreme.
In other words, it is close to a spell that has meaning in academics or training, with almost no practical use.
That's why it was assigned a low rank of 5th-tier despite its ridiculous ability.
"If I had made it a bit sharper, I could have made you completely immobile."
"...Indeed."
Semia nodded, clutching her bleeding side.
Her wound was less of a cut or a stab, and more like it had been hit and torn by something blunt.
'The limits are certainly clear.'
Even after drawing on Valheit's mana and the residual mana released by Semia's Tectonic Wave, creating a blunt-ended ellipse was my limit for now.
It was good that I could counter-attack a mage using a strong spell, but I would need to get more used to its application.
"But it seems you've given up something for that one trick."
Semia corrected her stance again and looked at my left shoulder.
She's right.
My tattered left arm was starting to hurt like hell.
Instead of talking further, Semia acted, targeting my weakness.
As I barely parried the rapier coming for my undefended left side, she took another step closer like flowing water.
Attack the disarrayed opponent with the silver dagger in her left hand.
Even if I use a defense spell, it cannot be blocked.
She probably thought so.
"Unfortunately."
"!"
I grabbed the wrist of her left hand as it came for my neck.
"Things don't work out that easily, do they."
A crackling sound came from my left hand, and sparks began to fly.
She tried to pull her arm away in a hurry, but it was already too late.
Electricity sparked in all directions, and Semia's movements gradually slowed until she finally slumped to the ground and coughed up blood-tinged spittle.
I had controlled the power so as not to kill her, but it was impressive that she was maintaining consciousness.
Glaring at me with bloodshot eyes, she muttered softly.
"I looked down on you too much. Damn it...."
With those last words, Semia collapsed to the ground.
***
"I told you to take care of your body, didn't I?!"
"I understand, doc. Don't shout at the patient."
"How can I not shout?"
Raphel growled as he poured powdered medicine on my dangling, blood-soaked left arm.
The moment the medicine touched it, I wanted to scream like a child, but I barely held it in.
The dignity of Count Valheit....
"Uwaaaaaaaaargh!! Are you trying to burn the wound?"
"Stay still."
Raphel grumbled as he applied more of the suspicious medicine.
This hurts more than when I was hit squarely by the Tectonic Wave?
"Hmm, that was a good show."
"Mr. Ede. Don't you have any respect for your injured superior."
"We've repelled the members of the Three Blades who were loitering around for now."
Ede, who had come to the temporary sickroom at some point, ignored my words and continued his report.
"Judging by their armament and preparations, it seems their goal was to assassinate you, Count Sir, rather than to attack the headquarters."
"If they had brought a whole troop of soldiers, I wouldn't have met them in the first place."
Their plan must have been to meet and kill me under the pretext of negotiations.
To resort to such an extreme method, the First Duke must be quite desperate.
"The damage on our side isn't great, and we've captured all of the Three Blades. I think we can take a breather for now."
"Did you happen to see any ravens?"
"Pardon? Those Leitche bastards? I haven't seen them."
"No. I mean the bird, ravens."
"Oh, I saw one or two?"
Those things will probably deliver the news.
It means there's no time to linger for long.
"What did you do with Semia?"
"I cut the tendons in her ankle and wrist and then threw her in prison."
I didn't tell him to go that far.
No, considering her skills, perhaps that level of precaution is safer.
"Johann Geller is not a man who abandons his people, so she will be a good hostage. Keep a close watch so she doesn't die."
"Yes! I've tied her up tightly so she can't commit suicide."
What a frightening guy.
I could understand how he became the blood-and-tears-less avenger in the original work.
"By the way, how did you win when you were so badly injured?"
"Ah, it's all thanks to our doc here."
"I was just standing by."
Raphel, who was diligently wrapping bandages, tilted his head.
Of course, Raphel didn't do anything directly.
What helped was the skill he gave me.
[Experimental Medicine]
Ernesto Israpel Relationship Chart Reward!
Allows you to ignore physical damage for a certain period and move your body!
Not effective on physically separated body parts!
Duration changes according to the relationship chart:
Current duration: 5 seconds
It was a good thing I used the free relationship chart points I got last time to acquire Raphel's special skill.
It's no exaggeration to say that I charged at the rock trusting in this one thing.
"What are you going to do now? I doubt the First Duke will back down after failing an assassination once."
"Send a message to the Eight Council. Tell them it's an all-out war with Johann Geller."
"To the Duke of Leitche too?"
"Yes."
Because it also serves as a declaration of war against that bastard.