Chapter 100
Chapter 100
The Count of Sheffield launched a wide-ranging attack with Prometheus’s Flame, but in truth, only limited portions of it were capable of dealing any real damage to her.
‘Then if I reduce the range and increase the density.’
I had a vague sense of how to do it.
But actually realizing it in concrete terms was a separate matter altogether.
If this hadn’t been real combat, I would have called it a good idea and tested it more slowly and steadily, but unfortunately, I didn’t have that kind of leeway right now.
Tadadadadat-!
I didn’t stop my steps toward Gremory.
Instead, I stopped swinging my sword and began chanting magic over it.
Shiiiiiik-!
The ice spikes were still aiming for my body.
I couldn’t completely evade several of them, and they left streaks of blood here and there as they passed by, but I barely managed to complete the chant.
“[Flame that annihilates evil and burns away sin, scatter your brilliance and descend upon this place now. Enchant: Prometheus’s Flame]!”
Originally, enchantment magic was magic that bestowed attributes upon objects or living beings.
However, when Prometheus’s Flame was normally used, it would simply spread widely like the Count of Sheffield’s.
That was why I forcibly combined two spells and granted that attribute to my sword.
Hwaaaak-!
I was inwardly worried about whether it would manifest properly, but fortunately, the hastily assembled chant didn’t seem to be wrong, and a brilliant blue sacred flame took hold of my sword.
It was denser than the one the Count of Sheffield had ignited, and it shone with a deeper light.
“Ugh!”
Gremory, too, seemed unable to take it lightly, as she attacked me more fiercely than before.
But unlike earlier, not a single attack reached my side.
Shusususuk.
Whether ice spikes, crystals, or massive pillars—
All of them melted away in the heat of the blue sacred flame before they could even come close to me, disappearing without leaving a trace.
Seeing that, Gremory looked at me with a hardened expression and asked,
“You—just who are you? How can a Sword Master use ancient magic on the level of an Archmage…….”
Even for someone like her who had lived through countless ages, my existence seemed to be an irregularity beyond belief, judging by her incredulous expression.
That was only natural.
What human could reach the realm of a Sword Master and at the same time wield magic on the level of an Archmage?
To that, I grinned and answered,
“Leios von Ribera. The Empire’s infamous third prince. Remember it.”
Tadadadat-!
I kicked off the ground and hurled my body into the air.
Gremory hurriedly tried to flee by flapping her single wing, but my sword was just a bit faster.
Seogeok-!
The wing made of ice crystals was engulfed in blue sacred flame and torn to shreds in an instant.
Her expression changed as the wing vanished without a trace.
Unlike before, when she had looked down at me from above, Gremory now glared sharply at me with a face utterly devoid of composure.
“Fine, I admit it. In my current state, cooling the heat of that flame is impossible. But next time will be different.”
“Where do you think you’re running off to!”
Once again, I cut through the darkness and slashed across her body.
Prometheus’s Flame was a sacred fire that burned only evil.
If she had abandoned the possessed body, she could have escaped easily, but she seemed unwilling to lose the body she had acquired with such difficulty, enduring the pain as she fled from me.
“Then until next time, cute little baby.”
Ice crystals that had formed in midair gathered behind her once more, forming a pair of wings.
Gremory flapped them and soared high into the sky to escape this place, but the moment she turned her body, a sudden golden lightning appeared and bound her entire form.
“Kyaaaaaaak-!”
A shrill scream that seemed to tear the ears echoed through the air.
She plummeted straight down, and just before colliding with the ground, she barely regained her senses and came to a halt.
“Th-this is…….”
Soon, a golden barrier revealed itself across the surrounding sky.
Gremory’s expression twisted as though she hadn’t noticed it at all.
“Don’t underestimate the mages of the Sheffield family.
The one who pushed you this far was their leader, after all.”
Soon, mages of the Sheffield family appeared from all directions.
Just as I said, they had created a barrier to prevent Gremory from escaping and were desperately maintaining it.
“…….”
Realizing that even for her, breaking through a barrier created by dozens of mages giving it their all wouldn’t be easy, Gremory bared her teeth and charged straight at me.
“If it weren’t for you! If it weren’t for you!”
Without a golem-like shield, no matter how formidable her physical abilities were, reaching me was utterly absurd.
When I lightly evaded it, a fierce blizzard, as if squeezing out her last remaining strength, swept in all directions centered on me.
But even that failed to cool the heat of the blue sacred flame and instantly scattered, turning into a gentle summer night breeze.
“It seems you came out into the Middle Realm too early. Frost that comes with calamity.”
Prometheus’s Flame cut through Gremory’s body.
Soon, the source of demonic energy that had been enveloping Randolph’s body shattered and burst forth, and she hurled curses at me with a face twisted in agony as she burned away in the blue sacred flame.
[This is nothing more than a momentary diversion for me. But I will remember your name and face clearly. Third Prince of the Ribera Empire, Leios.]
“That’s an honor. To think a lofty high-ranking demon would personally remember my name. Then I can’t very well fail to respond in kind.”
I took out a small orb from my pocket.
Even as she was fading away, she looked at it with a puzzled gaze, but soon her expression hardened as she realized what the orb was.
“Judging by that look, you seem to know what this is.
A Grand Mage made it especially.
To damage your kind’s status.”
This orb had originally been a sphere formed from condensed demonic energy, but Chris had modified it, rebirthing it as a magical tool that stripped demons of their status.
It hadn’t existed in the original work, but after seeing her damage Aloken’s status during the dungeon exploration exam in the first semester, I had thought of it and mentioned it once.
Then, in just a single day, our Grand Mage created such an excellent artifact and handed it to me, telling me that if I ever encountered someone like Aloken again, I should thoroughly defeat them and store their status inside it.
At first, I hadn’t known how important something like status really was.
But immediately after reaching the level of a Sword Master, that perception changed by 180 degrees.
Status was essentially the very source that made up one’s existence.
Even if I had reached the level of a Sword Master, having my status continuously damaged was severe enough that my realm could regress.
Especially for high-ranking demons with many enemies and an obsession with status, it would be even more fatal.
With a deep smile, I pressed the demonic energy crystal against her body.
[Aaaaagh-!]
Gremory’s demonic energy began to fill the empty crystal.
Until the very moment she disappeared, she spewed unspeakable curses at me, but even those soon vanished without a trace.
“Phew…….”
After confirming that Gremory’s presence had completely disappeared, I planted my sword into the ground and gestured to the mages maintaining the barrier, telling them it was fine now.
Immediately after, they all collapsed unconscious, and I lifted Randolph, who was lying on the ground, into my arms.
“…Breathing and pulse are normal. As long as his mind’s okay, the rest should be fine…….”
Aside from being weakened from being possessed by a demon, there were no major problems.
What worried me most was whether Gremory, as she was expelled from this body, might have done something harmful to Randolph’s mind.
I slowly poured mana into his body, awakening his consciousness.
“……?”
Soon, Randolph opened his eyes.
His pupils hadn’t yet regained their light, so he didn’t seem fully himself, but after shaking his head a few times, the intelligence that had originally been there returned to them.
“…Master.”
“…He’s normal.”
At those words he uttered the moment he saw my face above him, I gave a wry smile and patted his head to show that he’d done well.
Then, from afar, Leysias—who had been maintaining the barrier with the family’s mages—ran toward us with an exhausted face.
“Randolph…….”
As if she had been through so much, she immediately embraced her younger brother’s body and began to sob softly.
Randolph, having just regained his body and being utterly spent, simply lay dazed in his sister’s arms.
“…I’m sorry. I’ll call for support.”
Regaining her composure, Leysias wiped at the corners of her eyes.
They were already red and swollen, so it seemed a bit late, but she lifted her head with an unconcerned expression.
“Ah…….”
Looking around, I saw that everyone—knights and mages alike—had collapsed.
It seemed they had even drawn out all their mana to maintain the barrier and prevent Gremory from escaping, and there wasn’t a single person who could move right away.
I was relatively fine, but even so, I couldn’t possibly carry dozens of people at once.
Soon, she shot a large flame into the sky with magic, and not long after, soldiers arrived from the fortress.
“Well then, let’s head back.”
I rose to my feet, patting the shoulder of Leysias, who was still holding her younger brother.
Looking toward the end of the mountain, it seemed the darkness was gradually retreating and dawn was approaching.
It felt like the perfect time to return home.
A few days later, the Count of Sheffield, who had barely clung to life after the battle with Gremory, finally regained consciousness.
Upon hearing the news that he had awakened, I went straight to his bedroom and was able to meet the count alone, his face gaunt.
“I truly thought I was going to die then. Not only my mana, but even my vitality was completely drained.”
“Is your status alright?”
“…It seems it will take some time before it fully recovers.”
Even so, the count gave a bitter smile, saying that surviving and being able to protect his children and territory was more than enough.
He was smiling, but it wasn’t a true smile.
No matter how important his family and land were, he was a man who walked the path of magic.
In a situation where what he had built up had been damaged, there was no way his heart could be at ease.
“That aside, I can offer nothing but my deepest thanks to Your Highness. When I collapsed, I truly thought everything was over. I was the only one in this territory who could use Prometheus’s Flame.”
The eyes he fixed on me narrowed slightly.
Right after waking up, he must have heard the general circumstances from his subordinates.
In that case, he would have also heard that I had used Prometheus’s Flame just like him.
“Thanks to that, I used a precious artifact. I imbued your lingering flame into my sword and defeated Gremory.”
“…An artifact, you say.”
The count nodded at my words.
It wasn’t a look of complete conviction, but for now, that was probably what he thought most likely.
He would know that I had learned magic, but there was no way he would think I could use Prometheus’s Flame itself like he did.
“I would like to bow my head and thank you properly, but my body is like this.”
“It’s fine. I’ve already received plenty of thanks from your subordinates.”
“Then I suppose I should give you something else.”
He pondered for a moment, then said with a grin,
“What do you desire? The support of the Count of Sheffield’s house for Your Highness? Or an artifact passed down as a family heirloom?”
At that, I smiled faintly.
I wanted neither.
Just as I was about to say that, the count spoke in a trembling voice, unlike before.
“S-surely my daughter…….”