5
A warning from the spirits, almost like a scream.
It was almost a miracle that Lunamaria was able to react instantly.
She thrust out the diamond dagger she carried for self-defense towards the white shadow approaching like a sudden gust of wind. The moment the dagger was about to slash through the white shadow, an unbelievable pressure was applied to Lunamaria’s hand.
A strong impact from bottom to top, as if her whole body might float upwards.
The next instant, the dagger flew through the air with a clear sound.
Although Lunamaria had lost her weapon in an instant, she used the brief moment she had gained to discern the nature of the shadow.
The sage’s blue eyes caught sight of a young man with grayish-white hair and blood-red eyes.
In his hand was an eastern sword, the same as her master’s. It was this weapon that had just deflected Lunamaria’s dagger.
The young man’s red eyes glared fiercely at Lunamaria. Just that was enough to subject her to such pressure that her throat dried up. Lunamaria called out to Seal and Suzume behind her in a hoarse voice.
“Both of you, run!”
Lunamaria had instantly judged that she was not the target. If she had been the attacker’s target, she wouldn’t have been able to withstand that first strike. The assailant was that formidable.
! Image
The reactions of the two who received Lunamaria’s warning were contrasting.
Suzume, not understanding what was happening, stood frozen with her eyes wide open. It was Seal who quickly grabbed Suzume’s hand and ran back into the mansion. Her ears and tail were so straight, one might think they had wires in them. It was clear that this change was due to extreme tension, and Seal must have also realized the attacker’s strength in that short time.
“[Earth spirit, my friend, entangle this man’s feet.]”
Having lost her dagger and now barehanded, Lunamaria invoked her spirit magic.
In response, something that looked like plant roots broke through the cobblestones of the alley and wrapped themselves around the young man’s feet.
Unlike the elemental attack spells used by Miroslav, spirit magic doesn’t have set incantations or effects. The caster makes a wish, and the spirit answers—that’s the only procedure.
This flexibility, allowing the spell’s effects to change based on the situation, makes spirit magic far more versatile than attack magic.
But, naturally, there are drawbacks. The effects can be unstable.
Spirits are fickle, and the more specific the request, the lower the success rate. Depending on the caster’s skill, the spirit might ignore the request altogether. In the worst case, an annoyed spirit might even attack the caster.
This uncertainty is why there are so few spirit users among adventurers who need reliability.
However, Lunamaria, being an elf, has a high affinity with spirits. Combined with her own considerable abilities, her success rate with spirit magic is exceptionally high compared to other spirit users. This time too, the earth spirit answered Lunamaria’s wish, swiftly and powerfully entangling the enemy’s feet.
But—
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
“How annoying!”
With a frustrated shout, the white-haired attacker’s magic power surged, blasting away the tendrils that had bound his legs.
The attacker—Klimt—unleashed a shockwave with the enhanced energy surrounding him. The shock not only struck the earth spirit but also hit Lunamaria, the caster.
It felt like being slammed by a giant hammer. When she came to her senses, Lunamaria’s slender body was floating through the air like a leaf.
“…!”
Thanks to her elven agility, she managed to adjust her posture midair and land on her feet.
However, Lunamaria’s face was filled with anxiety as she stood.
The earth spirit that had entangled the attacker’s feet was nowhere to be seen. And no wonder— the torrent of magic swirling around the enemy was like a blazing inferno. There was no way a lesser spirit could hold such a fiery monster in check.
Maybe a higher-ranking spirit could, but summoning one would require significant magic power and concentration. Without someone to guard her, doing so would be like inviting an attack.
—Not that there’s any guarantee a higher spirit could stop him…
Lunamaria groaned inwardly.
Just from that brief exchange, she knew. The difference in their abilities was hopeless. This was an opponent Lunamaria couldn’t hope to defeat.
In this situation, she was like a frog staring down a snake. The fact that she hadn’t collapsed on the spot was a testament to her bravery.
At this moment, Lunamaria was only holding herself together thanks to Sora. Compared to the overwhelming pressure Sora, who harbored a dragon within, exerted, the pressure from the attacker was somewhat lighter. That fact gave Lunamaria just a sliver of composure.
At that moment, Klimt spoke.
“Hmm, I’ll give you credit for not collapsing.”
He gazed at the panting elf and curled his lips.
“I’ll give you one chance to heed my warning. Leave now. My target is the oni, not the elf.”
“…You seem to have a grudge against the oni, but does that justify attacking those without weapons?”
“A foolish question. The very fact that you ask it shows how complacent people on this continent have become. But no matter. If you won’t listen to my warning, then die here.”
Klimt raised his sword high, its blade reflecting the sunlight with a piercing gleam.
Lunamaria gritted her teeth and readied herself. It was clear from Klimt’s unyielding demeanor that further discussion would be pointless.
She had no sword, no bow, and her spirit magic was ineffective. She had no chance of winning, but she needed to buy time for Seal and Suzume to escape.
With that determination, Lunamaria prepared to face Klimt. But just as she was about to make her move—
“W-wait! Please, wait!”
Liddell’s panicked voice cut between the two.
The receptionist, who had been stunned by Klimt’s sudden rampage, had regained her composure thanks to the time Lunamaria had bought and now raised her voice in an attempt to stop him.
“Personal combat within the city is strictly prohibited! Put your weapon away at once!”
“—I cannot comply with that.”
The response was immediate.
Liddell’s expression froze, as the voice came from behind her, not in front.
Based on what she had observed so far, Liddell had assumed that Goz and Kuraia would try to stop Klimt.
But when she heard Goz’s next words, she had no choice but to realize how wrong her assumption was.
“The Demon Slayer Command is our ironclad rule. We cannot comply with a law that demands we sheathe our weapons in the presence of an oni.”
“Goz! That child is under Sora’s protection! This is recognized by the Ishka Government—no, by the Canaria Kingdom! If you harm her, you will be committing a crime!”
“It cannot be helped. Compared to the harm of leaving an oni alive, the risk of becoming a criminal is nothing.”
It was clear from Goz’s unshaken words that persuading him would be impossible. If she continued trying to stop them, Liddell herself might be cut down. Goz’s fighting spirit was radiating so intensely that it wouldn’t be surprising.
Liddell didn’t understand that this power was known as Od, but even without knowing, she could sense the vast power of her opponent. The receptionist, used to dealing with rough situations, felt her body shrink under the giant-like pressure. Palfé, too, was trembling, her face pale.
Desperate for a way out, Liddell searched for Kuraia, only to realize that the white-haired female swordsman had disappeared from the carriage.
Where had she gone?
Liddell’s already pale face turned even paler as she looked up at the wall of Sora’s mansion.
As if waiting for that moment, a scream, likely belonging to Seal, rang out from behind the wall. Liddell realized that Kuraia had jumped over the wall and attacked Seal and Suzume as they tried to flee into the mansion.
With Kuraia’s strength, which allowed her to easily dispatch rampaging monsters, killing the novice adventurer Seal would be a simple task. And as for Suzume…
Imagining the death cries that would soon follow, Liddell tightly shut her eyes.
The poll is open again, please vote!!!
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated. Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
