NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14: Conclusion of the Battle
"Groaaaahh... Gaah.. gho.. gh.. ......"
The groans of the monster slowly became weaker and weaker before fading away totally as it's body twitched and it's arms lost their strength, dangling down like branches off a tree.
The room that had been engulfed in chaos just a few minutes ago now stood still in deathly silence. The people present, including the captives, stared in shock at the awe-inspiring sight before them.
Pure white ice in the shape of spikes protruded from the ground in astounding size and quantity and impaled the huge, multi armed monster, enveloping it's fullness. The source of the said ice was the now unconscious, lying face first on the ground, black haired servant of the young lady of house Carmine, Larc.
At the heat of the battle, the young butler got blown away by the hoarder. After he stood up he suddenly kicked towards the ground and produced the tremendous amount of ice that proceeded to impale the monster, killing it almost instantly as he himself passed out.
"Incredible..." Muttered Danari as she slung her bow to her shoulder and walked towards the boy.
*Pang*
The sound of metal hitting something hard reverberated throughout the open space as the guards tried hitting the ice with their swords, curious as to how and why it appeared.
"What the hell is this?!"
"It's as hard as steel."
"Extremely cold as well.."
They all remarked as they beheld the peculiar sight.
[..So this is what master Jorgé was talking about..] Danari thought to herself. [A lost art, Frost magic.]
Standing near the young man, Danari crouched down turned the young man over and supported his head with her lap. She stroked his hair over and placed her hand on his forehead.
[Cold..] she thought to herself.
Just as she was doing so, she heard the footsteps of a man coming from the far side of the room.
Looking back, she saw the figure of a silver blonde haired man clad in silver armour walking towards her.
"Even I won't be able to do anything to save you if my sister saw you doing that, Danari" He snickered.
"Who is that, master?"
Not minding her master's teasing, Danari gestured towards the body Jorgé was dragging with him.
"Is that thing dead?" She asked
"You're no fun, you know?" Answered Jorgé as he dropped the body to the side and crouched near Larc and Danari. "No, he's still alive. He wouldn't tell me what I wanted to know, and time was running out, so I decided to just bring him along and question him at the dungeons."
"So he was the one behind that hoarder?"
The one to interject was the hooded mage Cobalt. He drew near the robed man and took a look at his face. A small tattoo in the shape of a "V" caught his attention.
"The Vanosian marking.. a man of the church?" He asked.
"Seems so, probably a priest or a bishop, but he's definitely from the church."
"Why would the church be raising a hoarder here?"
"That's what we're going to find out." Answered Jorgé while smiling mischievously.
Hearing the two talking nonchalantly, Danari turned towards Jorgé and looked at him with serious eyes.
"Were you the one responsible for this, master?" She asked as he gestured towards the huge chunks of ice that impaled the monster.
"Well, in a sense." Answered Jorgé vaguely. "Make no mistake, the mana and affinity came from Larc himself, without a doubt it's a unique magic from Ferahim. All I did was undo a layer of seal placed on him."
The people present inside the room all stared in shock and confusion at the young lord.
"What do you mean by that, master?"
The one to first ask was none other than the dark skinned elf woman giving Larc a lap pillow, Danari.
In response, Jorgé smiled and opened up the chest part of Larc's armour and removed the clothing.
"His magic is being held back by a multi layered seal." He answered as he activated his left eye.
As if in response, a sigil appeared on Larc's chest. A round sigil with runes inside and outside, constantly rotating and changing.
"Astounding!" Exclaimed Cobalt
The sudden outburst of the usually stoic and quiet mage greatly shocked everyone. The person, however, did not mind them and proceeded to inspect the moving sigil.
"A magic seal of this caliber! Not to mention, the unique magic, Frost! I never thought I'd be able to see one! Did you undo this, my lord?" He exclaimed.
Seeing his Mage's enthusiasm, Jorgé merely smiled wryly and shook his head lightly.
"No" He answered. "Well, to be more precise, I couldn't."
[?!]
It was now Danari's turn to be shocked.
[A sigil that even Jorgé-sama can't undo?! Such a thing exists?] She thought to herself as she looked at her master with wide eyes.
"How is that possible?! Not even your eye could decipher it??" She asked.
"The seal is constantly changing, constantly rearranging itself, it's an ancient magic lost in the history books, a simple spell that's quite unbreakable." The silver armoured man answered as he extended his hand towards the sigil and disrupted it, only for it to reappear again in a different form.
"In his moment of desperation, Larc focused all of his mana reserves into one point of his body, I managed to undo one layer of the seal at the exact same moment, that's what led to his magic pouring out."
Jorgé then removed his hand from Larc's chest and crossed them while lightly shaking his head, as if in disappointment.
"But the seal quickly rearranged itself and strengthened the other layers." He continued as he stood up. "At this rate, only the caster of the seal, or someone who knows how to cats it, can break it. Even I won't be able to do it."
At her master's words, Danari fell into a deep thought.
[Undoing one layer of seal was able to release this much mana.. I'm scared to even think of how much he has in it's entirety.]
"I'm quite astonished too, Danari."
"Eh?"
Confused at Jorgé's sudden remark, Danari couldn't help her voice from leaking out. She looked at him with confused eyes before tilting her head slightly.
"W-what do you mean master?" She asked.
"You were thinking of how terrifying he might become if all the seals become undone weren't you?"
"Ah.. uh.."
Hearing her master's words, Danari was left speechless.
"Truly astonishing" Continued Jorgé with a wide grin. "I'm excited to see how much he grows from here on."
"If he's allowed to grow, and unlock his strength, wouldn't he become a potential threat?"
"?!?"
A soft and nonchalant voice suddenly echoed throughout the room, greatly startling the people present.
Seemingly out of nowhere, a petite, hooded girl that carried two daggers on her waist appeared from the shadows at the far end of the room and skipped towards Jorgé.
"So you were here, Poenemu?!" Exclaimed Danari as she looked at the girl.
The girl in question was called Poenemu, a mysterious rogue/assassin under Jorgé's employ. Using the unique magic, "Shadow Step" she can hide and freely travel through shadows, making her highly specialized in espionage and assassinations.
Not minding Danari's remarks, the girl continued to draw close to Jorgé.
"If master wishes it, Poenemu can end the boy here and now~ quick and painless as well~~" She said in a playful tone.
*Shiing*
To everyone's shock though, Jorgé drew his sword and aimed it at the girl's neck, stopping just inches away from it.
"If you so much as touch a single strand of hair on this boy, I'll kill you.. Poenemu." He remarked in a low and threatening voice as he shot a glare at her direction, sending a shiver to everyone's spine.
*Gulp* "A-apologies, master. Poenemu would not dare disobey you.. Poenemu's body and soul belongs to master.. Poenemu was only trying to be of use.. please don't hate Poenemu.." She answered as she looked down with watery eyes.
*Haah*
Seeing this, Jorgé sighed in exasperation and sheathed his sword. "Apologies, Poenemu, it's just that your words irritated me. Please refrain from making such remarks in the future."
The hooded girl's face lit up upon hearing Jorgé's words.
"Y-yes, Master! Poenemu will surely never make that mistake again!"
"It's good that you understand. Now then, please carry this man and transport him to the dungeons, but don't kill him, not yet."
"Yes! Poenemu will surely do so!"
After acknowledging Jorgé's orders, the girl promptly picked up the hooded man and carried him over her shoulders, a feat that should've been impossible for a girl of her size. She then proceeded to sunk back into the shadows and disappear.
"Now then" Said Jorgé as he dusted his trousers and walked towards the exit. "Let's head back, you there, could you carry Larc? Cobalt, burn everything here."
"Ah, yes, my lord!"
"By your will, Master."
Hearing their lord's commands, the other Knights proceeded to move out of the room, while two men, a guard and Cobalt, moved to perform their aformentioned task, but before the latter could,
"Ah, Master."
"Hm?"
Danari's sudden call caught Jorgé's attention. "Is something the matter, Danari?" He asked.
"Ah, I was just wondering, how're we going to transport all of the captive villagers here?"
By this time, the captive villagers and merchants were hugging each other and crying, thinking themselves to be saved. Unfortunately for them though, Jorgé's next words would be like the final nail to their coffins.
"Huh? What do you mean transport?"
"Eh?"
"Huh?"
Both Danari and the Villagers tilted their heads in confusion at lord's remark.
"W-what do you mean by that, master?" Stuttered Danari as she anticipated Jorgé's next words.
"They've seen too much, Danari. This information cannot be known, not yet, and I can't trust any of them to keep their mouths shut. They'll just have to die here."
Without hesitation, Jorgé said those words as if it was the most natural thing in the world, sending the villagers into a panicked frenzy.
"Ww-what do you mean, my lord??!"
"Please save us!!"
"NO! Please have mercy my lord!!"
"Just my children, please save my children!!"
"I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"
"Please spare me, my lord!! I promise not to tell anyone, please!!"
The villagers cried and screamed as they shook their cages in a futile attempt to escape.
After saying what was on his mind, Jorgé started walking again towards the exit, but this time felt a light tug on his sleeve. Looking back, he saw Danari with a sullen look.
"Master.. please reconsider!" She appealed
Unfortunately though, Jorgé merely sighed and held her hand.
"I cannot risk the future of this content, our future, for the lives of a few villagers, please understand that, Danari."
Upon hearing this, Danari's emotions flared up and her pent up frustrations and jealousy burst out as she held on to Jorgé.
"This isn't you, master! You're being influenced by that vile woman! It's all her fault! If it wasn't for her we'd----"
Before she could finish her sentence though, she felt an unbearable amount pressure, enought to knock a full grown man unconscious, from Jorgé. She freezed on the spot as she endured the cold sweat that dribbled from her forehead.
"Careful, Danari." He said in a low voice. "I adore you, but be careful. Camilla is still my fiancé, the reason why I still keep you around.. is because she allows me to.. it'd do you well to remember that."
Under her master's cold and indifferent tone and stare, Danari could only gulp and look down while nodding meekly, as she clutched Jorgé's hands.
Seeing this, Jorgé eased up and held her hand as well.
"Apologies, Danari. It's good that you understand, Now then."
He then walked towards the exit with her.
"Cobalt, proceed with your task."
"By your will, my lord."
The mage agreed as he extended his hand and chanted his spell.
"No please!!!"
"Oh Great God Vanos, please help us!!"
"Have mercy my lord!!!"
"Just save my children, please!! Please miss!!"
{Vermilion Nova!}
"AHHHHHHGHHHH!!!!"
"AAHAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!"
Danari could hardly drown out the pained wailes of the villagers as a massive torrent of flame engulfed the entire room, reducing everything, even the flesh of the hoarder that had shrugged off flames beforehand, into cinders.
[Kuhh!] Danari groaned in her head as she shut her eyes and clenched her teeth.
+++
Upon arriving at the village, Jorgé explained to the villagers that they managed to subjugate the monster, but failed in rescuing the captured villagers.
"They were already eaten by the time we reached the beast's lair" was the narrative they went with. Fortunately, most of the villagers had already expected the captives to have died already, so most of them believed it right away. Danari could only look down as she heard the pained and sorrowful crying of the families left behind by the captured villagers.
Jorgé consoled them by saying that he will be providing Baron Savoy with appropriate findings to help rebuild the village, a promise that seemed to somewhat ease the villagers for the time being.
Because Larc was still incapacitated, they couldn't just ride their war horses back towards Sundgard. Instead, they had to purchase a wagon and some work horses in order to properly transport the unconscious butler, thereby greatly reducing their travelling speed.
The way back, however, was relatively peaceful now. The miasma that had once emminated from the forest, causing fatigue and inconveniences to travellers, was now nowhere to be felt. Even some of the beasts and animals that were pushed out of the forest were beginning to go back to their natural habitat.
Taking into account everything that's happened, the subjugation mission would be deemed as a success, even moreso considering the fact that Jorgé was able to confirm his hypothesis.
[Frost magic, huh. As I thought, my sister picked up a very peculiar and special toy. I'll have to do my very best to help him grow from this point onwards.] He thought to himself with a wide grin as they rode towards Sundgard.
Unfortunately though, there was yet another conflict awaiting their return.
