Chapter 42. Misunderstanding at Night (1)
"Ha, it seems to be a trap, Young Master Joshua."
What?
The knight, sensing someone's presence and activating the barrier, appeared flustered.
"A trap, you say? What on earth do you mean?"
Joshua, who had been absolutely convinced that Yulian had returned from the mission, slightly furrowed his eyebrows.
"Explain yourself properly."
"It seems that Yulian anticipated our arrival and set up a trap. It's clear that some of our information has leaked..."
"Shut up!"
Joshua shouted with an elevated voice as he glared at the knight with wide-open eyes.
"There's no way information could have leaked! Tell me why you think we've fallen into a trap!"
"... The moment we activated the barrier that disrupts the flow of mana..."
Gulp.
The knight swallowed his saliva before continuing.
"A number of individuals, other than ourselves, have appeared in the mansion."
"A number?"
"Yes."
At the mention of a number, Joshua bit his lip hard.
In Yulian's mansion, no one resides except him.
The servants don't work late, so at this hour, it should be eerily large and quiet with only Yulian present.
But suddenly, they felt the presence of many people?
'Especially today of all days.'
Today of all days!?
Joshua started to understand why the accompanying knight suspected the situation was a 'trap'.
It was a sudden occurrence that would not have happened under normal circumstances.
"Young Master Joshua, what would you like to do?"
The knight, appearing quite intimidated despite his rank, asked.
'This damn fool should be dismissed if we return.'
Thinking that way, Joshua spoke up.
"Even if it's a trap, it doesn't matter. Today, I'm going to kill Yulian."
Seeing the knight still trembling in fear, Joshua smiled viciously.
"With the barrier active, Yulian is weakened. The only change in our plan is that while I handle Yulian, you all will take care of the others."
To prove that he was more capable than the infamous 'Yulian', no error could be allowed in the plan. No, errors must not exist.
"Where are the enemies currently positioned?"
"They are in the corridor outside the parlor where we are."
Perfect.
Muttering to himself, Joshua rose from the sofa. If necessary, he could use the 'horn', so there was no room for 'failure' in this plan.
"We're going on the offensive before they make a move."
Clang.
At Joshua's command, the knights and soldiers simultaneously drew their swords.
Immediately, the knight closest to the entrance kicked open the door and rushed out.
"They could be waiting on the other side... Aargh!"
An alarming cry echoed from the hallway.
Undeterred, the sound of swords cutting through the air followed.
Joshua, too, stepped out of the parlor. What met his eyes were men with suspicious auras, faces hidden under robes.
They clearly were far from 'ordinary' individuals.
They must be the sort who engage in dirty work.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be playing henchmen to Yulian.
"Working under such garbage, you honorless worms."
Joshua spewed out insults with a venomous voice.
Looking over his fallen comrade, William opened his eyes wide.
"Is it really you who's saying that...!"
William, answering in an agitated voice, began to gather the mana within him and imbued it into his staff.
The fact that he could cast magic despite the barrier disrupting the flow of mana indicated he was a mage with exceptional mana manipulation skills.
"... Young Master, a mage of the third rank or higher."
Noticing this, the knight at Joshua's side spoke up.
"Thanks to the barrier, his power shouldn't be at full, should it? Deal with him."
"Yes, Young Master."
Upon command, Joshua's knights and soldiers charged at the robed men.
On that dark night, the clash of iron against iron rang sharply, sparks flying in their wake. Joshua, watching the scene, looked around.
'... Where is Yulian?'
If this was indeed the trap of that deplorable 'Smiling Executioner', he should reveal himself.
But, try as he might, Joshua couldn't find Yulian anywhere.
"Kraah, kaaaaah!"
Crash──!
At that moment, the knight who had kicked open the door was flung out the window with a severe scream.
Startled, Joshua inspected the fallen knight's body.
With noticeable burn marks, his collision with the tree clearly indicated it was caused by magic. The concern lied in its potency.
"Even with a barrier in place, to this extent..."
Hearing the knight's shocked mutterings, Joshua swore an oath once more to dismiss this knight upon return to the mansion.
***
"Tch...!"
As blazing flames grazed past him, Joshua knit his brows.
With eyes as sharp as a blade, he stared at the mage before him.
Despite having set a barrier to disrupt the flow of mana, the mage could still weave some attacking spells.
As the knight had mentioned earlier, it indeed seemed he was of third rank or higher.
"Ugh, gah...!"
Of course, the barrier wasn't entirely ineffective. Each time he used magic, the strain seemed to accumulate, and his lips were stained with the signs of spitting blood.
Even seeing the mage looking so precarious, Joshua couldn't easily close the distance.
It was clear that allowing even one of those potentially fatal spells could leave him in the same state as the soldiers lying around.
'Damn bastard, just collapse already...!'
Around the two, the ground was stained with blood and bodies lay sprawled.
The ones standing were just the mage and himself. Yet, Joshua hesitated to use the 'horn'.
'This is meant to counter Yulian as a last resort.'
Knowing Alphus had emphasized this was a 'consumable', Joshua thought he couldn't waste it on just eliminating these lowly riffraff when Yulian hadn't revealed himself yet.
The stalemated battle showed no signs of resolution.
'Damn it!'
With the prolonged fight, Joshua's vision started blurring. His body was growing fatigued, and the same seemed true for the other side.
The continuous use of spells was nearing its end, and the mage's pupils were losing focus, likely due to the strain of forcibly casting spells in unfavorable conditions.
Just as he attempted to wipe the blood from his mouth in an effort to maintain his consciousness.
'This is my chance!'
Seizing the revealed opening, Joshua threw a pot to scatter the mage's focus and immediately closed the gap, charging right at the mage.
"Kuh...!"
Seeing Joshua rushing toward him, the mage hastily tried to lift his staff to cast magic but was blinded by the pot Joshua had thrown, missing his chance.
Joshua didn't let the moment slip by; he swung his sword sideways to knock aside the staff the mage was holding, then kicked the man in the stomach, making him fall.
"Damn bastard."
Pressing his blade against the fallen mage's throat, he spat out curses.
The ability to use magic despite a barrier hampering the flow of mana.
A talent like that placed him as a mage of at least the fourth rank, and yet, he wasted it serving as Yulian's lapdog.
"Honorless trash... Do you dare to block my path?"
"Argh, uurgh!"
"How much did Yulian pay you? 5,000 nar? 10,000 nar? Damn fool, did you ever think that'd be what your life is worth?"
"Wha... what!?"
As Joshua mocked, he pressed harder on the mage's solar plexus with his foot.
Crack──!
"Keh... Gah! W-wait!"
Ignoring the mage's groan, Joshua pressed down even more, thinking to crush his ribs.
"I... I wasn't hired by Yulian!"
The mage's urgent and shocking words made Joshua press down stronger, glaring at him.
"Do you think anyone will believe such blatant lies? You honorless trash."
"Uuh! Keh, keh! I'm... really not! I came... gah, to ambush Yulian today... keh keh. I wasn't hired, I swear!"
"Really? Well, it doesn't matter. You hindered me, so death should be your end."
Despite the mage's continued assertions, Joshua wore a doubtful expression but disregarded it soon after.
Ultimately, he was the fact that disrupted the intended plan.
Joshua, gripping the hilt tighter, swung his sword toward the fallen mage──.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
Pause.
Joshua halted mid-swing, turning his head at the voice that came from not too far off.
And there stood the instigator and cause of this whole mess.
Simultaneously, the owner of this chaotic mansion, 'Yulian Cryphart Frason', was smiling as usual.
'When did he...?'
Despite the exhaustion from dealing with the mage on the floor, Joshua's senses had remained sharp enough to not let any nearby presence slip by.
'How? I definitely didn't sense any presence...?'
Even with the heightened awareness from the battle, Joshua couldn't detect Yulian's presence.
The reality made Joshua unable to hide his bewilderment, for it alone demonstrated the gap in their levels.
'This monstrous fellow...'
For someone as arrogant as Joshua to entertain such a thought was a clear acknowledgement of his intimidating stature.
Yulian's eyes, momentarily shifting to the shards of pottery Joshua had thrown to distract William, spoke lightly with an expressionless face.
"The orchid pot... has shattered."
Gulp.
With Joshua left startled, Yulian knelt down, gently handling the soil from the shattered pot.
While Joshua observed, his eyes darted toward the box containing the horn, then back to Yulian.
'Even so, due to the barrier, he shouldn't be able to use his aura extensively. That leaves only swordsmanship to settle this!'
Doubts about whether he could win arose.
From somewhere deep within, a primal fear surged.
Yet, Joshua, holding these emotions back as much as possible, readied his sword for battle once more.
"It was a cherished piece, so it pains me a bit."
Ssssshh.
Having brushed aside the broken pot's debris, Yulian stood up.
From between his fingers, soil slipped and trickled down.
Whatever tale tied to this pot, whatever sentiment it held, Joshua had no way of knowing nor did he care.
However, what he could ascertain without question was...
'... Impossible.'
Merely disrupting the flow of mana was not enough to block his 'aura', Joshua realized, filled with shock.
Behind the upright Yulian, a blue aura began to shimmer and dance.
"It seems some etiquette training is in order."
Clacky's Corner:
Hmm, that was a good trap, a wonderful trap, some would say that is even the best trap.
The question is, did the MC plan this?