Chapter 13 — Dark Spirit Magic
"Are they bandits?"
Ellan drew a staff from his satchel and swiftly began to chant a defensive spell.
"Magic Shield!"
A shimmering magical barrier enveloped the three of them.
The bandits revealed their malicious intent, drawing blades and striking furiously at the shield.
"Go, Dyan. I want to see the strength of a Level-7 Warrior from the Beastman tribe."
Emilia ordered calmly, pulling out a greatsword and tossing it to him.
"Yes, Master!"
Dyan caught the greatsword and charged straight toward the black-clad raiders.
"Ellan, support him with enhancement magic."
"Yes!"
Blue light flared from the tip of Ellan's staff.
"Speed Wave!" (Speed enhancement)
"Fire Armor!"
Ellan was an elemental fire mage. Though capable of wielding other elements, his fire spells were by far the most powerful. Fire Armor lacked the defensive strength of Ice or Earth spells, but it greatly enhanced the offensive might of the Warrior.
"A Level-6 Mage!"
One of the black-clad men shuddered at the back of the group.
There was an unspoken rule in battle, always kill the mage first. No matter their level, a mage could turn the tide of combat, changing defeat into victory.
As long as the mage behind the lines continued to cast enhancement spells, the entire team would become nearly invincible.
The man trembled with fear, realizing too late that attacking these two might have been a fatal mistake.
But there was no turning back now!
"Capture that noble girl first!"
So, Emilia was their true target, a wealthy noblewoman in their eyes, someone who could afford to spend five thousand gold coins on a slave.
The leader barked orders and drew his own magic staff.
"Fire Arrow!"
A barrage of blazing arrows shot toward Ellan and Emilia, a Level-4 fire-element offensive spell!
"A mage!"
Ellan's fury ignited.
"A Level-4 mage leading a band of thieves!?"
"I'll drag you back to the Magician Tower for punishment! You're a disgrace to all mages, unforgivable!"
The enemy mage said nothing, simply kept casting buff spells on his men and at the same time drained Ellan's mana with suppressive magic, supporting those who fought Dyan.
Even Emilia was surprised.
A Level-4 mage had turned to banditry?
So the kingdom was even more rotten than she'd imagined. The old emperor had ruled for decades, yet the nation had decayed this far?
Still, Velarent was a small kingdom on the fringes of the continent, its weakness was understandable.
While the two mages exchanged spells, Dyan faced an entire band of raiders alone, none below Level-4 and still held the upper hand.
Dyan had once led his own adventuring party. He was well-versed in working alongside mages, skillfully keeping enemies from reaching the backline.
To protect the mage was to protect victory.
"This Beastman is too strong!"
"Boss, should we retreat!?"
The prolonged fight brought the bandits no advantage. Their morale faltered, and they longed to flee.
The Level-4 mage glared resentfully at Emilia standing behind her guards, draped in a dark cloak. If he could capture that rich noblewoman, he could demand a huge ransom.
But the Beastman slave was a Level-7 Warrior, and she had a Level-6 mage guarding her.
Nobles! Damn nobles! Everyone knew that a wealthy noble at a black-market auction would always bring powerful protection.
But he couldn't suppress his hatred for them.
He had once been a commoner. When his magical talent was discovered, he was admitted into the Magician Tower, only to be mocked by noble-born mages for his humble origins. His growth stalled at Level-4. Shamed, he left the Tower, vowing to make a name for himself.
But what could a Level-4 mage accomplish? His wages were pitiful, nobles ordered him around like a servant.
So he became a bandit. At least as a thief, no one would dare look down on him again.
"I'll capture her… no matter what!"
The mage glared at Emilia one last time before shouting, unwillingly,
"Retreat!"
The bandits quickly fell back.
Ellan let out a breath of relief. He was a mage of theory, not of battle, good with study, poor in combat and in truth, his fighting ability was not even on par with the Level-4 bandit leader. A retreat was a blessing.
Dyan, however, wasn't pleased. His weapon felt awkward, his body ached from wounds and hunger. He hadn't been able to show his true strength before his new master.
"It's all right, don't be upset."
Emilia smiled softly, stepping forward to pat Dyan's back in reassurance.
After all, those bandits wouldn't be alive much longer.
She didn't say it aloud, only the darkness at her feet stirred faintly, rippling as though laughing in silence.
The bandits fled in panic, but hadn't gone far when the world before them fell into pure darkness.
"What the hell…"
The leader froze in terror.
A faint purple light bloomed in front of him, and from it formed a shadowy figure, slender, feminine, its body black veined with dim violet light. It had no face, no features, only a silhouette.
That faceless shadow smiled, a grin painted in crimson, like a demon's.
The bandits stood paralyzed with fear. Only the mage leader recognized it, and the realization made him collapse to the ground, trembling, his pants wet.
He was a mage, after all, and he had once read of such things in ancient tomes.
Dark Spirit Magic which was long lost to time.
Abyssal Clone!
"Damn it… why is me…"
The darkness swallowed everything.
Not even a shred of fabric remained.
The bandits who had preyed on nobles in the black market were erased completely.
A pair of black eyes watched silently from afar, unmoving. The figure made no attempt to intervene, only observed as the clone finished its grim work and cheerfully melted back into the night.
"Dark Spirit Magic… a lost magic, hmm."
He murmured.
"Princess Emilia… turns out you're far more interesting than I thought."