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Ian clenched his teeth tightly.
[Ian!]
As the fireballs flew toward him, End of the Sword shouted urgently.
"[Tide of Origin!]"
Ian stabbed Fragarach into the ground and shouted.
A massive tidal wave, large enough to touch the ceiling of the mine, surged up behind him.
"What the hell is that!!"
The dark mage's scream was swallowed by the tide in an instant.
The enormous wave devoured the fireballs and engulfed the dark mage.
Ian was not spared either.
Though he barely held on with Fragarach, he took the full brunt of the tidal wave's force.
Staggering, Ian gasped for breath.
Before the wave bounced off the wall and surged again, the entire mine had already filled with water.
Ian struggled to hold his breath and desperately clung to the sword embedded in the ground until the water started draining toward the exit.
[Ian? Ian, are you okay? Say something!]
The voice of End of the Sword frantically called out to him, but he didn't have the energy to respond.
The water receded as quickly as it had flooded.
Ian gasped for air, collapsing to his knees.
His entire body ached as if his heart and limbs were being torn apart.
Cold sweat broke out all over, and he trembled uncontrollably.
[Ian? Don't pass out!]
'I'm fine.'
Ian tried to steady his breathing.
But the more he tried, the more the pain worsened.
'Damn it. This is why I never want to use Origin's skill.'
Unlike divine punishment skills that target a single enemy, Origin's Tide skill was an area-of-effect attack meant to wipe out multiple foes, so the recoil Ian had to endure was on a completely different scale.
If it had missed even slightly, it might have been fine, but to eliminate the fireballs, he had to aim the skill directly at this location, and, of course, he had to bear the full aftermath.
Ian gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand.
He had no strength left, and his eyelids were heavy, but he bit his tongue, doing everything he could to stay conscious.
[What are you doing? Why are you getting up all of a sudden?]
'I have to catch him.'
The dark mage, struck by the wave, had been slammed into the wall and was knocked unconscious.
Ian had to restrain him before he woke up and escaped.
Ian didn't even have the strength to swallow the blood welling up in his throat, he simply parted his lips slightly.
Blood spurted from his mouth and splattered onto the ground in thick drops.
Even as his vision grew increasingly blurry, Ian didn't stop.
[Stop it! Just because your soul isn't breaking doesn't mean your body's okay! Your body needs rest right now!]
"I'm… fine…"
Ian's legs gave out.
He collapsed to the side, and his vision flickered between black and white.
'Damn it.'
Even his thoughts were going white with numbness.
'No… I can't…'
And in that instant.
Ian lost consciousness.
***
'A ceiling?'
Ian blinked up at an unfamiliar ceiling.
As he tried to recall where he was and why he was looking at a ceiling, he suddenly tried to sit up, but a large hand pressed gently on his shoulder.
"Don't get up."
Turning his head, Ian saw Edelmar sitting in a chair beside him, looking down.
Dressed comfortably, Edelmar helped Ian sit up slightly and brought a glass of water to his lips.
"Drink this first. Your throat must be parched."
Just hearing those words made Ian realize how dry his throat was.
Without resistance, he drank the water Edelmar offered until the glass was empty.
"Where… am I?"
As Ian asked, he grimaced, his voice was cracked and hoarse.
"The Lord's manor. It's been three days since you collapsed in the mine."
"Three days…?"
"Yes."
Edelmar set down the glass and ran a hand through his hair.
"What on earth did you do in there? Did you break into the water channel or something?"
"Ah…"
In the heat of the moment, Ian hadn't even considered that Edelmar might be in the mine too when he used Tide of Origin.
Feeling guilty, he asked quietly.
"…Are you all right?"
"Only asking now, after three days? Did I really look that awful this whole time?"
"Ah, my apologies."
Edelmar crossed his arms.
"If you have any more questions, feel free to ask."
"How's Rose?"
Rose had always been sensitive, especially after her mother's death.
If Ian had been unconscious for three days, she might have cried her heart out.
"I told her you had to leave urgently for work. She hasn't even asked about you. She's doing just fine."
"…She hasn't asked about me?"
"That's right."
Ian couldn't comprehend it.
Even when he left briefly to work while she slept, he never spent a full night away.
That's how dependent Rose had been, her separation anxiety was severe.
And now she hadn't even asked for him in three whole days?
"Is she maybe crying secretly…?"
"Can't you hear her? That's Rose screaming outside."
Ian focused his hearing.
Screams of joy and shouts like "Kyaa!" and "Stop it!" rang out.
There was no doubt, that was Rose's voice.
Ian's heart wavered.
Ian felt both proud and a little hurt.
He was glad Rose had overcome her separation anxiety but it stung to know she could do just fine without him.
'I shouldn't be feeling this way.'
Shaking off those thoughts, Ian asked another question.
"Did you catch the dark mage who was inside?"
"There was no one."
"What?"
Ian frowned.
"You were the only one inside the mine, collapsed in a pool of blood. There was no one else."
"Ah…"
So they got away.
Ian blamed himself for losing consciousness.
If only he hadn't passed out, he might've captured the dark mage and gotten valuable information about their group.
'Why did I have to faint…'
Seeing Ian's expression, Edelmar asked.
"Who were you fighting to end up coughing blood like that?"
"A dark mage."
"A dark mage?"
Ian nodded.
"He tried to collapse the mine to erase the evidence."
"Hmm."
Edelmar tapped his fingers thoughtfully.
"Are you sure no one else was found?"
"Yes. Even Lord Bernaba couldn't find anyone."
"Lord Bernaba?"
Bernaba was assigned to protect Rose at the manor, so why was he mentioned?
"He said he felt strange mana and came to the mine. But by the time he arrived, he didn't sense anything."
Ian's chest tightened.
'That strange mana… could it have been my skill?'
As Ian fell silent, lost in thought, Edelmar stood up.
"Stop thinking. Just go back to sleep."
"I'm not sleepy. Could you call Rose?"
Edelmar looked incredulous.
"Are you asking for her just to make her cry?"
"Why would she cry?"
"One look at your face and she will. You're so pale it looks like you're ready for your funeral."
'Even if he says that…'
Ian frowned slightly.
"The doctor who saw you said we should prepare for your funeral. What did you expect would change in three days?"
"Was it… really that bad?"
"Yes. I even tried contacting the temple to bring a priest, but I couldn't get through. If you don't want to make the girl cry, just rest."
Ian scratched his cheek awkwardly.
Or tried to, but his hand wouldn't move.
'Ah. I really am in bad shape.'
Finally realizing the seriousness of his condition, Ian replied.
"Understood."
As Edelmar turned to leave, he asked.
"By the way, didn't you have your sword with you?"
Ian opened his eyes again.
"Was it not with me?"
"No. You were the only one there."
"Ah…"
'Did they take Fragarach when they fled with the unconscious dark mage? But why? Wouldn't it make more sense to kill me, since that was their plan?'
The dark mages had always been out for his life.
It didn't make sense that they left him alive and only took Fragarach.
"Did they take it?"
Ian nodded slowly.
"Yes… it seems that way."
Edelmar blinked in confusion.
Fragarach, the sword Ian always carried, was no ordinary blade.
It could cut through magic and even obliterate souls.
For Ian to lose such a weapon and act so unconcerned was bewildering.
"Are you going to retrieve the sword?"
"There's no need."
Edelmar's brow furrowed.
"So you're saying you're giving up on it?"
To a swordsman, a sword wasn't just a tool, it was their soul, their lifelong partner.
Especially a legendary sword like Fragarach. To lose it to the enemy and not fight to retrieve it, that wasn't something a true swordsman would do.
"No, I mean there's no need to go looking for it."
"What do you mean-"
Before the misunderstanding could deepen, Ian spoke calmly.
"Summon."
In an instant, the sealed Fragarach appeared on Ian's bed.
"Ha."
Edelmar let out a breathy laugh.
"If I can summon it back like this, why would I bother going to find it?"
Ian smiled.
And it was a rather smug smile, at that.
***
A space shrouded in darkness.
Several figures cloaked in black were seated around an oval-shaped table.
"What should we do now? Even the mine is lost!"
"The plan is falling apart. We can't continue like this."
"Exactly! The plan's already ruined! It might be better to just kill him outright!"
"That's right! Or maybe we should just kidnap the child-"
At that moment, the man sitting at the head of the table slammed the surface with a ladle.
"You all know we can't go about it that way!"
The men who had been shouting quickly lowered their heads.
"Didn't he warn us that someone would interfere?!"
"Yes, but this isn't just interference, everything's falling apart."
"Too many sacrifices have already been made. At this rate, we might even have to mobilize the main base."
Just then, as the leader frowned deeply in thought.
A woman who had been sitting with her arms crossed, silently watching with a calm air, raised her hand.
"Not all the plans have failed. Mine succeeded."
She smiled radiantly, like a blooming flower.
An intoxicatingly beautiful smile.
The man at the head of the table asked,
"You're saying your plan worked?"
The woman glanced down at her manicured nails and replied.
"Do you think there's any man I can't seduce? Everything will fall into place soon."
An elderly man sitting beside the woman muttered grumpily.
"Even if it's established in that pathetic kingdom…"
"Other than the Empire, is there any other kingdom as chaotic and overpopulated as the Viva Kingdom?"
The old man couldn't answer and just pouted his lips.
"Also, the Laje Kingdom has agreed to cooperate."
"Cooperate? How?"
"They're going to help us smuggle out the slaves."
The Empire had banned slavery.
But some kingdoms still practiced it.
Among them, the Laje Kingdom was infamous, so much so that people joked it survived solely on slave auctions.
"Brilliant!"
The man seated at the head of the table clapped.
The woman stood gracefully and bowed.
"Lord Megarobi."
Megarobi, the man at the head, turned his gaze toward the one who spoke.
Unlike the others, the speaker was a younger-looking man.
"For now, I believe we should avoid touching the Duke."
His comment stirred murmurs across the meeting room.
"What if he awakens?! Then what?!"
"We should be planning to kill the Duke as soon as possible, what are you saying?"
"Do you not realize that abandoning the Duke throws our whole plan off?!"
"If you don't know the plan, shut your mouth. At least stay neutral."
Despite the harsh criticism, the young man continued unbothered.
"Just like with the mine, the more we confront the Duke, the more our plans fall apart. If we had managed to kill him at the mine, maybe, but we couldn't even touch him."
A heavy silence fell.
After the incident at the mine, the dark mages had infiltrated again to clean up their traces.
And that's when they found the Duke unconscious.
Their entire scheme depended on his death,
So they unleashed a barrage of magic to kill him.
But not a single spell worked.
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