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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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A sharp ice shard hurtled toward Lumia. Had she not dodged instinctively at the sudden sense of murderous intent, she would have been skewered and turned into an ice sculpture.
The attackers’ movements paused momentarily as the errant shard embedded itself in the ground.
“Judging by the faint mana, it seems to be a mage.”
“Looks like a stray. What should we do?”
Could they be remnants of the bandits who escaped the fortress?
‘A mage among bandits? No, that can’t be.’
Why would a mage join a bandit group? It didn’t make sense. Besides, the last thing Lumia saw before leaving the battlefield were bandits desperately trying to break through the defensive line.
These people’s attire and atmosphere were too different from ordinary bandits.
‘What should I do? This is too suspicious.’
The thought of running away seized her mind. These were people who had just indiscriminately fired magic at her, a soldier in uniform.
Lumia’s instincts screamed at her to escape this place quickly.
However, her feet were frozen. The flare spell that had risen from behind illuminated the area, revealing everything. Escaping from several mages, not just one or two, would be difficult.
In the worst-case scenario, she could be killed while trying to flee. This unidentified group of mages had calmly cast intermediate-level magic at her, a soldier in uniform.
She even considered the possibility that this was related to the fall of Fort Belgorodo. No, she was almost certain.
According to Squad Leader Enoch Levandal, the fortress wall had crumbled with an explosion.
Having reached that conclusion, Lumia fought to control her trembling breath and conjured a small fireball in front of her.
“Haa…!”
Her vision trembled. How long had it been since she had actually cast an offensive spell?
Since that day, Lumia Blüe had lost the most important quality of a combat mage. Even if it was a mistake, the fact that that horrific incident originated from her hands remained unchanged.
But the situation now was drastically different. She was alone in the forest, facing these strangers. There was no place to protect her, no place to hide.
‘You idiot…!’
Shamefully, it was only when she was cornered, with no escape route, that she finally found the will to use magic.
Gulp.
Lumia gritted her teeth and glared at the strangers. She had to, or the rising fear would make her teeth chatter uncontrollably.
‘I need to let the others know my location first.’
The spell she cast was Fireball. The most basic, therefore the most stable and reliable spell. Even in her weakened state, she might be able to control this spell to some extent.
Furthermore, because of its explosive nature, it could serve as a signal to the allied forces waiting in the rear.
“W-Who… who are you…!!”
Lumia asked in a strained voice. They remained silent. Were they gauging her? She couldn’t fathom their intentions.
“If you don’t answer, I’ll fire!!”
Lumia counted to three in her head, squeezed her eyes shut, and fired the Fireball.
The blazing fireball flew toward the suspicious figures. BOOM! A satisfying explosion erupted, flames rising high.
For a moment, in the flickering flames, she saw the faces of her former comrades, faces she had tried to forget.
“Ugh…!!”
It was an illusion. How could those who no longer existed in this world come back to life? She tried to maintain her composure, but the rising nausea forced her to desperately cover her mouth.
However, it didn’t take long for her to realize that even her desperate attack was meaningless.
A faint, shimmering mana shield.
A defensive spell.
“What should we do, Squad Leader? A mage could be a valuable resource…”
“Capture her alive. If that’s not possible, bring back at least her limbs.”
“Understood.”
Cut off her limbs?
Lumia couldn’t believe her ears.
This was dangerous. She felt nauseous, and her mind was definitely not in a stable state.
‘F-For now… since I used Fireball, I have no choice but to wait for reinforcements…! And no more magic…!!’
She was already in this state after using it just once. She felt that from the second time onwards, she might really panic or faint.
In the end, Lumia pulled a pistol from her pocket. She wasn’t particularly skilled at shooting, but at least she could buy some time until reinforcements arrived.
However.
BANG!!
A sudden gunshot. It wasn’t hers. Before Lumia could comprehend what was happening, an intense pain followed. Blood spurted from her right shoulder.
“Gah…!!”
An involuntary moan escaped her lips.
She had been hit. Shot. Lumia clutched her shoulder with her other hand and collapsed.
“Ugh, uhh…”
“We have guns too, mage comrade.”
Her head spun. She had heard that when you’re shot, you can’t think straight, and it was true. A burning sensation, like her skin being seared by a torch, spread from the wound. Her breathing grew ragged, and her vision whitened.
“Take her to headquarters. We can extract her magic power or find some other use for her. It’s better than just killing her.”
“Yes, comrade.”
No.
Lumia tried to resist, but her body wouldn’t obey. The strangers closed in, reaching out with rough hands.
Amidst the overwhelming fear and fading vision, the last thing she saw was…
BOOOOOM!!!
A blonde man appearing in a fiery explosion.
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*Bang,* a clear gunshot rang out. Could Lumia be engaging in combat with a bandit who had escaped the encirclement?
‘This way!’
It didn’t feel like a mere signal flare. I quickly pushed through the bushes. Thanks to the flare I had fired, which was still emitting a strong light, finding the location wasn’t difficult.
And at the scene…
Lumia, her shoulder soaked in blood, was surrounded by robed figures.
A gunshot wound. Judging by the circumstances, it was 100% certain these bastards were the ones who shot her.
“These bastards…!!”
Careful judgment? That wasn’t a phrase to use at a time like this. Mana control or whatever, I couldn’t just stand by and watch a squad member get killed.
I fired a Fireball. A spell I had already used once. Now that I understood its structure, casting it was a piece of cake.
BOOOOOM!!
“Gah!!”
A tremendous explosion erupted, sending two of the figures near Lumia flying.
“What?!”
Just as the one who had luckily escaped the Fireball’s range drew his gun,
BANG!!
I pulled the trigger without hesitation. Hit in the thigh, he screamed and rolled on the ground.
“Aaaaagh!!!”
Three down in an instant. Two remaining. I quickly and calmly reloaded my gun and took cover behind a tree.
“You are surrounded. Drop your weapons and surrender!!”
“An officer of Ukraine, I see. You must be this woman’s superior.”
They were all wearing robes that concealed their identities, but it was clear they were different from the bandits.
‘They couldn’t have just been passing by. If they were lurking around here, then they’re the real masterminds behind the attack.’
Explosion.
I easily recalled the briefing Company Commander Arrent had given. At first, I thought they had brought explosives, but they had used mages to destroy the fortress wall.
No – to be precise, it would be more accurate to say that these bastards had used the bandits to attack the fortress. I aimed precisely at the one who seemed to be the leader and said,
“You’re the ones who brought down Fort Belgorodo.”
“……”
He didn’t answer. He simply glared at me with a sharp gaze. I could take that as confirmation.
“S-Squad Leader…”
The one who had been shot stumbled back, and those who had been thrown into the trees by the Fireball’s impact began to get up one by one.
Was the firepower insufficient to neutralize them in one blow?
I released mana once more. We were clearly outnumbered, but Bell and Claude would soon arrive as reinforcements. The main force was behind us too.
I was worried about Lumia’s gunshot wound, but… if I didn’t do this, both she and I might die.
The mountain was full of cover and concealment. If I focused on a delaying tactic, I could handle five people.
“We’re retreating.”
Before I could even react to my own words, they all pulled small pebbles from their pockets.
“Don’t even think about it!!”
Bang!! I pulled the trigger, albeit belatedly, but they vanished from sight in an instant. I had lost them right in front of me.
Teleportation.
Even if it was a short-range movement spell, there was no way to catch up if they were determined to escape. Unless a special pursuit team was formed, it was impossible for me, an ordinary mage officer.
“Ugh, uhh…”
But that wasn’t the problem right now.
Lumia was trembling and moaning. It seemed she had lost consciousness.
I quickly checked her wound.
“Lumia, Lumia!?”
Fortunately, the bullet had missed any major blood vessels. It wasn’t severe enough to cause shock from excessive bleeding.
I took off my coat and tightly wrapped it around Lumia’s wound. The priority was to return to the allied forces where she could receive proper treatment.
“Ugh…!!”
My body ached terribly from the series of battles, and my legs trembled. But I couldn’t collapse here. If I couldn’t even save a wounded subordinate, how could I call myself an officer responsible for the lives of others?
“Just… hold on a little longer, Lumia!!”
I gathered all my strength, pulled her into my arms, and started pushing through the dense forest.
“Lieutenant…! Lumia!!”
Just as Bell and Claude, who had finally caught up, found us and I managed to hand Lumia over to them…
Completely exhausted, I collapsed and lost consciousness.
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