Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Archmage (3)

At the end of autumn, even the night sky seemed high and distant. A crescent moon hung in the middle of that far-off sky.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

With only a few wisps of clouds floating in the distant sky, the moonlight from the crescent moon was quite bright.

As winter approached, a chill lingered in the night air on the mountain. Breath turned to mist in the cold wind.

Despite this, the devil worshippers did not light a fire. They had only dug trenches next to the clearing to take shelter.

Without even magical braziers, they were enduring the cold with just their bodies. I thought it showed impressive willpower.

Of course, I didn’t need to do that. I had winds. But my behavior was the same.

I, too, had dug into the ground, covered it with branches, and was hiding while observing them.

Meals were dry rations, like theirs. It was a bit tiresome, but I didn’t complain. I’d been through tougher training. I just ate when I could.

‘Of course, I didn’t forget to brush my teeth.’

I had located a spring near the summit and positioned myself accordingly. I could fetch water from there and purify it.

There was a brief gap in surveillance, but that wasn’t really important right now.

Even after climbing the mountain, the direction of the winds hadn’t changed, so I didn’t bother changing my position.

I was still monitoring them from below the peak of the mountain on the right.

Even past midnight, they were still taking turns searching the forest. Their movements were thorough.

Fortunately, I had properly erased my traces before coming up. Even considering their abilities, the detailed search was progressing quite slowly.

‘Looks like they’re under strict orders.’

They moved cautiously, always alert to their surroundings. Well, it’s natural since they probably thought I had laid traps for them.

I also observed them while staying as tense as possible, trying not to let my guard down. Brushing teeth but holding in bathroom breaks as much as possible.

It was a battle between hunters.

Though they had greater numbers, I thought I had the advantage. Both geographically and situationally. But I couldn’t be careless.

‘You never know when it might get dangerous.’

I shouldn’t underestimate Tilivan’s abilities. A high-ranking executor. Someone who can directly use power received from the devil.

Even though I was observing from quite a distance at the mountain summit using binoculars, he might still sense even this gaze.

The intuition of someone empowered by the devil would surpass human limits. Of course, it’s probably an excessive worry.

Still, there’s no harm in being careful.

‘Wait, wait. No more than 10 seconds of observation at a time.’

I had set rules for when I watched him. I didn’t need to keep looking constantly. Unless they gave up and left the forest, I didn’t need to move.

Tilivan and Shahri.

I was just waiting for the high-ranking executor of the devil worshippers and the Archmage to meet.

I still hadn’t decided which of the two should be the primary target.

Originally, I should have aimed for Shahri, but the chance to catch a high-ranking executor might not come again.

If the devil worshippers choose to leave first… I would have to make a decision.

Still, I thought it might be better to kill Tilivan.

Even if the Archmage could be countered by a Sword Master, that guy might be able to overwhelm a Sword Master depending on the situation.

‘But considering the connection to the elf side, Shahri needs to be dealt with too.’

I was still deliberating.

Meeting both of them was the top priority for now. I’ll keep thinking and make a decision until then.

Anyway, there was still time before Shahri arrived. There were 6 days left until the promised date.

She’s likely to arrive a few days early, so minimum 2–3 days, maximum 6 days.

Still, the devil worshippers will search for me here for at least 3 days, so the chances of them meeting are quite high.

There was one worry.

If they don’t find any traces in the forest and suddenly turn towards the mountains.

Then I would have to move too.

The quicker that decision is made, the more likely I am to miss Shahri. If that time comes, I really will have to make a choice.

***

Three days passed. Shahri still hadn’t arrived. It was a tense but boring time.

My routine consisted of observing them, and their routine consisted of searching for me.

A silent hunt and chase.

I also kept changing positions on the same mountain. They hadn’t started watching this mountain yet, but…

It was a habit from training. Constantly changing positions to prepare for any possibility.

They weren’t watching this mountain yet, but you never know.

‘Huh?’

The problem occurred at lunch on the third day. My worry became reality. Tilivan gathered his people.

He said something while pointing at this mountain and the opposite mountain.

Having made no progress searching the forest, they changed direction. I had expected this to some degree.

Even though the forest was large, these guys were skilled. They had already searched more than enough.

Still, it was unfortunate. I had hoped to delay it as much as possible, but…

There were six of them – Tilivan and his five subordinates.

Three subordinates headed towards this mountain. Tilivan went to the opposite side with one subordinate.

The remaining one hid by the clearing next to the lake, on standby. Through the binoculars, I could see he was holding something in both hands.

They were flares. To immediately signal if anything unusual was spotted while his comrades searched the mountains.

‘Well, even falling would be an adventure for them.’

He kept holding the flares even as time passed, perhaps to signal immediately in case of a sudden attack.

His weapon was beside him. It seemed he was determined to send a signal even if he died.

What should I do?

I still hadn’t decided who to use the bomb on. You could call it indecisive, but it couldn’t be helped. Both Shahri and Tilivan were high-value targets.

It was a shame to attack now without Shahri. Even knowing it was greedy, I wanted to go after both.

And also, it didn’t seem like they knew about me and had started searching.

Of course, I couldn’t be certain.

While I was watching the others, Tilivan might have overcome this great distance and discovered me.

‘But the possibility is low.’

Let’s think calmly. I can’t be confident of victory against Tilivan. What I know is him from around the middle of the game.

If he’s as strong as then, a head-on battle is impossible. But it might be different now.

Still, directly engaging was a dangerous gamble. He’s someone who has properly received the devil’s power.

Not only would it be hard to win, but if I’m captured by him, the Devil’s Blood is the problem. It would be passed to them after I die.

Well. What happens after I die isn’t really my concern, but it was an uncomfortable thought.

After a moment’s consideration, I made a decision.

‘There’s no need to move right away.’

Escape will become more difficult as time passes. Though I’ve thought of methods, I don’t know how he’ll attack.

But they’ve just started climbing the mountain. It means I still have some time.

Let’s wait a bit longer for Shahri.

There might be a chance to deal with them together if the one on standby below sends a signal and they gather.

If the distance closes before then…

I’ll have no choice but to deal with them and withdraw. I decided something else too. I’ll use the glowstone on Tilivan instead of Shahri.

‘I can contact Shahri separately.’

An excuse that the plan fell through because I had to deal with them after the empire caught my trail should be enough.

Actually, their appearance shows a high possibility that Shahri hasn’t made contact with them yet.

It’s not 100%, but if they had already met and formed an alliance, they would have arrived around the same time.

In other words, it means there’s another chance if I contact Shahri quickly after dealing with them.

‘I’ll need to save the glowstone then.’

If I use it to catch Tilivan, one will be left. I’d send Denif back to the desert to get more, but…

There’s no guarantee we can get more. We were chased from the ruins. Even Denif’s sand didn’t work.

If only one is really left, it’s better to use it against the devil later rather than on Shahri.

Of course, rationally thinking, it’s better not to use it to kill Tilivan either.

Hiding the existence of the glowstone from them would be good for shocking them. Still, there was a reason to use it.

I needed to see its destructive power myself before using it on the devil, and no matter how strong the glowstone is, we don’t know if it will really work on the devil.

‘Better than saving it and not being able to use it.’

I don’t know. My head seems to get more complicated as the situation becomes urgent. I deliberately shook my head.

Don’t worry unnecessarily, just think about what’s right in front of me, cleanly.

First, wait. And if Tilivan approaches first, use the glowstone on him.

That’s all. There will be another chance with Shahri.

I won’t use the bomb then. Let’s face her with Denif and Phiri. If it really doesn’t work, I can use it later.

‘It’s started.’

They began slowly climbing from the base of the mountain to the summit, keeping their distance.

They come up making circles to the left and right of a straight line. It’s a formation that minimizes blind spots in the search.

Considering their strength and senses, I wonder if they really need to do this, but it seemed they wanted to be certain.

Like that, midnight passed.

The gradually tightening net of encirclement was now positioned just below the middle of the mountain. It wasn’t a very wide mountain compared to its height.

The time given to me was also slowly diminishing. They only started to rest when dawn broke.

I’ll have to move before noon tomorrow. Shahri seemed unlikely, and it was a dawn of growing regret.

‘Huh?’

Amidst the deepening dawn, there was a strange sensation. I lifted my head sharply, fighting off drowsiness.

Light was rising from the clearing in the forest.

I hurriedly raised my binoculars. And, in the clearing, Shahri was standing face to face with a devil worshipper.

‘What the hell…’

I suppressed the urge to jump up from my spot. It was an instinctive joy.

The devil worshippers who had been resting just below the middle of the mountain hurriedly began descending.

***

“Nice to meet you.”

In this wary encounter, Shahri spoke first. She had already noticed that these were devil worshippers.

As an Archmage and an elf, she could sense the devil’s scent emanating from Tilivan.

Actually, she had come here with some suspicion. The guy who hadn’t contacted her didn’t call during the princess’s assassination, but suddenly sent a letter.

She was also worried if it was possible to target the prince in this situation. But sensing that scent made her feel a bit relieved. Of course, she also felt something strange.

‘That guy back then didn’t give off this kind of smell.’

It was a puzzling point since Carlyn hadn’t seemed weak. But she soon changed her mind.

Among the six people, only one gave off a sinister feeling.

She thought that if everyone had that kind of aura, even devil worshippers would have a hard time operating.

However, what she still couldn’t understand was the other party’s wary attitude.

“Who are you?”

“Why are you asking that? You called me here.”

“We did?”

“…”

“…”

At that moment, both tilted their heads. We called you? Why are they pretending not to know? Conflicting thoughts crossed both their minds.

The atmosphere rapidly chilled. The devil worshippers realized this woman was a trap.

As the intended meeting was taking place at the base of the mountain, Carlyn finished his preparations at the summit.

He neatly cleaned up the spot where he had stayed, and put on a wing suit. In one hand, he held the glowstone.

‘Let’s go.’

Carlyn nodded firmly and threw himself off the cliff at the mountain summit. A rough updraft followed.

Author's Thoughts

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