CHAPTER 149
VENTING THE ANGER
Hans sank into deep thought upon hearing about the potential use of Rebellion.“So it's for recruitment, not my business then. If I mess up and lose Solar Mage for good, then I’ll be toast. Even if I cause a grand mess, I could take care of it after mastering both books.”
“Hey, little Sam, don't go all quiet on me," Dijkstra interjected, snapping Hans back to reality. Hans replied with a sly grin, "Well, I've only encountered her once. I got somehow stuck in her space, and she promptly kicked me out. One thing's for sure, there's some sort of contract between us and that goddess. Even Professor Aredhel saw her with Sams... I mean, my father.”
"So, she's real? I wonder if she'd show up if I put you in some danger," Dijkstra mused, his eyes shifting. But Hans showed no fear, which left Dijkstra baffled.
“Yeah, I know how to handle you, Commander Dijkstra. The more I act out of order, the more curious you grow of me. Your curiosity will keep me safe from your urges. You’re just like me and I know how Deli has manipulated me so far.” Hans thought and it was time to say goodbye to this madman.
“Well, it was nice knowing you, Commander Dijkstra,” Hans said as he pushed his stool back. However, with a swift motion, the stool returned to its initial position. "I thought that would work. Do I still have a chance to call for help?” Hans wondered.
“Sit. Arat wants to hear these words," Dijkstra replied seriously.
"Not interested," Hans refused without really listening. But Dijkstra was insistent, so Hans reluctantly sat back down for a moment. "I'll listen to what he has to say and then leave."
“You asked for this from him. It was about a girl named Vanessa —”
“What about her?” This time, Hans adopted a demeanour reminiscent of Dijkstra. So old knight pulled the same stunt, “Entertain me in this Glory war and I’ll tell you in the end.”
Looking the agape face of Hans, he burst into laughter, but his tone suddenly turned grim, casting an ominous shadow over Hans. He followed up with a warning, "It's pretty nasty stuff. Something a sister would never wish for her brother to know. Do you think you can handle it?”
"Is it really that bad?" Hans inquired.
"I consider myself a saint when it comes to interrogations. I don't kill until I have all the information. But with this guy, I ended up killing him before he could tell me everything. I only got one name out of him." Dijkstra set down his bowl and tossed some coins around as he spoke, addressing both the boy and himself. "So, let's make this event a lively one. I might end up spilling the beans faster." With that statement, he disappeared as though he had never been there, not even a trace of his mana signature remained.
“Just what the heck happened with sis.” He was pissed, It took a lot to make him this angry, but his imagination was running wild, conjuring the worst possible scenarios one after another.
“Agh, ”he grunted shouting, “he shouldn’t have told him half thing.”
FEW MOMENTS BEFORE, GRIMGAR CAPITAL
After Hans had ejected from the group, the nine enjoyed the festivities of the capital. Different food, fascinating culture, and small events asked them to join the fun. Fascination ran to their faces one after another and they gave in to their instincts, arterial they were children’s by the heart.
However, a mishap soon befell the group. A mage, not much older than them but already in the fourth circle of magic, began harassing the girls in the group. This alone seemed to bestow upon him a crown of arrogance. Cassidy, a member of the royal family, couldn't tolerate the taunts any longer. "Hey! Leave before I lose my temper," she warned. However, her warning had the opposite effect on him. "What if I don't?" he taunted in response, "Will you run to your daddy, crying and weeping?”
Cassady frowned upon hearing the comment. "You don't know who you're messing with," she retorted sharply. The boy laughed in response, his tone equally curt. "You don't know either.”
Before the situation could escalate further, Delimira intervened. "We don't want any trouble. Let's go, Cassady," she urged, trying to pull her away from the fourth-circle mage. However, the boy's interest quickly shifted to a new target. "Aren't you the poster girl for Welma's?" he inquired, recognizing Delimira from an advertisement he had seen.
“I should’ve listened to Hans.” Delimira regretted her decision to take on the dress gig in Edenberg; she hadn't anticipated being recognized here. "You've got the wrong person," she insisted, pulling Cassady further away. But the persistent mage seemed undeterred. "Oh, so you were an elf. That's why I couldn't find you," he mused, running his fingers through his dishevelled hair and suddenly adopting a more polite tone. "Why don't you leave this scrawny bunch and go on a date with me instead?
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
“No, I'm good where I am. Please excuse us," Delimira insisted firmly, turning to signal for her companions to make a quick exit. However, the persistent mage was quicker. He hastily grabbed her wrist, preventing her from leaving.
“Oh, come on. I'm way better than them. I'm only fourteen and a fourth-circle mage. Where will you find someone like me?" he argued.
“I do not care. Unhand me this instant," Delimira demanded.
And what if I don't want to?" the boy challenged.
“What? Do you have any clue who I am? You would end up eating through a straw for the rest of your life," Delimira threatened.
“Oh, so scary," the boy mocked, laughing at their predicament. He continued with a smug grin, "What can you exactly do? You people are from the great Concordia, the chosen ones, aren't you? You can't cause trouble here, or people will say Concordia is bullying the weak. But I'm different. I just had to say you ganged up on me because you found me more talented than you. And you know what? People love to see an upset.
Delimira knew the reasoning well which was why she had been patiently tolerating the mage. However, others were different. “Haa… to hell with it,” Chris grabbed the mage by the wrist, “Remove your hand before I snap yours, bastard.”
“Bastard, did you just call me a bastard, you fucking bastard.” The mage’s mana ran rampant, calling him a bastard was like touching his reverse scale. The spot where Chris had caught him began to burn, eventually forcing Chris to withdraw his hand. His palm had suffered slight burns, and the prickling pain was far from pleasant. Smirking, the mage continued taunting, "See, even your boyfriend is weak in front of me. Come on, let's go. I'll treat you right.”
Delimira was teetering on the edge, just a hair's breadth away from unleashing her Krosh art. She had kept quiet to avoid any rumours spreading because of her actions, but this had gone on for far too long. This was a situation that couldn't be resolved through words alone. She began channelling her mana and sent a warning to the mage with a gust of wind to his face. However, instead of being deterred, the mage seemed even more intrigued.
“So, you're not just a pretty face, a quad, not bad, not bad," he commented, his interest growing. "You're worthy of me.”
There was a reason why mages of lower circles didn't typically challenge those of higher circles. The one with the greater mana capacity could easily suppress the other, and this was exactly what happened to Delimira. Her mana channelling was abruptly cut off, and the mage pulled her closer, taking in the scent of her hair.
This situation had escalated into clear harassment, and Delmira, being a person of pride, had reached her breaking point. "To hell with Concordia, he is dying here,” she declared firmly. Her team, despite the odds, closed in on the mage, drawing the attention of passersby and even the patrol guards.
They came in a jiffy and stopped the fight before it could escalate. Since there was no physicality involved on any side, and the witnesses' testimonies suggested a misunderstanding between the two groups, the guards opted for that explanation to avoid further complications.
However, they did issue a warning to the mage, though he arrogantly disregarded it. He turned to Delimira and said with an air of conceit, "The name is Ezekiel, the most talented mage in the making. You'll submit one way or another. Just wait for me, my love."
“Agh,” Delimira grunted and, stomping her feet in frustration, she moved ahead of the group. As the mage's level exceeded that of the group, the guards escorted them back to their lodging to ensure their safety. However, when the elders of the team saw the junior team being escorted by guards, they were startled. Fortunately, it was Sierra who welcomed them back, although her expression was one of furious concern.
WHAT HAPPENED?" Sierra demanded, her anger clear.
Suddenly Chris found himself one step ahead or others one step back. “Fuck these traitors.” Taking a deep breath, Chris proceeded to recount the entire incident. As he finished explaining, it became clear why she was known as the Iron Lady. Her immense mana began to surge and churn, creating an aura of intense rage that sent shockwaves throughout the area. Fuming, she turned her attention to the patrol guard and demanded, "Who was that punk? How dare he mess with my kids.”
“Sorry lady,” one of the guards replied, continuing, “We can’t disclose personal information. It might cause a problem for the event.” However, the moment those words left his mouth, the guard began to bleed, heavy, from every one of his pores and fell on his face. She turned, still enraged to the other guard, “Who was the punk that messed with my kids?”
The sheer anger was enough to make the guard fall on his knees, begging. He started to sing like a chirpy and split the details which Sierra didn’t even ask. “A fourth circle mage, from this year’s wild card winners. A school called Devildom. They're participating in the Senior league. L…lady please spare me.”
Sierra grabbed her hood and started preparing for departure but Rudolf stopped her, grabbing her hand hard from behind, “Calm down, this will cause a lot of problems dear. We don’t want our kids’ efforts to turn waste, do we?”
“They won’t know what happened to them.”
“It's the Grimgar capital. Norwin always know what happens here, so just hold —”
“Do you take me for a coward, Rudolf?”
“No, I take you as a dangerous woman on a warpath. That’s why I’m stopping you.”
Sierra quickly glanced at the terrified faces of the second-years. Some of the first years were also watching. Giving into a rage was not a good example to set for the new generation so somehow she calmed down and asked the kids, “Are you guys okay? And where in the god’s name your captain?”
“Damn it, I’m in front again,” Chris answered, truthfully. Hans would probably be scolded but after seeing the bloody work of Sierra, he didn’t have it in him to lie to her. “He went separate.”
Walter and Rudolf almost took a breath of relief, if Hans was with the group then they might have to go there personally to sort things out. Walter whispered to Rudolf, “Parvians are all nut jobs, how the hell you are managing to live with two.” Rudolf answered back, whispering, “I ask the same question every day.” And he checked the guard, he was still breathing. Relieved, he asked her furious wife, “Dear, if a guard dies here, that would be bad for the kids too.”
“Grace,” Sierra cast a sixth circle spell, healing and rejuvenating the guard back to life in an instant. Oddly enough, upon healing, the guard thanked his assaulter and quickly escaped with his terrified partner. But Sierra was now waiting for their wonder boy to show up. “Where the hell is he?” She mutterd.
----------------------------------------
***