EX
“SO WE FOUND this big space below it. But you gotta go through the bottom of the lake. You need diving gear. You
can read the report for the details.”
Luminaria sank into the couch in Solomon’s office, exhausted. She had joined the investigation into the demon Mira encountered in Nebrapolis, and she had just gotten back after what turned out to be a long job.
There was no guarantee that a second demon wouldn’t appear there. She had joined the team to guard the investigators and dispel any fears of a second demon appearance.
After Luminaria’s explanation, Solomon skimmed the report in his hands. “Okay, got it.” He asked the most pressing question: “Any signs of another demon?”
“If there is one, I sure didn’t sense it. Didn’t seem like anyone at all has been there since Mira tore up the place, demon or otherwise.”
“Then it was a demon with no lackeys, huh? I guess we can relax a little, then. Thanks for lending a hand.” Solomon smiled brightly at Luminaria in thanks.
Luminaria grumbled about finally getting some sleep and let out an enormous yawn. But just as soon as she was getting comfortable on the plush couch, there was a heavy knock at the door.
“Your Majesty, there’s an emergency!” a woman shrieked. “Near the border, a fiend…a fiend has appeared!”
“Aw, what the hell?”
Solomon and Luminaria looked at each other. Then came another rap at the door, this one much calmer. The voice from behind the door was even and familiar. “Your Majesty, there is an urgent situation outside.”
“Enter,” commanded Solomon with great dignity. The door opened, and three people entered his office: messenger Karl, a woman, and Suleiman.
“Apologies for Rio’s lack of decorum,” Karl said. “Please don’t blame her; I should have trained her better.” He bowed in apology, and Rio followed suit.
“I am very sorry,” Rio apologized, her voice trembling.
According to Karl, the woman had panicked due to her lack of experience as a messenger. But Luminaria found herself more interested in the dread so clearly evident on her face.
Karl bowed again, indicating a return to the business at hand, and read his report. Just as the woman had screamed out moments ago, a fiend had appeared in the northeastern forest near the border. What’s more, the fiend was a Gorey Marquis.
“The surrounding towns are taking emergency measures, and the soldiers posted there are in a defensive formation. We don’t have an accurate report of how many townsfolk were wounded yet. However…”
Karl paused for a moment before continuing. According to him, a merchant caravan had unfortunately bumped straight into the fiend. They had abandoned their cargo and fled north. The terrain to the north was rough, with many mountains and caverns. Fortunately, there was an exorcist among their bodyguards. If they had made it into a cavern and put up a barrier, they might still be alive. But unfortunately, at this point, no one could confirm the caravan’s safety.
Thus concluded Karl’s report. Behind him, Rio looked ready to burst into tears.
“A Gorey Marquis, huh? That’s an Ark continent fiend…” Solomon muttered thoughtfully. After a moment, he asked Karl if there was any unusual fog around the forest.
His instinct was spot on—that portion of forest had been blanketed in deep fog since the day before the fiend’s appearance.
Fog had appeared, and monsters from other regions spewed from it. It was another distortion in space caused by the loss of the spirit who normally corrected stagnation of mana there…the very same phenomenon Mira had reported.
Solomon had countermeasures prepared for such events, and quickly ordered Suleiman to deploy them. “That leaves the fiend and searching for those caravan survivors. It’ll take some time to form hunting and search parties.”
Fiends were created when animals awakened to magic and gained great power. They were extremely powerful enemies, difficult to cull without the help of skilled adventurers. If you hoped to defeat one, it paid to be prudent and carefully select the ideal party to confront it. Adding on the time it would take for the adventurers themselves to prepare, assembling the team would take at least a day. More days would be required to transport the hunting party to the nation’s border, and it would also take time to warn neighboring countries and get permission to move troops close to their borders.
“It’ll be four days, at best…” Solomon sighed. Government work came with so much annoying bureaucracy.
Even if they rushed, it would take four days for a hunting party to reach the border. Every day that passed reduced the likelihood of the missing merchants’ survival.
Karl’s face clouded over. The quivering Rio collapsed and began sobbing. Karl bowed deeply and apologized again for Rio.
Luminaria, who had remained silent until now, stood up. She sidled up to Rio, wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and said gently, “You’ve been in a state for a while now, honey. Wanna tell me why?”
Either because she’d been finally given permission or because she’d simply reached the limit of what she could bear, Rio wept even harder as she explained. Her family was among the merchant caravan attacked by the fiend.
As soon as Rio finished speaking, Luminaria turned to Solomon politely. “Your Majesty, might I recommend a cover-up instead of a hunting party?” That could only mean one thing: she would be leaving to deal with the fiend herself.
Wise Man Luminaria was currently the strongest military force in the Kingdom of Alcait. Her influence was enormous. If she went out in battle—even the smallest of skirmishes—it would set off alarm bells in the neighboring countries.
But as long as her action was limited to internal affairs, Solomon could cover it up. As such, he was prepared to do just that in an emergency.
“Got it. Fiend’s all yours.” Solomon nodded solemnly. A ray of hope shone on Rio’s face. She was still new around the palace, so she didn’t know what this “cover-up” truly meant. But she understood the most important part. Fiend’s all yours, Solomon had said, directed to none other than the Wise Man Luminaria—what could be more reassuring?
“Thank you. Thank you!” Rio collapsed into Luminaria’s arms, thanking her over and over.
“It’ll be okay,” Luminaria whispered as she stroked her hair.
Things progressed quickly. Solomon ordered the messengers to prepare for the Azure Sorcerer’s departure. Karl and Rio rejoiced and sped out of the office to do just that. The “Azure Sorcerer,” of course, was none other than Luminaria herself—the code name she used to act in secret within the country’s borders.
***
“You seemed pretty beat. Are you sure you’re fine with this?” Solomon asked when they were alone again.
“It’s cool. Cool, cool, cool. All I did in Nebrapolis was stand around, anyway. Gotta get a little violence in, y’know?”
Luminaria had joined in the trip to Ancient Temple Nebrapolis as a glorified bodyguard, but as no demons appeared, she’d been bored with nothing to do the entire time. Waiting around idle was exhausting in its own way.
“I guess I can send you off with a clean conscience, then.”
“Hey, you can thank that Rio girl for crying in front of me!” Luminaria joked and took out a bottle. She opened it and emptied the liquid within it over her head. It was a special hair dye created from magical implement research, and before long, her striking crimson hair had turned a brilliant blue.
“Don’t go too wild out there, okay?” Solomon warned with a chuckle. The victims of Luminaria’s collateral damage were innumerable—yet perhaps due to her heroism, this never seemed to cause problems or lead to the spread of rumors.
“I know, I know,” Luminaria answered with an airy wave of her hand. Hair taken care of, she next saw to her clothes. She exchanged her rich attire for a plain robe and adeptly tied up her long hair with a white clip.
With this, her transformation into the Azure Sorcerer was complete. In contrast to her usual flashy appearance, she now looked rather subdued. It would be hard for anyone to tell it was her at a glance.
“Okay. I’m off then.”
“Good luck. I’ll have the patrols gather what information they can.”
“Cool. I’ll be waiting to hear.”
After giving herself a once-over in the mirror, Luminaria hotfooted it down to the garage.
***
On the first floor of the royal castle, Karl and Rio waited in front of the garage. Karl bowed to the disguised Luminaria, but Rio was at first shocked by Luminaria’s appearance and Karl’s actions. Luckily, she was quick on the uptake and soon bowed deeply herself.
“Everything is ready,” Karl said. “This way, please.”
As Karl went to open the door to the garage, Rio steeled herself and stepped forward. “Please—take me with you! I can use scouting magic! It’s more accurate since I’m blood-related, too! Please!” Rio was desperate, clearly worried for her family.
Karl admonished her for being selfish. She would only slow Luminaria down.
But Rio repeated, “Please…” her shoulders trembling. Though he grimaced guiltily at her stubbornness, Karl looked to Luminaria, leaving the decision up to her.
“Sure. You can come with me, sweetheart.” She was off to fight a fiend. It would be a dangerous venture, but Luminaria gladly assented. If she had any guiding principle at all, it was that she always accepted sincere requests from women.
“Th-thank you!” Rio was stunned for a moment, but she promptly bowed again with tears in her eyes.
“Right this way,” Karl repeated. Though he didn’t show it on his face, he was relieved.
Their destination was the front of the garage. That was where the carriage was kept for when Luminaria acted as the Azure Sorcerer—or it should have been. But today, Luminaria spotted something unusual in its place.
“Wait, you want us to ride this?”
“Yes. His Majesty has asked that this be dealt with as swiftly as possible, so we’ve prepared this transport for you. It is the fastest one available.”
Before them was an armored FAV standing tall, its engine rumbling and ready to go. Luminaria recalled Mira’s former complaints as she gazed upon its crude exterior.
Garrett leapt out of the vehicle and saluted. He looked as happy as a clam. “I’ve been waiting for you, Lumin—Azure Sorcerer!”
“Hiya. We’re counting on you to get us there in one piece. Safely.” Luminaria hoped he took the hint.
She knew it was futile when Garrett replied, “Leave it to me! I’ll have you there in no time! Step right up, Azure Sorcerer!”
Garrett opened the door and motioned her in. Left with no choice, Luminaria sighed and entered.
A major change had occurred inside the car. The back row, which had once been a sofa, was now a row of bucket seats, like some kind of a fighter jet.
“Wow. It’s changed a lot, hasn’t it?” Luminaria mused, eliciting an ecstatic grin from Garrett.
“It sure has! This is His Majesty’s new design, based on Miss Mira’s review of the previous one!”
Her review after she’d been bruised up by it. That meant it was probably better now, if not good. Luminaria hardened her resolve and sat. It was Rio’s first time inside such a vehicle, and she looked around the interior curiously. Every surface was covered in cutting-edge technomancy, so there were many things she’d never seen.
Garrett jumped into the driver’s seat and started up the FAV with a practiced hand. The engine roared—the kind of noise that was…oddly worrying. Rio looked tense, and clutched her seat with a vague sense of impending doom.
“It’s time to put the pedal to the metal!” After turning to ensure that his two passengers were seated securely, Garrett floored the accelerator.
The g-forces of the sudden acceleration shoved them back into their seats. When it came time to turn, Garrett cut the steering wheel hard. Luminaria and Rio were thrown all about the vehicle.
Luminaria was beginning to understand why Mira had been so angry about it. I’ve already got some complaints to make myself.
After jostling them enough for a lifetime, Garrett finally reached a straightaway. Luminaria managed to right herself and asked Rio, who was sprawled on top of her with unfocused eyes, “Hey, you okay?”
“S-sorry…” Rio sprang back as soon as she realized she was hugging Luminaria.
Amid this commotion, Garrett turned around to check on them. “Oh. It has seat belts, so please buckle up. It should be on the seat there at your hip.”
“Tell us before you hit the gas!” Luminaria grumbled as she checked next to her seat. Something protruded there. When pulled, it indeed turned out to be a seatbelt. “This should make things a little safer at least.”
Solomon had designed it, so the layout was familiar to Luminaria as well. She showed Rio where the seatbelt was and fastened her own. Rio imitated her and managed to snap in safely.
Not long after, there was a sudden curve. Despite the centrifugal force working against them, the seatbelts kept them from another tumble.
“Incredible.” Rio was impressed by how the device kept her in place.
Meanwhile, Luminaria glared daggers into the back of Garrett’s head as the vehicle rattled on. She recalled Mira’s complaints from before.
Heh. He does need to go to driving school, huh?
Sudden acceleration, sudden braking, sudden curves, and much more. So much of Garrett’s driving would lose him points during a driving test. Luminaria chuckled…Mira was absolutely right.
After that rocket start, the armored FAV zoomed at jaw-dropping speeds toward the border town.
***
Comfort aside, the speed of the FAV was certainly incredible. It was sturdy enough that difficult terrain was no impediment; it rolled over any small obstacles in its way. Garrett took the shortest possible path—regardless of the danger involved—and they reached their destination in a mere hour.
“We made it out alive…”
“Yeah…”
Luminaria and Rio stumbled out of the vehicle, pale and nauseous.
“Oh, Natalie, you’re running just as wonderfully as ever.” Oblivious to the plight of his passengers, Garrett had a big smile as he rubbed his cheek against the vehicle. Even as a woman of specific tastes, Luminaria wanted nothing to do with that spectacle.
Before the group stood an impressive stone structure. It was a patrol outpost. A single officer was stationed in front of the gate.
“The Azure Sorcerer, I see? Right this way, please.” He saluted and opened the door as they approached.
Luminaria and Rio left Garrett alone with his beloved and followed the official into the chief officer’s admin office. Solomon had already contacted them, so they were able to update Luminaria’s group on the situation as soon as they arrived.
First off, the evacuation of the surrounding villages and towns was already eighty percent complete. There were no casualties except for the aforementioned caravan.
The fiend itself had made no major moves yet, so the observation stations could not report any exact movements. However, they were certain that it was still in the northern forest.
The chief officer brought them over to a map of the area and indicated where it had been encountered, where it had last been seen, locations where its tracks had been investigated, and where it was likely lurking now.
“Given the habits of Gorey Marquis fiends, we believe that it’s hiding around here and waiting for its prey to come out of safety,” the chief officer said. Its prey was almost certainly the missing caravan.
“Dad…and my brother…” As soon as she heard that, Rio started murmuring and shaking with anxiety.
“Is something wrong?” the chief officer asked, noticing her reaction.
Luminaria gently consoled Rio and explained that her family was in the caravan.
“Oh, I see. I apologize, that was insensitive on my part. I’m very sorry.” He looked pained. “But this is a ray of hope, too.”
The fiend was waiting for them to come out into the open. That meant that the people in the caravan were still alive, and also that they were well hidden enough that the fiend couldn’t find them. They couldn’t leave since the fiend was watching, but as long as they stayed put, they were safe. The only question was whether they had enough food and water to hold out until help came. Fortunately, the Azure Sorcerer had arrived far sooner than expected.
The chief officer theorized that the missing caravan’s likelihood of survival was now extremely high. “The Gorey Marquis is about to go from hunter to hunted. Everything’s gonna be okay.”
“Your magic will be a big help,” Luminaria said, smiling at Rio. “Let’s find them and give ’em a big surprise.”
“Okay!” Rio, who was on the verge of tears yet again, recovered her energy and her hope.
The chief officer had left one thing unsaid, though Luminaria understood it well: although the caravan had successfully gone to ground, depending on the circumstances, it might already be too late for some of its members.
***
Leaving the patrol outpost, Luminaria and Rio ventured north, into the forest, and traveled to the coordinates where the fiend had last been spotted. Though Rio’s scouting magic was more accurate when used to find members of her own family, its range was not especially wide. And unlike Luminaria, Rio had mana limitations to contend with. They needed to narrow down the area before they could search effectively.
“I feel something! But it’s so weak that I can’t tell which direction…” Rio used her magic as soon as they arrived. She had gotten a response, but it was too faint to discern their position.
Weak reactions. Either the target was dead, or some outside influence was jamming their signal. Rio’s face clouded over from fear, but Luminaria was quick to reassure her.
“It’s bound to be because they’re behind a barrier,” Luminaria soothed her. “Their exorcist must be doing a hell of a job.”
It was true—barriers could also interfere with and jam scouting magic just enough that family would only get a faint reaction. If they were still alive, then they must have a barrier strong enough to hide their presence from the fiend.
“My magic wouldn’t even have been able to tell which direction,” Luminaria added. “You’re doing great.”
Scouting magic was affected more by one’s relationship with the target than by skill, so Luminaria herself would’ve been hard-pressed to locate the caravan group. Rio’s efforts were worthy of congratulation.
“I’m sorry, Lady Luminaria. I need to stay strong, but…” Rio was thrilled at the praise, but also realized that Luminaria was trying to make her feel better. She pulled herself together and refocused her magic.
“It’s okay. It’s normal to be worried. You’re doing a tremendous job keeping it together so far.” Luminaria put a hand on Rio’s head. She truly was soft when it came to women.
“Th-thank you very much!” Though a little unsure how to respond to Luminaria’s overt kindness, Rio blushed happily.
Gazing at her, Luminaria said, “Also, that was fine just now, but make sure you call me Azure Sorcerer in front of others. I’m undercover, you know.”
“Oh! I’ll be more careful!” Rio corrected herself, her face bright red.
***
Relying on the general direction gleaned from Rio’s scouting magic, the two walked deeper into the forest. As far as they could see, the time-space distortion wasn’t especially large. Most of the forest had sunlight filtering through the trees. The perfect setting for a nice, relaxing stroll in the woods.
Yet once inside the forest proper, the atmosphere abruptly changed. As they proceeded north, the woods were dripping with murderous malice—any person with even a little bit of training would be terrified to their very core. The forest was unnaturally quiet, and as they walked they heard no chirp of animal nor buzz of insect. Only the wind winding through the trees broke the silence.
They couldn’t know exactly where, but the fiend was somewhere nearby. Luminaria was certain of it, but she stepped forth without fear. Rio was full of fear, so she clung to Luminaria’s robe and tried as hard as she could to keep up.
After walking for some time, they came to a clearing. Or more accurately, a place that had been cleared. All of the trees within a ten-meter radius of the clearing’s center had been mowed down as if they were blades of grass.
“Looks like the merchants came through here,” Luminaria noted.
Burlap sacks were scattered here and there, all badly torn—likely a portion of the caravan’s cargo. Based on the scattered items, the sacks had mainly contained ingredients for medicines and the like.
The soft ground and the fallen tree trunks in the clearing were marred by hideous claw marks. The fiend had rampaged and attacked the caravan here…and it was clearly a very one-sided battle.
“A-ah…” Rio imagined what might’ve happened and went silent, trembling.
Luminaria analyzed the awful scene coolly. “Rio, look. There are no bloodstains at all despite all these claw marks. And the contents of the bags are all things that contain a lot of mana. They must have taken advantage of the fiend’s natural attraction to mana to use their cargo as bait while they escaped. Looks like some people in that caravan have good heads on their shoulders.”
Luminaria was fairly certain that the traces of the fiend’s rampage here were the result of it attacking goods, not people. No matter how horrid the sight might be, there wasn’t a single drop of blood to be found—just a bunch of torn bags. Using mana-rich items as bait was a proven tactic. The caravan’s safety was looking likelier by the minute.
Rio’s face lit up as hope bloomed again. “It must be my brother! My brother always idolized adventurers, so he studied monsters and fiends in great detail.”
“How reliable! I bet he’s doing a great job of hiding.”
Using mana-rich items as bait didn’t work if a fiend was in its battle state, but if it was in its pursuit state, then it was an effective means of deceiving them. Based on this scene, someone from the caravan certainly knew that.
I think we can avoid the worst result now.
The Gorey Marquis lingering in the area, an exorcist among the group, and now this knowledge about how to escape from fiends—all of these facts pointed to the caravan’s survival. The only question remaining was which they would encounter first—the caravan or the fiend.
With real hope in their hearts, Luminaria and Rio stepped deeper into the forest, where the air was thick.
***
As they proceeded, monsters began to show themselves. But instead of running to attack Luminaria and Rio, they seemed to be rushing away from something. Among them were monsters that would usually never show up in this environment. No matter—every one of them blazed to ash the moment Luminaria raised her hand, victim of her overwhelmingly fast magic casts. Rio watched her godlike sorcery, fascinated, and gradually forgot her fear of the monsters.
They eventually arrived at the hilly northern edge of the forest. The geography here was marked by harsh changes in elevation, with rivers, waterfalls, cliffs, and caves of all sizes occasionally blocking their path.
I bet she’d summon Pegasus and fly right over all of this.
While she thought enviously of Mira’s many modes of transportation, Luminaria cradled Rio in her arms and easily hopped over the high precipices. This technique was a combination of Ethereal Arts that allowed her to nullify gravity for a few seconds and wind sorcery cast at her feet.
Experiencing these leaps and bounds for the first time, Rio was surprised into silence. Luminaria couldn’t fault her for that. Gravity control was an Ethereal Art that took great concentration on its own. Doing it while carrying someone was an even more incredible feat.
However, Luminaria did it as if it were as natural as breathing. Rio gazed at her in admiration. Truly, the gap between a normal mage and a Wise Man was vast.
***
“I feel them nearby,” Rio reported about an hour into the forest trek. She believed the caravan was hiding somewhere close by.
“Where do you think? I definitely can’t tell from looking.” Even Luminaria couldn’t find any traces of their magic. The caravan’s exorcist must have been skilled. But they were definitely nearby. The duo followed the faint responses from Rio’s scouting magic, hoping to find any caves they might be hiding in.
They checked several caves, yet found nothing. They tried another, and another, until ahead of them, a man suddenly appeared out of thin air.
“Are you two here to save us?” The man stared at Rio—or more accurately, her armband—and spoke. She was currently wearing the uniform of a messenger, so the band on her arm bore the Alcait Kingdom’s coat of arms. It seemed the man believed her to be a civilian member of the army.
“Yes, sir. I am a trainee messenger of Alcait, Rio.”
“And I’m the Azure Sorcerer, an adventurer working with her.”
The man was visibly relieved. “Ooh, so you’re the legendary Azure Sorcerer? I hear you’re as strong as they get. I’m Harold, leader of this merchant caravan. Thank you for coming to our rescue.”
The escape must have been a desperate one. His clothes were coming apart at the seams despite their obviously high quality. Even in their current state, his taste in clothes marked him as a merchant.
Harold bowed his head in prayer and asked expectantly, “How long until the main force gets here?” He seemed to think Luminaria and Rio were an advance party.
“It’s just us, buddy,” Luminaria said outright.
“It can’t be… Does the kingdom plan to let this fiend run wild?” Harold looked both disappointed and flabbergasted. Fiend appearances were the highest priority in the kingdom. That was why hunting parties were always sent swiftly.
Harold had expected that, if rescue did come, it would be after the fiend was dead. And he believed, quite correctly, that would take at least a week. When Luminaria and Rio came earlier than anticipated, he assumed they were there to confirm the existence of survivors and lead the hunting party.
No such luck. The only ones who had come were a single adventurer and a military civilian.
“We’ve seen the fiend. It’s an awful, horrifying creature. It’s not something we can let roam free. You need to form a hunting party at once!” he pleaded, face blanching with terror. “It’s waiting nearby for us to run out of energy. And it won’t stop here, either! It’ll go to nearby villages and towns! We’re powerless in the face of that monster, but if you go now, we might still make it in time!”
One could only imagine the horror he’d seen, but to his credit, he seemed to care about the wider damage the creature would do even more than his immediate safety.
While Harold grew desperate, Luminaria was totally nonchalant. “Nah, I got this. I told them to just send me instead.”
“Instead? Listen, I hear that you are incredibly powerful. But think about the enemy this time. It’s a Gorey Marquis, one of the most fiendish of fiends! I don’t think you can do this alone…”
The Azure Sorcerer was a powerful adventurer, but her name was only known within the Kingdom of Alcait. Merchants heard many rumors—if she were that good, they’d be talking about her beyond the kingdom’s borders, too. There was no reason for her to get cocky!
Harold’s line of thought was common sense…but Rio knew the truth of the Azure Sorcerer.
“Excuse me…I think the Azure Sorcerer will be fine on her own.”
Harold had no idea what she was thinking, so he was even more perplexed by Rio’s unfounded confidence.
Just then, a great cloud of birds flew up out of the forest, spreading their wings wide to flee into the sky. Not a moment after, they began falling back into the forest, dropping one by one.
“It’s found us! It’s here! Hurry, this way!” Harold panicked and screamed before jumping through the cliff wall.
It seemed they’d indeed found the caravan.
“Aha. They’re using both a barrier and an illusion, eh?” Luminaria was impressed at the skill behind that magic.
“The fiend will never find them like that!” Rio was surprised by the excellent concealment, and soon realized something: her family must be alive!
“Let’s get this over with. Lucky this thing saved us time by coming to meet me.” Luminaria looked toward the forest and smirked fearlessly as she listened to the approaching earthquakes. “I feel something big coming…”
An uncanny aura was clearly pressing out from the forest directly toward them. The pressure was too much for Rio to withstand, forcing the newbie to back away.
The aura and pressure grew greater by the second, until the waves of magic were almost palpable. Knowing this was something normal people couldn’t withstand, Luminaria stood to face it head-on.
Harold poked his head out from the barrier and shouted, now hysterical, “Hey! Hurry and get in here! Run!”
At that moment, it showed itself—the fiend, a Gorey Marquis. Even an A-Rank adventurer would be a fool to challenge it alone. It was a beast so powerful that even a group of six would struggle to defeat it. Its form was as majestic as a lion, while its fangs and claws were the ominous black of dried blood. Its body was more than seven meters long, and its blood-red irises looked down at Luminaria from on high.
“Ooh, a big boy.”
Fiends of the same type could vary in strength depending on their growth. Luminaria took a look at this particular Gorey Marquis and judged that it was much larger than the average. It was an overwhelming beast that would take at least twelve people to defeat.
Twelve normal people.
She glared at it, sizing up the giant. The Gorey Marquis glowered back at her.
Its roar resounded through the forest as it locked eyes with the sorcerer. The sudden blast of sound was like a shockwave. The distance between them was still great, and Luminaria, Rio, and Harold all watched as the trees around the Gorey Marquis were blown to smithereens.
“Wh-whoooa!” Harold was shaken to his core by the sight.
“Ack!” Rio froze up from terror.
And with good reason. The Gorey Marquis was a truly terrifying creature. Now that the forest had been cleared, there was nowhere to hide from its pure malice.
A single roar. That was its prelude to battle, meant to show its absolute confidence as the strongest being around—to communicate to its prey that it couldn’t escape, and to sow the seeds of terror and break the hearts of its foes. This fiend did not display the grit of a survivalist, but the swagger of an all-powerful hunter about to enjoy itself toying with its prey.
While Rio and Harold were paralyzed with fear, Luminaria shot a cool glance at the Gorey Marquis and smirked.
That thing’s lost its mind. Guess I don’t have to feel guilty about what I’m about to do.
There were two broad categories of fiend. One was the “free” type that turned into a fiend yet retained its mental faculties. The other was the “predator” type, which had all its animal instincts replaced with the single desire to attack all that lived, much like a monster.
Free types were extremely rare, so the majority of fiends were predators. Whenever they appeared, bringing them down took top priority for any nation.
Either type, of course, was extremely strong. Even without the awareness of free types, predators still became cunning, brutal hunters. And this was certainly one hell of a predator.
“L-listen… There’s still time! Quick, into the cavern! That thing can’t fit inside.” Despite his fear, Harold strained his voice to call out to Luminaria and Rio.
But Rio was so terrified she couldn’t take her eyes off of the Gorey Marquis for even a second. Harold saw that she was unable to move, but he couldn’t muster the strength to step out and drag her inside. He gritted his teeth from fear, shame, and regret.
Luminaria turned back to the panicked pair with a smile and answered, “Nah. Relax.”
Taking advantage of Luminaria’s inattentiveness, the Gorey Marquis chose that moment to pounce. It crossed dozens of meters in one jump, flying swiftly over like an arrow. The power behind it was far too much for any person to fend off. In the face of that strength, Harold stumbled back into the cavern despite his near-paralysis.
Rio couldn’t help but scream, “Lady Luminaria!”
Luminaria’s grin widened. Mana gathered in her right hand.
“Take this!” Luminaria faced the fiend again and raised her hand. When she did, a blast of wind swirled in midair, howling through their surroundings and causing trees to rustle violently.
Luminaria’s wind sorcery hit the Gorey Marquis with a blast of sheer power. It lost its momentum and crashed against the ground.
There was a loud quake as the wind slammed the seven-meter behemoth into the earth. Yet the Gorey Marquis stood up, unaffected, and once again glared at Luminaria with bloodshot eyes.
It roared again. This time, it wasn’t boastful; it was a declaration that it would kill her, an expression of pure rage. It was even more destructive than the last roar, not only blowing away trees but warping the very clouds in the sky.
Rio fell to the ground, unable to remain standing. The Gorey Marquis’s power was beyond reckoning. No matter how carefully selected the hunting party, it couldn’t defeat this beast.
It was probably for the best that Luminaria came out to deal with it face to face from the start.
“…Huh?” Rio gasped, astonished.
Before she knew it, it was over. She had no idea how, but suddenly that all-powerful Gorey Marquis had been stabbed between the eyes by a pillar of ice.
“What…just happened? How?” Rio stared at it, dumbfounded. After some seconds standing with mouth agape, she finally recognized that it was sorcery. The cast had been completed in an instant, finishing off the hideous fiend in a single blow.
Her eyes couldn’t even follow the attack. Predicting it would’ve been impossible. It wasn’t just a speedy cast—it was so strong it had slain the fiend in one move. Luminaria was on a level that nobody but her equals could comprehend.
“Welp, let’s get the survivors now. Come on, Rio,” Luminaria called out to the astounded trainee and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder before passing through the illusory cliff wall.
Having finally returned to her senses, Rio rushed after her.
The cavern entrance was cramped. At most, it could fit three adults entering single file. Before them was Harold, still petrified. He gazed at Luminaria in abject shock and then turned his gaze to the scene outside. The view was fuzzy from inside the barrier, but it was clear enough to see the dead fiend.
He finally looked back at Luminaria.
“A moment ago, Miss Rio…” he stammered. Faced with Luminaria’s wide, perfect smile, he understood why they hadn’t sent a hunting party. “You’re… No. Clearly a hunting party was unnecessary. We appreciate your efforts very deeply.”
Suddenly much more polite, Harold bowed deeply to Luminaria. It seemed he’d figured out the Azure Sorcerer’s true identity somehow. Perhaps Rio’s…
“Say, Rio,” Luminaria addressed her. “You said my name a minute ago, didn’t you?”
“Huh? …Oh!” Rio finally realized her mistake and went pale.
Harold listened to their exchange and stated, “Another job well done. I will have to tell them of your exploits, Azure Sorcerer. Now please, friends, come in.” The implication was clear: he had heard nothing and noticed nothing.
“Sure. Let’s go.”
Despite her previous warning, Luminaria didn’t seem mad. She smiled gently at Rio and patted her on the back. In truth, though she’d been hiding her identity, some people already knew. Those who knew had the discretion and good sense to keep it to themselves. It helped that she was popular.
Even as the strongest sorcerer, she had a soft demeanor. She was gentle and beautiful, but in battle, she was fierce and overpowering. Rio gazed at Luminaria from behind with respect…and something more.
***
In the depths of the cavern sat the rest of the members of the caravan. Many were wounded, but miraculously, none had been killed by the fiend. According to Harold, they were fortunate to have an exorcist with them who could use that barrier to keep them concealed from the fiend. They were also fortunate that the fiend had tried to toy with them like a hunter instead of going straight for the kill.
Though nobody had died, some were heavily wounded. They didn’t have much food on hand, either. If Luminaria had come three days later, their numbers might have dwindled.
After the rescue, the heavily wounded were taken directly to the Medical Guild. According to the medics there, they had brought the wounded not a moment too soon. Their recovery was only made possible by the swiftness of the rescue mission.
Rio’s family was safe, as well. Her father and brother were proud of her growth and bravery, if a bit surprised she’d come to rescue them in person.
And so the crisis of the fiend’s appearance at the border was swiftly resolved. There were great monetary damages, including totaled freight carriages and half of the cargo destroyed, but the people of the caravan were optimistic. They could make the money back, but Harold and his folk all agreed with a laugh that their lives were their greatest asset.
After watching over them long enough to ensure they were in good hands, Luminaria left Harold’s group and returned to the patrol outpost. Rio joined her, of course. After crying her eyes out after her safe reunion with her family, Rio returned to work.
By the time Luminaria finished her report to the chief officer, twilight had long passed. The group set out on the road back to Lunatic Lake. Along the way, Garrett complained at length about missing the opportunity to shoot the fiend with the armored car’s equipped artillery.
No one else in the FAV seemed to care.
***
After returning to the castle and making her report to Solomon, Luminaria bumped back into Rio. “Are you free tonight? How about we get some late dinner?”
“S-sure. I would be glad to join you!” she happily accepted.
The two disappeared into the nighttime city.
***
The next day, a formal report was made on the fiend disturbance.
All merchants in the caravan had survived. The unexpectedly powerful Gorey Marquis was dead. The resounding success was not just the work of the Azure Sorcerer, however—the efforts of the exorcist who had guarded the caravan were also lauded.
That was Luminaria’s suggestion. After all, the caravan had only survived long enough for her to get there thanks to the barrier. As recognition for their efforts, the exorcist was given half of the Gorey Marquis’s materials. That was also Luminaria’s idea.
Though it was only half, the fiend’s materials were extremely valuable and high quality. According to Solomon, the exorcist was speechless at the sudden windfall of hundreds of millions of ducats’ worth of material.
On top of that, the space-time distortion that had caused the crisis was dealt with by several spirits working with the Kingdom of Alcait. The Azure Sorcerer accompanied them to protect them from the danger posed by Chimera Clausen while they worked.
Thus, the disturbance came to a close. Days returned to unchanging normality. If anything had changed, it was that one more woman would visit Luminaria’s bedchamber in the castle every now and then.
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