We arrived at a spacious room. Several empty crates and barrels were scattered across the center, papers strewn across them. Beyond those crates, however, were two figures. One was the stocky man I had seen before, now on his back, scrambling away from the man looming over him.

The robed man, his hood was finally down. His dark hair, dirty and disheveled, clung to his sweaty forehead. He stood hunched over, a fireball was floating gently upon his palm; notably, it was smaller than the one he had cast before.

The stocky man, drenched in sweat, noticed our arrival. His panicked eyes darted toward us, and he threw a desperate hand into the air. “Please! Please, save me! I’ll do whatever you want!”

“Stop right there!” Father shouted, brandishing his sword towards the robed man. “Dispel that fireball this instant!”

The knights followed Father’s lead and brandished their weapons as well. They formed a half-circle around the robed man. Meanwhile, I stood silently by the end of the staircase, ready to jump into the fray if needed.

“I will not repeat myself. Dispel that fireball at once!”

The robed man took his time turning his head. When his eyes locked with Father’s, we could finally see his full expression. Wide open unhinged eyes coupled with a crooked smile. If the word “cuckoo” had a face, this was it.

“A-A noble, are you?” the robed man said, the flames on his palm still blazing, preventing anyone from approaching him. “A-Are you here to mock? Mock my name, my title, my origin… Just like everyone else, huh? HUH?!” His voice cracked and the flames on his hands roared higher.

Father took a step forward. “This is your final warning. Dispel your magic and surrender peacefully, or we will use force!”

The robed man let out a chuckle, his entire body trembling as he did. “Force? You’re going to force me to obey you? Again?!” His free hand yanked at his own hair, his face grew even more distorted. “All of you… All of you are the same!” His booming voice echoed through the room. The fireball seemed to glow even brighter, which caused the knights to instinctively step back.

“Enough of this!” Father barked. He motioned with his free hand, signaling the knights to spread out. “This is your last chance, stand down!”

The robed man sneered as he raised his hands. “No… I won’t be pushed around again! This is the last time I’m listening to orders from you people!”

The stocky man took the opportunity to scramble back, his back against a crate. “H-He’s lost it! Just kill him already!”

He raised his hands higher, the fire grew and began to envelop the entire room in its orange glow. “May we bask in its flames—! May we bask in its glory!!!”

Those words… they were the exact final lines of the fireball chant!

“He’s about to cast—!” I shouted, but I was too late. 

The robed man smirked as he said the final words. “[Firebal—Urk!!”

That was… until something struck him in the face.

My eyes didn’t even see what had happened, I could only see the aftermath. Golden yellow dust shimmered around the robed man, centering on his face. His free hand clawed his own face. He began stumbling back, before slumping to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut. The fireball flickered, then vanished.

The robed man struggled to speak. “W-What is—?”

“That’s a paralyzing agent,” Father answered the robed man’s unfinished question, dusting off his hands. “Don’t bother lifting up your arm to cast another spell.” 

The knights rushed in, hoisting the robed man up and tying his hands behind his back. The stocky man was detained soon after.

I breathe a sigh of relief. Although the battle I expected didn’t truly begin, I felt like I barely survived one. Had that fireball been cast, what would’ve happened to all of us? 

Sure, the fire wasn’t as large and grand as the one he had cast before. But even if it was weakened, having an explosion in such an enclosed space would be enough to do us all in.

So… Father used a paralyzing powder?

I found it a bit ironic that the one that led me to get kidnapped was the one that would save all of us. The speed at which Father threw that powder was quick too. In his teachings, that sort of thing would be classified as “fighting dirty”. But against a mage, what else could you do but fight dirty?

Father led the way as the knights carried the robed man by their shoulders. Another set of knights tied up the stocky man and brought him to stand up as well. Father stood still in front of me. Then, he smiled. “You did well finding out where they were hiding, Feyt. But, don’t you ever be that reckless again, you understand?”

“A-Ah, yes, Instructor!”

Father patted me on the shoulder. “Good, let us go home, shall we? I have plenty of questions these men need to answer to.”

“Of course, Instructor!”

I walked beside Father as we ascended the staircase leading to the surface. The knights carrying the culprits followed steadily behind us.

As we ascended the staircase, I felt something… off. The worst of it all should’ve already passed, yet, why does my spine chill? Then, my ears started hearing something.

Behind me, a very faint and quiet sound reached me. It was quieter than a whisper, yet so audible at the same time.

“…my body, my soul, may it all burn along with my enemies…”

That rhythmic line was followed by a faint crackling in the air.

My blood turned cold as I realized…

It was a chant.

I spun on my heel, facing the robed man smirking despite being paralyzed.

“No, you don’t!”

There was no time to think. The ceiling was too low for a proper swing. Instead, I drove my pommel into his face, hard. He jerked, the force of the blow ripping him free from the knights’ grasp. He tumbled backward, his body swallowed by the darkness below.

“Feyt?!” Father shouted. “What are you—”

Then, a bright searing orange glow shone from the darkness. 

“Everyone! Get up quickly!” I shouted. 

Then, from the abyss down below, I heard what would be the robed man’s final words.

“[Self-Detonate]…”

A thunderous explosion roared through the stairwell, shaking the very ground beneath us. Heat surged up from the depths as everyone started scrambling upward.

We burst onto the surface, gasping for air. The knights collapsed, their armor clanking against the stone. The stocky man had passed out, unconscious from the shock.

“What… What was that?!” One of the knights rasped.

Father was the only one still standing tall. “Everyone, calm down! We need to evacuate this building immediately!”

“Y-Yes, Sir!” The knights forced themselves up, dragging the stocky man along.

I was still on the ground, catching my breath, my body trembling. Father crouched beside me and placed a hand gently on my back. 

“Feyt, are you alright?”

Right now, the loudest sound reaching my ears was my heart pounding against my ribs.

If I hadn’t realized he was chanting just one moment longer… I couldn’t even imagine what would’ve happened.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep