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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Dangerous Approach
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"My apologies. I seem to have been focusing my attention on the wrong person when the true beauty was right here."
Oscar quickly rose and tried to kiss Iris's hand. But just before his lips could touch, Iris naturally withdrew her hand.
In a situation where no one else noticed a thing, Oscar alone felt a sense of unease and was bewildered.
‘What was that? Was she shy?’
He was typically the type who couldn't recognize a woman's rejection even when it was explicitly stated.
It was only when his pride was trampled, like with Aracilla, that he would stop seeing the person as a woman and instead view them as merely a person, after which he would intensely dislike, disapprove of, and avoid them.
"Indeed, Lady Hugo, I've been eager to meet you. I felt as if my eyes were blinded by your beauty at your sister's wedding, and your face still shines."
Oscar's tongue moved with a brazen smoothness, as if buttered.
‘There isn't a woman in the world who dislikes being complimented on her appearance!’
He praised Iris's appearance until his mouth was dry, overtly flirting with her.
However, Iris was that "woman who didn't exist."
She didn't welcome compliments on her looks. Ever since childhood, people around her had unwelcome comparisons with her sister's appearance or encouraged competition over who was more beautiful.
Yet, if she expressed discomfort, people would take offense, claiming she was too sensitive to kind words, so she generally handled it with adaptable grace.
"Thank you for your kind words, Young Master. You must be busy with the Hunting Festival; please, feel free to return."
Iris forced a formal smile, trying to dismiss him. But Oscar didn't back down easily.
"It's quite alright. In fact, I find myself in the position of being hunted right now."
"Pardon? What do you mean by that…?"
"It means a beautiful Lady has shot an arrow of love directly into my heart."
Oscar winked one eye. For once, even Iris found it hard to maintain her composure.
However, she couldn't openly rebuke her sister's husband's brother in front of others. That was not the behavior of a wise noble Lady.
Even as Iris felt her patience wearing thin, Oscar's words didn't cease.
"Lady Hugo, do you happen to be currently courting a Young Master?"
"…No."
"Haha! It must be fate. I, too, happen to have neither a Lady I'm courting nor a fiancée."
Oscar approached Iris with a profound smile. His eyes gleamed ominously.
Iris flinched instantly and stepped back. Oscar, looking down at her as if she were cute, finally prepared to leave.
While having long conversations initially was good, simply dropping hints and then leaving often made the other person feel more regret.
In any case, he never intended to be at a disadvantage when meeting someone, so he was already initiating a battle for dominance against Iris, all by himself.
"I'm afraid I'm too busy to converse further. Until next time, Lady Hugo."
"…Farewell, Young Master."
Watching Oscar's receding figure, Iris felt an uncomfortable premonition.
It felt like she had gotten caught up in something troublesome.
Her instincts warned her.
* * *
The assassins attacked using arrows and magic, never revealing themselves. It was a strategy that seemed to know well there was no chance of winning in a fair fight.
Aracilla tried to locate their positions, hidden among the trees, with tracking magic, but it seemed to be blocked by the opposing Mage.
To be able to deflect her magic, they couldn't be an ordinary practitioner…
Furthermore, her magical power seemed weaker than usual, which concerned her. Still, it was at the upper level for a regular Mage, so she proceeded with the attack as previously agreed with Demian.
Demian was close-range, Aracilla long-range.
The problem was…
"Wife! Are you mad, attacking me?"
"Oh, sorry. But you suddenly blocked my way!"
Aracilla's magic orb, mistimed, grazed Demian.
"Demian! What are you doing, attacking me?!"
"My apologies. I made a mistake because you were standing in the way."
Demian's wildly swung sword narrowly missed Aracilla.
The two of them were incredibly uncoordinated.
In a way, their thoughts were so similar that they clashed. How could they attack the same spot at the exact same time?
As a result, they ended up attacking or hindering each other, struggling through the fight.
"This won't do. Let's re-divide our roles. I'll handle the offense; you take defense, Wife."
"Ah, alright. This time, to avoid our paths getting tangled, I'll just stay behind you."
Putting their heads together again, the two found a new agreement and resumed their attack.
Demian charged towards the incoming attacks, swinging his sword, while Aracilla formed a magical shield around him, blocking arrows and magic.
Once they were somewhat coordinated, it wasn't long before the assassins' positions were also discovered.
"Damn it, everyone forward!"
"It's an all-out assault from now on!"
Assassins in black masks emerged one after another, lunging at Demian. There were easily more than ten of them.
Despite their considerable numbers, Demian remained calm. He steadily eliminated the enemies one by one with swift precision.
"Wife, you must not let your guard down."
"Alright, just focus on the fight yourself."
Aracilla retorted with exasperation at Demian, who didn't forget to nag her even amidst the fight.
Aracilla knew well that he was constantly glancing over to check on her safety. But considering who had just created the shield, it was excessive worry.
While Demian displayed skills befitting his renown as the youngest Sword Master, the assassins fell one by one without even touching a hair on him.
Though he was strong, Aracilla's shield was so impenetrable that they couldn't even lay a hand on him.
"Damn it! Our attacks aren't working!"
"The shield, remove the shield!"
Some of the assassins turned their attention towards Aracilla. If they brought her down, the barrier protecting Demian would disappear.
"Attack the Mage!"
"She's weaker, so take her down first!"
The assassins' bows changed direction, targeting Aracilla. However, Aracilla, who had already set up a shield around herself, deflected all the arrows and blade-like weapons they launched.
"Speak straight. I'm not weaker."
Aracilla looked at them sternly and spoke warningly. Being treated as weaker than Demian had seriously bruised her pride.
As evident from when their timing was off and their attacks collided with Demian, Aracilla's combat power was on a similar level to his.
So, wasn't it obvious she was unharmed even after being hit by Demian's attack?
The prejudice of simply assuming she was weak without knowing anything was simply ridiculous.
"Where's our Mage? Take that woman down now!"
The assassins frantically sought their fellow Mage. Then, a robed Mage ambled out from behind the bushes.
Aracilla cautiously observed her opponent, slightly on guard. She wondered how formidable this person was to have deflected her magic.
‘Wait, this aura is…’
Detecting the surging black aura from the opponent, Aracilla's expression changed to one of horror.
‘He's a Black Mage?’
No wonder, she'd felt an ominous sensation from the magic.
Aracilla urgently launched an offensive spell. But the pitch-black magic flowing from the Black Mage's hand blocked it, as if swallowing it whole.
Depending on the person, magical power glowed with a unique color, and black magic was something only Black Mages possessed.
‘Damn it, I'm going to be pushed back…!’
Black Mages were different from ordinary Mages. Their wicked and corrupt magical power wielded several times more force than a regular Mage's.
This meant that even someone with less skill than Aracilla could exert power comparable to hers if they used black magic.
"Demian, be careful! The shield's about to break!"
No sooner had she warned him than the shield shattered into pieces. Ominous black magic, chilling to behold, coiled around Aracilla. Her purple magic slowly began to lose its light.
Feeling her magical power being blocked, Aracilla silently cursed under her breath.
This damn Black Mage!
If magical power was blocked, magic couldn't be used. Aracilla, clutching her staff, stumbled back. At the same time, the Black Mage shouted loudly.
"She won't be able to use magic for a moment! Now's your chance!"
"Everyone attack!"
Assassins wielding knives rushed at Aracilla. Her face pale, she gripped her staff tightly.
"Wife!"
Demian, who had cut down the assassin blocking his path, looked towards Aracilla with eyes wide in horror.
An assassin was closing in on her, dangerously close. It was too late for him to rush over and save her.
‘No, she's going to get hit!’
In Demian's mind, those who had sacrificed themselves to protect him flashed by.
Not everyone had abandoned him after his mother died. A few people who had remained loyal to the first Duchess until the very end had tried to help the young boy.
But in the end, all of them suffered terrible retaliation and disappeared from the Vandermir Ducal Family, whether alive or dead, no one knew.
It was then that Demian was seized by a premonition that if Aracilla were to be sacrificed here as well, he would never be able to forgive himself.
*Thwack!*
"Aargh!"
With a satisfying thud, the assassin screamed and tumbled to the ground.
Aracilla had struck the opponent's head with all her might using her staff.
"I have a weapon too."
Unlike her somewhat flushed face, Aracilla's voice was calm. Her gloved hand gripped the staff firmly.
Honestly, she had always secretly thought that her staff, being large, long, and sturdy, wouldn't be out of place used as a blunt weapon.
Of course, back then she had imagined it for the purpose of smacking her annoying Magic Tower colleagues, but using it like this now wasn't bad either.
"And, 'for a moment' is over."
"…?!"
Aracilla grinned. The black magic coiling around her dispersed with a hiss. Soon, an intensely bursting purple magic enveloped the surroundings.
The assassins, who had been frozen in surprise by the unexpected turn of events, belatedly realized their mistake. They should have attacked Aracilla instead of standing still.
But it was already too late.
Aracilla's magical power surged into the staff's magic stone, and her counterattack was ready.
After all, the best defense was often offense. A massive magical orb, formed at the tip of her staff, engulfed the assassins.
"Ugh!"
"Aargh!"
Struck by the potent magic, the assassins tumbled and collapsed to the ground. The flustered Black Mage tried to cast a spell himself, but…
"Not so fast, you sly one."
"—!"
Aracilla was a step faster. She bound the Black Mage's limbs, making him unable to move, then this time, she was the one who blocked his magical power.
"You know what happens to those who use black magic under Imperial law, don't you? I'm going to strip you of everything, down to the last speck of dust, so just you wait."
Black magic was legally prohibited in the Cetron Empire, and those caught using it faced severe punishment.
And since it was the Magic Tower's jurisdiction to manage, supervise, and apprehend such individuals, Aracilla, as a Mage belonging to the Magic Tower, had a particular duty to arrest Black Mages.
Casually turning her head to see if there were any remaining enemies, she was startled to find Demian staring at her in a daze.
"Demian, look out!"
"…?"
Snapping out of his daze at her shout, Demian realized a shadow, with a sword raised high above its head, loomed over him.
It was a foolish mistake. He should have moved swiftly after confirming Aracilla was safe.
He had warned her so much not to let her guard down, and yet he himself had let his guard down.
‘Idiot, why were you only staring at me!’
Aracilla hurriedly tried to cast a shield for Demian. However, holding the Black Mage captive had consumed a considerable amount of her magical power.
If she used defensive magic now, the Black Mage might break free due to her lack of magical power. If that happened, a counterattack would immediately follow, causing immense damage.
‘…Oh, what the heck!’
Unable to overcome her impatience in this dilemma, she flung the staff she was holding.
