The dark mages were no match for Seiden. He never gave way even when three attacked at once. However, Bellota noticed something strange about their movements. They didn’t seem to be attacking with full force, but rather moving slowly as if trying to buy time.

As Bellota anxiously furrowed her brows, a strange tingling scent reached her nose. A thick fig scent lingered in its aftereffects. Bellota’s breath froze when she sensed it. She knew this unique scent.

“It’s a reknil’s corpse. The Commander must have smuggled one out.”

This sharp and dizzying scent was the smell of a reknil’s poison.

“He said it was an offering for the Saintess’s research.”

That was certainly true. Seiden had smuggled out one reknil for Bellota, and Bellota had spent months researching reknil to discover its uses.

A reknil’s poison was lethal enough that just one sip could be fatal, but it possessed an even more remarkable function. When the poison was mixed with holy water, it manifested invisibility magic. However, invisibility magic was difficult and complex magic that even high-ranking mage tower officials didn’t use carelessly. That magic……

“Seiden! Watch out behind you!”

When Bellota, who had noticed something, shouted with a tearing voice, Seiden immediately turned around. Something reflected in the dazzling sunlight was glinting in front of his neck. Seiden instinctively raised his sword to block it. Then he felt a heavy weight as his blade collided with empty air. However, nothing was visible in front of Seiden.

Bellota, certain that her intuition was correct, covered her mouth in horror, forgetting she was still in the middle of healing.

The invisibility magic using reknil’s poison seemed perfect at first glance, but it had a fatal flaw. When the subject was reflected in sunlight, dazzling light burst forth from various spots, revealing the location of what should have been hidden. As proof, the empty space in front of Seiden was glinting with light reflected in the sunlight. Someone covered in reknil’s poison was clearly trying to hide their body and target Seiden.

Seiden also sensed that something was confronting him while disguising its appearance. Soon the weight pressing down on Seiden’s sword suddenly disappeared, making his hand feel light. Seiden slowly rolled his eyes to look around. Though he caught a momentary glimpse of flickering light, it was only for an instant. Still nothing was visible in front of him.

After taking a low breath for a moment, Seiden soon detected where a faint breathing sound was coming from and swung his sword in that direction.

Clang! As the sound of clashing blades rang out again, a strange battle began. Seiden tried to prick up his ears to detect where the enemy’s sound was coming from. But it was a failure. One of the dark mages who had noticed his fighting method had cast an auditory illusion spell around Seiden.

“Damn it……”

When Seiden gritted his teeth, the enemy seized that opening and rushed in savagely. Seiden continued blocking the enemy’s attacks while slowly backing away, unable to gauge which direction they were coming from.

Bellota’s breath stopped distantly at the unbelievable sight of Seiden being pushed back. As Bellota, who had grown dizzy, unconsciously rose to move toward him, she heard painful gasping breaths near her ear.

Only then did Bellota remember the existence of the priest who had fallen into panic and couldn’t breathe, and she sat back down beside him. Just as Bellota’s urgent hands touched the trembling priest’s chest again—

Clang!

Once again, two blades clashed at length in a battle of nerves. Seizing that opening, a dark mage hurriedly chanted a spell.

“Partera!”

With that spell, the force of the invisible sword pressing down on Seiden’s blade felt like it suddenly became enormous.

“Ugh……”

Pressed down by the artificial force, Seiden quickly tried to step back and dodge, but immediately the dark mage’s spell was heard again. At the same time, an invisible wall appeared behind Seiden’s back, trapping him so he couldn’t move an inch.

“No……”

While continuing to attempt healing, Bellota tried to think of a way to save Seiden. However, her mind went blank as Seiden’s sword, caught in dark magic, was being pressed down by the enemy instead.

The enemy who had gained the upper hand began excitedly pushing Seiden back. Finally, the invisible blade succeeded in digging into Seiden’s neck. Red blood trickled down his neck. The excited dark mages rode the momentum and chanted spells again. They clearly planned to finish off Seiden. However, that scheme was blocked by Felton.

Felton, who had rushed over to help Seiden, shot an attack infused with holy power, sending the smirking dark mages flying far away to tumble down.

“Commander! Hurry!”

When Felton urgently called out after seeing dark mages fiercely rushing toward them, Seiden’s face crumpled painfully.

At that moment, the priest who had regained his breath thanks to Bellota’s healing coughed and exhaled rough breaths. And in that instant, Bellota finally remembered how to dispel the invisibility magic using reknil’s poison.

“If they’re wounded, the invisibility magic will break!”

As Bellota jumped up from her spot and shouted out the method she remembered, strength entered Seiden’s hands. After a brief moment passed, he slowly released the strength in his hands as if resigned. Then he felt the blade touching his neck savagely dig into his skin.

For a brief moment, sensing victory, the enemy let their guard down and smiled. Seiden seized that opening, suddenly pulling back his sword before swiftly pushing forward to shove them away. The invisible enemy staggered and stumbled from the reaction. At the same time, Seiden caught a glimpse of sparkling light and swung his sword fiercely.

“Aaagh!”

Blood spurted from thin air as the hidden enemy’s form was revealed. When the fallen person’s robe came off revealing their face, not only Seiden but also Bellota and Felton’s faces hardened.

“D-damn it!”

After the initial shock, a hollow realization dawned in Bellota’s eyes.

It was someone who could understand reknil poison’s functions and easily obtain both the poison and holy water. Someone who harbored enough resentment toward Seiden to follow him to this dangerous north and raise a blade against him. The one clutching their bleeding shoulder while awkwardly shuffling their bottom trying to escape was Geril.

“……”

Seiden’s mind filled with murderous rage at Geril’s persistent obsession. Seiden walked over step by step and grabbed his collar.

Geril’s face had lost its usual sleek shine and looked haggard. Seiden felt even more furious seeing how Geril clearly hadn’t eaten or slept properly since that incident. He couldn’t understand why Geril was so obsessed with Bellota. Was he truly sincere about her? If so, that made it even more unforgivable. His sincerity was too twisted.

“You insufferable bastard.”

A voice dripping with disgust leaked through Seiden’s teeth.

“Seems you’re desperate to show proof that you’ve been conspiring with those dark mages. I’ll gladly accept it.”

At that, Geril’s eyes, which had been pale and trembling, became unfocused. He soon let out an unhinged laugh. Geril clearly sensed that he was finished.

“Heh…… heheh……”

As if trying to overcome his dizzying fear with laughter, Geril forced his lips up into a smile and whispered with trembling lips.

“You think… I’ll die alone? Hm? Really?”

When Geril squeezed out one last threat despite trembling, Seiden’s eyebrows rose dangerously. Geril continued to provoke Seiden while grinning.

“You’ve… underestimated me too much.”

Seiden glared at the mouth still spouting nonsense, unable to accept his situation. Taking him to the imperial family and exposing his evil deeds was the natural course. Once everything came to light, he would face execution anyway.

He would try to escape somehow, but as soon as they returned to the capital, Seiden would uncover the true identity of the group of dark mages behind all this, and finding evidence of their connection to Geril wouldn’t be difficult.

“This is all, because you didn’t know your place.”

Perhaps cutting off this annoying person’s arms right here wouldn’t be a problem. Just as Seiden was considering this, Geril quickly pulled something out from inside his clothes. That action ended Seiden’s deliberation.

With lightning speed, Seiden threw down Geril whom he’d been holding by the collar, and stomped hard on his squirming body to prevent escape. Finally raising his sword again, Seiden swung at Geril’s arm that was tightly gripping something.

“Aaaagh!”

But it was already too late. As his arm was cut off, Geril had managed to throw the red glass orb he was holding. The orb Geril threw wasn’t aimed at Seiden’s chest. Seiden’s hardened eyes followed the arc of the flying orb. Where it landed was at Bellota’s feet.

As Seiden’s breath stopped, the orb shattered and ignited blue flames on Bellota’s skirts.

“Sir……”

Unable to escape from the sudden situation, Bellota, frozen in place, looked at Seiden with a terrified face.

Clutching his severed arm and panting, Geril checked the situation and smiled with horrible satisfaction. Between his drooling lips leaked an obsession so persistent it made one’s skin crawl.

“If I can’t have her, neither can you.”