Volume 19 Chapter 6 Tempest Kingdom Entry
After completing the entry negotiations with the Kingdom of Messina, the delegation departed from Orion's town and, one week later, successfully crossed into the Tempest Kingdom.
On their first day in the Tempest Kingdom, the delegation was unexpectedly welcomed by a person who appeared to be the lord of the border town──not Count Norman.
It might have been a deputy──
Due to being forbidden from engaging with the residents in Messina Kingdom, they had camped out and subsisted solely on their preserved foods for quite some time. Thanks to the lord's kindness, the members of the delegation were able to make use of what seemed to be a spare barrack, allowing them to relax in the town for the first time in ages.
* * *
The following day, as they left the border town of the Norma Highlands, the group walked towards the Marquis Tagard territory, taking in the transformed scenery from Messina Kingdom's rich wheat fields to the undulating wilderness of the Tempest Kingdom.
"Alfred, you've been chanting some spell for a while, but aren't you okay yet? It's been ten days since you joined this delegation. If you remain so tense, you won't be able to act when it matters most. Besides, the Marquis Prentis' people must have been frightened by our numbers by now. You should relax a little."
Positioned about a third of the way from the front of the delegation, Gustave spoke to Al while matching the pace of the carriage Serena was in, walking alongside his horse.
Al stopped his quiet chanting and smiled brightly at Gustave.
In fact, Al was practicing a new spell, a delay spell, that he had received from Lord Zora as a token of appreciation for showing him how to learn spells.
Although his expression was serious, he was actually quite excited inside.
This spell was apparently only passed down to magicians who served the Count Senet family, and he had only just succeeded in Spell Activation (Exercise) last night.
If it weren't necessary to pack away the spellbook in a box during their journey through the Kingdom of Messina, Al would have been able to learn it much faster.
This spell was one that allowed the waiting for the effect of a spell to activate by combining it with another spell.
If he could time it perfectly, he might achieve the effect as if he had cast 2 spells in succession.
For Al, it was a dream-like spell.
"Ah, Big Brother Gustave, it's okay. I'm just practicing the spell like usual, so don't worry about it. But don't you think everyone is a bit too relaxed? I feel like the real danger is just ahead..."
"I somewhat agree. However, we had been tense for so long in the Kingdom of Messina. I guess the hospitality yesterday made us let our guard down. Perhaps Prince Theodore will give a speech to tighten everyone's spirits at the departure tomorrow morning."
Is that how it is?
Al, who had never considered commanding an army, simply nodded.
Certainly, being in a constant state of tension is tiring.
And it might not be feasible to gather the knights for speeches every day.
* * *
However, even while moving through the Kingdom of Messina, Al maintained a state of vigilance, layering the 'Magic Sense' spell and 'Detect Magic' with the 'Stealth' spell to remain undetected.
Therefore, although everything seemed fine on the surface, he was aware that several times during their journey, mysterious 'Floating Eye' spells had approached very close to their delegation.
Of course, there was a reason why he didn't want Serena to know about the 'Stealth' spell, so he could only warn her that there was a possibility that she should be careful.
And what bothered him about this was that there had been no particular movement from Margrave Lester's magic units, the magicians of the kingdom's second knight order, or even the knight order of the Kingdom of Messina, who were supposed to be watching over the envoys, towards the 'Floating Eye' spell.
If either unit had used the 'Detect Magic' spell or the 'Detect Invisible' spell, they would have definitely reacted to it.
If they had noticed this reaction, they should have sensed some kind of anomaly even without Al's warning.
Whose magician was that 'Floating Eye' spell being used by?
If it was a magician from the Messina Kingdom's knight order, there wouldn't be much of a problem.
However, if it belonged to a mage from the Marquis Prentis family, then perhaps the knight order of the Messina Kingdom just didn't notice it.
Or maybe they were aware and allowed it.
If that's the case, the Messina Kingdom, which outwardly maintains a neutral stance, might actually be collaborating with the Marquis Prentis family.
"Yeah, but you know, since we've already entered the Tempest Kingdom, we've started to get farther from the town and there are no more people around. Don't you feel like if the Marquis Prentis family's mage was going to spring something on us, it should be around now?"
"Don't say such ominous things. It might just come true."
Gustave anxiously looks around.
"Ah, there's a magical reaction from behind."
Al raises his voice seriously.
It seems that Al's ominous premonition has come true.
Someone, presumably under some sort of magical influence, is approaching.
"Be careful. Someone is approaching from behind."
Gustave speaks up.
At almost the same time, the roof of the carriage carrying Naresh and Lord Zora also opened, and 2 of Lord Zora's disciples popped out.
Lord Zora probably sensed Al's approach at the same time.
A transparent ball resembling the eye of the 'Floating Eye' spell floats in the air between the two disciples.
Al also makes the eyes of the 'Floating Eye' spell that he had on his shoulder face upwards.
The roads were not very good, so the convoy marched almost in a single file.
The first in line was the carriage of Nora from the Marquis Tagard family, who also served as the guide for the delegation, followed closely by a small team from the Second Knight Corps of the Sylvester Kingdom, and then the carriages of Prince Theodore, Serena, and Naresh, with the magic unit of the Margrave Rain Knight Corps behind them, and finally, another small team of knights from the Second Unit of the Margrave Rain Knight Corps bringing up the rear.
Gustave was originally supposed to be at the rear as part of the Second Unit, but this time he was advancing alongside Serena's carriage as her bodyguard.
Approaching from behind were 2 persons cloaked in spells.
They were likely magicians.
One stopped about a hundred meters away, while the other got closer, nearing the rear of the delegation.
Voices questioning the identity of the knight who was likely providing protection at the rear could be heard.
The position of the Second Unit was about 30 meters away from Al and the others.
What was approaching was something wearing a black robe.
Then, the one clad in the black robe suddenly used magic when they were about 20 meters away from the second squad.
From the palm of the figure in the black robe, a bluish-white light shot out with a whoosh.
Al recognized it.
It was the spell 'Magic Tornado.'
There was no time to cancel it with the 'Spasm' spell now.
When not using options, the effective range of the 'Magic Tornado' spell is 30 meters, with an area of effect of ten meters in radius.
Fortunately, it was far enough not to reach Prince Theodore, Serena, and Naresh's carriage.
"'Magic Tornado' spell. Take cover!"
Al shouted as loud as he could.
Even when they took cover, they would likely still suffer damage, but it might not be fatal.
Among the supply troops, those with keen ears heard Al's voice and instinctively threw down the reins of their packhorses, diving to the side of the road to take cover.
The bluish-white light fell almost midway between the supply troops and the knight squad's second division.
The moment the light hit the ground, there was a deafening sound like wind roaring, and around that point, the white light swirled and spread as if a flower of light was blooming.
Most of the supply troops and the knight squad's second division were completely engulfed by it, and those who stood were blown away by the mass of bluish-white light.
Many screams of despair were heard.
Soon the vortex of white light subsided, leaving behind a scene of carnage on the ground, with knights and members of the supply train, war horses and pack horses, and the luggage from the wagons scattered everywhere.
"!!"
"What happened?!"
"What's wrong?"
Gustave and Orville were calling out the names of their comrades from the second company, probably out of concern for them.
Prince Theodore and Serena opened the carriage door together and asked Gustave, Al, and the others nearby about the situation.
The magic units are also getting off the carriages.
Naresh and the others were still in the carriage, cautious of their surroundings.
"Calm down, brother! It's an attack to Prince Theodore and Lady Serena, the magician. They approached from behind and suddenly launched the spell 'Magic Tornado.' It seems that the supply unit and the second unit of Margrave Rain's knights have been caught up in it."
Could this be the work of the magician from the Marquis Prentis family who tried to involve ordinary citizens when attacking Patricia at the border city of Lester?
Even though they aren't officially at war, why would they suddenly do something like this?
Although Al didn't know what to do, he reported the situation and kept an eye on the approaching magician who had used 'Magic Tornado' in case they got closer.
If they approach and try to launch 'Magic Tornado' again, he needed to be ready to cancel it with the 'Spasm' spell.
"Damn it, I'm heading out to defeat them! I'll show them the terror of the magic units of Margrave Rain! 'Fly'!"
Melvin, the junior leader of the magic units, cast the 'Fly' spell.
His fellow magicians followed suit, chanting 'Fly' one after another and beginning to float into the air.
Then, they started flying one after another toward the rear.
"W-wait a minute, if you head towards enemies that can use magic while flying..."
The warning that they would suffer badly from 'Dispel Magic' seemed far too late.
And at almost the same time, Glee, who was sharing the vision of the 'Floating Eye' spell with Al and observing the surroundings, spoke up.
'Ally, there's a person on top of the mountain to the northwest looking at you.'
Al stares intently at the spot Glee is talking about.
Some moving figures, 3?
No, 4 people.
Quite far away.
They're probably about 70 meters away.
It is outside the range of Al's detection magic.
Could this mean they were lying in wait here?
But what exactly are those 4 trying to do at this distance?
Just watching?
A distance of 70 meters.
With Al's 'Magic Missile' spell, it shouldn't be beyond reach if the distance is adjusted.
Just recently, he had confirmed that Lord Zora had never mentioned anything about magic options in Tempest Kingdom.
However, the presence of a person at this distance could mean...
'Quick Shield': Serena, Prince Theodore
His ominous premonition had already proven to be correct once.
Feeling that something further might happen, Al hurriedly cast the Quick Shield spell on Serena and Prince Theodore, just in case.
If the opponent is aiming for someone, it must be Prince Theodore, Serena, or Naresh.
Naresh wisely remains inside the carriage, but the other 2 have stepped outside.
Then, a hexagonal glowing shield, like that from the Quick Shield spell, briefly materializes.
And almost simultaneously, just as Al's ominous premonition suggested, 3 pale blue arrows were released from the hand of a man 70 meters away.
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