Laurentz Herring and Luzer had stepped onto the private property of the Ronmayer family.
Behind them, at a slight distance, the private soldiers of the Alway Ducal Family followed.
“I hope this is the right place,” Luzer said.
“I don’t think there’s a high probability that Olivier and Jared are being held together, but if we can find either of them, the situation should change,” Laurentz replied.
“Indeed.”
“Still, I never knew there was such a large apple orchard this far out from the capital,” Laurentz remarked.
The Ronmayer family’s private property was filled with countless apple trees. Deep within, a large mansion stood. It gave the impression of a rural estate rather than something within the capital city.
“They must really like apples. Well, thankfully, there are many places to hide. Though it probably makes it difficult for them to find us if they’re hiding too,” Luzer said.
Despite his words, Luzer walked boldly among the trees without hiding himself. As a former member of the Assassination Organization Waalthe, who had undergone specialized training and was a lightning element magician, Luzer was not an enemy to be feared, even by a member of the Royal Mage Corps, which protected the kingdom.
He wasn’t arrogant; it was simply a fact. Although the Royal Mage Corps had experienced many battles, the Wethered Kingdom was currently a peaceful country. Even fighting monsters and criminals had its limits. In contrast, Luzer had constantly fought strong enemies and had killed many humans, including numerous magicians.
He wasn’t boasting about killing people. It was precisely because Luzer specialized in combat against humans that he could remain calm in situations where he didn’t know where the enemy would appear.
More importantly, he had a reason he couldn’t afford to lose. He was indebted to the precious younger brother who had saved him when he was manipulated, and to the father of his brother’s fiancé who had helped him settle in this country. He had a family waiting for him at home, and a girl who had always supported him.
He absolutely could not be defeated.
Although he wore a cool smile, inwardly, his blood boiled with rage towards the people who had kidnapped his precious younger brother and his fiancé. He wasn’t exploding with emotion because he knew that now was not the time.
“Still, it’s so quiet. Or are they inside the mansion?” Laurentz wondered, as they proceeded through the apple orchard. The further they went, the less human presence there was, making him doubt whether the Royal Mage Corps had really been sighted here.
Sweat formed on his forehead from tension, and his breathing grew ragged. Laurentz had never experienced a real battle until he became friends with Jared. This was partly because his overprotective parents had opposed him taking risks, but also because he himself was aware of his status as a student.
However, a Court Mage Candidate whom he had admired like an older brother was killed by an avenger, and through that incident, he experienced combat for the first time, fighting humans for their lives. Although he received formal training from two Court Mages he met during that incident, he still didn’t feel like he had grown stronger. Amidst this, he encountered an incident where the Royal Mage Corps betrayed the country, and he fought a fierce battle alone to protect his friend, the Prince. The wounds he sustained in the battle were treated at the Ducal Family’s mansion, but the mental fatigue had not gone away.
To be honest, fighting humans still scared him.
“Stop, Laurentz. We have lookouts,” Luzer said.
“…It was the right place after all, then,” Laurentz muttered.
As they passed through the apple orchard and approached a distance where the mansion was clearly visible, they confirmed that several members of the Royal Mage Corps were standing guard around the mansion. Luzer placed a finger to his lips, signaling the soldiers behind him to be quiet.
“So, what now? I want to charge in head-on,” Luzer said.
“We should be cautious. There’s no telling if they’ll do something desperate,” Laurentz advised.
“Then why don’t we split up? I’ll neutralize enemies from the front, and Laurentz, you go around to the back with the soldiers and find Olivier,” Luzer proposed.
“So, you’re going to be the decoy?” Laurentz asked.
“I think that’s for the best. Honestly, if I fight quietly, my only option is to kill the enemy. If students who are being manipulated appear, I might regret it later,” Luzer explained.
He could hold back in training, but this was real combat. If the enemy intended to kill him, Luzer couldn’t hold back. He had been trained to be aware of this, and old habits died hard. If he used lightning strikes, it would make noise. Fighting quietly meant he had no choice but to use his skills to literally silence the enemy. That was not what Luzer desired.
“Understood. Then fight flashyly as a decoy. Leave finding Olivier to us,” Laurentz agreed.
“I’m counting on you. Please don’t push yourself too hard,” Luzer said.
“You too. Once we find the hostages, we’ll pull back immediately. There’s no need to keep fighting them once we’ve found who we’re looking for,” Laurentz replied.
“Agreed. Alright then, let’s do this, good luck!”
Luzer stepped out from behind the apple trees and began to walk leisurely. The lookouts noticed him and raised their voices, but he paid them no mind.
“I am incredibly angry. For my dear younger brother to be kidnapped with his fiancé—I could never forgive that, could I?” Luzer declared.
Luzer glowed with a pale blue light, wreathed in lightning. His smile hadn’t faded, but his voice was hard, his anger leaking from within. The members of the corps fired magic without question, but they couldn’t catch Luzer, who vanished, enveloped in lightning. As the magicians flailed, having lost their target, a tremendous lightning strike and roar descended upon them from Luzer, who reappeared.
