Chapter 5: Journey to the Capital (2)

The carriage bounced with a soft thud as its wheels clashed against pebbles. The passengers sitting within undoubtedly felt a slight discomfort, their rears bumping against the hard leather seats.

One of said passengers, Aziel, gazed out the window, his expression somewhat wistful. 3 other adventurers sat across from him, eyeing him with a glare full of vigilance. It couldn't be any more obvious that if they had a choice, they'd rather be anywhere else other than here.

"Haa….I should've just killed the bastard."

"P-please shut up."

Hearing Aziel's disturbing comment, the only female adventurer sitting there attempted to silence him, but her polite tone and quivering voice did nothing to help the situation.

From what can be interpreted from his words, Aziel had indeed let the man live, not out of the kindness of his heart, but because it was more trouble than it was worth. Killing someone in front of so many witnesses would've delayed his travel time, which wasn't ideal for his plans.

Due to the fact that no one came out of it with any serious injuries, the caravan leader, Ellis, dismissed the entire occurrence as an ordinary squabble between fellow adventurers. Of course, Aziel wasn't an adventurer, but that's beside the point.

Ellis had still nonetheless assigned a few 'guardians' to watch over Aziel for the remainder of the trip, as he'd shown strength surpassing a white ranked adventurer. On 'Tortus', adventurer ranks followed the same value as 'Luta', this world's currency. Starting from blue, it went to red, yellow, purple, green, white, black, silver, and finally ended at gold.

Although this was only a mere fraction of Aziel's true strength, the poor caravan leader had no way of knowing that. At present, the adventurers situated in Aziel's carriage were understandably reluctant to offend him, bordering on actual fear.

They drew lots in order to decide who'd be stuck riding with him until they reached the capital, bringing us back to the current situation.

Aziel watched as they passed by various lakes and meadows, taking in the scenery to stave off boredom. Despite having been sitting for hours, he felt no soreness or discomfort. Suddenly, he squinted as an idea came to mind. As he turned toward the wary adventurers, the look in his eyes made them shiver.

"If I'm not mistaken, the three of you can perform magic, correct?"

Bewildered by the sudden question, they all looked at him quizzically, though still answered quickly upon seeing his patience visibly waning.

"Well…yea, we're adventurers, after all."

"O-of course we can do that much."

"Magic? It's no big deal."

Aziel nodded in understanding before continuing.

"I wonder how much it'll cost for one of you to teach me a few spells…"

If he was just going to sit there doing nothing, he felt he should at least learn how to cast magic. It was also a test to see how proficient he was in the field of magic, and if he had any skills pertaining to it.

Meanwhile, the three adventurers gawked at him, speechless. Aziel stared back, his gaze sharpening with each passing second. Finally, one of them swallowed their saliva and spoke.

"….You…you don't know how to cast magic…?"

Based on how strong he was, it was a bit unthinkable for that to be the case.

"If I did….." Aziel took in a deep breath, holding himself back from grabbing the man in front of him. "…I wouldn't have asked you to teach me, now would I?"

"The next time you ask such a stupid question, I'll leave you eating dirt like that other guy."

His voice was calm, but it was that perpetual calmness that terrified them.

However, as high-ranking adventurers, they also had their own pride.

"Just because you took down a white ranked adventurer in one hit doesn't mean we're scared of you."

"….Y-yea! So stop taking that tone with us!"

"We aren't so soft that you can just walk all over us, you know."

They all sat up straight, their lost vigor returning almost immediately. One had to know that they'd spent years taking on requests from the guild, fighting literal monsters to keep food on the table. They might have felt a hint of fear at first, but it'd be too humiliating to back down from a threat of this magnitude.

Aziel watched them flap their gums with a blank expression. After they finally settled down, he spoke.

"…Are you done making yourselves feel better….? If so, then back to my original question; how much for one of you to teach me?"

Slightly embarrassed, they glanced at each other, a silent discussion ensuing, until both male adventurers looked at the lone female, coming to a unanimous decision.

Shaking her head fervently, the female adventurer pleaded with her eyes, yet the two others had already averted their gazes. Left with the task of instructing Aziel, her shoulders slumped dejectedly.

"So you've decided. That's good. Things like this shouldn't take too long to settle."

Looking up at Aziel's plastered on fake smile, she sighed.

It was going to be a rough night.

*****

Hours passed as night eventually fell, glittering stars filled the skies, making for a picturesque scene.

Bright lights encompassed the area as campfires spanned across the line of carriages and wagons. The adventurers and merchants set up camp in an opening surrounded by tall trees, strategically positioned in a location not too far from a lake.

Standing in front of the female adventurer who went by the name of 'Lyra Young', Aziel watched as she prepared to demonstrate her magical prowess. Surprisingly, he could feel her mana gathering, forming into a pale-yellow magic circle as she began chanting.

"O' thunder, heed my call, spark into a million volts and deliver judgment upon my foes — Thunder Burst!"

Just then, a projectile sphere of golden lightning came shooting out, its size large enough to envelop a man's head, instantly flying tens of meters out before dissipating into nothingness.

Wiping away a bead of sweat, Lyra glanced over her shoulder expectantly, only to be met with Aziel's judgmental stare. He let out a soft sigh, shaking his head as he spoke.

"You must feel satisfied with yourself, right? Just move on to the next one and stop wasting time."

Lyra shrunk back, gazing at him with a mixture of annoyance and apprehension.

"This would go a lot faster if you didn't rush me. My mana reserves aren't infinite, you know. And—"

"You're making a lot of excuses there, adventurer-san, but I don't see you readying the next spell. Hurry up, we don't have all night."

"Ugh! I'm going, I'm going, okay!? And my name's Lyra, I told you that already!"

"Adventurer-san, if you don't stop screaming in my ears, I'm going to shut you up manually…."

The other two male adventurers within the group ate in silence, watching the familiar scene play out with vacant expressions. Arguments like this had become more and more frequent ever since it was decided that Lyra would teach Aziel.

Her initial misgivings had been thrown out the window upon dealing with him for hours, gradually leading up to the point of no longer caring for any of the consequences her words may bring. Though it seemed Aziel carried an equally uncaring attitude toward her and whatever nonsense she'd spout as long as she did her job.

"Come, o' howling wind, sweep away all who stand against me — Air Hammer!"

A long horizontal blade of wind manifested itself in front of her, uprooting the grass below and blowing away everything in its path.

As the spell's effects finally reached its end, Lyra dropped to one knee, exhaustion evident on her face.

Suddenly, the sound of slow clapping reached her ears, originating from right beside her. Startled, she looked up, her eyes immediately locking onto the captivating face she'd recently grown used to seeing. No sound was made at his approach, but she had no time to think about that as he abruptly thrust out his hand.

"H-hey, even if you saw me do it, it doesn't mean it'll just work automatic— !!!"

Words ceased to escape her lips as she witnessed the unthinkable.

A black and white magic circle almost identical to the one she had previously constructed appeared in front of Aziel's hand, his magnetic voice completing the sequence of activation.

"Come — Air Hammer"

*FWAaaAaaaAAa!!*

A wind blades many times larger than Lyra's materialized before him, uplifting the other two adventurers out of their seats, and sending Lyra tumbling backward from the ferocious gales.

Shifting his aim upward, the huge blade of wind fired off into the sky, its destructive might promising devastation to all it touched. The immediate surroundings were left in a state of disarray, a mixture of dirt and grass rose forming clouds of dust. Fortunately, however, none of the other campsites had been alarmed by this incident.

As silence fell, Aziel allowed his arm to fall gracefully to his side with a thoughtful expression. He had already possessed prior knowledge of how the magic system functioned in this world, which led him to experiment with the particulars that he couldn't understand through merely reading the story.

Casting magic required a person to first possess mana, then channel it into a spell inscribed magic circle with the help of an incantation. The length of an incantation was directly proportional to the amount of mana one could pour into it, thus controlling the effectiveness of the spell.

However, all requirements needed to cast a spell could be ignored—or at the very least reduce the length of the magic circle and incantation—depending on the skills or magical affinities an individual possesses.

Aziel's demonstration of shortening the incantation and increasing the spell's efficacy indicated an extremely high affinity towards wind, allowing him to produce a greater result while reducing mana consumption.

Hearing the sound of Lyra's hurried footsteps, he turned around, immediately noticing the small bruises dotting her skin.

"A-are you alright?! Ah, thank goodness you're unhurt. What were you thinking? No matter what, Magic is a dangerous practice, just…."

Swiftly arriving at his side, Lyra thoroughly checked for any injuries. Finding none, she began scolding him about his improper use of magic, ignoring her own bruises.

By now, the other two adventurers had already recovered. They shot back up, yelling from a distance as they dared not get closer.

"W-what the hell just happened?!"

"Am I seeing things?! That's not an intermediate spell!"

Unsurprisingly, the number of people badgering him had now increased to three.

Deciding to end this farce, he reached out and covered Lyra's mouth with his hand, stopping her incessant rambling. She looked up at him with an aggrieved expression.

Reaching into her bag, he pulled out a few bandages, plopping them into her hands.

"Here, patch yourself up."

Judging by the look on his face, one would think he was showing her undue kindness.

Noticing this gesture, Lyra's gaze softened, looking at him with a slightly touched expression. However, she instantly snapped out of it as she realized something.

"Wait, why are you acting like you did me a favor?! These were mine in the first place!"

Gazing off into the distance, Aziel released a tired sigh.

'You can't even win for losing….'

"You're sighing?! Really?? It should be me who's…."

Like that, the night passed without any further trouble. Aziel gained the skills necessary to cast magic while everyone else slept with a bitter aftertaste as a result.

The adventurer trio could only wonder how they'll fare until they reached the capital.

******

As the sun began to rise, the caravan had also packed up their gear and set off once more. It was particularly hot that day, much to their dismay, as they were forced to stop a few times to let the horse's rest.

During this time, Aziel practiced his magical abilities, trying out new applications for different spells. The trio assigned to watch over him had already noticed the abnormality in his….everything.

His affinity for magic far surpassed anything they'd ever seen, and the rate in which he grew completely shattered their world view. He went from performing at a novice level to even eclipsing them in all aspects of magic.

Although spell casting wasn't exactly their specialty, it was still absurd for Aziel to outclass them when he'd only learned how to use it just a few hours prior. To say they were slightly envious would be an understatement.

Traveling for a full day, they stopped right before sunset. At present, Aziel laid on the carriage's roof, watching the orange sky gradually dim. According to the others, they'd arrive at the capital the next day.

As the caravan came to a halt, the adventurer trio stepped out, preparing to set up camp a little further down the way. Just as Aziel made to jump down, he heard a familiar whistling sound.

His perception instantly sped up, his eyes catching sight of an arrow flying straight toward one of the adventurers stationed up ahead. Before anyone but Aziel could notice, the arrow pierced through the adventurer's head, nailing him to the frame of a wagon.

After the first shot, a rain of arrows came hurtling down from the tree line, targeting everyone near the caravan.

"BANDIT ATTAAAAACK!!!"

The other adventurers went on alert almost immediately, moving swiftly as a group of mages chanted incantations and the front liners protected the frightened merchants. Magic barriers were erected across the area, shielding them from the oncoming wave of arrows.

Not even a moment later, a large group of bodies came pouring out of the tree line like a swarm of ants, their clothes tattered and shabby, wielding an assortment of cold weapons.

Seeing this, adventurers and merchants alike felt a wave of dread wash over them; the other side outnumbered them by at least 3:1. It was clear for all to see, this was undoubtedly a premeditated attack.

The bandits clashed with the adventurers—which side carried the advantage could be assessed at a glance. Back on Aziel's side, Lyra and the others quickly countered with their own attacks, trying their utmost to whittle down the numbers.

Bandits died in droves, but the same could be said for the hired adventurers as well. Corpses littered the ground as a river of blood flowed. The hellish spectacle would've made any ordinary person shrink back in horror.

Meanwhile, Aziel still sat atop the carriage's roof, overlooking the battlefield while casually swatting away any arrows aimed toward him.

He had already estimated that ordinary arrows were incapable of penetrating through his natural defenses under normal circumstances, so he was completely at ease during this whole confrontation.

'This shit is ridiculous….'

He initially had zero intention of getting involved in a children's fight as it wasn't something he signed up for, but ultimately decided to grasp the opportunity to earn a favor from one of the merchants or adventurers.

After all, he didn't own a status plate and wouldn't be allowed to enter the capital without someone vouching for him. Since a status plate usually served as a means of identification, how could they let him in without knowing anything about him.

"H-hey! Why isn't he helping!?"

"Damnit! Seriously, we're being overwhelmed!"

Hearing the other two, Lyra glanced back, noting Aziel's uncooperative behavior as she blocked an overhead slash.

"Ngh!"

Sliding off the bandits' blade, she sidestepped, twirling around and decapitating him, before guarding against another attack.

"It doesn't matter! He's not being commissioned to guard the caravan; it isn't his job! Just focus on what's in front of you!"

In reality, Lyra was a little relieved rather than angry. Since he looked the part of an aristocrat, he might not be killed and instead taken hostage. That was a better alternative than dying a meaningless death at the hands of a bandit.

Although the other two fighting with her definitely wouldn't agree with that logic, they had no choice but to continue fighting a losing battle.

They engaged in a fierce struggle, injuries accumulated as even more adventurers fell. Countless wails resounded throughout, etching another name onto the list of endless casualties.

'It must be about that time…'

Aziel slowly stood up, gazing down at the adventurer trio fighting back-to-back. As fatigue set in, their movements obviously turned sluggish, each injury soaked their clothes a dingy red.

Looking over the whole battlefield, only a few merchants were killed while others carried wounds of different proportions. The adventurers on the other hand, barely had anyone left to stand against the onslaught of bandits.

If this kept up, the whole caravan was doomed to fall at the bandit's hands.

Regally lifting his hand, a small black and white magic circle formed as mana began pouring into it. Noticing the arrogant expressions on the bandit's faces, his eyes curled disdainfully.

'Fuckers really think they're onto something. Eat shit.'

"Crystalize — Hailstorm"

At this moment, hundreds of crystallized beads of ice gathered overhead, prompting everyone to stop and look up. A deep-seated feeling of dread swept through all of them. Under the frozen hailstorm, only a single utterance echoed across the battlefield.

"R-run—!!"

*TATAtataTAtAtaTata!!!*

Blood splattered as ice pellets pierced through flesh, scattering their remains across the ground. A rain of death descended from the sky, causing the bandits to drop like flies. Dirt kicked up into the air, obscuring the vision of all who watched. It looked like a scene straight out of a war film.

Adventurers ran, panicking at the sight of the hailstorm approaching. However, as it was primarily aimed at the herds of bandits, they had little trouble escaping from its attack range.

Of course, it was impossible to eliminate all of them with just one spell. Thus, Aziel hopped down, his foot kicking up a sword into his hand. With a single practice swing, he disappeared from view, only to appear at the side of a bandit.

With an untraceable slash, a decapitated head flew out in a spray of blood, yet Aziel was nowhere to be seen. He moved through the combat zone, zig zagging as bodies fell under his sword.

Like a god of war, the onlookers watched as he lay waste to the bandits, screams of agony and terror resounded as their lives were reaped effortlessly.

Not even 2 minutes passed but only a few bandits still stood, shaking in fear, watching Aziel approach with the blood of their comrades dripping from his sword.

"It's a shame…."

Aziel's voice rang out as he walked steadily, making everyone wonder what he was talking about.

"It's a shame you chose to come on this day."

They all flinched as his voice came from behind another bandit, a now headless corpse dropping to the ground with a dull thud.

"I'm truly saddened…."

Each time his voice rang out, he appeared somewhere else.

"You bastards weren't even worth the effort to kill."

As he arrived before the last frightened bandit, he whispered.

"Don't be afraid."

*SPLCHHH!*