Chapter 38

2 weeks later. Athos was in the base's training area, sitting in a chair with his eyes closed, fully equipped in black plate armor. In a few hours, the wizard Ricley would be relieved of his bodyguard duty, greatly reducing the baron's security.

Athos was using his familiar to guard the baron's mansion all day. Security at the mansion had been tight since the day before, but Athos knew this was just an attempt to show strength.

The gangs were also ready to attack, just waiting for Ricley to leave town. However, Athos had already made plans to ensure that only he reached the mansion. If everything went according to plan; the priest and guards and gangs would be too busy fighting for their lives to care about the baron.

It was still 3 pm and the Mago's departure was planned for 6 pm, but the tension in Faltra was almost palpable. Every force in the city, visible or not, was sharpening their weapons in preparation for the battle they knew was about to take place.

The population of the city realized the pre-war tension that surrounded the city and most avoided opening shops or going out into the streets, preferring to lock themselves inside their homes.

"How is the situation? Has there been any change?" Khali asked, approaching Athos.

"Nothing yet. The baron is still untouched inside the mansion like a cockroach afraid of the light. All guards are prowling the mansion and no one is allowed to enter. My familiar can't get close without being discovered, so I haven't been able to see any details of the interior of the mansion." Athos replied without opening his eyes, fearing he would miss any change.

"We are abandoning the base and leaving this town as of today. You remember our plan, right? I delayed my departure for your revenge." Khali asked.

"I already know. You will leave town as soon as you confirm that Ricley has also left. In the meantime, I will attack the baron's mansion and then the priest in the church and we will meet in Rocha village where we will meet with his fellow guardians. of word." Athos explained the plan.

"Correct. I've already emptied the base and destroyed any evidence of our stay here. Are you still wearing the ring?" Khali asked worriedly. He knew he couldn't put off awakening his affinity with the dark forever and planned to apologize to Athos about it, after this revenge story was over.

Athos held out his left hand to him without saying anything. There were three rings on his hand and one of them was the sealing ring. The other two were magic items that Khali had gifted Athos (lost in betting).

'Athos is strong, but he often gets carried away by anger. I fear he might make a mistake during the attack, and end up dying. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do to stop him.' Khali was worried about Athos' safety, but he couldn't get involved. It would be difficult to cover up an ice mage by killing a local noble and word keepers would likely kill him if he involved.

The only thing Khali could do was hope that Athos was as discreet as possible. Unfortunately for him, Athos had planned to involve the entire city in his revenge.

*********

A few hours later, at the baron's mansion.

"Won't you stay for another week? No, at least a few more days? Winter has already started, it would be dangerous if you were caught in a blizzard halfway." Baron Dravus asked, pale as a ghost. He also sensed the tension in the city and knew that the only thing keeping him alive was the presence of the mage.

"As I've been saying for the last few years, nothing would make me happier than walking away from this fucking town and leaving you for dead." Ricley said, oblivious to the disapproving looks of the mansion's housekeeping staff. Compared to the depressed baron, Ricley had a bright smile.

It had been nearly six years since he had been trapped in this hell, and he would finally be freed from his torment. He took all his belongings and stowed them in the carriage, before climbing up and ordering the coachman to leave.

"One last thing, Dravus. I really hope the gang manages to break into the cabin you call the mansion and kill you. They would be far better rulers than an incompetent like you!" Ricley stuck his head out the carriage window and yelled at the top of his lungs, speaking purposefully so any spy around could hear.

The baron gritted his teeth at his insolent attitude, but the carriage pulled away before he could respond. The baron turned and walked back to the mansion, praying to Eishin that he survives another day.

*******

"He left." Athos opened his eyes as he rose to his feet, fully ready for combat. He used the link with his familiar to absorb it despite the distance and summon it back to his side.

"You know what to do, Falco. Go." He ordered the familiar who promptly obeyed. It flew up and grabbed a large bag full of small leather bags in the corner of the room with its claws, before flying through one of the base passages towards the surface.

"Are you sure he left?" Khali asked.

"Falco accompanied him until the carriage left town. I'm sure he left." Athos confirmed. He picked up a second bag of leather bags and put her over his shoulder.

"This is your last chance to back off, after that there will be no turning back. Are you sure you want to continue?" Khali asked for the last time, preparing to flee. Athos had not informed him of the plan, no matter how much he asked. It was something he wanted to do alone, no matter what.

"I made that decision years ago. You know that." Athos spoke resolutely. He turned to Khali and hugged him. "I'll see you in the village, Professor."

"See you soon, Athos." Khali returned the hug, his voice trembling slightly with emotion. He felt like he was watching a son go to war and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Athos broke free of the embrace and turned around, before running through the tunnels. He had a mixed expression of hate and determination. He left the underground base and headed towards the sewer, for the first part of his plan. As expected, the sewers were swarming with people. The bandits attacked the guards through the sewer as soon as the carriage left the lord's mansion, so the battle was already underway.

'Now for the first part of the plan.' Athos thought as he drank a potion with a translucent liquid. Athos had created this potion using the night owl's feathers, creating an invisibility potion. The potion would only make his body invisible, but his non-elemental spell, shared blessing, made the equipment invisible as well. The spell used small threads of mana to share enhancement spells or potion effects to other people or equipment, in exchange for the duration time being reduced.

He also mixed his mana with the environment to erase his presence, and activated the second ring on his left hand making its core invisible even to magical senses. The ability to erase presence was good, but it couldn't hide someone from the sight of mana. The ring solved that problem.

He created a layer of world energy that enveloped the caster's body, preventing the magical senses from detecting their core or reducing their core's power to an untrained one, depending on the caster's intentions.

Thanks to these three effects, Athos was like a ghost on a battlefield. He moved throughout the sewers and whenever he saw a skirmish or a group of guards or bandits, he would drop a bag containing mana paralyzing powder, the secret recipe his father had invented, and quickly flee the scene.

It was only a matter of time before all the people in the sewer were passed out.

Left behind, Khali watched as Athos walked away. He stayed in the same spot for approximately 10 minutes, before shaking his head and sighing.

"It's no use staying here, I have to go-" Khali spoke, but a male voice came from behind, interrupting him.

"So there was really someone hiding here?" That was all Khali heard, before the entire tunnel collapsed.