Chapter 88 - 88 Parting
Margrave Cleiman was in a desperate situation. His second and third sons had already died in battle against the Cryptomeria Kingdom and Yellow Empire alliance. They had lost to the alliance due to inferior numbers.
The Ace of Sword had killed his two sons. The Margrave Cleiman army, whose morale was already low, saw it drop further because of this. They tried to conscript men from various places to make up for the numbers, but conscription refusals followed one after another as people said they couldn't make a living if men needed for disaster recovery were taken. Still, since they tried to conscript forcibly, the subjects rebelled.
Margrave Cleiman, who now had to deal with both the alliance and his subjects, decided to barricade himself in the capital of Cleiman Land. In this situation, shame and reputation didn't matter, and he requested support from the King for the first time. Currently, he is barricaded and waiting for the national army to arrive.
Margrave Cleiman could not maintain a sane mental state and always drank alcohol to forget unpleasant things. Albert, his son who was barricading with him, became worried about what would happen to the Margrave Cleiman family seeing his father like this. However, Albert did not think and act on his own like Evelyn, he only waited for his father's orders. He looked like a good student on the surface, but this incompetence was revealed in such emergency situations.
The vassals were also growing anxious about the state of the lord and the next lord.
Meanwhile, Steve was asking Nancy about the Ace of Sword and the King of Sword.
"Nancy, what abilities do the Ace of Sword and the King of Sword have?"
"The Ace uses magic that cancels magic. Naturally, magic that acts on the mind, and even fire and water created by magic are cancelled. The King uses magic that forces commands. Any command is executed without being able to disobey. And both are the strongest swordsmen in the Eastern Empire. Even without magic, they won't lose against a hundred people."
"It's troublesome if magic gets cancelled. I don't feel like I can win."
When Steve said that, Nancy made up her mind and asked Steve.
"Master, please take me with you. It's impossible to handle the Ace and King alone. Even if I take Bella, if support magic is invalidated, she might become a hindrance. If it's me, even if I can't win, I can create openings."
"Hmm."
Steve was troubled with a reply. He wanted to keep Nancy's survival a secret. Ace and King, former colleagues, would see through a disguise that only changed hair color. If that happened, handling Nancy would become difficult. The King might order him to kill her, or assassins might be sent against Nancy who betrayed him.
So, he did not want to take Nancy along.
However, considering the enemy's strength, he wanted to take her.
After agonizing, he permitted Nancy to accompany him. And he couldn't refuse Bella who also wanted to go.
"If Nancy goes, I'll go too."
"Bella, wait until you become stronger."
"If the enemy's sword pierces the body, movement stops. Then an opening for Steve to attack will be born."
"I don't want to fight like that."
"That's a last resort, but there are other enemies besides those two, right. While Steve and Nancy deal with them, I'll fight other enemies."
"That's true."
Steve thought Bella would get emotional if only Nancy was permitted, but she gave a wonderful reason to accompany.
In the end, the three teleported to Cleiman Land. Evelyn and Scarlett were staying at the mansion in the Royal Capital. The enemy hasn't prepared to advance that far, so it's safe.
Meanwhile, Joe and Ethan were approaching Cleiman Land. The roads were cut in places, and residents who rebelled attacked thinking they were the Margrave Cleiman army, so they couldn't advance as they wanted, but they finally reached one day away from Cleiman Land.
Joe spoke to Ethan.
"Hey, when does this war end?"
"I don't know. But the Cryptomeria Kingdom commander says the goal is to invade the Royal Capital."
"We can't go that far. Also, since no troops from the rear are coming, if we're encircled, we'll be isolated in enemy territory."
"In that case, just teleport back."
"We can. What about the others?"
"We can't do anything. Well, I want to finish before that happens."
As in the two's conversation, the Cryptomeria Kingdom wanted to attack as close to the Royal Capital as possible while the Yellow Empire's Suit Knights were there. They weren't aiming for other nobles' territories, but heading for Cleiman Land because they wanted to defeat Margrave Cleiman before the Yellow Empire changed its mind rather than dealing with a weak noble.
However, they didn't bring siege weapons, and when attacking Cleiman Land, only Joe and Ethan climbing the city walls and opening the city gates from the inside were the only means.
Seeing the Cryptomeria Kingdom's thinking like this, Joe and Ethan were sick of the war.
Steve appeared before Joe and Ethan. Of course, accompanied by Nancy.
The two lost their voices as soon as they saw Nancy.
"Nancy!!!"
"So you were alive."
Nancy turned a cold gaze at the two.
"I don't know who you are, but I'll kill you."
"What are you saying."
"I know even with changed hair color. Stop the jokes."
"It's not a joke. You obstruct the Master, so I'll eliminate you here."
As expected, changing hair color didn't fool the two's eyes. However, Nancy was under the influence of Steve's Charm Magic. There was no hesitation in killing former colleagues.
When Nancy pointed her sword, the two were surprised, but soon Ethan realized the situation.
"Nancy, you're being controlled by someone. I'll cancel it with my magic right now."
Saying that, he used magic towards Nancy.
Whether mental magic can be overwritten depends on the caster's mana amount. Ethan's magic, which didn't reach Steve's mana amount, could not overwrite Nancy's Charm.
And the magic that forced commands was properly recorded by Steve's SOP Magic.
Ethan, who didn't know the magic didn't work on Nancy, carelessly tried to approach Nancy. Steve used the command-forcing magic he had just learned there.
"Die."
Ethan noticed the magic activation and turned towards Steve. Joe at that time realized Ethan was under magic. He panicked and tried to cancel it, but it was too late.
Ethan stabbed his own sword into his neck and died.
"First one."
Sweat trickled faintly on Steve's forehead who used magic. Originally he wanted to capture without killing, but since he heard Joe's magic from Nancy, he didn't have the luxury to do that. Joe and Ethan were not only skilled in magic, but masters of the sword with no gaps. He wanted to eliminate one before the enemy got wary.
"You bastard can use command magic too?"
Joe panicked and used cancel magic. To invalidate magic around him. However, that added to Steve's Work Standard Book.
Steve read the Work Standard Book and knew what cancel magic was.
"I see. There's a way."
Joe's strategy method came to mind.
And here, he bound enemy soldiers other than Joe with earth chains made by magic.
Seeing comrades bound, Joe knew the opponent in front of him was the Dragon Head Medal of the Kingdom of Cascade. He had heard this style many times in the Empire.
Binding over a thousand soldiers instantly with magic, only the Dragon Head Medal could exist.
"As expected, the Dragon Head Medal appeared."
Saying that, Steve ignored it and gave an order to Bella.
"Bella, please check if there are any missed enemies."
"Understood."
He ordered Bella to check enemy soldiers not bound by magic. Bella also knew she would be a hindrance if she was in this place, so she obediently followed the order.
She immediately ran to check surrounding enemy soldiers.
Steve confirmed that and fired earth magic repeatedly at Joe. Many earth-made conical spikes appeared at once, but were cancelled by Joe's magic.
Joe thought it was useless at first, but gradually started to panic. Steve also noticed that.
"You thought you could cancel magic, but even using cancel magic consumes mana. Let me test how much mana you have."
Steve said that and increased the density of attacks.
Consuming mana every time cancel magic exerted its effect was information obtained from the Work Standard Book. Once activated, it doesn't have a cancel effect forever. It's a skill often found in games, consuming mana to negate damage, and consumes mana according to magic power. So he came up with a strategy to spam magic until Joe ran out of mana.
"Binding all soldiers and using this magic, you're a monster."
"Why not surrender before your mana runs out?"
"Joke."
Joe rejected Steve's surrender proposal. However, he understood his own mana was running out.
So, he decided to go on the offensive.
Using a technique called Shukuchi (short-distance technique), he closed the distance with the opponent in an instant. It became sword range at once. That meant Steve entered an area where all magic was cancelled. He couldn't escape with teleportation, and couldn't use SOP Magic either.
Even without the Work Standard Book, the body had already memorized the movement, but still not Joe's level of mastery. Steve couldn't win against Joe now.
Desperate situation.
Nancy saved this pinch. Seeing Joe's preparatory movement for Shukuchi, she jumped out immediately. So she barely made it. Before Joe's sword reached Steve, she deflected that sword with her own sword.
It was the difference from the first meeting with Steve.
Joe was confused by Nancy's attack and stopped moving, so Steve immediately took distance in that opening.
Now magic could be used again. Also, the SOP for Shukuchi was completed. It was completed when outside the cancel range.
Now he won't take the same attack twice.
Earth spikes attacked Joe again. Joe, whose mana was originally running out, cancelled the first few shots, but afterwards tried to dodge by turning his body. However, the density of Steve's attacks was too high, and finally a spike pierced Joe's stomach.
One pierce stopped movement. Then, immediately other spikes pierced continuously. Blood dripped from Joe's body to the ground.
Steve stopped the attack and asked Joe who barely had breath.
"I thought you could escape with teleport magic."
"Can I escape leaving Nancy in front of me?"
Answering that, Joe stopped moving.
Steve confirmed Joe was dead and spoke to Nancy.
"Thank you."
Nancy who was told that had no smile or relief.
"Charm Magic lifted. Now I challenge as Queen of Sword."
Nancy entered Joe's magic effect range, so Charm Magic was lifted. Magic cancellation is different from overwriting, so regardless of Steve's mana amount, the Charm effect could be cancelled.
With the Charm effect that had lasted for a long time gone, Nancy pointed her sword at Steve.
"I don't want to fight."
"That's the same for me. Memory of being controlled by magic remains, but it was a very happy time."
"If so, just keep it like that from now on."
Nancy shook her head at Steve's persuasion.
"I'll settle the score as an Empire Suit Knight."
"If you really want to be that, go back to the Empire. There's no need to fight. You know you'll lose if you fight."
"Yes. And even if I return, since I exposed the Empire's spy network, I'll receive heavy punishment. Probably I won't be kept alive. That's why I want to die here."
Letting Nancy go and return to the Empire was painful for Steve. Nancy who was saved even overturning the King's order escaped to the Empire, the responsibility would be heavy. More than that, there was a reason it was painful to part with Nancy.
"Then shall I bind my heart with mana again? But you shouldn't be able to do that to me now. If you could, you wouldn't be having this conversation."
Pointed out by Nancy, Steve couldn't retort. If he used Charm Magic again or used Command Magic, he wouldn't have to fight Nancy. However, unlike the beginning when he didn't think anything of Nancy, having spent so much time, Steve didn't want to use mind-control magic on Nancy. Nancy saw through it.
"At that time, at the Archibalt Territory station, I should have killed you when you saw my true identity. Then I wouldn't be worrying like this now. Always a perfect person, made a rare mistake."
"I'm not perfect. Always repeating failures. Just have more mana than others, otherwise I'm normal."
"That sounds like sarcasm. How many achievements do you think I've made. Even if others have the same amount of mana, they can't leave achievements like this. So, to avoid becoming a blemish, please fight me."
"I can't! How can I kill someone I love!"
"I'm happy. I thought joining the army and spending days in training had no room for love, but being captured treated so well, even being told I'm loved, I never thought."
Nancy's pessimistic smile hurt Steve. He desperately thought how to persuade, but no good idea came to mind.
"Well, let's stop chatting. My resolve seems to be dulling."
Nancy said that and kicked the ground, closing the distance with Steve. She swung the sword she held and unleashed an unreserved strike at Steve.
Steve moved sideways to dodge it, took out the stored sword, and stabbed it into Nancy's stomach where an opening appeared. And when he pulled out the sword, bright red blood sprayed.
Nancy who fell on her back on the ground put her hand on the wound. Steve immediately knelt beside her.
Nancy looked weakly at Steve.
"There was hesitation with the sword. Thanks to that, not instant death, suffering pain like this."
"I'll heal it immediately."
Saying that, Steve tried to use magic, but Nancy stopped him.
"No need for healing. Will fight again. Happy to be told I'm loved. Crying for someone like me?"
Pointed out by Nancy, Steve realized he was crying.
"If we are reborn next time----"
Saying that, Nancy ran out of strength.
"Nancy!"
Even calling out, Nancy didn't react, Steve realized death.
Bella who finished checking enemy soldiers and returned here saw the whole scene. And she also saw Nancy's death and tears naturally spilled.
Steve told Bella like that.
"Remove slightly. Can't leave Nancy here."
Saying that, he carried Nancy's corpse and teleported somewhere.
Ten-plus minutes later, Steve returned alone. Steve's face who returned was an atmosphere Bella had never seen before, unable to speak to.