Chapter 29 - Harsh Escort (Part Two)

With the oldest guard acting as a vanguard, no arrows nor magic projectiles could interrupt the few seconds I needed to cast this spell.

First, I coated a huge swath of the ground with a mix of earth and water magic.

Then, I liquified it with the water magic, and then quickly compressed it into the ground below. This combination resulted in the loss of a ton of mana, yet in return, it had devastating effects.

The ground beneath the enemies first sucked them into a deep bog, then dropped out from beneath them, slamming them nearly ten feet into the ground.

Unfortunately or fortunately, the trees also came down. Sorry, mother nature.

As the trees fell into the pit, I refilled it with earth, hopefully trapping the fighters and killing them down there.

I really want to avoid causing death at all possible, but it's me or them!

The unfortunate and also unforeseen consequences are now the archer and magician have a clear line of sight on us, allowing for magic and arrows to fly much much faster and more accurately.

However, instead of firing more arrows or casting more spells, the ranged enemies put their hands up in surrender?

"Careful, it might be a fake-out," I say, preparing an Ice Age.

"As if, if they fake surrender, then they throw away their rights to combat. They've attacked a royal, without that, they can't be taken as political prisoners." The older guard says, sheathing his sword and beginning to walk towards them.

Before I was able to put a word of protest forward, a spear of ice was lodged into his skull.

That fucking idiot!

Why would these people care about political rules?

At least I was prepared.

Placing my staff forward, I channel a familiar and quick spell.

"Ice Age," I say, freezing everything in front of me, and turning the enemy magician into an enemy frozen magician.

Unfortunately, the archer seemed to have some magic protection, as whilst their legs are frozen, their arms are plenty useful at lodging an arrow into my left leg.

Before she had the chance to nock another arrow, I conjured a heavy blast of wind to knock her bow out of her hands.

The battle is won.

Instead of finishing her off, I begin to walk toward the half-frozen archer.

Whatever information she has could prove useful.

Once I'm within speaking difference, I give a friendly wave to the startled and almost panicking archer.

She seems only a few years older than Surge, late teens I would guess. Hell, if I was caught like this I'd shit bricks too.

"Soibe falumu aishin damuno" The archer babbles. Great. Gibberish.

"Do you happen to speak West Tounge? Or is this going nowhere?" I say in a plain tone. I highly doubt she's bilingual but there's a chance.

"You speak West Tounge? Where do you hail from? It's rare to see a westerner out here." She says, speaking almost more fluently than she did in the other language.

"I only speak West Tounge, and I'll be asking questions. First of all, who are you?" I say, raising an earthen chair for me to sit in, and doing the same for her. Of course, she can't really resist given the frozen legs and all, but I lock her hands and feet to the chair for good measure.

"Silent casting? What are you a spirit, or a very talented demonoid?" She asks, her face becoming more and more strained as the conversation goes on.

Well, if I saw a person get shot in the leg and the wound closes up in about thirty seconds, then the brat summons a chair from nothing and shoved me in it, I would also be stressed.

Oh yeah, the blood loss from the legs probably isn't too hot either.

Placing my hand on the thigh of the admittedly hot archer, I channel healing magic through her legs. As they thaw out and regain their color, she looks upon me confused.

"Why would you heal an enemy?" She asks, but I have no reason to answer.

"Didn't I say I would be the one to ask questions? Now. Who are you?" I ask firmly, sinking her chair ever so slightly into the ground to attempt to make myself look a bit more imposing.

It seems to have worked as I can see a bit of color drain from her face.

"R-right. My name is Ivy, and I'm a half-earth spirit. The other half is elf. We're a B-rank hunting party employed by Midnight Rose, party name Silent Night. Our mission was to ambush a noble's carriage that was passing through here. I can't tell you any of the specifics since I'm not the leader, the leader was the mage you killed with the ice spell." Ivy blurts out everything in a panic, dropping her head low. She then immediately looks up at me with what amounts to puppy eyes. "Will you please let me go? I told you everything you wanted me to."

No? What kind of idiot do you think I am? The moment I let you run away, a bounty the size of the moon is gonna be placed on my head for killing your shady party leader!

"How do I know you're telling me everything? And how do I know you won't come back for revenge?" I ask, sinking her chair a bit more, her feet now covered by the earth. This may be over the top, but it helps as a threatening gesture.

"I swear that's everything I know! Also, even if I did want you dead, how would I come up with enough money to kill a Legate tier magician? Hits on people like you cost hundreds of oro! Please please let me go, I wasn't even close with Silent Night, I joined a week ago!" She says, tears falling out of her eyes. Ivy does seem really panicked, but I can't blame her.

God, I really don't want to kill her.

This feels a lot less like fighting someone who wants to kill me, and a lot more like interrogating and killing an innocent person.

But there is something that's nagging at me.

"How did you know I was a Water Legate? I didn't use any spells of that level?" I ask, as her face becomes a mix of panic and confusion.

"What? What do you mean? You used the earth spell Entomb on our vanguard right? Then the water spell Sheer Cold on me and Illene? Those are both Legate tier spells!" She says, confusion overtaking panic for a moment.

Maybe the earth spell could be? It didn't cost nearly as much as Domain of Frost did though.

Also, that wasn't some impressive spell, it was just Ice Age but I aimed it.

"I think you may be confused, but either way that doesn't matter. How can I guarantee that when I show up to the next town, the whole Adventurers Union won't be out for my blood?" I say, sinking the chair about another inch.

God, the whole crying and not fighting back thing really takes the luster out of this. Now I just feel bad.

"Why would the Union care about the death of a grey guild member? None of us are union reps! Let alone on good terms with any of the branch leaders!" She says, her voice becoming a panicked shout after the chair continued to sink.

Turning over to her and her leader's equipment, I burn the leader's body and belongings to a crisp, leaving behind only a silver card and intricate-looking dagger.

After pocketing both, I burn her bow and all of her arrows to cinders, and thoroughly search her for any more weapons. Sure, I may have copped one, but it's been a while damn it!

Once I was sure she had no weapons and that there were none in the vicinity, I finished healing her and rose her chair from the ground.

"Leave. If I ever see you near this carriage again when I'm escorting it, you won't be left alive again." I say, returning the chair and her shackles to nothing.

As a look of relief washes over her face, she runs into the woods with a large grin.

That... feels a lot better actually.

Walking back to the carriage, I release the stone dome and knock on the door.

"The battle is over."