Chapter 169

“Fight properly!”

“Why should I?”

By this point, nearly 100 seconds had elapsed since Byzen initiated his loud fireworks display.

For Lennok, his objective was simply to evade Byzen’s attacks while gathering data on aerial combat.

Originally, there was no need to be concerned about avoiding magic spells, as the mana flow became visible as soon as they were cast.

Lennok nonchalantly adjusted his airship to evade the pursuing flames and discreetly observed the opposite side of the night sky.

A young man stood at a distance, observing them, refraining from participating even as Byzen fervently wielded his magic.

He refrained from intervening because Byzen currently had the upper hand, but he could join the fray whenever the situation shifted in his favor.

It required a delicate adjustment of the circumstances.

“...Ugh!”

However, after launching a few fire spells, Byzen seemed to grasp something and began displaying frustration rather than sheer anger.

It was reasonable to assume that there was some hidden strategy at play since he could no longer disregard Lennok.

“It’s an artifact...!!”

Of course, his conclusion was far from accurate.

“You have an artifact that helps with flight besides Nick’s badge! Hahaha!! Everything’s going so well!”

“...”

Byzen made this remark and promptly charged toward Lennok on his wing boat.

Despite his completely erroneous assumptions, his actions were relatively logical.

Recognizing that he couldn’t defeat Lennok by launching magic attacks from a distance, he swiftly closed the gap to diminish Lennok’s maneuvering space.

His thought process was quite fitting for a wizard.

Byzen entirely released the ship’s controls and stood on the seat of his wing boat.

With rapid hand movements, he instantly cast a unique spell.

[Fire Net]

Woosh!

The flames emanating from both his hands rapidly expanded, forming a red net stretching towards Lennok’s wing boat.

[Explosive Fireball]

Having limited his range of action by marking the surroundings, Byzen immediately cast another spell to create a massive fireball in mid-air.

It was substantial in size, easily twice the size of the wing boat he was riding.

However, instead of heading towards the incoming fireball, Lennok sharply turned his wing boat’s wheel towards the net.

Lennok’s wing boat, which had come to a halt just in front of the approaching net, executed a swift right-angle turn, executed a graceful flip, and managed to slip through the net.

His movements were so elegant that it appeared as though he was performing aerial acrobatics, causing Byzen’s eyes to widen.

“This, this...!!”

[Combat Flight Algorithm Calculation 88%.]

‘It’s about time Davi started to operate the wing boat on its own.’

The incredible maneuver was not Lennok’s doing but a result of harnessing the power of the combat spirit.

It not only excelled in flying but also continuously assessed and calculated the most efficient evasion route in every moment.

After evading the two consecutive fire spells launched by Byzen, there was nothing more to be seen.

Lennok lowered his head as he gazed at Byzen’s astonished expression.

“That’s not how you do it. You have this great system of magic and yet you don’t know how to use it properly.”

“What nonsense are you spouting!!”

The essence of fire-based magic lay in its formidable firepower and its ability to control space explosively.

Had Byzen known how to effectively harness these two properties, the sky could have easily transformed into a blazing sea of flames without affording Lennok any opportunity to respond.

However, all he persisted in doing was rigidly casting predefined forms of magic spells in this expansive space, hoping to land a hit on Lennok.

“Watch closely. This is how you use the power of fire.”

“What...?”

Rather than answering, Lennok removed the cigarette from his mouth and flung it into the sky.

The ember that remained on the cigarette resonated vigorously with Lennok’s mana, transforming into a colossal sphere of fire.

[Explosive Fireball]

Simultaneously, dozens of flames swelled up like balloons and floated in the sky like will-o’-the-wisps.

[Red Phosphorus Bullet]

Woaaah!!

Anyone versed in inherent fire-based magic could distinguish several types of it.

Magic from the Magic Tower was recognized for its tradition of being passed down through generations, fostering continuous research and development, ultimately leading to a single spell’s full potential.

Of course, unless one directly inherited the core method of magical manipulation, it was nearly impossible for other wizards to grasp the intricacies of the flow. But for Lennok, such matters were inconsequential.

Even the structure of inherent fire-based magic, which prioritized destructive power and wide-ranging explosions, wasn’t challenging to comprehend, as it shared some similarities with lightning-based magic.

Observing the multitude of flames gently descending around Byzen, Lennok clenched his fists.

And that fact irked Lennok.

“You refrained from intervening until you saw me handling Byzen with ease,” Lennok stated.

The young man had stepped in the moment he realized that Lennok’s abilities surpassed those of Byzen.

But what if Lennok had been weaker than Byzen? Would the young man have incapacitated Byzen, just as he did earlier?

That hypothetical scenario left Lennok feeling uneasy.

“If you felt it was rude, I apologize,” the young man immediately and respectfully lowered his head.

“What we are trying to do involves far more danger and dark secrets than you might think. I thought it was necessary to have proper scrutiny before bringing in a new outsider.”

“Well, you’re not wrong,” Lennok remarked, wiping the smile from his face.

“But it seems that’s not the opinion of your superior.”

“......”

If the lighthouse keeper had wished to assess Lennok’s qualifications, they wouldn’t have done so in such a crude manner, nor would they have sent only one subordinate.

After all, the lighthouse keeper was the sole individual who had heard The Great Seer Madria Falcia’s final words directly.

Even if the lighthouse keeper was known for being rude and unconventional, there was no way they would treat the last person they had a conversation with, their governess, in such a manner.

In other words, the young man’s actions were entirely his own decision.

He offered no excuses.

“...I apologize. I will guide you to her immediately.”

With these words, he swiftly grasped Byzen’s unconscious head and chin.

It appeared as though he intended to dispose of him on the spot and cast his body below.

However, upon witnessing this, Lennok simply shook his head.

“No, don’t kill him, keep him alive. Preferably, I’d like you to keep him on your side.”

“Pardon?”

The young man blinked, struggling to grasp Lennok’s words.

Just moments ago, Byzen had been attempting to kill Lennok and seize Nick’s badge. Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity for Lennok to eliminate him and eliminate any evidence?

However, Lennok gazed down at the unconscious Byzen and offered a faint smile.

“It would be a waste to easily kill a wizard of this caliber. He is a talent you can’t find just anywhere. There will be a way to make use of him.”

From the moment Lennok encountered Byzen in the dense fog, where no one else could witness them, he had already formulated a plan for how Byzen could be of use.

A skilled wizard capable of casting formidable spells, a rarity with a distinct social status and an arrogant disposition.

He was precisely the kind of talent Lennok could employ in his scheme.

‘He may be helpful if the plan to break into the Drug Lord’s vault goes awry.’

With this thought in mind, Lennok grinned ever so slightly.

The young man, looking somewhat intimidated, could only gaze up at Lennok in silence.

***

Together, Lennok bundled up the unconscious Byzen and placed him on the young man’s wingboat.

He didn’t forget to draw a dagger and gently pierce Byzen’s skin with it.

“What is that...?” inquired the young man.

“Just in case.” replied Lennok.

The dagger was imbued with a curse obtained from a prior battle with Irina. Although Byzen was also a capable wizard and likely had some resistance to curses, a direct prick with the dagger would suffice to restrict his movements.

“Ugh...”

Whether the curse was taking effect or not, Byzen began to break out in a profuse sweat.

After completely subduing him with restraints and curses, Lennok fearlessly began searching through Byzen’s belongings.

“Let’s see... he’s got more than I thought. Typical of a guy who covets others’ possessions, he seems to have a keen interest in artifacts.”

Most of the items appeared to be artifacts that would enhance his fire magic, but among them, one seemed particularly useful.

A necklace with a striking red gemstone.

It resembled a magical instrument with an octagonal crystal containing a red eye-like pattern, and it radiated considerable mana even to Lennok’s discerning eyes.

Given that it had successfully blocked Lennok’s fire magic, it was likely of decent quality.

The young man, who introduced himself as Amon, patiently stood by as Lennok examined Byzen’s loot.

He didn’t appear particularly uncomfortable with the situation.

“Now that we’re done, let’s depart. I’ll explain on the way.”

The circumstances had undergone a complete transformation since their initial encounter, but neither of them pointed out the shift.

Amon, their guide, took the lead.

“For a long time, The Great Seer foresaw her own death,” Amon began.

Despite having been severely threatened by Lennok just moments ago, Amon spoke without hesitation.

He was no ordinary guide.

“No one knows the details of what transpired in his challenge to ascend, but she has been waiting for the day she would die.”

“...”

“The organization formed to plan for the future following her demise is the ‘Eye of Blue’ to which we watchers belong.”