NOVEL WEB Chapter 8
As soon as I heard the massive explosion, I reflexively jumped out of the doghouse.
“Kyaaak!!”
“Put out the fire first!”
“Lady!!”
Damn it. The mansion is on fire.
Even in the garden, I could feel the intense heat.
…I didn’t even sense any warning signs.
Was I asleep? No, they just launched an attack I couldn’t detect.
That’s why we got ambushed.
Even the Royal Knights Order was attacked today.
Did they just regroup and immediately target us next?
Ruthless bastards.
The timing is insane.
They really hit us when we least expected it.
But more than that. If it’s this chaotic… no, never mind.
For a moment, the thought of running away crossed my mind, but I quickly erased it.
Am I crazy?
The Void Family isn’t some small noble family.
Would a pillar like us shake from this kind of attack?
It’ll be resolved eventually, and if someone who remembers me holds a grudge, a pursuit squad might come after me.
And even if I manage to shake off the pursuit, I’d have to live as a fugitive for a long time.
And give up the place where I leisurely eat meals in the yard and train?
Moreover…
Lowell’s words flashed through my mind.
The Vision Technique of the Void Family, the top noble family in the Adel Kingdom.
The thought of being able to learn it lingered.
Yeah, in a way, this is also an opportunity to build merit.
Besides, Lowell is in this mansion.
It’s hard to imagine we’ll lose.
So, just as I was about to move to build merit.
I saw more fireballs flying in from outside the mansion.
Wow…
Is that magic?
For a moment, I marveled at the first proper fantasy-like magic I’ve seen in my life.
Then I panicked when I saw the direction the fireballs were coming from.
Damn it! They’re headed this way!
I was thinking about going back into the doghouse to hide when…
Boom-!
The incoming fireball.
Exploded mid-air as if it hit an invisible wall.
Upon closer inspection, there’s someone on the roof.
…That crazy old man.
Did he just jump out and deflect the magic?
No, was that even a deflection?
The mansion got hit and is now on fire, with the servants rushing out.
Anyway.
Seeing that old man eased my worries a bit.
Yeah, with him around, we won’t lose.
“Everyone, to the annex!”
Since the mansion is on fire, the guards led the servants to the annex at the back.
Probably because it’s not on fire.
I surveyed the situation before moving.
The Lady… well, she must have her bodyguard.
The head guard, that knight, lives in the mansion, so he’ll show up soon to help.
Then I roughly know what I need to do.
I lightly jumped onto the doghouse.
They wouldn’t just throw fireballs, right?
There must be a main force somewhere.
Whatever it is, their goal is to invade.
So, with a higher vantage point, I looked around.
Sure enough, I saw masked people climbing over the wall nearby.
“Damn.”
Closer than I thought.
No time to assess the situation.
I ran toward the wall, pushing through the servants fleeing to the annex.
“You…!”
“There are intruders!”
First, I need to stop the intruders from mercilessly killing the servants.
“What…! Everyone, prepare! Intruders are here!”
Fortunately, thanks to the peaceful times, the guards trusted me and began forming a defense.
“I’ll borrow this.”
Among the guards.
I snatched a decent-looking sword from one of them.
“Huh?”
The guard whose sword I took looked at me with his mouth wide open.
“I’ll take the lead!”
With that shout, I ran ahead toward the masked intruders.
These guards are skilled, but.
Among the masked intruders.
Yeah.
That guy in front drawing his sword.
He’s on a different level.
So, I channeled my aura and swung my sword.
Clang-!!
Even with my aura-infused swing, it was easily blocked.
So, he’s an aura user too?
Everyone and their dog uses aura these days.
“So, the dog is here, huh? I’ll take care of you.”
“I’ll bite back.”
Where did he get my info?
Well, I was a champion in the Coliseum before becoming a noble’s dog.
It’s been enough time for rumors and info to spread.
I was a pretty popular champion, after all.
Anyway.
From the clash, it seems I’m stronger, so I tried to push him back.
“Cocky.”
With that, the masked intruder’s flow changed.
Immediately.
‘Track.’
A bad feeling made me focus my aura on my eyes to observe his movements.
Then, the world slowed down like in slow motion.
In that slowed-down world.
I saw the masked intruder moving at normal speed.
…A skilled Fleet user.
Using Fleet right after the first clash? Trying to end it quickly?
I also focused my aura and, though still unskilled, used Fleet.
In the aura users’ time, our swords clashed.
Screech—
But.
I’m still not proficient enough to use Track and Fleet simultaneously.
So, my sword, lacking proper force, was pushed aside, and his sword grazed my chest.
“Ugh.”
A searing pain shot through me as Track released, and I returned to the normal world.
“Not bad.”
The wound is deep.
But, I dodged the crucial first strike.
Fleet is the most taxing basic technique for aura users.
Even if he’s skilled, using it repeatedly would be tough.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Gritting my teeth through the pain.
I blocked the following strikes.
Thud, thud-
With each exertion, the wound on my chest reopened, and blood splattered.
But.
If I stop now, my head will fly off.
“Help!”
“Block them!”
Plus, the guards are already dealing with other masked intruders.
So, the outcome of this battle between me and this masked intruder will decide the fate of this scene.
Clang! Clang!
Sword against sword.
With each clash, a searing pain shot through my wounded chest.
“Huff… huff…”
Still.
If I managed to hold my own against a skilled aura user in the first clash, I’m at an advantage.
The one in a hurry is my opponent.
Like last time, they’re the attackers, and we’re the defenders.
Especially since they’re raiding a noble’s mansion in the capital, every second counts for them.
Especially for a strong opponent like this.
They wouldn’t want to waste time getting tangled with a dog in the yard.
Clang-!
Our swords clashed again.
But damn, he’s sharp.
His basic swordsmanship is also excellent.
Very formal.
How should I put it—solid, systematic swordsmanship.
Aura proficiency and swordsmanship.
In every aspect, he’s stronger than me.
But.
Physical ability and experience.
Plus, in terms of instincts, I have the upper hand.
So, the decisive moment is now.
Before he uses Fleet again.
I tried to push him to end it.
Whoosh-!
Again.
A sense of unease.
…Fleet?
No, different.
More like releasing than compressing…
“Gasp!”
This is…!
Crack–!!
With a loud noise, my sword shattered.
Rush!
This bastard, he’s really skilled.
“Gasp!”
Right after my sword shattered.
Confident of victory, he thrust his sword at me.
A sharp pain in the back of my neck made me turn my head to the left.
Swish-
His sword barely grazed my hair.
“…!”
He must not have expected me to dodge, as I heard him gasp.
With all my might, I twisted and stabbed the broken sword into his shoulder.
Thud-!
“Ugh!”
It went in deep.
Crack-
“Gah…!”
I twisted the sword and let go of the hilt.
Thud!
While he was stunned by the pain, I kicked his stomach to create distance.
Thud- thud.
“Keugh…”
Taking a moment to breathe, I looked down and saw blood pouring from my chest.
…The wound is deep.
“Huff… huff…”
Catching my breath, I focused back on my opponent.
“Grr…”
He was clutching the sword deeply embedded in his shoulder, gasping for air.
“Get lost.”
This should be enough.
My wound is deep, but his shoulder is severely injured.
If we keep fighting, we’ll both suffer heavy losses.
“…I’ll remember this.”
He seemed to realize that too, slowly retreating into the darkness.
“Huff…”
As he completely disappeared, I looked around.
“Push them back!”
“We’re winning!”
“Hold on!”
I won, but the other masked intruders are still here.
…Are they buying time?
Well.
This doesn’t seem like the real main force.
The main force must be…
Boom-! Crash!
From the mansion’s roof.
The continuous explosions and fleeting afterimages caught my eye.
The old man must be fighting the main force up there.
It’s better not to go there and risk getting killed.
First, I took off my coat and tied it tightly around my chest.
The infirmary is probably inaccessible right now…
But at least I’m not dying, right?
I’ve stood at the brink of death countless times in the Coliseum.
As long as I avoid excessive blood loss, I can still move.
And more importantly, I haven’t built enough merit yet.
I turned my head to look at the burning mansion.
But the masked intruder’s level was quite high.
With Lowell tied up, is the Lady safe?
Well, I need to clean up here first.
Tightening the bandage around my wound, I joined the guards in dealing with the remaining masked intruders.