The Son-In-Law of the Magician Is a Transcendent Sword Master - Chapter 101

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 101

Battles with covert mages were always a headache.

I had felt this painfully since my days with the resistance army.

Covert mages never fought fair and square. They freely manipulated shadows, assimilated into darkness to erase their presence, deceived the senses, and delivered fatal strikes from blind spots.

Perhaps because of this, battles involving covert mages were always all or nothing. Either the outcome was decided in the first exchange, or it devolved into a muddy slugfest.

However, since covert mages specialized in stealth and surprise attacks, their weaknesses were also clear. They fell behind ordinary mages in direct confrontations of strength. So Renia and I would drag them into the open and crush them head-on to gain the upper hand.

But that method didn’t work against Arania Morian Shaydi.

Crack crack crack.

Dark serpents poured down like rain from the thick shadows spread all around.

It was a sight reminiscent of a massive waterfall made of ink.

The problem was that we were right in the middle of that bombardment.

“Everyone get down!”

Melchior created a hollow hemisphere with earth magic, which Rosalindr firmly wrapped and secured with her vines. It was a solid dome-shaped earth barrier.

Crash crash crash!

The dark serpents continued pouring down, crushing the outer wall.

“…We won’t be able to hold out for long. Probably… about a minute or so.”

Melchior stretched out his hand and used earth magic at maximum output, but his planted feet gradually dug deeper into the ground.

Rosalindr shook her head with a thoroughly disgusted expression.

“This thing is more of a monster than I thought. Hey Reagan. It looks like a frontal assault won’t work here.”

“Yes. I can see that too.”

Unlike ordinary covert mages, Arania Sheydi surpassed most mages even in direct confrontation.

In the end, attempting a frontal battle against Arania was tantamount to suicide.

But trying to target Arania’s rear in this wide-open audience chamber…

‘Would be suicide.’

Charging straight at her would turn me into a pincushion. Even if I somehow managed to circle around and attempt a rear attack, she would hide in the shadows using shadow concealment.

But sticking purely to defense would end up like our current situation.

‘Let me think of a method…’

However, I had fought covert mages to the point of exhaustion in my previous life.

Among them were several high-ranking covert mages who had reached the 6th Rank, even if they weren’t quite at Arania’s level.

As I mentioned before, the method for dealing with covert mages is simple.

‘Don’t fight them on their terms.’

I looked up at Melchior and Rosalindr.

“How fortunate. It’s perfect that the two Archmages here are Lord Melchior and Lady Rosalindr.”

“What are you talking about?”

“…I have a plan.”

“Speak up immediately.”

I explained my plan right away, and Rosalindr nodded as if convinced.

“Not bad. As you said, Lord Melchior and I have quite good compatibility.”

Melchior Bazet, who handled earth manipulation magic.

Rosalindr Blair, who handled plant growth magic.

These two were fundamentally mages who dealt with ‘environment.’

That meant they could transform this entire audience chamber into an environment favorable to us and unfavorable to Arania.

“It seems like a good idea.”

Melchior nodded and stomped his foot.

Rumble rumble rumble.

The flat marble floor of the audience chamber twisted grotesquely, and massive stone pillars began rising from various spots.

Following this, when Rosalindr cast her magic, thorny vines grew and intertwined along the stone pillars.

Within seconds, the audience chamber had become wild.

“Ahahaha, what an interesting trick. I see, you plan to turn my audience chamber into a forest?”

Arania looked at the rocks and trees that had sprouted around her and cackled with laughter.

“You must have thought up this plan because direct confrontation would be troublesome. However… it’s too shallow a trick. Fighting from behind has always been the specialty of covert mages.”

“Is that really so?”

“Hmm?”

Immediately after, I burst out from Melchior’s earth barrier.

The black serpents aimed for me, but they couldn’t fly in straight lines like before. In the end, they too were shadows and had to travel along the terrain.

In that brief respite, I approached Arania using the densely packed stone pillars and vegetation as cover. Though she had entrusted her body to the shadows, she was clearly visible to my eyes.

“…It’s useless.”

As the distance closed, Arania frowned and gestured. Shadow pillars poured down from the ceiling, but I ignored them and drew Eclair, raising it above my head.

“Orange.”

A combination magic of red and yellow. The orange flames strengthened through Eclair’s prism suppressed the shadows for just a moment.

Following this, I slid down the slope and found myself standing right in front of the shadow where Arania was hiding.

“…Kuk.”

The flustered Arania burst out from the shadow and stumbled backward, but I had already drawn Benheim’s treasured sword.

I infused it with aura and swung it in one swift motion.

Slash!

It missed. Arania had leaned her body back at the last moment. However, the sword tip cleanly tore through the outer fabric of the black robe Arania was wearing.

The severed cloth scraps fluttered through the air, and a grazing wound appeared on Arania’s shoulder.

No blood flowed. Since the flesh itself had already reached the end of its lifespan and was withering away, only bloodless, dry flesh was revealed through the wound.

“…You bastard.”

The composure disappeared from Arania’s face as she landed at a distance.

“How dare you lay a hand on my body…?”

“You should speak properly. That’s not your body.”

Her once-elegant features twisted hideously.

* * *

At the same time.

In the underground of Shadow Tower, the corridor leading to the audience chamber.

Swoosh!

Formless mana collided repeatedly in the darkness.

Shadow blades shot by Vera and Sierra from all directions pierced through, and Renia cast rune magic to sweep them away.

However, the disadvantage was obvious to anyone watching.

Dark magic shot from Vera’s fingertips aimed for Renia’s shoulder, followed by Sierra’s shadow whip coiling along the floor like a snake.

Renia reflexively deployed rune characters to deflect Vera’s dark magic, but it was insufficient to read all the trajectories of the whip that followed.

“Kuk.”

Her ankle was caught, her posture crumbled, and she tumbled across the floor. Renia hastily got back up. However, her ankle seemed to be sprained, so her posture wasn’t as upright as before.

“It would be better if you gave up now.”

“Vera’s right. You’ll only get more hurt for nothing.”

“…”

Thus, Renia was helplessly dragged around by Vera and Sierra’s combined attack.

Covert mages were originally a class specialized in stealthy ambushes and personal combat.

With the geographical advantage of the narrow corridor added on top, no matter how talented she was, it was difficult to completely block the combined attack of two covert mages.

“Shut up. Just… guide me to Sheril.”

Clang!

Renia barely managed to deflect the shadow blade Vera had shot. However, due to the recoil, Renia hesitated for a moment, and during that time Sierra silently penetrated Renia’s rear.

“…An opening!”

The blade Sierra shot deeply cut into Renia’s side.

Renia’s pure white uniform was instantly stained with red blood.

“Ugh…”

Renia swallowed her pain and stepped back, barely managing to regain her body’s balance.

Vera cried out in shock.

“…Sierra! No fatal wounds!”

“I know! I’m controlling it too!”

It was a dangerous blow that would have spilled her organs if it had gone just a little deeper.

That couldn’t happen.

She had to subdue that woman without killing her.

With that thought, Vera tried to persuade her with a grinning expression.

“…You’d better give up now. I don’t want to kill you either, young lady.”

“Really? I want to kill you though.”

“…”

Renia spoke without changing her expression at all, and a chill ran down Vera’s spine.

“…Ha, haha. Don’t get too worked up. Your wound might open up, you know?”

Vera bit her lip.

Despite suffering a considerable wound, Renia’s fighting spirit remained strong. Her violet eyes still gleamed fiercely, and the rune characters floating at her fingertips remained steady without wavering.

‘At this point… should I just kill her?’

No.

No way.

That absolutely couldn’t happen.

If she killed a direct member of Benheim… Mother would obviously be furious.

Moreover, Vera had recently visited the Benheim Estate to bring Lashelle, and in that process, she had encountered the lord of the territory.

Steren von Benheim. Peak of 7th Rank. An archmage who ranked among the top three in the entire Empire.

The Steren that Vera had actually faced was a monster-like human who lived up to his reputation.

A realm higher than even Mother, whom she respected endlessly.

If Vera killed Benheim’s precious daughter, Steren would declare war on Shadow Tower.

No matter how strong Mother was, she wouldn’t be able to win against that man.

So she had to subdue her without killing.

However…

‘Her resistance is too fierce.’

They were clearly at an advantage. Renia had allowed several attacks so far.

But that daughter of Benheim dealt with them skillfully. Even when allowing attacks, she somehow avoided the decisive blows.

The wound on her side just now was also because Renia had twisted her body at the last moment, avoiding having her abdomen pierced.

Eventually, Vera reached the conclusion that she couldn’t subdue that woman if she held back.

‘If it’s just serious injuries… Mother will understand.’

If they dragged this out, there was no telling what variables might arise.

Having made up her mind, Vera approached Renia in a somewhat more aggressive manner. She ran between the shadows, closing the distance in an instant before unleashing covert magic.

She shot from the front, but her real target was behind. The deceptive tactics unique to covert magic—diverting attention then striking the blind spot.

However…

Crack!

Without even looking back, Renia deflected the mana and precisely blocked the covert magic flying from behind.

‘Huh?’

It was strange.

Just moments ago, she had been helplessly falling victim to this magic. But now Renia was responding far too skillfully.

The covert magic that Sierra shot from the blind spot was also blocked by a solid ice wall created by the rune character Isa (ᛁ) that Renia had carved at her feet.

In other words…

‘…She’s reading us?’

Vera’s eyes wavered.

During that brief battle, her opponent had been adapting to their covert magic.

What kind of ridiculous learning ability was this?

Covert mages’ magic was notoriously complex and difficult to read. It wasn’t magic that could be countered after just a few exchanges.

It was the moment Vera was shocked.

Whoosh!

Renia switched from defense to offense. Rune characters spinning at her fingertips.

Tiwaz (ᛏ) and Thurisaz (ᚦ).

Their meaning: sword and strike.

Swoosh!

“Ugh!”

Vera hastily turned her head, but with a sharp cutting sound, a handful of her black hair was severed.

If her reaction had been even slightly slower, it would have been her neck flying instead of her hair.

“…Wh-what are you doing! Are you trying to kill me!”

Vera shouted, but Renia replied in a cold tone.

“I told you, didn’t I? That I’m thinking of killing you.”

A chill ran down her spine.

It was definitely serious. Renia Erahan von Benheim was planning to kill them with everything she had.

“…Ah, this is driving me crazy.”

Vera ruffled her hair and showed her displeasure.

It might be different if it were a mage of lower rank than herself, but with a fellow 5th Rank mage charging with killing intent, subduing her was virtually impossible.

There was no choice. If they kept fighting half-heartedly, they would die first.

So…

‘Let’s kill her.’

Vera exchanged glances with Sierra.

Twins who had been taken in by the tower since childhood and raised like one body. They perfectly understood each other’s intentions without needing to speak.

Both simultaneously lowered their bodies and drew their mana to the limit.

Rumble.

All the shadows around them writhed in unison, and a tsunami of shadows rising from all directions engulfed Renia.

A perfect coordinated attack that completely sealed left and right, up and down, even underfoot. An omnidirectional attack with no way to escape.

A mage of the same rank could never block it.

That thought lasted only a moment.

Flash—!

A pillar of light shot up around Renia’s body.

A rune character carved in mid-air, Algiz (ᛉ).

The mana emanating from the rune character symbolizing absolute defense was… definitely not at the 5th Rank level.

“…Huh?”

Both Vera and Sierra stared in shock at the scene before them. The barrier surrounding Renia was deflecting the tsunami of covert magic they had unleashed as solid as a rock.

An even heavier wave of mana pressed down on the entire corridor.

“…Ah.”

Only then did Vera realize.

That the woman before her had broken through the wall in the midst of this deadly battle and stepped into the realm of 6th Rank.

‘This is impossible.’

‘We can’t win.’

Facing Vera and Sierra who had lost their fighting spirit, Renia spoke with a cold expression.

“Where is Sheril.”

The rune character Hagalaz (ᚺ) was completed at Renia’s fingertips.

Its meaning was… collapse.

The next moment, the ground supporting the corridor began to crumble entirely.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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