Sudden Attack

Meanwhile.

At the Earl's mansion, Linnie sensed that Draht's mana had vanished.

"Draht's mana signature has disappeared."

"He's dead."

Lügner was not surprised by the outcome. He took a book from the guest room's shelf and began leafing through it.

Demons never hid their mana fluctuations. For that matter, no mage did.

A vast amount of mana was the most direct way to demonstrate one's strength.

"Did he let his guard down?" Linnie did not care about Draht's death, but she was somewhat concerned about the elf who had killed him, because it might disrupt their plans.

Lügner said calmly, "The fact that the elf mage attacked the moment she sensed us already tells us quite a bit."

Linnie was about to say something else when the guest room door was flung open. It was Earl Granat.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting. The two mages arrested during the day have escaped. Only the guards were left at the scene, their heads severed from their bodies."

Granat seemed to be hinting at something, placing particular emphasis on "their heads severed from their bodies."

He had fought Aura the Guillotine for decades. How could he not know how the guards had died?

Lügner pulled Linnie over to his side. "That's terrible. Linnie is very good at sensing mana. We'll help with the search."

"That won't be necessary." Granat's gaze swept across the guest room, and sure enough, he saw that one of the demons was missing. He asked, "May I ask where your other companion has gone?"

"Perhaps he went to the washroom."

Lügner's heart sank, but he still found an excuse.

The guards who had accompanied Granat saw him wave a hand behind his back. They all drew their weapons and aimed them at the two demons. It was a signal they had been given before coming.

Granat looked at Lügner and said slowly:

"That elf from earlier today—even I could tell she was a powerful mage. The guards were able to subdue the two of them so easily because they knew killing guards in town was a serious crime."

"Lord Lügner, I'll ask you again. Where is your companion?!"

"Honestly, that fool Draht."

Lügner reached out a hand with a hint of exasperation. Blood flowed from his palm, gathering into a streak of crimson light.

With a casual wave, he sent the guards' heads flying from their bodies. Only Granat was spared.

Granat's expression changed. He had not expected Lügner to act so decisively, and he immediately drew his sword and charged at him.

But Lügner simply controlled the streak of crimson light and, within a few moves, gravely wounded Earl Granat.

Looking at the Earl collapsed in a pool of blood, Lügner said calmly, "Don't worry. I won't kill you. I'm counting on you to remove the city's protective barrier."

Near the Earl's mansion.

Fern and Stark, having just finished dessert, were on their way to the Earl's mansion.

The two had just discussed asking the Earl to release Frieren so she could deal with the demons.

And Rienta, of course.

After leaving the dungeon, Frieren had used detection magic and found a vast mana signature twenty li outside the city.

It was the mana of Aura the Guillotine, one of the Seven Sages of Destruction. Frieren wanted to deal with that opponent first.

Rienta, meanwhile, was thinking about how Frieren had reacted after discovering Aura the Guillotine.

Wearing a black hood, Frieren had spoken in a cold voice, a faint smile curling at her lips.

"Even I hate fighting powerful opponents."

"But things you hate should be dealt with sooner rather than later."

Rienta did not quite understand why Frieren, who was usually so dull, could be so... so cool about something like this?!

Unable to make sense of it, Rienta followed Frieren with some disappointment.

They happened to run into Fern and Stark on their way to the Earl's mansion.

They had planned to leave directly, but Fern recognized them.

"Lady Frieren? Brother Rienta?"

"Why are you here?"

Rienta sighed, unable to understand how they had been recognized even like this, and stopped thinking about Frieren's sudden display of coolness.

He led the others into a nearby alley and briefly explained the situation.

Fern frowned. "So if the Earl mistakenly thinks Lady Frieren killed the guards, that'll be a problem, won't it?"

Frieren nodded in complete agreement. "Exactly. That's why I want to leave the city and lie low for a while."

With that, Frieren turned to leave.

"Please wait." Fern called Frieren back. "What about the demons in the city? Are you going to stand by and do nothing, Lady Frieren?"

"?" Frieren looked questioningly at the three behind her.

"Can't the three of you just defeat them?"

Stark stared at Frieren in bewilderment. "It's not that easy. They're not opponents we can handle."

Rienta was not worried that Fern and Stark would be unable to deal with the two demons.

Frieren's side was another matter. They had succeeded in killing Qual the Elder Sage of Corruption last time because he had been sealed away for nearly a century, so even Rienta's defensive magic could block Qual's attacks.

But Aura the Guillotine had regained her peak strength decades ago.

As long as he and Frieren moved a little faster, he could save Fern and Stark as long as they were not completely dead.

So he did not say it was to deal with Aura the Guillotine, and instead came up with an excuse:

"Lady Frieren, I'm a fugitive now, after all, so I'll go with you."

Stark looked at Rienta in confusion. "Why are you leaving too, Rienta...?"

Frieren interrupted Stark. "You won't fight because your opponents are strong? Besides, I don't think you two are any weaker than those two demons."

"Rienta, let's go."

Though Frieren did not quite understand Rienta's request, as she had said earlier, Fern and Stark were definitely no weaker than the two demons.

She had only wanted Rienta to stay behind as an extra precaution.

But Rienta had his own ideas, and she would not force him. Besides, this might do more to bring out Fern and Stark's potential.

Frieren and Rienta left without looking back.

Seeing Rienta leave, Stark said to Frieren, on the verge of a breakdown:

"Please wait! I'll fight! But at least give us a hand!! I'm begging you on my knees!!!"

A little speechless, Fern dragged Stark out of the alley as well.

"Stop embarrassing yourself, Lord Stark. Make up your mind."

"We can't beat them..."

"Don't be so selfish."

Frieren and Rienta moved quickly, reaching the outskirts of the city before long.

Only then did they use Flight Magic and head toward the vast source of mana.

On the way.

Frieren asked curiously, "Rienta, are you worried I can't beat Aura?"

"Of course not." Rienta looked away from Frieren, feeling a little guilty. "I've never seen you use your full strength, Lady Frieren, so I wanted to experience it up close."

"Oh?"

Hearing that, Frieren looked toward Aura's location with a slightly playful expression.

"I don't think Aura is worth using my full strength on."

Rienta: "??"

Wait, what was going on?

Frieren offered no explanation. She said softly, "Let's speed up and deal with her sooner."