Fran knew the other man had to be crazy. This wasn't the kind of grudge where someone came after you for revenge because you'd offended him. He was flat-out trying to take her down with him.
Apprentices held a special place in this city. Anyone who saw that their target was wearing an apprentice's robe would turn around and leave. They simply weren't desperate enough to risk their lives for the money.
But the two modified men were different. They only followed orders. Whether their target was man or monster, once they heard the command, they charged in swinging. They had none of the reasoning ability of a normal person.
Fran's hand wound had already been healed with a Healing Potion. She didn't let on, and her other hand was still gathering a Wind Blade.
Mars seemed to have finished gloating. He also knew that no matter what, his actions wouldn't end well for him. So he blew his whistle and charged forward with a sword in hand.
Fran began circulating the Breathing Technique. Wind gathered around her, and then she drew the wind element into her palm, increasing the power of her next Wind Blade.
It was a little trick she'd developed through practice. She'd been thrilled when she discovered she could combine the two skills.
She stretched the Wind Blade into a horizontal line and sent it flying at the three attackers. It was incredibly fast and struck all three.
A line of blood appeared across each man's abdomen, but the blades didn't cut through them. The three men faltered.
"Ah!" Mars couldn't take the attack. He fell to the ground, wailing in pain.
The two modified men didn't stop at all. Pain seemed to mean nothing to them, and they kept charging forward.
Fran stepped forward, deliberately moving to the side. The modified men had very little intelligence and couldn't think like ordinary people. One of them didn't swing his weapon at his companion, even though the man was right in front of him, but his steps still affected him.
The modified man behind couldn't stop in time and crashed into his companion, hindering his attack. Fran easily dodged the blow, while the other modified man's movement was impeded.
That modified man was pretty dim. That was Fran's first impression after fighting him.
But the modified men were tough. Fran tried to stab one through the neck, only for her sword to strike something hard. Its path was deflected, and the blade failed to pierce him.
It seemed whoever had made him knew the neck was a weak point and had added some special protection. But Fran wasn't in a hurry. She backed away, and the two modified men chased after her again.
Fran sent out another Wind Blade. It cut wounds into both of them. When they charged at her, she released another Wind Blade.
After several exchanges like that, the two beastmen finally fell to the ground. They were modified men, not machines made of steel. Blood spread across the ground.
Without Wind Blade Art, dealing with them might have been a bit of a hassle, but it wouldn't have been too difficult. She still would have kept her distance and worn them down.
[You used Wind Blade Art skillfully in battle. Wind Blade Art proficiency +10]
[You won an easy battle using Swift Wind Breathing Technique. Swift Wind Breathing Technique proficiency +5]
Next, Fran turned her gaze to Mars, lying on the ground. It was time to decide whether to finish him off.
Fran planted a foot on Mars's head, stopping him as he tried to get up. Gradually, his body stopped moving.
Fran knew Mars was still alive. She held her sword over his head for a moment, then finally drove it into his neck.
Blood sprayed everywhere. Fran pulled out her sword, now covered in blood, and flicked it to the side. Blood spattered onto the ground.
In the end, Fran decided to kill Mars. She would never sleep well with a threat like him left alive.
But killing him meant facing the consequences of killing an apprentice. Since he had attacked her first, she probably wouldn't face a serious punishment.
At most, she might be fined or locked up for a few days.
"Hey, want me to help?"
A familiar voice came from behind her. Fran turned and saw Elan standing there.
Fran didn't say anything like, "How could you help with something this serious?" Instead, she asked:
"How are you going to help me?"
Elan smiled. "Since we're friends, I won't charge you this time. Just leave. You don't have to worry about anything."
Fran didn't believe him at all. How could a smuggler like him deal with her having killed an apprentice?
As if he knew she wouldn't believe him, Elan said, "If you don't trust me, you can stay. It'll just take up more of your time."
Of course Fran couldn't leave right away. The scene was right there, and she still had to establish that Mars had attacked her first, rather than have them claim she'd ambushed him.
What if the law enforcers got it into their heads that she was the instigator? Still, she didn't refuse Elan's help.
As she saw it, Elan could sell spells and potions, so he must have connections. Having some help was better than having none.
After a while, a squad of uniformed law enforcers arrived. They briefly surveyed the scene without paying Fran any attention, then asked Elan:
"What happened here?"
Elan didn't answer right away. He straightened his hat first, then said:
"An apprentice attacked another apprentice over a personal grudge. He also bought two modified beastmen from the Transmutation School to help him. The apprentice who was attacked killed them all. That's what happened."
Another member of the squad scribbled in a notebook, apparently recording something.
The one who had asked the question continued:
"Were there any other dead? Is this the apprentice who was attacked?"
He pointed toward Fran. Elan answered:
"No, that's everyone. She's the one. Can't you see the blood on her and her sword?"
The officer ignored Elan's complaint and went on:
"Both apprentices were from Cuilan Academy, right?"
"Both were."
"Both?"
"Both!"
After confirming it twice, the officer said to the others, "We've got the details down. Just call in the specialists to deal with the bodies. Let's go."
Fran silently watched everything from the side. After they left, she walked over and asked curiously:
"How come they didn't even ask me any questions?"
In the original owner's memories, there had been cases where apprentices got into fights and both sides were taken away and locked up for days. During the investigation, they'd questioned lots of people. Why hadn't these officers even asked a bystander anything?
"See? I told you to just leave. Instead, you stayed here and wasted your time."
Elan continued explaining:
"The Academy assigns a person in charge to every area. Their job is to oversee anything in their area that affects apprentices. I'm the person in charge of the Apprentice Market."
"Of course they had to ask me. The rules say they have to question the person in charge of the area during an investigation. I'm staking my reputation to vouch for you."
Before you continue