The Book Eating Magician Chapter 65:

Slavers Raiding Mission #2

The slums of Bergen, where [Shackler] were hiding, were as complex as an ant cave . If a stranger, who didn’t know this, travelled about recklessly, then they would disappear into the shadows of the city .

The air weighed heavily on Theodore’s shoulders . There were wine bottles rolling on the ground as well as stains which could be blood .  Whatever it was, Theo ignored it and focused on the situation calmly . ‘On the right, 25 meters away, there are three at the back . ’

This precise sensing ability didn’t just depend on physical detection . It was a possible feature because he shared the feelings of the elemental, Mitra, who had assimilated with the ground .  The mole-like ability to grasp the movements and physique of others through vibrations was extremely useful to the present Theodore . He could see things he couldn’t see with Hawkeye .

Indeed, there were three thieves whispering beyond the wall .  Theo took a few steps until sound entered his ears .

“I saw it! It was definitely an elf!”

“You’re crazy, Hans . Did you take medication during the day?”

“You are probably hallucinating from not seeing a prostitute for a few days . Do you want me to lend you some money? The interest rate is 2% per day . ”

“Hey, this son of a bitch!”

Somehow, one of them had seen a captive elf, and his colleagues didn’t believe him . The thief became angry at this treatment and stormed away from his spot .  He moved beyond the corner and came face to face with Theodore . The man opened his mouth with surprise when he saw Theo, but…

Piing—

A hole was formed in the middle of his forehead before he could speak . Even the strongest magician, Veronica, had no way to completely avoid Magic Bullet at this distance . The fate of the thief ended the moment he met Theo .

‘There are two left… I will handle it . ’

Theo pointed his index fingers over the wall and fired at  the heads of the two remaining thieves . The light of death pierced them, and they were smiling as their brains scattered . This was the last of the three common thieves .

Not long after that…

In a guerilla warfare, the level difference meant nothing before the Magic Bullet .

“Eek . ”

“Kuack…”

Theo killed anyone he met . He moved thoroughly according to this principle, burying dozens of bodies along his route until he met a second patrol .  It might be a coincidence or skills, but a warrior had managed to make a shallow scratch on Theo’s forearm .

‘Che, I’m still inexperienced . It was an attack I could’ve avoided if I had fully digested Lee Yoonsung’s experience . ’

He healed the wound slightly with magic . It was just a few drops of blood, but it couldn’t hurt to be careful .  Theo then concealed his body and realized he had reached the barracks . It was a barrack where two elves were trapped . Just as he was worrying about which of the two barracks to attack first…

Shouts rang out from the barrack on the right . “No? Why not?!”

Theo naturally moved toward the right barrack in response to the sound . His two golden eyes looked over the fence and examined the situation inside . There was a large group of thieves arguing with four warriors standing in front of the barrack with grim expressions .

Theo tensed as he grasped their level at one glance .

‘There are five aura users… Maybe the intelligence agent from the White Tower missed something . Isn’t it better to watch the situation before entering?’

Theo was tense enough to move at any time, but he decided to listen to their argument first .

“This is against the agreement! Didn’t you agree to turn over two elves to me? You don’t know how risky a position our guild is in because of you!”

“Wait a little longer, Boss Rakon . ”

“It has already been over a week! We don’t know when those rascals will come!”

Theo narrowed his eyes at Boss Rakon . He was the boss of the guild which Canis belonged to . Perhaps he had decided to take a few elves in exchange for mediating this slave trade . That was why Rakon had agreed to a deal which normally wouldn’t have been accepted, even for a few hundred gold coins . The thought of possessing an elf beauty had made him forget the fear of execution for a while .

Yet as time passed, he had begun to feel uneasy . Rakon wanted to get the elves out of the city as soon as possible . It had been a few days, so he was sick at the thought of an executioner coming .

However, the members of [Shackler] shook their heads with resolute expressions . They seemed to think the thieves would stab them in the back if they handed over the elves, but doing this was annoying since the thieves came several times a day to ask .

“Dammit, just let me see them once!” Rakon tried to shake their cold attitude, but there was nothing he could do .  These people couldn’t even be bribed . The subordinates of Shackler were different from his own .

Wuuong~ The wind cooled his inflamed head .

Rakon exhaled and then inhaled with surprise as his eyebrows twitched when he smelled the faint scent of blood from the wind . The blood wasn’t coming from anyone near him .  The extraordinary smell of the thief boss had detected an enemy .

Clink .  Rakon flicked his wrist, and six daggers appeared almost simultaneously . The series of actions were really quick .  The warriors winced at his sudden action, but he threw the daggers in the direction where he smelled the blood . Amazingly, it was aimed toward Theodore’s location!

‘How?!’ Theo questioned reflexively .  He had completely erased his presence, but Rakon had attacked him accurately . They hit the fence around the height of his thighs .

Pyupok! Pyok Pyupok! There was the sound of something flying through their wind, and holes appeared in the wood .

As the fence collapsed in the aftermath, the hiding Theodore was revealed . It was then that the guards finally realized his presence and pulled out their shamshirs . A red radiance lit up in the eyes of the aura users .

Theo was confronted with five aura users before him . “Hoo, then it can’t be helped . ”

Instead of retreating, he stepped forward . It wasn’t difficult to escape, but if he left, it would add to the burden of Vince, who was on the other side . Above all, the experiences of the two people inside him were talking . This was a situation where he could win .

“It is a young man . Hey, kid! Did you get lost from your mommy?”

Theodore’s cheekbones twitched at Rakon’s taunt . It was a sensitive response to the strange provocation .

‘…Uh, it feels worse than I thought?’ It was a single word which touched on his nerves .

The same word felt different depending on whose mouth it came out of . Veronica and the bearded robber had both called him ‘kid’ but the difference was like night and day .

However, Theo’s head cooled off thanks to that thought . This was too different compared to facing Veronica . There were five people and four in the nearby barracks, making for a total of nine people . However, they weren’t stronger than her .

Theodore’s right hand calmly moved . ‘Open Inventory . Equipment #3 . ’

Meanwhile, his left hand pulled out a red robe . Veronica had given it to him personally . It contained the emblem of the Red Tower and five circles . The robe was a symbol of honour and force in the Meltor Kingdom .

As the red cloth fluttered over Theo’s upper body, Rakon’s eyes widened as he realized the identity of the person in front of him . “Damn, executors have already been sent!”

The villains in Meltor were sensitive to this clothing .  Containing defensive and secondary magic, the robes were exclusive possessions of the envoys of the battlefield . It wasn’t an artifact which an ordinary kid could obtain .

Finally, Theodore checked his Memorize slots before raising both hands .

‘Battle Song .

‘Sonata of Speed .

‘Allegretto . ’

Then he ran at a fearsome pace through the darkness .

 

***

At that time, Vince Haidel was leaping between buildings on the other side of Theo’s location .

After reaching the 6th Circle, Vince’s physical abilities had increased . His movements were just like when Theodore used ‘Battle Song . ’

Paak!

Vince used Battle Song in midair and secured his body with magic . The numerous warriors on the ground couldn’t discover Vince in the sky . It was a reason why magicians were capable of playing an active role on the battlefield . Magicians could wipe out patrolling scouts, so a veteran war mage was the most efficient person on any battlefield .

Among the Superior ranked magicians, Vince was one of the best .

‘Here . ’ From the sky, he looked at the point which Canis had marked and landed without a sound .

Vince couldn’t feel it . He used ‘Detect Evil’ as he gazed at the grey tent in front of him . The quarters here felt like the warriors had been living here for several years .  As Vince recalled Canis’ information, he felt a sense of discomfort .

That’s why it wasn’t easy to avoid the blow .

Kiiing! It was faster than sound .  As the blade tore through the air, the sound emerged one beat late with the scattering of red aura .  The tip of the shamshir cut Vince’s neck, scattering drops of blood in the air . However, it didn’t hit the artery . It was due to the increased reflexes of Battle Song .

However, rather than being surprised by the unexpected attack, Vince muttered as if he realized something, “Hah, so that is what happened . ”

A man walked out of the darkness near the tent . The black turban decorated with gold was quite distinct . It was a feature of the men from the Austen Kingdom on the northern part of the continent .

The man had long arms, and red aura shone around his shamshirs like a haze . He looked Vince up and down and precisely guessed Vince’s identity .

“Meltor, war mage . ”

“That’s right .  Janissary of an Austen nobleman,” Vince responded while putting on his robe .

The man was more shaken by Vince’s words than his red robe as Vince’s tone expressed that Vince was completely confident he was correct .

While the Janissary protecting his identity closed his mouth, Vince wiped at his wound . “What crime organization would do this so fearlessly? Even if they succeed in selling the elves, they would only lose money . There aren’t many idiots who would try to buy slaves in this country . You aren’t using Meltor as an intermediary . Instead, you’re just passing through . ”

“…Why do you think that?” It was a crude version of the official language, but the meaning was still clear .  Vince had no intention of letting the man survive, but the man was tenacious . As the man stepped backward, Vince stepped forward, gesturing with a nod toward the tent before him .

He was already convinced that his guess was the right answer . “The elf held in there… No, isn’t it a ‘high elf?’”

The eyes of the Janissary shook .