Chapter 39

"Whether it's a wooden box or not is still unknown, but at least something that has been made transparent seems to exist. I detected it when we set out, but it was probably at a distance. They are cunning. I let my guard down."

Sir Jonas nodded at Eric's report.

"There's nothing to be done about it. I've only heard stories and this is my first time dealing with it. It's fortunate that we discovered it before anything happened. We can detect it with the transparency detection spell and dispel it with the dispel magic spell. That's what I've heard, but can you handle it, Sir Eric?"

This time, Eric nodded.

"It's possible, but depending on the opponent's strength, there's a possibility that it can't be dispelled."

"If Sir Eric can't do it, we won't be able to capture them no matter what. If that happens, we'll have to think of another way. Kane, are you confident in your skills?"

Kane shook his head vigorously, indicating he had no confidence.

"Then, Kane, you stay here. The pharmacist's daughter will likely come, so it's good to talk to her. The remaining four of us will head to the capture. Al, you'll have to do your best. If they resist, I'll deal with the mage, so Placida, you disable the other two. I don't think we'll have trouble with mere thieves, but don't let your guard down. Sir Eric, I'll leave the handling if the opponent becomes invisible to you. Al will support Sir Eric."

"Hai!"

Placida seemed quite determined and nodded vigorously. Eric and Al also nodded. Leaving Kane, who was cheering them on, by the side of the church, the four of them headed toward the square where the suspicious three had parked their carriage.

The square itself was a rhombus about 40 meters on each side. It was built on a slope to the northwest, with the north and west sides raised with earth like a rampart, and the east and south sides forming a road along the square. The church where Al and the others were located was at the southwestern end of this road. As Eric and Al entered the square with two fully equipped guards, the villagers and merchants who had parked their carriages seemed to notice and looked at them curiously. They also looked in the direction the four were heading. At the far end of the square, in the northwest corner, two carriages should have been parked, but a tent obscured the one in the back. Three men were preparing a campfire in front of the tent.

When the three men noticed Al and the others, they quickly stood up. They seemed to be consulting with each other. Seeing this, Sir Jonas and the others quickened their pace and approached.

"Is there something you need?"

One of the three men, who was Bashel the mage, stepped forward to ask the approaching Sir Jonas. He had a pleasant smile on his face, but his body was tense. The two men standing on either side of him, Van and Varden, also had their hands on the daggers at their waists, clearly on guard.

"I am Jonas of the guard. I will inspect your carriage."

Sir Jonas and Placida approached the carriage without saying another word. Van and Varden tried to stop them, asking questions like "Wait a moment, what for?" but the two men only shook their heads in silence.

"It's no good, Van, Varden, go after them."

Bashel pointed at Eric with his chin and then extended his hand toward Sir Jonas and Placida.

'Paralyze'

Sir Jonas and Placida's eyes widened as they suddenly stopped moving. The Paralyze spell, as the name suggests, paralyzes the target. It is a popular spell due to its clear effect, but it has the drawback of only working about half the time. Of course, this also depends on the caster's skill, but the lack of reliability means it is a spell that people either love or hate. However, this time it seemed to have worked on both of the guards.

Caught off guard, Eric hurriedly tried to dispel the paralysis. However, Van and Varden ran past the paralyzed Sir Jonas and Placida toward Al and Eric.

'Flash'

'Dispel'

Al blinded Van and the others, and Eric dispelled the paralysis spell on Sir Jonas and Placida almost simultaneously. Van and the others, who had swung their daggers in vain, quickly blinked and glared at Al. The effect was weak.

"Damn, isn't this the brat who did the same thing before?"

"We won't fall for the same trick twice."

The two men, daggers in hand, attacked Al and the others again. Al managed to dodge, as their movements were still a bit unsteady. Eric, who was not used to casting spells while moving, was pushed back by Al, who was covering him.

'Shield'

When Eric cast the spell, a hexagonal, glowing shield appeared in front of Al for a moment. At almost the same time, one of the men lunged at Al. Just as the dagger was about to hit Al's left arm, the hexagonal shield reappeared, deflecting the dagger with a high-pitched metallic sound.

"That was one, I should be able to block two more."

"Thank you, Sir Eric. Be careful..."

Al and the others retreated desperately. Suddenly, the two attackers let out a cry.

"Are you alright?"

It was Sir Jonas and Placida. The paralysis spell on them had been dispelled. The situation quickly turned in their favor, and the two guards overpowered Van and the others.

"Phew..."

Al exhaled deeply and quickly looked around.

"The mage is gone!"

The mage called Bashel had disappeared. Al had been too busy dealing with Van and the others to notice what he was doing.

"Did he turn invisible? Sir Eric!"

'Transparency Detection'

Eric immediately cast the spell to search the area. But he soon tilted his head.

"There's only one at the carriage."

Meanwhile, Al used a subtle detection spell and ran to the back of the tent that was hiding the carriage. The wooden box was still on the carriage, a pale blue and translucent as before. Seeing this, Al let out a deep sigh of relief. This would save Luella.

At that moment, Al noticed a stake and rope discreetly fixed to the ground at the edge of the square. He hurried over and followed the rope, which led under the rampart. About 5 meters down, there was a small grove of trees, and beyond that, the village of Roland spread out.

"Sir Jonas, Sir Eric, there's a rope over here!"

Al shouted. The three rushed over.

'Enhanced Perception' - Visual Enhancement, Long-range

Al looked down at the village from the square. He could see a man standing about 200 meters away.

"There's a man over there..."

Al pointed. But the man's form turned pale blue and translucent.

"That transformation... it must be a concealment or transparency spell..."

"He's gone..."

Al could only whisper.

Thank you for reading.

I plan to post twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays at 10 AM. Thank you for your support.

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May 26, 2023 - Corrected the magic option "far-sighted" to "long-range."

July 7, 2023 - Changed the description of Jonas, the knight, to "Sir Jonas." Changed the reference to Baron Hawthorne to "Baron Hawthorne."