Chapter 42

Irene stands before me. It’s a complicated feeling that my first opponent in a one-on-one battle is Irene.

Of course, I have no intention of hurting her, and I hardly have any spells that can actually hurt her.

Somehow, I have to get her to sheathe her sword or incapacitate her. I have to achieve that.

Among the spells I have, the only ones that could capture her unharmed are the 'Chain Bind' with the 'Paralysis' effect I used earlier, and the 'Sleep Cloud' that induces sleep.

However, a surprise attack like before is one thing, but Irene is likely on guard now.

"Sleep Cloud!"

I cast the spell, but Irene leaps away the moment the mist appears, escaping from it. I’m not disappointed, as I expected this, but it reinforces the difficulty of the situation.

In 'Another World,' there are spells with near-perfect accuracy, but no spells that guarantee a hit. This applies to status-altering spells as well.

The 'Chain Bind' spell, which binds and paralyzes the opponent with magical chains, is a type of spell that only works if the target is in a specific location. If they move away, there’s no way to capture them.

A one-on-one battle against someone who knows your skills is troublesome. You might need to catch them off guard or skillfully guide them into a position where you can cast your spell.

Irene and I are poorly matched in a one-on-one battle.

One reason is the level difference. The gap between a Berserker, a second-class job, and a Magician, a first-class job, is significant, but the difference in stats becomes even more apparent when there’s a level difference of over 20. While you can’t check or manipulate stats in this world, the fact that Irene has become noticeably stronger as her level increased can’t be ignored.

Another reason is the job difference. The Magician, with its high damage output and low defense, is good at fighting multiple opponents but is poorly matched against agile Warriors. The high-damage spells that are the Magician’s forte often miss because the opponent is too fast.

Irene is a fast, agile Berserker who avoids attacks and charges in.

The third reason is the restriction on my side: I can’t use area-of-effect spells. When a Magician fights an agile Warrior, the basic strategy is to use wide-area attack spells to keep the Warrior from getting close. However, I don’t have many attack spells, so I can’t use that strategy.

On top of all this, there’s the restriction of incapacitating the opponent without killing them. If we fight head-on, I won’t be able to win against her.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. There are some advantages on my side. One is that this isn’t a one-on-one battle but a group battle.

"Hey, don’t get distracted by Chaos alone!"

Havoc attacks Irene, who has escaped from the mist. With the mist behind her, Irene has no space to dodge Havoc’s frontal assault. Even with her agility, she can’t avoid it because retreating into the mist would make her fall asleep. Unwilling to fight in that spot, Irene flees to the left.

"Been waiting for you!"

Liam, who had been following behind Havoc, swings his sword.

"Hah!"

"What!?"

Liam is surprised. Irene leaps over him with the agility of an acrobat.

Irene, having leaped over Liam, charges straight at me. She’s fast.

Her knee hits my face, and my HP drops, but it’s still relatively low. Irene tries to follow up with another attack, but suddenly she backs off at full speed.

"Oh, that skill is troublesome!"

An arrow whizzes past my face. It’s Cornelia’s arrow. Irene seems to have noticed it and stopped her follow-up attack.

"It seems the time it took for her to master that skill was shorter than we expected. If we can’t keep up a constant attack, we won’t be able to corner her."

"Damn, it’s hard to keep up a constant attack without enough hands."

That skill... Ah, right. Havoc and the others don’t know about it.

"That’s 'Blitz Rush.'"

"'Blitz Rush'?"

"It’s a skill... technique where you concentrate mana in your legs to gain explosive propulsion and move at high speed. It’s originally a skill for closing the distance to attack, but... Irene, you’ve finally mastered it."

"Yeah, I practiced a lot while you were away."

When we were in a party together, Irene couldn’t handle the speed of 'Rush.' It wasn’t a skill we used much in our party, but I remember her being frustrated that she couldn’t use it while Lady Alexia was learning new spells.

She must have practiced a lot. I’d like to be happy, but it’s frustrating to be toyed with like this.

"I see, Liam’s prediction seems to be correct. It’s a skill that can’t be used consecutively, right? She’s avoiding attacks and retreating because she’s wary of Nel’s counterattack after using the skill. Are there any other weaknesses?"

"Basically, it’s a straight-line movement, so if you can predict her destination, you can aim your attack. But..."

Honestly, it’s hard to predict. Someone with keen insight or good dynamic vision might be able to read her movements, but Irene is too fast to predict.

"Like Chaos said, she also uses feints just before the movement. It’s not easy to predict her movements."

"That’s why it’s hard to aim at her position. You have to concentrate, and arrows are limited."

...Strength isn’t just about levels. I didn’t notice the feint at all, but Liam and the others did.

"Anyway, we need to deal with 'Blitz Rush' or we’ll be at a disadvantage. What do you suggest?"

Cornelia interrupts before I can respond. How to deal with 'Blitz Rush,' huh?

There is a way. But it requires getting extremely close to Irene, and even if I can do that, I can’t incapacitate her.

Getting close—my HP will drop to zero more easily. Without pain, I might not even realize I’m dead.

I take a deep breath.

"I’ll handle 'Blitz Rush.' Havoc and the others, focus on incapacitating Irene."

"...You have a plan, huh? Got it, leave it to us. We’ll do our best."

"Are you sure you can say that so confidently?"

"Just leave it to me. I have a few tricks up my sleeve, but it will take time. Buy me some time!"

"Is the discussion over? This time, we’re going on the offensive!"

Irene readies her rapier and goes on the attack.

Liam blocks Irene’s attack. A fierce exchange of blows. Liam seems to be struggling to handle Irene’s attacks alone, as sweat drips from his forehead and his wounds increase. Gradually, he’s being pushed back by Irene’s momentum.

Havoc intervenes. Irene, who had defeated Liam, calmly deals with the situation, dodges the attack, and kicks Havoc away. This was probably expected by Irene.

"Chaos is charging in!?"

Hidden behind the large Havoc, I sneak up on Irene. A Magician, who excels at long-range attacks, usually keeps their distance. Irene seems shocked by my approach.

I leap in front of Irene. At this distance, I’m within range of my spells, and the cooldown for 'Blitz Rush' hasn’t ended yet.

"Sealing Skill!"

I cast a spell I’ve never shown Irene before. On her first encounter, she won’t know how to react. Irene crosses her arms to brace herself.

The geometric patterns that appear around me during spellcasting bind Irene, but they disappear as soon as they touch her.

"What... Did it fail?"

"Perhaps not."

There’s no visible effect on Irene. This spell has no surface effect, so it might not be immediately apparent. I’m a bit unsure if it worked since it’s my first time casting it, but I have to act confident to avoid giving it away.

"Hmph, either way, Chaos, you’re within my reach."

I know that too. That’s why I need to cast the next spell.

"Stay down for a while!"

Irene charges at me with a punching motion.

"Spider Net!"

"Wait, don’t run!"

To buy a little time, I slow down Irene’s movement speed. I retreat awkwardly, but Irene still pursues me.

"Chaos, get down!"

Cornelia’s arrow is fired. I duck, but the sound alerts Irene.

"Blitz Rush! ...It’s not working!?"

Irene panics when 'Blitz Rush' doesn’t activate. Cornelia’s arrow knocks her rapier away.

Irene, holding her arm from the impact, glares at me.

"Is 'Blitz Rush' not working because of that spell?"

Correct. 'Sealing Skill.' It’s a status-altering spell that seals the opponent’s skills for a certain period. It’s a troublesome status effect in PvP because it restricts all skills, but I’ve never used it before because it’s not useful against monsters, and Irene has never seen it.

"But the effect will wear off with time. Retrieving your sword won’t be a problem, right?"

"Hmm, we’ll see. The effect of that mana-sealing spell can last a minute or even five. Will you just stand by and watch during that time?"

It’s a bluff. If a skill like this existed that disabled skills for five minutes, players would flood the developers with requests for a fix. The actual duration is about thirty seconds, and the effect is about to wear off.

But Irene doesn’t realize that. She’s suspicious and is trying to determine if it’s real. From my conversations with Lady Alexia, I judged that Irene isn’t very knowledgeable about magic, and my guess seems to be correct.

Considering the cooldown of 'Blitz Rush' and the duration of 'Sealing Skill,' I bluff confidently, showing Irene that I’m certain she can’t use her skills.

Inside, I’m nervous, but I can’t let her realize that.

I need to make Irene believe that she can’t use 'Blitz Rush' for a while!

"Then I’ll just overwhelm you!"

Irene, despite being sealed, still attacks bravely.

I’m in—. But it’s too early to relax. I haven’t incapacitated Irene yet.

What I can do is guide her.

"Chain Bind"

"Twice won’t work!"

My movements are read, and she easily dodges. Havoc and the others haven’t come to my aid yet.

Other spells, no good. Too close!

Irene pounces on me, and before I know it, she’s on top of me. There’s no time to feel embarrassed about a woman in this position. All I feel is anxiety.

My arms are pinned by her legs. No matter how hard I try to escape, I can’t break free. I’m completely caught.

"This is the end!"

The wind from Irene’s punch makes me realize the sharpness of the attack. I’m scared and want to close my eyes.

At that moment, a bright light shines behind Irene.

Noticing the unusually dense shadow, Irene turns around.

I can’t see the details because Irene is in the way, but I can see a look of panic on her face.

"Saint Arrow!"

One of the few attack spells a Healer has, 'Saint Arrow.' It’s a spell that becomes more powerful with a charge. Healer... Emilia! Emilia’s light arrow pierces Irene. Irene screams and collapses on me.

I’m worried if she’s dead, but she’s still breathing and conscious. But she’s powerless. I break free and pin her down with my staff.

"Irene, stop resisting."

"Ugh... So I’ve lost."

Irene tries to break free for a moment but stops when she notices Liam and Havoc standing nearby.

We won. A close win, but I managed to incapacitate Irene. My feelings are mixed. I’m glad it worked, but the fight and the injuries we inflicted on each other were painful.

"Why did we have to fight like this?"

That’s why I couldn’t keep it to myself.

Irene’s expression softens, and she speaks softly.

"...I envied you for being the same as before. You, fighting alongside your companions, are the same as before. The companions you fight with were only Lady Alexia and me until recently. I deeply envied you for staying the same, as if our situation didn’t matter. I even felt hatred, thinking you didn’t care. I know it’s misplaced anger. It’s not your fault. It’s just that the circumstances surrounding Lady Alexia and the entanglements didn’t allow it."

"Entanglements? What happened to Lady Alexia after we parted ways?"

"Lady Alexia, who distinguished herself in the Brandenburg battle, was hailed as a saint and a hero who saved the country. Yet, the lord only saw her as a convenient tool. She was summoned by the emperor to participate in this battle. As a noble, Lady Alexia couldn’t abandon the people and flee. So she closed her heart."

Being hailed as a hero. The pressure from the surrounding environment that a younger person than me had to bear. How much did she wear herself out?

I could escape from the situation, but Lady Alexia couldn’t even do that.

"Could you not stop her?"

"I tried! But Lady Alexia wouldn’t listen. If you were here, she might have listened."

If Lady Alexia, who calls you teacher, had listened to you, maybe Irene wouldn’t have had to fight.

"Chaos, I have a question. Why are you siding with the vampires?"

"What? Wait a moment. Are you misunderstanding something? I’m not here to side with the vampires."

Siding with the vampires? The Vaisel Empire must believe that the Commune Union is already under vampire control.

"I came to save the princess of this country. And to stop Lady Alexia and Irene from fighting in a pointless conflict."

"Pointless conflict?"

"Yes. It’s pointless. This fight. By the way, where is Lady Alexia now?"

"Lady Alexia went deeper into the castle. She’s probably looking for the king of this country."

Looking for the king? I feel a sense of unease. The king of this country has already become a vampire and died. Does the Vaisel Empire not know this?

"King? The king of the Commune is already dead."

"Is that true? On the way to Clermont after defeating Duke Maillen, a formal letter signed by the king was sent to us. It was quite impolite. Moreover, the messenger who brought the letter was a vampire."

Irene doesn’t seem to be lying. Was it just a misunderstanding? No, the king died before the news of Duke Maillen’s defeat reached Clermont. If a letter from the king arrived, the timing doesn’t match. This is a clear contradiction.

"That’s impossible. The Vaisel Empire’s envoy was cut down, and his head was returned. That’s what we heard. So the Vaisel Empire came to defeat the vampires, not to invade."

"Nonsense. The envoy was indeed a vampire and was cut down, but his head wasn’t sent to Clermont. The envoy was sent because of the Brandenburg attack, and the Commune killing the envoy was the cause. This land is not under vampire control, is it? We came to defeat the vampires."

"I don’t know about other places, but this place was just liberated from vampires."

Liam and the others interrupt, countering. The information the two sides have doesn’t match. In other words, this is—

"Have you been deceived by the vampires?"

Irene grinds her teeth.

Considering the discrepancies between the Clermont side and the Vaisel side, this seems to be correct. Though it’s vague, it’s clear that the vampires are manipulating the conflict between the two countries.

"But couldn’t the conflict have been avoided if they had talked before fighting? You could have investigated whether they were vampires, right?"

"Chaos, that’s impossible. Once the envoy is cut down, there’s no room for dialogue. Moreover, with the merchants’ travel cut off, information from the northern Vaisel-occupied territories hasn’t reached here. Vaisel sees dialogue with monsters as impossible, and the Commune misinterprets Vaisel’s intentions as an invasion. They don’t see each other as reasonable."

"In the north of the Commune, there were human soldiers incited by vampire lords. In the middle of a battle, soldiers don’t listen to the enemy. We had to fight. If we didn’t, we would be killed. We couldn’t investigate whether they were vampires until we had subdued and disarmed them."

As a result, people who died in this battle can’t rest in peace. If we had noticed one discrepancy, the war might not have started, and I feel a sense of futility.

"Let’s end this war."

"It’s foolish to be manipulated by vampires and fight. But we can’t do anything unless we stop the Vaisel Empire."

"We need to explain the situation to the one commanding the battlefield. If we can convince a noble with influence, there’s a chance."

"Then Lady Alexia would be the best. She’s in the emperor’s good graces. If we explain the situation to Lady Alexia and she convinces the emperor, this conflict can end."

There’s a chance to stop the war. A glimmer of hope appears.

"Hurry! We need to end this quickly."

"Wait, wait a moment!"

Liam, looking outside, panics and stops us.

"A large number of Vaisel Empire soldiers are approaching the castle. If they get inside, it will be difficult to find Lady Alexia!"

This is bad. Even if we can narrow down the location, there’s no guarantee that Lady Alexia or Rozeline will be there. If they’re not, we’ll have to search the entire castle. If we encounter Vaisel soldiers, we’ll have to fight, and the war will drag on.

"...There’s no choice. I’ll stay behind. You won’t be trusted by the soldiers. I’ll persuade them to stop the attack."

Irene turns around.

"Chaos, you might be seen as shameless or selfish, but please. Your words will surely be heard by Lady Alexia. Please stop her."

Irene bows. She should want to be by Lady Alexia’s side, but she decides to stay behind to resolve the situation.

I look at Irene and nod firmly.

This time, it’s not a casual promise. I’m taking it on by my own will.