Chapter 603
That’s Enough Hunting (2)
Nobles generally avoided making enemies of mages. Selfish and individualistic as mages were, they united firmly when faced with oppression.
Naturally, this was to protect their own rights. And so far, that approach had served them well, safeguarding the privileges of mages effectively.
The most the kingdom could do was prevent the Magic Towers from interfering in political struggles or allying with lords.
But this time, things were different. If a real dragon appeared, countless people would die. Tradition or not, they had to subjugate the Magic Towers even if it meant killing mages.
And nobles, at times like this, had a knack for thinking fast. Whatever else they lacked, they outmatched mages when it came to political maneuvering.
‘Hmph, we have the justification on our side…’
‘Who would dare oppose the Duke of Fenris?’
‘This is our chance to completely suppress the power of the Magic Towers.’
No matter how strong the nobles' military might was or how justified their cause seemed, the mere existence of the Magic Towers remained an obstacle. That was how powerful mages were.
In both territorial conflicts and wars between kingdoms, neutralizing enemy magic was always the top priority. Every kingdom safeguarded its mages as key assets for a reason.
However, things changed if all the kingdoms united under one cause. The arrogance of mages, their belief that they could simply flee to another kingdom was what had allowed them to act so boldly.
‘The era of mage oppression begins now. This time, we’ll crush them so thoroughly they’ll never dare to rise again.’
Nobles smirked inwardly.
It wasn’t that they had been too foolish to deal with the mage problem until now it had simply been beyond their power.
But with the Duke of Fenris taking the lead, the situation changed entirely.
No kingdom would dare oppose a decision made by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces. Especially when that commander was a war hero infamous for his insanity.
Until now, kingdoms had tolerated mages out of fear that they would defect to enemy nations.
But if there was nowhere for them to run, deserters would be left with only two choices: spend their lives in hiding or join the remnants of the Salvation Church.
One noble suddenly leaped to his feet and shouted,
“The Supreme Commander speaks the truth! They cannot afford to be selfish in matters concerning humanity!”
“This disaster stems from their belief that the sacrifices of others are inevitable! It proves they only care about their own rights and interests!”
“This is the perfect opportunity to correct their rotten mindset once and for all!”
As the nobles boldly declared their support, Ghislain clicked his tongue.
‘They show their true colors the moment they’re given power.’
It was all too easy to see through them.
‘But right now, that Kind of attitude is necessary.’
“We should begin preparations immediately. There’s not much time left.”
According to Ereneth, there was still some time before Arterion’s seal was lifted.
But they couldn’t afford to be complacent. They also needed to prepare for the incoming Monster Wave.
If they kept getting bogged down by such matters, nothing would get done. Even if it was extreme, they had to push forward.
“All commanding officers, relocate your troops and armaments to the Turian Fortress and stand by. The pursuit force will be composed of transcendents, a select number of mages, and a few knights to guard them.”
They couldn’t assemble a large-scale pursuit force. To move swiftly, multiple small units had to be formed instead.
The rest of the forces needed to begin their march to the Kingdom of Turian and prepare for battle.
At Ghislain’s command, the pursuit force was swiftly organized. Each transcendent was assigned to lead a unit, and those without transcendents were supplemented with elite knights and mages.
Messengers were immediately dispatched to the various kingdoms. Their letters carried a simple but forceful directive to capture the mages by any means necessary.
Just as preparations were wrapping up and they were about to begin searching the neighboring kingdoms, Alfoi stepped forward.
“Make me the leader of a unit! I’ll do it! I can handle it!”
“……”
Ghislain stared at Alfoi for a moment.
The sight of him was… something else. Clad in a pristine white robe that matched his elegant white steed, he even wielded an ornate staff he had acquired from somewhere.
If looks alone determined power, he could have easily passed as an Archmage.
Ghislain narrowed his eyes at Alfoi and asked,
“…Didn’t you plan to retrieve your robe later?”
Belinda, standing beside Ghislain, shook her head and answered,
“He kept pestering about it, so the Kingdom of Sardina had one custom-made for him.”
Regardless, Alfoi had gained quite a reputation by now. There were even rumors that he was Fenris’ hidden secret weapon.
Having received such a request from someone of his status, the Kingdom of Sardina had crafted a robe using only the finest materials.
Alfoi raised his head stiffly, and his white horse, Kkoko, mimicked him, lifting its head high as well.
“That’s not the point right now! Just give me a pursuit unit. I’ll track down the mages myself.”
“…Vanessa was supposed to take that role.”
“Oh, come on! Don’t you know me by now? Catching escapees is my specialty! Vanessa just needs to back me up if things get dangerous.”
“Hm…”
Ghislain crossed his arms, falling into thought.
It was true back in the territory, Alfoi had been exceptionally skilled at hunting down runaway slaves.
Vanessa chimed in from the side.
“I don’t mind. He was really good at it before.”
Even knowing that, it was hard to trust him.
Logically, Ghislain understood, but no matter how capable Alfoi was, it was strangely difficult to trust him. It was proof that a person’s usual image was important.
After much deliberation, Ghislain finally nodded.
“Fine. But don’t slack off, you need to bring them back for sure. Got it?”
“Don’t worry! I’ll twist their spines the wrong way if I have to!”
Alfoi shouted excitedly. He was the type of man who had to be in charge, no matter what.
As soon as the units were assigned, the pursuit forces scattered in all directions.
At the same time, the armies under the command of the Allied Forces' generals began their march to the Kingdom of Turian. Claude’s 20,000-strong army moved toward the Kingdom of Norbagen.
Meanwhile, the Ritania forces, excluding the pursuit units, were led by Parniel and Tennant toward Turian Fortress.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Ghislain, taking only a handful of knights, crossed into a neighboring kingdom.
The number of mages who had fled to this kingdom was around a dozen.
Since there were few mages above the 5th Circle, the number of escapees was relatively low.
But the smaller their numbers, the harder it would be to find them in such a vast continent. From this point on, it was a battle of information and patience.
Ghislain started his search near the closest Magic Tower.
“First, establish a direction. Search every corner and gather intel.”
At his command, the knights spread out.
It wasn’t just them. The soldiers of the city, having received an official order of cooperation, joined in as well.
Before long, reports started coming in.
“They moved south. Three of them were seen traveling together near the Magic Tower.”
“It seems they took a few of their apprentices with them.”
“They packed quite a bit of luggage. It hasn’t been long since they fled.”
At that, Ghislain chuckled.
Typical mages. Even when running for their lives, they couldn’t bear to suffer a little hardship. For all their intelligence, they were astonishingly foolish in some ways.
The war had only just ended, and the cities were still full of outsiders. It seemed the mages had assumed this would make them harder to track.
“They really don’t understand how the world works.”
If they were going to run, they should have done it properly but no, they had fled in their fancy, high-quality robes.
No matter how discreetly they moved at night, they were bound to attract attention.
On top of that, they hadn’t fled alone; they had taken several apprentices with them. That only made them easier to track.
The knights and soldiers in the pursuit teams were seasoned from war. Hunting down mages aimlessly wandering the continent wouldn’t be difficult for them.
“Dark, move ahead.”
Dark soared high into the sky. Each pursuit unit had been assigned one of Dark’s clones, which would greatly aid information-sharing until their energy ran out.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
The Hunt Moves Quickly
Ghislain’s pursuit unit moved swiftly. As the sun began to set, Dark spoke into his consciousness.
— Master, I’ve found them. They’re camping in the mountains.
As long as he had the right direction, no one could escape Dark’s aerial surveillance.
Ghislain immediately led his knights up the mountain.
The lingering traces of mana suggested the mages had been using magic freely while fleeing. Simply following the remnants of that energy made tracking them easy.
The mages were huddled around a campfire, chatting leisurely. It was hard to believe they were fugitives.
Upon spotting Ghislain and the knights, the mages leaped to their feet.
“W-Who goes there?!”
There were three 5th-Circle mages among them. Alone, each could overturn a small domain none of them would fear mere bandits.
Yet their voices trembled. They knew that all kingdoms were now forcibly conscripting mages.
Ghislain tilted his head slightly from side to side before speaking.
“I am the Duke of Fenris, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces. You know why I’m here, don’t you?”
The mages turned deathly pale. They had known the situation was dire, but for the Supreme Commander himself to come after them?
And they had been caught far too quickly. They had hesitated too long, only deciding to flee at the last minute. Now, they bitterly regretted that delay.
One mage, seemingly the leader, stepped forward, visibly tense.
“W-We have no intention of participating in this war.”
“……”
“Mages have the right to determine their own fate freely. The law guarantees this.”
“……”
“We do not intend to interfere with the Allied Forces’ operations. We will live our lives as we see fit, so leave us be.”
“……”
Ghislain said nothing, simply staring at the mage in silence. The mages fidgeted anxiously under his gaze.
After a long pause, Ghislain finally spoke.
“Are you finished talking? Then let’s go.”
“No! We just said we aren’t going! What kind of law allows for forced labor like this? We are not slaves!”
“Then become slaves.”
“W-What?”
“The only reason mages were treated well was because your power was useful in times of danger. If you’ve enjoyed privileges, you should fulfill your duties in return. If you refuse, I’ll make you slaves.”
“Enough! We’ve done more than our share already!”
One of the mages scowled and began drawing in mana.
They knew how powerful the Duke of Fenris was. They also knew they couldn’t win in a fight.
But they were still willing to resist to assert their will. And they assumed that since they were valuable assets, they wouldn’t be recklessly harmed.
“If you oppress us, do you think other mages will stand idly by? They will never cooperate with you!”
Ghislain sighed.
“Good grief…”
“If you accept our conditions, we will send enough disciples. But if you take all the 5th-Circle or higher mages, how do you expect the Magic Tower to function?”
The mage spoke while subtly glancing at his fellow mages. At his cue, the remaining two also began drawing upon their mana.
Three 5th-Circle mages. They weren’t superhumans, but at the very least, they held the rank of elders within the Magic Tower.
Rumble...
As they all gathered their mana, the air trembled, and the surroundings grew oppressively heavy.
Even their disciples took a few steps back, cautiously beginning to channel their mana.
Their movements reflected a mix of defiance and desperate hope, perhaps, if all three of them attacked together, they might stand a chance.
They had never seen Ghislain’s strength with their own eyes.
Sensing their thoughts, Ghislain chuckled.
“Empathy, discussion, persuasion… Seems like none of that is necessary.”
He raised his fist. In situations like this, demonstrating strength was the simplest solution.
In an instant, his figure blurred and vanished.
Crack!
Before they could react, Ghislain appeared behind one of the mages and made a slight motion with his hand. The mage’s arms and legs bent at unnatural angles.
“Huh? Huh?! Aaaagh!”
It took a moment for the mage to register what had happened before he let out a scream of agony.
He had no time to cast a spell. The mana he had painstakingly gathered dispersed in an instant.
“Aaargh!”
Writhing on the ground with his broken limbs, the mage convulsed in pain. The other two recoiled in shock, hastily preparing their magic, but Ghislain’s cold voice rang out.
“If you attack, I will kill you immediately.”
Snap.
The weight of his words crushed them.
The mages canceled their spells, overwhelmed by sheer terror.
Never in their lives had they been treated this way. One look into Ghislain’s icy eyes, and their spirits crumbled.
One of them stammered,
“D-Do you really think forcing us will work? What if we refuse to fight even after being taken?”
Ghislain laughed as if the question was absurd.
“Are you idiots? If you stand before a dragon and don’t fight with everything you have, what do you think will happen? Do you believe you can run? The moment you’re in front of that dragon, if you want to live, you’ll fight with everything you’ve got.”
“……”
“If you’re determined to die, you might as well fight and die here. Otherwise, your only choice is to go and give it your best. But if you’re wondering about me? I can always run away. I have the skill to do so. Try me if you’re curious.”
“……”
The mages finally bowed their heads in resignation.
If they were truly prepared to die, they might as well die fighting now. If not, then they would have no choice but to fight when the time came.
Completely broken in spirit, the mages followed Ghislain without resistance.
They simply thought they were unlucky to have been caught because they ran too late. They could only hope that the others had managed to escape. After all, there were rumors that if a thousand mages couldn't be gathered, there would be no battle.
But Ghislain's movements were as fast as lightning. With overwhelming speed, he relentlessly hunted down the fleeing mages.
“W-We are guaranteed freedom…!”
Thud!
“Just kill me here instead!”
Thud!
“I don’t want to fight a dragon!”
Thud!
One by one, the mages were caught, beaten, and dragged away by Ghislain.
They had never been particularly skilled at running away, so there was no chance they could escape from a master tracker like him.
However, no matter how fast Ghislain moved, there was a limit to how many mages he could capture. He couldn’t possibly scour the entire continent alone.
“Hah… This is tougher than I thought.”
Even after traveling across multiple kingdoms without rest, he had only captured a little over a hundred mages.
It was still an impressive number, but a whole month had already passed. There was no way to overcome the physical limitations.
Ghislain continuously created more copies of Dark every few days, sending them to different pursuit teams while receiving reports through them.
— "Gillian’s team caught 32."
— "Kaor’s team got 17."
— "Belinda… Whoa, she captured more than 50. Well, she was an assassin, so tracking people down is her specialty."
— "Jerome got 43. Julien… Damn, over 70."
Ghislain nodded. Julien, like himself, could sense the flow of the world. Even if his tracking skills were a bit weaker, he was exceptional at following magical traces.
— "And Gordon and Lucas…?"
Everyone had been working hard, rounding up a decent number of escaped mages.
Yet, even with all their efforts, they were still far from reaching their goal. Not all of the captured mages were 5th-Circle or higher. More often, it was their disciples who had been caught.
Other kingdoms were likely rounding up mages as well, but nobles were slow to act, so he wasn’t too hopeful.
As time passed, their situation became more disadvantageous. Even if they couldn’t reach a thousand, they needed to get as close as possible.
With a frustrated expression, Ghislain asked,
“What about Alfoi? He didn’t catch anyone last time either.”
For all his confidence, he had yet to capture even a single mage. Ghislain was beginning to regret entrusting him with the task.
— "Uh, um… Master, don’t be shocked."
“Why? He still hasn’t caught anyone? It’s been a month.”
Dark took a deep breath before answering.
— "He’s caught over 200."
“…What?”
— "Yeah, Alfoi’s team has captured more than 200 mages."
"……."
Ghislain could only blink in stunned silence at the incredible news.