The Sword and The Shadow

Harvesting High-order Magi

The crimson glow gradually faded and Brani descended to the ground at a gradual speed. Leguna looked up and saw that Brani's eyes were no longer silvery grey, but tinted with a hint of red instead, possibly do to Ross's power.

Brani smiled. "I thank you for being willing to help us at a time like this, Mister Leguna."

"I can help you, but I hope you will keep your word," Leguna said a little threateningly, "Otherwise, you know what will happen."

"Unlike Sala, I know what kinds of people not to make enemies out of," she said with a shrug and swept her gaze across everyone present. "Ross has just acknowledged me as matriarch. I wonder if there are any who would object to it?"

Nobody spoke a word. Gassos's elite guards stood around the hall with their hands on their sword hilts, ready to strike at any moment. Only fools would dare cause a commotion for Sala's death.

"Since nobody has any objections, I shall lead the house as matriarch." She put on her usual pure look and coldly said, "Some annoying bugs have come to my castle. Back then, they weren't our house's match. But now, they've banded together and seem to be trying to get something from us. I wonder if House Elvin is so weak now that we'll let anyone just barge in and take things from us…"

"No!" the dark elves cried in unison with Gassos's voice being the loudest.

"Then, what do you think we should do against these blood-sucking parasites?" Brani paid attention to the looks on everyone's faces. She had remembered the ones who weren't too keen on House Elvin's invitation and considering how she would deal with the fence-sitters.

"Crush them!"

"Good! Let's show them House Elvin's might! Ross is with us! Praise Ross!" Brani cried before she breathed a divine miracle on all the dark elves present.

It was a blessing from Ross which could raise the speed, strength and reaction of the targets. Usually, Ross would seldom use such a grand, all-encompassing blessing on such a large scale, but she did so anyway to show her gratitude for the high-order priestess heart Brani sacrificed to her.

The dark elves headed off, intent on gaining the favor of their new matriarch by performing well in battle.

Leguna looked at the stone platform. Sala's corpse was still there with a gaping hole in her left chest. Her body was quite mangled. The pain she had suffered before her death was quite visible to see.

"For the sake of our friendship, I recommend that you not take that scene in for too long," she said as she blocked his view with her face. "This is the lifestyle of dark elves. You might not be able to accept it."

Leguna didn't say a word. He felt contempt for the woman who could dig her own mother's heart out. After giving her one last look, he turned and left with Annelotte.

"It's best if you don't reveal yourself first. We still have to be careful around that woman," he whispered to Annelotte.

"Got it."

……

The situation outside was far worse than expected. This time around, the smaller dark elf houses of Darklight had banded together to attack. Brani, however, knew that they must've had the backing of one or a few bigger houses for them to dare to mount an attack like this. The four magi on the enemy side were definitely not from the smaller houses.

"Hmph!" Brani coldly humphed. She knew that the other houses were trying to test House Elvin. They wanted to see how much they had lost in the last conflict to see whether they could take them apart.

Brani knew that the house had to stand firm at crucial times like these. If she let the attackers get a taste of blood, who knew to what extent they would go to have a little more?

"Sol!" Brani summoned her new high-order magus.

"My will is your command, Lady Brani." Sol seemed rather respectful. Back then, he didn't really feel like joining House Elvin because he knew Sala was a fool. But with Brani as matriarch, he no longer felt that way. At the very least, she seemed much smarter than Sala.

Brani handed him a bottle of potion which could undo the seal on him. He was a new member, so Sala couldn't just let someone of whom's loyalty she couldn't be certain roam around the house freely. House Andalir had, after all, suffered the same fate from Angelista.

"Now, the house needs your loyalty and strength. Prove it to me!" Brani said.

Sol smiled after receiving the potion. His withered face furrowed and wrinkled up. "In the name of Mithra, I won't disappoint you."

"Good!" Brani nodded, then turned to Angelista.

"If it's destruction you need, I can help," she offered willingly. That didn't mean she was loyal. She just wanted to sate her battle lust.

"Then, Mister Leguna?"

"I will help you in my own way, but I won't give my life for you."

Leguna took a few lazy steps and entered stealth.

"You--"

Leguna was gone before Brani could say finish the word.

[Are we really going to do this?] Leguna asked as he easily crossed to the other side of the battlefield.

[If you can, wipe out all the high-order magi. It's a rather tall order,] Gahrona said.

[I'll do my best…] He scratched his head in some frustration and slain a dwarven slave that was getting close to him.

Leguna's first target was the old magus engaging Angelista. The dark elf seemed rather aged and stared at Angelista with a blatant, lustful gaze. Leguna was even more baffled by how Angelista seemed tobe stoking his appetite with really suggestive moves intentionally.

"Work with me," he said after touching her lightly on the back.

She started for a moment before returning to normal. She blinked past an enemy bulletstorm spell and smiled. "Pops, do you want to have a go with me?"

"When you become my slave, I will let you kneel before me and moan every day," he said as he licked his lips excitedly. Angelista had just removed the lower part of her robes and bared both her dark, luscious legs. She intentionally waved and daringly displayed her underwear-less lower body before everyone else.

[Get your act together!] Gahrona rebuked. Leguna was also a little dazed by the display.

Leguna slurped his saliva back up and continued to approach the magus.

"Hehe…" Angelista managed to detect the change in Leguna with her soulgrasper senses and chuckled.

[Don't forget that Annie's just nearby. I won't stop you if you're trying to die,] Gahrona said, annoyed.

The threat of death proved to be quite effective on him. The moment he heard them, he entered a state of full focus. His steps were light; he moved quickly and soundlessly all the while attacking passers-by with Wave Blade.

Gahrona looked at the trail of corpses left in his wake. She had to admit that Annelotte was far too terrifying.

"You have my attention, girl," the perverted magus said, "I--"

Before he finished, Leguna stuck his dagger into his throat. The magus thought he only had to fight Angelista, so all the barriers he used were elemental ones instead of physical ones. Leguna was easily able to cut his throat open with Lighteater.

"What an idiot!" Angelista put her robes back in order. She truly didn't have any sense of shame and didn't mind exposing herself at all, but Annelotte couldn't stand it and she had no choice but to comply. She was the one who wanted to learn a couple of tricks from Annelotte anyways. Ever since she defeated the winter wight thanks to Annelotte's instructions, she had grown to respect her fully.

Leguna swung the blood off his sword. He had used Wave Blade to assassinate the magus, so nobody saw him make his move. Leguna prepared himself to deal with the other high-order magi.

He blinked to another female magus and probed with his longsword. But this magus was far more alert than the fool just now and had used an alert spell on herself. The moment Leguna's impetus touched her skin, the alert spell was activated.

Leguna's sword was bounced back. The magus cried out and instant cast stoneskin on herself without hesitation before throwing out some glitterdust to get Leguna to reveal himself.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter