FF Chapter 75: The Outing Interrupted (Patreon)

When I realized that Leopold and Lady Josepha were the targets of the Aura users heading towards this area, I hesitated. A part of me wanted to leave and not get involved. Why should I? I had enough to deal with already, and this had nothing to do with House Kaltbrand. We hadn’t decided to support Leopold’s bid for the throne, so his safety wasn’t our concern.

As for Lady Josepha, House Kaltbrand and House Galdur had little dealings with one another. Well, unless one counted the mana crystals that House Kaltbrand and the other northern families exported from the Barrens. Even so, that was the extent of it. Besides, she had her own bodyguard.

However, I couldn’t walk away. Rather, I refused to. Despite my anger towards Leopold and his family, I once considered him my closest friend. I didn’t want him to die, even though that made me a sentimental fool. If Leopold turned against me and House Kaltbrand in the future… Well, that was a risk I was willing to take.

I looked at Lina, who wore an understanding expression on her face. She nodded at him.

“Go.” She said, her voice firm and steadfast. “Protect my cousin.” She looked at her bodyguard. “We’re leaving.” She turned back towards me. “I’ll see you back at home.”

I grinned at that. So, she already considered Kaltbrand Manor her home? Good.

“Come along, Sir Kane.” I said. “We have a prince to save.”

Sir Kane nodded and followed me as I marched towards Leopold, while Lina and her bodyguard headed back towards our carriage.

“Have some people watch over Lady Lina, just in case.” I said to the Blue Shadow, the one who warned us about the approaching Aura users.

“Yes, Lord Wulfe.” the Blue Shadow said, before running off.

By this point, Leopold’s group had realized that something was wrong. Volkhard and Lady Josepha’s bodyguard were escorting their charges away from the area. Leopold wore a grim expression on his face, while Lady Josepha looked worried. However, before they could go much further, the group of Aura users arrived on the scene. When I saw them, I sped up and drew my sword.

The group of Aura users wore hooded cloaks and cloth masks to hide their appearances. As the Blue Shadow said, two of them were Aura Masters. The rest were a mix of Aura Experts and Aura Warriors. All in all, they were a formidable force, one powerful enough to challenge and defeat most noble families within the Reichwald Empire. Well, maybe not some of the more powerful families in the Barrens, whose warriors fought demonic beasts on a regular basis.

One of the masked Aura Masters drew a mace, while the other drew a spear. When I saw the mace, it all but outright confirmed my suspicions of who was behind this attack. However, what surprised me more was the spear. I had seen it once before, a long time ago, back when I was just a child. Well now, this was interesting. I grew excited at the thought of fighting the man with the spear.

As soon as the masked Aura Masters drew their weapons, they charged forward. The Aura Experts and the Aura Warriors behind them drew their own weapons and rushed forward as well.

“Go!” Volkhard yelled, drawing a pair of daggers. “I’ll hold them off.”

Afterwards, he charged towards the masked Aura Masters. As much as I despised the man, I respected Volkhard’s dedication to Prince Dirk and his family. I still wanted to kill him, however. Lady Josepha’s bodyguard remained behind to protect Leopold and Lady Josepha, helping them escape.

Volkhard engaged both of the masked Aura Masters and kept them in place. However, this didn’t last long. The one with the mace pinned him down, while the one with the spear disengaged and headed towards Leopold and Lady Josepha. Volkhard tried to stop him, to no avail. As for the Aura Experts and Aura Warriors, some of them surrounded Volkhard and harassed him, while the rest chased after Leopold and Lady Josepha.

This all happened within a matter of seconds.

None of them noticed me or Sir Kane yet, which gave us the initiative. Just as the Aura Master with the spear neared Leopold and Lady Josepha, I summoned my divine power and created a wall of coldfire to block his path. I made it high enough so he couldn’t just jump over it, and long enough so he couldn’t just run around it. The temperature in the area plummeted and a layer of frost blanketed the ground.

Thankfully, everyone else had run away by this point, so I didn’t have to worry about innocent bystanders. This included the city guards. They were supposed to keep the peace and deal with criminals. Getting involved in a fight between Aura Masters was outside their duties, and well beyond their capabilities.

The Aura Master with the spear stopped and studied the wall of coldfire for a moment, before turning in my direction. The other Aura users who had followed him also stopped as well. From their body language, they appeared apprehensive. As for Volkhard and the Aura Master with the mace, they were two busy fighting each other to notice my presence. Even if they had, there wasn’t much they could do about it.

“This is none of your concern, Kaltbrand.” The Aura Master with the spear said, his voice hoarse and rough. “Get out of our way.”

I grinned and stopped a dozen feet away from him.

“Oh, but it is my concern.” I said.

The Aura Master with the spear stiffened at that.

“Does House Kaltbrand stand with Prince Leopold?” He demanded.

I shrugged.

“We’re thinking about it.” I replied. “However, that isn’t why I stopped you.” I pointed my sword at him. “See, I recognize that spear of yours. Ever since I became an Aura Master myself, there were a number of people I’ve wanted to trade blows with. One of them was my mother. Another one was you, Gotthard Wendel.”

The Aura Master with a spear paused for a moment, before he pulled back the hood of his cloak and removed his cloth mask, revealing his features. Gotthard Wendel looked like a man in his early thirties, though I knew he was much older than that. He had light brown skin, brown hair, and brown eyes. His features were rough, suggesting that he spent a lot of time outdoors. However, this gave him a certain rugged charm. He had a lean and muscled build.

Over a decade ago, back when I was still just a child, Gotthard Wendel challenged Mom to a duel. I don’t remember why he did, though I heard it was over some insult. The duel took place in Haven, around the time Father took me to meet the Emperor. Afterwards, as a treat, Father brought me to see the duel. It was one of my most cherished memories. Witnessing the duel inspired me to take up the sword and become an Aura user myself.

While Mom had the biggest impact, Gotthard Wendel also inspired me. As such, I studied him as much as I studied the other famous Aura Masters. He wielded a distinctive spear, one with two crescent blades situated just below the point. From what I heard, this spear came from a land far to the east of the Reichwald Empire. That was how I recognized Gotthard Wendel. It was his signature weapon.

“Well, so much for anonymity.” Gotthard said, his voice smoother than before. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t paid to play around with you, kid. So, why don’t you get out of the way and let the adults go about their business.”

Right. Gotthard Wendel was a mercenary, which set him apart from most other Aura Masters, most of whom came from noble families. He was a commoner, who rose to his current level of power through hard work, determination, and an iron will. It was an impressive feat. In fact, I think his story inspired me to become a mercenary after I ran away from House Guld, though this wasn’t a conscious decision on my part.

“Well, it’s not like you have much of a choice.” I said, nodding to the wall of coldfire. “Unless you want to take your chances. However, if my divine power can freeze magic, I’m certain that it can freeze Aura.”

Gotthard looked at the wall of coldfire, before he clicked his tongue in displeasure.

“Well, damn.” He said, before shrugging. “Since this job has already gone to hell, I might as well play around with you, kid.” He smirked at me. “I wonder if you’re as strong as your mother.”

One of the other Aura users, all of whom had just been standing in the background, spoke up.

“Ignore him.” The Aura user demanded impatiently. “Catching Prince Leopold takes-”

Gotthard cut the Aura user off by pointing his spear at the wall of coldfire.

“If you want to chase after Prince Leopold, go right ahead.” He said. “Your master didn’t pay me enough money for me to throw my life away.”

The Aura user who spoke up stared at Gotthard for a long moment, before he turned to leave.

“My master will hear of this, Mercenary.” The Aura user turned to the others. “We’re going around.”

The group of Aura users rushed off. I let them go. Leopold and Lady Josepha would be long gone by the time they took the long way around and reached the other side of the wall. Besides, Leopold was an Aura Expert and Lady Josepha was an Adept. They weren’t helpless. Not only that, but Lady Josepha’s bodyguard was a Sage. They should be fine.

“Well, kid,” Gotthard said, taking a stance and summoning his Aura, “You ready?”

I took a stance as well and summoned my Aura as well.

“Sir Kane,” I said, “Make sure no one interferes.”

“Yes, Lord Wulfe.” Sir Kane said, before stepping away.

Gotthard and I studied each other for a moment, before he smirked.

“Why don’t we make this interesting and have ourselves a wager?” He asked. “If you win, you pay me the fee for this job and I’ll tell you who hired me to kill Prince Leopold. If I win, you pay me double the fee.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Meaning you get paid either way.” I said.

“Yes,” Gotthard said. “I could’ve joined those idiots and tried to continue chasing Prince Leopold. However, I didn’t.”

“That’s because I would have chased you down if you tried.” I said.

“Exactly.” Gotthard said. “Since I’m going to lose the fee for this job, I might as well recoup my losses somehow.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“I’m surprised that you’re willing to betray your client like this.” I said. “People will talk when they hear about this.”

For a mercenary, one’s reputation was important. It determined the sort of jobs one could take, and the pay one received for said jobs. Mercenaries with good reputations often received high-paying jobs, while those with bad reputations or those just starting out often had to make do with what they could get.

Betraying one’s client was a good way to tarnish one’s reputation, if not outright destroy it. For a mercenary as renowned as Gotthard, I found it odd that he was so willing to betray whoever hired him. Something must have happened.

“There is a certain etiquette when hiring someone of my caliber.” Gotthard said, his smile turning cold. “Certain rules that one must adhere to. It’s a matter of respect. Breaking those rules is a great way to foster resentment and disloyalty.”

Ah, I understand now. Whoever hired Gotthard must have angered and disrespected him somehow. No wonder he gave up at the first sign of danger. I snorted. Gotthard was a mercenary and a commoner, but he was also an Aura Master. Treating him with disrespect was idiotic at best, and dangerous at worst. Only an arrogant fool would take that risk.

“Now,” Gotthard said, “Enough talking. Let’s get this started.”

As soon as the last word left his mouth, Gotthard charged forward and thrust his spear towards me. Despite the distance between us, he reached my position in the blink of an eye. I barely managed to deflect his attack with my sword. Gotthard continued to attack, putting me on the defensive and forcing me back. It took everything I had to block and parry his strikes. Clangs rang out as our weapons clashed. A few strikes made it through my defenses and struck my Aura, which used up some of my mana.

Right away, I could tell that Gotthard was a skilled warrior. While Mom and Dad were better, he wasn’t far behind them. I could’ve defeated him right away if I used my coldfire, but I refrained. I wanted to test myself against someone who wouldn’t hold back against me.

Mom and Dad never took it easy on me when I sparred with them, but I was still their son. On some level, they held back to ensure that they didn’t injure me too much. However, Gotthard gave me no such consideration. I doubted that he would kill me and risk making an enemy of House Kaltbrand, but otherwise he held nothing back. It was exhilarating.

As we exchanged blows, I considered the best way to deal with Gotthard. The biggest advantage that the spear had over the sword was its reach. This allowed Gotthard to strike at me with ease, while leaving me with little room to retaliate. I needed to get in close and nullify that advantage.

Gotthard continued to attack, striking at me in a relentless barrage. I waited for the right opportunity to create an opening and retaliate. When the moment came, I deflected Gotthard’s spear with all of my strength and threw him off balance. Not by a lot, but it was more than enough for me. I moved in close and thrust my sword towards Gotthard. However, when I noticed the smirk on his face, I paused.

That pause saved me.

Gotthard whirled his spear around and struck at me with the butt end, wielding it like a wooden staff. A blow from a wooden staff could be lethal even when wielded by a regular person, let alone an Aura Master. Thankfully, I dodged in time, turning the attack from a solid hit to a graze.

Gotthard whirled his spear around again and tried to strike me with one of the crescent blades. Right. Spears weren’t just thrusting weapons. They could cut and slash as well, especially one like Gotthard’s.

I blocked the attack with my sword, before striking back at Gotthard. He blocked my sword with the shaft of his spear. The two of us pushed against each other, turning our fight into a contest of raw strength. Gotthard grinned at me. Our faces were inches apart.

“Not bad, kid.” He said. “Most swordsmen don’t realize just how versatile the spear can be and tend to underestimate it.”

I didn’t respond. Unlike Gotthard, I didn’t have the breath to spare. It took all of my strength just to keep him at bay. Any lapse of concentration on my part meant defeat.

“You’re good.” Gotthard said. “Maybe even better than your mother when I dueled her. If this were ten years ago, I might’ve lost to you.” His grin widened. “However, this isn’t ten years ago.”

Gotthard pressed harder and started to gain the advantage in our contest of strength. It took everything I had just to slow him down. If I held back even just a little, he’d throw me off balance and strike me, further lowering my chances of victory.

Damn it. As much as it hurt my pride, I couldn’t afford to hold back. I needed to use every advantage I had. I summoned my coldfire and tried to freeze Gotthard’s feet. He realized the danger before it was too late and leapt back to avoid it.

“Hey!” He said, glaring at me. “That’s cheating!”

I shrugged.

“I never said that I wouldn’t use my divine power.” I said. “Consider it a compliment. I can’t defeat you without it.”

I seized the initiative this time and attacked Gotthard. He tried to keep me at bay using his spear, but I used my coldfire to harry and harass him. This gave me plenty of openings to take advantage of, and I landed several blows on Gotthard. One time, he ignored my coldfire in order to attack me. However, when his Aura started to freeze, he abandoned his attack and put some distance between us.

In that moment, I realized just how powerful the coldfire really was. Earlier, Gotthard dominated the fight between us. If I hadn’t used my coldfire, he would have won. I would have made him pay for it, but he would have defeated me in the end. However, by using my coldfire, I turned the tide of our fight with ease. No wonder House Kaltbrand had maintained its position over the centuries.

Not only that, but I had just inherited the coldfire. Dad had been wielding his for decades. Except for the Emperor, I doubt there was anyone stronger than him in the entire Reichwald Empire. Even Mom might lose to him if they fought one another.

Just as I thought my victory was assured, the ground started shaking, almost throwing me off my feet. After I stabilized my position, I looked about in confusion. When I looked over at Volkhard and his opponent, I sucked in a breath at the sight. The ground around them roiled and writhed like the sea during a fierce storm. It appeared that the Aura Master with the mace, or Lady Melitta Ritter, had decided to stop holding back as well.

Earlier, when their fight first started, Volkhard and Lady Melitta were about even with each other. However, the latter now held an overwhelming advantage. The writhing earth threw Volkhard off balance, while Lady Melitta remained unaffected by it. He could do nothing but endure as she pummeled him with her mace. His Aura grew weaker and weaker with each passing second. If I didn’t intervene, he would die.

I was tempted to let it happen. For what Volkhard did in the Barrens, he deserved to die. A part of me pointed out my hypocrisy, since I didn’t harbor such thoughts towards Leopold and Prince Dirk, but I ignored that part. However, in the end, I decided to save Volkhard’s life. If nothing else, this would put Leopold and his family in my debt, which could prove useful in the future.

However, just before I could rush over to help Volkhard, Gotthard intercepted me.

“Get out of my way!” I said through gritted teeth.

Gotthard snorted.

“Worry about yourself instead of others.” He said. “Our fight isn’t over.”

I tried to get past Gotthard, but he blocked my path like an impassable mountain. He remained resolute, despite my efforts. The shaking ground made things even more difficult. Frustration bubbled up inside me. Volkhard would die unless I intervened. I doubted he could even flee. Aura Masters could accomplish incredible feats of physical prowess, but even they were helpless when the very earth turned against them.

With little other option, I unleashed the full might of my coldfire against Gotthard. Before now, I mostly used it in small bursts, since I didn’t want to lose control and cause a disaster. However, in order to save Volkhard’s life, I stopped holding back.

My coldfire exploded out of me. The temperature in the area plummeted, until it felt like the air itself had frozen. Gotthard retreated to avoid the worst of it. Even so, it still affected him. My coldfire froze some of his Aura, hindering his movements.

After forcing Gotthard back, I froze the roiling earth, turning it into ice. However, I soon faced a different problem. When I tried to control my coldfire, to avoid causing more damage than necessary, it resisted me. Now that it had tasted freedom, it didn’t want to be shackled any longer. Even so, it couldn’t resist me forever.

Little by little, I reined in my coldfire. It snapped and snarled the entire time, forcing me to focus all of my attention on it. I couldn’t spare any thought for Gotthard, Volkhard, or Lady Melitta. All that mattered was keeping my coldfire in check. When I managed to rein in the last of it, my knees wobbled and I used my sword as a crutch.

When I regained my composure, I looked around and my eyes widened. The entire area around me had been frozen, as if it had been carved out of ice. It reminded me a little of the frozen world I went to, when I inherited my coldfire. I stood there for several long moments, filled with wonder and shock.

Movement caught my attention and I turned to find Gotthard limping towards me. One of his legs was encased in frozen Aura. Despite that, he wore a cheerful expression on his face.

“Why don’t we call it a draw?” Gotthard asked.