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Chapter 72: The Twin-Headed Eagle

"Damn it..." Aidan couldn’t help but curse under his breath, his frustration palpable. He cast a bitter smile as he glanced back, his eyes flickering with a mix of resignation and determination.

I can\'t believe I ended up raiding a dungeon. Zouk would faint from shock if she heard about this.

Following Karyl began as mere curiosity and skepticism, but before he knew it, Aidan found himself moving according to the other\'s plans.

I’ll just keep my head down for now... Aidan thought with resignation. He watched as Karyl observed him, arms crossed, as if testing his abilities. Aidan tightened his grip on his dagger.

I have no choice.

Taking a deep breath, Aidan turned his head and called out, "Mikhail."

"Yes?"

"How many times can you use Blades of Wind?"

Maintaining a safe distance from the Twin-Headed eagle, Mikhail answered with a tension, "Up to five times, but after that, due to mana depletion, I won\'t be able to move at all. So practically, four times is my limit..."

"Four times, huh..." Aidan bit his lip, deep in thought.

[Hey, are you sure this is a good idea? Those two don\'t seem like they can handle it.] Allen voiced his concern, appearing uneasy.

However, Karyl\'s eyes gleamed with anticipation as he observed Aidan.

It\'s starting.

Although his current abilities may fall short of his previous life\'s, there\'s at least one thing that hasn\'t changed: his habits.

It\'s still there. Aidan’s habit of biting his lip signaled that he was serious. He must think there\'s no point in hiding anymore.

Regardless of the reason, what mattered was the chance to accurately gauge Aidan\'s current capabilities.

I have high hopes for you. Depending on how you perform, it can change the difficulty of taking control of the South.

Mikhail had exceptional talent, having reached the 3rd Class, but had limited practical experience in magic.

With close to virtually no practical magic experience, in order to fight alongside Mikhail, you\'ll need to pull more than your own weight,

Karyl watched intently as Aidan readied himself.

Let\'s see. The continent\'s greatest assassin can\'t possibly be inferior to Mikhail\'s talent.

Whish—!!

As if responding to his thoughts, Aidan\'s figure blurred and vanished, leaving Mikhail standing in confusion right beside him, unable to spot him. Aidan, ran along the wall, his body low to the ground, and dove into the territory of the Twin-Headed eagle.

Whoosh-!!

As he spread his hand and lightly brushed over his ankles. A faint sky-blue light emanated from both of his legs and then disappeared.

That\'s...Wing Step.

Wing Step, a wind element auxiliary magic, was a spell that enhanced the user\'s movements to the maximum. It was a 2nd Class spell that many sorcerers chose to avoid due to its high difficulty in controlling the resultant speed. As a result, it had become forgotten and overlooked by most.

Even Mikhail, who shared the same element, had given up on learning it. However, for Aidan, whose physical strength was a limitation for most sorcerers, Wing Step had become one of his specialties.

"Mikhail!! I\'ll distract the head. Follow my lead and cast your magic!" Aidan shouted down from his position above the Twin-Headed Eagle\'s head.

"Y-Yes!!" Mikhail responded, quickly grabbing his staff and channeling his magical power.

"Auxiliary Acceleration!" Aidan called out the spell, hovering dangerously close to the eagle\'s beak.

At the same time, Mikhail\'s staff glowed, gathering shining bubbles of light around him.

"The next spell is the Eagle Eye!"

"Yes!!"

Aidan, his focus fixed on the Twin-Headed eagle, had already timed the chanting of the next spell in his head, immediately relaying the information to Mikhail as soon as soon as one spell ended.

"After the Haste spell ends, finish with Mana Impact! The spell must not be broken at any cost!"

"Understood!" Despite the rapid pace of Aidan’s commands, Mikhail adeptly cast the spells in sequence.

[Oh, my... That nimble kid is quite skilled.] Allen watched Aidan, smacking his lips with interest. [I thought he was just a squire, but he seems to know quite a bit about combat magic. The four auxiliary spells he just consecutively cast exhaust nearly as much mana as one Wind Blade.]

Really?

[Not only does he know that chaining spells can help conserve magic, but what’s even more surprising is his understanding of the synergy between auxiliary spells.]

Synergy?

Karyl turned to Allen.

[Yes. You know the auxiliary spells you have on at the moment? Strength, Haste, Dex, Eagle Eye, and even Weight to increase the weight on your limbs. Even a Great Sorcerer would collapse from exhaustion if they used those spells 24/7, 365 days a year.]

Karyl chuckled lightly, shrugging his shoulders.

[Anyway, even low-tier magic spells can have synergistic effects. Haste and Dex share some similarities, so having both would be a waste of mana.]

I see.

[Well, human mana is limited.]

Karyl understood Allen\'s point, though it didn’t apply to him as he had consumed the heart of a dragon.

[In that regard, one must always consider how to maximize the efficiency of a single spell and enhance the power of spells within the same class before casting them.]

The first spell Aidan instructed Mikhail to cast, Auxiliary Acceleration, was a fundamental spell for any sorcerer. It increased the speed of spellcasting. By casting it first, Aidan ensured the continuation of the subsequent auxiliary spells without interruption.

[Experienced sorcerers may remember this, but it\'s easy for beginners to forget.]

Karyl nodded, agreeing with Allen\'s words.

[They don’t realize that the strength of magic doesn’t only lie in pouring out mana or using high-class spells.] Allen continued his explanation. [Especially when facing a fast-moving monster like the Twin-Headed eagle, spells like Haste and Eagle Eye are essential for accurate hits."

...

[And finally, while Mana Impact may reduce the area of effect, it significantly amplifies the power of the spell. However, if the buffs are applied in the wrong order, the duration of each spell gets messed up.]

I see.

[In short, that young man, despite his limited magical prowess, possesses a better understanding of auxiliary spells than most sorcerers. Consider this: have you ever seen anyone using such spells in a magic competition?]

Hmm...... Karyl nodded, pondering Allen\'s words.

Sorcerers who appeared in the Expert Competition were at least 4th-Class sorcerers. But as he had secretly dealt with the competitors, Karyl couldn\'t know if they would have used such spells in the competition. However, though they weren’t competitions, he had seen countless battles involving sorcerers on the battlefield, maybe more than anyone else.

None.

[See? It\'s nothing more than their needless pride. This young man is better than those fools who only think that strong magic is the best.]

Karyl’s heart warmed upon hearing Allen’s words.

It seems the concept of a battle sorcerer you tried to establish did exist in the past.

The fact that the strongest Grand Sorcerer of the Magic Era acknowledged it was evidence of how much magic had regressed. The ignorance of the imperial authorities, who judged heresy solely based on the presence or absence of mana without properly utilizing it themselves, was frustrating.

That’s why it was crucial to shatter their belief before the battle against Tarak, following the revelation of the Oracle.

The way to achieve it was to harness the power of the South and the North, which the empire deemed heretical.

Clank—

Aidan\'s dagger sharply pierced the left head of the Twin-Headed eagle with a series of loud noises. Crimson blood spurted out like a fountain as Mikhail\'s Blades of Wind struck the gaping wound accurately.

"Good job!!"

Aidan didn\'t let up his attack even as the Twin-Headed eagle screamed in agony.

"The magic is transferring! Focus!"

"Y-Yes!!"

The difference in experience between the two was evident. Mikhail\'s concentration wavered with the success of their attack, unlike Aidan, who remained consistent throughout.

[Contrary to his appearance, he knows quite a lot about magic combat. What\'s his identity?]

Karyl chuckled at his question.

It’s just as you said, we might not know for sure, but when it comes to auxiliary magic, he\'s exceptional. What do you think? Don\'t you want to try training Aidan along with Mikhail? Karyl asked with a hint of expectation.

But Allen shook his head firmly. [Mikhail and that young man have different innate physical abilities. No matter what, that guy won\'t be able to overcome the 4th Class barrier. It would be better if you trained him.]

Really? So, even a Great sorcerer can\'t do anything about it, huh?

[Hmph... Mana isn\'t everything. But, well, there is a way. Feeding him the best quality elemental stone suited for him might work, an octagonal stone might break through the barrier, but those aren\'t easy to come by.]

Hmm... Wind elemental stones aren\'t easy to find... I may be able to get one or two, but...

Allen Javius looked incredulous at Karyl\'s nonchalant response.

Just as you said, it’s quite a difficult decision. Whether to give Aidan one will require some thought. He\'s already capable of holding his own as it is.

[You can obtain octagonal stones? Two of them, even? It was difficult even during the Magic Era! Just who are you?]

I guess I\'ll have to observe a bit longer. I’ll decide whether to continue using him in the South then.

[...I fear you]

Just then, the dungeon shook with a heavy sound. Aidan emerged from within the Twin-Headed Eagle’s lifeless body, covered in blood, his breathing ragged.

Step by step, he wiped the blood off his dagger onto his clothes and presented the severed head of the Twin-Headed Eagle to Karyl.

"Huff... Huff... Huff..." Aidan struggled to catch his breath, seemingly devoid of strength to speak. He seemed like a completely different person from before. The man standing before Karyl was no longer the clumsy and careless individual they once knew, but someone exuding the presence of a well-honed blade.

"You did it."

"Yes."

"I knew you would."

"...”

Though the atmosphere in the dungeon should have been filled with jubilation, a cold tension seemed to hang between Karyl and Aidan. Mikhail, observing the exchange, appeared lost, uncertain of how to react.

"Just how much do you know?"

"Know about what?"

"I can\'t go on like this. I have no idea how far you\'ll go in exploiting me if I just let things be."

Karyl replied, an amused smile playing on his lips. "I\'m not sure what you mean."

"If we bring back the monster\'s head, they won\'t just let us walk away. The southern barbarians only understand power."

"And?"

"You\'re planning to pit me against them again, aren\'t you? Until your sword reaches their leader\'s throat. I suppose I\'ll have to fight to the death."

"Not to the death. At most, three encounters."

"..."

"I can\'t shake the feeling that I\'m just a pawn in your game." Aidan\'s gaze seemed to say that hiding behind a mask was now pointless.

"Really?" Karyl\'s tone shifted from jest to a more serious note. "And what about you? How many lives have you taken? If we\'re both using each other, wouldn’t it be better to be killing monsters rather than people?"

Aidan was taken aback, his confusion evident. "What do you mean?"

Karyl lightly patted Aidan’s blood-soaked shoulder. "It\'s all the same. I knew from the beginning that you weren\'t just some runaway slave. As long as you’re still on his side, it’s best if we don’t delve too deep into each other’s secrets."

"...!!"

Aidan’s mind raced. Is he talking about the Second Prince Olivurn? Does he really know everything, not just that I\'m from the Empire?

While Aidan struggled to make sense of the conversation, Mikhail, unable to grasp its full meaning, watched the interaction with a sense of bewilderment.

As if nothing was amiss, Karyl lightly tapped Aidan and Mikhail\'s shoulders. "Let\'s savor this partnership a little longer. Think it over slowly. But if you\'re going to be stained with blood, stand on the side that you can be proud of."

At that moment, Aidan\'s once resolute gaze flickered, revealing a hint of certainty.

"I\'ll pave that path for you."