Under and Over

"How dare you..."

My shrouded eyes clear up as violet mist subsides into the ground.

This was magic that originated from behind me.

"—! He broke the spell?!"

There was this one loud voice. It was the woman in that certain party.

I could remember now. They were the ones behind this.

This petty magic that feels like chains made out of glass was shattered into pieces.

This was magic that was created carelessly without a proper set of logic behind this, it was easy to break.

I couldn't believe that I was a victim.

"Tch! Let's go!"

It was the black-haired girl that held the proclaimed Hero's arm, tugging him away as she runs. There was something off about him though, he wasn't reacting to the things around him.

"W-Wait!"

The other woman follows suit as they ran away, leaving me from inside of the bars of the gate that separated us.

"I detected some kind of unusual magic! Master! Are you alright?"

There were a couple of footsteps that scrambled on the doorstep, asking about my well-being.

It was Lilith and Jai, armed and ready for combat.

They were late though, but it seems like the magic that woman had used earlier was concealed well enough to be undetected until I broke it.

I've only begun to revive the name of Hellsburg and these problems begin. Are they part of the same force that wouldn't want this city to grow?

No, that's a naive way of thinking. They must have some kind of goal that excludes me. They don't know me, like traces of my records had been purposely hidden.

"There was a dark magic user that had tried to hypnotize me."

I had my hand hold my chin as I paced around, thinking deeply into the reason why.

Hypnosis Magic might have some extent of control and sense-sharing, meaning they are trying to get something.

"A dark-type magic? Are you sure?"

Lilith walked past me and into the gates. She was looking around as if trying to detect something.

She was slowly spreading her mana as I could feel it like the flowing water of the river. It was cold, yet warm, a contrast that never will be understood.

"What I can sense is an unusual amount of mana, pure Light Magic. It's like the Hero's magic."

As she was done speaking, I could feel the mana she had spread pull back slowly as if a vacuum, as if my soul was being sucked along with it.

I've been doing it myself this whole time but to think that this was something that mages would have to feel every time someone uses it.

"Oh, yeah. There was a party where someone proclaimed to be a hero, wanting to meet the lord. They just mistook me for a beggar."

I slightly pulled my long red hair, seeing as how it was curled at its tips, it seems like I've never taken a bath nor changed.

I'd had always cleaned myself using magic, and my clothes could have suffered damage from the wear and tear.

"With your appearance, I am sure they did."

"Master is master. Even if he dresses like one, I still acknowledge his strength!"

Lilith and Jai chronologically gave away their dialogues, and as usual, they just speak true to their personality.

"You've said that there was one person who proclaimed to be the hero. What did he look like?" Lilith asked.

She was well informed of external affairs so it would be a good idea to let her know.

If I remember correctly...

"A blonde hair, average height, sword sheathed on his back, has some kind of gem in his headwear, and has golden eyes."

Just as shared the appearance of the hero, it sounded like a generic appearance for heroes in novels.

Why blonde though?

What is he? A righteous Yankee?

"If that's true, then it might be the hero then."

Lilith looked in the direction that said party headed. She could also see the trace of that same magic she sensed, in the tavern that was nearby.

I had also sensed that unusual mana, but in the moments I was able to, it was like a huge floating hot air balloon. It was his, but it wasn't currently in his control.

It was just... there, floating.

"But what if he was a fake?"

Jai asked from behind, prancing to approach as.

"You can't fake magic. I'm sure of it."

Lilith seemed determined to some extent. I could feel the Maximilian in me getting jealous, but I am just as curious as to why she was this determined.

"You seem too interested in the hero."

There was no point in dallying about it. Just go ahead straight into the fray to get answers.

I'm in control. Expect things to change around, Grantt Maximilian.

"He..."

She turned her head down, squeezing the bars of the gates.

The air between us was tense and I could feel bloodlust instead.

This was a different reaction from what I expected. Was she angry that I asked?

"Ten years ago, There was a village that was once there near the border of Khan and Hestia. Lucri, the village where my parents had lived."

Lilith began to share something that I'd never known. This was rare but it sounded something serious.

"What about it?" I asked as she stopped.

It was obvious that she was talking about past tense. It means...

"Lilith's parents died was caught up in the blast of a certain magic."

From behind her, Jai began to caress her back as she spoke. She was the one to address the truth that had happened there.

"The war had stopped but at the cost of the village."

I still don't the connection between that and the Hero. But... could it be?

"Was it the Hero who cast that magic?"

It was subtle, but she nodded.

That's messed up, but the story still has some holes in it. I'd rather not judge the person by mere say only.

I'll judge him when I meet him again, which is soon.

"That's why we need to get them. Why didn't you chase after them?!"

"—?!"

To my surprise, Lilith suddenly grabbed me by the collar. Her eyes were soaked and her pained expression showed it all.

I could only stare at her anguished self, unsightly in front of her own master.

"Lilith! Don't!"

Jai tried to pull her away but in her failed attempts, she could only hug her from behind.

I, for one, had never been able to be emotionally attached to anything.

Seeing her grieve the death of her parents that had been ten years since was nothing but a part of a history that shapes her.

Her composed self was absent and all I could see was a child that still held their parent's hands.

"Lilith. I'm not to judge someone without proper investigation. If I shall see fit, then you can punish the hero on your terms, then if not, you'll have to accept what already happened."

I slowly held the hands that had grabbed me by the clothes, her grip loosened after yet her feet could only collapse as she leans into me, crying as Jai caresses her hair.

Were people of this world this vulnerable?

I couldn't tell, but even the strongest man alive in my world could not escape the weakening hands of sadness.

"Jai. Bring her to her room. We'll talk later when she calms down."

Slowly, Jai guided and pulled the weakened Lilith to her room.

I needed Lilith to rest and calm down for now. I wouldn't be able to talk to her about it with her feelings in the way.

In the meantime, he should have already caught them.

△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼

"Huff... Huff..."

The crunching of leaves, cracking of branches, and brushing of the bushes made a symphony of nature, is only but an effect of the wind.

A swift movement, wasting nothing, passed through as the gaps between the leaves of the trees widen.

"There they are..."

I said under my breath, hiding in the shades of the trees in their leaves and branches.

I followed the party that had come by in Master's mansion, running outside of town.

There was no need to interfere with their interaction with the young master but it was my job to take care of them after.

After all, I will protect the heaven he will create.

"You're not going anywhere."

I had concealed myself using light magic.

Just as Grantt had described how such light works, I was able to refract and reflect light to conceal myself visually, creating a see-through-like film around my body.

A swift movement is all it takes for one to die.

"—!"

I swung my blade sidewards, aiming at the neck of the black-haired woman. It was the one who cast magic on the young master.

"From behind?!"

However, just as I realized it, she was able to dodge my attack.

She was able to sense it earlier than the others, a blunder I made.

Truly, this assassination was a fail, but for her to be able to detect me was just lucky.

"Who are you?!"

She shouted with much vigor, she was able to see through my attack even though I was virtually invisible.

"Your bloodlust is leaking. Your magic flew from your chest to your hand, that is much why I could sense you."

She spoke out, but she was looking in the wrong direction.

It was true that she was still unable to see me but to be able to dodge an invisible attack would take a lot of skill and experience.

These adventurers are sharper than they look.

"I should be the one asking you. Adventurers don't just go and try to assassinate the Lord of this city. Who are you working for?"

"You know what, I'm pissed! We've been getting nothing but the rude treatment here! Boonies like this can't even recognize the hero!"

There was the other woman, tightening her gauntlets as she steps in towards me.

Her prowess was something I could feel, but not as something that could amount to the young master.

However, did they just mention the Hero? A careless idiot who destroyed innocent lives just to protect a country.

I'm not one to judge a person trying to save his own country but he had eliminated lives on the side he was trying to protect.

Rumors had already spread across the country, and his name was still garnished as the Hero.

Such was the power of the Kingdom used for petty decorations. I feel bad for the people of Hestia.

In any case, hero or not, they will be taken down.

"Either way, I will eliminate everything that threatens this city."

I slid and pushed my finger through the side of the blade, I pulled the sword back to form a stance.

"I'll break your sword, mister!"

She pounded her fist together, creating a small shockwave of a sudden blast of winds around her.

She's someone not to be underestimated.

"Try me."

With one swift motion, I closed the gap.

I was already behind her, and the only thing left was for me to thrust or cut her torso. However...

"—Bodyslam!"

She was quick on her foot, bending and jumping to slam my body away. A solid hit yet I managed to receive it with the side of my body.

"Omff. I felt that one."

She's strong, but I've been holding back.

Going all out at the start is bad, just as the young master said.

"What's wrong, Mister Swordsman? Can't handle a tough lady?"

She kept pounding her chest, taunting me in from the distance.

The other two began to circulate to me as well, the self-proclaimed hero and the other girl that seemed to be a mage.

I'm outnumbered, but I can go all out now.

"Just like he said... Go all out when you feel like it."

Of course, it gave me the freedom to choose.

"Intermediate Light Magic: Flashpoint."

Sheathing my sword in, a left a small gap left unsheathed as a sudden streak of light flashed through each of me of them.

A blinding light followed by another streak of reflective light emitted nothing other than by my blade.

"——!"

I've hit them in parts that will disable their movement, the legs, the arms, and even their bodies.

Incapacitating wounds yet not too fatal to be deadly.

"Agh!"

I had my back turned away. I was confident that they were all hit by that attack, however, once again I was wrong.

I could still sense someone standing from behind me. It was that guy who had an unusual amount of mana. Like a large mountain that overwhelmed a boulder.

"They say you're a hero. But why aren't you saying anything?"

The other two women were at their knees, barely standing up on their own.

They wouldn't be able to do anything, not even cast magic without being distracted by the pain.

"..."

"You're not speaking. The last time I've heard about the hero is when he made a grand speech of how he will protect the kingdom."

I aimed the tip of my blade at him, observing his eyes that seemed empty.

It was unusual for me to say that his power was there yet his presence was absent.

He had wounds on his joints that were supposed to hinder his movements, but how is he able to stand up without curling up in pain?

"Gladysius! Get him!"

The woman with black hair shouted as she crawls up from the ground using her staff, struggling to keep herself straight up.

If I was her, I'd remain on the ground.

Moving with that kind of wound would only worsen them.

"Your self-proclaimed hero is n—"

My words were cut, but not only my words, but a strand of my hair had also fallen as I instinctively lean to the right.

There was a blade that thrust almost to my face, scraping a bit of my hair as I dodged on time.

"——!"

It was the Hero. If I remember correctly, he was called Gladysius.

He was able to close the huge distance between us in just a mere second, and almost got me by a width of a hair.

"..."

"You!"

I shouted out in frustration. To think they be would be able to catch me off guard was unexpected.

I wouldn't be able to face him in my current strength. I've just been able to learn certain things but not all of them.

Fighting a Hero with a large pool of mana and experience is different, it was an outstanding difference in power.

"Are you the hero?!"

I plunged back as I parried Gladysius' sword upwards in an attempt to disarm him but his grip was unusually strong as well.

"..."

His eyes looked at me, yet my words never reached him.

"This man might be under hypnosis."

I began to suspect it.