Chapter 45: Ashera part 6

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Translator: Soafp

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Around the time the winter sun reached its highest point.

The carriage was moved to the water source to allow the horses to rest, and while they were at it, we had lunch with dried meat and black bread.

“Halva, I think there won’t be any attacks now. I want you to rest again using the sleeping potion.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I want to make sure… I want to reduce the risk.”

“Understood.”

I anticipate the attack at night. I want to let Halva rest now. Although Ashera and I have to guard for an hour, it should be enough with just me considering the good visibility.

“Ashera, I want to replenish Halva’s stamina as much as possible.”

“Okay.”

“Use air conditioning magic inside the carriage.”

“Are you okay with the lookout?”

“I’ll manage the lookout alone. Halva’s condition is more important now.”

“Understood.”

I moved to a tree nearby after leaving Halva, Lush, and Ashera in the carriage. I kept a low profile and kept watch, but there was nothing approaching, not even an attack, monster, or animal. Honestly, it was so leisurely that I felt a bit let down.

Although it was a watchful time, when about an hour passed, Halva came out of the carriage. Halva’s complexion was good, and he looked very energetic.

“You seem to be in good shape.”

“I… after all you’ve done for me, I’ll be fully prepared for the night attack.”

“Alright, I’ll leave it to you once I cast the magic.”

“Understood.”

Without delay, I reattached the horses that had been rested to the carriage and set off.

The carriage moved without any problems, and the journey continued smoothly. Lush’s condition was much better than expected, and it could be said to be going exceptionally well.

However, as the winter sun slowly set…

As discussed in advance, this is where the real challenge begins.

Even Halva, a seasoned warrior, had a stiff expression. If what is at stake is the lives of one’s own family, it’s natural for the expression to become tense.

I’m sorry, but I asked Ashera to stick her head out from the back of the carriage and keep an eye out for any suspicious magic.

As for me, frankly, I’m just bored. I can’t waste magic, and there’s nothing to do inside the carriage.

Suddenly, Lush spoke to me.

“Aldo-kun, what do you like about Ashera?”

In the midst of this tension, I was surprised by the sudden question. Looking around, not only Ashera but also Halva were listening intently.

“T-that is…”

As I was about to answer, Ashera murmured.

“There’s something…”

Everyone shifted their gaze at once, squinting, but nothing could be seen. I also desperately focused my eyes, but nothing was visible.

…

“There are 20 of them… hiding in trees or behind us, watching us.”

I signaled to Halva and prepared for the magic. I couldn’t afford to cast it inside the carriage; it would result in a fire or something equally serious.

It seemed that only Ashera’s magic eye could see them, so I asked where the enemies were located.

“They are between that tree and that rock.”

“Understood.”

I stepped outside and slowly extended my right arm towards the tree. I extended my finger straight.

With my left hand holding my right wrist firmly to reduce any shaking, I started gathering magic at my fingertips.

Condense… infuse… condense… infuse… condense…

I continuously infused and condensed the magic.

It’s getting close to critical… I murmured.

“I’ll shoot!”

“Please do!”

At Halva’s cue, I unleashed the Condense Ray.

The beam of light stretched straight across, running from the targeted tree to the next target, the rock, within the 2-second irradiation time.

The beam of light stretched out into the night’s darkness.

The beam of light was immediately swept horizontally.

If anyone had seen this sight from above, they would have described it as a swing of a light sword…

The location where the light sword swung was a scene of hellish screams.

Condense Ray is 4000 degrees Celsius (7232 F)

Those directly burned might have been fortunate; they evaporated in an instant, leaving no ash behind.

Those in the trees, lying down, were instantly killed by the gas formed from their vaporized blood and bodily fluids.

The most unfortunate were those who weren’t between the targeted tree and rock.

Being away from the target saved them from direct harm, allowing them to survive.

However, with the vaporization of their surroundings, it acted as fuel, leading to an explosive blaze.

There was no escape, no air to breathe; they burned helplessly.

In the end, among the 26 assassins, excluding the four who had separated for overall command, everyone else was wiped out.

With just one shot of magic, 22 people were instantly wiped out.

Aldo fired the Condense ray and immediately lost consciousness due to magic depletion. As he collapsed, Ashera held him and carried him back to the carriage.

The sight of the burning crimson devastation caused by a mere 12-year-old child was beyond belief for Halva. For a while, stunned by the scene, he heard a voice urging him on.

“Halva! What are you dawdling for! We need to escape!”

It was Lush. Halva quickly snapped out of his reverie and jumped into the carriage. This was anticipated. The alternative route was discussed; now it was time to proceed as planned.

As prescribed, Ashera climbed onto the hood, lying low and scanning the surroundings. The forest was burning, casting dark shadows that worsened visibility.

While driving the carriage cautiously, it felt like quite some time had passed. The sky was faintly brightening, and the border checkpoint was visible in the distance. They should reach the border within an hour.

Despite the relief and the sense of danger being at its peak, Halva tightened his resolve once more.

“Ashera, we’ll reach the border in about an hour. This moment of relaxation is the most dangerous. Stay alert.”

“Understood.”

However, for the 22 out of the 26 individuals burned in an instant by Aldo’s Condense Ray, there was no possibility of pursuit. The fear of when that light sword might strike again drove them insane.

Running, running out of mana, and yet running… they couldn’t forget that light sword…

The four remaining assassins ran off towards the city of Kashew, seemingly driven mad by fear.

I arrive at the border soon enough. They call someone familiar with Halva’s face, and we pass through the checkpoint without any issues.

We make a stop at “Tarsel,” the nearest town in the Blue Ring territory, and I check on Lush’s condition. Thankfully, although she’s not in perfect shape, there’s no immediate change for the worse. But she’s just recovered from the brink of death. It’s still morning, and as a precaution, we decide she should rest until tomorrow morning.

I gradually wake up from a light doze. Looking around with a hazy head, I see Halva sleeping in the adjacent bed.

I recognize we’re in some town, but I have no clue about the town’s name or the distance to the Blue Ring city. Trying to spot something familiar, I quickly leap onto the roof of a nearby building using a spatial kick.

From the rooftop, I spot the border checkpoint about 500 meters ahead.

(Ah, so we’ve entered the Blue Ring territory. I suppose we’ll stay until Lush and Halva regain their strength before heading back.)

I get a rough idea of the situation and glance at my hand.

(My mana has recovered. I’m fully prepared, but I wonder when we plan to depart. It’s unlikely to be tonight, probably early tomorrow morning.)

After estimating the time by looking at the sky and getting a sense of our situation after crossing the checkpoint, I head back to the room. As I return, I notice Ashera and Lush discussing something with Halva.

“Ah, Aldo-sama, where did you go?”

“Sorry, I felt comfortable sleeping, so I went out to check the situation.”

They respond with a wry smile. It seems I’ve caused worry by leaving without saying anything.

After waking up from fainting, I learned about what happened afterward and our planned itinerary. It seemed like everyone was resting until the next morning.

I was advised to rest, but having slept for more than half a day after fainting, I wasn’t tired at all. I requested to take a short stroll around the town, though Halva was quite hesitant. Eventually, I got permission by agreeing to bring Ashera along and be armed.

“”I am off.””

Ashela and I ventured into the town. According to Halva, it was called “Tarsel.”

Walking through unfamiliar streets was quite enjoyable. The town had a more diverse vibe, maybe because it was close to the border, and there were plenty of merchants around.

“Ashera, anything you fancy getting?”

“Hmm… Nothing in particular.”

“I can’t afford expensive stuff, but… I’m sure I can find you something..”

“Hmm?”

“Um, it’s a nice town, and I thought maybe we could get some souvenirs or small gifts…”

Ashera seemed to catch on, blushing slightly and nodding in agreement. From then on, we wandered around stalls selling small items.

Most shopkeepers smiled at us but didn’t approach us directly.

At one of the stalls, Ashera seemed interested in a blue hair ornament.

“Hey, mister, how much for this hairpin?”

“Oh, a present, huh? Boy is doing his best!”

“I’m asking about the price.”

“Hahaha, this one’s a bit pricey, three silver coins.”

Checking my money, I only had two silver coins.

“Hey, mister, can you make it two silver coins?”

“That’s a bit too much to ask, Boy.”

“Please, sir!”

“You know what, entertain me!”

“Entertain?”

“Yeah, dance, tell an interesting story, perform a street act—anything!”

“How about a stroll in the sky?”

“That sounds good. If you can pull it off.”

“Let’s go then.”

I lifted the man with a space kick, carrying him as we soared into the sky.

“What in the world is this?! Floating in the sky…”

“I did say a sky stroll.”

“This is incredible! Boy, this is amazing!”

After enjoying about a minute of an airborne walk, I returned the man.

“Here, as promised, the hairpin.”

“Sure, take it. No need for money. You’ve given me an experience I can’t buy.”

“Thanks a lot, sir.”

“No, thank you, Boy.”

After expressing gratitude to the stall owner, we left and found a quiet spot away from the crowd. There, I placed the blue hairpin in Ashera’s silver hair.

“Aldo, thank you…”

“It suits you…”

We strolled back leisurely to the inn. When we arrived, Lush noticed the hairpin immediately and inquired Ashera about it.

Ashera happily narrated what had happened.

The next morning,

“Alright, we’ll reach the town of Blue Ring by evening. Let’s get going.”

The carriage departed. It was an exceptionally smooth journey from thereon. No assassins, magical creatures, not even animals crossed our path.

The trip continued seamlessly until we finally arrived at the town of Blue Ring.

The gatekeeper, upon seeing Halva’s face, hurried towards a mansion—probably to report about me to my father.

Passing through the gate, we headed straight to the lord’s mansion. Along the way, the gatekeepers referred to the mansion as the “Manor of Shura.” I wondered if something unusual had occurred.

As the carriage arrived at the mansion, my father, mother, El, and Marl welcomed us. Their reception almost made me tear up out of relief.

Upon reporting our safe return, Mother and El were genuinely upset about their reckless departure and extracted a promise not to leave on their own again.

I announced my engagement with Ashera, which was met with apparent approval and hearty congratulations. Marl engaged Ashera in conversation, and the two giggled and talked, perhaps typical of girls their age.

Due to Lush’s condition, the Halva family would stay at the mansion for about three days. Meanwhile, the maids would take care of the Halva residence.

As I had become engaged to Ashera, it seemed Roland felt responsible for the Halva family. Thus, the series of incidents settled down, and I found myself with an adorable fiancée.

School would commence in April, and it appeared that they would depart from here in early March. Despite being engaged, we barely had time for each other… Managing day-to-day activities seemed to be our primary focus.