Chapter 7 - Asa!

‘One mile... eight hundred and fifty feet, four hundred feet, one hundred and fifty feet… holy shit, this guy is moving fast!’

Azrael paled as he watched the person approach their location with astonishing speed. The ground began to shake with each thunderous step, and he shivered at the sheer force required to make it tremble.

By now, Byrael had also noticed the approaching figure. He could immediately tell that the person was at least Hero Rank. There was no way they could defeat someone of that caliber at the moment. Even if a hundred Emperor Rank individuals were present, they’d still be no match. As one ascends in rank, the disparity between each level grows significantly.

The reason Byrael had managed to handle the nine Soldiers was due to the rank gap. The only reason he found himself in a precarious situation was because of the mage. Although mages might lack physical prowess compared to warriors, they were stronger within the same rank. It was said that a mage could typically defeat a warrior up to one rank above them.

While this illustrates the strength of mages, it also highlights the difficulty they face in advancing ranks. Whereas a warrior might take ten years to rise a rank, a mage might need two to three times as long, given the additional challenge of talent and hard work. If a mage is born without natural talent, rising through the ranks is nearly impossible.

“Well, look what we have here?”

“?!?!”

The sudden voice startled Byrael, who turned toward the west. Emerging from the forest was a tall figure. Azrael, who had sensed the aura earlier, had already noted the man’s arrival.

The man was imposing, standing six foot five with bulging muscles that strained against his armor. Wearing only a breastplate emblazoned with a sword emblem, his exposed biceps were as large as Azrael’s own head. His spiky red hair and slanted dark brown eyes gave him a fierce appearance. A large great sword was sheathed on his back, within arm’s reach.

“Chet, I was wondering who had taken out all the men I sent. It was only you and that child... Despite your unimpressive appearance and the child's youth, to wipe out a one-hundred-man raiding party...”

“….”

‘The raiding party was already wiped out? Even though my men aren’t weaklings, it would still be impossible for them to defeat the enemy so quickly… Just who was it then?!’

Byrael was trying to piece together what had happened. Knowing the strength of his soldiers, he realized that it wasn't his men who had dispatched the raiding party but an external factor. Sighing when neither Byrael nor Azrael responded, the man drew his great sword.

“It’s not like I had a close relationship with those soldiers, since I was merely in charge of them for this mission… But since you wiped them out, I still have to take your lives... Don’t resent me for it, okay?”

“!!”

Both father and son tensed at the man’s words. They knew that even if they worked together, facing such a powerful figure was beyond their capability. Just as Byrael was about to tell his son to get the rest of the family and flee while he tried to hold the man off, a female voice suddenly interrupted from behind them.

“My, my, Lindall, you are quite the hasty fellow, aren’t you?”

“Who’s there?!”

Startled by the unexpected voice, Lindall adopted a defensive stance and scanned the surroundings. Azrael turned and saw the large oak tree behind him. From its shadow, a beautiful lady emerged.

She had a slender figure standing five foot four inches tall. With long purple hair and hazel eyes, her face conveyed both youthful charm and mature grace. Her sky-blue dress accentuated her alluring curves. Noticing Azrael’s gaze, she winked and stepped forward.

“!!! Asa! What are you doing here? You should be in the capital!”

Lindall’s face twisted with anger at the sight of Asa. Despite Lindall's own formidable strength as a Hero Rank warrior, Asa, a Hero Rank earth mage, was someone he had encountered numerous times in skirmishes between their two Kingdoms.

“Ho ho… You’ve just had some bad luck, Lindall. Who knew you’d try something as petty as a raid while I’m here on His Majesty’s orders?”

‘Shit, what terrible luck.’

Without hesitation, Lindall rushed toward Asa. When fighting mages, closing the distance quickly was crucial; otherwise, one was as good as dead. Rage-filled eyes, Lindall roared as he moved.

With his focus solely on Asa, Lindall sped past Byrael and Azrael. In the blink of an eye, he closed the gap and swung his sword in a powerful overhead slash. To Azrael, the motion was a blur. The great sword, seemingly hundreds of pounds, swung down with lightning speed. Azrael could only hold his breath in amazement.

As Lindall advanced, Byrael quickly grabbed his son and moved toward their family. Azrael was in awe of Lindall’s speed, recognizing that even with his previous life’s abilities, this man was a formidable opponent. He had never encountered anyone who could match his speed, though that didn’t mean he couldn’t defeat him. Nonetheless, Lindall’s speed was impressive.

Asa remained calm and smiling as she watched Lindall’s approach. Despite Lindall’s suspicion, it was too late to halt the attack. Just as the sword was about to reach Asa, Lindall sensed a presence above him and leaped backward, narrowly avoiding a shadowy figure that descended.

In the place where Lindall had been stood a large, green-furred forest tiger with brown stripes, its muscular form blending seamlessly into the forest’s surroundings. The tiger snarled at Lindall, causing his face to pale.

“Yo… You’re able to materialize your elemental?! And a forest tiger, no less?!”

As Byrael hurried his family to safety, Azrael remained, captivated by the fight. He was astonished by Lindall’s reaction. According to his readings, materializing an elemental required a vast amount of pure mana. How long had Asa’s elemental been materialized for that trap?

Elementals, despite their beastly forms, were far stronger than their physical counterparts. A forest tiger, when materialized as an elemental, was significantly more powerful. This was why high-rank mages were so fearsome compared to warriors of the same rank. Their mana’s purity and capacity allowed them to materialize elementals much sooner.

Seeing Asa’s materialized elemental, Lindall knew he was outmatched and began to flee. Despite his fearsome reputation as a renowned warrior, he wasn’t foolish enough to fight a losing battle. Although he couldn’t win, Asa wouldn’t be able to defeat him while he was on the run.

“Lindall, when did you become such a coward that you’d flee from a battle?! Come back here!”

Asa, shocked by Lindall’s retreat, was quickly overtaken by anger. She pursued him with her elemental.

Though relieved that the Hero Rank warrior and mage had left, Byrael remained vigilant and continued urging his family to safety. Noticing Azrael’s fascination with the battle, Byrael chuckled. He remembered his own awe during his first encounter with Hero Rank mages. Unfortunately, it was not the time for such distractions, and they needed to seek refuge at home.

“Azrael! We need to go home, now!”

“Hu… huh? Oh, okay, Dad!”

As he snapped back to reality, Azrael hurriedly took Aurora and Azer’s hands, and they rushed home. Byrael and Azrael let out a sigh of relief when they finally reached their house thirty minutes later.

After putting the twins to bed, Azrael slumped to the ground, exhausted. A smile appeared on Byrael’s face as he watched his son. However, he recalled that Azrael had used magic earlier.

“Hey, Azrael.”

“Yes, Dad?”

“So, why did you hide that you could use magic?”

Azrael sighed at the question. He had known he wouldn’t be able to keep it hidden forever. After all, he was interested in attending a magic academy. However, being with his loving family made him want to stay with them a bit longer.

Now that he had used magic, he figured it was time to be honest. He didn’t want to lie to his parents who cared for him so much.

“Hey, Dad, could you call Mom over? I might as well tell you both.”

Byrael nodded and went to the kitchen to get Azela. Shortly afterward, they returned together. When they were all seated, Azrael began to speak.

“Hey, Mom, Dad. Just like you figured out earlier, I can use magic.”

Azela nodded. She wasn’t oblivious; even she had noticed the magic Azrael used by the lake. Still, she was internally shocked to learn that her son was a mage. Mages were rarer than warriors and could become influential figures if they had enough talent.

“Anyway, the reason I kept it from you was that I was afraid you’d send me away immediately to some magic academy or something… I didn’t want to leave this house and our family so soon…”

Byrael and Azela’s hearts warmed at Azrael’s explanation. Their son, who had always been a caring older brother and child, had been reluctant to part with them. What parents wouldn’t be moved by that?

After a moment of silence, Byrael began to laugh.

“Hahahaha… sorry, son. I’m really touched that you wanted to stay with us so much that you hid your magic abilities… but *pfft

*… the thing is, you don’t take a qualification test for a magic academy until you’re eleven and then attend when you’re twelve!”

Azrael’s face went blank. It was like that? He realized none of the books he had read mentioned the process of attending magic academies; he had made an incorrect assumption. As he chided himself for the mistake, he joined in his father's laughter. His mother shook her head with a smile, wondering what to do with them both.

Byrael finally stopped laughing and asked one last question.

“Son, what’s your element?”

“Oh, yeah, I never mentioned that, did I? Wait a moment, Dad, Mom.”

Azrael began to speak with his elementals.

“Samjoko, Chunyong, Bonghwang, please come out in ethereal form.”

“Are you sure, Master? It is unwise to reveal your elementals.”

“No worries, Chunyong. If I can’t trust my parents, then who can I?”

“…Understood, Master.”

Before Azrael, three smoky forms materialized, each with a distinct color.