Chapter 133

The Thief Olrag… no, Felinoir of the Black Round Table was boldly preparing to face the Archmage Werner Altan. Even though Werner, or rather I, knew exactly who I was dealing with, and was fully aware of my reputation, he still stood against me.

“Hmm, using a dagger instead of a greatsword or a blunt weapon, despite your size… unexpected.”

At that, Felinoir chuckled softly, adjusted his grip on the dagger, and replied in a confident voice.

“Wielding a greatsword is for swordsmen! And blunt weapons are for warriors or knights! Even as a thief, the essence is still that of a rogue! A rogue’s weapons are daggers and martial arts! Nothing else is needed!”

“Romantic. I’ll admit, it might be a little cool.”

“Now, chant your spell, Archmage! Since we outnumber you, it’s only fair to let you attack first! Strike with honor!”

From the start, a thief fighting in such an open space, revealing himself, was already at a disadvantage. But to offer the first move just because of numbers… how much does he love fairness? Moreover, a thief arguing about fairness… it was almost laughably foolish, but I didn’t dislike him.

And to abandon weapons that could take advantage of his physique just because he’s a thief… he was filled with such romanticism it sent shivers down my spine.

“Fine. I, Werner Altan, will fight you with all my might as an Archmage.”

This guy was insisting on fighting me with the pride and stance of a thief. Then, it’s only fair that I fight purely as a mage.

I pulled out the magic book Enok from my robe.

“Page 104, unfold the Thunder Barrier.”

The book flipped open, revealing a page adorned with lightning patterns and a dragon.

“Thunder that shakes heaven and earth━━━━”

“Everyone, prepare for battle!”

Felinoir’s subordinates gripped their weapons and glared at me. If they threw their weapons now, they might have a chance, but they didn’t resort to such cowardly tactics.

“Swim through the earth like a dragon.”

A massive bolt of lightning split the ground, transforming into the shape of an Eastern dragon and scattering around. Felinoir and his subordinates charged at me as soon as I finished the incantation. But they were all swallowed by the dragon’s maw. This was a spell on a completely different level from the usual “Thunder Serpent” I used. They must have died instantly.

Just as I was about to relax,

“Such… an attack won’t take down… a thief.”

“What the hell… you’re still alive after that? And standing on two feet?”

Felinoir was standing unharmed. That alone was incomprehensible, but his subordinates were also standing unscathed, as if nothing had happened.

Only Felinoir was left, his body scorched, breathing heavily. It was impossible by common sense. The dragon’s maw had swallowed everyone. Yet, here, only the strongest, Felinoir, was injured? What on earth happened?

“You must have a unique constitution, like the others of the Round Table.”

“Indeed! Just like the late Gawain, whose body emitted ultra-high temperatures! My body absorbs the shock that my marked allies receive!”

“Hahaha! Explaining it all like that, you’re such a fool!”

“Of course! If I weren’t a fool, I wouldn’t be a thief but just a common robber!”

Explaining his abilities in such detail was already foolish enough, but absorbing the shock for his subordinates instead of them absorbing it themselves… Felinoir was undoubtedly the world’s greatest fool.

Felinoir and his subordinates charged at me again. All wielding daggers, it was quite threatening.

“I’ll admit, you’re more troublesome than that Gawain brat.”

Here, instead of countering with martial arts as I used to, I had to defend as a mage. That was the least I could do while mingling with these fools.

“Wings of Steel, protect me.”

The large steel wings sprouting from my back folded and then unfurled, sending them flying. Of course, those who crashed into the wall were unharmed, and only Felinoir was left coughing up blood.

“That was enough damage to kill everyone here multiple times… and you’re still standing? Your constitution absorbs shock, but do you also have invincibility?”

“If you have no talent for dagger arts and aren’t fast, the only way to become a leader is to have a tough body, right? No matter how much it hurts, you just endure with grit.”

“Right, that’s the answer.”

He was definitely annoying. Even as I dodged attacks and countered with magic, Felinoir’s subordinates didn’t die. Moreover, Felinoir, with his shock-absorbing constitution, was several times more troublesome. Even after taking damage that would kill a person hundreds of times over, he was still standing, unyielding.

“I’ll offer again! Join me and the others to change the Black Round Table from within! The Black Round Table isn’t an organization that can be easily toppled from the outside!”

Felinoir pleaded with me to join the Black Round Table. But I had no intention of compromising. As Master Helmut said, we do not negotiate with terrorists. The Black Round Table scum were among the worst of terrorists.

“Don’t make me say no again. No matter how small, I cannot overlook the atrocities I’ve seen today by the Black Round Table.”

“Why can’t you see further ahead?! With your power, we can surely prevent a greater tragedy!”

“Are you ignoring the deaths of those close at hand to prevent a future tragedy? If so… I’ll save those abandoned by a thief who has forsaken righteousness.”

If I must tolerate a small evil to prevent a greater one… I couldn’t bear to see those who would be sacrificed to that small evil. As the Sage said, even a small evil must not be committed.

Felinoir swung his dagger at me with a resigned expression. Dodging the chain sickles and hidden weapons thrown by his subordinates was already tough, and this muscle-bound guy’s dagger strikes were fierce. I wanted to save this magic, but… I didn’t want to die, so I had no choice.

“Tsk… page 101…”

Dodging Felinoir’s dagger was becoming increasingly difficult. Maintaining the limits of a mage’s evasion techniques while dodging Felinoir’s strikes was exhausting. My body was already marked with cuts from his dagger. My robe was torn, and the shirt underneath was dyed red. No deep wounds, but too many shallow ones.

“Unfold the Flame Barrier.”

“Give up!”

“Flames that judge the sinners of hell━━━━”

In the brief moment I was chanting, Felinoir seized the opportunity. I expected that much and dodged, but an unexpected attack from behind Felinoir’s massive body stabbed my shoulder. A dagger thrown from afar pierced my shoulder, but I endured.

“Purify those consumed by evil.”

Flames erupted from the ground, beginning to burn Felinoir’s subordinates. It was a spell developed by Werner in his youth, one that burned only people, not objects.

As Felinoir’s subordinates burned, Felinoir coughed up blood. Absorbing the damage of being burned dozens of times over, there was no way he could be unharmed.

“How is it? Your proud subordinates can’t move now. Even without damage… there are times when people can’t move…”

Felinoir’s subordinates screamed as they burned. Even though Felinoir absorbed all the damage.

“… It seems you’ve noticed the flaw in this constitution. As expected, an Archmage is different from us ignorant fools.”

“I’m also an orphan. We’re both uncultured and ignorant. And I noticed because you kept boasting about your constitution while arguing about fairness.”

Felinoir had already revealed the limits of his ability with his own mouth. Then, the only way I could deal with him was to burn a large number of thieves at once. If I attacked one or two clumsily and they started to be cautious, it would be pointless. Moreover, if the building caught fire, I and the other children could die.

So, I had no choice but to use the “Hell’s Fire” spell developed by Werner. A fire attribute spell that could burn many enemies at once, and even if used indoors, there was no worry of the fire spreading. The only downside was that the spells recorded in the magic book Enok were one-time use, so it was a shame to use it now.

“Kids, endure the pain a little longer. Your leader will save you himself, so you won’t die. Think of it as endurance training and hold on a little longer.”

“I have to admit.”

Separate from being enemies, I wanted to acknowledge what deserved acknowledgment.

“You’re the coolest Black Round Table guy I’ve seen so far.”