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Volume 5 Chapter 3 Part 9

「There’s no way the people of this island would go against the Rossini family! 」

「And yet it seems that it happened. 」

Boltz pointed with his finger.

A large number of figures had appeared on the hill beyond. They are the men of Marza village with ready-made weapons in their hands.

「It looks like the wretched Witch from Elam has led them here. 」

Yana narrowed her eyes until they were thin like blades, and she made a full turn with her broom in her hand.

「Lord Theo! 」

Siluca waved at Theo from the top of the hill.

After Theo left with Rebecca for the hidden granary, Siluca returned to the village’s main square together with Aishela. Thankfully, people hadn’t broken up yet, and they were still talking about what happened just now.

Siluca told them that Theo was invited by his childhood friend’s to the secret granary, and that it was most likely a trap set for him by the Rossini family was laying in ambush.

The villagers were all astonished when they heard that, but then they asked her why she didn’t try to stop Theo.

「Lord Theo knew it was a trap, but he still chose to follow that girl nonetheless. It’s possible that if he refused her invitation, the girl’s life would’ve been in danger, and the village itself would’ve been attacked.」

Siluca replied to them.

「So he’s willing to sacrifice himself to protect the village? 」

People looked at each other in disbelief.

「That’s what a true Lord is. 」

Siluca looked around at the villagers and said.

「Still, if you think that the Rossini family is better suited to be the Lords of Sistina lord, you can leave Lord Theo to his death. But if you want to save Lord Theo, pick up your weapons and follow me. 」

And the villagers responded to Siluca’s persuasion. Maybe it was because they regretted sacrificing Theo’s father.

Even if they captured Theo themselves, there’s still a possibility that the Rossini family would attack the village. One village has already been burned down just for being suspected of hiding Theo after all, so it was quite possible that this village, Theo’s hometown, would be made into yet another example.

About three hundred villagers followed Siluca.

「Everyone, you’ve made a good decision! 」

Theo held his right hand up high, and his Crest began to shine. Its brilliance became a circle of light that spread widely as he activated the power of his 「Patriot」Banner.

「Well then, let’s get started… 」

Theo looked back up the hill and called out to Salvador.

「… with a fight to put an end to the rule of the Rossini family! 」

Two armies then ran down from the top of each hill, with Theo as their target.

Theo raised his shield and strengthened himself with the power of his Crest.

Embracing the 「Patriot」Banner had given them the courage to fight, so the villagers of Marza reached Theo first and went past him in order to face the enemy head-on.

Things soon erupted into a hectic brawl.

Salvador Rossini also hoisted his 「Omerta」 Banner and ensured the absolute loyalty of his soldiers. Both armies were supposed to fight to the end without retreating a single step.

Theo also began fighting on the front lines. Wielding his sword and shield, he took down enemy soldiers one after another. It was a different style of fighting than the one that he usually employed, but it was precisely for times like these that he trained himself in martial arts and increased his physical strength. Although he’s a protector, he doesn’t just protect.

(Lord Theo should be fine…)

Siluca saw that he should hold his own and prevail in this battle. As long as nothing unexpected happens that would flip the course of the battle upside down, they should be the ones to come out on top in the end.

(I need to pay attention to her.)

Siluca squinted her eyes and looked at the figure standing on top of the other hill.

The Black Witch Yana.

(I never would’ve expected her to cross over to Sistina from the continent.)

Yana returned to the Black Witch Elder after the incident in the Forest of Eternal Darkness.

However, Yana had a magic thread attached to her by Zelma, the Elder of the White Witches. Zelma followed the thread and discovered where the Black Witches had their hideout, after which she took command of her fellow White Witches as they launched a full-scale assault against them.

Yana happened to be away, but the Black Witch Elder was captured and burned at the stake. A search was then conducted for Yana, but she was never found anywhere in Artuk.

Yana is the perpetrator of 「The Tragedy of the Grand Cathedral」, and once that information came to light, both the Factory Alliance and the Fantasia Union began to search for her whereabouts on their own.

The Investigative Committee of the Mages Association was also looking for her, so she no longer had any place where she could safely hide on the continent, so she must have migrated to Sistina as a last resort, and she certainly didn’t expect that the Rossini family will be the ones giving her an asylum.

Yana also seemed to have noticed Siluca, and turning her gaze towards her.

In The Forest of Eternal Darkness, Siluca nearly lost her life due to the magic she unleashed. She survived only because Theo was there to protect her.

Yana turned her broom around once as if to announce her intentions, and then she raised herself into the air.

(So you’re going to try an aerial battle…)

Siluca decided to accept her challenge.

However, going against her alone would be really disadvantageous for her, since Witches are Shamans, who specialize in fighting on their brooms. Siluca also learned that from Elder Witch Zelma, but the difference in years of experience between her and Yana was too big of a gap for her to close on her own.

「Aishela, get on! 」

Siluca mounted her broom and she floated low in the air before she called out to Aishela.

Aishera immediately senses her intentions and jumped lightly onto the handle of her broomstick. She had one hand on Siluca’s shoulder and her other hand held a pole weapon. The chosen tip for it was still a glaive.

「I’m going to rush into her. 」
「Leave it to me!「

Aishela responded strongly.

Siluca became a horse and Aishela became her rider. The two of them turned themselves into a flying cavalry unit in order to shoot Yana down.

Siluca took aim at Yana and flew as fast as possible. Laura Hadley trained her in Motion Magic, so she was confident that she could fly as fast as she needed to. The rest was up to Aishela.

Yana saw the Witch from Elam approaching her rapidly and licked her lips.

(Witches are only supposed to fly on their broomsticks!)

Yana murmured in her mind while imagining herself to summoning the demons of the Abyss. Unfortunately, she cannot summon anything as powerful as a Demon Lord with instant casting. In order to do that, she’d need to raise the concentration of Chaos in the air and perform a long and complicated ritual that would require the cooperation of many people.

However, even though she couldn’t use the powerful demons, there are still weaker ones who could still be of use to her in this situation.

So, while he Witch from Elam continued to approach her ferociously, Yana went ahead and summoned her chosen demon

「Come to my side and crush them! 」

Yana commanded the demon. Siluca also noticed that Yana was trying to cast a spell. But she couldn’t do anything to stop it now, so she just had to keep going.

In the next moment, a demon with black wings appeared in her path. It was smaller than a human and didn’t carry any dangerous weapons with it, but…

「Gremlin! The Sky Devil! 」

Siluca became nervous.

She has seen that type of demon in the Dictionary of Otherworldly Projections that she once read. Gremlins can fly in the sky at high speed, which got the moniker 「The Sky Devil 」in the first place, and they are also said to posses magical powers thatcan deprive others of their ability to fly.

「Aishela, jump! 」

Siluca turned around and shouted loudly. Almost at the same time the Gremlin pointed its sharp, clawed fingers at her.

「Got it! 」

Aishela kicked herself off the broom and leaps high into the air. Siluca, on the other hand, got suspended in the air for a moment before she started tumbling towards the ground.

But even so, Siluca kept her cool about her.