Chapter 19: 19 Catching a Mage

Chapter 19

19. Capturing a Mage

Today’s sunset was unusually crimson, draping both the clouds in the sky and the road below in a veil of red gauze.

Yet, compared to the color of flowing human blood, this red was hardly worth noticing.

On this wild, open road, a fierce battle was underway. The accompanying carriage had been cleaved into two halves, while horses and guards lay scattered across the ground, their bodies pooling with blood.

On one side of the road, three robust knights were locked in combat. The knight with a blue lake emblem tattooed on his right arm fought two opponents alone, barely holding his ground, yet unlikely to endure much longer.

“Miss, take the young master and flee, quickly!” the knight roared loudly.

Behind one carriage, a pale-faced boy lay on the ground, bleeding from his arm. Beside him, a girl struggled to pull the boy away, attempting to escape.

Yet it was clear—the girl’s foot was twisted. With her strength alone, it seemed impossible to drag the boy to safety.

And then, another figure slowly approached, gripping a longsword dripping with fresh blood.

“Heh, trying to escape?”

The man’s voice was hoarse, “Let me send you straight to hell!”

A declaration of death. The man raised his sword.

The girl’s face turned ghastly white, frozen in terror.

“Damn you! You dare assassinate the bloodline of the Green family!” the entangled knight roared in fury, yet his rage was powerless.

He couldn’t break free, and once the girl and the young master perished, he would be the next to die.

“Swish!”

Just as the man lifted his sword, a crude longsword shot through the air like an arrow, aiming straight for his throat.

“Someone’s here?” The man startled, instantly abandoning the kill and twisting aside to evade the attack.

“Swish!”

Another longsword pierced the air, forcing the man to retreat, distancing himself from the girl.

Clop, clop, clop…

Two warhorses arrived one after another. The riders were none other than Ronin and his knight, Macken.

Ronin hadn’t intended to meddle, but considering such a road, any enemies here likely weren’t formidable foes.

After sending Macken ahead to scout and confirm the situation, they hurried over.

Rescuing others and befriending nobility—Ronin couldn’t let such an opportunity slip by.

“Honorable knights, lend your aid! The Green family will repay you generously!”

The battling knight shouted, but as he distracted himself, his arm was sliced by a blade.

“Macken, rescue that knight first,” Ronin commanded.

“Yes, sir!”

Macken leaped off his horse, drew his sword, grabbed his shield, and charged forward.

Yet at that moment, the sword-wielding man discarded his blade, clasped his hands together, and swiftly parted them.

Ronin saw elements gathering between his palms, forming a blade of wind in an instant.

“Careful, he’s a mage!” the girl struggled to speak, warning them.

“Swish!”

The wind blade shot forth, its speed so startling it sent shivers down Ronin’s spine.

“Macken, be careful!”

But his warning was too late. Macken halted his stride, plunged his sword into the ground, and channeled combat aura through the blade into the earth.

Before him, a wall of earth surged upward.

“Crash!”

The wind blade struck the earthen wall, cleanly slicing it into two halves, then carried its remaining force toward Macken!

Macken raised his shield beforehand, bearing the impact.

Luckily, the wind blade had weakened; its leftover force lacked lethal power. Striking the shield, Macken only retreated a small step before stabilizing.

“A mid-level knight?”

The mage’s face changed, “Retreat!”

Seeing the situation shift, he didn’t hesitate—directly fleeing, abandoning even the two knights locked in combat.

But Ronin wasn’t about to let this man escape.

A mage—such a rare existence. And a wind attribute mage, perfectly aligned with his own attributes.

“Macken, deal with this mage. Remember, don’t let him escape!”

“Capture him alive!”

“Your will, my sword!”

Macken showed no fear, rushing forward without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Ronin spurred his horse, charging toward the knights in heated battle.

“Assassinating nobles in the Wushan Territory—which faction do you belong to?”

Sweeping his sword with the momentum of the galloping warhorse, one of the two knights leaped forward to block the strike.

Yet under the immense force, his sword was knocked flying.

Ronin was now a late-stage primary knight, progress at 95/100, far stronger than this primary knight before him.

Combined with the warhorse’s boost, the opponent couldn’t withstand it.

He reined his horse, turned, and charged again. The knight who lost his sword had no intention to resist, fleeing toward the forest to evade pursuit.

But his speed was no match for Ronin’s fine-quality warhorse.

“Slash!”

Ronin pursued from behind, sweeping his sword, slicing through the knight’s arm and the artery in his neck—blood spraying forth.

[“Slaughter King” achievement attained: Attribute points +30, Energy Essence +60]

As this battle concluded, the knight who had been suppressed also completed his counterkill.

Now, only Macken and the mage’s fight remained unfinished.

Ronin watched from atop his horse, observing distantly.

Green energy now flowed around the mage’s feet, revealing to Ronin that a mage’s speed could rival a mid-level knight’s.

Unfortunately, after fleeing a distance, perhaps due to depleted mana, the energy around his feet vanished, and his speed sharply dropped.

Even after darting into the forest, Macken swiftly caught up, kicking him from behind and knocking him flat.

“I advise you not to struggle—it’ll lessen your pain!”

Macken pursued, delivering two solid punches, directly fracturing two ribs. Then gripping the back collar of the mage’s clothing, he hauled him back down the hill.

He tossed the sorcerer before Ronin as if handling a kitten, then rested his sword against the man’s neck.

Ronin withdrew his sword into its sheath, tightened the reins, and remained seated on his horse. "Who are you? Why did you attempt to assassinate members of the Green family?"

"Hmph!"

The sorcerer sneered, "If the initial battle hadn’t drained so much of my magical power, you wouldn’t have captured me now!"

Maken shifted the blade and barked, "Mind your attitude, captive!"

"They likely are assassins from the 'Skull Society.'"

The wounded knight approached, bowing to Ronin and Maken.

"Thank you both for your aid. The Green family shall remember your kindness!"

Ronin nodded slightly. "Go check on your young master and lady. They may have suffered some injuries."

Upon hearing this, the knight hurried toward the carriage without delay.

"By the grace of the Seven Gods, young master, your flesh was merely cut by wind blades—no harm to bones or sinews. Lady, your ankle is twisted and you cannot move temporarily."

Ronin turned his gaze away from the Green family members. This captive would be his greatest gain from this mission.

"Chahar, bring some guards over!"

Chahar, watching from afar, heard Ronin’s call and summoned five guards to run over.

"Master, your orders!"

Ronin pointed at the sorcerer on the ground. "Go see what assistance the young master and lady require."

"Guards, step forward and restrain this fellow. Maken, search him—see if he carries any crucial intelligence."

Searching for intelligence was naturally a pretext; Ronin mainly wished to discover if the man possessed a spellbook or, at least, any money.

Thanks to the votes from masters like "Heaven Has Perished," the book will enter its first round of recommendations at midnight tonight. Follow-up reads are crucial for new authors and new works, so I implore everyone to browse daily (reaching the end of the latest chapter counts as an effective follow-up). Only then can we advance to the next round. Many thanks!

(End of chapter)