Chapter 115 – Meeting the Guy

「He’s flying!」

「After him! Don’t let him escape!」

A few men who were out of the range of the Steam Explosion came running after me. But there’s no way they can catch up to me when I’m using flying magic. Then again, it’s not an entirely convenient spell. Magic Wing can only be used for short distances. It won’t even take me out of the forest. If it did, I would’ve used it by now.

While I may have made it out of the danger zone — the area near the altar — I’m still in enemy territory. If I run on foot as soon as I land, they will surely catch me in no time.

So the moment the effects of Magic Wing wore off, I put my plan into action.

「Phantom Aura. Mana Invisibility.」

I chanted two spells mid-air. The latter is what I’ve been using so far. Phantom Aura, on the other hand, is a basic spell that creates an illusion. As it’s only basic magic, the double can only perform basic movements, and it’s a little transparent. It would be too obvious up close.

But it was more than enough. As I was falling through the air, my double rose higher, heading the other way.

Sure, anyone can tell it’s an illusion up close, but far enough and no one would notice. The real me was hidden by Mana Invisibility. Even when falling, as long as I maintain the proper stance, I can still activate the spell.

The moment I touched the ground, I started running without using magic. It would be faster if I used Wind Walk, but they might find me with magic detection.

Looks like I managed to fool them.

I watched the enemy firing spells at my double. All I need to do now is to leave the danger area and return to Count Meigis’s domain.

Thirty minutes later.
I was running through a forest, trying to get away from Georgis’s lands as fast as possible.

I would’ve loved to slip into a town…

While an uninhabited forest might sound safe, it’s actually the worst place one could be. If the enemy used detection spells, they would know that someone was in an unnatural spot.

If I disappeared into a town, finding me wouldn’t be easy. There’s not much difference between people’s mana after all. They would need a powerful spell to single out a specific person.

I don’t know if someone from the enemy side can use such a spell, but considering the power level of the men guarding the altar, I should be safe inside a town.

But if the news of the attack already reached town, entering one would be the most dangerous part. The route to town should be heavily guarded and I would need to get past security as I leave too. In other words, going to a town is too risky.

In that case, the safest option is to cut straight to the border. Even Cardinal Georgis can’t guard every nook and cranny of his huge territory.

So I went straight for the border without stopping by a town. That also means I can’t let my guard down until I’m outside of the Cardinal’s lands. I could use Magic Search, but the enemy might detect the usage of the spell.

Actually, since I’ve made it this far, maybe it’s safe.

But I was right to be cautious.

「Paralyze.」

An old man’s voice came from within the forest. A slight shock ran through my body. I was hit by a low-level paralyzing spell. But with Magic Veil still on, I managed to repel it.

I was caught by surprise.

What?

I was surprised not of the sudden attack or that I got followed. What surprised me was the spell itself.

Paralyze is a basic Sage spell that paralyzes the enemy. Not a Mage spell, but a Sage’s.

「I came here fast after hearing about the attack on the altar. I didn’t expect you to escape all the way here alone.」

A familiar face appeared from the woods. It’s not like I’ve met the guy before, but I’ve seen the portraits.

「Cardinal Georgis?」

「Oh, so you know me.」he answered casually.

It looks like he’s not gonna pretend that I got the wrong guy.