Chapter 105: Counterattack Plan
The birth of contract.
The initial purpose was to allow magicians to control powerful helpers, ensuring that these helpers whom they called attendants would protect them while chanting magic, thus ensuring the smooth casting of magic.
Thus, the attendant contract was the first and original form of contract magic, with the most stable mechanism and the most reasonable procedures.
Once this type of contract took effect, not only was it powerful, but the difficulty of forcibly terminating it was also huge. Especially when the master fulfilled the wishes and conditions proposed by their attendant during the contract, the power of the contract would significantly increase.
Because the master had already fulfilled the promises made in their contract, the attendant who had had their wish granted naturally couldn't back out. Otherwise, wouldn't it leave the master empty-handed?
Taking this into consideration, mechanisms were established when the attendant contract was created. Once the master fulfilled the attendant's wishes or conditions during the contract, its power would increase dramatically, making it difficult to cancel.
Due to this, some attendants, when intentionally forming an attendant contract, wisely set a predetermined time for the contract to take effect, promising to serve for a few years or even decades. Once the time limit was reached, the contract would automatically be released, preventing them from being entangled for a lifetime.
Given these factors, once the attendant contract was in effect, it was nearly impossible to terminate it, and only some extremely rare and specific methods could forcibly cancel an already effective attendant contract.
However, the slavery contract, being one-sided and forceful, was a different story altogether.
This type of contract magic, which deprived people of their human rights and required unconditional obedience to the master's commands, was no longer considered contract magic but rather a form of domination, manipulation, and brainwashing.
Such contracts were highly unstable, with a very imbalanced structure, making it less difficult to forcibly cancel compared to the attendant contract.
In general, as long as a magician's magical energy was stronger than the magician who cast the slavery contract, any magician could forcefully cancel and terminate the slavery contract.
Some powerful swordsmen could also resist the effects of a slavery contract based on their power.
For example, a swordsman who practiced special swordsmanship and activated the attributes within their magical energy, thus making their sword technique akin to magic, could mostly resist the slavery contract.
Take the Holy Dragon Sword Style as an example.
Swordsmen who practiced this special swordsmanship would develop a body comparable to that of a great dragon and possess an anti-magic attribute. They could even withstand the direct impact of tactical-class magic, which meant forcibly planting a slavery contract into their bodies was basically impossible.
Even without practicing special swordsmanship, as long as a swordsman had power surpassing the magician who cast the slavery contract, they could activate their magical energy through their swordsmanship, break free from the contract's constraints, and regain their freedom.
Therefore, there were various means to abolish the slavery contract, providing those enslaved with the possibility of resistance. This resulted in incidents of slave rebellions every year on the Akasha Continent, as some slaves saw hope in breaking free from their slavery.
Exploiting this dynamic, the Basolo family orchestrated the attack on the Frenzel residence using slaves without fear or concern.
"I bet they'll claim that an unknown magician had offered freedom to the slaves as a condition, inciting these slaves to attack this place."
Yuri spoke, pointing to the tactical-class barrier enveloping the entire Frenzel residence.
"Well, this time, a Tactical-Class Magician is definitely involved. But the thing is, the Basolo family doesn't have any Tactical-Class Magician under their command, so they have a valid excuse to justify themselves."
Even a perceptive person could see that the Basolo family couldn't escape involvement in this matter.
But, even if that were the case, so what?
"In the end, as long as nothing happens to me, the kingdom and the royal family can turn a blind eye to this incident. That's politics for you." Yuri remarked helplessly.
After all, within the royal capital, there were plenty who preferred her to stay in the royal capital.
The royal family, in particular, wanted Yuri under their watchful eyes to make themselves feel at ease. Other nobles also had their own plans and agendas; some even harbored grievances against the Frenzel family, disliking her Strategic-Class Magician status and not minding causing trouble for her behind the scenes.
In the midst of all this, if the Basolo family utilized their connections both openly and covertly, they could smooth things over and blur the lines between major and minor issues.
Of course, bystanders might choose to ignore this incident, but Yuri certainly wouldn't.
If the Basolo family truly did all of this, Yuri would undoubtedly retaliate. Yet if what they did could secure the marriage, the Basolo family was more than willing to pay the price. After all, as both of them were marquis families, she wouldn't go so far as to destroy their family.
At most, they would have to pay some price for her retaliation, and this price was something they could afford.
Therefore, as long as Yuri, this important Strategic-Class Magician, remained unharmed and the royal family's bottom line wasn't breached, the Basolo family was fearless.
The only uncertain factor was the Tactical-Class Magician.
Their identity was unknown, and their involvement would undoubtedly raise suspicions from various factions, including the royal family.
Yet, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Wasn't suspicion good?
The more the royal family suspects, the more they worry that some unknown party might be targeting Yuri, making them more prone to keep her in the royal capital.
At the same time, the Basolo family could shift all responsibility for the masked people who attacked Riezel to the suspected Tactical-Class Magician, thus cleaning themselves entirely.
This complex web of schemes made it crystal clear how the royal family and the nobles would react. It was precisely because of this understanding that the Basolo family dared to launch such a blatant attack, confident in predicting the responses of the royal family and nobles.
However—
"But, that is assuming I'm okay..." Yuri chuckled without any apparent reason. "If something truly happens to me, the Basolo family will be in deep trouble, even if they don't end up dead."
Her words carried hidden implications that Riezel could discern.
"Are you suggesting...?" Riezel looked at her, surprised.
"They're trying to play tricks, right? Well, let them try then." Yuri grinned. "After this incident is over, everyone will know I'm seriously injured."
As her words came out, Riezel felt a tingling sensation on his scalp.
For the Basolo family's plan to work seamlessly, it was crucial that Yuri, this key character, remained unharmed. If anything went wrong with her, the Basolo family would be finished, and the royal family and the kingdom's major nobles wouldn't turn a blind eye.
They would thoroughly investigate the incident, identify the mastermind behind the attack on the Frenzel residence, and take appropriate action.
The illusions created by the Basolo family would be useless once Jinas began a serious investigation.
"Let's go." Yuri said cheerfully. "Let's take care of things here first. Once the barrier is removed, I won't be able to move around freely here anymore."
It was precisely for that purpose that she seemed so relaxed, taking her time without rushing to remove the tactical-class barrier covering the Frenzel residence.
"Is this really okay?" Riezel said hesitantly. "Even if you pretend—I mean, even if you're seriously injured, letting the Basolo family be held accountable, the fact that you were attacked will still be true. If news of your serious injury spreads, the royal family will be even more concerned about your safety, and you won't be able to leave the royal capital, right?"
"So what?" Yuri retorted nonchalantly. "As long as the truth about this mess gets out, can the Basolo family still continue proposing a marriage with my family?"
Certainly not.
Once news spread about Yuri being seriously injured due to the Basolo family's planned attack, she would have every reason to reject the marriage. The residents in her territory would also refuse to cooperate with a noble who harmed their lord.
In this case, the Basolo family's plans to create a 'fait accompli' would also fail.
"Moreover, I still haven't received any instructions from the King to stay, have I?" Yuri continued casually. "As the one seriously injured in this incident, it's reasonable and fair for me to escape this 'unsafe' royal capital and return to my own territory to save my life, isn't it?"
Reasonable and fair? What a load of crap!
If she were seriously injured in the royal capital, the reasonable and fair thing to do would be to escape to the royal palace, seeking the protection of the royal family. This would truly be a reasonable and fair course of action.
Yuri's move indicated that she was preparing to play a political game.
In case she actually slipped out of the royal capital and the royal family saw that the situation was already resolved, even if they suspected something fishy about Yuri's 'serious injury', they could only turn a blind eye and choose to ignore it.
The Basolo family had their own tricks and games, so it was only natural that Yuri, as the head of the Frenzel family, could play as well.
After all, political maneuvering between nobles was not uncommon in any kingdom, and the royal family might even appreciate it.
If all the nobles suddenly stopped competing with each other, the royal family would be on edge, overly suspicious of a coup d'etat, fearing that the next day they might wake up to find their dynasty over.
Considering this, as long as it did not touch absolute red lines, the royal family generally turned a blind eye to the power struggles between nobles, whether it was the Basolo family plotting against the Frenzel family or the Frenzel family retaliating against the Basolo family.
"However, there's a problem we need to address." Yuri changed the topic, bringing Riezel back to reality.
"What is it?" Riezel asked instinctively.
"The current commotion is not big enough..." Yuri said faintly as she gazed outside the window. "Only this level of chaos is not enough to prove that something big has happened here, something that could harm a Strategic-Class Magician protected by multiple Sword Masters and a hundred skilled knights."
As the saying goes, to prove that someone was burned alive in the fire, there needs to be a sufficiently intense blaze.
"It would be best if a tactical-class magic is unleashed here, causing widespread destruction." Yuri addressed the problem.
"The Lady can't do it herself." Marilyn indifferently chimed in. "Her magical energy is too distinctive. If some court magician were to investigate, it would surely be exposed."
The question was, where could they find an unknown Tactical-Class Magician at this time and in this situation?
This was the only loophole in Yuri's plan that hadn't been resolved yet. If this loophole wasn't addressed, she would have to resort to other means.
"Using items like alchemical bombs as substitutes should achieve the same effect, though the cleanup afterward might be a bit troublesome..." Yuri explained with a sigh.
Upon hearing that, Riezel remained silent.
After a while, he sighed.
"As long as a tactical-class magic lands here, right?"
Hearing his sudden question, Yuri and Marilyn looked at him in wonder.
"Alright. Leave it to me then."
After saying that, Riezel left the corridor without waiting for Yuri's answer, heading directly to the exit.
Yuri and Marilyn exchanged a confused glance, both having an incredible speculation in their minds.
'Could it be...?'
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Chapter 106: My Friend
The explosion in the Frenzel residence had ceased, though it was unclear when.
The alchemical bombs buried all around the residence seemed to have detonated, no longer causing harm.
The surrounding walls had collapsed, allowing black smoke and exploding flames to billow. The ground, as well as all sides of the residence, became pockmarked as if it had suffered a fierce artillery attack.
At first glance, the situation seemed dire. But upon closer inspection, apart from the courtyard being affected, the luxurious mansion had suffered almost no damage with no casualties.
Yes.
Everyone emerged unscathed since the unarmed servants had sought refuge in the underground cellar.
The knights and guards, with some injuries but nothing serious, remained in the area. In contrast, the slaves who had attacked the Frenzel residence were now experiencing heavy casualties.
Some lay on the ground, others in pools of blood.
Some were restrained by the knights and guards, while others were tied up with ropes, each looking rather pitiful.
Even the sharp-eyed slave, now lying beneath Ian's sword, wore a face filled with regret.
Proven by reality, it was simply impossible for these slaves to overcome a hundred-strong knightly order led by a Sword Master.
The Frenzel family's knightly order possessed a strength that left even Riezel astonished, generally ranging from Level 3 to Level 4.
How could a group of people fallen into slavery pose a threat to knights who trained daily and had experienced numerous battles?
The sharp-eyed slave did show some strength, probably comparable to Level 4. Unfortunately, he happened to face a Sword Master equivalent to Level 5, and the outcome was easily predictable.
If there were any Sword Masters among these slaves, the Basolo family would have surely recruited them, rather than sending them as sacrificial pawns.
After all, very few Sword Masters became slaves because there weren't many magicians capable of imposing a slavery contract on a swordsman of this caliber. Only Tactical-Class Magicians and above could enslave a Sword Master.
Even if a Sword Master was enslaved, they were considered the most precious commodity. If one appeared in the royal market, it would be auctioned as the highlight of the event, not something the Basolo family could casually buy in bulk in the slave district.
Therefore, the slaves who attacked the Frenzel residence, despite possessing combat abilities, ultimately fell short of the knights trained under major nobles. Otherwise, the nobles wouldn't bother training their own knights and would simply buy slaves directly.
Among this group of slaves, the only standout was the sharp-eyed slave; while the rest couldn't measure up at all. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that Ian chose not to kill him and spared his life.
As Ian prepared to send all the slaves away, Ain, who was responsible for dispersing personnel and protecting the servants in the mansion, suddenly appeared with a command.
"Go into the basement and wait?" Ian was momentarily surprised, but in the next moment, Ain's whispered words in her ear made her show a look of sudden realization.
With a group of knights and slaves, they all quickly entered the basement.
Unbeknownst to them, someone had climbed onto the roof of the mansion.
It was none other than Riezel.
"Have they all taken shelter?" Riezel muttered as he looked down at the entire residence from above.
After confirming that there was no one in sight, he raised his head, looking at the tactical-class barrier overhead.
"Basolo family, huh?" Riezel squinted his eyes, suddenly smiling. "Since they used me, I'll personally take this bit of interest."
He was someone who held grudges after all.
In his previous life, many unpleasant things had happened to him, and although he had grown numb to them, he always remembered and vowed not to repeat them in this life, even at the cost of his own life.
In the past when ambushed by the Freya familia in the world of Danmachi, Riezel also took note of this grudge and vowed to settle it. Now, with the Basolo family's scheme of using that pouch of gold coins on him, how could he not repay this debt?
Therefore, after learning about Yuri's plan, he took on this task that would add fuel to the fire without hesitation.
"Okay, let's begin..." Riezel closed his eyes.
Among the eleven types of magic he possessed, there were three wide-area annihilation magic with destructive power on par with tactical-class magic.
One, learned from Lefiya, was the flame element wide area annihilation magic, 'Fusillade Fallarica'.
The other two were learned from Orario's strongest mage, Riveria Ljos Alf.
Being a high elf and member of elven royalty, she possessed a technique called 'Chant Connection'.
It allowed her to segment and connect the chants of her three magic, showcasing different effects and powers.
Through the flexible use of chant connection, she could break down each of her magic into three levels, allowing her three magic to manifest in a total of nine different forms.
Hence, Riveria received praise from various gods and earned 'Nine Hell' as her alias.
Riveria's nine magic was actually only comprised of three magic, which were attack magic, defense magic, and healing magic. However, with the chant connection, these three magic were divided into nine types, becoming three attack magic, three defense magic, and three healing magic.
Riezel learned a total of five magic from Riveria, leaving four untouched.
Of these four untouched magic, three were healing magic, as she believed her healing magic couldn't match Airmid's 'Dia Fratel', so she chose not to teach them to him.
The remaining one, which was one of three attack magic, had the strongest power and effects, situated on the third level. The reason for not teaching this particular magic was solely its overwhelming power.
Riveria hesitated to use it even in the dungeon, fearing it could harm allies, destroy the terrain, and lead to casualties on one's own side. In the city, the consequences would be even more catastrophic.
Regardless, she still taught him both the first and second levels of her attack magic, along with the other three defense magic.
Now, what Riezel was about to use was precisely the second level of Riveria's attack magic, the most potent among the three wide-area annihilation magic he mastered.
"The flame will soon be released."
A solemn chant echoed from Riezel's mouth.
"Creeping war, unavoidable destruction. The horn of battle sounds aloud, the cruelty of conflict will envelop all."
A fiery-red magic circle emerged beneath his feet.
"Come, crimson flames, the ruthless inferno."
The magic circle began to expand, spreading across the entire roof.
"You are the avatar of hellfire. Sweep completely, bring a close to the great war."
The temperature in the air began to rise, letting the scorching aura permeate all around.
"Burn them through, Sword of Surtr - my name is Alf."
Riezel slowly opened his eyes, transforming a substantial amount of his 'Mind' into magical energy, releasing it.
"Rea Laevateinn."
The flame-red magic circle expanded extremely fast at that moment.
*WHOOSH—*
In the next second, massive flames appeared.
It burst forth from the magic circle as if red fire had erupted from the depths of hell itself, instantly dyeing the entire area crimson.
The temperature in the atmosphere quickly soared, increasing to a level that ordinary people would find unbearable.
The intense heat raged, filling every inch of the tactical-class barrier without leaving a gap.
Soon, the ground ignited, the courtyard ignited, the flora ignited, and even the only undamaged mansion was mercilessly set ablaze, thoroughly engulfed in flames.
The red fire, capable of burning everything to ashes, raged throughout the entire Frenzel residence, shrouding everything in flames.
This was a sea of fire that could incinerate everything within a radius of several kilometers.
Riezel stood on the gradually burning mansion rooftop, watching everything unfold. His face and eyes seemed to be on fire, glowing red.
After a while, he turned around, leaped, and jumped down from the mansion rooftop.
Only the sea of fire remained, continuing to burn as if it would never extinguish.
Yuri, who had retreated to the edge of the barrier, was momentarily stunned senseless.
She saw a massive magic circle appear over the mansion, and flames descended from the sky, enveloping the entire Frenzel residence.
"He actually unleashed a tactical-class magic..."
Staring at the astonishingly high-temperature sea of fire, Yuri seemed somewhat in a daze. On her side, Marilyn was also gazing at the scene, her eyes flickering.
"My Lady..." Marilyn said in a hushed voice. "Mr. Riezel's seems to hide something..."
Hearing her maid's words, Yuri pursed her lips and remained silent.
Hiding something?
Wasn't that obvious?
He was clearly bedridden and dying not long ago. Yet, after getting up and recovering from his injuries, he could effortlessly defeat a Sword Master from the Shadow and casually unleash tactical-class magic.
Both swordsmanship and magic were at such a high level, almost unbelievable.
Before being bedridden, Riezel definitely didn't possess such power. If he had, he wouldn't have been on the brink of death, almost killed by someone.
The question was, why did he completely change after that incident? Not just in terms of power, even his personality seemed to have transformed, like a different person.
"Should we investigate him again, My Lady?" Marilyn carefully weighed her words, pondering what exactly she suggested.
Yuri understood that Marilyn suspected Riezel of having some ulterior motives. Logic also told her that she should do what her maid suggested, to uncover whether he was intentionally hiding some unknown plot.
However—
"I don't want to doubt my friend." Yuri stated simply before turning away. "Once Ain and Ian have everything arranged, tell them to come and meet us outside the royal capital."
After saying that, she left directly.
Marilyn, however, stood in place, her eyes still flickering as she watched Yuri's departing figure.
Marilyn knew Yuri was avoiding.
Becoming a marquis at the age of seventeen was naturally impossible for an idiot. Yuri was wise and intelligent, evident in her planning to counterattack the Basolo family.
However, her past had been too restrictive and oppressive. Now that she had finally gained a friend with whom she could share her true thoughts and be her true self, she didn't want to treat him with the overly suspicious mindset typical of nobles.
Riezel was a rare and her only friend.
Yuri was unwilling to lose him, subconsciously rejecting anything that might lead to losing this 'connection'.
For that reason, she could do anything for this friend and could ignore everything for them as well.
However—
'For us, the most important one is you, not Riezel Brynhart...' Marilyn looked toward the sea of fire behind, a cold glow appearing in her eyes.
Several seconds later, Marilyn turned and left, following Yuri's footsteps.
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