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Chapter 11: Silverwood Forest

Sponsored Chapter (1/4)

It is currently early afternoon.

In the forest illuminated by the sunlight, Lucius and the others are moving with a carriage and a horse, just like on their way here.

In the dim morning, surrounded by city walls, they departed from the metropolis to return home.

If there's one thing different from the way here, it's Lucius.

Carrying the sword given by the king and riding with his father, Robel's horse, he was swaying on the horse in his father's arms.

"Man, I'm seriously exhausted."

Robel muttered, as if letting out his complaints from the depths of his heart.

After the "Appraisal Ceremony," they were called into a separate room where the King and Count Strauss were present and relentlessly questioned about Lucius' appraisal results.

They rushed from the capital to the investigation team, took blood samples from Lucius who was staying at the inn, and went as far as to confirm his true parentage through a paternity test.

However, Robel truly had no idea and was completely at a loss.

In fact, the "Rite of Bestowal" had only been performed once.

As for why the magic core was located somewhere other than his left hand, Robel had no answer.

It was four days after the "Appraisal Ceremony" when I was freed.

As a result, it was concluded that it was an extremely unusual but spontaneous occurrence.

It is rare for something other than the implanted magic core to manifest through the "Rite of Bestowal." However, there was one case where it increased, but there had never been a case where it increased by three, which caused confusion among the investigation team.

Moreover, individuals born with four magic cores are not recorded to exist. This poses a dilemma for the country's investigation team.

However, Lucius knew the reason.

Naturally, he kept it secret from his parents and the investigation team.

-I overdid it...

Presumably, the method to increase magic cores involves channeling magic power to a painful area. I heard it from the investigation team that even if you channel magic power through your right hand as an adult, no magic core will be formed. It is probably more crucial to do it during infancy.

And it is unthinkable to intentionally subject an infant to a painful method.

Lucius couldn't completely dismiss the possibility of undergoing the "Rite of Bestowal" on a body part other than his left hand. Reluctantly, he did it, but infants usually don't have memories before one month of age.

There is no motive for willingly engaging in an act that causes pain.

However, there are exceptions to everything.

Rarely, there may have been infants in the past who, for some reason, underwent the procedure despite the pain.

"Seriously, what's happening? I thought you had a lot of magic power, but I never imagined it would be to this extent."

Robel tousled Lucius' head gently.

Even if Lucius were to be blamed, he didn't know anything about the average in the world.

"Father and mother knew about my magical power, right? If so, did you know from the beginning?"

"I could only roughly estimate the amount, whether it's high, average, or low. If everyone could accurately gauge other people's magical power, there would be no need for the 'Appraisal Ceremony' in the first place."

"Now that you mention it..."

"But well, between you and me, it felt satisfying to see that idiotic face of Gaeden."

Robel chuckled.

"That Viscount Gaeden, he was getting overly involved with you, father. Was there something going on?"

"Oh, that... "

Just as Robel started speaking, a scream echoed.

"Gyaaaah!"

Looking around, they saw the father of the twins, who had been driving the carriage, had fallen off the side and was lying on the ground. Blood was spreading near where he had collapsed.

Without wasting a moment, Robel kicked the horse's flank and hurried over to the fallen man. Lucius clung to the horse.

Almost simultaneously, a whooshing sound passed by, followed by a thud.

They immediately recognized the source of the sound.

"Towards the carriage!"

Arrows were piercing through the carriage where the mothers were riding.

"It's an ambush!"

Robel shouted loudly, and arrows rained down one after another.

Countless arrows were coming towards them like a storm.

-There's no way to dodge this!-

Robel pressed down on Lucius' head, who was panicking, and raised his left hand. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew from nowhere.

It was an immensely powerful wind that could make one think a localized typhoon had formed. The arrows were swept away by the wind and flowed in the opposite direction.

"What is this wind?!"

"It's my spell. But more importantly, the next wave is coming! Hold on tight!"

As the grass and trees around them trembled, peculiar figures appeared.

Creatures that seemed to be about the height of children, with a pale grayish skin, appeared around the carriage. There were roughly thirty of them, even with a quick glance.

They were dressed in nothing more than loincloths and leather chest guards. They were armed with rusty swords, spears, stone axes, bows, and arrows. They all had an ugly expression on their faces, accompanied by a sinister smile.

-What are those creatures!?-

Robel drew his rapier from its scabbard and urged the horse to gallop. Lucius desperately clung to the horse's neck.

"You goblins! It seems you have no idea who you're attacking!"

Robel decapitated several goblins around him with his saber, their bodies falling to the ground without their heads, blood splattering in an unfamiliar manner.

"Gigihihihi!"

Seething with anger at the death of their comrades, the goblins leaped at Lucius and Robel in unison.

Robel continued to slay the attacking goblins one after another. Lucius bobbed up and down hurriedly with the horse's neck.

-What the hell is going on!-

"Kyaaa!"

As I turned around at the sound of a scream, I saw around ten goblins clinging to the carriage.

"Emily!!!"

Robel shouted and once again raised his left hand, summoning a smaller gust of wind than before.

Buffeted by the strong wind, the goblins clinging to the carriage were ripped away. However, the wind was so powerful that the carriage itself made a loud noise and toppled over.

In the chaos, the reins came loose, and the horse pulling the carriage bolted away in a panic.

"Mother!"

The goblins that had been temporarily dislodged from the carriage leaped back onto it. They pounded on the rusty weapons against the door in an attempt to pry it open.

The goblins that were confronting Robel realized they were missing out on the fun and hurriedly headed towards the carriage.

Inside the carriage were Lucius's mother, the maid, and the twin infants. Emily and Matilda desperately tried to prevent the goblins from opening the door.

- Are they targeting my mother and the others!?

"I won't allow it!"

Robel urged his horse forward, trampling the swarming goblins and striking them down with his saber as he headed straight for the carriage.

As soon as he reached the vicinity of the carriage, Robel cut down the goblins who were desperately trying to pry open the door.

- Amazing...

Lucius was overwhelmed by the unyielding spirit he had never seen in his father before.

Just when it seemed like Robel would annihilate the goblins, the horse began to thrash about.

Immediately after, Lucius and his father were thrown to the ground together.

When he looked up, he saw a spear deeply embedded in the horse's belly.

"Damn it! This is why goblins are such a nuisance! Lucius, stay behind me!"

"Yes."

Robel quickly stood up, rushed to the fallen carriage, and confronted the goblins.

"Come on! Photon!"

As Robel shouted, particles erupted from his left hand and took shape.

A creature unlike anything they had seen before appeared, with the head of an eagle, the body of a horse, and enormous wings.

The beak of the eagle and the forearms with sharp claws, resembling an enlarged version of an eagle's talons, seemed capable of piercing even rocks.

- It resembles the Sirens from the Appraisal Ceremony.

It resembled the half-human, half-bird monstrosity that the old woman summoned during the Appraisal Ceremony, not in appearance but in the manner of summoning from the left hand.

"Go!"

Robel shouted, and the horse with the eagle head flapped its giant wings and headed straight for the carriage, tearing apart the goblins as if they were mere insects.

Robel himself wielded his saber and continued to cut down the goblins one by one.

Meanwhile, nearly half of the goblins had already ceased breathing, and many of the remaining ones had lost limbs or sustained significant injuries.

"Gigii!"

As one of the goblins let out a cry, they all seemed to have coordinated their actions and started to flee. The small creatures swiftly disappeared into the grass, their figures vanishing in an instant.

What remained were the overturned carriage and the people.

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