Mage? Magic Engineer!

As Richard neared the convoy, a faint crackling sound reached his ears. It indicated that the Radio Communication Skill was in constant use here.

He tried to tap into the channel. As expected, most of the transmissions were on the public frequency. The sounds—woven from Magic Power, radio waves, and voices—were just as bustling and chaotic as the situation unfolding in the real world.

Despite the heavy static, he could still make out a few clear phrases: "I’m a Court Guard Mage! What do you think you’re doing?!"

"Where is the Crown Prince?"

"It’s dangerous here! Have the Crown Prince come with us, quickly..."

"Bullshit! Aren’t you the danger here?! You’re traitors..."

All of this was happening on the communication channel. From the perspective of the gendarmes and Guards, this group of Casters was just standing there with their eyes closed and mouths shut, looking aloof as they exchanged mental broadcasts.

Suddenly, an unknown voice cut in, silencing the entire communication channel: "Get the Crown Prince out here, or I’m going to blow up every single carriage!"

Then, the other Mages, regardless of which side they were on, all started screaming into the channel at once: "Are you a fucking idiot?"

"Did you get hit with the Idiot Skill?"

Not far from Richard, a Caster was promptly whacked on the head by his own comrade. Apparently, he was the one who had just threatened an "indiscriminate attack."

Richard decided to take down anyone he could to make his eventual breakout easier. Plus, there were two exposed Mages right in front of him. He immediately sent two Fireballs their way. His former colleagues, now his enemies, rolled on the ground in flames. At the same time, Libus caught up to Richard, tackling him from behind and clinging tightly to his waist.

The girl wasn’t large, but she was dense; the impact sent a jolt through Richard. He twisted around and pulled her into his arms. This wasn’t some attempt to flirt during a crisis; he was doing his best to shield her in a place where Mages were trading fire.

But Libus was no damsel in distress. Her Prophetic Talent was firing on all cylinders. "Three o’clock!" she cried. Just as she predicted, an enemy Mage attacked from the right. As soon as Richard blocked it, Libus drew his loaded firearm and fired.

Pressed close together, their synergy was stunning. For the first time, Richard found combat this exhilarating. ’This is the joy of having a cheat code!’

In the darkness, flashes of gunfire and Magic flickered. The two youths performed the ballroom dance they never got to at the party, moving in lockstep, weaving around each other. There was no orchestral accompaniment, but this dance of death was more than thrilling enough, more than beautiful enough.

Guided by her prophetic sight, the two finally drew near the convoy.

The gendarmes forming the last line of defense were on edge. They couldn’t figure out the deal with this strange man and woman, raising their guns and preparing to fire at a moment’s notice.

But then, Richard and Libus’s forms flickered and passed right through them. The gendarmes stood rooted to the spot in horror, wondering if their eyes were playing tricks on them in the night or if they’d fallen for some Mage’s illusion.

"So you know Teleportation Magic and you’re only using it now?" They were already inside a carriage—one that seemed to be used for storing food. In the cramped space, Libus simply settled into Richard’s arms.

"It’s not teleportation. It’s... becoming incorporeal to pass through solid objects... and I can’t hold it for long." Richard’s eyes dimmed slightly. After he’d had time to rest and recover some of his strength, the first spell he learned was Gaseous Form—his way, as a Caster, of commemorating his fallen comrades.

"I see..."

"What’s wrong?" Using his Dark Vision, Richard suddenly noticed tears of blood streaming from the girl’s eyes.

"The price for using my ability. Remember what I told you? Now, give me a cloth to cover my eyes." Libus’s tone was light, betraying no pain. She simply closed her eyes. "Your target is in the carriage ahead of us. Go on."

"To hell with that," Richard said, immediately removing his sash. It was made of soft, smooth silk, which couldn’t be more perfect. After tearing off a strip of suitable width, Richard moved to tie it around the girl’s eyes.

"You don’t need to worry about that. But since you’re helping, could you take off my straw sandals for me...?" Libus took the strip of cloth and tied it over her own eyes, lifting her foot as best she could. "It’s an ancestral heirloom from hundreds of years ago."

The young man clumsily removed them and handed them to her, watching as Libus stuffed them back into her Storage Bag.

"Let’s go."

"Wait, Richard, I haven’t put my boots back on yet! Carrying me while I’m... Huh? Hey, hey!"

...

"Your Highness, quickly, take them off." In the carriage ahead—originally the vehicle for the servants—the Crown Prince was crammed in with two of his personal attendants and the three original servants.

They had exchanged clothes with each other, and an attendant was giving the final instructions to the unlucky decoys. "When you get out, crawl along the ground first. Only stand up to draw their attention once you’re a good distance from the carriage, understand?"

The other two servants accepted the order readily, but the one dressed as the Crown Prince couldn’t stop trembling.

"This is your honor, you stupid pig!" The attendant kicked the decoy down and, in the same motion, kicked open the carriage door. But as the servants started to crawl out, a ghostly image bizarrely appeared outside and solidified into... a man and a woman.

A handsome Caster in military uniform, holding a barefoot, blindfolded young woman in his arms. Though her eyes were covered, the visible part of her face clearly belonged to a beauty. Her arms were wrapped tightly around the young man’s neck.

’What is going on?’

Everyone in the carriage was stunned. The attendant who reacted fastest drew his sword and pointed it at the two of them.

Although Richard was annoyed to have a sword pointed at himself and Libus, he quickly introduced himself. "Richard von Dalberg, Colonel of the Empire Army’s Marlin Second Legion. I am here to protect Your Highness."

The young woman in his arms spoke up as well. "Princess Libus Maria Crook of Pomerania. It is a pleasure to meet Your Highness, though I am unable to see you."

As Libus spoke, Richard used his Mage’s Hand to retrieve the medal Hench had given him. "Richard Hench gave me this token. He said you would believe our intentions once you saw it."

The attendant, still holding his sword, could only watch as the medal floated over to the Crown Prince. The prince took it with trembling hands, using the moonlight to confirm it was indeed the one he himself had recently awarded to the young, decorated hero.

"Hench mentioned you. So you’re from the Dalberg Family..." The Crown Prince, calming down slightly as he put the pieces together, said, "Good. Good... Excellent!"

The attendant was still wary. "How do we know you’re here to protect His Highness and not to kidnap him?"

Libus couldn’t stop herself from snapping, her words coming so fast they were tinged with her native Pomeranian accent. "We’re at this point, and you’re questioning us? As if you have a choice? My... this friend of mine is a Caster!"

Richard paid him no mind. They were too big a target standing outside. He simply carried the young lady and climbed into the carriage, leaving the guard powerless to stop him. Richard explained, "One of you, get the horses moving. I’ll put a Shield over this carriage and get His Highness out of here. The destination is up to him."

The attendant looked to the Crown Prince, who nodded. "To the Imperial Palace."

The Blue Light Barrier had its limits. Richard had to forgo protecting everyone, shielding only a few of the occupants. He held Libus tight, making sure she and the Crown Prince were covered.

The attendant driving the carriage signaled to the other vehicles. The coachmen who hadn’t already fled or been killed spurred their horses, and for a moment, the convoy lurched back into motion. This, combined with the appearance of the decoys, threw the scene into even greater chaos.

Just as the carriage was about to break onto the main street and escape the hot zone, a Missile tore through its side. The barrier stopped it. However, the resulting flare of blue light revealed the carriage’s special status.

Instantly, many of the assailants switched their targets. Richard abandoned his purely defensive stance and took a deep breath. Like the breath of a Dragon, a pillar of fire erupted from the carriage, blasting away horses and Casters alike.

The Crown Prince clutched his left arm tightly with his right hand. Peering back through the scorched, gaping hole, he saw a battlefield filled with people in similar uniforms, all slaughtering one another.