My Magic Has No Upper Limit

Early morning.

Sunlight streamed through the massive arched windows, spilling onto the mahogany desk.

On the desk lay the daily financial report for Falling Leaves Town, which had just been delivered.

The mayor of Falling Leaves Town, Lewis Marshall.

A man in his fifties, his hair was thinning slightly, but he had managed to keep his figure from going to pot.

At this moment, he was holding a cup of black tea. After taking a leisurely sip, he felt the warmth spread from his fingertips throughout his body.

He immediately let out a contented sigh.

"Ah... Another quiet day."

As a small border town, Falling Leaves Town didn’t have many complicated affairs to handle each day.

Compared to bustling trade hubs or military strongholds, life here passed by at a leisurely pace, like an old clock hanging on the wall.

The daily routine usually consisted of a few minor property disputes between residents, or some careless farmer mismeasuring his land.

Occasionally, he would also review the income and expense reports from the Government Hall.

It was all trivial, incredibly easy work.

Mayor Lewis put down his teacup, his gaze falling upon a document titled "Application for Additional Funds for the Repair of the Old Stone Bridge in the East of Town."

He scanned it briefly, and a cold sneer involuntarily formed on his lips.

The extra fees in the application were clearly beyond a reasonable scope. There was definitely something fishy going on.

Most likely, those foremen in charge of the repairs were trying to skim something off the top again.

This made him feel a touch of fatigue, tinged with the familiar annoyance of something he had seen all too often.

’Sure enough, there are always people who’ll try to pluck a feather from a passing goose.’

Just as Mayor Lewis was about to pick up his pen and reject the application...

"Mayor! Mayor! This is bad!"

A frantic shout came from outside the door.

The person burst right through the door to the mayor’s office.

It was the clerk from the Government Hall, Karen.

"What is it?" Mayor Lewis frowned slightly.

"Lord Vance... he’s been captured!" Karen said quickly.

"What are you talking about? What do you mean, Vance has been captured?"

Mayor Lewis’s frown deepened. "Are you still drunk from last night?"

"It’s true! Every word of it!"

Karen swore vehemently.

"Early this morning, an Adventurer Squad raided Wenmier Mansion and has Lord Vance under control!"

Karen’s words were decisive and sharp, leaving no room to believe he was joking.

This only made Mayor Lewis find the situation even more absurd.

’An Adventurer Squad dared to raid a noble’s estate? And in broad daylight?’

If such a serious and egregious security incident in his jurisdiction were reported to the Imperial Capital, he probably wouldn’t be able to escape shared responsibility.

"Is Vance dead?" Mayor Lewis shot to his feet, grabbing his coat from the rack and draping it over his shoulders.

"Not yet. He just took a few punches," Karen said, following close behind Mayor Lewis.

’Good, he’s not dead! As long as he’s not dead, there’s still room to maneuver.’

"What about the Security Team? What are they doing?" Mayor Lewis asked.

"They’re already on the scene, Mayor!"

Karen answered immediately, "Captain Darius personally led a squad of elites to Wenmier Mansion."

"Then what are they waiting for?"

Hearing this, Mayor Lewis breathed a sigh of relief.

"Can’t the Security Team’s elites handle a single Adventurer Squad? Just charge in and wipe them out."

"Captain Darius was about to do just that, but there’s a Mage in the enemy Adventurer Squad."

Karen said, "The Mage showed his badge and also said he’s already requested the Mage’s Guild to intervene."

’The Mage’s Guild is getting involved?’

The already-annoyed Mayor Lewis felt his thoughts descend into chaos upon hearing this. Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

’How did a Mage get dragged into this?’

If the Mage’s Guild intervened, things would become far more complicated. It would be a power struggle between extraordinary Power and local authority.

Lewis suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion.

’Why did something like this have to happen?’

"Do you know why this Adventurer Squad has a grudge against Vance?" Lewis asked.

"No idea..." the man shook his head.

"Alright...!"

During their conversation, Mayor Lewis had already reached the ground floor of the Government Hall, where a carriage was waiting at the entrance.

Before boarding, Mayor Lewis seemed to remember something and turned to give Karen a stern order.

"Put a lid on this. Don’t let anyone discuss it! Before the situation is completely clear, don’t let rumors and gossip spread all over town!"

"Yes, Mayor!"

...

Wenmier Mansion.

The Main Hall.

The air was as heavy as lead, exceptionally tense.

The standoff between the Security Team and the Adventurer Squad continued.

The semicircular formation of black steel remained imposing, but Darius and his men dared not advance any further.

Even the Security Team’s Crossbowmen aiming at the Adventurer Squad found their fingers beginning to sweat.

They could all sense their captain’s hesitation and apprehension.

"Haaa..."

Darius let out a heavy breath, his gaze shifting back and forth over the purple-glowing badge in Zelir’s hand.

He was reluctant to admit it, but he was truly intimidated.

After all, Zelir had already brought up the Mage’s Guild and had even sent a message to them.

In the Sel Kingdom, the Nobility represented authority and law, while Mages represented Power and destruction.

Neither was to be trifled with.

As for a Noble Mage... they were a cut above everyone else, and could basically do whatever they pleased.

To be honest, Darius was far more reluctant to offend a Mage.

After all, the latter truly possessed the ability to annihilate you.

’Damn it... Why couldn’t I have been a Mage?’

Darius cursed inwardly.

’If I were a Mage, would I need to be stuck in this miserable standoff?’

According to the brief report his adjutant had just handed him, Darius now had a preliminary understanding of the opposing party’s situation.

Aside from Gray and Zelir, the rest were all Middle Level Professionals, which was already a rather impressive lineup for an Adventurer Squad.

However, Zelir’s strength was clearly greater than that of a Junior Mage; he had completed many Middle Level commissions.

And then there was that devil-may-care-looking Gray...

The file listed him as a Junior Swordsman.

But based on Darius’s own judgment...

The man looked like a Middle Level Swordsman no matter how you sliced it. The sharp aura emanating from him was impossible to ignore.

"SCRAPE..."

The distinct sound of a dinner knife scraping against something rang out.

Gray seemed to have a hearty appetite. He was still spreading butter on a piece of bread, after which he added a sausage and began to chew enthusiastically.

He ate with such gusto that Maki, who was next to him, couldn’t resist.

He decided to grab a blueberry muffin and start filling his own stomach.

"Hey, how can you be in the mood to eat at a time like this?" Valles whispered.

"What’s there to be afraid of? Even if I die, I’m going to die on a full stomach," Gray said, continuing to stuff bread into his mouth.

"There are Middle Level Rangers aiming at us over there," Marcus reminded them.

"Let them aim. Aren’t there only two of them?"

Gray kicked Vance.

"If they shoot two of us, we’ll still have three left. Just remember to slit Vance’s throat for me. He’s coming with us."

Gray even raised his hand and gave a wave to the Rangers in the formation.

"Hey! You guys over there, take it easy! Don’t let an arrow slip by accident."

Listening to the conversation between these bastards, the corner of Vance’s eye couldn’t help but twitch.

His earlier cowardice and fear were gone, replaced now by a rising tide of fury.

"Captain Darius! What are you doing?! I never thought you were such a coward!"

Vance snarled through gritted teeth.

However, because he had lost several teeth, his words came out with a slight lisp.

"I donate so much money to the Security Team every year just to watch you act like a cowering turtle at a time like this?! A single Mage’s Guild has you spooked? Useless!"

Hearing the words "cowering turtle," Darius’s expression also turned ugly.

He shot Vance a cold glance.

"I’m just following procedure."

"What is everyone doing?!"

The powerful roar made the Black Armored Guards tremble.

They were all too familiar with that voice.

Mayor Lewis pushed through the crowd. Darius also took a few steps aside and nodded slightly as a sign of respect.

Mayor Lewis strode in, a thin layer of sweat beading on his forehead.

He was hurried, but he had not lost his authoritative air.

"Mayor Lewis!"

Seeing him arrive, a fresh burst of hope erupted in Vance’s heart, even more intense than when he had seen the Security Team.

"Mayor Lewis, you’re finally here! You have to help me!"

Vance squirmed, trying to move forward, but was pushed back by Marcus.

"Whoa... This is really turning into a big deal."

Gray wiped his hands on Vance’s clothes. "Even the mayor’s been stirred up."

’So they’re the Adventurer Squad...?’

Mayor Lewis narrowed his eyes, sizing up the group, then gave a command in an unquestionable tone.

"I command you to release Vance. Now."

"I’m sorry, Mayor, but I’m afraid we can’t comply," Zelir said, shaking his head.

"Young man, it’s always wise to leave yourself a way out..."

Mayor Lewis said slowly.

"I know you’ve requested the Mage’s Guild to intervene, but until the investigation is complete, this standoff is unseemly—for you and for Falling Leaves Town."

"Listen to me. Release Vance now, and I will have you escorted to a nearby inn to rest. I will also guarantee your personal safety."

"We can negotiate a resolution for everything after the Mage’s Guild arrives."

Mayor Lewis considered this a perfect solution. At least, in his eyes, it saved face for both sides.

"Do you know why we took such a great risk to break into Wenmier Mansion?" Zelir suddenly asked.

Mayor Lewis slowly shook his head. "Tell me."

"Because we suspect Vance is colluding with a Cult," Zelir said, enunciating each word.

"A Cult?"

This taboo word made everyone in the room frown slightly, a sense of inexplicable revulsion welling up inside them.

"We are an Adventurer Squad from Black Stone Town. We came to Falling Leaves Town because we accepted a commission from Vance to ’cleanse the Undead Demons from Rose Castle.’"

"But in the process of carrying out the mission, the situation was completely different from what Vance described."

"In the Underground Tomb beneath Rose Castle, we discovered the remains of numerous other Adventurer Squads, as well as multiple identical commissions previously posted by Vance."

"Moreover, the entire Underground Tomb was arranged with the distinct feeling of a Cult ritual. This included an Array inscribed on the ground, Undead Demons strengthened by evil Power, and mysterious prayers."

"The purpose was to use the Adventurer Squads lured into the Underground Tomb as sacrifices to an Evil God."

"If we hadn’t fought for our lives, we would have been reduced to a pile of remains as well. Now, all signs indicate that Vance is the mastermind behind this incident."

"That’s why we bypassed standard procedures and rashly stormed Wenmier Mansion. We were worried he would destroy the evidence of his collusion with the Cult. It was a necessary measure."