"Aaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!"

The entire castle echoed with a piercing scream.

That was the signal that the battle had begun.

But outside the castle walls, another group was stirring.

"Is everyone ready?"

A man with a prominent scar on his eye.

Cedric had his sword at the ready.

He was not alone in the dimly lit space; many others stood by his side.

They were mercenaries.

Men who'd do almost anything if the price was right.

However, even for a good sum, there were tasks they'd refuse, especially those with high risk to their lives.

No amount of money could make them undertake missions with a high probability of death.

Yet, they were gathered here for a dangerous task.

If they failed, they would all face a grim fate.

And the reason they'd gathered despite such odds?

It was because of Cedric.

The mercenaries trusted him, drawn by his reputation as the 'King of Mercenaries'.

They believed in him and his cause.

With sword in hand, Cedric took the lead.

"We march towards freedom, towards equality, one step at a time."

What Cedric desired was freedom.

What he yearned for was equality.

A brilliant and beautiful ideology.

He was like a moth drawn to this radiant flame.

He believed in this path, in this ideal.

He thought that granting freedom to everyone was the answer.

The sacrifices made along the way, he believed, had value.

Despite all obstacles, he relentlessly pursued this path, this belief.

With that, Cedric led his band from the darkness towards the light.

Their hideout was in a cave nearby.

The castle's forces were currently occupied by beasts at the main gate.

That left the rear gate almost unguarded.

Moreover, the few soldiers there had already been bribed.

"Let's move forward, towards freedom,"

Cedric declared.

Exiting the cave, they made their way towards the woods.

A forest lay between the castle and the cave.

Unlike the dense northern woods, this was merely an area with evergreens.

As they were about to enter the forest, a figure stumbled out, looking as if they had been pushed.

"Uh... ah..."

"Who goes there?!"

Cedric pointed his sword at the figure.

At his command, the mercenaries behind him also drew their weapons.

"Ah... it's just that..."

It was Gracie.

"Ahaha... seems I might've lost my way a bit."

"Professor, please, show some dignity."

Another figure emerged from behind her.

"...Locke?"

Cedric looked in surprise at Locke.

His close friend's... Darren's son.

Seeing his face brought a rush of emotions.

"Locke, you shouldn't be here."

Cedric lowered his sword as he spoke.

He didn't want to harm Locke.

Darren had been his close friend, but he had to be a stepping stone for freedom.

For the rebel's plan to proceed, it was unavoidable.

But Locke was a different matter.

He was still young.

It was a time in his life meant for joy and exploration.

Cedric thought that, in the future, if Locke chose to seek revenge for his father, it would be justified.

He was sure that if he killed Darren now, he would become Locke's enemy, and Cedric was prepared for the retribution that would follow.

But that would be after freeing the world.

Now wasn't the time.

"Locke, flee now while you still can. I won't chase you."

He advised.

At this, Locke drew his sword.

"What are you talking about? Can't you see I'm here to stop you?"

Even towards Cedric, a mere commoner, Locke addressed him with respect.

It was the minimum courtesy he owed.

A courtesy for the man who was a close friend of his father.

Cedric's expression darkened as he gazed at Locke,

If you try to stop me, even you wont be spared."

Locke replied with a smirk,

Didn't you used to call us the foolish father-son duo?

Cedric frowned deeper upon hearing Lockes words, reminded of the past.

Conversations he had shared with Darrens family over meals.

"Why bring that up now?"

"I'm not sure, perhaps because I'm a fool? I just have a feeling I won't be the one dying today."

Locke said, corners of his mouth turning up, and then glanced at the woman behind him, Gracie.

"Professor, shall we begin?"

...Sigh, I didn't become a professor to do these kind of things.

Gracie murmured, gathering her mana.

Her voice held a hint of reluctance.

Yet, in stark contrast to her words, the swirling mana around her was eerily powerful.

Mana surged around Gracie, her hair flying in the tumult.

"What is this?"

With her eyes closed, Gracie directed her mana.

Sparks began to emit from the ground around her.

zzzt!

The sparks multiplied, affecting the nearby vegetation and the ground itself.

Then, Gracie opened her eyes.

Her eyes were now tinted in a striking shade of blue, and her hair gradually turned white.

The mercenaries watching were wide-eyed with shock.

Their instincts told them one thing.

This was dangerous.

The experienced mercenaries could feel it.

Chills ran down their spines, their hair standing on end.

But it was already too late.

Their only mistake?

Overconfidence.

They had greater numbers, facing just a boy and a woman.

Cedric cried out,

Everyone... everyone run!!!

Lightning Strike.

With a swift motion, Gracie released her spell.

Bolts of powerful electricity emerged from the ground and the sky, striking them down.

A chain reaction of electricity.

It overturned the ground and consumed them.

Zzzzp!!!

Argh!

"Help... Ahhh!!!"

Screams filled the vicinity.

"What is this... Ugh...!!"

Even Cedric couldn't escape the electric onslaught.

But unlike the helpless fallen mercenaries, he held on.

Watching Cedric's struggle, Locke spoke,

"We have Professor 'Lightning Gracie', after all."

Gracie responded to Locke's teasing comment with a grunt.

"Ugh."

Lightning Gracie.

That was the nickname Astina heard from Cromwell and shared with everyone about Gracie Lifegold.

A moniker Gracie held back during her academy days.

Despite being under the tutelage of Professor Cromwell, Gracie never practiced telekinetic magic.

Well, to be precise, she learned it but chose not to use it.

It was simply a matter of preference.

Gracie just didn't resonate with telekinetic magic.

To her, it felt as ill-fitting as wearing clothes not suited for her.

However, it's not like the telekinetic magic was of no use.

She created many utility spells with it.

But she never used it in combat and other things.

Instead, she focused on lightning magic.

That's how she earned her nickname.

Rejecting Professor Cromwell's teachings and harnessing lightning.

A mage who swept everyone in academy duels using lightning magic.

Among her juniors and peers, she gained the moniker 'Lightning Gracie.'

That very Gracie Lifegold was now a novice teacher in her first year at the academy.

"It's started."

"Seems so."

Luna and I were inside the castle.

Not a single sign of movement could be observed within its walls.

Though it was daytime, there was no sign of anyone.

All the inhabitants seemed to have taken shelter in their homes.

It feels eerily quiet like this.

It was odd.

Despite being in the midst of a usually bustling area during broad daylight, we couldnt sense a single presence.

The distant sounds of combat were unmistakably clear, making the atmosphere even more unsettling.

Luna seemed to agree with me, nodding in response.

After observing Lunas expression for a moment, I rose from my seat.

Shall we get going?

Our reason for being here, without even a single soldier accompanying us, was for The Rebels.

Three groups participated in this uprising.

One consisted of Cedric's mercenaries, another of betrayers from the noble families, and the last was The Rebels.

Initially, the leader of The Rebels was supposed to personally bring troops here.

Their plan was to destroy the castle gates, unleash monsters upon the territory, and in the midst of the chaos, Cedric would assassinate Darren Lucarion, the lord.

This would send the central and northern troops into confusion, leaving the citizens exposed to the monster threat.

Then the Rebels would appear, exterminate the monsters, and emerge as heroes.

That was their narrative.

However, that storyline was already disrupted.

Firstly, we received the good news that the leader of The Rebels had been gravely injured and couldn't make it here.

So, it promised to be an easier battle than anticipated.

We moved slowly, but with a sense of purpose.

Towards the slums.

Thats where we were headed.

According to a traitorous knight, The Rebels had already infiltrated the castle.

They had been distributing food to the citizens and manipulating public opinion.

It seemed like the Rebels were preparing to make their move.

But they might just keep preparing forever.

Because the signal for action might never come.

Cedric, The Rebels, and even the knights who were supposed to be battling monstersall were waiting for a signal.

The signal was the sound of a magical device that would bring down the castle walls.

But that device had already been removed from the walls.

Most likely, the Lord had it now.

Luna and I located a particular house in the slums.

It was the one Locke had previously identified for us.

It was originally where Cedric was hiding, but now, we'd heard, someone else occupied it.

Luna.

Yes!

Luna opened her spellbook.

She then cast a silence spell.

This ensured that no sound would escape from near the shack.

So they thought they could ambush us?

Did they think we would just sit back and let it happen?

Not a chance.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, an ambush for an ambush.

Lets do this.

I channeled my mana.

And reached out towards the shack.

It had been a while since I last used dark magic.

Drawing upon the mana within me, I released an appropriate amount.

The perfect amount.

Measured precisely.

It felt right.

Perhaps because I was in such good form, the mana within me moved as if it were a part of my very body.

Slowly, I raised my hand, pointing it at the shack.

A large circle appeared on it.

Soon after, a light emanated from the circle.

I uttered the incantation.

Flame of Destruction.

BOOOOM!

Where the shack once stood, a pillar of black flames surged upwards.

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