Chapter 5: Deterrence

The thunderous voice immediately subdued the black-robed mage, who was still trying to stir up trouble. The formidable strength displayed by the four magic knights made him too afraid to act rashly. Close combat was not the mage’s forte, especially now that the Wind Blade magic array was gradually fading. To confront the four magic knights and the source of that voice alone would clearly be too risky.
His hesitation bought time for the magic knights. In addition to the four knights who had rushed over on foot, three more arrived on horseback. The wind magic arrays created by the three magic scrolls finally dissipated as their magical energy ran out. Yet the scene remained extremely brutal—seven assassins lay dead across the ground, their limbs scattered and mutilated, their bodies covered in blood. Their distinctive black leather outfits, enhanced by wind magic and speed spells, revealed they had come prepared to carry out a specific mission, but they met such a fate in this surprise attack.
The Bohemian court knights were quite satisfied with Komer and his group’s disciplined behavior, as their reputation and strength were respected. Thus, aside from two knights keeping a distant watch, they did not take any further drastic actions. However, the situation with the mage was completely different. The four magic knights, who had descended from the air, held their gleaming silver spears in a ready-to-attack stance. They too sensed the immense power of the mage trapped in the middle and dared not be careless. Despite knowing it was the time of the Magic Competition, they still dared to stir up trouble in Prague, clearly underestimating the Bohemian court knights and the mages of the mage guild. That meant the mage must possess real skill. The strong magical aura emanating from him forced the four magic knights to remain highly vigilant.
The middle-aged knight with a deep nasal voice dismounted from his exceptionally fine horse and took just two steps before entering the magic array, whose wind sound had already faded. “Huh? Wind Blade! What an impressive wind magic array!”

Surprised looks swept across the faces of those present; clearly, they hadn’t expected to encounter a group fighting using magic arrays here. They had thought it would be just ordinary fights over revenge, but one side had employed a highly powerful wind-based magic array, while the other side didn’t seem to back down in the face of it—at least in his eyes, both sides still seemed capable of fighting.

“You! State your name! Why are you fighting here in violation of the ban? Don’t you know that private fights are prohibited during the Round Table Conference and the magic competitions?” Unfazed by the opponent’s strength, the knight’s dignity couldn’t be disregarded. The middle-aged knight narrowed his eyes slightly, his dark, sharp gaze like ink diamonds searching the black-robed mage’s body for any weakness in order to land a fatal blow.

Since he couldn’t escape these magic knights, he had no choice but to find a way to get through this first. The black-robed mage’s expression was unpredictable, as if he were searching for a way out, remaining silent for a long time.

A hint of anger appeared in his gaze—unaware that his words hadn’t elicited any response from the other party. Flames of fury burned in the middle-aged knight’s eyes, but he didn’t lose his composure. Taking a deep breath, he ignored his subordinates, who still seemed confused, and turned his attention to those composed individuals. “Then what’s your story?”

“Respected knight sir, we came to watch the most splendid magic competitions in the Magic Capital. But here we were attacked by these assassins of unknown origin, as well as the magician you see before you. The ‘Blades of Wind’ you felt earlier were cast by this magician and two other magicians who have already fled. The bodies lying on the ground belong to those assassins as well. I believe you’ll understand the full story if you question this magician,” Cohmer stepped forward confidently, smiling as he explained, meeting their gaze. He couldn’t show the slightest sign of weakness or subservience toward these knights who thought they were superior—otherwise, they would only look down on or even hate him even more. Maintaining proper dignity in front of them would help elevate his own group’s status and make them more likely to trust his words.

Suspicious glances swept over Komer and his party. The middle-aged knight was clearly not as easy to deal with as Komer had imagined. His aggressive gaze first fell on the giant warrior Briarnos and the dwarf warrior Bayezid. Briarnos’ indifferent attitude and Bayezid’s serious expression left the middle-aged knight somewhat dissatisfied and puzzled.

Bohemia was located at the border between the north and south of the continent, so it was common to see various races there. Especially, the reputation of the Magic Capital as a place of great wonder attracted people from all over the continent. The knights were used to such situations, but this group didn’t seem like they were there to watch the magic competition at all. Although the dignified man in front of them and the two young, beautiful girls beside him appeared to be mages and priests, young mages were rare on the continent. The middle-aged knight suspected that the men and women in robes were more likely to be magic users or even apprentices, while the other girl was at most a priestess. There were also two men with strange expressions standing aside—one was a voluptuous woman covered in blood, yet her assassin attire was unmistakable; the other young warrior tried hard to appear graceful, but still gave off a sneaky vibe.

Could such a chaotic and strange group be there specifically to watch the magic competition? Yet this man had an extraordinary presence. There were many noble youths from various places visiting Prague, so it was hard to say if he might be one of them. Bohemia placed great emphasis on etiquette, and although the middle-aged knight was highly skeptical, he didn’t dare act rashly.

After scanning the group several times, perhaps intimidated by Komer’s calm demeanor or satisfied with their obedient attitude, the middle-aged knight finally let out a soft snort and said, “Good. But we need to investigate before drawing any conclusions. I hope you’ll stay quiet during this time.”

“No problem. We’re happy to cooperate with you, Sir Knight. There are still many people around who saw what happened. They attacked us first; we were merely trying to protect our lives and property. I’m sure your investigation will prove our innocence,” Komer replied politely, nodding in gratitude.

The middle-aged knight finally turned his gaze back to the black-robed mage, who had now regained his composure. “Sir, you must have heard what those people said just now. Do you have anything to explain? If not, then I must ask you to come with us. No matter who you are, where you come from, or why, this is Prague, the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia. It is currently the period of the Magic Competition, and the kingdom’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has explicitly prohibited any private fights or battles. Your actions clearly violate the kingdom’s laws, and I regretfully must ask you to come with us. If you have anything to explain, it would be best to do so at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I hope you will cooperate with us.”

By the end, perhaps realizing that the other party was unlikely to answer his questions at that moment, the middle-aged knight simply made his stance clear.

“Very well, but I expect to be treated with respect once I arrive at the Ministry of Internal Affairs,” the mage finally spoke for the first time.

“Respect?” The middle-aged knight showed no outward reaction, merely nodding slightly, while inwardly pondering the implications of that word.

Komer and his group were finally released the next morning. It could be said that the Bohemian Ministry of Internal Affairs was highly efficient, gathering a large amount of evidence from the area where the conflict had occurred just within one night. Although there wasn’t much foot traffic at that time, there were still quite a few people who witnessed the incident. Everyone agreed that it was the black-clad assassins who launched the attack, and that the mage seemed to have some connection with them, or perhaps they were part of the same group. Though no evidence could be found on the surface, it at least proved that Komer’s group was the victim defending themselves under duress.

Komer’s status also played a crucial role. He did not hide his identity; of course, he revealed it only when meeting with senior officials from the Interior Ministry, asking them to keep it confidential. For a minor baron, he meant little in the Bohemian Interior Ministry, but Komer was a genuine lord from the Caucasus. This lord now had close ties with the high ranks of the Kingdom of Nicosia, while his relationship with his own direct lord had deteriorated. All these factors forced the Bohemian Interior Ministry to consider things carefully, as any carelessness could damage Bohemia’s image of remaining neutral and unaffected by external forces. Therefore, after obtaining sufficient evidence, Komer and his group were released immediately. Before releasing them, the Interior Ministry officials politely advised Komer and his group to warn the patrolling magic knights in advance if they encountered danger, to ensure their safety.