Their breakout attempt wasn't as smooth as Konrad had hoped.
He didn't expect to see the sun—how long had he been awake?—or the horns blaring.
Vargas, a calculating bastard he might've been, drilled the duke's men to perfection. They were no Rabid Crows—mowing down his illusions without missing a beat.
His crystal shattered before they even left the start line.
"You've got to cut a hole through them," Welf pushed his little sister forward.
"No-uh, they're off-limits," Lily surprised everyone. "It's a pact I've made in heaven."
Konrad might've called her out on her chunibyo crap—but he saw what she was capable of.
"Then give your boyfriend a refill," the blacksmith demanded, making his head spin. "Don't tell me you already ate all the shards."
"Meow? No, of course not," she pouted, "but for my Konny, I've something much better."
She pulled out a ruby—the size of her fist—and Konrad's eyes widened.
"T-the dragon's crystal?" he didn't have to guess when the gem vibrated with so much energy.
Reached for it with greed, and the world around him melted into a sea of crimson.
As if a dam broke—his mana, no more than a tiny droplet before, expanded to a torrent. It felt like he always had that power, but couldn't reach it—until now.
The runes on his arm—once necessary to cast illusions—became redundant.
His vision cleared—and the crystal was gone, energy coursing in his veins, ready to lash out.
"Ugh, Lucifer must think this was smooth," Lily rolled her eyes. "Whatever, you should feel better now, right, sweetheart?" She slammed his back with a grin.
Better? That couldn't begin to describe it.
He was more powerful than ever—albeit tired and confused. What happened?
No, he'd think about it later—he couldn't let a chance like this pass by.
He reached inwards, creating a spell more complex than he'd ever done before. Forget scribbling runes or the limits of space and time.
Light. Create an image. Give it movements: running, attacking, and retreat.
Avoid collisions. Concentrate force. Flank. Now multiply the images by dozens. Hundreds.
And screw the smoke, he'd make the tribesmen invisible. Then, redirect the light from the outside, keeping their sights intact.
The spell kept growing, spiralling out of control—but it only took him ten seconds.
He used a small fraction of his mana—while this much would've cracked a Griphlet's crystal.
Well, his nose bled, but that had more to do with his exhaustion. He needed like a week's long sleep—but only once his imaginary army fulfilled its task.
He made them autonomous and smart, using every trick he'd only dream of until now.
Horns blared. Riders wiped away the first wave—but some got through, and they had to give chase. That's when the second wave set out, attacking them from behind.
Of course—they weren't real. He made sure they'd never land a blow, only confuse the enemy.
"Now's our time," he urged the tribesmen, but they wouldn't move. Even Welf's jaw hit the floor, watching the scene unfold. While the goblins didn't make a sound, it almost didn't matter.
"You overdid it," Lily grinned, patting his back, then kissed his cheeks again. "But I like it."
Konrad couldn't get used to this, and he was lucky he didn't have to concentrate.
Once they started to move, the evacuation was a breeze.
The horns blared even an hour later, when they were miles away—but he passed out long before that. He even forgot what Lu said in his dreams—which was a first.
When Zoltan shook him up, he found himself in the Tanidia Inn again.
Every inch of his body was screaming at him for more rest, despite Lily's healing.
"The duke's here, what the hell did you do?"
He only recognized him from the vinegar smell, and couldn't comprehend his words.
Someone dressed him in new clothes—tribesmen?—and he headed down the stairs before he got a hold on himself. The sun was still up—or again?—and he wanted to go back to sleep.
Zoltan wouldn't let him, the illusionist transforming into the Green Mage again.
He was still groggy when he faced the duke's army—hundreds of soldiers, not a mere company.
"What the—" Konrad rubbed his eyes, finding Vargas and Lord Schwertburg in the lineup, too.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out, too," Zoltan sneered as the Green Mage. "What'd you do?"
He had no idea—nor time to answer when the duke bowed with all his seven-foot body.
"Oh, Great Mage," he seemed pale. "Our last dungeon expedition became a disaster. Monsters broke out, and your apprentice—"
"You mean me?" Konrad interrupted, still swaying on his feet.
Every eye snapped to him; he almost fell on his butt from the pressure.
"Master, please be careful," a familiar voice called out, as soft hands steadied him.
Purple eyes, flawless, dark skin, and silver hair in an intricate style.
"Eyna?!" It wasn't him, but a shriek from—Gabrielle? "Why the fuck are you here?!"
Her soft voice, the coughing, her elegance—all gone.
"Sweet, Gabby, wha—" The duke didn't get to finish.
No, nobody got to do anything anymore. With a flick of her hand, time stopped.
Birds floated in the sky, wings unmoving. Mouths gaped, soldiers frozen—everyone, except the girl in blue and Konrad—now wide awake. If she could do that—
"What the fuck did you do, Konrad Ostfeld?!" She closed in, air blazing around her.
"Oi, you're talking to my boyfriend," Lily appeared out of nowhere. But another wave, and she froze, too—Lily, who slammed a dragon to the ground.
Shit. Konrad was sweating as the girl approached.
"I asked you something," she repeated. "Why's the martyr alive? And what's with the dungeon?"
"Martyr?" he gulped, pressure mounting. "T-the dungeon's gone."
"What?! How'd you kill a crimson dragon?!" She was in his face now, eyes darker than the void.
He glanced at the frozen Lily, and Gabrielle pinched her nose.
"How the hell did this idiot make it after—whatever. What of the core?"
"S-she destroyed it." Konrad stuttered; it was still a painful memory, but the girl sighed.
"Oh, thank goodness. She's not as stupid as she looks."
If anything, Konrad felt the dumbest. And he thought he was powerful.
This fragile beauty—this beast of a woman—he was no match.
"Okay, fine. Let's calm down," Gabrielle transformed back to her old self. "You can't imagine the trouble you've caused. You'll have to take responsibility."
"For what?" Konrad asked, but got no answer. He didn't even realize when time restarted. "Is it because the dungeon core's destroyed?" he asked, earning the duke's glare.
"What'd you say?!" Crap. "The core I've had a claim on?! I'm going to execute you—"
Gabrielle rolled her eyes—but she didn't revert to her wild self again. Instead—like an adorable, fragile daughter. She clung to her father's arm, pleading with the softest voice.
"No, father, please. You can't execute him. I'm going to marry Lord Halstadt."
What?! Hundreds of voices asked the same thing, her words shocking everyone.
Lily immediately shielded him. "Back off, he's mine, we already kissed."
And a soft tug on his sleeves, with pleading purple eyes from the other side. "Please, Master, don't leave Eyna behind—"
Konrad had no idea what happened—but he might've entered his popular phase.