"Baron Atreus… what was that noise?"
Still naked, covered by blanket, Leysha looked out the window to see who it was.
"Dezy… those bastards who want us dead, Leysha. Prepare yourself. I want to perform Time and Dimension magic," I said as I put my clothes back on.
Leysha got up, though still tired, put her clothes back on, and walked over to me.
She and I walked to the living room, seeing through the window that the iron gate was open.
Dezy and his entourage entered and each of them parked in the yard.
They poured out like a swarm of ants, each carrying a gun and an automatic rifle.
"Atreus…! I know you and your bitch are in there…! Come out or we'll break in and shoot you on the spot!" Dezy shouted through the loudspeaker.
Behind Dezy, I saw Ela and Reta watching, as if eager to see Leysha and me destroyed.
These two just grown into purely evil.
"Baron Atreus, calm down…! I've got this…!" Leysha exclaimed, concentrating on her magical shield.
"Leysha…! Don't be reckless…! You—"
Suddenly, just as her magical shield formed, she gasped.
Her breaths feels suffocate, as I see she felt like being choked from inside.
I know its the Baroness Cecile's curse that attacked her body and her magical power, causing it to shatter again.
Leysha was even forced to kneel, as the curse that forced her to cancel her magical shield was so draining.
"B-Baron Atreus…I'm sorry, I—"
"Don't push yourself, Leysha," I reassured her. "…as for a solution, I've already thought of one," I continued.
"R-really, Baron…? I'm afraid you're still exhausted from your depleted magical energy and—"
"Oh, Leysha, we just had sex, and honestly, I'm like ten times stronger than before," I replied with a light laugh.
"B-Baron…" Leysha was stunned and looked down in shame, unable to form a response.
From her flushed face, I could tell Leysha was still enjoying the pleasure of making love to me.
I walked to the center of the room and activated my earth magic.
Outside, a stone wall appeared, blocking all the doors and windows of the house, preventing Dezy and his entourage from entering.
"B-Bitch…! A stone wall suddenly appeared?! What the hell is this?!"
I could hear Dezy's worried voice from outside.
The stone wall was indeed able to hold Dezy and his entourage back, but it only for temporary.
I can use it for stalling time.
I looked around the house.
The red magic lines along the floor, walls, and interior walls became more visible, revealing their magical power.
When I concentrated fully, I could even feel the magical power pulsing within my grasp.
"Baron Atreus… these magic lines are similar to the ones in the secret basement…" Leysha said in shock.
"Yes, it seems the Vermillion Wand we're looking for is already here, Leysha."
"It's already here…? Where is it, Baron…?"
I pointed to the ceiling of the house, "Here. This house is the Vermillion Wand we're looking for."
"Eh…?!"
I pointed to some words carved into the magic lines:
"The Vermillion Wand is in your heart, connected to your blood, moved by the spirit of your soul. Rise, Vermillion. Your glory as the King of Magic awaits you."
"Ah…it seems the Vermillion Wand in question isn't a literal wand, Baron…" Leysha began to grasp the meaning of those important messages.
"Yes, that's why I'm going to bring this Vermillion Wand back to our place with Time and Dimension Magic."
"T-Then we're going to bring this entire house with Time and Dimension Magic…?" Can Baron do it with the magic energy he has now?"
Well, I have no choice.
Dezy and her entourage are already surrounding this house from outside.
I can even hear them drilling through the stone wall I built with my earth magic.
Even if I have to confront them directly, it's too risky.
It's better if I take this Vermillion Wand, then everything will be fine.
I can settle my grudge later; the most important thing is that I have the tools to face Baroness Cecile later.
I controlled my breathing for a moment, taking a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds, and then letting it out slowly.
I did this several times with my eyes closed to strengthen my concentration.
A few minutes passed, and Baron Atreus Vermillion's memories opened up.
One of the memory fragments was of Baron Atreus studying Time and Dimension Magic with Lord and Lady Vermillion, specifically when Baron Atreus was 10 years old.
Since Time and Dimension Magic is magic that only the Vermillion family can perform, it's natural that only Lord and Lady Vermillion taught it, and they did so when Baron Atreus was still 10 years.
Time and Dimension Magic turns out to be quite complex magic.
Unlike elemental magic, which has a clear form and structure.
Time and Dimension Magic truly requires a strong imagination to transport the user to any desired time and place.
From Baron Atreus's fragmented memories, it turns out that Baron Atreus hadn't succeeded in using Time and Dimension Magic due to a lack of magical energy and insufficient concentration.
But now Baron Atreus Vermillion was me.
With my much more refined concentration, coupled with greater magical energy and the magic lines I could now read, I could see the potential for Time and Dimension Magic.
BOOOMM!
Suddenly, an explosion rang out.
I heard the sound of boots stomping and the sound of automatic machine guns being readied growing closer.
"B-Baron Atreus…! They've broken through the stone wall, Baron…!" Leysha exclaimed.
Damn it.
They even used bombs to destroy the stone wall.
That damn Dezy really wants to kill me.
I grabbed Leysha's hand and asked her to hug me tightly.
Leysha hugged me tightly, trusting my every decision, even though Dezy and his henchmen had already entered and aimed their machine guns.
"You're too late, stupid witch! You'll die for trespassing on my property!" Dezy exclaimed harshly.
"Who's too late?" I asked calmly.
Dezy and his henchmen immediately froze in shock as the magic lines that had previously spread along the surrounding walls, ceilings, and floors now spread through Leysha and me.
"S-SHOOT…! KILL THEM BOTH!"
"Time and Dimension Magic Activated!"
Before the bullets could even reach the target, a white light exploded, blinding everyone.
Even the sound of gunfire and Dezzy's annoying screams were instantly muffled and silent.
My feet no longer felt the same ground.
I could only feel Leysha still holding me tightly, and we both floated into a world filled with white.
There were no sounds, no apparitions, or anything else.
The world I saw and felt seemed to spin.
Until finally, we both landed on a stone floor with a pentagram star engraved on it.
We both looked around, then realized we had just returned to the basement of Vermillon's fortress.
"Leysha, we're back…! The Time and Dimension magic worked…!"
"Y-yes, Baron Atreus…! Oh, look at your coat, Baron…!"
"Coat?"
I just realized it was a long, dark red cape-like coat with a V symbol on the back.
This coat was no ordinary coat.
I could feel my magic power increasing tenfold with it.
I now understood that the Vermillion Wand in question was this coat because I remembered it had once been worn by Lord Vermillion, Baron Atreus Vermillion's father.
"You've successfully retrieved the Vermillion Wand, Baron…! Congratulations…!" Leysha congratulated me.
I smiled with satisfaction at Leysha's praise.
"B-but… your enemies who intend to attack us… where are they…?" Leysha asked warily.
"They won't be brought here, Leysha. I'm sure they're still here in my world, but my home is gone because they're all within the range of my Time and Dimension Magic. The proof is that magic line."
"O-oh, thank goodness…"
"I think that's a shame, because if they had come here, I would have tortured them to a horrible death."
Leysha smiled amusedly, then hugged me.
"…it must be really hard to face an enemy who underestimates the Baron like that," she whispered consolingly.
I smiled softly, and then we both stared at each other with lustful gazes.
I lifted her chin slightly and kissed her lips softly and slowly.
We both lost ourselves in a heated kiss, until we finally sighed.
"There are three days left before the duel with Baroness Cecile, Leysha... Accompany me in training until the duel."
"Yes, Baron Atreus. My magic may be sealed by Baroness Cecile's curse, but I will always be loyal to Baron Atreus..."
The two of us exited the basement and returned to the throne room.
As soon as I arrived at the throne room, I paused for a moment to see a group of soldiers gathered right in front of the throne room door.
What do they want?