A few soldiers kept their heads down, not daring to speak.
A squad leader argued forcefully: "My lord, we've almost looted all the nearby villages. Shouldn't we stop here?"
"Bullshit. If we don't come out to requisition grain, what will our brothers at the camp eat? It's all that damn Valkyrie's fault for blocking the road."
The squad leader wanted to say that they could farm, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Having tasted the sweetness of getting something for nothing, who would be willing to put down their sword and pick up a hoe? "A bunch of idiots.
Sigh, how am I supposed to explain this to Lord Matthews?"
The knight rubbed his bald head and waved his hand irritably. "Go find me a woman, and remember, make sure she's untouched."
The soldier hurried to the hut to grab someone.
The knight turned his head and happened to see the mage walking over. Instantly, that irritable face changed into a smile. "Apologies, apologies. I had official business, so I couldn't come to welcome you. What are you all standing there for? Bring a chair over for the gentleman!"
The soldiers immediately brought a chair, tore a piece of rag from a corpse nearby to wipe the blood off the chair, and then carefully placed it behind the mage.
Thorne did not sit down. He just looked around and pointed at the corpses swaying on the gallows: "Does this count as official business?"
"You wouldn't know about this." Boor put on a serious expression and explained: "Our squad was originally here to suppress bandits, but we accidentally discovered that this was a Carian hideout. You know those cowards often bypass the camp and run behind us to harass us.
According to the 'Wartime Law,' we deal with them all by association."
Thorne nodded and asked again: "There are a hundred people here. Are they all spies?"
"That's right. Look, even I was injured, which shows the Carian spies' combat power is astonishing." The knight showed off the scratch on his cheek, though it was unclear which young girl had left it.
Seeing that the mage was not speaking, he was already quite impatient. These bastards hid in the Academy all day, letting them risk their lives, yet they still acted so arrogant.
At that moment, a young girl's scream reached their ears.
Both of them turned their heads at the same time. It turned out that a soldier was dragging a young girl over. The latter was only about twelve or thirteen years old, and her eyes were filled with terror as she looked at the church. In the past, coming here was to seek comfort, but today it had become a hell. The church door had been torn down by someone, and the statue of Goddess Marika was silently watching what was happening before it. Once one steps onto the path of Asura, one loses reverence for the gods.
The bald man chuckled, stepped forward, and pulled the girl over, dragging her like a chick, saying as he walked:
"You know Mr. Donald, right? He often provides us with some guidance."
"I know him." Thorne nodded. This person was a traveling mage who had returned with them; he had been sitting next to him when they drew lots.
"Then we're friends too!" The knight threw the girl directly to the ground and said with a smile: "How about you go first?"
Thorne looked at the crying girl and didn't speak.
Seeing that this person was very strange, the bald man's smile gradually solidified, and he shouted to his subordinate: "Go, get a man for his lordship!"
"No need for the trouble. That's not what I want." Thorne stopped him, hooked his finger to let the bald man lean his head over, and then patted the head of the girl behind him. "Close your eyes."
Boor didn't think much of it. If it weren't for the Valkyrie's arrival and the Cuckoo Knights needing to maintain a good reputation, he wouldn't have bothered with these mages at all.
"If your price is too high, I can't make the decision."
"Simple."
Thorne leaned forward, suddenly drew the short blade from his waist, and slashed upward fiercely. "I want your life."
The incident was sudden, and silver light appeared in the air. Fortunately, the knight was also a veteran of many battles; he instinctively leaned his head back, only feeling a sharp pain in his face, his vision covered by blood.
"You dare to kill an ally!?" With a roar, he lifted his foot to kick. Thorne nimbly dodged to the side, gripped the short blade in reverse, and stabbed directly at his throat.
The knight raised his hand, sparks blooming on his iron gauntlet, which was pierced by the blade. Thorne twisted his wrist, gouging a round hole in his palm.
It was too fast. The surrounding soldiers were all caught off guard. Their first thought was that they had encountered a freak with an overflowing sense of justice today, but their superior had never taught them how to deal with an attack from an ally.
"What are you standing there for? Take him down!" The knight's cry of pain finally brought the soldiers back to their senses.
They swarmed up to help, but they didn't have the guts to hack the mage to pieces. They would just pull the two apart and wait for the big shots to decide. Otherwise, if they really killed the other party, what would they do if they were pushed out as scapegoats? The relationship between the Academy and the Cuckoo Knights was subtle, and there was no shortage of impulsive young mages, but they were all wrong. Thorne had prepared to kill everyone the moment he acted! The third stab was made, and the short blade snapped upon touching the breastplate.
Boor hurriedly pulled back to create distance, truly enraged, and went to draw the greatsword on his back. "You madman, wait to rot in jail!"
He wanted to use the greatsword to knock the other party unconscious, but as soon as he drew it, he saw a magic crest bloom before him, gushing out a large amount of cyan magic crystals.
"You... are you serious!?"
Crystal Burst! Thorne used the magic without hesitation, coldly watching the knight twitch amidst the crystals. The armor was pierced, the muscles were torn, and the point-blank Crystal Burst turned him into a beehive.
The remaining soldiers were stunned. Even if there was a crime, it should be judged by the big shots, right? What kind of behavior was this, directly killing someone?
Thud. The knight's powerful body fell to the ground. They stared blankly at the 'murderer,' but only saw a second magic crest. Thorne wiped the blood from his hood and turned around slowly, without a word of nonsense.
Kill! The light of the Carian Slicer shone in his hand. With the lesson from Shabriri, he dared not ignore any intuition. It was too sudden.
The soldier in the front was waiting for an explanation when he felt himself flying up, his vision spinning, and finally saw his own headless body. Magic evaporated the blood. Thorne jumped into the crowd, a circular sword light flashed and vanished, and several soldiers were split in two.
Waist-cut!
Thorne flicked his staff lightly, and as if he had eyes in the back of his head, he pointed to the side. A soldier on the roof was hurriedly stringing his crossbow, and a Glintstone Pebble shot directly blasted a bloody hole in his chest.
In just a few seconds, the area around the church was covered in corpses. Thorne turned around and saw the girl's face splattered with blood, her body in a tattered linen dress trembling slightly, yet she still obediently kept her eyes tightly closed. "Stay here and don't go anywhere." Thorne patted her head again and glanced at the statue of Marika in the church. The sculpture remained silent and lonely, silently watching the swordsman walk out. The commotion just now had awakened other soldiers. They opened the doors and came out pulling up their pants.
Before they could see the situation clearly, they were blasted to death by incoming magic pebbles. Some smashed through the wooden walls and appeared behind Thorne, wielding spears to stab at his back. Unexpectedly, Thorne crouched down, pressed down on the spear that flew past his shoulder, and with a forceful push, flipped the soldier in front of him. Then, stepping on his chest, he pressed his staff against the opponent's face. Pfft! The head exploded like a watermelon. Thorne stepped back half a step to dodge a sword thrust from a window, reached out, and dragged a soldier out.
He was still struggling in panic when the mage used his foot to flick up a spear from the ground. Then, he raised his hand and pinned the man to the wall.
He clapped his hands and walked out of the alley, listening to the heart-wrenching screams.
Killing one person every ten steps, Thorne killed his way from the church to the shore. Piles of corpses formed behind him. The blood of the abusers and the victims mixed together, equally crimson under the sunlight.
"Are you not coming out yet?" Thorne frowned. More than ten Cuckoo Soldiers, including one knight, had been killed cleanly by him.
When he reached the shore, his footsteps finally stopped. He saw Tina's head poke out from a small boat. Further away, a figure stood on the lake, its sled-like lower body rising and falling with the waves. The arms exposed from the light armor had a metallic luster. A puppet? In an instant, he finally knew where that prying gaze came from. Seluvis, the magic professor he had deliberately avoided, the director of the Lazuli Classroom. But why? The two sides hadn't even met a few times.
Even if he had been scapegoated and was crazily trying to find the truth of that night, why would he notice me? Thorne's mind raced, and he suddenly remembered something. In the future, this bastard would specifically create a Sellen puppet, which showed he had some kind of perverted idea, coupled with the gossip circulating in the Academy. Does this count as catching a stray bullet while lying down?
Thorne was somewhat dumbfounded. But after thinking about it, since he would eventually part ways with the Raya Lucaria Academy, using these Cuckoo Soldiers' lives as a parting gift—it was worth it.
A hundred paces away, a puppet stood quietly, as if it had been standing there from the beginning. The puppet had no eyes, but Thorne always felt that Seluvis was observing this place through a magic link. What to do now? He touched the spirit-calling ring, and Sellen's teachings kept flashing through his mind.
The operator would not be too far from the puppet, which meant Seluvis was hiding nearby, and there was a faint cold light flickering in the reed marsh not far away. Hiding nearby waiting for me to make a move? Thorne narrowed his eyes. He didn't know how strong Seluvis's puppet was, but to break out, he had to use his full strength. And once his full strength was revealed, even an idiot in the Academy would deduce that he was the real culprit. Now that he was in the south of Liurnia, how could he pass through several blockade lines to return to Caria?
Moving meant certain death, but so did staying still. Seluvis would certainly investigate his identity, now that he was targeted. But there was still time.
All of this was decided in a few seconds. Thorne acted as if he'd just come to his senses and raised a trembling hand to touch the blood on his face, playing the role of an honest man who was overwhelmed. "Mr. Roland!"
At that moment, Tina rushed up and buried her head on Thorne's shoulder, crying bitterly. After a moment, she hurriedly felt his whole body. "Are you hurt? I was worried to death just now."
"No, no." As the adrenaline faded, Thorne immediately went into actor mode. Just a moment ago, he'd been killing people like it was nothing, but now he could barely speak. He pointed his trembling finger forward, "But we're saved. It's an Academy professor, coming to uphold justice." He pushed the girl away, staggered to the shore, and shouted excitedly, "Is that Professor Seluvis? I am Roland Heinberg. I want to report to you by name that the Cuckoo Knights are killing innocent people to claim credit and looting civilians!"
The puppet didn't react, as if it hadn't heard anything. Thorne sneered inwardly. This bastard really wanted to force him to make a move and then frame him! Killing Cuckoo Soldiers would require investigation, but attacking a magic professor? The Academy would never let him walk out of Liurnia of the Lakes alive. It was strange, though. Seluvis had the ability to silence him, but he hadn't done it. Did he have another conspiracy hidden? Thorne wasn't a greenhorn.
He jumped onto the small boat as if he wanted to chase after him to report, and the puppet did indeed move back a few meters, clearly not wanting to talk to him.
"What, what is this magic professor doing!" Tina was dumbfounded. Was a powerhouse just here to watch the show?
Thorne looked at her as if he was equally puzzled, but his tone suddenly became calm. "These people are just ants in his eyes. He doesn't care at all; he just wants to use me to do something."
"Why?" Tina's big eyes were filled with confusion. Weren't they all mages?
"Because I am also an ant in his eyes."
Thorne smiled self-deprecatingly, leaned his head over, and spoke very quickly, "Quietly bring the survivors back to the town, and then work with them to help me do a few things..." After the instructions were finished, Thorne's gaze toward the puppet held a smile. You want to scheme against me? What a coincidence, I also want to scheme against you. The small boat rowed rapidly toward the Raya Lucaria Academy. This dragon's den and tiger's lair gradually magnified in Thorne's vision, and there were three more puppets watching from afar. Their intentions were self-evident.
Either fight his way out or obediently return to the Academy. Thorne decisively chose the second option. This option held greater risks, but also greater rewards.
A team of Battlemages of Haima was standing at the ferry landing. As the Academy's adjudicators, they also served as disciplinary committee members. So many mages coming to the town had also attracted considerable attention. Onlookers surrounded the place, layer upon layer, chattering and discussing the reason for the gathering. As soon as the boat docked, several Battlemages of Haima greeted them.
The leader shouted in a low voice: "Roland Heinberg, you are under arrest!"
Thorne froze on the spot. Even without seeing his face, everyone could feel the panic and astonishment. It wasn't until the staff in his hand was confiscated that he came back to his senses.
"I am innocent! Go to the church and see what those Cuckoo Knights are doing! These beasts deserved to be killed!"
"Whether you are guilty or not will be decided by the Academic Committee. Take him away." The leading mage waved his hand. The tall and burly Battlemages of Haima hauled Thorne away.
Since the latter was wearing a hood, they couldn't gag him, so Thorne struggled while shouting. "I report the Cuckoo Knights for killing innocent people to claim credit, for rape and looting!"
"Over a hundred people were killed, even the old and young were not spared. Shouldn't these people have been killed?"
"I want to see the Dean!" Thorne's voice grew more and more distant, but strangely, the crowd that had been chattering just a moment ago fell silent. The large town was extremely quiet, like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.
This silence made the Cuckoo Soldiers maintaining order uneasy. They shouted one after another, "This mage is spouting nonsense. Who among you dares to believe him?"
No one answered him, only cold eyes made him take half a step back. Reality had already told him the result: after years of burning, killing, and looting by the Cuckoo Knights, the people of Liurnia believed it deeply! Thorne did indeed look a bit disheveled, but he enjoyed a hero's gaze. Because he often came to eat and drink in the town, many people knew him and knew that this dashing Mr. Roland was a good person.
Admittedly, one mage could slaughter hundreds of civilians, but violence could not suppress all resistance. People just used the Erdtree or the arrival of some hero to numb themselves. But now, a hero had indeed appeared, the hero had been arrested, and the slap of reality had woken them up from their numbness. The crowd followed silently behind until they were blocked by soldiers on the slope with swords and spears. Thorne, who had been shouting just a moment ago, suddenly stopped speaking, and the Battlemages of Haima beside him also put him down. "Sorry, I am also following orders."
The leading mage saluted. The Haima Classroom was founded to settle disputes, which was why they learned the magic of cannons and sanctions, and there was still some sense of justice remaining in their hearts.
"I don't blame you. I believe that justice is in the hearts of the people."
The Battlemages of Haima said nothing, as if they couldn't bear to prick his naivety. The Academy needed the Cuckoo Knights; what kind of justice could there be under the weight of interests? The group walked to the Academy gate just like that.
Nobody knew who leaked the news, but the gatehouse was filled with mages. Their gazes held pity and approval, but more than that, it was confusion. These mages staying inside the sturdy fortress had no idea of the hell on earth outside. They completely did not understand Thorne's actions. Clearly, all he had to do was stay in the Academy and study magic, so why bother meddling in other people's business?