Chapter 19: How Can a Flying Dragon Rider Lose?

At first, Kaliya struggled to cast the communication spell, unable to connect to Flamme’s channel. Eventually, she simply asked Roland to relay the message on her behalf. After circling back, they ended up right where they started.

However, when Roland cast the communication spell using the special method Kaliya described, he immediately lost control over his own magic. He could hardly describe the scene he witnessed.

To be honest, Flamme, at her age as a legendary mage, was like an ancient immortal—truly extraordinary. Roland had never before seen a communication spell so thoroughly counter-invaded.

Then, a projection appeared before Roland and Kaliya, and for the first time, Roland saw the legendary Lady Flamme herself.

White hair, short stature, pointed ears, and dull eyes—wasn’t this just like Frieren? Besides the name, they looked remarkably alike.

After a brief shock, Kaliya recounted her journey and current predicament to the venerable lady, including her inability to reach Flamme through communication magic.

The millennia-old loli named Flamme briefly ended the projection. A minute later, she reappeared and explained to Kaliya, “Someone interfered with our original communication channel and intercepted part of the information. That’s why you received false intel and couldn’t contact me.”

“I didn’t expect those bastards to be so skilled as to crack my encrypted channel. But how did they find out I still have a divine sample on hand? Anyone who knew should be long dead by now.”

“Sigh, such a hassle. Lya, you really know how to stir up trouble for me... Fine, I’ll head to Ryskan soon. It’ll take about five hours. Until I arrive, stay safe—especially don’t let those lunatics get their hands on the key you possess.”

“If the divine plague starts, even I will be powerless.”

With that, Flamme used Roland’s magic to end the communication spell.

Hearing Flamme say she’d be there soon, Roland felt confident. A ninth-rank powerhouse unleashing relentless power—how could they possibly lose? He couldn’t even imagine a way.

Forget that cursed map marker and those five locations. After some deduction, Roland was almost certain those five spots were where the Chaos Brotherhood had released plague rats.

All five locations had massive water purification facilities, and the treated wastewater was discharged directly into the sewers through connected pipes.

Even if those places held some special significance, once Lady Flamme arrived and subdued the villains, they could investigate thoroughly later.

Besides, she was a consultant at the Academy’s Spell Institute. If Roland could leverage connections, maybe he could even sneak in through the back door when enrolling.

For now, Roland just needed to hide with Kaliya at the city defense headquarters for five hours, then victory would be theirs.

Just as Roland relaxed and contemplated visiting the capital after the incident, Kaliya suddenly grabbed his sleeve, tears brimming in her eyes.

“Waaah! You have to speak up for me!”

“???”

Roland was taken aback by Kaliya’s near breakdown, as if she wanted to throw herself into his arms and cry. “What’s wrong? Isn’t everything going smoothly?”

“Lady Flamme was angry, but she didn’t blame you. Once she arrives, your life-threatening crisis will be over, right?”

“No! The old hag’s arrival will mean my death!”

Kaliya wailed in an almost desperate tone, clutching Roland’s chest and collapsing helplessly onto the ground.

“You don’t understand... The way she looked just now—she was furious beyond ordinary anger. She’s definitely going to punish me severely!”

Thinking of Flamme’s expression before ending the communication, Kaliya felt as if the sky was falling.

Although the old lady showed little change in expression, having grown up around her, Kaliya could tell she was very, very angry.

Roland found it amusing. Sure, Flamme would be angry about this—Kaliya was indeed careless—but he believed it stemmed more from concern. Even as an elf, Flamme couldn’t be cold-hearted toward a human child she had raised from infancy.

Perhaps it was just instinct.

Flamme’s anger reminded Roland of his own father’s fury.

Seeing Kaliya’s utterly hopeless despair, Roland relented. “Alright, alright. I’ll put in a good word for you.”

“Just words? No more concrete action?” Kaliya looked at him with her large amber eyes, fixed and earnest.

“What action can I take? If you asked me to eliminate some third or fourth-rank mages, I might manage. But your teacher is a ninth-rank legendary mage. How am I supposed to act?”

“Didn’t you see? She countered my communication spell in an instant.”

Roland sighed and helped Kaliya to her feet. “Let Lady Flamme deal with you first. For now, we need to find a safe place...”

“Huh!?”

Mid-sentence, Roland suddenly grabbed Kaliya, flashing away from the spot in an instant.

Where they had just stood, a strange collapse appeared.

“Well, looks like I was too naive.”

Roland drew his longsword and shielded Kaliya. “Kaliya, stay alert. The enemy is here.”

“Eh! Enemy!?”

Kaliya quickly drew her staff and glanced around from behind Roland.

Sure enough, the dock where they stood was swarming with the black-clad men they had seen earlier.

“Let’s not count the number of first- and second-rank mages. There are two third-rank mages near the warehouse, a fourth-rank warrior by the breakwater, and… a fifth-rank mage?”

Roland surveyed the area, roughly assessing their opponents’ strength by their magical aura.

“They really do take us seriously. Kaliya, get ready to run!”

“R-run? I can’t!”

“What about your innate spell?!”

“I don’t know. I can still control shadows, but I can’t dive into them like before!”

Kaliya was now panicked. As she said, though she could still manipulate shadows, she could no longer hide by merging into them as before.

Roland silently activated Body Fortification, preparing to find a chance to flash away with Kaliya.

Though carrying another person shortened the range and increased the cost of his teleportation, with his current mana, Roland could still perform about ten consecutive flashes while carrying her.

As Roland sought an opening to escape, a gaunt middle-aged man standing before a horse-drawn carriage spoke with hands behind his back:

“Trying to run?”

“I’m not going to let you go like those idiots George and Orian.”

“It wasn’t easy finding you. For Lady Flamme’s sake, hand over the ‘key,’ and I might let you leave.”