Chapter 280: Chapter 279: When Time Falters
Then he turned to Lucian. His tone carried both courtesy and respect.
"I apologize for letting you witness such a disgraceful scene Heir Ardent. But I didn’t expect you would personally come to our aid."
Lucian smiled easily, golden hair catching the light. "I got word from Thalia. A friend called, of course I would answer."
His gaze swept across the gathered warriors, monsters and humans in formation. "And I must say, I made the right choice. You’ve gathered a fearsome company around you, Lord Lumberling."
"You must be joking, Heir Ardent." Lumberling shook his head lightly. "We’re only a small band compared to the forces under your banner."
Lucian only chuckled, eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.
Before more words could be exchanged, Lireath stepped forward, her composure steady. "Thank you for responding on our call Heir Ardent. Your presence, and your timing means more than words can measure."
Lucian inclined his head, then motioned to the men beside him. "Allow me to introduce my companions."
He gestured first to the man in the yukata. "This is Daigo. A warrior of immense skill... and, strangely enough, a peace-loving man when steel isn’t drawn."
Daigo smirked, folding his arms. "Nice to meet you, Lord Lumberling, Viscount Lireath." His voice was casual, almost playful, but his eyes carried the sharpness of a drawn blade.
"And this," Lucian continued, turning to the silent man cloaked in black, "is Silas. You might recall seeing him in the capital. Circumstances kept him from proper introductions."
Silas’s cold eyes met Lumberling’s for a brief moment before he gave a single nod. Lumberling and Lireath returned the gesture.
Behind them, the rest of Lucian’s force assembled with disciplined order. Three thousand men, seasoned soldiers, every one of them, and among their ranks, more than a hundred Knights. Their armor shined, and their presence alone sent a tremor of awe through Lireath’s officers.
Lumberling studied them quietly. ’So this is the strength of House Ardent’s reinforcements. What a fearsome enemy.’
Lireath straightened, her voice calm. "You and your men will be treated as honored guests. Quarters will be prepared at once."
"Thank you." Lucian’s smile remained bright.
Lireath gave her orders, and servants hurried to lead the newcomers to their quarters.
.....
When night fell, Lumberling slipped from his quarters without a sound. His boots barely kissed the stone as he made his way outside the fort, then down into the dark forest beyond.
Hours passed before he caught it, the sharp clang of steel, the hiss of mana. He followed the echoes until he saw it, revealing a clash under the pale moon.
Shade, loomed with its legs poised, striking with precision. Skitz darted in and out of the shadows, twin blades flashing. Opposing them stood Agathis, her form calm, yet the power around her flared, an unseen translucent aura that warped the air.
When she caught sight of Lumberling, her expression didn’t soften. Her voice carried across the clearing.
"What’s the meaning of this, Lord Lumberling? Are you going back on your word?"
Lumberling slowed, as he stepped closer. "I’m not. That’s why I’m here, for you... and your student."
His gaze shifted to Skitz.
"Where’s Kairo?"
"The captains are on his trail. But this woman blocked us, gave him time to slip away. He’s on the run."
"What thick plot armor," Lumberling muttered under his breath, then gave his order.
"Go. Take Shade and catch him. Avoid unnecessary casualties. If any of our captains are endangered, disengage them. I’ll handle this woman.
Shade gave a screech, legs tapping against the earth, and Skitz grinned like a man eager for blood. Together, they vanished into the trees, their trail a blur of speed and shadow.
That left only Lumberling and Agathis beneath the moon. He didn’t move yet, he only stood, spear tilted at his side, his eyes fixed on her. He had waited for this day, planned for it with patience and care. Golden eagles had tracked their every movement, his captains had been prepared.
He never intended to let someone as dangerous as Kairo grow stronger and return for revenge.
He turned his eyes to the injured old woman. Blood trickled freely from her shoulder, dark against her pale robes. The cut was clean, likely Skitz’s work.
"I wonder why you unconditionally favor that student of yours," Lumberling said, his gaze sharp. "I’ve seen the eyes of loyalty, of allies, and of enemies. Yours lean closer to the latter, so why protect him?"
Agathis pressed her palm to the wound, but her face never wavered. Instead, she smiled faintly, as though mocking him.
"You wouldn’t understand. No one would... Perhaps that little lover of yours might, given time."
Lumberling’s brows furrowed. ’Liraeth?’
He adjusted his grip on the spear. "Then if it comes to this... you leave me no choice."
The earth trembled as he stepped forward.
Agathis lifted her hand, her translucent aura shimmering. The clearing grew tense, air bending as if time itself held its breath.
Then they clashed.
Lumberling moved first, his spear shot forward like lightning, the silver tip a blur aimed straight for her heart. Agathis twisted aside at the very last instant, her robe fluttering as the strike tore past, close enough to draw a faint line across the fabric.
He didn’t relent. The spear spun, reversed, and stabbed again, each thrust chaining into the next with brutal precision. Sweeps cut the air, feints darted toward her throat, her ribs, her legs. Every attack carried the Strength of a Knight Two Stage.
But Agathis moved like a ghost. Her body bent at angles that seemed impossible, her feet gliding just out of reach.
Each time the spearhead should have pierced her, time seemed to pause. She slipped through those stolen moments.
Once, his spear hammered downward, a strike meant to break her in half. Agathis raised her hand, aura shimmering like glass under sunlight. The weapon should have skewered her, but her figure blurred, time staggered, and she was already two steps to the side.
Mana clashed in the air. Sparks leapt whenever her hand met his spear, bursts of pale light flaring before vanishing into the dark. Even when her counters lacked weight, the aftershock rippled through the trees, sending bark splintering and roots tearing loose.
Her counters were weak, almost half-hearted, palms striking at his spear shaft, a quick kick darted at his leg. None of them carried real strength. Still, at times, she lunged with sudden bursts of speed that left afterimages.
If someone were to watch, it was as if the world itself lagged, her movements playing out ahead of reality.
’This ability...’ Lumberling narrowed his eyes mid-swing. ’I’ve seen it before. Once against Vaenyra in our spar... and again when I watched Thalia fight.’
But unlike them, Agathis faltered. Each use of her strange power left cracks in her composure. Her steps slowed after each evasion, her breath grew ragged, her aura flickered like a candle in storm winds.
When she misjudged a dodge, the edge of Lumberling’s spear clipped her shoulder, tearing through cloth and drawing a thin line of blood.
And still, she smiled. As if she knew something he did not.