My Approach
Translated by GXYRU
Edited by GXYRU
In the morning sun, I move my body while exerting magic to add resistance. Morning training has been my daily routine, and I’ve never missed a day. Once my body is warmed up, I imagine myself in a battle, swinging my sword. I don’t want anyone to see me doing this, so I activate ‘Recognition Obstruction Anti-Perception’ before starting.
In my imagination, I face the pseudo-god Demifind, the toughest enemy in the top-tier dungeon, “Prison of the Demigods.” I vividly envision being surrounded by false gods and practice attacking and dodging according to their moves, all without holding back my mana manipulation.
As expected, there was no attack on the first day. Well, I anticipated that much. If they planned to strike suddenly, they would have done it while we were strolling in the woods yesterday. The fact that they didn’t attack then means they’re waiting for us to be vigilant and wear ourselves out.
Returning to the room Erik prepared for me, I take a shower to wash off the sweat. In this world, magical tools like showers and baths are common, so it’s convenient. While ‘Purify’ magic can clean me instantly, I prefer the feeling of a refreshing shower.
After changing my clothes, I head to have breakfast. Sophia and Milia are already at the long table with a white tablecloth. Sasha must still be sleeping; I heard she’s not a morning person. The mansion’s maid guides me to a seat next to the two of them.
“Good morning, Arius. Did you sleep well?” Sophia smiles. It’s refreshing to see her face in the morning.
“Yeah, I’m used to traveling, so I can sleep anywhere,” I reply. Sophia looks a bit troubled for some reason.
“Arius, you’re surprisingly bad at lying. You were up all night to protect us, right?” Milia remarks. It’s true that I stayed awake all night, considering the worst-case scenario.
Though I was in my own room, so no one should have noticed.
“You caught me. I was honest. I didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily, so I lied,” I admit, telling them the truth. I didn’t want to make them worry needlessly, which is why I lied.
“It’s comforting to know that Arius is looking out for us, but you don’t have to push yourself too hard,” Sophia says.
“That’s right. With Erik’s guards around, you don’t have to go all out,” Milia adds.
Well, they are correct, but I’m vigilant because I don’t want to regret anything if the worst happens, even though it’s unlikely. I know that if I mention it, it’ll only make them worry, so I keep it to myself.
Today, we spend the day inside the mansion. If we had resolved the attack yesterday, we would have gone boating on the lake today. But playing around while being attacked would make it difficult to protect everyone.
Sophia, Milia, and Sasha are in a room, playing a chess-like game while chatting. The game requires four players, so Sasha’s maid, who also serves as her guard, is joining them.
Even without going outside, Sophia and the others are enjoying their trip with friends. The rest of the group seems to be doing the same.
Erik looks elegant, sipping tea and reading a book as if he had forgotten about the attack. He engages in conversation with the guards and intelligence personnel whenever they approach.
Zeke, on the other hand, maintains a serious expression, preparing for a potential attack. He seems like he didn’t sleep well, as dark circles are visible under his eyes.
No, I want to tell Zeke not to be so tense, but if I say that, I might ruin his expression. Barn seems to be bored, as he’s sparring with his guards. Even though his attacks rely solely on physical abilities, I should easily be able to dodge and counter them. However, the guards won’t retaliate since Barn is the Third Prince. This might be one of the reasons why Barn’s skills aren’t improving.
Mars, on the other hand, is completely isolated. He looks even more nervous than Zeke, with a pale face. Mars’s father, the Cardinal, made some deal with Erik, and Mars was forced to join this trip without knowing the reason. Having knowledge about the relationship between the Church’s influence and the nobles, I can imagine what kind of deal was made between Erik and the Cardinal. The rising new power in the Church and Duke Jordan are secretly connected. However, the new Church faction was not involved in the incident during the Dungeon practical training, so the Cardinal is probably using Mars as bait to involve them in this attack, intending to crush them. Erik, on the other hand, might be trying to weaken the Church’s overall power by crushing the new faction, which would also give him an advantage over his political rival, the Cardinal.
Well, political matters are not my concern. I can’t help but feel sorry for Mars. In the end, there was no attack during the daytime of the second day. After having dinner together, we all return to our respective rooms. The girls seem to have gathered in Sophia’s room, having a pajama party.
As the second day is coming to a close, around midnight, my “Search” skill detected a response. There are more than 20 significant reactions, totaling over 500 in all. They are approaching the villa straight through the woods. My “Search” skill has a range of over 5 kilometers, so no one else has noticed yet. I go to Erik’s room to inform him of the situation. He will give instructions to the guards and intelligence personnel, so all I need to do is provide information on the enemy’s movements.
When the attackers are about 2 kilometers away from the villa, I spring into action. I had waited for this moment, considering the possibility of diversion. If I counter the attack too far from the villa, the range of my “Search” skill would shift, potentially delaying the discovery of a separate enemy unit. While using “Recognition Obstruction” and “Invisibility,” I use “Search” to teleport to the location of the one with the strongest response. Once there, I use “Appraisal” to check their status and skills before teleporting to the one with the second strongest response, and so on. When I arrive at the location with the third strongest response, I immediately realize that I need to defeat this person first.
It’s an elderly man with a bald head, gray beard, and wearing a gray robe. While I don’t know him personally, “Appraisal” reveals that he is level 368 and has leveled the 10th-tier magic “Meteor Rain” up to level 50. Learning 10th-tier magic is not particularly difficult, even for someone in the 100s level range. However, it won’t be that powerful until you increase its accuracy and potency. For instance, when one just learns “Meteor Rain,” it’s only as powerful as “Fireball” but with multiple meteors falling simultaneously. But at level 50, “Meteor Rain” becomes a strategically impactful attack magic capable of blowing away a royal villa with a direct hit.
Of course, Erik probably has a countermeasure against “Meteor Rain,” and I, too, have a way to deal with it. But there’s no reason to wait until they use it deliberately. I released “Recognition Obstruction” and “Invisibility.” I don’t think ambushing while remaining invisible is unfair, but I’m not that desperate.
“Who are you?!” Before the gray-robed man can prepare himself, I draw my sword and sever his head.
“I’m one of the people you came to kill. I’m Arius Gilbert.”
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