I Stayed Loyal When My Teacher Was Betrayed

45 – Revenge for 5

Mage Ranselot.

He always believed that he was doing the right thing and never doubted it.

For the Queen and this kingdom,

He had a conviction that what he was doing, despite some flaws in the process, was undoubtedly the best choice for this country.

This time was no exception.

An evil witch who tried to bewitch the innocent queen.

He believed that if he didn’t eliminate those who had different thoughts from him, this kingdom would be in danger.

It was also unbearable for him to see the queen trying to listen to someone else’s words instead of his.

So he decided to remove her.

Even if he received criticism, it was for the sake of this kingdom.

To prevent his position as the only person who could lead this country correctly from being shaken.

According to that decision, he attacked this woman, but…

At this point, he overlooked one thing.

The fact that the person in front of him

was more of a monster than he had imagined…

*

“What… what is this woman…”

“Uh… uh…”

A sudden eerie sensation.

It stopped the footsteps of the magician and the knights who were rushing towards Rosetta.

It was a phenomenon that even they themselves couldn’t understand.

There was just one enemy in front of them.

No matter how much of a great witch or a grand master-level adventurer she may be, including Ranselot, they were all individuals who trusted in their own abilities.

Nevertheless.

They couldn’t move forward anymore.

A feeling that seemed to devour their entire attention at once.

Along with the sensation of being swallowed whole by something irresistible, starting from under their feet.

In the hearts of all those present, a common emotion began to emerge.

Fear.

Deeper than an abyss, colder than the freezing chill, sharper than a honed blade—the feeling was overwhelming.

Their instincts began to scream.

This woman is a monster.

If approached incorrectly, something terrible might happen.

However, despite this unknown terror, Rancelotte refused to give up.

No, she could not give up.

For the sake of this country’s security.

And for her own safety as well.

“What are you all doing? So what if she’s just one person? Attack! I command you to immediately cut off that woman’s neck! I’ll personally kill anyone standing there stupidly!”

“Ah… understood… sir.”

In the face of Rancelotte’s command, mixed with danger, they finally began to move.

Although incredibly anxious,

even so, the fact that there were reliable comrades here made them take steps forward despite the thought of recklessness.

And.

It didn’t take long for those comrades to regret their decision.

The first problem arose with the person at the forefront.

The fierce warrior, Mami.

Even in such a situation, she, who was greedy for recognition, was thinking to herself while everyone hesitated.

“This is an opportunity…to leave a lasting impression on Lady Rancelotte. I can do it… I can do it, I can…”

And.

That was as far as her thought went.

-Bang!

With an explosive sound, Mami’s head burst.

Her body, still spurting blood, collapsed to the ground in despair.

“Gasp!”

“Grr!”

Once again, the remaining people froze in place, their expressions turning rigid.

The fear, more direct and vivid than the psychological terror just a moment ago, began to crush their spirits overwhelmingly.

And,

Rosetta slowly approached them.

A deep smile hung around her lips.

“What are you doing? Come at me.”

*

Rosemary.

She, who had the real name Rosetta, had a subtle wickedness to her.

It was… the aspect of delighting in bringing down someone who was steeped in sourness.

Either thinking she was strong or considering herself superior.

Putting such a fellow in their place was Rosemary’s favorite thing to do.

The greater the fall, the greater the pain.

To her, the existence of an enemy was someone who should crawl on the ground, screaming in agony.

And now,

Rosemary knew that this timing was the exact moment she had been waiting for.

“Ugh… ugh… Ughhh!!!”

The knights, in terror, automatically started swinging their swords.

Their initial collective force completely dissipated.

Driven by an obvious fear, they began wildly attacking without any coordination.

However,

-Clang!!!

“!!!”

“Ugh!”

A sturdy wall blocking their attacks.

It was composed of simple magic, yet it stood solidly in front of them like a shield made of rare metal.

“What the hell! What is this?”

“What kind of barrier…”

The barrier remained intact, with only minor scratches, even when attacked.

Ordinarily, a mage’s protective barrier could withstand only a few attacks.

Especially when facing knights wielding swords like now, one blow would usually break it.

But Rosemary’s barrier staunchly defended against the knights’ attacks.

A situation that defied common sense.

However, according to Rosemary’s standards, this was a perfectly natural outcome.

Because she knew better than anyone else the strength of this wall.

“It’s a wall that even repels the attacks of the Demon King. It won’t be easily broken by your feeble attacks.”

Of course, that didn’t mean the barrier was invincible.

If the attacks of the sorcerers who were charging their magic behind her were to come, it would soon be pierced as well.

With the thought that there wasn’t much time to spare, Rosemary immediately brandished her staff.

Magic manifested in accordance with the spell she had prepared in advance.

Crimson magical power coiled around her fingers as directed by her commands.

And then…

“Huh?”

The arms of the knights suddenly froze in mid-air.

The hand gripping their swords ceased to move for an instant.

As if something had firmly grasped hold of their arms.

They tried to forcefully move, using all their might, but their arms remained motionless in mid-air.

And then…

“W-What… what is happening all of a sudden? Eeeekkkk!!!”

The knights’ arms twisted grotesquely.

Simultaneously, dismal screams erupted from their mouths.

The hands that had previously struck the barrier began twisting like twisted doughnuts.

Flesh was torn apart alive.

Bones twisted and contorted forcibly.

Body parts were distorted in their entirety by an unseen force.

The scene was so horrifying that even those who witnessed it could feel the excruciating pain.

The faces of those who saw it turned pale, overwhelmed by the sheer horror.

“Gahhh….”

“Huh…?”

In the end, the knights fell to the ground, unable to withstand the extreme pain.

It was unclear if they had fainted due to shock or if they had died, but one thing was certain: they were no longer capable of continuing the fight.

In a single moment, Rosemary had disposed of four knights.

At that moment…

“!”

– Clang, clang, clang!

Magic pouring towards the place where she was.

The magic, taking the shape of blue lightning, fell to where Rosemary was, paying no attention to the fallen knights on the ground.

A direct hit breaking through the golden defensive barrier, striking Rosemary herself.

At the same time, the mastermind behind this magic, Lancilot, shouted in a cold voice.

“Attack! Destroy that witch right away!”

In compliance with his command, the hesitant sorcerers simultaneously unleashed their magic.

The attacks composed of fire, ice, and poison swept through the very spot where Rosemary stood.

Such a tremendous assault turned this flower garden into chaos.

In an instant, the scene was engulfed in smoke,

and Lancilot showed a deep smile.

*

“Excellent! We’ve defeated Rosetta!”

Lancilot said joyfully.

There was no way Rosemary could have survived such a powerful attack that shattered the defensive barrier.

To be honest, he felt overwhelmed by the initial overwhelming force, but after all, his opponent was just a single witch.

It was not unexpectedly difficult to wipe her out when she used magic without any guards protecting her.

“With this, we have eliminated another threat to the kingdom. After that woman named Rosemary, we have succeeded in removing yet another danger!”

With this, there would be no more delusional guy talking about befriending the demons or anything like that.

Once again, smiling at the fact of his victory, Lancilot glanced at the place where the filthy witch lay, so pitifully abandoned that even retrieving her remains would be difficult.

However…

“…Huh?”

As the smoke cleared, a scene began to appear.

But… it was completely different from what Lancilot had expected.

Amongst it, two figures became visible.

One… was Rosetta, glaring back coldly while injured.

And the other one…

The one with black horns.

A demon.

“What…what is it? Why is that guy here?”

An unexpected disruptor has appeared.

However, before accurately assessing the situation here…

Dark magic started emanating from the demon’s body.

“Shall I kill, Master?”

“Kill him.”