"If I'm not mistaken, you are an Advanced Wizard Apprentice, so you may need to fly down on your own."
The wizard in the white robe took a gray cloth bag from his waist.
"Of course, to show our apologies, we will refund you fifty Magic Stones."
The Royal Capital of the Holy Flame Kingdom, Lane, had also fallen?
Colin felt a sinking feeling in his heart as he took the Magic Stones.
But hurrying was of no use at this moment. He gently exhaled and asked,
"Why does a Wizard creation, the Flying Airship, need to avoid mundane wars?"
Hearing this, the wizard in the white robe smiled meaningfully and said,
"Do you not know, sir? The Supreme Council has decreed that Wizards may not intervene in mortal conflicts."
"That's true," Colin replied, his expression unchanging. "Don't misunderstand me. I'm just here to visit an old friend in the Holy Flame Kingdom."
Even though he said this, he had just arrived on the Siya Continent... and was unaware that the Wizard Alliance's Supreme Council had such a regulation.
The wizard in the white robe nodded amicably and continued,
"Please follow me, sir."
"I will take you to the hatch."
After passing through a narrow corridor of grayish-blue steel, the wizard led him to a tall, tightly closed hatch.
The howling wind passed through the solid steel plates.
The wizard walked to the side of the hatch and touched the white crystal embedded there.
After a moment, he said to Colin,
"Please wait a moment, sir. The Flying Airship will soon reach above Holy Flame Capital Lane."
"Hmm," Colin nodded, taking a deep breath to calm the anxiousness in his heart.
Another moment passed.
Suddenly, the wizard in the white robe spoke up,
"Sir, please prepare yourself."
"We have arrived above Lane. I will open the hatch for you."
Colin nodded, took hold of Renee's arm, while she held Demi in her embrace.
Seeing that they were ready, the wizard didn't delay any longer and touched the crystal, channeling Magic Power from his fingertips.
"Farewell, sir. I wish you a smooth journey," he said with a gentle blessing.
Click click click—
The sound of mechanical gears turning echoed.
Whoosh—
A gust of fierce wind rushed in from the gap of the opening hatch, lifting the wisps of hair on his forehead.
With a thought, the Extreme Shadow Triangle Shuttle appeared in his hand, followed by the release of the Flying and Diving Skill.
Wrapped in the glow of witchcraft, his toes quietly left the ground, and he and the Renee sisters instantly hovered in midair.
"Goodbye," Colin nodded to the wizard in the white robe as a sign of acknowledgment, then without any hesitation, flew out of the hatch.
A magnificent seascape of clouds—icy white ripples and golden light—filled his sight!
This was a scene one could only witness on an airplane in his previous life...
But in this life, in this world where mighty power was his own, such sights had become frequent views ever since he had learned the Flying and Diving Skill.
While he wouldn't say he was used to it, it certainly didn't shock him as it had the first time.
Swoosh!
He carried Renee in a dive downward, plunging into the sea of clouds in the blink of an eye.
The cotton-like clouds were not soft at all, but turned into white mist speeding past them.
In no time, the white clouds thinned out.
The shrunken earth appeared before him like a model.
A quick glance from Colin locked onto the burning fires of the grey-black city below.
...
Clang!
In the palace's inner hall, a Great Knight clad in heavy armor swung his giant sword forward, barely deflecting a blade aimed at King Delaisi.
Then, with a backhand sweep, the blade's edge slit through the vulnerable throat where the enemy knight's helmet met the breastplate.
Spurt!
Blood gushed out, and the enemy knight screamed as he fell, becoming another nameless corpse at the feet of the Great Knight.
The Great Knight gripped his sword, breathing heavily like a broken bellows, sweat streaming down to pool in transparent puddles at his feet.
"Sir Burns... are you alright?" King Delaisi asked the knight before him, still shaken with concern.
By his side, Queen Polly clung tightly to her son Gallagher. Feeling her son's sobs, she couldn't hold back her stern voice,
"Burns, I command you to persevere. Don't forget your oath; defend us with your life!"
"Polly!" King Delaisi's face showed anger.
Startled, Prince Gallagher in Polly's arms trembled, his crying growing louder.
"Your Majesty!" Polly remonstrated.
Burns paused slightly in his movements, took a deep breath, and said softly:
"I'm alright, Your Majesty Delaisi."
Then he raised his head and swept his cold, resolute gaze across the knights of Qi'an Kingdom, who had already lost their courage.
Straining his overtaxed body, he lifted the giant sword, with the blade pointing forward in a feint.
Whoosh—
The knights of Qi'an Kingdom's hearts skipped a beat, and they subconsciously widened the distance.
Seizing that instant,
"Your Majesty, keep close to me!"
Burns shouted and stepped toward the weak point that had appeared on their left, breaking through!
Swish, swish!!
As the giant sword swung again and again, accompanied by cries of agony and the sound of bodies hitting the ground, Burns cut a narrow path of survival through the encirclement like a hot knife through butter.
"Quick!" Delaisi barked softly, pulling Queen Polly along and quickly following in Burns's footsteps.
But at that moment, Prince Gallagher, facing an enemy knight, looked at the fierce face and the flashing cold light of the sharp sword, his calves suddenly went weak, and he could no longer step forward.
In the distance, a pale yellow liquid could be seen soaking from underneath him.
Queen Polly, thrown off balance by his sudden halt, nearly tumbled to the ground.
Swish!
The surrounding enemy knights naturally would not miss this opportunity and swung their swords in attack!
"Your Majesty!!" Polly cried out in anguish.
"Burns!" Delaisi exclaimed.
The tall knight up ahead changed his expression—
Even though he was on the verge of breaking out of the encirclement, he did not hesitate.
Burns forcefully parried the last knight's attack in front of him, killed him with a backhand stroke, and then quickly turned to leap toward Polly and her son!
Swish!!
Just in the nick of time, he used his own armor to narrowly block the fatal attack for Polly and her son.
Sword met armor with a clanging sound.
Burns straightened up, ready to break out again with Polly and her son.
Just then!
Swish!
An enemy knight seized the moment and thrust his blade, aiming at Burns's left calf.
Splat!
The sharp sword penetrated flesh, and nearly the entire blade sank in, likely touching the bone.
"Ugh!" Burns grunted, enduring the pain and kicked out at the enemy knight with his other leg!
The enemy knight was knocked backward by the forceful kick.
Burns took the chance to swing his giant sword, stabbing into the enemy knight's exposed lower abdomen as he reeled back!!
"Ah!!"
Then he let out a roar, lifted the enemy knight high above, and glanced fiercely around.
"Gurgle."
For a moment, there were faint sounds of swallowing, and the Qi'an Kingdom's knights' movements simultaneously paused.
Seeing the corpses all around, they no longer had the courage to advance.
Polly, taking advantage of the opportunity, pulled Gallagher forward to flee and join up with the king.
Burns controlled his muscles to close the wound on his calf, and then flung his giant sword.
Bang!
The body dropped heavily.
He stepped forward to catch up with Polly's figure.
They were breaking out toward a corridor.
Polly and her son were at the forefront, Delaisi in the middle, and Burns covered the rear.
Those knights of Qi'an Kingdom had not given up; they just did not approach anymore, following at a distance like hyenas... waiting for the right moment to strike.
Ahead, Burns watched all this... feeling his strength on the verge of exhaustion, feeling the excruciating pain in his left leg, his heart sinking involuntarily.
But he still forced his pace, concealing his weakness.
Jogging all the way.
Burns looked back in surprise to find that the pursuing knights of Qi'an Kingdom had vanished.
It was at that moment.
They reached a crossroads.
Burns looked at the familiar intersection, his instincts urged him to go straight ahead.
But Polly, leading Gallagher, turned left.
"Your Highness Queen!" Burns called out to her, then said solemnly, "Princess Eliel is just ahead, aren't we going to take her with us?"
Polly paused in her steps.
She looked at the knight who had been loyal to Eliel's mother, the guard who had remained faithful to the late queen, her expression darkening.