The Dark Mage Of The Magus World-Chapter 57: The Knight and the Rose

Hutson ran for a good distance before slowing his pace. Once he could no longer sense any disturbances behind him, he began circling toward the forest’s exit, moving swiftly but cautiously.

Forty minutes later, the towering stone pillars of the Thousand-Needle Stone Forest finally thinned out, revealing the open plains beyond.

At the exit, four horses still stood waiting, exactly where they had been left. But now, a carriage had joined them—a sign that the three enemy wizard apprentices had not traveled on foot.

Hutson quickly mounted his own horse, spurring it into a gallop toward Moonlight Woodland.

"From what those three said, it seems Malcolm discovered Luhn’s death in the Moonlight Forest... and now he’s blaming the entire region, even putting out a bounty..."

With a calculated motion, Hutson shed his long robe, replacing it with plain traveler’s clothes to avoid drawing attention.

He dug his heels into the horse’s flank, urging it forward at breakneck speed.

For over an hour, he rode without stopping. No pursuers appeared in the distance. He was almost able to relax.

Then—

The clash of steel.

Screams of terror.

The unmistakable roar of battle.

Hutson pulled his reins, slowing as he approached the source of the commotion. From the shadows of the tree line, he saw them—

A band of raiders, at least thirty strong, attacking a small convoy. The defenders—barely a dozen men—had formed a makeshift barricade, using carriages as cover. Corpses littered the ground.

Among the raiders were archers, perched along the hillsides, loosing arrows at the besieged convoy.

"Hold on, men! They’re almost finished!" A scar-faced man, the bandit leader, stood at the rear, barking orders. His gaze burned with greed.

"They’re nobles! Strip them clean—gold, jewels, whatever they have!"

Amidst the desperate defense, one warrior stood firm.

A middle-aged knight, likely in his forties, wielding a towering greatshield, blocked wave after wave of enemy attacks. His armor was battered, his breathing labored—but he did not fall.

Hutson watched for a moment.

Then he spurred his horse forward.

Not to fight—to pass by.

This wasn’t his battle. He had no time for distractions.

As Hutson galloped past, the scar-faced leader caught sight of him. His eyes gleamed as he noticed the twin rings on Hutson’s fingers.

"Stop him! That one’s carrying treasure!"

Arrows flew.

Hutson was already expecting it.

Ai chip’s warning flashed in his mind.

He flattened himself against his horse, narrowly dodging the first volley.

The bandit leader cursed. "Damn it—shoot the horse!"

This time, the arrows struck true.

A pained whinny.

Hutson’s horse collapsed beneath him, arrows buried in its flank.

In a fluid motion, Hutson rolled to the ground, landing on his feet. His gaze was cold, calculating.

From a distance, the scar-faced leader laughed.

"Nice shot! Now finish him!"

Seven men broke from the main force, charging toward Hutson with drawn blades.

Archers readied their next volley.

But Hutson simply raised a hand.

"Ice Shield."

A barrier of frost formed instantly.

"Mana Shield."

A layer of shimmering blue energy coated his body.

"Dark Energy Shield."

A final, sinister veil of shadow surrounded him.

Arrows struck.

They shattered.

Swords fell.

They bounced harmlessly away.

The bandit leader’s laughter died. His expression twisted into horror.

Hutson’s hand closed around the hilt of his sword.

Schiiing.

In one smooth motion, he drew his blade and charged forward.

The first bandit’s head flew.

Then the second.

Then the third.

Hutson moved like a phantom, slicing through one man after another, his enchanted sword cutting effortlessly through armor and flesh alike.

By the time he reached the last attacker, the remaining bandits had already begun to flee.

They had seen enough.

"M-Monster...!"

Even the scar-faced leader turned and ran.

He mounted a horse, whipping it into a desperate gallop.

Hutson watched him flee.

Then—he raised his hand.

A dark arcane arrow formed, swirling with corrosive magic.

"Corrosion Arrow."

Whoosh.

The arrow pierced clean through the bandit leader’s throat.

He crashed from his horse, gurgling, a blackened hole burning through his neck.

With their leader dead, the last of the bandits scattered into the woods, never looking back.

Hutson didn’t pursue them.

He had no interest in chasing rats.

Instead, he turned his attention to the caravan.

His fallen horse lay dying, breath ragged. He sighed and turned toward the surviving defenders.

A Knight’s Gratitude

The middle-aged knight rushed forward, dropping to one knee.

"Thank you, my lord, for your aid! The Alison family will never forget your kindness!"

From the carriage, a young noblewoman stepped forward.

She was graceful, poised, wrapped in fine silk garments. Her delicate features and piercing blue eyes carried an air of nobility.

"I am Euphie Alison," she said, her voice soft but composed.

Hutson spared her only a glance before turning to the knight.

"Can I buy a horse?"

The knight blinked, stunned.

"...Buy a horse?"

Then, shaking off his surprise, he nodded hastily.

"Of course, my lord. You need not pay. Please, take whichever you like."

Hutson mounted a strong black steed, flipping two gold coins onto the dirt before kicking it into motion.

Without another word, he rode off.

Euphie watched him go.

She turned to the knight, her gaze thoughtful.

"Uncle Sanny..." she murmured.

"I believe I have just found my knight."

Sir Sanny sighed, shaking his head as he turned to the young noblewoman beside him.

"Lady Euphie, that man was no knight." His voice was firm, carrying the weight of experience. "He is a wizard—one of the kind spoken of in whispers and legends. It would be wise not to seek him out."

Euphie, however, seemed unfazed. She clutched the leather-bound book in her hands—a novel titled The Knight and the Rose—her eyes filled with a dreamy longing.

"But this is exactly how it happens in the stories." Her voice carried a wistful sigh. "The knight always appears when the princess is in danger, saves her, and then they live happily ever after."

Sanny knew all too well that his lady had been obsessed with knightly tales recently. He let out a weary breath and gestured toward the carriage.

"My lady, we should return home while those bandits are still scattered. This is not the time for fantasies."

With deliberate care, he bent down and picked up the two gold coins Hutson had left behind. He wiped the dirt from them with his sleeve before placing them safely inside his coat.

To Hutson, this had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience during his journey.

The real frustration was the bandits wasting his time.

He had no plans to delay further.

For the next three days, he rode without pause, stopping only at night to camp, allowing his horse to graze and drink before pressing onward.

At dawn on the third day, the Crimson Mountain Outpost finally came into view.

The moment he arrived, Hutson sensed something was wrong.

The air was tense, thick with suspicion.

The outpost was no longer empty.

A fully-fledged wizard now stood guard, flanked by three third-tier wizard apprentices.

"There was no one stationed here when I left..." Hutson frowned.

A rotund apprentice, his robes embroidered with arcane sigils, lumbered toward him. His eyes narrowed with scrutiny.

"Show me your rune stone."

Without hesitation, Hutson reached into his robes and handed over his personal sigil stone.

The fat wizard examined it carefully, his fingers tracing the engraved glyphs. After a moment of silence, he gave a small nod and returned it.

Then, from within his robes, he pulled out a strange bamboo-like object, its surface etched with ancient runes.

"This is a Faceless Bamboo Segment." His tone was matter-of-fact. "Breathe in from it."

Hutson’s expression didn’t change, but inside, he was cautious.

Without hesitation, he did as instructed, inhaling through the bamboo tube.

Immediately—

A strange white smoke billowed from his ears, nose, and mouth, swirling in the air before dissipating into nothingness.

A New Layer of Intrigue

Hutson’s mind remained calm.

But one thing was clear—

Something was happening.

And the wizarding world was on high alert.