Chapter 195 - How It Feels To Be The Loser (4)

The team's journey to the west—the west side of Raneil Barony's southern part—went for about only 10 minutes. Since Raneil Barony was not that big of a Barony, the team could reach their destination in a very short time with their pace.

That means, the team had already met the resting horde of Demons. Of course, that doesn't mean they were close to said horde; they were observing the horde from 100 kilometers away, inside a worn down but fairly usable three storey building.

"To think that they really are here..." Robert muttered under his breath, while furtively glancing at Basil in amazement. Like the others, he was observing the horde from the window of the building.

"Do you have an absurd control over your Mana Sense?" Alexandra turned to Basil. "To detect the horde with Mana Sense, and not getting detected back ... That's amazing."

"I have told you that I used my logic." Basil was slightly frowning. Although he could actually do what Alexandra said, for the current him, he could only perfectly control his Mana Sense to look for something that was 1.5 kilometers away from him.

In other words, if he stretched out his Mana Sense for more than 1.5 kilometers away, the thing he was trying to detect would be able to notice his Mana Sense, albeit very faintly.

Since the other side was Demon, who had a very strong sense, he couldn't do that; they were there to investigate, not to expose themselves.

Therefore, Basil didn't look for the Demons, who had been definitely more than 1.5 kilometers away from the team, with his Mana Sense, and asked the Guide for help.

He would be able to do it soon, but not now.

"So now that we have found them, what are we going to do?"

"We are just going to mark this spot on the map, and draw the detailed route to this place," Iliana answered Cray nonchalantly.

"Well, I know that. But, isn't that a little bit..."

"Boring?" Iliana quirked her eyebrow.

"Well, how to put it into words ..." Cray scratched his head. "It is just ... Isn't it too easy?"

"Of course, it is easy. We are just investigating, after all." Iliana slightly chuckled in amusement. "The best part is the Subjugation."

"If that is the case," Cray turned his head to Basil, " considering how big Raneil Barony is, which is not big at all, why would we need, at least, three days to complete the mission?"

"Now that I think about it ... Basil did say it to his servant." Alexandra nodded her head. Turning her head to Basil in the next moment, she asked, "Did you have a special reason to say that?"

Receiving her gaze, Basil slightly quirked his eyebrow. "It's for the unexpected. You will never know what can happen in a mission ... Besides, we are not the only people here." As soon as he said that, everyone quickly prepared themselves to launch an attack.

"Where are they?" Robert whispered lowly. His Grimoire was fully on display.

Alexandra cursed under her breath. "Darn it! Have we been followed?" Fire had already gathered on the tip of her fingers.

Unlike the other two, Jocelyn acted calmly. She had lost her bright look; it was replaced with a serious look that would baffle anyone who had seen her usual expression.

She was currently looking at Basil, expecting an answer out of him, as he was the one who seemed to know where the other party was.

"Hmm... I don't sense anyone in this building other than us," Whitney mused to himself. Turning to Basil, he said, "Are they Knights?"

"Or they are maybe a very capable Mages," Cray commented. "But, it's strange though. I don't feel like they have a bad intention."

Iliana hummed to herself, and took Sinister Piercer out. Twirling it in her hand once, she turned to the door of the room they were currently in. "Whoever they are or whatever their intention is, I don't like being followed."

Pointing Sinister Piercer to the door, she gathered her Mana to the tip of its blade, and was about to thrust it to the door when Basil put his hand on its shaft.

"There are Monsters with a very keen sense 100 meters away from us. The other side understand that well, and they don't want to expose themselves to the Monsters. We will be fine; they will not start a fight."

"How are you so sure?"

Basil tapped his ears. "I can hear their footsteps—their Knight's footsteps." Pushing down Sinister Piercer, he continued," Judging from their steps, like us, they, too, expect that they are the one being followed."

"You can hear ... Their steps?" Alexandra said strangely. "What Art do you practice? Aren't you a little bit over the top for a student?"

Basil merely glanced at Alexandra from the corner of his eyes, and ignored her afterward. She was slightly annoyed, but decided to not pursue the matter; she wasn't that petty.

"They are already here," Basil said in a small voice.

Everyone became even more tense than before; Spellcasters casted their Spell, and Battle Mages utilized their Art. They were all ready to jump at whoever the people behind the door were.

Unlike the others however, just like Basil, Iliana was relax. She had even stored her beloved Sinister Piercer in her Spatial Bracelet. "I trust your judgement, Sil. Don't disappoint me."

Basil didn't say a word, as he merely gazed at the doorknob that was turning ever so slightly. 'As expected of Knights, they really are the best people to be Assassins.' Before long, a low click was heard and the door was slowly opened.

Creak.

The five Mages were ready to vanquish the life out of the people behind the door, but when they saw that they were no one there, they held themselves back. Instead of heaving a sigh of relief however, they became even more tense.

"I've told you; they are already here, not in front of us." Basil looked at the ceiling with a small smile.

Boom!

The ceiling fell down, and five people appeared in the middle of the room. They didn't even look around, as they quickly jumped at the person they laid their eyes on.

Of course, the Mages also didn't hold themselves back as they, too, went for the people.

Clap!

Or that was what they wanted to do.

"Don't move! Retract your Magic Circles, and withdraw your Qi. You can't expose ourselves to the Monsters," Basil said calmly.

Everyone in the room, who was about to engage in fight, turned to Basil, and gulped dryly while sweating coldly. Basil's cold and murderous eyes wasn't the only thing that freaked them out; there was also a cold steel that was really close to slit their throat.

Basil's [Master of Weapon] was fully on display!

"W-What is the meaning of this?!" Robert was flustered. "Why are you even threatening your teammates, Mr. Pacifer?!"

Putting a finger in front of his lips, Basil calmly said, "Keep your voice down, Robert. I am sure you will not like losing your vocal cord." He gestured at the resting horde of Demons that everyone with keen eyes could see from the window.

Robert lowly cursed under his breath, but complied to Basil's instruction. Turning his gaze to the person who was pointing his sword at him, he was met with said person's face that was full of disbelief.

He could understand the Knight though; he, too, was bewildered at Basil's [Telekinesis]. He didn't know Basil was also a Mentalist. 'Or is he? I can't tell whether he is using Mana, but it is similar to [Telekinesis].'

Looking around, Robert could see that two of his teammates, Whitney and Cray, were looking at the Knight in front of them with an awkward expression. Surprisingly, the Knight they were looking at also looked at them back with an equally surprised and awkward expression.

Snap!

Snapping his finger once, all of Basil's hovering swords that were ready to slit everyone's throat returned to his Spatial Ring.

When the Mages, in exception of Cray and Whitney, saw that the Knights were also freed from Basil's threat, they were ready to attack the Knights.

However, they immediately stopped themselves, when they saw that the Knights quickly stored their weapons and turned to Basil. They were treated like they weren't even there by the Knights.

Ignoring the bewildered gaze he received from the Knights, and the confused look he got from his teammates, Basil looked at the hooded figure in front of him who had just retracted their sword.

Flicking the air once, said figure's hood was lifted, revealing an extremely beautiful face that belonged to a blond haired woman. The Mages gasped at the woman, but not because of her exceptionally beautiful face.

She had two pointed ears that only belonged to an Elf.

"You are ... Alive."

"You are just as eager to kill me as you used to." Basil quirked his eyebrow. "What an unwanted coincidence meeting you here ... Effie."

Upon hearing the name of their comrade came out of Basil's mouth, the Knights exclaimed in unison, "Basil!"

"Holy crap! This dude is still kicking!"

"What the hell?! How could you survive that weird-ass old man?!"

"Kuhahaha! You are just as tough as you look, aren't you, Basil?"

"W-What? Did he really survive the Dungeon?"

This party of Knights wasn't just a random party. All of them knew who Basil was, and they were really grateful of him for what he had done for them.

They were no other than Hauler—the Knight party that had gone to Death Howl with Basil.

"But, how? How did you—"

"Intelligence and meticulousness," Basil answered Effie's unfinished question.

Blinking her eyes once, she widened her eyes the moment she realized that everyone could see her face. Pulling her hood back, she took a distance away from Basil, and pointed an accusing finger at him.

"Y-You fiend! What have you done invading someone's privacy as you like?!"

"Don't worry." Basil waved his hand nonchalantly. "Mages don't care of what your race is. As long as you mean no harm, you will not end up on our dissection table."

"W-What does that even mean?!"

Ignoring the bantering Effie and Basil, Iliana turned to Thompson. She could tell that he was the leader in a glance. "What is really happening here?"

"Oh, pardon us for not introducing ourselves." Thompson stepped forward, and bowed politely. "My name is Thompson, and this is my party, Hauler. We are the people that Basil saved in Death Howl Dungeon."

"Hoh? So that's the case, huh?" Iliana glanced at Effie who was still bantering with Basil. She had her hood down once again, and another girl beside her—Sylvia.. "What a strange thing fate is," Iliana muttered.