Chapter 70

Flame Sword. It is the most common among magic swords.

It has no special inscription.

If you pay enough money, almost anyone can obtain one.

However, that does not mean this Flame Sword is weak.

With this sword alone, I can annihilate an entire orc settlement, including its boss.

Although, it’s largely because I’m the one wielding it.

The sword heats up thanks to the fire magic stone it contains.

The blade turns red.

“Use wind magic to create air. You’ll suffocate.”

I was already familiar with using the Flame Sword, but my studies at the Magic Academy have greatly deepened my understanding of the sword itself.

I now realize that the Flame Sword possesses even greater potential.

The temperature surrounding the sword rises.

I know how to increase it.

The sword, once crimson, now glows yellow, and then gradually turns white.

This is the true state of the Flame Sword.

As a mage with some experience under my belt, I finally understand it.

Though the sword consumes a lot of mana, it’s not a problem with my current level of mana.

The idea that a warrior can’t fully unlock the sword’s true potential seems rather foolish.

To test it, I slowly slash at the Murderer Zombie in front of me, almost as if stroking it.

With no resistance at all, it cuts through as if slicing melted butter with a knife.

The cut surface is charred.

Skeletons are no different.

The bones, enhanced by a curse, are nothing in the face of the now-white Flame Sword.

However, the enemies are too weak.

They’re already easy opponents with the regular Flame Sword, so this is just a test cut.

Since Colgus can finally walk again, we move forward, cutting through the swarm of zombies with the Flame Sword.

“Amazing, old man Ahavain… I mean, Mr. Ahavain.”

“Don’t start calling me ‘Mr.’ now. It’s creepy.”

“Alright, I’ll just call you old man as usual.”

“I keep telling you, I’m not that old.”

As we advance deeper, higher-level zombies appear, but I slice through them with ease using the Flame Sword.

They were already easy for me to defeat, and now the sword is even stronger.

It would be odd to struggle.

With Lulise continuing her wind magic to create air, there’s no worry of suffocation from the Flame Sword.

In confined spaces, fire magic’s biggest danger is the lack of air.

“You’re amazing! You could really make a name for yourself as an adventurer.”

“I told you, I’m a former adventurer.”

“Did you? Oops, hehe.”

Lulise is good at playing it off with a laugh.

I’m not at an age where that would sway me, so I just let it slide.

Mastema, on the other hand, started shadowboxing into the air.

Looks like she’s getting bored and frustrated.

There’s a group of higher-level zombies in the large chamber ahead.

“Mastema, you wanna go?”

“I’ll go.”

As I dispel the Flame Sword’s magic to let the heat dissipate, I ask Mastema, who replies instantly.

She pushes past me and moves to the front.

Twisting her right arm in exaggerated circles, she approaches the densely packed zombies.

The moment they all turn to face her is like something out of a horror movie.

Colgus and Lulise both immediately back away.

“There’s a lot of them. I don’t want to get dirty.”

With that, Mastema stops swinging her arm and takes a small breath.

Then, she breathes out black flames toward the horde of zombies.

In an instant, the black fire spreads, and the zombies perish, groaning as if they were screaming.

“Oops, I overdid it. Nothing left…”

Mastema lowers her shoulders, but there’s no need to worry.

From the depths, we hear footsteps, and a huge zombie appears.

It’s several times larger than the regular ones, wielding a chain with a spiked iron ball.

“Good, this might be a little less boring.”

Its muscles swell as it swings the iron ball.

This is why such zombies are dangerous.

Zombies easily surpass their original muscle limits, breaking their own bodies without a care.

As a result, they attack with terrifying strength.

The giant zombie hurls the iron ball at Mastema with all its might.

She stops it with just her index finger.

Mastema doesn’t budge an inch.

Gently, she lets the ball slide off her finger.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

Seeing this, the giant zombie swings the iron ball with even greater force.

The heavy whooshing sound of the iron ball cutting through the air echoes in the room.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.”

“No way, no way.”

Colgus and Lulise shout while clasping their hands together.

Oh right, I hadn’t told them Mastema is a demon.

How am I going to explain this?

With a roar that’s more like air vibrating than a voice, the giant zombie swings the iron ball at Mastema again.

It’s a blow of tremendous strength.

Even I wouldn’t want to take it head-on.

If I had to deal with it directly, I’d either slice through the ball with the Flame Sword or strengthen myself with the Heaven’s Sword.

But Mastema?

She deflects it with ease using her right arm.

The impact is so strong that the chain and iron ball rip from the zombie’s arm.

The ball embeds itself into the wall.

“Is that all?”

Zombies don’t have emotions.

All they have is hatred and envy toward the living.

They convert that into hunger and keep moving.

But now, it seems like this giant zombie is feeling something, even though it shouldn’t be possible.

The giant zombie can’t move.

“That’s enough.”

Mastema approaches with the casualness of someone out for a stroll, opens her right hand, and pushes the giant zombie.

The enormous zombie flies through the air, crashes into the wall, and shatters.

Blood and rotten flesh scatter everywhere.

Luckily, none reaches Mastema, and she shakes her right hand a few times to clean off the dirt.

She then washes the remaining sticky liquid off with holy water.

If Cardinal Keller saw this, he’d faint.

A demon washing her hands with holy water?

If it were written in the scriptures, it’d be banned for sure.

I carefully wipe my hands with the handkerchief Arnella gave me and put the damp cloth away.

It looks like most of the zombies are dealt with.

The reason for all this? They probably neglected their regular cleanup.

It’s Rucola’s fault.

Now, how do I explain this to Lulise and Colgus?

Maybe I’ll tell them she’s a muscle mage? They might believe it since that kind of magic does exist.

Although it changes appearances, so they’d catch on as soon as they see the real thing.

As I was thinking that, another zombie emerges from the darkness.

Its clothing is that of a Magic Academy student.

Its robe, barely recognizable, bears the badge of a lower-class student.

This must be one of the missing students.

If I recall correctly, they used…

The student zombie raises its right arm.

Multiple ice swords form above its head.

It was an ice mage, then.

Zombies can use magic too. If they were mages, it’s possible.

The question of why it’s here will have to wait.

Mastema still looks unsatisfied, but I’d rather end this with my own hands than let it die at the hands of a demon.

The Flame Sword I draw turns white again.

If I remember correctly, in a distant eastern land, they say something like this when sending off the dead:

“Rest in peace.”