A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 470 Long Live the Empire?

Hench's adjutant signaled Richard to head to the Veterans Club as soon as possible. But initially, Ruben didn't escalate the conflict; the adjutant simply said that the two had gotten into a fight after drinking.

Not only Richard, but other officers who were on good terms with Hench also rushed over, thinking they were just there to "support" Colonel Tortoise. Then they stormed in until they witnessed a shocking scene—Ruben holding a gun to Hench's head.

A shot was fired, but Ruben was the most seriously injured.

Startled by the gunshot, the others who were holding Colonel Turtle down instinctively loosened their grip. They hadn't expected the gun, which was supposed to be just a scare tactic, to explode. Hench himself immediately realized he wasn't dead, roared, broke free of his restraints, and lunged at Ruben.

Retired officer and agitator Ruben's arm was gushing blood. He dropped the damned pistol, its barrel crushed by a supernatural force, causing the rapidly expanding gas and bullet to spurt back into the propellant tank and then strike the gunner's arm.

Both sides were dressed almost identically, and as they stared at each other in stunned silence, it was Hench who first roared, "They're going to stage a coup!"

In an instant, everyone drew their swords and sabers, and some even pulled out guns to confront each other. At first, the officers were confused because they might not know each other and were wearing similar uniforms, but they quickly distinguished friend from foe by whether they smelled of alcohol or had flushed faces.

The stalemate continued uninterrupted, with neither side moving. Richard, seemingly unconcerned, raised one hand, conjuring a menacing magical light, and walked straight towards Hench: "Let's see who dares to move!"

He's a mage! Those on Ruben's side were stunned as they watched Richard pull up his friend, his hand surging with healing magic.

"There are mages among them, be careful!" Hench squeezed out these words through gritted teeth, the feeling of his ribs being accelerated was not pleasant.

From the very beginning, there were mages who supported Ruben who infiltrated the ranks. Strictly speaking, he and Richard were among the same group who were close to the necromancers, so their promotion was expected to be smooth. However, things don't always go as planned, and necromancers are often unlucky. At this time, this military mage, like many other Imperial spellcasters who couldn't get ahead, joined the "Retired Officers Club".

They were all graduates of the Royal Academy of Magic, and their specialty was silent spellcasting. However, he couldn't achieve Richard's ability to raise his hand and immediately unleash a spell, at least that's how the young man appeared. So, he wisely blended into the crowd, silently preparing and looking for an opportunity.

Richard's "careless public treatment of Hench" was the perfect moment!

Having made this judgment, a ray immediately shot from his hand, piercing through the predecessor's left waist and heading straight for Richard. To everyone's surprise, the so-called radiance of Richard's raised hand was not an offensive spell, but immediately spread out into a blue barrier.

Richard himself didn't have time to check what kind of attack it was; he had just completely entrusted his and Hench's lives to Rorschach.

Yes, although Rorschach was not present, the [Blue Light Barrier] from the spell cloud was being used at this time.

The effect was truly remarkable! Richard was taken aback, then quickly dispelled the barrier. The mage's only achievement was injuring one of his teammates; the innocent officer, whose vital organs had been severely damaged, wailed and rolled alongside Ruben, exposing the attacker to Richard.

What kind of magic could this person use? The accompanying mage nervously guessed, while trying to hide behind the others again. Unfortunately, he was a little too slow; a second gunshot rang out in the room, and Hench's adjutant instantly took the life of a spellcaster.

This signaled the others to start fighting. Richard wanted to continue casting his spell, but he couldn't tell friend from foe. He saw mostly unfamiliar officers fighting with similar uniforms and the same fighting techniques, and they would rush to stop anyone who pulled out a gun.

Somewhat strangely and comically, these people almost all tacitly avoided Richard, resulting in him and Hench standing in the middle of the room, watching the others huddled together in twos and threes, rolling around on the floor.

"Why don't you find a spell to stop them?" Hench had already lit a cigarette to suppress the pain and the shock of this bizarre scene.

Before they could take any further action, a large-scale commotion broke out on the street outside the window. At first, they could hear the scattered footsteps of many people, but then the sound of footsteps on the ground began to become uniform, and everyone inside the house could tell that it was the marching of an army.

It seems this place is just a base. Ruben's mission is related to that big military flag - he wants to force Hench to sign and put his fingerprint on it, and pull him into the ranks. This is because Hench has been portrayed as a human flag among young officers, and has been received and commended by His Highness the Crown Prince and the Marshal. He has become extremely well-known through propaganda.

At this moment, in addition to the orderly, eerie marching in the darkness, a song that was almost shouted could also be heard:

"Forward, Dragoons whose banners never fall!"

"Forward, Imperial Army whose banner never falls!"

"Snap your sword, arm yourself, and prepare for battle!"

"No one sounds the horn of peril; we must be men, standing up for our country and seeking justice."

Ruben dragged his crippled body, using his intact hands and feet to climb toward the window, a blood-stained flag in his mouth bearing the signatures of the "righteous men".

Upon reaching his destination, he leaned against the window frame, waved the flag with his left hand, and shouted, "Long live the Empire!"

"Ten thousand--"

A riding boot landed squarely on his face.

The girl Richard had met the night before reappeared, this time leaping down from an even higher floor. Rebecca placed her other foot on the window, then pushed off with all her might.

Poor Ruben was pinned to the floor with his head stomped on, while Libs forced her way into the second floor of the club.

"Is he your enemy?" Libs asked Richard.

"That's not important. Why are you here? The capital is dangerous now, you and your mother should leave quickly."

"How can I leave? The crisis is not over and danger is everywhere. Every move could cost me my life. But I still came." She patted Richard's broad chest and upper body muscles as if to take credit.

"Then I will escort you. As long as you return to the manor, the family's security forces will ensure your safety."

Libs accepted the suggestion, glancing out the window, her eyes sparkling again. Then she concluded, "This group is heading west; we can avoid them."

However, Hench's expression changed drastically, and he revealed a startling fact: "Tonight, His Highness the Crown Prince will return from the summer palace to govern, entering through the Arch of Saint-Clay on the west side."

"Oh, so they obviously want to kidnap His Highness the Crown Prince." Libs nodded in understanding.

"Is this also part of your prophecy?"

"Deduction! Deduction! Or is your brain all show and no substance?"

Hench, no longer bothering with his cigarette, said, "Judging from the information Ruben revealed, this brave young lady's reasoning is very likely correct."

Richard paused for a moment: "The family estate is in the suburbs, and your mother is safe, so the target has changed."

He looked at Hench and Libs: "Out of duty as soldiers, out of loyalty to the Empire, we must stop this disaster."

While Hench was still pondering, Libs blurted out, "We should find His Highness the Crown Prince first."

(End of this chapter)