Celestine moved back as the ice barrier expanded towards her until it finally stopped. She was not deterred as she continued to attack. Her attacks were relentless as she continued to summon fireballs followed by fire arrows.
Cygnus continued to defend and successfully intercepted all the attacks. Afterwards, he launched his own attack and sent a rain of ice to pin the woman down. While the rain was distracting her, Cygnus sent an ice wave below to freeze her.
Celestine defended herself from the rain so that she did not notice the ice creeping towards her. The cold got a hold of her feet as it spread fast upward towards her body. The sensation of numbness slowly took over her body until half of her body was frozen.
She tried to melt the ice using her fire but it was no use because the ice was faster that her fire. Celes and Ulysses watched as Cygnus easily subdued the woman with only a few attacks. Celestine tried to free herself but she was locked in place by the ice crystal that surrounded her.
Ulysses broke the branches that were restricting him and attacked the Grand Archmage instead. He was fast and every slash and stab he used was precise and with the intention to kill. Celes on the other hand did not remain passive and also attacked the duke.
The greenhouse that was pristine and beautiful became the home of fire, ice and overly grown branches of trees. This was what met Linius and Linette when they were informed that a mage from the tower came to visit.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Mother stay here outside, I'll go and see what is happening inside." Linius looked at his mother and gave her a reassuring smile.
Linette agreed because she knew that she wouldn't be of any help even if she could enter the greenhouse. Before Linius could even enter, a sharp wooden branch pierced through the roof of the greenhouse. Then there was a booming and crashing sound coming from the inside.
The major immediately made his way towards the entrance of the greenhouse and when he opened the door, everything inside was already in a mess. He waded through the chaotic scene until he reached the center of the chaos.
There he saw his father brandishing his sword against the mage while the master watched from a distance and beside him was the ice crystal that trapped Celestine. Linius already knew that this could happen but to actually see it with his own eyes was different.
"Father!" He shouted with the loudest voice he could but Ulysses was not listening. He frowned as the shadows of both his father and the mage moved from one point to another.
He took the sword on his waist and released it from his scabbard. Since he had learned how to channel his strength in the sword, he infused his purest energy and threw the sword. The black sword cut through the air with a whistle and passed in between the mage and his father which successfully interfered with their clash.
The sword pierced one of the pillars of the greenhouse and stayed there. Ulysses stepped back and so did Celes. Linius walked and stepped in between them. He stared at the mage and narrowed his eyes.
He had seen him many times in the capital because he was one of the most popular members of the elders of the Magic Tower because he never hid his identity. Because of that, he unofficially became the face of the tower because people could immediately identify him in a crowd.
"I would appreciate it if you can please leave now, Grand Archmage," Linius gestured at the now destroyed entrance of the greenhouse. "Do not come into our territory once again."
Celes wasn't willing as his eyes lingered on Cygnus for a while. The child was really talented and full of potential. He would leave now but he won't give up on the master. The Grand Archmage left together with his apprentice who was still angry for being embarrassed like that.
After they left, Linius sighed and looked at his father who just sheathed his sword. He still stood there like nothing happened even though the greenhouse was already destroyed. The major took back his sword by using the same invisible strength he used to make his sword fly.
"I don't know what you are thinking about, but do you really need to destroy the whole place?" Linius was disappointed with his father because he can't even keep a calm mind.
"Do not blame me, that woman suddenly attacked me and I am not the kind of person who will just stand there and let someone kill me." Ulysses frowned once again when he remembered how that woman tried to land an attack on him.
"Did you perhaps insult her or anything?" Linius asked while he looked around to assess the damage caused by the fight.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmAll the plants and flowers they planted and collected were now destroyed, some were incinerated and frozen while the others looked like they were razed by a large snake. Even the expensive table set and couches placed in there for relaxation were now unrecognizable.
"If not for her being rude and not knowing her place, do you think I would say anything? Who gave her the right to say whatever she wants?" As a duke he has a dignity he needed to preserve.
That apprentice was a woman, but if a woman spoke without thinking and without respect, he wouldn't be polite with her. Youngsters nowadays needed to be disciplined and showed how cruel the real world was.
There was nothing he could do about his father. He had been like this ever since and if he decided to take action then no one can stop him. Linius then looked at the master who was silently watching from the side.
"So, did that mage come to convince you to join the tower?" He asked although he already knew that it was the case. The master's prediction has always been right.
Cygnus walked towards them with a grin, "Yes and after this incident they will remain persistent because he has proof that I will become an asset to them." There was a skip on his steps as he walked towards them.
He was satisfied by what he had seen and he witnessed firsthand how strong the elder Ginehart was. Linius's sword has also improved. They were really talented people which he rarely encountered from the worlds where he had been to.
"Now that everything is in place, we just need to wait for them to make a move. Let's make this as believable as it could be." Cygnus patted both of their shoulders before he waded his way through all the mess when he suddenly stopped in the middle. "How unsightly," he stomped his feet and a magic circle that encompasses the whole greenhouse appeared.
A light engulfed the whole place and within a minute everything was back to normal after the light disappeared. Ulysses and Linius who were in there gaped at the man whose back was facing them. His magic was really high level and they were sure that the man could do more than that.
Celes was in a good mood after they came from the Ginehart manor. His fight with the duke was an eyeopener. May said that he was unmatched in the battlefield and even more so in a single combat. Now he had proven that they were not wrong.
That young man was also noteworthy. Even though his apprentice was driven by anger during the fight, he was still able to subdue her. He looked like he had no experience in a battle but when he saw how he moved and acted, he was sure that Rigel Maverick Ginehart was no ordinary magic user.