The Legendary Mage (Alavin)
Chapter 199

"The west? Towards the manor?" Vandill turned, feigning surprise with a sly grin. "The game begins," he thought. "Oh, Alavin, do you really believe a little victory can change everything? How naive. Cobalt Strike rules these lands, and the Grand Elder rules Cobalt Strike."

"Why would there be a fire there?" Lucan furrowed his brow, noticing the flames growing fiercer, spreading rapidly. This was no accident.

Could it be bandits? Or mercenaries?

"Arm yourselves, to battle!" Lucan bellowed, his body erupting in fierce flames. The roar was deafening as the bright firelight baked the night sky.

"It might be bandits. Attack!" commanded Godfred, as his thousand-strong guard sprang into action.

"Hold on!" Vandill raised his hand to stop them.

"What? Any longer, and it'll be too late!"

"Let's be clear on the situation. What if this is merely a distraction?"

"Have you taken leave of your senses? If it's bandits, they're after your manor's treasure, not to draw anyone away." Lucan cared not for treasure; his worry was for the stone cottages next to the manor, where the ladies of the Mallister family resided. If the raiders were indeed savage bandits, the ladies were in peril.

Vandill's expression darkened. "Are you blind? Our treasures have already been secured. You all stay here and ensure our safety."

The Cobalt Strike Protégés jostled the bundles on their backs and sneered at the guards. "We've taken what we want. The manor can be plundered."

Lucan felt a chill; these people cared not for the lives of the Mallister family. "I'll leave five hundred men. The rest will come with me."

Vandill shook his head. "Five hundred is too few."

"Are your own men that worthless?"

"How dare you! Know your place. Azure Mountain is mine to command, and you are but an armed slave!" Vandill blocked Lucan's path, shouting loudly, "Without my order, none shall move." Godfred and the others cried out in agitation, "The Mallister family is in danger. We must rescue them!"

Vandill chuckled darkly. "I believe there's no need. By the time you arrive, they might well be dead."

Lucan was so furious he nearly cleaved Vandill with his blade, glaring menacingly before yelling again, "Move out!"

"How many do we leave behind?" Vandill blocked him again.

"Five hundred."

"At least eight hundred."

"Fine, eight hundred will stay. The rest must come with me." Lucan, short on time, pushed past and led his three hundred guards in a mad dash westward.

Vandill chuckled lowly. It was too late, fool.

At that moment, the manor was engulfed in flames. The fire roared through the luxurious towers and gardens. The night sky lit up, smoke and heat waves billowed, and the sound of cracking and popping echoed through the inferno. Cobalt Strike Protégés, disguised as bandits, shouted brazenly as they pillaged the estate. Vandill might have taken the most valuable treasures, but valuables remained.

Not too far away, in the stone cottages, fifty bandits burst in, encircling the women of the Mallister family with sinister grins.

Einclar and his people retreated into the courtyard, herding the frightened women into a corner as he shouted nervously, "The manor has everything. Take it and leave. There's nothing for you here." "But there is. We want money, goods, and women," the bandits sneered, eyeing the terrified ladies with growing restlessness. The women were all comely, each more delicate than the last.

"I urge you to leave now. The guard is on its way, and soon, it'll be too late for anyone to escape." Einclar's heart raced. Where did these bandits come from, and why now? If these madmen charged in, he doubted he could hold them back.

The women, tense and fearful, huddled together, retreating further into the corner as Oda and others took cover in the back. Oda did not want to hide, but Helna covered her mouth, pulling her back, silently pleading for silence.

"Get out! Now!! Our people will be here shortly. Leave or none of you will escape," Einclar kept shouting. The guards clenched their swords. They could handle ordinary bandits, but these displayed a fearsome demeanor, and their presence alone was intimidating.

The fifty bandits leaped into the yard. Their masked faces were twisted with malice. "Choose your pick, brothers, there are beds inside, haha."

"Heh, I prefer the mature ones."

"I like them soft."

"Shall we shout and grab?"

"Haha!"

Beneath the bandits' cruel façade, their aura turned sharp, like unsheathed swords. Their murderous intent was focused on the ten guards as they were determined to dispatch them first.

"Aren't you afraid of Cobalt Strike's vengeance!" Einclar tensed, turning to whisper urgently, "Miss, get out in the chaos, and replace a place to hide!"

Helna pressed firmly over Oda's mouth, nodding for her.

Tears filled Oda's eyes as she shook her head in struggle. The hundred or so women of the family huddled together in panic.