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Choosing the former would likely allow him power over me, the vice-captain awaiting appointment, and consequently the Dark Knights through blackmail. The latter would result in both me and Sevi-Mayer being killed.

The man-turned-boy was, as usual, staring at me with his deadpan face, but I could sense the dissatisfaction in his eyes that showed his desire to undo the transformation. I shook my head at him. The situation couldn’t be any more uncertain. Mayer was indeed strong, but could he defeat all the others when he was completely weaponless? Of course… It would take, what, 10 seconds? …Still, I felt it would be more helpful to lessen the risk a bit more. “Why are you so confident that I’d join your side?” I asked, trying to divert attention my way. “If I reported your crimes…”

“Who’d believe in you?”

“Well, obviously—”

“You’re alone, while we’re many. Besides, we’ve worked with diligence in the Dark Knights for so long. It’s a piece of cake framing you for our wrongs,” he said, and my silence prompted him to continue. “Think carefully. It’s not a bad choice—you have a bad rep in the Dark Knights as it is. With the Blue Flames on your side, you’ll have a standing of your own.” Wipera persuaded me gently at first, but not getting the answer he wanted, he started screaming. “How long do you think a garbage support mage can last as vice-captain?”

“Support magic is more useful than you think,” I replied.

“Useful? Does trash have use too? Because that’s what support magic is!”

“That’s rich, coming from somebody who’s fervently benefiting from it.” I glowered at Wipera, twisting my lips into a sneer. “Your method is wrong. Don’t go around telling anyone what your class is. It’s an embarrassment to us support mages.”

“Oh, really? You want to die, is that it?” Wipera’s face warped with anger. It was clear that my mocking words hurt his pride. With clenched teeth and a forced smile, he gripped the dagger in his hand harder as he kicked my legs out from under me. “Fine, then,” he snarled, “I’ll do as you wish. Don’t worry, you won’t be lonely; we’ll bury that arrow-shooting brat right beside you.”

It was as I had predicted: he had planned on killing Sevi too all along. “The captain won’t sit by and ignore this matter,” I warned him.

“His Excellency won’t think much of anything as long as a dungeon gets closed,” Wipera said. “I’ll report that you caused a panic during the raid and inflicted extreme damage on the team before dying by a monster’s attack.”

He raised his dagger into the air and I shut my eyes in anticipation of the pain that would sear my neck… but I felt nothing. Instead, Wipera released his grip on my shoulder. “Kugh…!”

Hearing a groan, I tentatively lifted my head and saw Mayer clutching Wipera’s arm like a kite that had caught prey. Next, I saw that the Blue Flames who had been holding Mayer were splayed across the ground, looking dumbfounded. Wipera looked equally at a loss at the sudden turn of events, struggling in vain to get Mayer’s hand off him but failing to make the transformed captain even budge.

Mayer gazed down at me, gnashing his teeth in fury as he savagely hissed, “Just why…?”

I felt a chill, more intense than when Wipera’s knife was at my throat as in the next instant, Mayer’s figure turned hazy—the transforming spell was wearing off. The young boy before my eyes was engulfed in light and, seconds later, he was replaced by a giant man cloaked in a menacing air like a denizen of the dark. Now returned to his original form, Mayer’s shadow fell over me as if it were devouring my very being. “I let you test my patience… and you plan on giving the signal only after getting stabbed. Correct?” He growled.

His rage was frightening to the point of inducing hiccups, even more so because he was so close and so focused on me. While I did think that he wouldn’t like my idea very much, this was beyond my expectations. “…I intended on reducing the risks somehow,” I awkwardly laughed, giving out an excuse.

“You would cut your throat for that? Do not give me that nonsense!”

“I had a plan…” I grumbled at Mayer’s loud reprimand as I got to my feet. His glare at me was intense, almost searing my skin.

“…Y-your Excellency?!”

“That brat just now was…?”