What is the essence of magic? Or, can one use magic for the first time they try? How can you attack a 3-star knight and defeat it? No, can you defeat that person as a 1-star mage?
The thing I am about to do is something crazy, and it may cost me my life, but it is still better than getting captured.
Now, some of you may think, how can you be this sure that they are aiming for heirs of Augustride Dukedom?
Well, considering these heretics are aiming for the god's fragment our household is protecting, the pieces are slowly falling together. They will try to use this to bargain with our house, and their aim is probably not me but Diana. However, they probably won't leave me alone either.
That is the reason I am about to do a crazy thing right now.
While reading the book's introduction to magic, I memorized the general chants for 1st rank magical spells. Especially the elemental ones.
However, if you ask me which one I am the most proficient in, I can say it is telekinesis and fire magic.
And I am about to combine them into one place right now.
"Diana, the things you are about to see, don't mention them to anyone, okay? It will stay a secret between us, okay? And, keep your voice down."
"Huh? All right, brother."
I said to Diana and started focusing on the environment.
When I tried to use the fire spell the first time, I noticed that when I willed the mana particles inside my core to be fire-attributed, and I imagined a fireball in my hand, the fire-attributed mana directly went to that place without getting affected by anything and at that point, it turned to the fire energy itself.
Then, this time if I move the fire-attributed mana in my core to near the 'knights', who are actually the imposters, and then compress it with telekinesis, wouldn't I get a huge explosion? Like a compressed gas explosion.
With that, I started implementing my idea into reality.
First, start by generating fire-attributed mana from my core to maximum potential.
I used almost half of my mana to generate the fire-attributed mana.
Second, I pictured the mana around me in my mind moving to the place between the knights, who were starting to get closer and closer.
'I don't have much time to prepare. At most 5 seconds.'
I thought and accelerated the process.
Third, using my art [All Seeing Eye] to better understand 'my' fire-attributed mana, I started using my telekinesis to compress the mana particles.
I compressed them and compressed them to a point where it started to get hard to see the fire-attributed mana with my [All Seeing Eye].
And the last remaining thing.
Activating the magical spell and making it explode.
And just like that, I chanted. The strongest and most crucial spell I would need to use for the first time in my life.
"By the power of my will, by the power of falling. Let ashes be on fire. My name is Callius Augustride. Let the flame in my heart reign supreme."
I chanted my first second-rank spell in my life, and I felt all the strength leaving my body suddenly. It seems the mana I supplied was still not enough for that spell to work.
The moment I finished my chant, suddenly there was a sudden feeling of bursting near the imposters, who were getting closer and closer slowly.
/SHINE/
"Huh? What is th-"
/BOOM/
The moment the knight on the left realized what was happening, he got blasted off by the explosion that happened near his face and fell to the ground.
And the other one was not in a good situation either.
"Brother, what is this? Did you just chant? Why did you attack those knights?"
At that moment, I heard Diana asking me.
"Diana right now is not a time for that. Cough, I used almost all my mana with that spell, and they are not dead yet. They are not the knights of Augustride Dukedom, and they are aiming to capture us right now. You need to contact your mother with your spirits as soon as possible and inform them that. We don't have much time."
I said that and turned my head to the imposters to see if they had recovered their composure.
'We don't have much time; this will get us at most 1 minute. Adelyn should be here as fast as possible.'
I thought.
"Understood, brother." Diana said and started focusing on the spirits around us.
"Ugh, spirits are not together right now; they are all scattered around. It is really hard to connect them."
Diana said while holding her head with both her hands.
"Diana, I know it is hard for you, but we don't have too much time. You need to be as fast as possible. If it is commanding some spirits, you know you are way above that, don't you, my dear sister?"
I said while looking into her blue eyes.
The moment she heard that, her eyes immediately lit up, and she answered back with a hyped tone.
"You are right, brother. If I can't even manage some spirits, how can I call myself a child of Austin Augustride, isn't it?" She said and started focusing more and more.
However, it seems the knights had already recovered.
'We don't have too much time left, and I don't have any mana as well. Fighting head-on is not an option, either. It seems that right now, my hands are tied. Fuck, it makes me feel sick. This feeling of helplessness, I will make sure never to feel this again.'
I thought and started looking for anything to use.
At that moment, I heard Diana making a sighing sound.
"Did you manage to contact them?"
I asked Diana.
"Yes, brother. I managed to control one spirit, and that was all I needed."
Diana answered with a smile. It seems she is expecting praise for that, but right now, we don't have such a time.
"Fuck, what the hell was that explosion? Dirk, didn't inform us about that beforehand. I almost burned half of my face because of that."
Imposter 1 came closer while talking to imposter 2 near him with an angered expression.
"I don't know either. But it must be a second-rank spell since it didn't deal too much damage. But, I was still surprised tho and almost activated my aura unconditionally."
Imposter 2 answered.
"Anyway, let's get those kids and get the hell out of here. We don't have too much time."
Saying that both of them came closer.
"Which one should we take? Is it both?"
"Dirk said we should take the girl. The boy isn't that important. He said we could kill him if we want."
They kept talking, and when they came near, one of them suddenly grabbed Diana's wrists and lifted her, and put her on his back.
Seeing that, Diana looked at me, and I nodded for her to act normal.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing, knights of my dukedom? Put me to ground right now!"
Diana started shouting with an angered face.
"Knights of my dukedom? Ahaha! That is a funny joke. Anyway, don't make any noise, or I will kill your brother right now. And you, if you want to live, keep your voice down and don't move."
The imposter said and tied up Diana's mouth with a rope to make her silent. At the same time, the other one tied my hands and mouth as well.
"Let's take the boy with us as well. We can just sell him later on."
He said and put me on his back, and just like that, they started moving.
While I was being carried, I closed my eyes and started sensing the mana around me to fill my core.
Even though help is coming, it is always better to not rely on any extensional thing and have a way to out for yourself.
And I was right to do that.
The moment I felt 1/15 of my mana, I sensed a huge wave of fire-typed mana fluctuations in front of us.
'Fuck, Adelyn. Are you planning to kill us? Why are you using such a strong spell right now.'
And following that was a loud noise of explosions.
/BOOM/ /SMOKE/
'Not again.'
With that, both me and the knight, as well as the other one, blasted off to the ground.
"Cough, cough. Just how many explosions I will fall into today."
I murmured and lifted my head.
And as expected, she was here. The Duchess of Augustride Dukedom, as well as former second imperial princess, Adelyn Augustride Valiana.
"You did well informing us, Diana. Let me take over from this point."
She said and started manipulating fire around her body.
"Let me show you what will happen to those who are messing with our Dukedom, you insolent peasants. Let me show you how to use fire."