Wild Dragon of Rome 33 (Patreon)

Even as I prepared for combat, I moved away with my new spear, leaving the opening behind. Instead, I moved to one of the concealed spots I had picked earlier, which had two advantages.

Not only did it give me a good view of the opening, allowing me to observe the inevitable arrival of the beast and ambush it, but it was also close enough to the cave where Lillian was meditating, giving me the option to call her, to reinforce me. Though, I didn’t want to do that unless it was my last resort. Interrupting her meditation would destroy her gains.

And, her improving strength was very important. Thanks to our cheat, she actually had the chance to become a sorceress. It was important, not just for our security, but also for my hopes of understanding what was going on with my body.

I was willing to risk facing a third-order beast alone for that possibility, though my confidence about retreating successfully played a big part in it. Ultimately, with my speed and senses,, I wasn’t risking anything but some time.

Even with my improved power, I wasn’t one to take pointless risks. I stayed concealed, waiting for the beast to arrive, to see if I could handle it alone.

However, I hit an unexpected snag. My new instincts shouted for me to go and deal with it alone, my blood pumping with forced excitement. Once again, the foreign instincts were trying to control me. I ignored them forcibly and stayed concealed.

Merely a minute later, I was glad for my decision. Soon, as the beast approached, I realized that it wasn’t alone. Its voice was overwhelming, but it was mixed with other beast sounds, mixed with shouts I couldn’t understand.

Germanic tribes.

As the shouts and howls got closer, my grip around my new spear tightened even more, ready to fight or escape as needed. However, as they approached, I was even more glad that I didn’t bring Lillian along. She was powerful, but my mobility and my ability to stay hidden would be far more important during the upcoming battle.

Soon, a huge wolf dashed into the opening, looking pitiful and majestic at the same time. Majestic, because just like what I had guessed, it was a third-order beast. A wolf of water element, in particular, with its blue fur carrying hints of blue even as its immediate surroundings turned into mist, the ground turning muddy.

Just like mages of the same order, the third-order beasts were able to express their natures outwardly, radiating their mana and transforming their environment. They couldn’t use their mana as directly as a human mage, but that was hardly a weakness when they could use it to transform their surroundings and counter the magic of the mages.

It would have been bad enough if suppressing the spells of the others was the only thing they could do. They could still use elemental effects. They were often simpler than human abilities, but not weaker. Then, there were their naturally strong bodies, which only got stronger after their transformation, turning the third-order beasts into a true disaster.

One by one, they facing against them was disaster all but the strongest third-order mages, like the poor pirate captain we had dealt with.

Yet, for all its majesty, the beast was pitiful as well. Its body was littered with wounds, its fur dirty and damaged, showing that it had been running away for a long time.

Then, I noticed something else that was interesting. A woman, barely hanging on its back, her magic mixing with the beast. A redhead, wearing the traditional garb of a priestess.

A beast tamer, I realized even as I noticed the desperate way she hung to the beast, her eyes firmly closed as she infused her mana to the beast desperately. Interesting, I thought even as I watched her struggle from my hiding spot, trying to understand what was going on. She was clearly a third-order entity as well, but she was able to control a third-order beast.

I didn’t know much about beast taming, but I knew that it was a formidable feat.

Her appearance was truly a stroke of fortune. The only reason we were at the border was to get in contact with the tribes, planning to interact with them for weeks and trade with them, hoping to get some of the secrets of their unique magic. Yet, no matter what we offered, the best we could hope was some peripheral secrets.

Far less than a priestess would know.

Yet, I stayed concealed, watching her. The opportunity might be great, but I didn’t want to show myself before understanding what she was facing. I was ready to follow if she continued to run, but she did not. Instead, she opened her eyes, looking around desperately, searching for something.

I guessed it quickly. While she was running away, she felt my botched vitae refinement, and mistook it for some kind of natural mana treasure. And, since it matched the element of her tamed beast, she hoped to use it as a last-second boost as desperate hope.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work. Before she could start running once more, several figures appeared. Five people, each riding second-order wolves that looked very similar to the third-order beast she was riding, and six men that were on foot.

The six men looked even more striking than the wolves, as the lower half of their bodies were shaped as a mixture of wolf and human, giving them speed that was impossible to match by a human.

Supposed to be impossible to match, I corrected a moment later, remembering my own condition. But then, wasn’t the reason I needed their knowledge was because my own humanity was at risk. Looking at them, I felt more confident about Lillian’s decision to seek their knowledge.

They shouted at each other while I carefully got closer to them, but I didn’t hurry up. Their hostility was obvious, but their intention to take the woman prisoner was equally obvious. I didn’t react when they started shouting at each other. I didn’t react even when they started fighting.

I was glad for it, as one of the men who was riding a wolf attacked the woman with an earth spike, showing his identity as an elemental mage. It surprised me, as to my — admittedly limited — knowledge, Germanic tribes detested the use of the elemental magic for some reason, thinking it as sacrilege.

The third-order wolf charged toward the mage while the priestess desperately tried to heal it. However, the shapeshifters were carrying huge spears, and they harassed the wolf from the side, preventing it from reaching the target.

Spears that looked suspiciously like legionnaire weapons, making me wonder whether elemental mage tribal was just a coincidence or a part of the conspiracy. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time Rome suborned the locals to their side by money and knowledge. It was one of the reasons it spread into three continents, even with Romans spending more time fighting with each other than foreigners.

However, as I continued to approach, I ignored the potential conspiracy and paid more attention to their tactics instead. The tribals worked well, though ironically reminding me of a wolf pack. They never faced the third-order beast directly. Whenever it attacked the mage, he tricked the beast with spikes and earth walls while he retreated, while shifters attacked with their spears.

At the same time, whenever it tried to shift direction to attack one of the shifters, the mage focused on offense, delivering more and more attacks.

Soon, one of the earth spikes found its target, stabbing toward its eye. A magnificent howl escaped to highlight the tragedy as its eye was ruined.

The moment it happened, something shifted. The wolf howled again, but it was more feral and desperate. I had to focus on my mana senses to understand the reason. The spell that was keeping it under control shattered, and it turned feral.

And, with it, any sense of control disappeared. Ignoring the fight, it turned and ran away despite the threat, its sudden shift enough to throw the redhead from its back. She hit the ground hard, dazed due to a combination of the fall and the backlash of her spell.

I waited silently, waiting for an opportunity. If I appeared now, I would be facing a substantial force that could rival me physically, but also supported by a mage. Or, I could follow them until their readiness had weakened. It would take more time, but it would be much safer.

Then, that plan turned unnecessary, because they had made a move that surprised me greatly. The mage had given an order. I didn’t understand the words, but the order itself was easy to understand. The mage, and the shifters dashed to chase the injured wolf, clearly not willing to let go of such an incredible treasure.

Leaving four riders to capture the priestess.