The black sun hangs high

Chapter 28 Ladies' Street

As it turned out, these short-nosed dogs, with their diluted magical creature blood, were no match for true magical creatures. Faced with the frenzied scratching and biting of the running rats, the short-nosed dogs could do nothing but twist and struggle. As they struggled, their three tails, deeply embedded in their backs, thrashed back and forth, spreading a highly corrosive dark green light that caused more and more mangled flesh to fall to the ground.

Once again, the terrifying shriek of the blue-winged raven echoed through the air. However, this time, the prepared gunmen and dog trainers were not significantly affected. Several of the gunmen had already loaded their bullets, raised their weapons, and aimed at the blue-winged raven flying in the air, while the dog trainer picked up the whistle hanging around his neck and blew it loudly.

As a member of the tracking team, he was well aware of his responsibilities. The team did not have a mage inscribed with tracking magic, so if anything happened to the three short-nosed dogs, the entire tracking team's mission would fail. Therefore, the dog trainer urgently sent a signal to his last hunting dog, trying to guide it back to the heavily guarded crowd.

But at that moment, the blue-winged raven that had been circling and hovering in the air, trying to dodge bullets and arrows, suddenly circled, folded its wings, and, like an osprey preparing to dive into the water to catch its prey, began to swoop down directly towards the crowd.

The female mage, Virin, who was hiding behind the trees in the distance, glanced at Hugh, who was also focused on commanding the magical creatures beside her, and suddenly clenched her fist.

All the magic stored in the bird skull that served as the summoning medium erupted completely at Virin's command, far exceeding the skull's limits. As a result, countless rune lines flashed on the raven's body, which began to dissipate, but its diving speed became even more astonishing, exceeding the expectations of the Iris Guards and Gunners.

Like an arrow burning with pale blue flames, the Blue-winged Raven's body plunged fiercely into the crowd.

A seasoned Iris Twinblade user stepped to the side, his silver-plated longsword adorned with iris pendants flashing out, striking the raven just as it was about to plunge into the crowd.

However, under the burst and overdraft of magic, the magical raven's body was already as fragile as a phantom. The swordsman's longsword swept through the raven's body as if cutting off a feather, breaking it in two. The bird's skull, which served as the carrier of magic, was driven by the remaining power to pierce its target.

"Well..."

The whistle calling the brachycephalic dog abruptly stopped. To the horrified gazes of the gunmen beside him, the magical raven, now only half its body remaining, cruelly plunged into the dog trainer's eye socket. Unlike an arrow, the raven was still struggling and moving, causing it to continue burrowing into the dog trainer's skull through the eye socket...

While Verine risked her life to forcibly kill the dog trainer, Hugh's strong command was successfully transmitted to the running rat who was enjoying the flesh and blood. As a result, the strange rat, whose whole body was stained with blood, immediately abandoned the hunting dog that had almost been "dug" into a big hole and rushed straight towards its last target.

This time, the Iris Twin Blade users reacted two minutes faster than the Crystal Gun bullets.

Having witnessed what had just happened, the veterans realized the attackers' intentions. The Iris Twin Swordsmen, positioned on the outer edge of the defensive line, simultaneously drew their short daggers from their waists for emergency use and throwing. Without hesitation, they hurled the daggers.

The mad rat, which had managed to dodge the crystal bullets with its speed, finally met its end. A gleaming dagger struck its body. Although its fur and flesh were tough, they were of no use against the hurled blade. As the dagger struck, a sharp, intense pain shot through Hugh's mind, almost severing the magical connection between him and the mad rat.

However, extreme madness and bloodlust seemed to be deeply ingrained in the rat's body. Even after suffering such a potentially fatal injury, it continued to charge forward, its long, whip-like tail whipping wildly, even including the Iris Guards that had caught up with it in its attack.

A swordsman silently swung his silver-plated sword, and two of the rat's tails broke off on the spot. However, these tails that had separated from its body still retained an amazing vitality. Like a gecko's short tail, they kept jumping and flipping on the muddy ground and expanded at an astonishing speed.

The swordsmen who surrounded them reacted immediately, retreating at lightning speed and holding their weapons in front of their faces.

"Oh!"

Even from a distance, Hugh and Vera could still hear the crisp sound.

The two broken tails burst open like balloons that had expanded to their maximum size, and a thick, dark green fog spread through the woods, enveloping everything around it. The once green plant leaves withered and died rapidly in the fog, and were gradually twisted and melted into an indistinguishable slurry.

The Iris Guards' temporary retreat order gave the dying Mad Rat an opportunity. At Hugh's last difficult command, it bared its teeth and leaped toward the last hound that had returned to the group. In the instant its body was pierced by the sword, it lashed out with its last tail, which pierced the short-nosed dog's face like a green steel needle.

The magical connection between Hugh and the running rat was completely severed, and all the messages transmitted back from the summoned creature also stopped abruptly. A sharp pain acted on Hugh's brain, almost making him think that the sword had hit his head!

The pain was so intense that it almost robbed Hugh of his ability to think, and caused his vision to go black and his ears to ring, making him completely unable to perceive what was happening around him.

Gradually, the severe headache began to subside, and after a while it gradually faded into a feeling of drowsiness. Hugh was finally able to capture colors with his eyes again, and he was finally able to feel the existence of his own body.

He discovered that he was being helped forward.

"call!"

Hugh took a deep breath and then, with the help of the person beside him, steadied himself. Only then did he realize that he had reached the edge of this forest area, and not far ahead was a cluster of houses.

The hands that had been supporting him immediately withdrew, and Hugh turned his head to see a pair of beautiful eyes, but which were devoid of much emotion.

Vera's voice, too, lacked much emotion: "Awake? How do you feel?"

Hugh shook his head slightly, then felt as if his brain was sloshing around, so he quickly stopped. He answered truthfully, "It doesn't feel good. It's like drinking ten bottles of dwarven liquor in one go and then smashing the bottles over my head..."

"An apt description."

Vera nodded in agreement: "Almost all beginners experience similar symptoms when they first lose their magical connection with the magical creature they summon. Depending on the strength of the magic power of both the summoner and the summoned, these symptoms may increase or decrease. A few unlucky ones... *snap*!"

She suddenly raised her hand and made a snapping motion with her five fingers, while also adding a sound to it.

"Your head will explode." "..."

Hugh recalled the impact he had felt when the running rat was finally pierced by the sword, and he wholeheartedly agreed.

He instinctively turned his head to look at the area behind him. He saw that the fire in the distance had greatly subsided, with only plumes of thick smoke drifting into the air. There was no movement in the forest. It seemed that the last short-nosed dog was also seriously injured and unable to continue its task of tracking scents.

"I tried using two spells that can confuse people, and it seems to work quite well. At least those people haven't caught up with us yet."

Vera looked around and then said, "I'm not very familiar with Seren City, Mr. Hugh. Do you know where we are now?"

"Ladies' Street".

Hughes raised his finger and pointed to a huge fountain sculpture in the distance. It was a vase-shaped stone magic fountain that was spraying water into the air under the influence of magic. Next to this "vase" was a stone sculpture of a woman who was sculpted in a very charming way. Her figure was curvaceous, her hands were gently placed on the vase, and her face was full of smiles.

It was as if they were delighted by the clear water spraying from the vase.

"Ladies' Street is located on the north side of Seren, but it's quite a distance from the north gate,"

Hugh explained based on his memory and impressions: "Ladies' Street and Water Flower Street are basically connected, occupying a large part of the northern area. Of course, there are also many taverns. If you walk along these two streets, you can reach the academy of Seren City. Of course, you can also go around back to the central area."

Vera nodded. She thought about it carefully for a moment and then said, "We need a temporary hiding place now. Only after we are settled can I try to build a temporary ritual field to isolate tracking magic. Otherwise, given the current situation, it is only a matter of time before we are found."

She glanced at the somewhat eclectic street ahead and asked, "Mr. Hugh, do you know where I can find a residence that is well-hidden and difficult to search thoroughly?"

Hugh glanced at Veraine, then nodded hesitantly.

Although most areas of Seren are bustling, every city has its hidden corners and crevices: abandoned houses frequented by homeless people, thieves, and scavengers; basement dwellings deliberately created by some hotels or shops; and even some filthy shacks built on Seren's sewer system...

They could always find a place to hide, but considering their current situation and Verine's requirement to construct a magical ritual site, Hugh quickly made his choice among the many options.

……

The headache and dizziness caused by the break in magic didn't last long, so Hugh and the other quickened their pace.

After passing through several hidden wooden doors and two desolate paths, they had returned to the edge of a bustling world.

However, the Legal Committee uniform that Vera was wearing was too conspicuous, so before officially stepping onto the street, the two deliberately slipped into the courtyard behind a hotel under the cover of magic and took a few new clothes right under the noses of the lazy laundry maid who was sleeping.

Soon, two young men dressed in Walter-style clothing appeared on the street.

Hugh's body was of noble blood from the Waterl family, and his pale skin, slender figure, and black trench coat and top hat were a perfect match.

Although Verine did not have Ernst family blood, her appearance and scholarly demeanor, cultivated over a long period of time, made her look like a true noblewoman of Walter.

These two people would normally attract a lot of attention, but on Ladies' Street, Walter's attire, with its gray-black and dark blue color scheme, appears remarkably understated.

Holding the magic book wrapped in black velvet, Virin's gaze swept over the flamboyant figures, each exuding the scent of perfume. Without a doubt, these women were the "Nightingales" of Seren.

That is, prostitutes.

"Don't look at me like that, Miss Veraine. I didn't want to bring you here either."

Hugh gently avoided the outstretched hand of a young nightingale, then replied in a low voice, "Actually, that's where the name 'Ladies' Street' comes from. They usually 'work' on Water Splash Street, where there are lots of pubs and... well, you know."

As they were talking, another woman waved to Vivian. It seemed that a young girl with outstanding looks and temperament was also a target of some Nightingales.

Although their workplaces are usually concentrated on the adjacent Water Flower Street, many seasoned customers will go to Ladies Street to take care of their needs directly. After all, this way they can avoid those stingy madams and tavern owners. Although the environment may be a bit worse, those thirsty customers never care about that.

“Mr. Hugh, you seem very familiar with this place… Do you come here often?”

Vera's voice reached Hugh's ears. He looked to his side and saw that the person who asked the question was looking toward the side of the street, where some impatient customers were pulling and teasing each other in the street. The nightingale who was approached was giggling and pushing, and her clothes were almost pulled down to her chest, but she did not show any dissatisfaction.

Such a scene was clearly too shocking for Verain Ernst.

...

I'm asking for some monthly votes as a New Year's gift, what do you say?
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(End of this chapter)