Aleks Kotov

Vol 6, Chapter 22

◆ Military Camp of the First Duke, Count Gaston's POV. ◆


The field camp turned out to be much closer than expected, and in the morning sunlight, it looked rather shabby.

Patches and burn holes marred the tents. Many servants flaunted blood-soaked bandages, and the knights' armor was smeared with soot. Count Gaston sniffed the air, catching an acrid smell of burning drifting from the camp. A fire? With a puzzled shrug, he signaled the infantry to halt and rest, while he sc...

Vol 6, Chapter 21

◆ Military Camp of the First Duke, First Duke's POV. ◆ 

He dreamed of a storm. Why?

…

A whistle jolted the Duke awake. He didn't even have time to think about punishing the whistler before thunder crashed against his ears with deafening force. The pavilion ripped apart under the blast wave, collapsing into a heap. Something metallic whizzed overhead, so small and so fast that even his Source barely tracked it. Perhaps it whistled as it pierced holes through th...

Vol 6, Chapter 20

In the lamplight he seemed even paler, his face utterly bloodless. His robes were torn. The First had always been ascetic in his dress, but never to the point of looking like a beggar.

"Perhaps some tea?"

"No need," he replied, barely parting his lips. "I see you're not surprised that I called you brother."

"I suspected as much. I'm more surprised by your visit… I suppose you want to ask for asylum?" I suggested.

After all, formally, he was now the main problem for t...

Vol 6, Chapter 19

◆ Grand Temple, First Prince's POV. ◆

Faith and Dogma. That was what allowed the first theocrats to carry fragments of true history through the millennia.
At least… its remnants.

Generation after generation, they simply survived. The Empire meticulously erased all traces: not only archives, but everyone who knew more than permitted. Mages who suddenly realized that things had gone awry, that they had trapped themselves within their own cage, sought to eliminate anyone wh...

Vol 6, Chapter 18

◆ Eagle's Cliff, Alchemist's Apprentice Keo's POV. ◆


"Sample number forty-five shows the greatest effectiveness. All colonies have died," Keo concluded and touched the protruding pin of the magoscope. Cores had to be conserved.

The device went dark. In the laboratory, instead of the faint hum of a magical field, there was the sound of water trickling. No longer bound by magic, the liquid pooled at the foot of the instrument.

"Are you sure? Last time we had to rechec...

Vol 6, Chapter 17

"What filth. And how do you live side by side with this?" my grandfather muttered, gazing at the Black Forest from the height of a griffon's flight.

Rounded tendrils twined tightly together in a grotesque embrace, stretching for kilometers ahead, filling the entire space between two mountain ridges. From afar it looked as if some colossal fisherman had dropped a clump of worms into the gorge after soaking them in ink.

"We got used to it. People adapt to anything. Besides, w...

Vol 6, Chapter 16

◆ Bunker, Archmage Wind O'Conol's POV. ◆


The palace woven from smoke wavered and dissolved, making the Archmage scowl. He drew on the mouthpiece and exhaled a smoke ring. With a few gestures, the ring unraveled midair and merged into the palace, stabilizing its form.

But only for a moment.

The sweet smoke turned bitter on his lips, and the palace melted away into a cloud despite his efforts to hold it together.

The door to the rune hall swung ope...

Vol 6, Chapter 15

◆ Border of Marquis Short's Lands, Major Kurt's POV. ◆


A hoof slammed into the wet earth, slid, and trembled unsteadily before skidding downward. The chimera swayed, digging in with its second clawed paw. Muscles strained, searching for a foothold. Its bald, bumpy back arched as the grotesque beast hauled itself up the hill, dragging the artillery piece behind it.

At the positions, work was in full swing. Carpenters hammered away, knocking together formwork. Laborers dug ...

Vol 6, Chapter 14

"We're leaving," the mercenary said after brief deliberation.

His men reluctantly lowered their weapons. One of the guild thugs gave a discreet cough and whispered to the leader:

"Boss, but the Bull family will pay a fortune for that girl…"

A fist sent the unwanted advisor sprawling onto the lawn. The azure scarf slipped from his face, revealing thick lips and an ornate tattoo on his neck.

"I said—we're leaving," the leader ordered, and the squad departed. 2025-08-24 14:08:55 +0000 UTC View Post

Vol 6, Chapter 13

At first glance at the estate, I felt a sense of déjà vu. Of course, it wasn't an exact copy of the one that had blown up in the suburbs of Eagle's Cliff, but it was obvious they had shared the same architect. The same massive greenery all around, with perfectly round bushes and meticulously trimmed trees. The same screamingly gaudy luxury of countless marble columns and gleaming white balconies. I was almost curious to see the inside… Wouldn't surprise me if everything was covered...

Vol 6, Chapter 12

◆ Former Count, Karl Condor's POV. ◆


"Halt, traveler. By order of the Secon—"

The mercenary never finished. He toppled with a slit throat. His comrades didn't have time to react before steel spikes tore through their bodies.

Silence.

The former Count pulled back his hood and summoned the spikes to himself. They weren't meant for battle, but they served well enough. Ignoring the still-twitching corpses, he carefully scanned the bridge for traps....

Vol 6, Chapter 11

◆ Capital, Countess Erin von Klaus's POV. ◆


The boar's long, brown bristles stuck out in every direction, making it resemble a two-meter hedgehog. Its beady eyes squinted, scanning the capital's street for danger.

Moist nostrils drew in unfamiliar scents. Its tiny brain struggled to sort out the most important: predators had passed here. Instinct urged it to flee, but where? The smells were everywhere.

Hesitating, the demonic hog lowered its snout and licked ...

Vol 6, Chapter 10

 ◆ Capital, Count Karl von Condor's POV. ◆
​
​Less than a week remained until the prince's arrival… and everything was going perfectly.

Karl had little experience in conspiracies, preferring to solve things directly, yet he discovered it was even easier than he'd thought. Of course, the Guild had greatly aided their success: in the shortest time they had arranged meetings with those willing to listen about the threat of the Commonwealth. And for those unwilli...

Vol 6, Chapter 9

◆ Ancestral Castle of Marquis Short, Marquis Laslo's POV. ◆


The cold embrace of a dead body pleasantly refreshed the bed on a hot day. The embrace of death—rather poetic, isn't it? Laslo stretched with satisfaction and pushed the corpse's arms off his chest.

Alas, poetry was poetry, but his pastime was becoming ever more wasteful. And the problem wasn't even the cost, nor the unsavory rumors spreading. It was simpler—there were fewer and fewer girls to his tast...

Vol 6, Chapter 8

Sunlight played on the golden saucer, but the cheese lying on it did not look any more appetizing. Most aristocrats would have considered the bluish mold growing on it a sign of refinement, but for me, mold on food was a mark of spoilage. And alas, no golden dishware could change that.

The dining hall was empty, save for its master sitting at the far end of the long table. No guards, no servants. But I could sense that human presence was unnecessary for security. The hall was so ...

Vol 6, Chapter 7

There were still a few kilometers left to Renvel when camps and fires began to appear along the roadside. With every hundred meters they grew more frequent, until the entire space along the road was crowded with tents and pavilions. Shady-looking figures sat by the fires, cooking stew or checking their gear, all of them stopped what they were doing to follow our caravan with hungry eyes.

Bows, swords, mail, even plate armor: those gathered along the roads were clearly not peacefu...

Vol 6, Chapter 6

"The weather has truly turned foul. Gentlemen, would you be so kind as to draw the curtains?" asked Nerd, without rising from his bed.

I obliged, and the bright flashes of lightning ceased to illuminate our little gathering. Not a single servant was present, given the delicacy of the situation.

Seated in a semicircle around his bed were several barons, two counts including my grandfather, and Marquis Klaus—who was now my… grandmother? Damn, I never understood these fami...

Vol 6, Chapter 5

I cast a suspicious glance at my grandfather.

A man who always worried over the king suddenly wanted to hide something from him? Had he been replaced?

He leaned toward me and hissed furiously.
"Thank the One you didn't think to write directly to the King. For once in your life you had the sense to notify me first!"

I scratched my head and admitted:
"Actually, I thought you'd tell him anyway, and I didn't have time to write two letters."

Grandfather rolled ...

Vol 6, Chapter 4

"Told you it would work." I patted the stunned healer on the shoulder and jumped down from the griffon.

He probably didn't hear me. My own ears were still ringing despite careful prep for the blast.

I stepped to the crater and peered in. Smoke rose from the earth, hiding the bottom completely. It looked like a bottomless portal to the Abyss—which, in essence, it was.

Troops were converging on the crater from all sides, including Kurt's already badly mauled detachmen...

Vol 6, Chapter 3

"The Second Prince is dead?" Erin asks incredulously after I finish my story.

"Definitely. They drove an obsidian dagger into his temple, to the hilt. Not even an archmage would survive that."

"No, are you sure? Absolutely sure?" she repeats, agitated.

"I saw his body as clearly as I see you now," I reply and pull the boiled potatoes closer. I hadn't eaten all day, and it had been a very long one.

"I don't understand why the Commonwealth would do such a thing…...

Vol 6, Chapter 2

"Two-thirds of our men are wounded, many of them more than once. The severe cases… there are a lot. Gangrene. Fever. Some won't live until morning."

I let my gaze slide across the rows of wounded lying right on the floor of a peasant's house. The hearth blazed hot, yet green mold still grew in the corners of the wooden walls. The suffocating humidity and heat made it a paradise for it. The boiling gray bandages in the hearth did nothing to dry the air either.

"Why are ou...

Vol 6, Chapter 1

"How did this happen? How is it that out of the three top members of the delegation, two never returned?" the King asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

Count Condor shook his head.

"Unknown so far. The new Commonwealth envoy and Count Klaus Nerd are already sailing here from the portal island. I'm sure they'll explain the situation."

"Then we go to the port. At once."

********************************************************************

◆ Capital of the...

END OF VOLUME FIVE

Wow, the translation of Volume Five has come to an end, and I’ve finally cleared my Patreon backlog!

To celebrate, I’m trying to figure out how to set up discounts...

See you in Volume Six this evening... Or, if the celebration gets a little too wild - tomorrow morning!

Huge thanks to everyone supporting me on Patreon, and especially to: PVersusNP, Adil Riggs, Chai Chang, James Man, MagnitudeX, MrBones, Smartfolk, Von Harley, Xhally.

Thanks to all of you, the tran...

Vol 5, Chapter 26, END OF VOLUME FIVE

I sensed the spear's approach more with my side than with my Gift. No wonder — the green runts often used bone for spearheads. Not out of choice, of course. If they had the chance, they'd happily be using iron.

But bone was free. Readily available. And it wasn't deflected by steel-magic as a bonus.

I lopped off the green arm along with the crooked stick before I even fully registered it. The goblin shrieked and recoiled, giving me a heartbeat to glance around. The portal ...

Vol 5, Chapter 25

— Thump-thump, thump-thump. — 

Only the pounding of hearts and the low hum of the portal broke the absolute silence.

The figure stood motionless, face of stone, waiting for my reaction.

I unleashed a powerful wave of anti-magic, stripping everything bare, until even the soul of the one before me should have trembled like Captain Flint's.

For a few seconds her form flickered, like a cheap hologram, resisting the pressure.

Heart pounded painfully.<...

Vol 5, Chapter 24

The dungeons of the local "inquisition" failed to impress. Nor did the local "inquisitor," though he tried. For a whole hour, he pulled various tools from his satchel and described in detail how they worked. But alas, a signal sounded through the room, the "inquisitor" left, and when he returned, he began putting all the tools back.

"Something happened?" I asked my would-be executioner with feigned concern.

"It's a pity you refused to cooperate. I'm afraid we won't see each other ...

Vol 5, Chapter 23

◆ Inner Sea, Frigate Espluar, Asha’s POV. ◆

"Ship on the horizon! A big one!" The clear voice of the sailor in the crow's nest easily carried over the roar of waves and the sound of something spilling overboard.

"Shut up, I feel awful already," Asha snapped, wiping her mouth.

The sailor fell silent at once. On the very first day of sailing, the crew had learned that it was best not to cross an irritable mage—unless you wanted your backside smoking.

St...

Vol 5, Chapter 22

◆ Dungeons beneath the Academy — Magister and Rector of the Academy, Igni's POV. ◆

The dull thud of a staff echoed through the stone walls of the underground passages.

Damp, despite the many enchantments, the walls stretched for many kilometers. The Academy was like a block of cheese—too much needed to be kept away from the bright light of the sun… and from overly curious eyes. Laboratories, workshops, heavily shielded research departments. All of it required an extensiv...

Vol 5, Chapter 21

The worst awakening I'd ever had.

In general, I had no objection to being woken by a girl straddling me… but not when she pressed a dagger to my throat.

I didn't waste a second trying to get a good look at my guest, especially since she wore a hood. That could wait. First, I tried to dull the dagger scraping my neck.

No effect. My eyes flicked down—the blade was black and glassy. Not a trace of metal. Damn.

"Obsidian? You came prepared," I said slowly, buying time...

Vol 5, Chapter 20

Seagulls wheeled above the port, their piercing cries annoying the dockworkers. The salty wind blew in my face, and clouds on the horizon foretold an imminent change in the weather. Far too sudden, in my opinion: just a few minutes ago the sky had been clear, but nothing surprised me anymore.

Without a doubt, the Commonwealth was the most powerful naval power in the world. That much was obvious from this port alone.

Not only was it several times larger than the capital's port, but...