With another leap from his position, he soared onto the roof of the neighboring blacksmith's shop. Even in mid-air, he tried to cast a "fire spear" at his enemies, but his aim faltered, and the spell hit a nearby building, causing an explosion and a fire.
Without pausing on the new roof, the fugitive immediately made another jump, aiming for another roof, which he easily reached. The next spell he cast again missed its target. On the new rooftop, Krapivin hesitated with his next jump, deciding where to leap, and this proved fatal. The gendarme pursuing him from the air struck him with a sword, and his arriving comrades quickly disabled the opponent. The last thing the traitor saw before losing consciousness was the fist of one of his former allies.
— What have you done?! — The steward was screaming, — The blacksmiths say you've wrecked the entire quarter! Did you forget that the use of combat magic is prohibited in the city, or did you think the laws don't apply to you? This isn't Valeria! And no one cares how powerful a mage you are!
Alexander listened to the man's shrieking with half an ear. The damage was minimal, there were no casualties, and the loss was insignificant. The maximum penalty would be a fine, but the vampire was already planning to cover all the damages and even provide additional compensation.
— I will cover all the merchants' expenses and pay the required fine, — he said wearily.
— Will you rebuild the entire quarter?
— The blacksmiths are exaggerating the damage. Don't make a fool of yourself. Our opponent used only two combat spells that missed, damaging only two buildings; everything else was absorbed by the shields, — Alexander sharply retorted.
The man nearly choked with indignation. Even the duke did not dare speak to him in such a manner, let alone a backwater knight. But to the credit of the old rogue, he quickly composed himself and did not escalate the conflict, marking the arrogant knight in his memory.
— Who were you even fighting?
— That's none of your concern.
The now calm man got agitated again and started screeching once more!
— Everything that happens in this duchy concerns me. His Grace appointed me to this position not for young upstarts to tell me what to do! Immediately surrender your opponent to the guard; he must appear before the court, just as you must!
The situation could escalate significantly. No one intended to hand Krapivin over to the locals. Seeing the man's hesitation, the Supreme Mage of the Duchy, who had been standing behind the steward, tensed and reached into his cloak. At that moment, the Dowager Duchess entered the room, preventing a possible conflict with her arrival.
After surveying the men bowing in respect, she walked straight up to the steward.
— What is going on here?
— I am doing my job, Your Grace. I am punishing the violator of public order.
— Then, dear sir, consider your job done. Knight Blood has committed no violations. Everything he did was by my order.
The steward was struck as if by a blunt instrument. In fact, this applied to all the men in the room to some extent. No one expected such a turn of events.
— Your Grace, is it reasonable to allow such disregard for the laws of the duchy to go unpunished? His Grace will be displeased, — he hinted at the possible consequences.
— You, dear sir, allowed bandits to proliferate on the roads, resulting in the death of my sister. I think my son will be even more displeased with that fact.
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