Chapter 479
Chapter 479: My World has been Completed (4)
“Cough…”
Count Palgou regained his senses amidst the searing pain piercing his chest.
But now that he was aware, what use was it? The battle was essentially over.
Our forces were being slaughtered at an alarming rate. I doubted this was really a 50,000 strong army.
How could we lose to an enemy that barely numbered half our own?
The presence of an unknown Spirit Mage played a significant role. The wizards had been tied up for far too long.
However, even with that in mind, our power levels seemed equal. The reason we fell apart so completely was due to the surprise ambush we suffered.
“Count Penris… the Northern Army…”
The Duke faction and the Salvation Society were truly out of their depth.
This just wouldn’t do. This wasn’t an enemy that could be fought in a dispersed manner. We needed to consolidate our strength swiftly.
“Though I may lose here, it’s not over yet…”
Count Penris wouldn’t know. They were only…
Puh!
Before Count Palgou could finish his thoughts, Ghislaine darted in like lightning and severed his head.
Kuwung!
“Phew… that was close.”
Ghislaine exhaled sharply. If he had been even a little late coming with Maurice, the fortress would have been in peril.
He could finally breathe a sigh of relief upon confirming through Dark that Gillian was alive.
The enemy wasn’t foolish either. They were struggling to adapt and devise the optimal strategy under the circumstances.
Turning to the knights around him, Ghislaine ordered, “It’s over. Clean up the battlefield.”
With Count Palgou’s head now detached, the fighting was essentially finished. The Delphine Army was too busy fleeing, with not a soul left to challenge them.
“Surrender!”
“Drop your weapons and lie down!”
“We will spare your lives if you surrender!”
As the Penris Army shouted these commands, more and more of the fleeing turned towards surrender.
Ereness had already released the summoning of spirits when the cavalry charge succeeded.
With the aggressive assault dwindling, the Delphine Army surrendered even faster.
Only a little over 10,000 remained alive from such a fierce attack.
These survivors would be incorporated into the Kingdom’s Army as new forces.
Ghislaine left the battlefield cleanup to those around him and headed straight into the fortress.
“Gillian.”
“My lord…”
Blood-soaked Gillian approached, supported by Arel. Ereness had treated some of his wounds with the Spirit of Water and poured potions down him, but he still looked far from normal.
His mana was depleted, and the Black Energy still lingering was obstructing the healing of his injuries.
But at least he was alive. A few days of rest would set him right.
Ghislaine smiled at Gillian.
“We’ve finally crossed the wall. I always believed you would, given a chance.”
“It’s thanks to you, my lord… and Ereness.”
Gillian’s current skill set was all thanks to Ghislaine. However, it was Ereness who created the opportunity this time.
She had recognized Gillian’s potential and offered him a chance to risk his life.
Ghislaine looked at Ereness, puzzled.
“Really? Did you give him any good advice?”
“No. I just thought he might get a chance to risk his life once more. So, I told him to fight a superhuman.”
“Oh, if he hadn’t awakened, he would have died. Gillian is a precious talent.”
Ghislaine’s teasing drew a laugh from Gillian. That candidness always brought ease to Ghislaine’s heart.
Ereness nodded, “Yes, he could have died. That’s why I kept a close watch, intending to intervene when it got dangerous.”
It sounds easy to say, but in that fleeting moment, a mistake would have led to death. No matter how half-baked the opponent was, a superhuman is still a superhuman.
Despite insisting on such risky things, Ereness’s face remained calm. Maybe it was her long life that made her unshakeable by ordinary matters.
Should we commend Claude and Alfoy for managing to sway such a person with mere words?
Dark flew in and perched on Ghislaine’s shoulder, saying, “Gillian, you know I saved you, right? If it weren’t for me, you’d be dead.”
“…Yeah.”
Gillian chuckled. Thanks to Dark rushing in boldly, he managed to avoid a fatal blow.
Had his heart been pierced in that moment of crossing the wall, it would have been truly dangerous.
“Waaah!”
Suddenly, cheers erupted, and Ghislaine looked over the battlefield from the fortress.
The mobile army was celebrating their victory. Though they felt exhausted from their insane speed, the pride of defeating the Delphine Army outweighed it.
Meanwhile, upon hearing news from the Penris Army in the fortress, they all erupted in cheers.
It was the announcement that Gillian had become a superhuman.
Superhumans could shift the tides of war. Such beings were increasingly emerging in the Northern Army.
At this rate, there would be no place for them to confront the Northern Army as a singular force. The Duke faction would have no choice but to unite the superhumans.
Ghislaine smiled as he looked at Gillian, who was being carried away, exhausted.
“How nice, Gillian has already crossed the wall.”
The enemy forces still had many formidable warriors remaining.
The Kingdom’s Greatest Sword, Count Kayen Valjack; the 7th Circle Mage, Ilois; and among the Seven Greats of the continent, Aiden, along with the High Priests of the Salvation Society.
To confront them, we needed more superhumans on our side. Thus, Gillian’s awakening was simply delightful.
After all, from the moment I first met him until now, Gillian has been the strongest force and a companion I could trust my back to.
“Should I take back the axe I gave to Elena…?”
Now that he had become a superhuman, the axe would suit Gillian perfectly. He was skilled with every weapon to a master level, but he enjoyed axes the most.
“Ha, but asking for something back that I already gave feels a bit off. What if she gets upset because she’s grown attached?”
Ghislaine couldn’t help but worry that Elena might be disappointed instead.
*
Clack, clack.
Clunk, clunk, clunk.
Long lines of wagons headed towards the Ruthania Kingdom.
They were a merchant caravan traveling between various cities.
Though the continent was in chaos due to war and rifts, people weren’t just fighting all the time.
Some were still farming, and others were still crafting.
And some had no choice but to wander around selling their goods.
Everyone had to eat to live.
With the world in disarray, it was worth noting that the bandits had become far more rampant.
Thus, the merchant leaders hired mercenaries. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the “Penris Mercenary Group” had unified the entire mercenary trade across the continent.
Hiring them wasn’t difficult. There were Penris Mercenary Group branches in most decent cities.
Currently, about fifty mercenaries were guarding the caravan, and their leader was a seasoned veteran with quite a bit of experience.
The mercenary captain spoke to the merchant leader.
“Once we pass this point, the risk of ambush will diminish.”
“Hmm… this must be the most dangerous part.”
“Yes, bandits often appear around here.”
The mercenary captain’s words made all the mercenaries look around with tense expressions.
The bandits of this era were nothing like the weak ones of the past. They traveled in large groups and included many regular soldiers.
As the wars dragged on, it became harder for everyone to eat, and resentment built up. From that arose the fiercest bandits, killing people and stealing their possessions.
The malicious lords also played a part in accelerating this trend.
Malice and hatred piled upon each other, allowing bandits to flourish everywhere.
Seeing the tense mercenaries, the merchant leader tried to lighten the mood with a smile.
“Well, at least we have the ‘mage’ with us, so it should be alright, right?”
“Ah… the mage.”
At those words, everyone turned their heads toward the approaching wagon.
On a hay-covered cart lay a young man gazing skyward.
He seemed to be enjoying himself, humming a tune and wiggling his legs.
The mercenary captain clicked his tongue, casting a skeptical glance.
“I’m not sure he’s really a mage…”
The young man was wearing a robe of black with golden embroidery.
These days, people seldom wore black robes; they could be mistaken for priests of the Salvation Society.
To be honest, if there hadn’t been that luxurious golden embroidery, he would have already been captured.
His appearance hardly gave off the aura of a mage.
Setting aside his youth, his cheerful smile and messy hair made him look like a mere prankster.
He wasn’t particularly tall and appeared thin. He had the vibe of a scholar who had just studied a little.
At least, his gentle appearance made him seem devoid of malice.
The mercenary captain shook his head.
“Even if he is a mage, he’s likely a low-circle one.”
It wasn’t like they could verify the claim since he confidently called himself a mage. If he truly was a mage, making a scene might cause unintended consequences.
So, everyone just gave him sidelong glances and left him be.
As they chatted and moved a bit farther, as the captain had expected, a horde of bandits rushed in.
“Bandits! Combat preparation!”
At the captain’s shout, everyone picked up their weapons with tension.
In the past, they might have negotiated their way out of trouble, using the excuse that the lords might send a punitive force. But nowadays, there was no such luxury.
Lords didn’t care if caravans were raided, so bandits preferred to just kill and loot without hesitation.
“Ahahaha! Today, there’s plenty to plunder! If you hand everything over, I’ll let you live!”
The menacing-looking bandit leader shouted, filled with confidence as he boasted with a hundred or more subordinates. Lately, the number of volunteers for banditry was rising.
The mercenaries felt outnumbered and tensed up.
The Penris Mercenary Group had a very high renown within the Ruthania Kingdom. Thanks to Ghislaine’s reputation, they also had many skilled mercenaries.
But things were a bit different in other kingdoms. Many were coerced into joining the Penris Mercenary Group, leading to a higher number of less skilled individuals.
There were no knight-level individuals among them this time. They were merely ordinary mercenaries carrying the name of the Penris Mercenary Group.
This was the result of Ghislaine indiscriminately absorbing mercenaries.
“Damn, there are too many of them.”
The mercenary captain bit his lip repeatedly. The enemy force was almost double theirs; even if they won, the losses would be considerable.
Moreover, there could be soldiers or knights from regular forces mixed in their ranks. Regardless, it felt like everyone needed to risk their lives today.
The mercenary captain looked at the wagon where the young man was lying.
“Bandits are approaching. We may need you to assist us, mage.”
The young man scratched his head and reluctantly got up, sighing deeply before saying,
“Ah, I don’t use magic on commoners.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Hmm, I don’t really like killing people.”
The mercenary captain twitched his eyelids a few times before stating that he thought they no longer needed to regard this guy as a mage.
“…They’re bandits, not commoners. You should do something to help! If you don’t, the damage will be significant! You’ve just ridden for free because you claimed to be a mage!”
Hearing that, the young man scratched his head awkwardly and smiled.
“Ah, I appreciate that… but, hmm, what magic should I use? There are too many choices, and I’m not sure what would be good.”
“…Use anything that might help.”
“If I use anything, it’ll be too po—werful.”
‘Is he insane?’
Before the mercenary captain could say anything more, the bandit leader shouted.
“Looks like they don’t want to negotiate! Just kill them all!”
“Waaah!”
The bandits yelled loudly as they charged forward. Both sides were aware that the bandits weren’t interested in negotiations at all.
It was just a tactic to intimidate the opponents.
The mercenary captain gripped his sword tightly and shouted, “Hold the line! Fight close to your comrades!”
The merchant leader and his workers trembled, stepping inside the formation made by the mercenaries. The young man found himself inadvertently included in this protection circle.
Chaang! Clash! Chaang!
The mercenaries and bandits collided. The mercenaries were managing quite well thanks to their ample skill, but their smaller number would cause them to be overwhelmed if the fight continued.
The merchant leader grabbed the young man, wailing, “Oh, please, mage! You must help us! If this continues, all the mercenaries will die, and we will be done for too!”
“Uh, right? I should help, shouldn’t I?”
The young man panicked. His mind was tangled with too many thoughts.
So he picked up a stone from the ground and threw it.
Smack!
“Keek!”
One bandit, engaged with a mercenary, fell as his forehead cracked open.
“Oh.”
The young man thought this method was surprisingly effective.
From then on, an astonishing scene unfolded.
Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack!
Rocks were flying rapidly towards the bandits. The young man wore an expression of glee as he enthusiastically picked up stones and flung them.
As the mercenaries kept the bandits at bay, he was delighted that he received no retaliation.
“What, what is going on!”
Surprised by the hail of stones, the bandit leader gasped. The bandits hit with stones fell easily to the mercenaries.
As they collapsed one after another, it was impossible to fight back.
“J-Just you wait! I’ll bring back more men! W-Wait here!”
With that, the now isolated bandit leader quickly turned and ran.
“He’s fleeing!”
“Get him!”
“We can’t let him escape!”
It would be tiring if his subordinates were still there. They might even bring in other nearby bandits.
However, the fleeing leader had already decided to run, making it impossible to catch him.
The mercenary captain shouted at the young man, “Use magic! Catch that guy! He’s running away!”
“Oh, you’re right? I should catch him!”
Nodding, the young man quickly picked up another stone and flung it with haste.
Swoosh!
Boom!
“Gack!”
A stone, flying at tremendous speed, struck the leader’s rear head. He toppled over, his head cracked open.
Following him, mercenaries brought back the still-breathing bandit leader. Capturing such a guy meant a bounty could be claimed.
Once the battle ended, everyone stared at the young man, stunned.
His stone-slinging was miraculous. While they had protected him, it was no easy feat regardless.
The mercenary captain stammered, “W-Was that magic? Are you really a mage?”
Looking around discreetly, the young man swept his hair back with a chastened expression, responding flamboyantly, “Ah, didn’t you know? This is a spell called ‘Magic Missile.’”
“…”
Magic Missile is a first-circle spell that shoots a burst of manalight. It is certainly not a spell that uses stones instead of mana.
Most knew this but chose not to challenge it.
After all, his skill in throwing stones was anything but ordinary.
The mercenary captain hesitated for a moment before declaring with a serious face, “I believe you. You really are a mage.”
He may not look like it at all, but he didn’t want to start a dispute with a strange fellow.
“Then I’m really a mage, you see,” the young man said with a bright smile as if the misunderstanding had finally been cleared.
He truly had confidence in his magic. His day-to-day life was made much easier thanks to it. To him, magic was as natural as breathing.
He merely disliked drawing attention to himself by casting spells shamelessly in front of others.
For in a world filled with prejudice and prejudice against mages, such scrutiny prevailed.
The mercenary captain roughly tidied the surroundings and called out, “Alright, let’s set off!”
Clunk, clunk.
The wagon moved again and the young man lay back, humming songs once more.
“Count Penris… I really want to meet him.”
Nowadays, Ghislaine’s reputation fighting the Salvation Society was spreading across the continent. He was indeed fighting the Salvation Society exceptionally well.
“Sounds like fun.”
He felt as though he would get along quite well with him. A hunch tickled at him.
The young man smirked, filled with rising excitement.
