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(238)
bang!
A lightning strike struck out of nowhere on the side of a rocky mountain.
The rock split apart, the surrounding bushes caught fire, and soon three of the most noble people in the empire were crawling on the ground.
Valencianus grabbed a burning branch to get up, but the branch broke and he fell back down, Tentia sprawled inside her heavy mechanical armor, and Celerazie just lay down without even thinking about getting up.
Valencian chuckled and looked up at the clear sky.
“Sister. It’s really amazing that you can move all three of them at once, but was flash flight originally such a dizzying technique?”
Sereraji answered in a weak voice.
“They say it’s the land of swords, but their magician power isn’t bad either. There are distortion barriers, magic absorption barriers, sealing stones, and more than one or two magic spells and tools to keep magicians in check.”
“Really? I barely felt it?”
Cerereji frowned and answered in a sing-song voice.
“You are not a mage like me who controls mana with pure knowledge and will. You are a sorcerer who uses fraudulent powers like dragon language and the power of spirits. You are an enviable and deadly talent bug.”
Valencian gave a bitter laugh.
“Then, do you want to praise Yongchan too? Isn’t there another dragon somewhere?”
Sereraji hesitated for a moment and then shook his head.
“Well… … Of course, you’re paying a heavy price. I admit that. It’s usually inefficient, but in an abnormal situation like the one just now, it’s definitely advantageous.”
“If that’s what my older sister said, then that must be it.”
“… … How nice would it be if you would just admit it so readily even on a regular basis? Anyway, if I had been careless, I almost wouldn’t have been able to get it out. Since it was me, I was able to succeed like this.”
Cheeeeek.
Marcus approached, cutting through the bushes with two mechanical knights.
“Have you had a nice trip, Your Highness?”
“You came? Yes. You’ve lived under Philios, so you can’t complain anymore.”
Valencian took hold of the prosthetic hand he had extended and stood up.
“… … .”
“Don’t they say that similar people tend to meet each other?”
One hand was a prosthetic, the other was a spiritized, half-transparent hand.
“Shut up.”
Valencian silenced Marcus and watched as Doroisen's men, swordsmen, and knights poured out of the basin tents.
* * *
“That’s a lot.”
Chimeras that resemble dogs run out on leashes, and falcons that appear to be familiars of wizards soar into the sky.
I could feel the mana around me gradually freezing, as I was sure I had brought enough magical tools for the Great Magician.
“Let’s go to sleep. It seems that Philios has lost his sight, so let’s stop small talk and just check what we need to check and get moving right away.”
I clapped my hands and called attention to it.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“That would be good.”
“I think so too.”
Tentia, Sereraji, and Marcus all agreed.
I checked the most important thing first.
“Sister. Are you sure there isn’t any meteorite crater around here?”
I've never heard of a meteorite hitting at this time before the regression.
But before the return, the magic gate hadn't even opened in the capital, and I was still living as a red-light district rascal.
Of course, the meteorite falling had nothing to do with my actions, but if it had something to do with the past, then who knows, I had nothing to lose by checking carefully.
Sereraji nodded, adjusting his cone-shaped hat.
The confidence of a first-class magician was evident in his fresh voice.
“We found nothing. No craters, no remains of explosions, no strange formations or faults, no lakes or ponds. And of course, no signs of foreign objects or eroders. We did see a few abandoned mineshafts, but aren’t abandoned mineshafts common in Instrumentum?”
This part seemed to be the same as before the regression.
In other words, Philios's demands were a perfect excuse for territorial expansion.
Now that we have confirmed that, it is time to put the conversation on hold for a while.
All that was needed was a solution that would shed as little blood as possible and negotiations that were not without coercion.
“Okay, Marcus. Have you found a detour?”
Marcus smiled confidently and took a map out of his pocket and handed it to me. I checked the marked route and nodded.
“Perfect.”
“This is the road that goes around the mountain and leads to the river next to the mine that His Majesty the Sereraji saw.”
“Okay. Anyway, let’s run away quickly. Philios will be very angry. Oh. No wyverns. Tell them to hide for now, and I’ll call them after we get out of the siege.”
Tentia stopped the hand that was about to blow the horn.
“Why?”
I spoke as if singing while looking at the road.
“They’ll probably have a wizard who can use lightning. And I saw a ballista on the way in earlier. It’s well hidden. If you get even a passing glance at that giant arrow, you’ll fall down.”
"ah."
“I will live because I have these shoes, and Sereraji will live because she has those pearl earrings, and Kyung will live without them. But Marcus will die. Huh? Kyung? Is it okay for Marcus to die?”
Tentia answered monotonously, as if she was scolding a naughty child.
“You’re thinking of making me the world’s greatest demon knight. You’ve become unusually sensitive. Are you feeling uneasy?”
It hit the nail on the head.
“… … I’m sorry. Sir.”
* * *
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We climbed the rocky mountain for a long time.
Boom, bang!
Two knights in mechanical armor cleared the way through the undergrowth and thorns, while I, along with Sir Tentia, guarded the rear.
“Your Majesty. Do you know anything about Philios?”
Sir Tentia asked a question indirectly.
It seemed like he was even curious about why I was anxious earlier.
It definitely wasn't my usual self.
It seems that he has become a little sensitive as he continued to fight tirelessly against Philios, who had joined the forces of the rebel prince before his return.
I answered in a soft tone, expressing my apology.
“Your Majesty. Do you know how old King Ensis of the Doroisen Kingdom is?”
“I heard he was about 260 years old.”
“That’s right. He is one of the longest-lived sword masters.”
Many sword masters have fallen from strength alone, relying only on their own strength to fight long battles alone.
Ironically, the average lifespan of Sword Masters who regained their youth was shorter than that of the top-tier Sword Experts.
“… … I also know that from a strategic perspective, one Sword Master is worth thirty top-tier Sword Experts.”
“But he was not just a great swordsman. He was also an outstanding field commander and king. In every war, he made wise political, administrative, and strategic choices. That’s why he was able to hold his position while the emperors of the empire changed three times.”
“That’s amazing.”
“Then what about the crown princes of Doroisen?”
“!”
Sir Tentia opened her eyes wide.
“That’s the kind of person the crown prince of the Doroisen Kingdom is.”
Born with a fate of living as a successor who is forever tested by his father who never ages or becomes weaker than him, he is eventually cast out or dies of old age.
“Since Ensis doesn’t age, she can have a new child at any time. If she doesn’t like it even a little, she can change the successor. I don’t know how many crown princes Philios has been. It’s said that she hasn’t invited any of the neighboring countries’ dignitaries to the investiture ceremony for the past several decades.”
“Unless you become a Sword Master as a crown prince, you will continue to struggle.”
“It’s an endless wait.”
“… … There is no such thing as a Sword Master who died of natural causes in history. No one knows how long the king’s lifespan is.”
“That is correct. So how much venom must Philios be harboring now?”
In response, machine operators moved in front.
Cheeeeek!
“Your Majesty! We have been tracked.”
“Krrrrrr.”
Before we knew it, a tracking chimera that resembled a dog was blocking our path.
The bastard tried to cry out to the sky.
“Aww-!”
Sereraji slammed the staff he was holding onto the ground.
Flash!
A blue light flashed and the chimera rolled across the floor.
“Over there!”
“Shoot!”
But the fact that they were caught by the Chimera was a problem in itself.
Wedge! Wedge! Wedge!
An arrow of terrifying power flies from the rear.
"let's go!"
Brave swordsmen came running towards us, each sword drawn.
Thud, thud.
The two machine operators moved backwards, making the ground shake.
The armor went down with a clank, and steam rose from the gaps in the plate armor.
Kaang! Kang!
The magic arrow that flew through the wind hit the glove and bounced off.
The two mechanics turned to me and said:
“This is an opportunity to test out the new features that His Majesty the Serenade and His Excellency Marcus have created.”
“Your Majesty Valen. Your Excellency Marcus. We will take care of them quickly and follow you. Leave this to us and go ahead.”
really.
What are the knights?
“Yeah. I knew you’d say that.”
I left them behind and continued walking.
Towards the side of Philios' camp.
* * *
Philios was a man who knew how to transform anger into strength rather than foolishness.
Instead of running out after the knights and swordsmen, he sat in the tent in the center of the camp, listening to reports and giving orders.
'He is alone and I have an army. Systematic movement is my advantage and strength. In other words, if I get confused, I will lose this fight.'
“Release your Familiars without holding back. Don’t be stingy with your reagents. The flow of mana around here has been strange to begin with.”
“Never disperse. Valencian is also an excellent magician and warrior. According to recent information, he burned down a huge foreign object in its entirety.”
“I know this is a bit odd considering we brought so many swordsmen, but have the archers apply pressure from a distance. Victory comes first.”
Then a strange figure landed next to Philios' tent.
Philios raised a hand absentmindedly, and the knights and swordsmen stepped back one by one, allowing Inyoung to report.
“Tell me.”
“Reports are coming in that Iron Blood Lord Marcus has been seen in cities where Wyvern Pit has been installed. He has black hair and wears brass-colored monocles, and he has purchased clear oil and salt water to maintain his prosthetic hand and eyes. It is definitely him.”
As a Philios, this wasn't exactly welcome news.
“… … ”
Marcus doesn't know, but it was he who encouraged Marcus' father and supported the swordsmen.
He thus caused internal strife in the Instrumentum, annihilated the lord's family as planned, and even killed Marcus' father.
'The Imperial Nobles are of mixed race and are powerful knights and magicians themselves. If they lose their family, they will not only be in chaos, but their actual power will be lost. If it were an opportunity to take away the Instrumentum and reclaim the kingdom's old territory… … Then His Majesty the Father might have granted me a fief.'
At that time, the imperial family was in turmoil due to the illness of the former emperor and the political strife between the First Prince and the Crown Prince, so it was a situation where land could easily be taken away.
Then, Philios could become an independent lord with his own lands and people, rather than a nominal successor who could be driven out at any time.
But then a genius kid pops up out of nowhere and ruins everything.
'A magic gun? What is that?'
And King Ensis told him the words he most wanted to hear.
'What were you doing while your brother was overthrowing the great lord of the empire?'
'Abba Mama!'
'Philios. You are now my successor.'
Philios ended up in exactly the spot he was trying to avoid.
'I have to succeed this time. I don't know why you want this shabby mountain area with nothing but abandoned mines, but I have to succeed this time.'
He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again to see that he was not in the palace, but inside a tent surrounded by his knights and swordsmen.
“Capture the Archduke Valencian. I will present him to my father. If I bring him one more thing, he will give me one more thing.”
“You are wise.”
“Any news from the Trackers?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the attendant came running.
“The mechanical engineers and the pursuit team have encountered each other.”
“You left it to them. So where are they? How did you figure out their route?”
The servant unfolded the scroll the messenger had given him, his face turning pale, and he stammered.
“That, that. It seems like it’s coming back this way.”
The knights and swordsmen frowned.
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“You have to make sense.”
“Please check again.”
Philios frowned and jumped up from his seat.
"majesty?"
He shouted, his manly face distorted.
“Bring the soldiers back! Quickly!”
“Why are you doing that?”
“… … It’s a bucket.”
* * *
Knock, knock.
Smoke rises from the south of the campsite.
Thud, thud.
The enemy knight began to move.
The rascal Hwang Hyung muttered as he lit the fire.
“I am alone and you have an army. Your systematic movement is your advantage and strength. In other words, if I catch you, I win.”