Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 448

Episode 448: Competition

As previously announced, the prize awarded to the victorious faction in the competitive battle is ownership of a large mine that the Confederacy is developing within the disputed territory.

The value it can create before it runs out is astronomical.

If you just leave the mines moderately active, you can live like a king of a country for generations, regardless of whether you waste money or not.

However, none of the forces involved in the competition want 'only' the large-scale mines. The prize for victory is something that must be taken for granted.

They were not going to miss out on the secondary things, such as territory in the disputed areas, ransom for hostages, and massive war booty.

Those who do not have wish to have.

And those who have want more.

Because I have a bowl that cannot be filled with mediocre practicality and hands that can hold more.

Ownerless land is land that can be legally taken and taken away according to the needs of the world… … .

The desires of those who seek to make a fortune and those who rule on dirt stained with blood and piled up with corpses are truly human.

* * *

East.

Originally, the representative of the competition should have been entrusted to the Great Lord, Marquis Flavis, but now the role has been given to the Great Lord, Count Ceolph. This was the result of Ceolph's own strong insistence.

He was accompanied by three other great lords as supreme commanders.

They gathered in an old castle and had a serious meeting. The public discussion that had been repeated many times finally came to an end today.

“……Since everyone has agreed, I will conclude the discussion on the strategy for the western offensive and the tactics for conquering the fortress. Then, finally……”

The High Lord, Torren, organized the data and looked diagonally to the side.

“Have you decided what to do with the North?

Everyone's gaze naturally turned to Count Ceolf, who was sitting at the head of the table.

The back of his neck, which had been scarred by terrible bruises, had completely recovered thanks to long-term treatment using potions.

On the other hand, the incident that occurred at the conference hall in Medillon has already spread and is beyond containment.

It's a shame to lose face.

One of the great lords was overpowered by a woman he had never heard of and displayed such a shameful behavior.

Even this was not due to Count Ceolf's provocation… … but rather, it was clear that Liam Arlane had acted as if he was agitated and intentionally provoked the physical conflict.

In order to increase the prestige of the North by insulting the great lords of the East.

In short, Cheolph was a kind of sacrifice.

“……Northern.”

Cheolph, who had been quietly burning a cigarette, blinked.

“Of course I should kill him.”

“Well, I understand your feelings. But if you’re going to focus your forces anywhere but the West… we can’t help but oppose it, right?”

“Like the woman at the conference, I recognize that there are unexpectedly strong forces in the divine forces. But in the end, the North is a force that does not have even a single fortress in the conflict zone. Even if we completely destroy the North, there is no real benefit for us.”

“Besides, didn’t they say that in the West they decided to appoint a representative as the mercenary king? If you show any weakness, you’ll be caught off guard. That guy is like a poisonous snake.”

The great lords each gave their own valid reasons for restricting the choice.

Profit.

Cheolp tossed his cigarette in the ashtray. The rising smoke brightened the atmosphere.

“I fully understand what you are worried about. So the issue is… isn’t there no troops to spare in the North? Then let’s deal with it personally. If Liam Arlane dies, the North will automatically be eliminated.”

“Personal, you say?”

"okay."

Cheolph nodded.

In the darkness of the room, where the light from the stone lantern could not reach, a man with a sinister look in his eyes appeared.

“The author… no, more than that, since when…?”

“His name is Mordock. He used to be an executive of ‘Grimnax.’ It was quite difficult to bring him here.”

Grimnax.

A group of elite assassins who make a living from the dark struggles of the continent's politics───who laugh and kill even newborn babies depending on the price, and who do not distinguish between good and evil when it comes to commissions.

There are more than a few nobles and royalty who have died from that secret and ruthless blade, and there is even a history of assassinating national-level powers below the founding.

The large and small conflicts and civil wars they have caused are countless.

The High Lord, Cardrick, was terrified.

“Ah, even though he’s not an active-duty soldier, hiring Grimnax, and a former executive at that… You’re serious, Ceolf…!”

“You mean it? Of course─!”

Boom!

Cheolph slammed the table.

The shattered teacup scattered in all directions. Blood dripped from the sharp wound.

“How dare you commit such atrocities against me…! It’s so shameful! Liam Arlane, that worthless brat will be caught and killed. Even the time he laid a hand on me!”

The anger that he had barely suppressed exploded and his eyes became bloodshot.

“Mordoc…! Once the competition begins, find Liam Arlane and bring me his severed head with his two eyes gouged out, along with all twenty of his fingers and toes. The same goes for his female escort! Kill anyone who stands in your way! I’ll pay an additional fee for each person.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a request that’s really appealed to me. But… it’s not enough.”

"what?"

Cheolph furrowed his brow, but Mordock paid him no attention and continued speaking.

“There is a possibility that the sacred star of the Eastern Continent will be by Liam Arlane’s side. And there is also the existence of an unknown swordsman who is said to have cut down the bone dragon. Although he is not a target, he is by no means a factor to be ignored.”

“……I don’t have detailed information about that inspection, but at least it’s certain that Shinsung won’t participate in the competition, right? No, if he was even reluctant about that, he wouldn’t have come here in the first place. Tell me what you want.”

“Of course it’s money.”

Mordock narrowed his eyes.

“I demand three times the original salary. Oh, and if necessary, I can kill the sacred or nameless swordsman of the Eastern Continent. As long as you pay the extra money properly.”

Even though the Eastern Continent's divinity was rated as the top 6th rank, Mordock didn't care. The same was true for the swordsman who killed the bone dragon.

Just because you're strong doesn't mean you won't die.

Even if a human can fly and crawl, he will eventually die if his heart gets a hole in it or his head gets cut off.

“You have great confidence.”

Cheolph licked his lips.

“Yes, well, it would be divine to give orders to Liam Arlane… so it would be natural to eliminate him. Alright, I’ll pay the deposit tomorrow.”

Mordock whispered in a creepy voice, seemingly satisfied with Cheolph's decision.

“Your request will be carried out, Count Ceolf.”

With those words, Mordock disappeared.

Even though it was a closed space and I was seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn't find it.

Silence falls.

Cheolph exhaled deeply, drawing everyone's attention.

“This will pretty much be the end of the North. You won’t have any complaints, right?”

“Heh heh…… How could I be dissatisfied? I paid that huge amount of money out of my own pocket. There’s no need to complain at all. Right?”

“Well, well. You are the representative of this war, so we will just follow.”

“Now that it’s come to this, the three-way battle structure of the competition has been broken. We can just relax and focus on the West like before.”

Of course, the mercenary tactics used by the Mercenary King of the West are not easy to deal with, but we have already secured a method to deal with them.

At great cost, of course.

Soon a knight came from outside and reported.

“The elders of the Tower of Volcano Island, one of Andranov, Melkoni Bloud, has arrived.”

A national-level force was dispatched from the 6th-ranked Magic Tower.

The Northern Grand Warrior, who had been watching the series of events from outside, licked his teeth.

“The smell of blood is vibrating.”

* * *

West.

The ruler sits on his throne and reads a secret letter from the 'South'.

I read it twice and savored the contents.

He understood the intentions that the South had revealed, and he snickered, shaking his body slightly.

Crunch.

A wicked grip crumpled the letter.

“I had a feeling that the Southern Alliance was doing something as silly as a competition… but it turns out they were hiding a cheeky plan.”

“That’s what the South is like, you know.”

The mercenary king, who was leaning against the pillar, shrugged his shoulders.

“So what are we going to do? It doesn’t seem like it would be bad for us whether we accept the offer or not.”

“I give permission, but I don’t interfere. I know it’s not against the unspoken rules of the land of the uninhabited, but that’s not my style. We focus on our own goals.”

The ruler clicked his chin.

“So come and enjoy.”

The mercenary king set an example.

"gladly."

* * *

South.

The alliance is the group that hosts the competition, so it does not participate in the war. There is no need to be busy securing supplies or gathering soldiers.

Perhaps that is why the lords of the alliance gathered at the table were all dressed casually. The atmosphere was also friendly.

Among them, Gideon said:

“Unfortunately, the ruler of the West has no intention of joining our cause. Instead, he has said he will not intervene.”

“What, you’re saying we’ll just figure it out among ourselves and you’ll get the spoils? You’re one of the four powers of the Central Continent, but you’re being so arrogant.”

“But isn’t it time for the title to change hands? Will he suddenly disappear like Cheongeom and Adrian Chanbus, or will he be usurped like others? Haha, I wonder what the end of the ruler will be.”

“But since he is not a man who would take my words in hand, it must be true that he said he would not touch me. It is enough that the most annoying obstacle does not interfere.”

At that time, one of the lords asked.

“By the way, Gideon, have you decided which of the successors to Diamun’s tower you will support?”

The Southern Alliance has a relationship of patronage, trade, and cooperation with the Diamun Tower.

But unexpectedly, Diamun Matapju and his first disciple were brutally murdered by the Transcendent One of Black Hour.

This was the reason why the existence of a large-scale complex mine that had been secretly hidden was discovered.

Anyway, the position of the master of the Diamun Tower must be occupied by either the second disciple of the tower master or the son of the tower master.

Whose back should we push to get the most benefit for the South?

The conclusion was simple.

“They said they would help the second disciple in the West. So shouldn’t we follow the flow? It would be detrimental in many ways to clash head-on with the ruler right now.”

“That is true. But the son of the Matapju… Gideon, to be exact, he trusted you like a rock.”

Gideon smiled kindly.

“If the situation is good, I would like to help you grow, but aren’t we in a hurry right now? I decided that it is not the time to be patient and invest. I also feel regretful about this.”

“Haha, right. You should avoid investments that inevitably involve losses as much as possible.”

“Then, I will seduce the son of the master of the tower and sell him to the second disciple at the right time. Gideon, I will ask you to do the same as always.”

“Of course.”

Gideon took the cup.

All the members of the alliance surrounding them raised their glasses at once.

“I don’t know who will win the competition, but it will probably be either the West or the East. The North will probably end up with a small amount of territory in the disputed territories that the East had… but.

Gideon promised.

“In the end, it is the South that wins.”

Behind the scenes of war, there is a lot of secret activity.

* * *

North.

Adrian, Kayrel, Liam, and Isabella sat around a map of the conflict zone that Kayrel had created based on the information they had gathered.

Yunia and Cain, who had successfully completed their spy mission, also joined.

Adrian said.

“As you all know, thanks to my lord, the North has also become a force. If we use all our power, in addition to the information we have obtained so far, we may be able to wage an all-out war against other forces.”

Kayrel took over the speech.

“But we are still inexperienced in warfare itself, so we are bound to fall behind in command, strategy, and tactics. The gap will only widen as time goes by. In the meantime, trying to deal with both the East and the West at the same time is no different from committing suicide.”

She pointed east towards the conflict zone.

“So when the time comes, we will finish it off quickly, starting from the East.”

Conditions for elimination from the competitive battle───If the person designated as the representative is captured or dies, he or she will be eliminated from the war. This is the focus of all plans.

Isabella ran her hand through her dark green hair.

“The great lord representing the East is Count Ceolf, who came to the conference hall? It’s unacceptable to grab someone by the neck twice with such a greasy feeling.”

“But if possible, capture them alive. You’ll gain more by taking them as hostages.”

Adrian responded like that and shifted his gaze.

“As we’ve already discussed, Yunia will take the beginning and Cain will take the ending. Are you confident?”

“Of course.”

“Of course.”

Yuni grabbed Cain's arm and clapped her hands together.

“It’s finally the debut!”

The opportunity has come to truly demonstrate the power of the new generation raised by the Society. Once the competition is over, the names of the twins will be known throughout the continent.

An uplifting atmosphere.

Tensions were high because none of them had ever fought a large-scale war.

Adrian asked Liam, who was stiff.

“Liam Arlane, do you have anything else to say?”

“Yes, yes?”

“You are not a mere lord now, but the ruler of the North. And that was decided by the Lord himself. It is not right for you to keep your mouth shut.”

“……!”

Certainly, yes.

It's a matter of effort, not even encouraging them because they can't do anything other than serve as bait in a war.

You can't grow if you just sit still because you lack ability.

Liam, who had become aware of him again, stood up and looked at everyone.

“……Lord Asher had taken me to meet with the local lords before. And he asked them about the unspoken rules.”

“…….”

“The strong take all. Isn’t that the only rule of this land? You’re right. That’s the nature of an ownerless land. So…….”

I took a deep breath and finished the sentence.

“Let’s take it all.”

It was not worth it to stutter.

That alone was enough.

* * *

All forces are ready.

And the time has come.

“We will now begin the competition hosted by the Southern Alliance.”

The referees from the arbitration area headed to their respective positions. Soon, a signal sound rang out from the east, west, and north of the conflict zone, signaling the start of war.

A competitive battle involving three forces.

The first to advance was the Mercenary King, the representative of the West.

* * *

Tens of thousands of mercenaries lined up against a clear sky and a weedy ground full of dark dirt as their stage.

A legion made up of several mercenary groups.

Leading him was a man called the Mercenary King, the closest associate of the ruler.

───Kwoong───Kwoong───Kwoong───!

Three medium-sized flying boats soared into the sky and instantly came close to the ground, safely dropping the siege weapons.

The wizards aboard seven small flying boats activated strategic magic items to form a protective shield.

“They said they would pay out war allowances based on how well you performed in competitive matches… but it would be more enjoyable to receive immediate benefits.”

Slurp.

The mercenary king drew his sword.

“So, I will give a special reward to the first person to climb up the wall!”

Of course, when you die, your turn moves to the next person.

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

The laughing mercenaries shouted and charged towards the eastern fortress.

Phew! Phew!

Kwaaaaang! Kwaddeuddeuk!

The catapults engraved with magic circles threw <Fireball> and <Rock Slam> spells, striking the fortress's shield. The flames and shock spread out, but they were easily able to withstand it.

The magicians belonging to the mercenary group repeated the calculations and activated the siege weapons one after another.

However, although the curtain protecting the fortress can block magic coming from outside, it cannot prevent physical invasion by objects such as arrows.

The same goes for people.

Siege towers cling to the walls. Rams with siege magic aim for the gates. Mercenaries, hidden in wagons equipped with large metal shields, approach.

“Get the ladder out of the way! Now!”

“We need to get rid of the rams first!”

The trained troops of the East rained down magic and arrows from the walls. They resembled the regular army of other countries.

In the relatively precise shooting, there were many mercenaries who had the bad luck of having their heads pierced through while sticking out of cover or being frozen and blown up by magic.

But no one shows it.

The mercenaries who had climbed the siege tower stepped onto the wall, stepping on blood and corpses. The combination of oil and fire magic was jarring, but they still managed to get through.

“Hahahahahahahaha! You fucking idiots!”

“I got there first! I get the extra allowance───knock!”

The Western army is mostly made up of mercenaries, hired semi-permanently. They receive additional compensation based on their merits.

No pain, no gain.

He was a war mercenary who earned a fortune through blood and flesh.

“Stop him from coming up!”

“저리 꺼져라, 군림자의 개새끼들아!”

“Fuck you, motherfucker!”

“There are the knights of the East! Kill them! Kill them and you’ll get money!”

The siege was fierce.

In particular, the battles for Mercury, which involved strategic magic items, were incredibly loud. The power of numbers and technology was immense.

But ultimately, it is a minority that leads the war.

The proposition that the strong cannot defeat the developed group still exists, but if the strong are within that group, it can become a decisive move that can turn the tide of a fierce battle at any time.

"hmm."

The mercenary king jumped with all his might and climbed the high wall using the friction between his toes and the wall.

“……! It’s the King of Mercenaries!”

“The representative is standing on the front lines……! Catch him at all costs! If you catch him, the West will be eliminated!”

Knights armed with armor imbued with magic charged with longswords. Despite the sharp swords slashing at them, the mercenary king smiled leisurely and leaned slightly on his heels to close the distance.

Agile movements and crude swordsmanship.

The dynamic killing skills built up solely from actual combat tore apart the knights' necks and faces, and easily cut down magic flying from afar.

“Now, wait a minute.”

“Haha, where is the time for a moment in war?”

Kwajijijik!

The mercenary king cleared the area by single-handedly slaughtering nine knights and killing five magicians.

A knife soaked in blood.

The sensation transmitted from the tip of the sword.

Nervous eyes pouring in from all directions.

As I gave myself over to the pleasant excitement, I felt a youthful freshness that defied my age. My dulled senses flashed sharply.

Thump!

He destroyed part of the wall and cut with a single stroke the taut metal chain hidden inside.

The alloy door protecting the outermost part of the gate fell down, pulled by gravity.

“The King of Mercenaries has removed the outer gate!”

"now!"

“Pierre!!”

The magical siege ram, which had broken through the resistance in the east, came into operation, crashing into the fortress' main gate.

<Remos>

A 5th-tier siege spell has been activated.

A thorn extended from the ground inside the siege ram, penetrated the gate, and exploded.

The mercenaries swarmed in.

“Ugh, ugh…….”

“Kuaaaaaaah?!”

The soldiers of the East erected a shield wall as if they were surrounding the collapsed gate, but they could not stop it. Not only was their morale low, but the plain-dressed mercenary king caught between the mercenaries was literally a dagger.

Soon, the strategic magic items protecting the fortress were destroyed. With the shield gone, the fortress began to be trampled by siege weapons.

Thus, one of the eastern fortresses closest to the disputed territory occupied by the West fell in an apparent upset.

The young commander of the fortress, who had lost his will to fight, knelt down and trembled.

“Hey, Mercenary King. Please spare my life……!”

“Hmm? You’re quite young. You seem to have little experience guarding a fortress… Are you just setting up a scarecrow? Hey, how many times have you fought in a conflict zone?”

“Only three times. This is the first time I’ve lost.”

“Ah, so that’s why. Haha, even if you’ve become a defeated soldier, there’s no need to be so nervous. This is a war fought by agreement. Besides, we don’t torture or kill those who surrender just for fun like the great lords of the East do. It doesn’t make any money. Of course, we’ll suffer some humiliation.”

The mercenary king tapped the commander on the shoulder and passed by.

The mercenaries who arrived later spat at the terrified fortress commander, lightly kicked him, and laughed at him to their hearts' content.

“Shut up.”

The mercenary king climbed to the top of the fortress.

About a third of it was damaged by siege weapons. The stone is covered in soot.

The mercenary king sat on the edge, tending to his bloody and oily sword, and looking at the sunset slowly sinking below the horizon.

There is still no news from the North.

It seems that the East and the West are finally going to make a move after the war has ended and both sides have exhausted their forces to some extent.

Well, that was the norm.

“No matter what, it’s clear that they won’t bring an ordinary strategy. Hmm, I wonder what claws the North has hidden… If we put more pressure on the East, something will come out. I’m really looking forward to it.”

The mercenary king raised his sword.

The sunlight was blocked out by the dull blade that did not reflect light.

And soon after, the mercenary force led by the mercenary king of the west and the army commanded by the great lord of the east clashed head-on.