Episode 35
For commoners who have nothing, mana's talent is nothing short of a blessing.
I thought so.
Born to parents who had nothing extraordinary, he showed extraordinary talent from an early age. He was quick to learn to speak, and he was good at arithmetic.
Of course, that talent never saw the light of day.
At best, they are the children of farmers. Even if he has a little more intelligence than others, he is just an eccentric person. A quick-ironing child who listens better than children his age. My parents thought of me that way.
The situation changed when I was twelve years old.
It was the moment when I happened to catch the eye of a wizard passing by on the road. The wizard from the Green Mage Tower said that I had a talent for magic and invited me to join the Mage Tower with me.
The same was true for my parents.
For the countrymen, a wizard is nothing more than a god who wields incomprehensible powers. It is said that children can be like that, but who would refuse that?
That's how I headed to the mage tower. I thought about it later.
'It shouldn't have been like that.'
-From the Diary of a Wizard-
* * *
It was hell.
Count Andril's proud knight, Titus, thought so.
It had only been ten breaths since he encountered the warlock. However, the soldiers had already been wiped out, and the knights would have collapsed long ago without the mage's assistance.
And that future is not far off.
This was because the speed at which the mage's protective magic broke was much faster than the new ones were created.
"How long can you hold on?"
“….”
"Hanua-sama?"
“… Don't talk to me! Because I'm crazy!"
Immediately after the sorcerer's cry from a cold sweat, the crystal of the wand he was holding broke. It was also at that time that blood spat out from his mouth as he was about to recite the spell.
"Ukhuh...!"
Knight Titus thought.
'A wizard who is ready to meet enemies in his dungeon is strong.... But no matter what, if there are five or six knights of similar level, it is enough to subdue them.'
The reason for this was the speed of the spell's manifestation.
If it is a low-level spell that can manifest quickly, it can be ignored with the protective spell engraved on the aura and armor, and if you try to cast a high-level spell, you can hit the neck before you can finish the spell.
As long as you pay attention to the activation of the magic circle you had engraved in advance, it wasn't too difficult.
In fact, the number of warlocks killed in this way was quite a lot, so it was not unreasonable for Titus to think so.
'By the way...'
Titus closed his eyes tightly. It was inevitable.
I heard that the opponent was one of the twelve high-ranking warlocks. But who are the people mobilized now?
In addition to the five knights of Count Andril, Hanua is a high-ranking mage specializing in defense who has been active in the territory for decades. Hundreds of soldiers were added to it.
Even if you turn a territory into a wasteland, you can trust it. To be honest, I thought that even if the other party was a high-ranking warlock, the conversation would be established.
No, I thought I could overwhelm them.
The current situation was not like that at all. If he had been beaten in a dungeon, he would have judged that it was because the opponent had prepared thoroughly.
However, they were pushed back and pushed back by the enemy's attack, and before they knew it, the place they were where they were located was a clearing tens of meters away from the dungeon.
The corpses of the burned soldiers scattered around could not withstand the continuous attacks and turned to powder.
The power of magic has not diminished at all compared to the beginning. In addition, others poured out orders that took a year without stopping.
'These are the six arms...'
The arms made of bones on the warlock's back. It was something they had fully understood through the lord before they left, but they did not expect it to have such power.
"Everyone, get ready."
Titus swallowed his saliva and muttered softly. Even as the magical bombardment rang through the eardrums, the trained knights did not miss the sound.
After Hanua vomited blood a while ago, the power of her defensive magic had noticeably decreased.
There are only a few seconds left.
However, they could not just wait for Hanua's life to end.
"Hanua-sama!"
“… Wow, I understand!"
The knights who pulled up the aura to the fullest expanded their muscles.
Immediately after, Hanua disenchanted the spell.
"I'm going!"
Five skilled knights shot flashes at the warlock.
And after a while.
What remains of the ruined vacant lot are burnt corpses and weapons.
"It was quite annoying, though. It just so happened that I needed a test subject."
And there was only one warlock.
* * *
When I stopped by again after a few days, Andril was quite stagnant.
It feels like when the war with the demon world is in full swing.
He said that he was worried about the Holy Kingdom and the war, so I wonder if there was any new news about him. It was not difficult to hear the answer about it.
"That warlock is that strong?"
"The advance team has been wiped out."
"Didn't you say that Hanua went with you? Ten years ago, he was the one who stopped the monster wave... I have to ask the denomination for support..."
"I'll give you a puck."
I never thought there would be other warlocks around the Master's Realm, but it seems that there was a big one.
His skills seemed to be surprisingly outstanding. Perhaps a large-scale subjugation force will be formed soon.
It had nothing to do with me.
I had a desire to try my master's magic, but it wasn't something I could do in front of a large army.
"How much is this?"
"Huh? Seven fairy tale outlines."
The price of bread has risen even more than before, but I paid for it without showing any signs of it.
"Hmm?"
The bakery owner, who was paying the bill with a sullen expression, looked at my face and made a strange expression.
"What is it? Are you alive?"
"Yes?"
"I haven't seen you for a while, because I thought I was beaten by someone who was Sebian or something."
"Sebian?"
"The warlock of the north. Didn't you hear it? It's rumored to be vicious."
A familiar name in a joking word.
My head was dazed by the unexpected words. The bakery owner asked curiously if it was revealed on the outside.
"What's the matter?"
“… Didn't you think you didn't come because the price was too high?"
"If you don't like it, don't buy it."
"No. What..."
I've tried things from other stores, but this bread is the most delicious. It was quite expensive for bread, but it didn't matter because it wasn't too much of a burden.
Even as I walked out with the envelope containing the bread, my thoughts were not easily organized.
Sevian.
The name of a teacher I missed that I thought I would never hear again.
Why did the name come from the mouth of a bakery owner who thought it had nothing to do with it? The reason was self-evident.
The warlock at the north gate must have impersonated his master without knowing the subject.
Embarrassment and anger.
However, what felt more than that was the question and expectation.
How could he know his master and impersonate his name? Maybe there is a connection with a teacher that I don't know. If so, did he have a clue about the end of his master?
In any case, these were questions that would be solved only when I met the warlock.
However, there is no way that a proper conversation will be achieved if you go to the place to visit. As I have heard from my teacher time and time again, warlocks are usually people with poor character.
The possibility of a battle at the moment of encounter cannot be ignored. He had already annihilated the lord's soldiers, so he had to be more careful.
'For now...'
I could easily think of a method.
Still, the lord was recruiting soldiers, so it was a good idea to mix in with them. It was clear that if he hid in the gap between the soldiers, he would be able to complete the search more safely.
It was a spontaneous decision, but it felt like a good idea.
"Recruit soldiers. If you volunteer now, I promise you better treatment than those who will be drafted in the future!"
"Tell us to die?"
"This time, the lord's knights will be with me. Something as dangerous as a starting lineup...!"
"I said the same thing when the advance team left. Who knows how to trust?"
A recruiter who is arguing with the citizens.
The citizens who had been cursing at him left, and they stood in front of him sighing.
“… What about you?"
"I would like to volunteer to explore the Warlock Dungeon this time."
The recruiter looked at me with a mixture of joy and embarrassment.
That's right, because if you're a sane person, you won't volunteer as a latecomer when the starting team is wiped out. The citizens who had criticized him not so long ago proved it.
The recruiter himself may not have thought that there would be someone who volunteered.
"Are you okay? What do you say about this? … It will be dangerous."
"I know."
"But why?"
I can't honestly say that it's because I want to see the face of the guy who pretended to be a teacher. But that's okay.
Did the experience of going with the Demon King helpful? A prepared answer popped out of my mouth without the slightest hesitation.
"Didn't you say it earlier? He promises better treatment than those who are later conscripted."
"That's right."
"That means that a large-scale conscription is scheduled soon. If it's unavoidable, it's better to be treated better."
As he said with a smile, the recruiter made a strange expression.
"But how do you believe me?"
It's not about conscription. It meant that after becoming a soldier, what if I pretended not to know?
Deceiving with pleasant words is a characteristic of the devil. There is no way that I, who had gone through the demon king until I got tired of it, did not think about that possibility.
Of course, it didn't matter. I had no intention of ending my life as a soldier.
Even if he said it as he did, he would only have to endure for a few days until he achieved his goal.
Therefore, he replied without erasing the smile on his face.
"That should be on the conscience of the recruiter."
"Huh..."
The recruiter sighed as if he was ridiculous, and then said with a smile.
"I don't know if this is simple or thoughtful. Don't worry, I can't tell you the details yet, but this time it won't be the same as the last time we subjugated. and...."
As he drooped the tip of his words, he didn't miss the slightly frowning expression.
"I keep my promises. Soldier, what's your name?"
“… Johnny. This is Johnny. I'm from the Beliv estate."
"Johnny of Beliv. I'll remember it for sure. I know you're lucky. Hey, come here and show me this friend!"
Soon I followed the approaching soldiers to the barracks.
"Do you have a weapon that you know how to handle?"
The soldier who was guiding me turned around and asked.
"Sickle..."
“… sickle?"
At that moment, I realized my mistake in the soldier's strange expression.
It would be difficult to find someone who uses a scythe as a weapon. If you look closely, it is all about angry farmers.
“… The words are in vain. I know how to handle windows a little. I was in the guard for a while."
"Really? That would give you less time to train. There is also a word from the recruiter... If you look at your skills, if you don't mind, I can make you the leader of the teens."
"The captain of the ten?"
"Don't like it too much. That's because all the conscripts are down there."
The soldier said it was insignificant, but I couldn't laugh.
The reason why I accepted this recruitment in the first place was to check the face of the warlock without being noticed. I didn't want to waste my time taking on a useless position.
'I can't help it. Whether it's a skill test or something, I have no choice but to use my strength in moderation.'
After thinking so, I thought about it for a while.
The lightly swung spear split the opponent's spear in half.
"What, what?"
The soldier's expression with a broken spear turned dumb. Of course, the same was true for my expression when I saw it.
'Why are you so weak?'
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