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Chapter 672
Chapter 672
Magic Isn’t About Circles, It’s About Real Combat. (2)
When fighting a Black Mage, you run into all sorts of problems.
The biggest issue is that the battle doesn't happen in a wide-open plain. You have to search through the mountains and fight the bastard in rough terrain where he’s hiding.
So even if you win, you take devastating losses. In a barony where military strength is already limited, they had to come up with a different strategy.
“It’s not that I don’t trust the mage, but... the opponent’s circle is too high... shouldn’t we find a way to block his magic?”
Е n̂ ũm а
Originally, Andrew had planned to use Ghislain to suppress the Black Mage’s magic as much as possible. Since they were both 5th-Circle, he thought that much could be done.
But no matter how skilled Ghislain was, if the Black Mage was 6th-Circle, it wouldn’t have much effect. After all, in magic, circle level was said to be absolute.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
In response to Andrew’s concern, Ghislain shook his head.
“There’s absolutely no need to worry. We’ve got a friend in our territory named Alfoi, he once defeated a higher-circle mage.”
“Gasp, really? Is something like that even possible?”
“Of course. It’s entirely possible.”
Еñ u.m̊ а̀. і̇_d̄
When Alfoi had clashed with the Scarlet Tower, he had defeated a mage with a higher circle than himself.
Of course, it wouldn’t be fair to say he won through a proper magical duel, but a win was still a win.
Recalling that moment, Ghislain smiled warmly.
“He said something funny back then.”
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“What did he say?”
With a spirited expression, Ghislain raised his fist and said,
Е́ n̄.u̇m̂а
“Magic isn’t about circles, it’s about real combat, you son of a X.”
Andrew wore an expression of deep inspiration. Then, he slightly pulled his head back and asked,
“Um... was that perhaps directed at me?”
“...That was what he said to his opponent during the fight.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I misunderstood. Hahahaha. I thought you were talking to me...”
“Hahahaha...”
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The two shared an awkward laugh. Either way, with Ghislain speaking so confidently, Andrew could no longer object.
Doing so would’ve been an insult to a proud mage.
A brief awkward silence passed, and Ghislain cleared his throat and shifted the topic.
“Anyway, let’s go ahead with the subjugation. The Julien Mercenary Corps will lead the charge, so if it gets dangerous, you can retreat.”
“I couldn’t possibly! I’ll fight alongside you to the end and help bring him down! I’m counting on the Julien Mercenary Corps!”
Andrew shouted spiritedly. True to his simple nature, he was bold and full of passion.
Е̊ ń ù m̄ȧ
The more Ghislain looked at him, the more he resembled Morris, the former Supreme Commander of the Kingdom of Ritania.
Once again, Ghislain found a strange thought creeping in.
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‘No way? Come on, it couldn’t be.’
Andrew was from the Barony of Nodehill, not from the Marquis McQuarrie family. Sure, names and titles could change over a thousand years... but still, that was too much of a stretch.
Regaining his confidence after speaking with Ghislain, Andrew shouted loudly toward the people.
“From now on, the symbol animal of our territory is the duck! Once the subjugation is over, we’ll change the crest too, so treat ducks with utmost respect!”
Е̌n u m̂ ӓ
“Yes, sir!”
Ducks were believed to be able to distinguish Black Mages. People truly believed that.
So now, everyone had no choice but to regard ducks as sacred.
Quack, quack, quack-quaaack.
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The ducks, perhaps sensing the excitement, waddled about everywhere, quacking up a storm.
“……”
Ẇeb̌ňо̇ v́_ѐ l Е ňum̈а̀
Ghislain said nothing at all.
And just like that, the duck superstition began to spread widely, starting from the Barony of Nodehill.
* * *
Before the subjugation began, Ghislain presented Andrew with an additional condition.
“If the subjugation succeeds, everything the Black Mage possesses will go to our Julien Mercenary Corps.”
“By all means.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Grimoires and magical items held tremendous value especially if it was a 6th-Circle grimoire.
But Andrew wasn’t in any position to haggle over that kind of thing right now.
To show greed while standing at the crossroads of his territory’s survival would’ve made him a hopeless fool. Not that he was that kind of person in the first place.
“I’ll also be taking whatever his disciple had.”
“But of course. You’re the one who captured him. We won’t raise any objections.”
Ghislain had found the grimoire in Zico’s quarters. It was a Black Magic Grimoire with a solid collection of spells up to the 4th Circle.
W̆ êb n̈оv ě l̂ Е ñ u ḿ a
Having confirmed both a generous reward and new terms, Ghislain smiled with satisfaction.
“Refreshing and to the point. Then let’s head out right away.”
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“Understood. I’ll order the full mobilization of our forces.”
After Zico was captured, Andrew treated the group with even greater care.
Not only because the Julien Mercenary Corps was essential to this mission, but also because Andrew, for a noble, didn’t flaunt his authority.
After Zico died, several soldiers complained of headaches. Everyone realized they had been under Zico’s mental control.
Е nu m̊ а
With the caster dead, it was only natural for the mind control to wear off. Still, because of the unease, they had to be excluded from this subjugation.
After two failed subjugations, the number of soldiers was already low for the size of the territory.
But scraping together every last bit of manpower, they managed to muster a force of 600 soldiers.
They moved with boldness, led by a vanguard of fifteen knights. Even after repeated failures, they brimmed with confidence and for good reason.
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“The mage said there’s nothing to worry about.”
“I heard he’s just the vice-captain. The captain’s even stronger. He supposedly killed the top knight of the Barony of Magrel in one strike.”
W̊ ё b nо̂ v̄ ӗ ĺ Е̄ n̈.umӑ
“We’ve got a priest with us too, so that Black Mage won’t even get to fight.”
That was the source of their visible confidence. Thanks to Ghislain’s reputation, even the rest of the group got an unearned boost in status just by association.
Unfortunately, there was barely any mention of Kyle. And Kyle was starting to get a little irritated about that.
“Come on, I’m stronger than Julien.”
Dark spoke with a disdainful look from Kyle’s shoulder.
“We’ve got someone like you back in our territory.”
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“Who is it? Are they strong?”
“Kind of weak by our standards. I mean, he’s strong, but strangely weak at the same time?”
“If he’s strong, then he’s strong. What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Still, you’re a bit better than him.”
In truth, Kyle was just as strong as Julien. He had grit, and he was surprisingly grounded in reality.
It felt like a waste to compare him with that certain someone who lazed around the Fenris Territory every day.
W е̂ḃ ń оvеl̀ Ё n̂ ü m а̌
Still, if one had to compare, Kyle was the closest match that’s why Dark said what he did.
Unlike the grumbling Kyle, Julien and Deneb were a mix of tense and slightly excited.
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“A 6th-Circle Black Mage... we need to win without taking any losses...”
“With my divine power, it’s going to be hard to land a direct hit.”
A 6th-Circle Mage was powerful enough to turn the tide of a war.
Knowing they had to face someone like that, it was impossible not to be nervous.
Ẁ е̃b́ṅŏv е l̊ Ê n̆ùm̈ a
The three of them originally planned to gradually build up their strength. Astion had taken a similar cautious approach.
But ever since they met Ghislain, the level of enemies they faced had skyrocketed.
At that moment, Julien had a revelation.
“Gasp! When he said he’d make sure I didn’t die later... did he mean he’d get me killed sooner?!”
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It was a pretty convincing theory. No wonder life suddenly felt way harder.
While Julien was groaning and caught up in his thoughts, Deneb tried to ease his nerves by asking Ghislain some questions.
E n̂ùm̄ā
“Ghislain... are you really going to learn Black Magic?”
“Yeah. Nothing wrong with learning, right?”
He left out the part about Astion being the one to study it. Astion was a mage, after all having access to more spells would be great for him. That Ghislain generously(?) shared them too was just a bonus.
But Deneb only looked more worried at those words. Black Magic had a bad reputation. Using it carelessly could get you labeled a wicked criminal.
Even with Deneb’s warning, Ghislain replied with a casual air.
“Come on, as long as I don’t use it for evil, it’s fine.”
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In truth, Black Magic wasn’t about making pacts with Demon Kings or anything like the rumors claimed. It was just a branch of magic that used negative mana.
Its bad reputation stemmed from lunatics who used it to commit atrocities.
“Isn’t the leading theory that Black Magic originally came from the priests who served Seraana, the goddess who governs death?”
“Y-yeah, that’s true.”
The priests of Seraana had used that power for very different purposes.
They allowed the living to speak one last time with the dead, to hear the truth from those who died unjustly, to pass judgment on those guilty of unpardonable sins, and more.
Éňŭ m̆а́
Over the long years, the core teachings had been forgotten while only the twisted remnants remained and were abused hence the bad reputation. In truth, most high-ranking individuals already knew this.
In fact, they were partly responsible for spreading the negative image of Black Magic.
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They had encouraged the fear so they could use Black Magic as a political tool, an excuse to frame and suppress their rivals.
Deneb wasn’t entirely unaware of such inner workings. But the people of the world, already clouded by prejudice, wouldn’t understand that kind of background. That was why she couldn’t help but worry.
But Ghislain still didn’t think much of it.
“I’ll just use it when I need it. Knowledge is something you can never have too much of, right?”
Е̊_n u ḿа .і d̈
He didn’t mention that if anyone tried to use Black Magic as an excuse to come after him, he’d simply crush them. As always, he was a peaceful nonviolent type.
While chatting like that, they reached about halfway up the mountain. Ghislain turned to Dark.
“Find him. You roughly know where he is, right?”
“Got it.”
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Flap!
Five sparrows scattered in all directions. They were heading out to locate the Black Mage based on the intel from Zico.
Е ń_u m а. і̊d
Soon after, Dark No. 1 spoke to Ghislain in his mind.
― Found him. He’s already noticed us and came out. Looks like he’s waiting for us.
‘Is he alone?’
― Yeah. His clothes are filthy, all torn, like some bum. I used to think our territory’s mages were messy when they did construction work, but now I realize they were actually clean. Belinda took good care of them.
‘...I see.’
Thinking a mage lives elegantly in nature is a big mistake. Life in the wild just makes basic living harder.
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That’s why most mages try to join magic towers or pledge themselves to a territory, so they can live comfortably.
Anyway, now that they had located the Black Mage, Ghislain passed the news to Andrew. Andrew asked with a tense face:
“What should we do? Should we charge in right away and give him no time to react?”
“...No. As I said, slowly close in and surround him.”
Zico had told them about the Black Mage’s abilities. So Ghislain had devised a proper strategy and shared it with everyone.
Before they knew it, Ghislain had become the commander. Everyone followed his orders.
W̌е̂ b n ov̌e l̊ Е̂nú m̆ а̌
With the Julien Mercenary Corps at the front, they moved forward a bit more and then, BOOM! A loud explosion rang out in the distance, followed by a flash of light.
Everyone stopped in their tracks, stunned. The soldiers stared nervously in that direction.
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There was no way such a phenomenon could happen naturally in the mountains. It had to be the Black Mage’s doing.
Ghislain, seeing the flash, gave a crooked smile.
“Hah. Look at this guy. Just giving away his location like that?”
They had already figured out where the Black Mage was. They were slowly heading that way.
Е̃ n̆ u m̄ä
But the Black Mage didn’t know they were on the move.
That’s why he sent the signal basically telling them to come find him properly.
Ghislain stretched out his hand and said,
“Don’t hesitate. Stick to the plan. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
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Even his tone had changed. His words were now naturally brimming with authority, and no one questioned it.
Even Lord Andrew was following Ghislain’s lead.
Ѐ n ŭ m ӑ
The soldiers started moving slowly again. Ghislain, leading them with Julien by his side, chuckled quietly.
‘He’s awfully confident. Does he think he’ll win this time too?’
The Black Mage clearly had great pride in his own power.
It was understandable. A 6th-Circle Mage was a rare powerhouse, even on the kingdom level.
Even Hubert, the Tower Master of the Crimson Flame Tower, despite his flippant nature, was a mighty force who oversaw the North’s top tower.
That Black Mage likely held similar power, which gave him the arrogance.
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Ghislain cracked his neck side to side, loosening up.
“Crushing guys like him is what I do best.”
That bastard picked the wrong opponent today.
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