Chapter 147: Checkmate, you bastard! (2)
“But why are you so late?”
“To give you two some alone time.”
“You’re getting old and senile.”
“Ugh! That’s an insult! I’ve grown taller, my hair has grown longer, and my chest has gotten bigger!”
Aila retorted, puffing out her chest as if to emphasize her point, but unfortunately, I couldn’t see past a certain point. Hmm, Levidian. I have this instinctive desire for you to move your hands.
Amidst my disappointment, a sharp voice pierced my ears.
“Aren’t you going to move that?”
“Unni, what is this thing? It’s, you know, that thing. Tsk. You have bigger ones than me and you’re jealous. Hmph.”
“It’s just a little bigger than average.”
“Whoa! Not that again! Unni, you just stabbed a Seven Star into the heart of a pure and innocent girl. How is this even remotely average? Eight, eight.”
“Ah, s-stop poking!”
“Wow! Amazing! Is this really the elasticity of a thirty-year-old woman? Woo-hoo. This is unfair. Eek! Eek!”
“S-stop it, Aila!”
I could feel Levidian squirming.
For a moment, I wanted to remove the hand covering my eyes, but my life is precious. I lay there, arms crossed, waiting for the two of them to stop playing around.
“I’ve always wondered, doesn’t it get in the way of your sword training?”
“It’s fine since I tie them up tightly.”
“Even so, hmm, I see. Now I understand the reason behind your undefeated legend, Unni.”
“Huh?”
“Men will be distracted by their swaying, and women will be burning with jealousy over their size. So, of course, they can’t fight with a calm mind. Makes sense.”
“Are you going to get mad?”
Levidian’s limit was slowly approaching. She has a good habit of asking nicely before getting angry. The problem is that she only does that to people other than me.
If I were to accumulate all the times I’ve been beaten after casually crossing her limit, I could probably take down a bull. Sob.
“Sigh. Maybe I should try to get bigger too? I’m only twenty. Risel, how long are you going to stay like that? Get up.”
“Ibi, can I get up now?”
“Ah, yes.”
She removed her hand, and I was finally able to sit up. I lightly brushed my hair and turned around to see Aila sitting comfortably on the grass.
“The information on Orknesia has arrived.”
“Oh, really? We were just talking about that. How are things going?”
“First of all, the occupation of Oksen and Impelord is imminent. The problem is Atzuma here. If its defenses are breached, we’ll end up with a face full of soup that was almost within reach.”
“I know that. But I think we can manage to stop them somehow.”
Aila made a dubious expression. A meaningful smile with half-closed eyes. It was full of the intention to let me continue my sleep-talking, so I quickly lowered my head.
“Noona, please enlighten me.”
“Information gathering was easier since the weather cleared up. Out of the 32,000 men heading here, there are five mages among them.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Kidding? Do you know how much food costs these days?”
Her words, implying that she wouldn’t lie after eating such expensive food, forced me to make a serious expression. Five mages in a force of 32,000? What kind of nonsense is this?
The gravity of the situation made Aila’s expression harden, and Levidian’s eyes widened. She also tilted her head.
“Risel, what does five mages mean?”
“Huh? Ah, you wouldn’t know since you’re not in the military. Typically, one mage is assigned to a legion-sized unit. The role of a military mage is mainly to provide counsel to the staff, perform minor climate manipulation, and focus on reconnaissance and VIP protection. Above all, mages are not the type to dedicate themselves to the military.”
This isn’t some legendary war. There are no mages who can summon firestorms in the middle of the battlefield, strike the entire field with lightning, split the earth, or make lava erupt.
It’s a matter of the mage’s skill, and no mage with that level of skill would remain in the military.
Mages live solely for the pursuit of perfecting magic, not for achieving something with it. This is evident just by looking at how mages live apart from the secular world.
Even the macho mage Lucy, who dreams of wealth and glory, has the goal of mastering all of Ol Keres Pendens’s magic. It just doesn’t seem that way because he has a lot of things he wants to do before dedicating himself to that goal, but I can guarantee this. If Lucy had to choose between all of Ol Keres Pendens’s magic and all the wealth and glory in the world, he would choose the former without hesitation.
Anyway, I wasn’t too worried when I first heard that one legion was assigned to Pilledvan’s forces. Even if there was a mage, they would be significantly inferior to Lucy.
The Achuni Temple is still silent, but even if a military chaplain were to accompany them, we have Namia on our side, so there’s no need to worry. Shamans are actually not used in the military, so there’s no problem in terms of anti-magic capabilities.
I thought so, but now I hear that five mages are coming.
“I see. But are the numbers a problem?”
“Of course, it’s a problem. Having five of them means that two or three of them are cannons.”
“Cannons? Ah, you mean those who provide strong firepower support?”
“Yes. I don’t know the extent of their power, but it seems like they’re determined to achieve complete annihilation. Moreover, since Duke Narvilt’s second son is the commander, there will also be an element of VIP protection.”
If there was a spring-like atmosphere here just a moment ago, it was assassinated by Aila. She replaced it with the chilling coldness of winter, using a scarecrow.
“I asked Lucy-ssi, and it seems two out of the five are cannons. He said he knows them.”
“Don’t tell me they were on good terms?”
“No. They were rivals. According to Lucy-ssi, they always attacked him with things that wouldn’t work, so he proudly boasted about beating them with his staff before they could even cast a spell.”
For a moment, I wondered if trying to persuade the mages would work, but it was instantly deemed impossible.
“They’ll be seeing red.”
Lucy once said that no one has ever endured three strikes from his staff. It seems like his words were based on facts.
It seems I was only thinking about a battle between soldiers, but it won’t be like that. I need to come up with anti-magic measures……
“Aila, is there any way we can get some salt?”
“You know. The salt from our house is expensive.”
“Ugh, right. We can’t even provide clothes soaked in salt water……”
“Even the cheapest anti-magic measures are difficult here.”
Levidian wore a worried expression.
Soaking clothes in salt water slightly reduces the effects of magic. For example, someone who would normally be burnt black by lightning would be able to breathe.
It’s common practice in the military to provide clothes soaked in salt water if there are individuals using magic on the enemy side. However, we probably only have a limited amount of salt right now.
“You said two out of the five are cannons. One of the remaining three will be in charge of VIP protection, and the other two will be in charge of maps and telescopes, right?”
“Yes. I’ve asked Lucy-ssi to cause Farsight interference. However, it won’t be possible to prevent our tactics from being somewhat exposed.”
“Lucy can do Farsight, right? He’s a Spatial mage.”
“But it’ll be difficult for him to observe that side. Because the location is unspecified. When imaginary numbers are substituted into spatial coordinates, the difficulty becomes unimaginable.”
I feel like I’m always giving difficult tasks to the talented people around me. We can’t use Farsight until Pilledvan’s command post is established.
With the inclusion of mages, the range of tactics they can use increases exponentially.
Even if we use the 1024th Cheonbyeongdae for guerrilla warfare, the main force of the Western Army won’t suffer significant damage. Or rather, they might even detect us before that.
“Releasing the snakes might also be useless.”
“Yes. It seems likely. But let’s leave them to do what they’re doing. If we stop now, the collected snakes will be distributed as snacks to the entire army.”
“Those were delicious. Can’t we sneak a few out using our authority?”
“Come by this evening if you have time. I’ve already set aside a few. But don’t say anything like ‘what are you going to use your built-up stamina for?’ or I won’t let you off easy. Anyway, they’re taking this more seriously than I thought.”
Aila, who had been grumbling, soon put aside her jokes and nodded.
“Yes. I think it’s probably because of a deep-seated grudge.”
“Right? Well, I wouldn’t treat someone I humiliated so badly either.”
But why is he being so petty as a man? Why not forget the past and fight fair and square like a man?
Of course, in war, winning is all that matters, but bringing 30,000 men and five mages against a mere 5,000 is too much.
Seeing me pout, Levidian clapped her hands as if she had a good idea.
“Shall we assassinate them?”
“That’s a good idea, but who?”
“The mages, or Pilledvan.”
“It’s a tempting offer, but…… it doesn’t seem like it would improve the overall situation, even if it improves the immediate circumstances.”
If we assassinate Pilledvan and the mages without a trace, we can stop their advance and instill fear, giving us time and peace of mind.
It’s certainly a rational and practical calculation, but from a macroscopic perspective, it’s a bit iffy.
This war was started by someone who was falsely accused and felt wronged.
They rose up in arms to resist injustice and restore their honor. Now imagine using assassins in this situation.
Public opinion would immediately worsen, and the people would turn their backs on us.
The beauty of war lies solely in victory, but assassination tarnishes the brilliance of that beauty.
It’s a convenient method, but it carries significant risks.
“Then how about poisoning? We can disguise it as an epidemic since it’s summer.”
“No, that’s not the point. And we can use assassins when a chaotic battle breaks out. But can we summon them in time?”
“Summon them? They’re already here.”
“Huh?”
Levidian smiled brightly and flicked her left hand.
Snap!
As if out of nowhere, figures clad in black emerged from all directions.
Suddenly, the nightmarish training of last winter flashed through my mind.
W-what the!
I instinctively reached for my waist, but there was nothing there.
Oh no! I left it behind!
“S-since when?”
“From the beginning. But why are there only five?”
“The rest are sleeping, Master.”
“Ah, I see. You can relax now. I brought eight of them in total. Originally, stealth is the lowest form of assassination, but it seems sufficient here.”
Her refreshingly straightforward explanation left me dumbfounded as I sat back down.
“I see. So then…… these people were…… watching everything earlier?”
“Ah, it’s fine. I told them to turn their heads beforehand.”
“I see. Then…… that’s not fine at all.”
I slumped my shoulders, deflated, and let out a sigh. The assassins were here from the beginning? Ha ha ha……
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“You didn’t ask. They’re just here as escorts. And shouldn’t you have noticed before asking?”
“Yes. You’re right. Yes, yes. I apologize for calling you out suddenly. Everyone, please go back.”
The assassins nodded and disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. I tried to follow one with my eyes, but the moment they blended into the shadows, they vanished.
Aila expressed genuine admiration.
“As expected of the Black New Moon. Their stealth skills are better than Mangya’s.”
“You guys are good at disguises. I’m more envious of that.”
“We’re also working with Sky Ears. It’s the era of side hustles, you know.”
“Please hold your corporate executive meetings somewhere else. Anyway, how skilled are those people?”
“They can assassinate even Duke Orknesia with just eight people.”
It was quite difficult to simply nod without reacting. She possessed a groundbreaking solution that could cleanly resolve conflicts between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. Should I consider marriage? Heh heh heh.
Anyway, assassination during a chaotic battle wouldn’t be too difficult either. Even if they just targeted officers and lightly incapacitated them, it would still amplify the confusion.
However, they wouldn’t be able to easily approach Pilledvan or the mages. And if they were left alive, I would have to consider headaches as my chronic illness for the time being.
Sigh, should I just launch a surprise attack in the middle of the night? If I knock them all out and drag them here, it would at least be considered part of the war and I’d get some recognition.
Wait, what did I just think?
“Risel, what are you suddenly thinking about?”
“Did you come up with a good idea?”
I stroked my chin, lost in thought. A good feeling came over me after a long time. Yes, it was the same feeling I had when I recalled the climate of the Atzuma region back in Baekslan.
Back then, it was a pleasant sensation because I could directly utilize what I remembered, but now it’s different. As a groundbreaking idea came to mind, a plan naturally formed in my head.
The joy of having my thoughts flow so smoothly.
This is all thanks to Levidian.
She gave me the inspiration!
As expected! A man needs to meet the right woman!
I uttered the only words that could express this joy. No, this time I also took action.
“Ibi, I love you!”
I suddenly embraced her, causing her body to stiffen. A brief moment passed where even Aila couldn’t say anything, and I patted Levidian’s back before looking at Aila.
“Aila, let’s go! I have a great idea!”
“O-okay. But…… did you really have to do that?”
“Yes! Why, do you want me to do it to you too?”
“I’ll pass.”
Aila shook her head with a bewildered expression. And before heading to the strategy meeting, I had to take care of Levidian, whose mental state was half devastated.
For the record, she regained her senses about three minutes later.
Leave a Reply