The Book Eating Magician - Chapter 223

Chapter 223

Chapter 223 – Babarino Plains (2)

The Babarino Plains was one of the most spacious areas in the Soldun Kingdom as well as a useless wasteland covered with weeds . The Soldun Kingdom was famous for their lack of farmland, so they had tried to cleanse the barren land for centuries . However, there were no visible results yet .

Apart from a few small hills, there was no curvature in the topography . The Barbarino Plains was such a place .

However, today, there was a new record for the land .  It was because there were more people entering the plains today than there had been in the past hundreds of years .

There were soldiers armed from head to toe with steel and leather, while flags flapped in the faint breeze . The procession of the royal army and nobles army which numbered 80,000 people in total stretched out under the horizon .

The crown prince’s army which left Marquis Reista’s estate was on the right side, while Duke Cornwall and Marquis Fergana were on the left side .  They were several kilometers apart, and the commanders looked at the formation of the other side .

“That old raccoon, he seems to have decided . He didn’t leave anything behind and will end it all here . ”

“It seems he has emptied out everything . ”

“That formation is… ‘Sword and Buckler . ’ It is obvious he intends to push us step by step . ”

‘Sword and Buckler’ was originally an expression referring to a weapon which was a combination of the sword and the shield . However, its meaning was slightly different as a combat formation . It was a tactic of separating two units from each other, one to stop the enemy’s vanguard and the other to pierce through the enemies who lost their momentum .

This was a classic but infrequently used method . However, Duke Cornwall pulled it out to use without hesitation .  There was no need to explain his intentions .

‘Sword and Shield’ was a tactic which had been used since the ancient times on the premise of getting rid of the inefficient troops to stop the enemy’s vanguard .

Prince Elsid muttered with a frown, “A formation based on losing a significant number of troops… He really is only thinking about victory, that duke . He is already beyond obsession . ”

A strategist could understand casting stones for victory . Dropping two stones in order to get three was a natural act for them .  However, it was an unacceptable attitude as a ruler .  The duke wasn’t planning to win efficiently . Instead, he wanted to throw away his followers?

“This is why we can’t lose this fight . Everyone, follow me until the end . ”

Upon hearing Prince Elsid’s determined voice, Marquis Piris and the other subordinates in the area prostrated themselves on the ground .

“Your words are right, Your Highness!”

“We need to win for the people!”

“Until the end, Your Highness is Soldun’s king!”

Everyone here knew they were in a disadvantageous position . Even so, they didn’t hesitate to kneel . This was because they felt a sense of crisis and discomfort from Duke Cornwall .  This unbearable person absolutely shouldn’t be king!

Each of them gathered under Elsid because they had similar thoughts . Duke Cornwall… If he were a better person, then today’s situation might be drastically different .  Elsid was greatly happy with their replies and raised his right hand . However, it wasn’t just to secure visibility that he was on the hills .

“Good! Then we will surely get rid of those insurgents!”

It was because the people believed him . Setting aside strength and weakness, justice ought to win . After all this time, the people realized the ‘ruthless reality’, but embers of hope still burned within them .  If a god really was watching them from the sky like the fanatics claimed, then Elsid couldn’t turn away from them .

“First Corps, raise the flag and march!” A loud voice echoed, and a rider moved .   Then a sudden earthquake hit the Barbarino Plains as the soldiers saw the red flag fluttering and moved as well .

Kung! Kung! Kung! Kung!

They pounded the ground with their spears and crushed the reeds . Power seemed to overflow on the plains every time they took a step .

This was an army, and this was war .

As the saying went, the roar of tens of thousands of soldiers could overtake the sound of thunder . Perhaps due to the topography, it felt like even the thick clouds on the horizon were pushed back .

“From now on, we will quell the rebels!”

It was the beginning of the decisive battle, which would later be called the ‘Babarino Plains Great War’ or ‘Elsid’s Civil War . ’

*     *     *

However, unlike the grand declarations, the battlefield didn’t move . The army was just stepping forward before retreating again . Just like the calm before a storm, a silence fell on the plains where 80,000 people stood .  Much like how a swan floating on the surface seemed calm, the unseen area was actually turbulent .

“Second Corps, retreat quickly to the left slope!”

“The military forces of Duke Cornwall’s group are approaching! Right?!”

“No, not yet! Fourth and Fifth Corps, keep advancing! Don’t show a gap until the enemy rearguard is revealed!”

The strength of the individual was most important when engaging with a few elite troops, but it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the strategist or leader determined victory when it was a large army of thousands .

Elsid and his commanders were doing their best to try and open a gap in the duke’s army .  The problem was that the difficulty was ridiculously high .

“Damn, the difference in troops is so absolute…!”

50,000 and 30,000… This numerical gap was huge . The duke was prepared to abandon 20,000 people . If they attacked carelessly, Prince Elsid’s army would suffer damage which would be difficult to recover from .

They couldn’t step forward or retreat .

The difference in options changed the movements of the two groups, as Duke Cornwall’s army gradually started to move forward . If the commanders of both sides were capable, the side with the superior numbers would have the advantage .

This meant the disadvantage on Elsid’s side would increase over time . He despaired as this disadvantage was increased by the topography .

‘Is this my limit?’

A one second delay would kill 10 people . Elsid knew this fact and made a decision quickly .  Then with a heavy expression, he turned to the rider next to him and said, “Raise Meltor’s flags! Prepare for a barrage!”

This was the only card which could change the flow . The firepower of Meltor’s elites was a ‘shield’ which could sweep away the entire army before them . Elsid had wanted to annihilate the rearguards as much as possible, but he couldn’t afford to wait any longer .

…Flap .  The four-color flag of Meltor blew in the wind .

Orta saw the signal and nodded .  The Crown Prince’s response was perfect . If the other side made a mistake, he would be able to dig into that gap . However, the duke was pressing too hard, and it would be impossible to change the flow .

“Concentrate your magic power . Prepare for a barrage . ”

The 64 war mages responded, then…

Kururung!

Magic power gathered, and the clouds overhead scattered . If enough 5th Circle magicians combined their strength, it would be enough firepower to reach the level of a master .

The magic circle laid out under the feet of the 64 war mages glowed, and the magic power distorting the atmosphere coalesced . The terrifying magic which had yet to dissolve started to melt the land .

“Manifestation . ”

Simultaneously, ‘Cobalt Sun,’ the tactical magic developed by the red tower, appeared in the sky .  This was the cleansing fire magic which 64 war mages completed! Despite the fact that the heat was quite a distance away, the soldiers on the Babarino Plains looked up at the turquoise sun rising in the sky .

The moment the magic power reached its peak, Orta declared, “Fall . ”

Shortly after that, the Cobalt Sun fell .  Naturally, it fell toward the heads of Duke Cornwall’s 10,000 soldiers .  Just looking at the magic power, it was at the same level of the 7th Circle ‘Inferno’ magic . If it exploded at the center of the troops, at least 3,000~4,000 people would turn to charcoal .

It was at this moment that…

♪ ♩ ♬ ♬ ♩ · · ·! ♩ ♬ ♬ ♪ ♪–!

The magnificent sound of music emerged from somewhere .

“This?” Orta knew what the music was, and his expression stiffened .

The music was the Sacred Order’s Hymn . Unlike the magicians who pursued different paths, ‘teamwork’ was required for the priests of the Sacred Order . It was possible for them to generate this power by harmonizing when singing the same song .

The power was huge, and it came from ‘religion,’ not rationality .

“Divine Protect…!”

Unsurprisingly, a golden shield appeared over Duke Cornwall’s group .  It was a shield made by divine power which had the ability to negate magic .  Unlike the Magic Society that tried to break all reason, divine power explored reason . Their logic was that everything was divine, and they just needed to worship and follow .  That blind faith formed the shield .

“Annoying,” Orta murmured as the two powers collided .

Kurururung .

This time, the clouds were torn . The Cobalt Sun’s path was interrupted, and it exploded as soon as it hit the golden shield .  A storm of light barraged the soldiers’ ears and eyes .  Shattered pieces of armor and weapons scattered everywhere, while soldiers became masses of charcoal . The divine shield couldn’t stop the Cobalt Sun perfectly .

However, this much couldn’t change the flow of the battlefield .  It wasn’t a great amount of damage as it was just a few thousand people out of the duke’s 50,000 troops . Moreover, Elsid’s purpose of removing Duke Cornwall’s vanguard failed .

“…No, it isn’t completely pointless,” Elsid muttered as he looked down at the epicenter .  The effect of the barrage wasn’t small . The shield might’ve blocked most of the damage, but the soldiers shrank back and the forward momentum was significantly reduced .  Even if it didn’t reverse the situation, it bought them some time .

Then while Elsid and the commanders were trying to think of another way to break through…

Dozens of strands of lightning struck the sides of Elsid’s army .

Kwarururung!

Lightning magic truly contained a mighty destructive force . The armor that the soldiers wore was useless as the lightning bolts hit them .

“Kwaaaack!”

“M-My eyes, what is this?”

“Kieeek, kuk… Kuock . ”

It was a tremendous power . As a result, gazes naturally moved toward the source of the lightning .  This was clearly the magic, Lightning Splash .  Unlike Thunderbolt which focused on one point, this was a 6th Circle magic intended to spread out . It was a lightning spell famous for its difficulty to be controlled .

The magician who could use it would be truly powerful, and there was only one person on Duke Cornwall’s side who could use it .

“This is a silly fight . ” Fergana touched his mustache with an uncomfortable feeling as he watched the soldiers in front of him . “If it wasn’t for my daughter, I would’ve stayed still until the end . ”

As the two masters of the Soldun Kingdom, Earl Mersen and Marquis Fergana were loyal to it . So, if it wasn’t for a certain person, he wouldn’t be standing in the midst of this complicated situation .  Even today, the old raccoon had mentioned his daughter while Fergana had been trying to enjoy his tea .

‘Damn you, old and greedy…’ Marquis Fergana made a tsk-ing sound before raising his magic power again . It couldn’t be helped . He needed to return home quickly .  

He was the ‘Thunder Noble’ whom everyone was afraid of . The marquis used the lightning magic he had developed since young and had risen to prominence with .  However, he had to cancel the magic he prepared .

Piing .

A chill ran down Marquis Fergana’s spine as a flash of light shot past his head, destroying a few strands of his hair .  If he had been a little slower in dodging, he would’ve died .  He might have been born and raised in the Central Continent, but he knew about the founder of this magic .

It was the war hero Alfred Bellontes’ Magic Bullet!

“Who?” Marquis Fergana’s relaxed expression disappeared as he glared in front of him .

His intuition warned him that this attack was dangerous . No, the figure who sent the flash was dangerous . It had been a long time since he had entered a battle, but his intuition hadn’t disappeared .

“It is nice to meet you, Marquis Fergana . ” Theodore’s red robe flapped as he flew forward without hesitation . The four-color pattern with the ‘4’ in the center of his robe was a symbol that only belonged to Theodore .

It was his first time revealing his official position, so Theodore confronted Marquis Fergana while filled with half nervousness, half excitement .

“As the captain of Meltor’s magic division, Quattro, I—Theodore Miller—will deal with you . ”

“Theodore Miller? That name…” Marquis Fergana was puzzled for a moment before nodding . “Indeed, Meltor’s young hero . Ascending to this position before the age of 30… It is a scary achievement . ”

“You’re overpraising me . ”

“It isn’t a compliment . I hope you realize that all your possibilities will be crushed today . ”

The conversation between the two magicians ended there . As soon as Fergana finished talking, he went into combat mode .  Fergana’s opponent was a genius who had become a master at a young age, so he couldn’t spare any power . Marquis Fergana used his Sorcery without hesitation .

Pajijik! Paijijik!

Strands of lightning emerged . The blue lightning sprung up on the surface of his luxurious robe, starting with weak static before becoming a lightning storm .  This wasn’t made from electric magic . Marquis Fergana’s magic power was being replaced by actual lightning .

Theodore thought for a moment about the principles behind it but soon realized it was worthless .  Sorcery was a result of magicians interpreting the world .  No matter how much Theodore thought about it, he wouldn’t be able to receive the same answer as Marquis Fergana had gotten .

So, he stepped back instead of worrying about it .  There was a swirl of lightning before him, so there was no reason to try a melee . The lightning was fast and powerful . In a magic battle, there were few attributes which exceeded lightning .

Then why…?

‘…Is it worth a try?’

All the forces inside Theodore were saying that…

He could overpower that lightning bolt .