It has been three days since [Great Wizard] Gio Margils led the Shulz to Filsand.
The court magician of the Duke of Filsand, Kaneigin sel Radol, is a graduate of the Magician Academy of Shulendal who had been called a genius.
Those with the ability to easily master the higher level magics are fewer than 10 even at the main inst.i.tution, and he is one of those 10.
As fate would have it, he entered service at Filsand 10 years ago, after which he continued devoting himself to study, and also acc.u.mulated real battle experience against both Shadow Demons and barbaric tribes.
This magician who is a veteran of numerous battles is currently in the command post set up above the main gates of Filsand.
On top of the huge doors more than 20 meters in height, he has his eyes turned south. The jet-black host that seems to blanket the parched earth is in formation and marching towards the city"s main gates.
This host that carpets the ground from horizon to horizon is, needless to say, Shadow Demon. It is a Legion.
Underneath the great gates, on the outer side of the moat that encircles the city walls, knights and foot soldiers from Filsand have taken up position. However, when compared against the overwhelming numbers of the Legion, they seem very unreliable indeed.
According to Kaneigin"s memory, the composition of this Legion is 4,000~5,000 Small Demons, 200 Large Demons, 5 Rock Demons, and one new species of Shadow Demon even greater in size than a Rock Demon.
Though this scale cannot be called a proper Bleed, which has only happened twice in history, but it is more than enough to eradicate an entire country.
"Well then. I"ll leave the rest to you."
"Leave it to me."
The Duke of Filsand, clad in a suit of jet-black armor, is sitting on a throne placed in the middle of the command post.
Standing beside the Duke is the person that Kaneigin is currently the most wary and fearful of, [The Wizard] Gio Margils.
"Take care of yourself."
"You sure you don"t need my help?"
Two young girls as alike as two peas in a pod offer him their respective words of concern.
The blond-haired one with twintails is the Duke"s daughter, Elizabel. The silver-haired one with a short cut is the daughter of the Shulz"s Tribe Chief, Dianu.
"May the fortunes of war be with you."
The woman who draws Kaneigin"s attention even more than the two young girls of opposite charms also lowers her head reverently towards Margils.
Kaneigin knows the name of this female magician, Claura.
What surprises Kaneigin is that Claura is bowing with both hands placed on her chest. Among magicians, this position is called the "sage bow," and is a gesture only performed towards someone of a much higher rank, such as one"s master"s master.
"There"s no need for worry. It will all be over soon."
From what Kaneigin had heard, that female magician is from a famous family connected to great n.o.bles in Shulendal, and that she holds a high position in the Lelis branch of the Magician"s Guild. On top of her pedigree and talent, she is also a stunning beauty whose curvaceous body makes one swallow their saliva. Her degree of beauty is rare even within the imperial court.
Such a woman is directing the highest possible bow and eyes filled with deep affection not towards Kaneigin.
«To receive a bow that is almost a demonstration of subservience from that great a woman, and still maintain a calm face…… What an outrageous man he is…...»
"Oi, Kaneigin?"
Furthermore, Margils also has in his service a Dark Elf, who is currently not present.
As a fellow man, and as someone who engages in magic, Kaneigin feels hot jealousy welling up from within his stomach. Noticing his unnatural behavior, it was the Duke who called out to him.
"?! S-, I"m sorry, my lord."
"Even though we have entrusted the battle flag to Margils-dono, it is no time to be s.p.a.ced out. If you are also a magician, grasp this opportunity to burn Margils-dono"s wizardry into your eyes."
"...... As you say."
Kaneigin gives the Duke a bow while feeling cold sweat run down his back.
He once again turns his eyes toward the Legion beyond the main gates. Confirming the figure highly conspicuous even among the jet-black army, the super large Shadow Demon from the scouts" reports, he suddenly realizes something.
«I, what was I…… Even while the threat of something like that which has never even been heard of before is closing in, to be jealous about women…...»
"...... [Phantom Horse]"
With disregard to Kaneigin"s discomposure, Margils chants a spell to create a jet-black horse on the spot. A small stir rises up among the Duke"s guards and chief va.s.sals.
No matter how much this court magician strains his eyes, he cannot see any trace of magical power around the wizard"s body, or even anywhere in the air near him.
He is a.s.saulted by a sense of despondency, as if realizing how diminutive his own existence is, in spite of all the knowledge and technique that he had dedicated his entire life to acquiring.
«But, I see…… that I could forget my fear…… no, that I could forget the existence of the Shadow Demons for even a moment…...»
"Well then, everyone, wait a while. I"ll be back after cleaning them up."
«I get it, it"s because that man is here. Because I know for a fact that that man is on our side, I…...»
Still wordless, Kaneigin sees off the wizard riding a black horse running off into mid-air.
♥♦♣♠
"Ooi, th-, they"re al-, almost here……"
"I, I know that already……"
One of the foot soldiers of Filsand, a pikeman named Baik, raises a similarly hollow-sounding voice in response to the comrade standing next to him, Bond.
The two of them are currently at the very front line of a square formation composed of 1,500 foot soldiers.
It"s been 3 years since he"s joined the army. He has experience being in real battle, and his considerable wages has helped his family to live in relative ease. By this point in time, he won"t think of deserting.
But still, he is not able to ignore his fear.
The scene of this black wall pressing steadily closer is the very definition of a nightmare.
"More like, what the h.e.l.l is that giant lump! It"s even larger than the statue of the Duke in the plaza!"
How many times larger is it in comparison to the statue of the Duke that lords over the central plaza in Filsand.
That large figure that stands out even within the black wall composed of Shadow Demons is taller than even the city walls.
Its legs are fat and short, while in contrast its arms are long. With its back bent, it is almost walking on all fours.
Its movements are heavy and dull, as appropriate to its enormous bulk, but once it arrives, the city walls will be broken through in no time at all.
The impact of that gigantic Shadow Demon is such that it gathers almost all attention, but there are also 5 Rock Demons that are about half as tall as the city walls, and there are also numerous Large Demons, each of which they"ve been told equal more than 20 soldiers in terms of fighting strength.
"Are we seriously, really seriously going to be alright? Before, I"ve seen a whole company partially wiped out fighting against even a single Large Demon."
"Th-, the Duke-sama is watching from over there so I, I think we"ll be alright…… maybe."
Bond is saying that it"ll be alright, but Baik himself is not of the same mind at all.
According to what their commander office had explained to them before deployment, the Duke has a guest called "an incredible wizard" who will defeat the Legion, and the job of the army is to make sure that no Shadow Demons escape by killing the stragglers. But.
"Y-, you know, it"s that wizard who called up that dragon in the castle, right? I"m sure he"ll do something about it!"
"I, I guess……"
There is a rumor going around that some of the residents from Filsand had also seen that "dragon" from afar, and even the knights seem to believe it.
«Something like, no way it exists. Could it be that the Duke who is currently in the command post is a body double, and that we are only being deployed as fodder to slow the Legion down…...»
"OOOOHHHHHHhhhhh——!!"
Baik"s thoughts are interrupted by the super large Shadow Demon"s roar, which shakes not just the air, but also the ground.
"Gii———!"
"Gyaaaaaaa!"
"Gooh! Gyauoh!"
"H-, hiiii~!"
As if in concert with the super large Shadow Demon"s roar, all members of the Legion also give voice to their hatred, such that the sound fills the atmosphere.
The humans ranks staring at the black wall can see a countless number of lights burning within. Baik knows almost instinctively that they are the Shadow Demons" eyes.
The super large Shadow Demon raises one of its long arms.
The moment the arm drops in the direction of Filsand, the flood of Shadow Demons filled with killing intent begins to charge.
"TH-, TH-, THEY"RE COMING!!!"
"Let"s, LET"S DO THIS!"
"WE WON"T GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT!"
The resolve to die fighting present on the faces of all the Filsand foot soldiers is proof that they are no mere ragtag rabble.
All of them ready their weapons, almost instinctively. But at that moment.
Baik notices white and shining clumps pa.s.sing overhead at the edge of his vision. The white lights are leaving 8 trails in the sky.
Hyuun.
The sound of air being cut apart also reaches his ears.
The eight lines of light head toward the area where the super large Shadow Demon is, then stabs into the army that is like a black carpet——
Baik"s vision is dyed pure white.
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Chapter 96: Defense of Filsand
(Part 4) (3rd Person)
Volume 4
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