The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 137

137

The Rebirth of a Great Mage from the Hero Party – Episode 137

Alliance Far West Branch.

As the name suggests, it was an adventurer’s branch established at the westernmost end of the continent’s map, with the purpose of providing a base for adventurers exploring Trident Point.

Unlike other branches that are mostly attached to the inside of cities, the Far West Branch was a city in itself.

“Wow, Rain! It’s the Far West Branch! It’s several times more amazing than what I saw in the books!”

“Amazing, amazing, amazing.”

“Awoo!”

The city, built on the foundation of fantastic menhirs [large, upright standing stones] that spiraled upwards in a circle in the middle of a swamp, boasted a rugged yet sturdy appearance.

No one knew how the city could have been built on those ancient menhirs, or by what principle it was maintained.

It was said that the legendary Aein adventurer, Niels Blantz, built it from the ground up all by himself.

‘Niels…’

It was a name so dear that I felt a faint ache in my heart.

How could it not be? During that fierce and terrible summer 300 years ago, our party wasn’t the only one on the battlefield.

In that era, there were several who wholeheartedly helped us (who have now become the origin of adventurers). Chief Tinker Niels Blantz was one of them…

“Why did Niels build this?”

“Hmm?”

“He said that once the journey was over, he would quit adventuring…”

I muttered with a faint smile, then had to brush it off, saying I remembered reading about it in a book.

Because Eldevig was glaring at me as if I were very suspicious. Of course, I couldn’t see her expression because she was wearing a helmet, but I could definitely feel her gaze.

Then, after a long while, the moment Eldevig opened her mouth, I felt my heart sink.

“Great Mage Rain.”

The expression that must have been on my face then… Come to think of it, Eldevig must have seen me call Pipi ‘Pipi’ several times.

So, did she notice right away? Or is she just testing the waters?

“Don’t you really know? He explored the ruins to find a way to heal Rain’s body. This is a facility for that.”

“Yes?”

“Our Aein are different from you humans. They didn’t just pray foolishly or just wait. Wouldn’t he have tried to find a way somehow?”

I couldn’t help but smile bitterly and painfully. That grumpy little old man, more blunt than anyone else…

Therefore, it was a truly ironic result. The fortress that was created to get me back has now been transformed into a fortress that blocks me.

It’s fortunate that most of the Seven Disasters didn’t come out of the deep exploration… but there are even greater beings here.

“The Imperial Army is here.”

Casena bit her lip.

Perhaps because the building itself didn’t have the function to carry out a defensive war, about five thousand troops were lined up in front of the Far West Branch.

The sight of the Imperial Army, lined up in an orderly manner and waving numerous flags, could only be described as magnificent. The morning sunlight shattered brilliantly on the soldiers’ armor.

The Imperial Army is like the Emperor’s sword. Unlike the lords who go to war and conscript farmers or carpenters at random, giving them spears and swords, each soldier was a professional soldier, like a mercenary.

Its might shone even during the turmoil 300 years ago, so much so that one could rest assured and turn their attention away from the front lines that the Imperial Army was in charge of.

‘With this number, it’s safe to assume that almost half of the Imperial Army has come…’

There are as many as a hundred knights who can handle the Chain (ManaChain), and three hundred Jongja [elite heavy cavalry] who serve as heavy cavalry.

The infantry, which seems to number around four thousand, will move in unison under one control, with not only their weapons but also their will unified.

The rear is made up of five hundred archers and a special magic unit (特魔隊) consisting of five powerful battle mages.

‘The organization is almost the same as it was 300 years ago.’

The emblem engraved on the magnificently fluttering flag is a black tortoise holding a sacred chalice… If it’s not the Emperor, then a member of the Imperial family must be in overall command.

Gold-ranked adventurers, who are considered mediocre by Eldevig’s standards, were positioned on the right flank of the formation in adventurer party units as a separate detachment.

“Are we going to have to break through?”

The leader of the warriors, Griffion, said in a sighing voice. I immediately shook my head.

“The beastmen are definitely strong, but… they can’t fight the Imperial Army. Not in a group battle like this. They shouldn’t fight.”

Even if there is a possibility of winning, a bloody incident in which beastmen attack humans must not occur. If that happens, everything will be in vain.

It’s rather fortunate…

I thought I would have to persuade the adventurers and then the Emperor, but if I can persuade the Emperor, the adventurers will obey on their own.

“Then what should we do!”

“What, what, what.”

As Casena tilted her head and asked, Aki, who was on my back, tilted her head along with her.

“Awoo?”

If it were normal, Casena would have hugged Aki, not knowing what to do with her cuteness…

But as a rebel about to be executed by the Imperial Army, even Casena, who was always bright, was swallowing a tense breath.

At that moment, an individual who appeared to be the commander-in-chief in the Imperial Army camp raised his hand on horseback, and a clear bugle sounded sharply.

“Rain, it looks like they’re going to attack!”

As Casena said, the archers took a step forward and simultaneously drew their bows. At the same time, a huge magic circle unfolded in the air.

The Imperial Army’s combat tactics… an enhanced formation (强化陣) that maximizes the amplification-type Delbyshirts [likely a type of magical artifact or spell].

When the arrows pass through this enhanced formation, they become imbued with powerful magic, and the point where the arrow rain falls can be regarded as a scorched earth where magical wedges pour down like stone thunderbolts.

“Do you have a plan?”

Eldevig, who was about to return after finishing her guiding mission, asked in an interesting tone.

“I do have something. I’m going to try using something I learned at the university this time.”

When I smiled, everyone tilted their heads. Casena, Pipi, Griffion, Opus, all the war chiefs, and even Aki.

“If you want to explain something to a large audience, you must first grab their attention.”

What? The moment Eldevig narrowed her eyes, the Imperial Army archers fired their arrows all at once.

A sound like giant wasps flying filled the ears… blocking the morning sun… a merciless baptism of death poured down like rain.

However, at that instant, the moment the magic circle shattered on Rain’s palm, a roar of astonishment erupted from the Imperial Army’s front lines.

“Wh-what is that?!”

It was a mirage (蜃氣樓) [Shinkiro in Japanese, often used to describe a heat haze or illusion].

Like a mirage, both alluring and terrifying, flames spread from this side of the horizon to the other, instantly obliterating the magic-imbued arrows.

Confusion flickered in the eyes of Willis Keppel, the vice-captain of the special magic unit, who was ranked Atlas (3 stars).

‘What on earth is the range of that flame that was deployed instantaneously? How much mana would you need to do that?’

Whether he had drawn a magic circle in advance with the Remedier type, or formed a hand seal with the Bargante type… it didn’t matter.

The range of that magic, which can only be described as wonder itself… made one dare to guess the level of the caster’s magic.

To be able to cover the entire horizon with magic, isn’t that a level that transcends the realm of humans?

“…”

A similar judgment was naturally made in the mind of Sagan Wolf Blado, who was ranked Glados (4 stars) and was the strongest mage of the current generation.

A dangerous guy.

More than any mage I’ve ever met.

“Enemy caster, approaching!”

“The presence of mana is two… no, three?”

“What the hell is that creepy presence…?”

Two figures appeared through the curtain of flames. The mages of the special magic unit sensed three presences, but only two appeared.

“Hmm, is someone hiding with stealth magic?”

Gungseong Leoren whistled as if he was amused, then poured the illicit liquor contained in the leather pouch on his waist into his mouth.

Then, as he took out and held the White Spear Bow Serwebon, which he was carrying on his back, the bow of the hero party’s Gungseong Keyes scattered the light of life throughout the heavens and earth.

“You’re shy! Then let’s see if you’ll keep hiding even if I shoot this!”

Archers who target points have always been the natural enemies of mages who use surfaces.

Because a concentrated point of magical force easily pierces the magic of mages who deploy it on a large scale.

The number of mages who have blocked an arrow shot by Leoren with all his might is so small that you can count them on one hand. If I had to pick someone I remember, it would be the former Magic Star, Grandpa Scalzi Ludwig.

“Drunken Master’s Secret Technique, Thousand Oriole Massacre (千鶯虄) [a powerful archery technique].”

As he pulled the bowstring, extreme magic was massively woven into a fantastic arrow in his grasp, scattering a bewitching light of blue and white.

“Th-Thousand Oriole Massacre…!”

“The sound of a thousand birds crying when the arrow flies…!”

“The secret technique that represents Keyes, the strongest Gungseong [master archer] of all time…!”

The Imperial Army soldiers boasted tremendous military discipline, but it was not easy to see Gungseong giving it his all to this extent, so they whispered, shining their eyes like children.

One, pull.

Two, unify the magic.

Three, release the bowstring gently.

The moment the bowstring made a clear sound like fresh greenery rustling in the spring breeze, the world seemed to be dyed in blue and white, and the arrow passed over the soldiers’ heads in the blink of an eye and stretched out beyond.

“Oh, oh oh oh…!”

After the arrow passed, a deafening roar exploded half a beat later, and a violent storm raged, fluttering the hems of their clothes wildly.

“No matter how strong he is, he can’t compare to Gungseong!”

“He’s done for, having been hit by Gungseong’s arrow!”

Everyone naturally thought that the rebel would be pierced by that arrow…

The next moment, Leoren’s eyebrows, who could pull the distant view closer to his eyes, shot up in bewilderment.

‘The arrow disappeared…?’

Did the opponent eliminate it with some kind of power? No, that’s not it. The arrow disappeared of its own will in front of the target’s eyes.

“Why?”

As he blinked blankly, the White Spear Bow Serwebon cried, scattering a mournful light. Once, twice, three times, and endlessly.

‘Is this your doing? Why? Come to think of it, you’ve freaked out like this before.’

The soldiers, who had no way of knowing the inside story, could only swallow their breaths blankly.

Such an impossible thing…

He blew away Gungseong’s secret technique so easily? What the hell is he?

“I’ll do it.”

At that moment, Magic Star Sagan Wolf Blado leisurely cut through the Imperial Army ranks and stepped forward.

Well, an archer can’t take down someone like that anyway. Not a mage of that level.

By taking down the rebel myself, I will prove my unwavering loyalty, and that of our family.

“S-Sagan, it’s Sagan Unni [older sister, a term of respect]. The strongest battle mage who climbed up to 2nd place in the platinum rank!”

Casena, who was moving forward with Rain, whispered in a voice filled with joy. Both of them had deeply pressed down their hoods to hide their faces.

Sagan, Rain was someone he had met at the Seiga Assembly. At that time, he wasn’t interested in anything in the world, so he didn’t talk to her.

Now that I face her like this, she really has a formidable level of intimidation… Is this the strongest battle mage of the current generation?

‘Ah, this won’t do…’

I had to work hard to calm down a certain emotion pounding in my heart. Fear? Tension? It wasn’t that.

My blood, my blood is boiling.

It would be a lie to say that I didn’t want to see how much the difference in level was between myself, who had reached the pinnacle of the old generation, and the mage who had reached the pinnacle of the current generation.

‘She’s the perfect opponent to test Alakish’s power and attract attention.’

Revealing my identity is after I achieve that goal. No, I’ll achieve it together with that goal.

After carefully handing Aki over to Casena, he drew a long line in the air with his hand. Then, the ancient flames blazed along that trajectory and merged into a fragment of fantasy, the Four Ring Staff.

After grabbing the Four Ring Staff, spinning it around to get into position, he provocatively waved his hand at the pinnacle, who could be said to be a 300-year junior.

“Let’s test what kind of skills the strongest battle mage of this era has.”