The Story Of The Second Son Of The Baron Family [EN]: Chapter 115

The Great Battle (1)

Fortunately, the evening passed without incident. No monsters attacked, and no soldiers deserted under the cover of darkness. Titan’s display of divine might in the previous battle had instilled confidence in the troops. Besides, they knew that deserting now, before reaching the Terra Barrier [a magical barrier protecting human lands], would be even more dangerous unless they could somehow cross it.

“Cease pursuit! Reform the ranks!”

Thus, we advanced, enduring several small skirmishes and dozens, even hundreds, of one-sided massacres that barely qualified as battles. It was all proceeding too smoothly.

“Something feels off.”

“Indeed, it does.”

“Yes. More than off. It feels like a major battle is brewing.”

The Land of Monsters that I, my father-in-law, and the other knights and soldiers knew was not like this. Usually, tens of thousands of monsters invaded and died every week, only to attack again the following week as if nothing had happened. *That* was the Land of Monsters.

Of course, we had captured or killed a significant number of monsters, well into the five-figure range, through our continuous advance. But considering the time we had spent here, and considering that we had entered the heart of the monsters’ territory, not just the Terra Barrier, which could be considered the entrance, the current situation was highly unusual.

“Send the scouts out further, and increase the night watch. And please, encourage the mages.”

“Understood.”

The mages, who made up less than 1% of the total force, were few in number but carried a heavy burden. They had to participate in battles, manage the aftermath, and maintain the magic for the night watch. Without the mages’ power, the expedition would have required several times the effort to reach this point. It wasn’t that others were slacking off, but the sheer disparity in numbers between mages and knights meant they had to work harder.

That night, I woke up from a nightmare, unable to fall back asleep due to an ominous feeling.

“I can’t shake this.”

The heightened senses I gained after finishing the dragon hunt, which now felt like a lifetime ago, and being bathed in its blood, far surpassed the realm of ordinary people. Whether it was due to inheriting the dragon’s blood or a natural consequence of reaching a higher level of power, one thing was certain: this sense had never led me astray.

Swish-

“Hmm.”

My senses weren’t wrong this time either. While expanding my mental Map [a form of magical awareness], something unidentifiable was registering from the north, at a level unlike anything I had encountered before. The distance was considerable, but considering the movement speed of the magical signature, it wouldn’t be long before it arrived. This was no time to celebrate my senses proving reliable once more.

“Father-in-law!”

“…What is it at this hour…?”

“Look at this!”

“…This is no time for leisure.”

The unit swiftly shifted into emergency mode. As if to demonstrate that they were a well-trained, elite force even within the Empire, there was no panic despite the sudden alarm in the middle of the night.

“Your Excellency! Are you alright!”

“What on earth is going on?”

The commanders were urgently summoned. Following them, a soldier who had been out on night patrol returned and reported the situation. It was fortunate that we could prepare in advance; if we had waited for the scout’s arrival to begin preparations, it would have been a struggle to be ready in time.

“They’re coming!”

“We will not be defeated! Do not retreat a single step!”

Gulp-

The wave of monsters crashed upon us. We weren’t surrounded, but escape was impossible, as human legs couldn’t outpace the speed of monsters. All we could do was trust ourselves, trust the comrades beside us, and thrust our spears forward with all our might.

Bang- Bang-

The lamps launched by the mages soared high into the sky, illuminating the battlefield. The light, which shone far into the night, risked attracting more monsters, but the sheer number already present suggested that every monster in the vicinity was already converging on us. It mercilessly crushed the soldiers’ confidence, which had been bolstered by the recent easy victories.

‘Da, damn it. This is bad. This is really bad!’

‘There are several times more of them than us. We’re dead…’

‘Ah, Father, Mother. Your unworthy son goes first.’

Even Titan, who had always been at the forefront, slaughtering monsters whenever a battle erupted, couldn’t recklessly charge forward. No matter how powerful Titan was, he wasn’t invincible, and the adage that no one can stand against overwhelming numbers held true. Except for one person.

Duke Zeke, mounted on his personal machine, Gader [a magically enhanced war machine], faced the unprecedented horde of monsters without hesitation. He charged ahead of everyone else and swung his sword. Before him, there was no distinction between higher species and the common monsters that made up the majority. The only difference was whether they died by being cleaved by his blade or crushed beneath Gader’s feet.

‘I can’t just stand by and do nothing.’

Unlike the previous skirmishes, Leneil didn’t draw his teeth, claws, or dual guns. In those minor engagements, Leneil had focused on quickly eliminating higher species in tandem with Titan, judging that their potential for damage was greater.

But not now. The number of soldiers was just under twenty thousand, while the number of monsters far exceeded tens of thousands. If left unchecked, they could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

‘I can’t allow that to happen.’

The soldiers were a precious resource on this expedition. Even the knights, the elite of melee combat, were ultimately few in number, and if relentlessly assaulted by overwhelming numbers, they would inevitably reach their physical limits. Supporting the knights by dealing with higher species while preventing them from being bogged down by ordinary monsters, and holding the line, was a crucial task that couldn’t be neglected in a situation like this.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve used such large-scale magic…”

If knights were the flower of melee combat, mages were the flower of war. Titan, with his strong magic resistance, had to forgo that role, but the raw firepower that made mages the flower of war was still very much present.

“Fire within fire, flame that burns the flame…”

From within Leneil’s body, and also from the surrounding mana [magical energy], began to converge at Leneil’s chest. As the incantation continued, the mana that had slowly begun to gather gradually increased in size, and even the knights participating in the battle couldn’t help but glance at it from time to time, hoping that the magic wouldn’t accidentally fall on them. Even knights with basic magic resistance thanks to their inherent magic power felt that they would have difficulty surviving if they were caught in that spell.

“…Sacrifice yourselves to burn the enemy.”

So what would ordinary soldiers do? It was a great relief that they didn’t perceive the magic power directly and didn’t have to tremble in fear. That’s why Leneil was aiming not at the front lines where monsters and soldiers were intertwined, but at the rear, where the monster ranks were beginning to spread out. Because there were so many of them, Duke Zeke was pushing forward, naturally forming a crescent shape with the front lines, but the majority of the monsters were still clustered together, making it an ideal location to unleash devastating firepower.

‘Here…’

This alone wouldn’t be enough. I had gathered magic power up to the limit that the spell could handle, but thanks to the dragon’s blood, which granted me several times more magic power than others, I still had reserves to spare. This much would only buy us some breathing room; it wasn’t enough to deliver a decisive blow.

Transference [a magical technique to amplify and redirect spells].

As far as my magic power allowed, the flame would ride the flame and sweep across the battlefield.

‘It’s not easy after all.’

The combination of magic and engraving [a form of magical inscription]. I had been researching it for quite some time and had even used it before. However, mobilizing this much magic power was a first for me. What kind of spectacle it would create, and what effect it would have on Leneil’s body if it failed, was entirely unknown.

Whoosh-

The magic power transformed into flames. A mass of magic power still under Leneil’s control. As if proving that he was stronger in actual combat, Leneil handled the magic power as if it were an extension of his own body. And a streak of flame hurtled towards the monster horde.

Whoooosh-

Screech-

However, the spectacle created by a single streak of flame was anything but simple. The magic, which erupted into a firestorm as soon as it landed and swept through the area, soon began to expand its reach, consuming the burning monsters as fuel.

“Everyone, fall back!”

“Don’t get close if you don’t want to die!”

The flames were still under Leneil’s control, and Leneil did his best to contain them. Thanks to this, the flames didn’t approach closer than a certain distance to the soldiers and only spread towards the rear of the monsters, towards both flanks. But as the range widened, Leneil felt his strength waning.

‘Father-in-law is…’

It was a formidable power. It was fortunate that it was directed against monsters; if the target had been humans, a tragedy too horrific to witness would have unfolded. But even amidst the inferno, Gader continued to advance without hesitation.

‘I really created a monster.’

The condition of Duke Zeke, riding atop Gader, was unknown. But if it was too much to bear, he would have retreated without pushing himself too far. The fact that he was still swinging his sword without pause meant that Gader’s anti-magic barrier was functioning perfectly.

‘At least we won’t have to witness Titan being felled by magic, rather than physical force.’

Of course, not all Titans were like Gader or Ruin [another powerful war machine], so some of them saw Duke Zeke’s advance and approached the flames, only to hurriedly retreat. Flames clung to the Titans and didn’t extinguish easily, but the knights focused their magic resistance and soon suppressed them. Judging from afar, if I re-engraved the magic circle, they could return to the battlefield without much difficulty.

‘But I can’t do it anymore.’

The wider the range of the flames, the stronger they became, and inversely, Leneil’s strength was diminishing. Eventually, the magic that had left Leneil’s hands wreaked havoc until the residual magic power was exhausted, as if it had no other choice. After the flames, which seemed like they would burn forever, finally subsided, the soldiers, who had retreated a step in advance to avoid the inferno, faced only monsters that had been burned to ashes, higher species that had survived but were barely alive, and some monsters that had narrowly escaped the range and barely survived.

The numerical disadvantage, which had been several times greater, was reduced by half or more with just one magic spell, and the stench of burning flesh permeated the air.

Story of the Second Son of a Baron Family – 115 – End