The Story Of The Second Son Of The Baron Family [EN]: Chapter 5

Baron’s Family Second Son – Episode 5

< Baron's Family Second Son – Episode 05 – >

“From now on, I will teach you the most useful magic here, magic that you must master to the point where you can use it even in your sleep.”

Gulp-

Magic that you must know, that is useful, and that you must be so skilled at that you can use it even in your sleep. From Ild’s perspective, this was a situation where he emphasized it as much as possible. Gaius and Laurent, therefore, focused intently on what kind of magic Ild was talking about that would warrant such a strong statement.

However, I didn’t expect the magic waiting for us to be anything extraordinary. In the first place, there couldn’t be any truly great magic at the 3rd Circle level. Besides, hadn’t Ild already implied that wizards here should be used efficiently? My prediction turned out to be correct.

“The name of the magic you will practice from today is ‘Grease’.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Grease?”

Gaius and Laurent, who had been so tense and expectant, asked again as if they had misheard. Had they had some inkling of what was coming, their reaction might have been different, but given their heightened anticipation, this response was almost inevitable. That’s because Grease is a magic that even newcomers to the world of magic can easily use.

“You look like you think I’m joking. I’m not, so wipe those expressions off your faces.”

“But, Grease is a magic that any wizard can use. The fact that we have to practice it separately…”

“Most of the wizards who hear me say that react the same way. But not all of them do.”

As he said that, he looked at me. When I shrugged, Ild turned his gaze back to the two dumbfounded wizards and continued his lecture.

“Seeing your reaction, it seems you know how to cast Grease. Would you like to demonstrate it?”

“Yes. Well, it’s not difficult.”

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

As if to prove that anyone could use it, Gaius cast Grease in a remarkably short time. Gaius looked at Ild as if to say, ‘See?’, but Ild wiped the slick floor with his finger and began to clap.

Clap- Clap- Clap- Clap- Clap-

“Excellent. Excellent! With this, you and the soldiers in your area will be able to face the monsters right in front of you! Be happy! Because of your carelessness and arrogance, a red alert was issued. You have accomplished something that hundreds of criminals couldn’t achieve with their combined strength, so you are truly worthy of being called a wizard!”

It was a harsh criticism. Gaius’s expression hardened as he listened to the condemnation head-on. Laurent, standing next to him, looked equally stunned. Neither of them could understand why Ild was saying these things.

“What is that supposed to mean…!”

“You’re being too harsh!”

“A joke! Do you think I’m wasting my precious time teaching you just to make a joke?!”

A sharp rebuke.

Ild’s angry voice echoed through the space. But Ild’s anger didn’t stop there. As if to show that they weren’t the only ones capable of cold expressions, Ild’s demeanor shifted to one of liquid nitrogen-like coldness mixed with intense heat.

“You’re stupid! Is that the level you were so proud of?! The result of your incompetence is obvious! You’re lucky if you only die alone, but you’ll also endanger the soldiers assigned to you!”

“It’s unfair! We did our best…”

“Unfair? Did your best?! Try saying that in front of a monster! Do you think the monsters will say, ‘Oh, you did your best to stop us. We applaud your efforts and passion,’ and then retreat on their own?! If you have that kind of mindset, I recommend you commit suicide right now! Since you’re going to die anyway, it’s best to die alone without harming others!”

Ild was furious. He paused to calm himself, seeing that they still couldn’t grasp the reason for his abusive language.

“If you have something on your shoulders besides just decoration [referring to their heads], I hope you’ll think a little. Yes, Grease is a magic that any dog or cow can use, as you said.

If I emphasized that magic as important, shouldn’t you have considered why? The only conclusion these wizards came up with is that it’s a joke? Do you really think that I called you here just to make a joke, using my position as a team leader, to people I don’t even know? If you really think that, I’ll tell Wonder [likely a superior or authority figure]. That people who don’t have the qualifications of a wizard have arrived!”

With every word that poured out of Ild’s mouth, the two wizards’ gazes dropped further to the floor, and their faces grew increasingly red. Before their faces exploded from embarrassment, I stepped in.

“Because it’s efficient.”

“Efficient?”

“Yes. As Ild said, it’s inefficient for us to directly kill monsters. That’s something that soldiers can do, or maybe even do better. So, what we have to do is not kill monsters ourselves.

It’s to help the soldiers kill monsters more easily. In that sense, Grease is a very efficient magic.

It interferes with the monsters’ approach, helping achieve that goal. It consumes little mana and has a short casting time, so you can use it multiple times when needed, making it efficient. Besides, all the wizards here can use it.”

“Not all of them are fools, then.”

Only then did Ild nod his head in satisfaction.

“It’s not for nothing that you were able to create three circles [levels of magic proficiency] before you turned twenty. If you don’t give up that cleverness and will to survive, you might just make it back to your hometown.”

“Thank you.”

“The battle with monsters is not a short-term skirmish that ends quickly. It’s a long-term battle that lasts at least a few hours, or even several days.

So saving mana is not just a good idea, but a necessity. Is that all? There are many monsters here that can climb the walls in an instant if you look away for even a moment. Three seconds? You need to be able to cast Grease as soon as you see them. Otherwise, the monsters will climb up the barrier and wreak havoc in an instant.”

This time, Ild cast Grease himself. Despite the difference in circles, the floor where Ild’s Grease was spread was noticeably different from the Grease that Gaius had demonstrated. Unlike Gaius, who took three seconds, it didn’t even take one second, and unlike Gaius, who managed to maintain some semblance of balance, the floor was so slick that it seemed like a slight breeze would cause someone to fall. Then came his final words.

“Keep this in mind. No matter how many monsters you kill, you won’t achieve victory by simply killing them. Preventing even a single monster from crossing the barrier is the only path to victory. No matter how many monsters you kill, the moment you let one cross the barrier, you’ve lost. Do you understand me?”

With that, Ild handed us a few sheets of paper and left. A quick glance revealed that they contained the experiences and know-how of the wizards of the Terra Barrier regarding Grease.

How to save even a little mana, how to cast it faster, how to set only the desired range. Information that you wouldn’t be able to get even if you paid for it outside was being freely shared in the name of survival, in the name of the empire’s safety.

“I’ll go back first.”

Before I could say anything, the two were already heading to their rooms, staring intently at the paper. If they didn’t improve after hearing those words and receiving this information, they wouldn’t deserve to be called wizards.

I also quickly headed to my room, eager to begin researching in earnest. Fortunately, it was the day after a large-scale attack, which might explain why the alarm didn’t sound. But the next day, I would feel with my whole body why this place was called the worst battlefield in the empire, the worst of the worst.

#

“Don’t look away!”

“Don’t let a single one climb onto the barrier!”

“Aren’t you paying attention! Do you want to die?! I don’t care if you die alone, but don’t drag us down with you!”

There had been a large-scale attack just two days prior, a rare event even throughout the year, where monsters climbed up to the barrier and a red alert had to be issued. The soldiers’ hope for a few days of peace was quickly dashed. It wasn’t a full-scale attack that would trigger a yellow alert, but that didn’t mean anyone could afford to let their guard down.

Furthermore, it was Team A’s first turn of the week. No matter how well the strategy guide was explained, no matter how easy Grease was to cast, less than a day of practice was simply not enough. As a result, they had no choice but to endure considerable hardship. The only fortunate thing was that without that preparation, they would have caused an even bigger crisis.

“Tch!”

The monsters swarmed at the base of the wall. Among them, the monsters climbing through the gaps in the barrier were, in a sense, more dangerous than the large monsters and were the top priority for vigilance.

If you looked away, even for a moment, one or two would climb onto the barrier and create chaos, making it impossible to properly deal with the monsters below. So, my primary task was to prevent those climbers. But it was never an easy task.

They were so fast that even when I reacted as quickly as possible, I was always a step behind. Fortunately, with the assistance of experienced soldiers and the occasional intervention of senior wizards, I managed to knock them down as soon as they appeared.

“Dodge! A rock is flying!”

Bang-

A huge rock, thrown with all its might by a giant monster, hurtled through the air. Fortunately, the target was far away from me, but the impact still reverberated through the barrier. Had they not dodged, several people would have been sent to the afterlife.

How long had it been? The stench of blood and sweat, the smell of monster corpses, and other foul odors mixed together, creating a terrible atmosphere, but my nose had long since become desensitized. Even though it wasn’t a particularly hot day, my whole body felt heavy and limp, and my mana was gradually depleting.

“Hold on a little longer! They’ll retreat soon!”

In comparison, the other wizards seemed relatively relaxed, a clear indication of their greater experience. As predicted, the monsters began to retreat shortly after. It was a great relief. If the battle had continued much longer, I would have been forced to resort to throwing the pre-prepared explosive stones.

‘Crazy. This is crazy.’

Not a red alert, not even a yellow alert. Even with a blue alert, the lowest level, it was this intense. What kind of tragedy would unfold during the higher-level alerts? I felt a shiver run down my spine.

“Good job.”

“Ild.”

“You fought well for your first battle. See those two over there? You did well enough compared to those two brats who came with you. You can be proud of yourself.”

During the battle, I couldn’t afford to pay attention to anyone but myself. But now that it was over, I followed Ild’s gaze and saw Gaius and Laurent. Their faces were pale from mana depletion, even from a distance, and they were being glared at by the surrounding soldiers. When everyone is expected to perform at 100%, if someone only manages 60%, the remaining 40% must be covered by those around them.

“I’m glad I wasn’t a burden, at least.”

Now I could finally rest a little. But it was only a short time later that I would face the true nature of the Terra Barrier.

< Baron's Family Second Son – Episode 05 – > End