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 princeâs army which left Marquis Reistaâs 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.
âThat old raccoon, he seems to have decided. He didnât leave anything behind and will end it all here.â
âIt seems he has emptied out everything.â
âThat formation is⊠âSword and Buckler.â It is obvious he intends to push us step by step.â
âSword and Bucklerâ 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 enemyâs 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.
âSword and Shieldâ was a tactic which had been used since the ancient times on the premise of getting rid of the inefficient troops to stop the enemyâs vanguard.
Prince Elsid muttered with a frown, âA formation based on losing a significant number of troops⊠He really is only thinking about victory, that duke. He is already beyond obsession.â
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 wasnât planning to win efficiently. Instead, he wanted to throw away his followers?
âThis is why we canât lose this fight. Everyone, follow me until the end.â
Upon hearing Prince Elsidâs determined voice, Marquis Piris and the other subordinates in the area prostrated themselves on the ground.
âYour words are right, Your Highness!â
âWe need to win for the people!â
âUntil the end, Your Highness is Soldunâs king!â
Everyone here knew they were in a disadvantageous position. Even so, they didnât hesitate to kneel. This was because they felt a sense of crisis and discomfort from Duke Cornwall. This unbearable person absolutely shouldnât be king!
Each of them gathered under Elsid because they had similar thoughts. Duke Cornwall⊠If he were a better person, then todayâs situation might be drastically different. Elsid was greatly happy with their replies and raised his right hand. However, it wasnât just to secure visibility that he was on the hills.
âGood! Then we will surely get rid of those insurgents!â
It was because the people believed him. Setting aside strength and weakness, justice ought to win. After all this time, the people realized the âruthless realityâ, but embers of hope still burned within them. If a god really was watching them from the sky like the fanatics claimed, then Elsid couldnât turn away from them.
âFirst Corps, raise the flag and march!â 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.
âFrom now on, we will quell the rebels!â
It was the beginning of the decisive battle, which would later be called the âBabarino Plains Great Warâ or âElsidâs Civil War.â
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However, unlike the grand declarations, the battlefield didnât 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.
âSecond Corps, retreat quickly to the left slope!â
âThe military forces of Duke Cornwallâs group are approaching! Right?!â
âNo, not yet! Fourth and Fifth Corps, keep advancing! Donât show a gap until the enemy rearguard is revealed!â
The strength of the individual was most important when engaging with a few elite troops, but it wasnât 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 dukeâs army. The problem was that the difficulty was ridiculously high.
âDamn, the difference in troops is so absoluteâŠ!â
50,000 and 30,000⊠This numerical gap was huge. The duke was prepared to abandon 20,000 people. If they attacked carelessly, Prince Elsidâs army would suffer damage which would be difficult to recover from.
They couldnât step forward or retreat.
The difference in options changed the movements of the two groups, as Duke Cornwallâs 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 Elsidâs side would increase over time. He despaired as this disadvantage was increased by the topography.
âIs this my limit?â
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, âRaise Meltorâs flags! Prepare for a barrage!â
This was the only card which could change the flow. The firepower of Meltorâs elites was a âshieldâ which could sweep away the entire army before them. Elsid had wanted to annihilate the rearguards as much as possible, but he couldnât afford to wait any longer.
âŠFlap. The four-color flag of Meltor blew in the wind.
Orta saw the signal and nodded. The Crown Princeâs 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.
âConcentrate your magic power. Prepare for a barrage.â
The 64 war mages responded, thenâŠ
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.
âManifestation.â
Simultaneously, âCobalt Sun,â 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, âFall.â
Shortly after that, the Cobalt Sun fell. Naturally, it fell toward the heads of Duke Cornwallâs 10,000 soldiers. Just looking at the magic power, it was at the same level of the 7th Circle âInfernoâ magic. If it exploded at the center of the troops, at least 3,000~4,000 people would turn to charcoal.
The magnificent sound of music emerged from somewhere.
âThis?â Orta knew what the music was, and his expression stiffened.
The music was the Sacred Orderâs Hymn. Unlike the magicians who pursued different paths, âteamworkâ 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 âreligion,â not rationality.
âDivine ProtectâŠ!â
Unsurprisingly, a golden shield appeared over Duke Cornwallâs 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.
âAnnoying,â Orta murmured as the two powers collided.
Kurururung.
This time, the clouds were torn. The Cobalt Sunâs path was interrupted, and it exploded as soon as it hit the golden shield. A storm of light barraged the soldiersâ ears and eyes. Shattered pieces of armor and weapons scattered everywhere, while soldiers became masses of charcoal. The divine shield couldnât stop the Cobalt Sun perfectly.
However, this much couldnât change the flow of the battlefield. It wasnât a great amount of damage as it was just a few thousand people out of the dukeâs 50,000 troops. Moreover, Elsidâs purpose of removing Duke Cornwallâs vanguard failed.
ââŠNo, it isnât completely pointless,â Elsid muttered as he looked down at the epicenter. The effect of the barrage wasnât small. The shield mightâve blocked most of the damage, but the soldiers shrank back and the forward momentum was significantly reduced. Even if it didnât reverse the situation, it bought them some time.
Then while Elsid and the commanders were trying to think of another way to break throughâŠ
Dozens of strands of lightning struck the sides of Elsidâs army.
Kwarururung!
Lightning magic truly contained a mighty destructive force. The armor that the soldiers wore was useless as the lightning bolts hit them.
âKwaaaack!â
âM-My eyes, what is this?â
âKieeek, kuk⊠Kuock.â
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 Cornwallâs side who could use it.
âThis is a silly fight.â Fergana touched his mustache with an uncomfortable feeling as he watched the soldiers in front of him. âIf it wasnât for my daughter, I wouldâve stayed still until the end.â
As the two masters of the Soldun Kingdom, Earl Mersen and Marquis Fergana were loyal to it. So, if it wasnât for a certain person, he wouldnât 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.
âDamn you, old and greedyâŠâ Marquis Fergana made a tsk-ing sound before raising his magic power again. It couldnât be helped. He needed to return home quickly.
He was the âThunder Nobleâ 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 Ferganaâs 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 wouldâve 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 Bellontesâ Magic Bullet!
âWho?â Marquis Ferganaâs 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 hadnât disappeared.
âIt is nice to meet you, Marquis Fergana.â Theodoreâs red robe flapped as he flew forward without hesitation. The four-color pattern with the â4â 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.
âAs the captain of Meltorâs magic division, Quattro, IâTheodore Millerâwill deal with you.â
âTheodore Miller? That nameâŠâ Marquis Fergana was puzzled for a moment before nodding. âIndeed, Meltorâs young hero. Ascending to this position before the age of 30⊠It is a scary achievement.â
âYouâre overpraising me.â
âIt isnât a compliment. I hope you realize that all your possibilities will be crushed today.â
The conversation between the two magicians ended there. As soon as Fergana finished talking, he went into combat mode. Ferganaâs opponent was a genius who had become a master at a young age, so he couldnât 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 wasnât made from electric magic. Marquis Ferganaâs 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 wouldnât 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�
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ââŠIs it worth a try?â
All the forces inside Theodore were saying thatâŠ
He could overpower that lightning bolt.
Current schedule:Â 6 chapters a week to match the authorâs release rate.
I have also updated my  to reflect my new novels. Every tier has early access to a certain number of unedited chapters and the chapters will be updated after I finish releasing the chapters for the day