âYour Excellency, everyone. All the northern noblesâŠâ
âNoâŠâŠâ
Unsurprisingly, he didnât expect that.
Military Minister Elliot was by no means incompetent.
He knew that the Imperial army was trying to lure the nobles in the northern region of the Kingdom into their camp.
He also anticipated that there could be betrayal during the battle when the northern nobles chose to participate in this battle.
However, the betrayal of all âNorthern Nobilityâ was something that he would have never expected.
In fact, Advisor Arthur, who was listening next to him, sat stock still for a while with his eyes wide open in astonishment.
What went through his mind wasnât as trivial as the outcome of the battle but the instant realization that the betrayal of âall northern noblesâ would have a huge impact on the fate of the Kingdom itself.
ButâŠ
âFor now, the priority is to escape from here.â
âIt is.â
Both Military Minister Elliot and Advisor Arthur decided to focus on what was necessary now.
âMagician Order, all Earth-Attribute Magicians are to use mud. Fire-Attribute, firewall; Wind-Attribute, wind pressure. In essence, do your best to delay combat. Hinder the enemyâs movement.â
Advisor Arthur shouted as loudly as possible.
âHurry up, the enemy isnât just the noble armies! The Imperial army ahead will also charge in.â
Despite a high-ranking Marquis himself, Military Minister Elliot was shouting orders.
âDeputy Commander, do we not have to join in the assault?â
Adjutant JĂŒrgen asked.
âNo need. The Knights will do it. We will move forward slowly.â
There was no hesitation in Oscarâs instructions.
The enemy began to rout, but the battle lines did not completely collapse.
Even from a distance, he could see a group acting as rearguards engaging in delay tactics.
Fiona would not let him hear the end of it if he got his group caught up in that and lose their valuable subordinates.
âListen up, donât advance too far. Weâre Magicians. Leave the close combat to the others.â
At times like this, they limited themselves to their identity of âMagicianâ.
Of course, this division could handle close combat without any problems, but it is still true that they are magicians.
The Emperorâs Magic Division began a slow march.
Knight Zack and Knight Scotty of the Kingdom army were fighting against the approaching noble armies, even though they were confused.
âThe rearguard generally has the greatest probability of dying.â
âEven if you say that, in this situation, the Knights Order has no choice but to take on that role.â
The Court Magician Order, the main force responsible for delay tactics, and the Kingdomâs Knights Order, who are the strongest in close combat, served as the rearguards.
âHey, Zack, that kid.â
Scotty pointed to a fairly short Magician.
Using a staff that was much longer than their height, they froze the ground to slip up the enemy, which was quite effective from the standpoint of delay tactics.
However, some soldiers of the noble army somehow managed to get closer, and every time they approached, the magician would throw spears of ice to knock them down, and then lay ice on the ground again, repeating the process.
âOkay, Scotty, letâs support that Magician.â
When Zack said that, Scotty nodded and the two of them ran.
Shortly thereafter, they lined up next to the Water-Attribute Magician.
âLeave the approaching enemies to us.â
âYou concentrate on laying ice.â
When Zach and Scotty said so, the magician nodded while facing forward.
They didnât know each other, but the magicianâs name is Natalie Schwarzkopf.
The daughter of the Schwarzkopf family, master of Water-Attribute Magic in the Kingdom, and the lady who served as a messenger between Ilarion and Abel.
After returning from the City of Rune, her first mission was to participate in this battleâŠ
She was quite unluckyâŠâŠ
The three strived to delay combat.
âMost of our allies have withdrawn.â
âWe are the last ones. And that pair.â
The three of them saw a pair of Magician and Knight also serving as rearguards.
âThatâs Arthur Verasis ⊠could that be Captain Dontan?â
âYeah. As expected of our company commander.â
Zack and Scotty were impressed.
Natalie, because of the potential of her bloodline.
Advisor Arthur, because of his experience.
These two were the only magicians who could still engage in delay tactics without running out of mana.
At that moment, the eyes of the five people intersected.
Natalie and Advisor Arthur nodded, and at the same time released a large amount of magic.
â<Ice sheet>â
âCapture those who run everywhere, take away their freedom <Muddy Field>â
A wider area of the ground froze than ever before, and the area next to it became muddy ground, stopping the footsteps of the noble army in a wide area.
After confirming that, they started running with the three knights.
The five of them retreated swiftly from the battlefield.
A distance of more than half a day from Desborough Plains.
The remnants of the Kingdom armyâs main forces were finally able to take a proper break.
âYo, thank you for your hard work earlier.â
Knight Zach and Knight Scotty called out to the magician girl sitting and drinking water.
âAh, thank you.â
After saying that, the girl lowered her head.
âIâm Zack Cooler of the Kingdom Knights Order, this is Scotty Cobook.â
âIâm Natalie Schwarzkopf of the Magician Order.â
They greeted each other.
Scotty reacted to Natalieâs self-introduction.
âWhen you say Schwarzkopf, thatâs the famous family of water-attribute magicians in the royal capital, right?â
âYes, youâre right.â
Natalie nodded in response to Scottyâs question.
âNo wonder you were able to continue exercising magic for such a long time.â
Scotty nodded repeatedly.
Natalie was a little embarrassed and blushed.
âNatalie, are you okay? Are you frightened by being surrounded by uncivilized men?â
âAh, Mr. Verasis.â
Injecting into the conversation between the three like that was Arthur Verasis, the Advisor to the Magician Order.
âHey, weâre not uncivilizedâŠâ
Zack retorted.
âThen, are you interested in Natalie? Natalie, you should be careful. Such Knights can suddenly turn into beasts.â
âI see.â
For some reason, Knight Scotty reacted in agreement to Advisor Arthurâs word of caution.
âHey, Scotty, donât betray me! Arenât you one of those knights?â
Of course, it was Zack who got angry.
âWell, Zack is indiscriminate âŠâ
âDonât you dare! I am devoted to Ms. Sera.â
Zach revealed his feelings for some reason at Scottyâs antics.
Natalie was surprised to hear that.
âMs. Sera? Could it be that you live in the City of Rune?â
âHmm? Natalie, do you know Ms. Sera?â
Zack was too surprised to say anything so it was Scotty who asked Natalie.
âAh, yes. I was in Rune for quite some timeâŠâ
âOh right, Natalie was the liaison with Abel.â
âAbel!â
Zach and Scotty yelled in unison.
Itâs a small world.
âCome to think of it, Natalie used magic without chanting just now. Youâve advanced by another step.â
Advisor Arthur Verasis commended her happily.
âThank you very much.â
Natalie answered with the reddest face sheâs had until now.
âMr. Verasis, is chantless magic difficult?â
Scotty asked out of curiosity.
âItâs difficult, or rather, itâs almost impossible.â
âEhâŠâŠâ
Both Zach and Scotty were at a loss for words.
âI canât do it, and even Ilarion canât. The best our generation could achieve was quick chants, thatâs the limit.â
At that, Arthur laughed.
âNatalie did something that even Master Ilarion couldnât doâŠâ
The two looked at Natalie with awe-filled eyes.
âNo, no, I was able to observe an actual role model perform water magic without chantsâŠâ
âRyo?â
Arthur nodded when he said that.
âYes.â
And Natalie nodded as well.
âThat Water-Attribute MagicianâŠâ
âYour rival is a fairly high wall to surpass, Zack.â
Zach and Scotty also imagined Ryo from their memories.