Chapter 94

Greta's eyes welled up with tears as she saw Ricardo, and she hugged him tightly.

"Big brother..."

Ricardo comforted the crying Greta and asked why she was crying.

According to Greta, the neighboring Kingdom of Claire had invaded the Boniperti territory. The Boniperti territory and the Kingdom of Claire were neighbors separated by the Vodar River, with the Morado Fort on the Boniperti side and the Garo Fort on the Claire side.

The Kingdom of Romanus and the Kingdom of Claire had a history of fighting over the Ileb Silver Mine multiple times, and it was believed that the Kingdom of Claire had attacked this time with the aim of capturing the Ileb Silver Mine.

"Upon learning of the Kingdom of Claire's invasion, Father and Big Brother set out with their troops."

The Duke of Boniperti led 3,000 of his soldiers to Morado Fort. At that time, Morado Fort was besieged by enemy troops.

When comparing the forces of the Boniperti army and the Kingdom of Claire, the latter was overwhelmingly superior. However, the Boniperti army had the advantage of the terrain and engaged in a battle that utilized this advantage.

The Boniperti army lured the enemy into a narrow pass and attacked, using the elevation to rain arrows down, causing significant casualties to the Kingdom of Claire.

However, the Kingdom of Claire, with its larger forces, gradually pushed the Boniperti army back. The Boniperti army had to retreat and split into two groups.

One group, led by the Duke of Boniperti, retreated to the town behind them, while the other, led by the Duke's brother-in-law, Leone, entered Morado Fort.

Among the group led by the Duke of Boniperti was Greta's brother, Silvano, who had joined to gain combat experience. During the retreat, he was unfortunately hit by an arrow in the back and severely injured. A magic doctor with the army provided emergency treatment, saving his life, but he was in a dangerous condition.

The Duke of Boniperti had also contacted Greta.

"I want to go back to the Boniperti territory. But Uncle said no."

Of course, it was natural that they wouldn't agree to send Greta to the Boniperti territory, which had become a battlefield.

"Greta, even if you go, you won't be able to help the Duke or your brother. You might just become a burden."

"But I'm so worried."

"You can help the Duke even from the capital."

Greta looked up and met Ricardo's eyes.

"How?"

"By thinking about it. First, let's consider the Kingdom of Claire's objectives and strategy."

Ricardo and Greta discussed the Kingdom of Claire's strategic actions.

"What do you think the Kingdom of Claire's objective is?"

"Their objective is always the same: the Ileb Silver Mine."

"Then, why did they start the invasion now?"

"There's no reason. They always have their eyes on it."

"No, that's not it. They used the pirate unrest to reduce the troops at Ald Fort..."

Ricardo suddenly fell silent, and Greta looked at his face. Anger was evident on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"The Kingdom of Claire. They were behind the pirates."

Greta looked confused.

"The Kingdom of Claire used the pirates to reduce the troops at Ald Fort."

Ricardo's anger, which he thought had disappeared, resurfaced.

"To do that, they killed the residents of Kilmon?"

Greta, realizing why Ricardo was angry, turned pale.

"The rulers of the Kingdom of Claire seem to be cruel and very capable. Capable enough to make you want to burn them with magic."

Ricardo felt that they lacked information. When he asked Greta who knew the most about the situation in the Boniperti territory, she said it was her uncle.

"Can I meet your uncle?"

"Yes."

Ricardo went to the Duke of Boniperti's mansion with Greta.

Greta's uncle, Alphio, was a gentleman in his thirties with a mustache. Alphio informed them of the battle situation.

The battle in the Boniperti territory was turning in favor of the Kingdom of Claire. After occupying the Ileb Silver Mine, the Kingdom of Claire surrounded Morado Fort and then advanced west, attacking the surrounding villages and towns.

"Isn't the king doing anything about it?"

After saying that, Ricardo remembered that the king was ill and in convalescence.

Alphio looked hesitant.

"His Majesty is bedridden due to fatigue. However, the Crown Prince has returned and will take action."

The next day, Crown Prince Gaius decided to send 5,000 royal troops as reinforcements.

The royal troops pushed back the Kingdom of Claire's forces, which were attacking the villages and towns.

The Kingdom of Claire retreated to the line connecting the Ileb Silver Mine and Morado Fort, fortified their defenses, and began building a strong position at the foot of the Ileb Silver Mine. This battle report reached Greta and Alphio.

The battle was at a stalemate. The forces were almost evenly matched, and the royal troops and the Boniperti army were struggling to advance against the Kingdom of Claire's strong defenses.

Greta was so worried about her father and brother that she couldn't eat. At that moment, a message from the Duke of Boniperti arrived, stating that Silvano's condition had worsened.

In the capital, Greta, upon receiving the news that Silvano was in critical condition, couldn't sit still.

Greta insisted on returning to the Boniperti territory this time, and Alphio relented. The situation had improved, so he gave permission.

Hearing this, Ricardo decided to go with them.

"Will you go with us?"

When Ricardo said he would go with them, Greta's face lit up. She must have been anxious about going to a place that had become a battlefield, even if it was her hometown.

They boarded the carriage prepared by Alphio and headed to the Boniperti territory.

This time, Monta was also with them. He had been lonely recently because he hadn't been paid attention to. He volunteered to go with them to the Boniperti territory.

"Greta, Monta is coming too. Isn't that great?"

"Yes, I'm happy."

Monta and Greta were good friends and often studied magic together.

They arrived at the capital of the Boniperti territory, Berio, three days later. It was a day's journey from Berio to Sessa, where the Boniperti army was stationed. It was a tough journey, but Greta didn't complain once.

Upon arriving in Sessa, Ricardo and the others headed to the healing clinic of the Earth Mother Goddess Varul, where Silvano was being treated.

At the entrance of the clinic, a guard soldier stood. Seeing Greta, he said,

"Miss, Silvano is in the corner room on the second floor."

"Thank you."

Greta entered and ran up the stairs. She took a deep breath before entering the corner room.

"Greta, you're here."

The Duke of Boniperti, looking tired, was sitting beside the sleeping Silvano.

"How is my brother?"

The Duke shook his head weakly.

"The magic doctor has cast 'Heal' multiple times, but it's not working."

Ricardo checked Silvano, who was breathing heavily and sweating, indicating a fever.

Monta, perched on Ricardo's shoulder, also looked at Silvano.

"Greta's brother... he looks so uncomfortable."

Greta held Silvano's hand.

"What did the magic doctor say?"

"The part where the arrow hit is infected with miasma and is rotting."

Ricardo, hearing 'miasma,' didn't understand what it meant.

"What is miasma?"

"Ricardo, do you not use the term 'miasma' in your hometown? It's the bad air contained in the wind."

The Duke's explanation made Ricardo understand. It referred to harmful bacteria, or mold, that could harm people.

"Right. Ricardo, you're knowledgeable about medicine, right? Can you examine my brother?"

Greta asked. The Duke looked surprised.

"No, no, I'm not knowledgeable at all. Who said that?"

"Tania said so."

The Duke, with a serious face, said,

"If you have any knowledge of medicine, can you examine him?"

Ricardo couldn't refuse and agreed to examine Silvano.

Ricardo put Monta down and, with the Duke's help, sat Silvano up. When he removed the bandages and examined the wound, the skin was sealed by 'Heal.' However, the injured area was dark red and swollen. When he touched it carefully, it felt soft, indicating an abscess.

He had heard that an abscess could be caused by a foreign object remaining in the body.

"We need to drain the abscess."

Ricardo muttered, and the Duke grabbed his arm.

"What should we do?"

"We need to cut open the discolored area, drain the abscess, and check for any foreign objects."

"Please... treat him."

The Duke's desperate plea, driven by parental love, moved Ricardo.

The Duke ordered the magic doctor to prepare the tools Ricardo needed, as well as strong distilled alcohol and clean water.

The magic doctor, who was ordered to help, prepared them reluctantly, seemingly thinking that a young boy couldn't treat what he couldn't.

Ricardo cast a 'Paralyze' spell on the area to be cut, sterilized a sharp knife with the distilled alcohol, and then cut open the wound. Blood and pus flowed out.

He washed the pus away with clean water multiple times. More pus came from deeper inside. Ricardo cut deeper with the knife again. The tip of the knife hit something.

"There's something."

The Duke watched intently, and Greta closed her eyes.

Ricardo used the tip of the knife to scoop out the foreign object. It appeared to be the tip of an arrow.

The magic doctor, seeing the arrow tip, turned pale.

Ricardo carefully checked for any other objects, washed the area again, and then stitched the cut. He finished with a 'Heal' spell.

"Let's monitor his condition."

Ricardo told the Duke and Greta.

"Ricardo, will my brother be okay?"

Ricardo wasn't sure. If the cause was the arrow tip, he should recover, but if there was another cause, Ricardo couldn't do anything.

"No, I'm not sure. If his fever goes down, I think he'll be fine."

After that, Greta took care of Silvano diligently. The next day, Silvano's fever broke.

The Duke, upon hearing this, was very grateful and told Ricardo that he would do anything he could. Ricardo seemed to have gained the Duke's immense trust through Silvano's treatment.

Greta began to look at Ricardo with sparkling eyes.

Ricardo received an explanation from the Duke about the battlefield around the Ileb Silver Mine and Morado Fort. He wanted to take revenge on the Kingdom of Claire for their cruel actions using pirates.

The fortifications built by the Kingdom of Claire utilized the terrain and were constructed with materials from magical beasts and sandbags.

However, there was a weak point in the terrain. The Kingdom of Claire had reinforced this weak point using materials from magical beasts.

"What is the weak point?"

Ricardo asked the Duke.

"It's the original path to the Ileb Silver Mine. The enemy reinforced it with the shell of a Flame Turtle."

"Wait, did someone from the Kingdom of Claire defeat a Flame Turtle?"

"I don't know, but I saw it easily deflect multiple spells cast by several magic users."

The shell of a Flame Turtle, which couldn't be destroyed even by a 'Solar Flame Ball,' was not something that could be broken by ordinary magic.

During the few days Ricardo and the others spent in Sessa, skirmishes continued between the Boniperti army and the Kingdom of Claire, but no major battles broke out.

Neither side had a decisive advantage.

If time passed with the Ileb Silver Mine in the hands of the Kingdom of Claire, the Boniperti army would face financial difficulties and struggle to continue the war. The Duke had recently invested heavily in updating the mining equipment, borrowing money from financial institutions to do so, with the plan to repay it with the silver mined.

If the Kingdom of Claire knew about the update to the mining equipment, they were a cunning enemy.

The Duke, with his son's condition improving, could now focus on the battle.

Ricardo went to the enemy's fortifications with the Duke. The path to the Ileb Silver Mine was a gentle uphill slope, while the rest of the area was steep.

The fortifications of the Kingdom of Claire were built halfway up this slope. In front was a wall armored with a familiar shell. Behind the wall were watchtowers, and many archers were guarding from the towers.

Ricardo approached as close as he could without the archers' arrows reaching. The Duke, who had come with him, asked,

"What are you planning to do?"

"I want to test how sturdy it is."

Ricardo prepared a 'Solar Flame Ball,' infused it with sufficient magic, and scattered the catalyst.

"Fana Rapise Lavon Spellogoma"

The moment the scorching 'Solar Flame Ball' was born, the Duke, feeling the heat, hoped it might destroy the Flame Turtle's shell.

The 'Solar Flame Ball,' carrying immense heat energy, hit the Flame Turtle's shell, exploded, and scattered superheated flames. The heat wave injured several archers in the enemy's fortifications. However, the Flame Turtle's shell remained intact.

"Still no good. We need a more powerful spell."