Chapter 86

The Marquess Family's Magic Genius - Chapter 87 (86/324)

87

The 3rd and 4th Legions.

An army of twelve thousand currently surrounded the military camp of the 5th Legion from a distance.

The commander leading the army was none other than Viscount Wellington, one of Abel's subordinates and a high-ranking knight.

‘...Is the 5th Legion really going to move?’

Despite the sun slowly setting, the interior of the 5th Legion, observed from a distance, appeared unusually peaceful.

A few days ago.

Tension rose in the viscount's eyes as he recalled the words Abel had mentioned when he came to see him.

Abel.

He had served him as his lord for ten years now.

During that time, he had come to realize one fact.

His lord possessed a peculiar ability.

If he had to describe it, it would be something akin to a gut feeling.

Whenever he stiffened his face, something bad, big or small, always happened, and when he smiled and spoke with a good feeling, good fortune always followed.

It might be a coincidence once or twice, but if it continued, it became a certainty.

‘The succession ceremony. Something might happen then.’

Abel.

The viscount couldn't dismiss the words he spoke with a stiff face as mere nonsense.

The story he unfolded from those words was truly shocking.

Adolf.

He had complete control over the 5th Legion and would make the soldiers go berserk on the day the succession ceremony began.

It was a hard-to-believe story, but Abel's serious expression left no room for rebuttal.

What if those words were true?

An unexpected ambush could result in countless soldiers falling helplessly.

“...Klein.”

At Viscount Wellington's words, a knight stepped forward.

“Yes, my lord.”

“Have you distributed the mana bombs to the soldiers?”

“Yes, I’ve given them to the soldiers who are skilled at throwing them.”

“Be careful with them. They explode upon strong impact.”

“Understood.”

Mana bombs.

Abel had given him this item, claiming it was a new artifact created by the 4th Prince.

One hundred mana bombs.

Their power was beyond imagination.

When he tested one by throwing it.

Boom!

An enormous noise accompanied by a storm-like wind swept the surroundings.

People nearby would be knocked over by the wind pressure.

‘With this item...’

It could play a decisive role in breaking the soldiers' formation. It was a revolutionary consumable artifact.

‘Just how far does the 4th Prince’s limits extend?’

Hermemus.

It had been less than three months since he overcame that disease!

The 4th Prince was already soaring towards the heavens.

If this continued for another year, he might become a renowned magician, surpassing even the Marquess Family and gaining fame throughout the empire.

One fortunate point was that the relationship between his lord and the 4th Prince didn't seem strained.

While the viscount was lost in thought.

The sun began to set slowly.

The arms of the soldiers from the 3rd and 4th Legions were wrapped in white cloth.

This was to identify allies in case of a night battle.

The 5th Legion's camp, now completely shrouded in darkness.

‘...?’

The viscount, who had been quietly observing, tilted his head in confusion. A chill ran down his spine.

A moment later, his back tingled.

The feeling was so eerie, it seemed to be the perfect time to use the phrase "chilling."

‘What is this...?’

The 5th Legion's camp, hidden in the darkness, looked inexplicably eerie.

It wasn't just him; the knights and soldiers around him also frowned, feeling uneasy.

‘Could it be...’

The viscount's gaze involuntarily turned towards the camp.

Soon, a dark aura began to spread within the camp. It was a nauseating aura that made one's face wrinkle just by looking at it.

A black fog-like aura was gradually engulfing the 5th Legion's camp.

“...What is this?”

“What is that?”

A scene they had never seen before.

Even the experienced knights looked bewildered as they stared at the black fog.

The viscount sent auras to his eyes.

To examine the inside of the fog.

However.

Even with his efforts, he couldn't see inside the camp.

A fog that even a high-ranking knight couldn't see through?

After a moment of silence, the viscount seemed to make a decision and shouted forcefully.

“...Everyone, prepare for battle!”

Whatever it was, it didn't look good. He had to prevent any potential disaster.

If, as Abel said, the 5th Legion's soldiers really stormed towards the castle?

A massacre would undoubtedly ensue.

The viscount's cry was relayed to the soldiers by the knights around him.

The fog didn't last long.

It began to dissipate gradually.

However, the scene was quite peculiar.

It seemed to be absorbed into the camp, as if being sucked in.

A moment later.

A tremor shook the ground.

It sounded like the running of many soldiers.

Sure enough.

Soldiers began to surge out of the camp, their momentum terrifying.

The viscount, taking a deep breath, sent auras to his lips and shouted forcefully.

- Everyone, stop! If you continue to approach, you will be considered rebels!

Rebels.

Even the threat of decapitation for disobeying the order didn't deter the fully armed soldiers pouring out of the camp.

- Kill all the scum blocking our path! For Lord Adolf!

- Roar!!!

“...”

The powerful cry from behind the camp.

The soldiers' faces hardened upon hearing it.

They must have instinctively realized that words wouldn't solve the problem.

- Prepare for battle! Draw your bows!

Squeak!

With the viscount's command, the soldiers began to draw their bows taut.

- Fire! Show no mercy to the rebels!

Whoosh!

Hundreds of arrows soared through the air.

Thud!

Thud!

Some of the soldiers charging from the front fell, but the remaining forces were still numerous.

Like a giant madness, the 5th Legion's soldiers continued to charge, ignoring the fallen.

Close combat seemed inevitable.

- Prepare!

At the viscount's command, some soldiers picked up the bombs.

With the training they had undergone, there was no hesitation.

- Throw!

With that command, round bombs began to fly towards the approaching soldiers.

The bombs began to fall in the middle of the formation.

The moment they hit the ground or collided strongly with the soldiers' bodies.

Boom!

They created a deafening noise.

Crash!

With an enormous sound, soldiers fell in all directions. Almost half of the charging soldiers collapsed.

Naturally, the speed of the soldiers in the rear also slowed significantly.

‘Right now!’

This moment, when the enemy's formation was disorganized, was the perfect opportunity.

Swish!

The viscount drew his sword without hesitation.

As if it were a signal, the soldiers and knights also drew their weapons.

“Entire army! Charge! Show no mercy to the rebels!”

“Roar!”

The viscount and the knights began to charge forcefully.

Behind them, over ten thousand soldiers followed.

Choke!

Gasp!

Soon, cries of pain began to echo from all directions.

On the battlefield, blood splattered beautifully.

It looked like a red rain.

* * * * *

Leonhardt and Emer.

There was no one who could stand against the two high-ranking knights, wrapped in buffs.

Even the intermediate knights blocking their path were beheaded instantly by their swords.

Three old knights.

Joining the three men fighting fiercely was not difficult.

The most precarious situation was with Craft.

His face was pale as he struggled to block three swords.

Leonhardt immediately rushed to support him.

“I'll help you!”

“Oh! Leon! Thank you!”

Perhaps due to the sudden reinforcements, the high-ranking knights facing Craft turned their attention to me.

“4th Prince! Do you dare to rebel against the 2nd Prince?”

“You're the ones rebelling.”

“...You will regret this.”

We'll see.

We'll soon find out who will regret it.

Now it was time to support Craft.

I cast various buff spells on him, including Haste.

He seemed to recognize the beneficial magic immediately and accepted it without resistance.

The old knight's eyes widened in surprise as the buffs took effect.

“...”

He even tilted his head in disbelief.

It's too early to be surprised.

There was an even more powerful buff left.

Swish!

As a cluster of light enveloped the old knight's body, a white light began to swirl.

“...”

The expressions of the high-ranking knights immediately stiffened.

Craft.

A white aura mixed with his sword, causing the enemies facing him to glare fiercely at Ersiel.

“...What is this?”

“...Damn.”

What can you do by glaring?

Emer.

A reliable tank was protecting Ersiel and me.

His mana had been restored by potions.

Even if the three enemies charged at once, he could hold them off for a while.

Moreover, the old knights wouldn't just stand by, so our safety was relatively assured.

The attention on Ersiel was increasing.

The other six knights were also looking this way.

‘This is a bit scary.’

If all nine of them charged, we would truly experience a brutal death.

However, that was an impossible scenario.

“This scum! What are you looking at!”

“I'm here, Malon!”

Bang!

Jacob and Malon.

The two old knights, seeing us come to help, fiercely pushed back the high-ranking knights.

‘Good.’

As their sharp attacks continued, the six knights facing them became busier.

Initially, the two, excluding Craft, were holding their own against the high-ranking knights.

When they launched sharp attacks, the enemies couldn't afford to underestimate them and received their swords.

Meanwhile.

A few knights did charge at Ersiel and me, but their numbers were not large.

The knights under Abel's command were holding their ground better than expected.

It seemed they had received some prior instructions.

With fewer numbers, it wasn't difficult to deal with them.

While blocking the charging knights with Emer, a cry of pain was heard.

“Gah!”

Craft, covered in various buffs, was fiercely pushing back a high-ranking knight.

“This rebel scum! Die!”

He was launching an overwhelming attack, as if to repay the humiliation he had suffered earlier.

The high-ranking knight, who had easily blocked his sword before receiving the buffs, was now on the defensive.

If three of them had faced him, they might have held their own.

But the other one was tied up with the newly arrived Leonhardt.

When quality is lacking, quantity should make up for it, but that wasn't the case here.

It was natural for the two high-ranking knights facing Craft to accumulate more wounds.

“Helson! Damn!”

“Gah!”

Especially the one called Helson looked very precarious. Craft's attack had slashed his chest.

He didn't last long.

Three minutes.

The time when Helson's head, desperately blocking Craft's attack, flew skyward.

It was the moment when the unfavorable battlefield situation completely turned around.