coobybook Chapter 167 : Chapter 167
Chapter 167 : Chapter 167
Chapter 167
Jeremy is one who accepts what needs to be accepted and is well aware of the world’s assessment of wizards widespread on the continent.
To nobles, they are peculiar and lowly servants who make convenient tools; to commoners, the perception is strongly fixed that they are crazy dark wizards or devils from the bible. However, the ordinary citizens are a bit different.
Once or twice a month, they buy a water bucket imbued with ‘Aqua’ or a magic stone imbued with ‘Heat’ for warmth, so ironically, commoners are the ones most intimate with magic.
To such commoners, a wizard is somewhere between ‘an existence that causes miracles’ and ‘a madman’.
Thanks to the long history of seniors who offered discounts in exchange for a penniless commoner’s blood or asked for just one arm for research, the prejudice of being a ‘madman’ likely won’t change, but what’s important today is the ‘causes miracles’ side.
Yes, a wizard is truly an existence that causes miracles.
An existence that uses mana to twist the laws of the world and manifest desire and will.
Then, what on earth is happening before my eyes.
* * *
Peeeeeeek!
It started with the Young Lord's whistle.
The Young Lord, having declared with an arrogant expression that preparations were already complete, blew the whistle, and just when the grotesque cry of an Orc was heard once again.
Boom! Bang! Bang!
Explosions were heard simultaneously from the north, east, and west.
I checked the whistle just in case, but the magic imbued in the whistle was only ‘Sound Transmission’.
“What on earth is this……?”
To the surprised Jeremy, the Young Lord said.
“In the north, an Ogre; in the east, the Black Noble Troop and the Northern Noble Alliance; and in the west, Trimia and the Moner forces are attacking simultaneously.”
Too many questions arose from just a single sentence.
Ogre? Did they lure an Ogre?
Attacking from all sides? Why? Wasn’t war a clash of power against power?
Moreover, if abandoning small-scale skirmishes, wouldn’t it be better to return to the fortress and prepare for a defensive battle?
Among the dozens of questions popping up in his mind, there was one question he could be certain about.
‘What if we lose?’
Well, annihilation.
Jeremy scanned the battlefield.
The battlefield where the breathing of Orcs resonated.
Even at this moment when hundreds of corpses rolled on the ground and green blood squelched underfoot, the Orcs showed no fear whatsoever.
What they wanted was a single opportunity.
The dark green army is only aiming for a chance to drive their wildly protruding fangs into necks, soaking them with human blood and filling their hunger with flesh.
Therefore, defeat means annihilation.
Because those dark green hungry ghosts would never just watch their food run away.
‘Ah, is that why he divided the troops?’
So that even if defeated, not all of Moner but only a part would become minced meat?
While thinking so, the Young Lord took a step forward.
“With this, the Tyrant won’t move for a while. Because he’ll want to grasp the battle situation clearly before moving.”
‘Then dividing the troops was for this?’
At the statement implying the troops weren’t divided in preparation for defeat, Jeremy asked.
“Then the reason for dividing the troops is…….”
“Naturally, to limit the opponent’s moves. If the Tyrant is hasty, he will go to the north where the firepower is strongest, and if he is cautious, he will hold his ground.”
If the Young Lord is right, an Ogre must be running wild in the north.
Of course, one Ogre would be more terrifying than thousands of humans, so the Orcs would fortify that side first.
‘Even so…….’
Jeremy voiced the doubt that arose.
“Isn’t it just buying time in the end?”
“Right. Coldly speaking, it is buying time. But it’s a little different from the opponent’s perspective. Since we strictly aimed only for small-scale battles until now. The opponent will think, ‘Are these guys really attacking? With just those numbers? They’ll probably just peck moderately and go back again, right?’.”
The first thought after hearing that was ‘Isn’t the Orc King still just an Orc? Do Orcs have that level of thinking ability?’.
The second thought was ‘So what if we buy time?’.
He couldn't find the answer to the first question, but it didn’t take long to find the answer to the second.
When the Young Lord blew that whistle again, even more Orcs swarmed toward the Special Mission Unit, and at this, the Young Lord stepped forward and said.
“So we have to make the most of the time we bought.”
Saying that, Ian suddenly drew his sword.
“Wh-What!”
He wasn’t surprised because Ian drew his sword.
He just flinched, startled by the fighting spirit shaking the mana and air, and the level of presence pressing on his body.
Only then did he remember the forgotten enemy.
‘Legion Commander.’
The monster the Young Lord described as stronger than the red-bodied Legion Commander he saw was approaching them.
‘We, we have to run……!’
Thinking it was already too late, he turned pale and looked at the Young Lord, who grinned and said.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be protecting Jeremy.”
When he looked back, the doll nodded.
- Thanks, grace, repayment.
No, really?
This is repaying a grace?
Really?
* * *
The Orcs who were driving the Special Mission Unit stopped all at once at the Legion Commander’s aura.
“They stopped!”
“Of course, the Legion Commander stepped forward.”
Is that natural?
As a wizard, his head was full of magical theories and knowledge that ordinary people could never know, including research on monster habits and characteristics, but there was no information about Legion Commanders.
Even Archmages of the Main Tower or Elders belonging to the Star of Wisdom would not possess information about Legion Commanders.
‘Naturally, to get information, one must first meet a Legion Commander and survive.’
Since no one survived, there is no recorded information.
It might be different if it were the continent, but for a monster located in the Forest of Demonic Beasts, a forbidden land, there’s no way records remain.
Yet, the Young Lord spoke as if it were obvious.
“Then is the Legion Commander ordering them to stop?”
“Not that, but awe for a higher existence? Pressure? Something like that. Like how humans prostrate to show reverence.”
‘How does he know such knowledge?’
Just as he was wondering if Moner had history books or secret tomes, seeing Ian gesture towards the rear, Jeremy asked.
“What is that order now?”
“Retreat.”
Looking back with disbelief, he saw the Special Mission Unit leaving the front lines.
“Uh… Huh?”
To him, unable to continue speaking due to despondency, confusion, and anger, Ian kindly explained.
“Originally, when the boss appears, the minnows step back. When a monster fights a monster, staying here to watch would only lead to death, right?”
A plausible argument.
Truly, a plausible argument.
Only if he wasn't remaining in this spot.
“…Then what about us?”
“We have to stay because we have an tremendously important mission.”
Tremendously important mission?
Could anything be more important than life?
Just as Jeremy was organizing a spell in his head to knock Ian out and retreat.
Between the path made by the Legion, the Legion Commander revealed himself.
“Kkeueuk!”
The fighting spirit exploding from the Legion Commander's body pressed down and shook his entire body.
Same as that guy from last time.
No, definitely stronger than that guy.
Only now could he understand.
Why other Orcs were prostrating themselves holding their breath.
‘Awe?’
It’s not such a trivial reason.
The aura of an existence beyond rank commands it.
Bow down before him right now.
“Kkeuheok!”
Those without permission cannot even breathe.
Even slamming his head on the ground and trying to inhale with all his might, he couldn't breathe.
Like the day he first met Mireska, at the moment his body trembled from the helplessness permeating his whole body.
“It’s troubling if you collapse already.”
Just as Ian's warm mana seemed to cover his body, Ian stuffed a leaf into his mouth with rough hands.
“Chew.”
Realizing he couldn't chew when he couldn't even breathe, Ian grabbed his jaw and moved it for him, and breath slowly returned.
“Heeok! Huff! Huff! What on earth is this? No, wait, Doll, Mr. Doll!”
Before he could even question how the Young Lord was fine or what the leaf he just swallowed was, Jeremy raised his head and looked at the battlefield.
Hoping that the doll who swung the sword like a fool wouldn't be scattered in pieces.
- Boom!
However, what entered his eyes was the doll blocking the Legion Commander with a black sword.
* * *
It wasn't difficult to save Jeremy before he collapsed.
The skills activated when a Legion Commander appears are 『Intimidation』 and 『Pressure』.
Both are suppression skills that exert overwhelming effects on enemies with lower ranks than oneself, but they can be easily solved if you know how to prepare.
‘With just a dried World Tree leaf, one can escape from Intimidation or Pressure.’
World Tree leaf is an expensive and safe method, and there are many other methods.
A Cleric’s 『Dispel Status』 is representative, or using 『Berserk』, being poisoned by lethal poison, or inducing 『Madness』 or 『Confusion』 states also work.
The most useful yet easiest method is 『Last Resistance』. A character on the verge of death resisting 『Intimidation』 and 『Pressure』 with willpower.
Since it’s a rare opportunity to raise the Resistance stat, I thought about inducing Death Resistance for Jeremy.
‘Is his willpower weaker than I thought?’
Or maybe I saved him too quickly.
Since 『Last Resistance』 only activates when truly pushed to the brink of death, it wasn’t easy watching Jeremy gagging.
‘That’s why people being too kind is a problem. If it were a game, I would have succeeded in one go.’
Well, there will be opportunities next time too.
Thinking so, Ian slung Jeremy over one shoulder and looked at the battlefield.
“That aside, he really fights well.”
Honestly, I was surprised.
Even if he is the Sword Demon, since there is a difference from the time he appears in 『Lost Chronicle』, I thought he might be weak and prepared accordingly.
“How on earth is that possible?”
Surprisingly, the Sword Demon didn't get pushed back a single step against the Legion Commander.
Even if made from ancient wood of this forest, he should naturally break and shatter before the Legion Commander’s axe, yet the Sword Demon blocked, parried, and deflected the Legion Commander’s axe as if it were nothing.
The extremity of swordsmanship that cannot be explained by traits or skills.
Ian watched that swordsmanship without blinking.
He knows well that it's impossible to understand the Sword Demon's swordsmanship with his skills.
He isn't greedy for sudden enlightenment either.
He just couldn't take his eyes off the offense and defense before him.
‘He isn’t simply blocking the attack; he’s deflecting the attack before the point of impact to minimize shock.’
Before the axe swings, he steps forward first and blocks the axe.
Not simply to stop the momentum.
Blocking the flow of fighting spirit with that one step, and furthermore forcing the next movement.
‘Since the axe is blocked, if he pushes away with force…….’
He naturally creates distance and thrusts his sword.
A blow containing extreme speed.
A sword strike so fast one wonders if such a thrust could be shown after practicing single-point attack to the limit, piercing the Legion Commander's skin.
If mana or fighting spirit had been imbued, it would have been a fatal blow.
Conversely, the blow without mana or fighting spirit couldn't cut the Legion Commander's skin.
- Krarak! What an interesting fellow! Is it a ghost possessed by a warrior’s soul!
The Legion Commander scratched his chest roughly with the hand holding the axe as if itchy, and burst into laughter.
- The spirit is commendable, but it's itchier than a cub's struggle!
The doll did not react to the Legion Commander’s provocation.
Instead, after widening the distance, he let his sword hang down and twitched his hand.
一 (One)
A single character appeared on the forehead of the doll, who always drew three characters.
‘Killed once?’
It was truly an arrogant provocation.