Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Harassment

I descended the mountain with a forceful momentum, as if rolling down.

Normally, descending a mountain at such speed would pose a risk of slipping, but in my case, thanks to sacred magic, I can move quickly without any danger.

After taking breaks intermittently and spending a whole day descending the mountain, I saw scattered trees and dark lines on the snow-covered mountainside. Those lines were the military forces of the nation of Rocha.

I was surprised to find out that they were quite close.

"Looking closely, there are not even ten thousand people. They must have sent out these forces near the mountains right after determining that Futero had escaped."

Roughly estimating, there were about three thousand enemy soldiers.

In terms of numbers, it was not much different from the Mendashium Kingdom's forces that attacked the fortress, but the equipment of Rocha was significantly stronger.

They were clad in heavy iron armor and wielded weapons such as steel hammers and clubs with high striking power. They also seemed to have long spears and axes. Some of them carried large shields, but I couldn't see any swords or bows. Since everyone was armed with heavy weapons, it seemed there were no magic users who fought purely with magic.

Although they only had unusual types of weapons, their purpose could be inferred.

"When civil war broke out in Rocha, the opponents also came wearing sturdy armor. These weapons were probably developed specifically to overcome that defense."

Judging from the equipment focused solely on the civil war, it seems that even a country as advanced in ironworking technology as Rocha did not anticipate a war with the Empire.

The Empire's magic can even destroy fortress walls. Compared to that magic, Rocha's iron armor is no more defensive than a paper screen, so it's natural that it wouldn't be effective.

"Moreover, their heavy equipment slows down their climbing speed."

Although there was a report that the Rocha army had started climbing the mountain a few days ago, the black lines on the mountainside were still lingering around the lower part of the mountain. They haven't made much progress since I began observing.

Because their equipment is heavy, they can only walk in easily traversable places with gentle slopes, and depending on the location, they may need to take detours.

I envisioned the shape of the mountain in my mind and predicted the path the Rocha forces would take.

At the same time, I decided on the location where I would hide and launch an attack.

"Well, it's more like harassment than an attack."

I performed sacred magic to conceal my presence, started moving cautiously, and headed towards the chosen hiding spot.

Sitting in a hollowed area, I used sacred magic to hide my presence while wearing gloves, and I exhaled into my hands in front of my mouth.

This way, I could disguise the whiteness of my breath.

By the way, I also made sure to keep my feet from getting frostbite and moved my toes to maintain blood circulation without making any noise in the snow.

After about an hour had passed, the sound of the Rocha Kingdom's army could be heard.

Footsteps that resonated firmly. The sound of metal armor rubbing. And the rough sound of heavy breathing, indicating fatigue from climbing mountains in heavy equipment.

I cautiously peeked out from the hollow and saw the Rocha Kingdom's army about two hundred meters away.

They were all individuals with splendid physiques, indicating that they had trained while wearing heavy armor. Wearing fur over their black, dull armor and equipped primarily with striking weapons, the pressure they exerted was overwhelming.

In the rear of the unit, there were also people specialized in transporting supplies who were not wearing armor. However, they too had developed muscles capable of carrying a large amount of cargo on their backs, so there wasn't much difference in terms of intimidation.

To avoid their gaze, I returned to the hollow and held the imperial-made staff in both hands. I had picked it up from the battlefield between the Empire and the Knight Kingdom. The latest model should enhance the power of magic to a greater extent.

"Phew. I'll stop the holy art that conceals my presence and use magic. After using magic, I'll strengthen my body to the fullest with the holy art and retreat."

After quietly confirming what needed to be done, I stopped the holy art that concealed my presence and began to chant a spell.

"Mist becomes droplets, droplets become water, water becomes a current, and the current becomes a muddy flow. Water, appear and follow the tributaries, manifest the surging of a great river. What emerges is a torrent that overwhelms all."

Just before the spell was completed, I leaned out from the hollow and aimed the staff toward the Rocha Kingdom's army.

"-Albionnein Provincia!"

The magic manifested, and a large amount of water spewed forth from the staff.

Although it was a magic that felt similar to the powerful water flow that forcefully comes out of a fire truck's hose, thanks to the amplification of the magic effect by the imperial staff, it turned into a torrential flood with the force and volume of a river.

The massive amount of water cascaded down the mountainside, engulfing the soldiers of the Rocha Kingdom.

I had hoped that this torrential water would sweep them away if possible, but that was wishful thinking.

The soldiers of the Rocha Kingdom, instantly forming a tight formation, supported themselves by thrusting their weapons into the ground and resisted against the muddy flow.

"No way!?"

Even though they had formed a dense formation, with the front bearing the majority of the pressure and the rest supporting their bodies, how could they withstand this force of water? No, could it be that their armor was so heavy that it could resist the flow of water?

I ascended the slope from the hollow towards the top of the mountain, my body enhanced to its maximum capacity through sacred arts, the shock still fresh in my mind.

"I managed to wet their equipment. I didn't know they were so resilient. Although I couldn't wash them away with water, the results are satisfactory!"

Muttering as if making excuses, I hurriedly climbed the mountain.

From behind me, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Rocha showered me with their war cries:

"Uooooooooooh!"

Startled by the thunderous roar, I almost lost my footing.

Regaining my balance, I turned around, driven by the fear born from their fierce cries.

To my surprise, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Rocha were ascending the mountain, wielding their weapons. They had previously chosen the easier paths, but now they disregarded the steepness.

A rational part of my mind suggested that it was a display of intimidation and that their assault wouldn't last long.

But I was alone, facing three thousand of them. If they caught up to me, I would be overwhelmed by their numbers.

"Our lives are at stake. Let's run. But let's find a good hiding spot and observe the situation."

Taking into account cautious judgment and the opinions of the remaining rational part of my mind, I quietly made my plans.

As the tasks at hand became clear, the feeling of fear began to fade.

I confirmed my firm footing on the ground and ascended the mountain with my body fully enhanced through sacred arts.

After running for a considerable distance, I looked back. The troops of the Kingdom of Rocha appeared as a line in the distance. It seemed they had given up chasing me and resumed their march, choosing the easier paths once again.

Whether it was my wishful thinking or the actual movement of the soldiers of the Kingdom of Rocha, they seemed to be marching faster than before, even before I started harassing them.

I adjusted my sacred arts to conceal my presence and secretly observed the situation of the Kingdom of Rocha.

As I watched from hiding, the army of the Kingdom of Roccha halted its advance and began setting up several large tents that could accommodate about twenty people each.

It seems they are using the water I conjured with magic to dry their wet clothes and armor.

Leaving the moisture in their clothes unattended would be a matter of life and death in this cold weather.

The fuel they are using is charcoal - it appears to be shaped like charcoal or formed charcoal made by kneading charcoal powder. They ignite it with magic for daily use and take it inside the tents.

If all the soldiers of the Kingdom of Roccha would rest inside the tents, I would go and cast magic once again. However, things didn't go so smoothly.

As if they were wary of my presence, about a hundred sentries stood around the tents, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings.

Upon closer inspection of those sentries, I noticed that their attire wasn't wet.

It seems there were people who managed to avoid being hit by my magic.

"Well, there were about three thousand of them, and their formation was long and winding. Some of them must have been outside the range of the magic," I thought.

However, if that were the case, it would be a bit of a problem.

The water magic I used earlier has the widest range among the magic I can use. Moreover, if even with the Empire's magic staff, I cannot capture the entire range, the plan will not work.

"Maybe I should go back to the field camp and bring our army's mages. If we combine the irrigation magic for spreading water in the fields with the magic that creates gusts of wind, we should be able to safely wet the enemy soldiers," I pondered.

Once I made up my mind, I knew I had to act quickly.

"But before that, a little harassment..." I said.

I ceased the divine arts and once again used the torrential rain magic.

A large amount of water appeared from the staff, cascading down the mountainside and crashing into the cluster of Roccha's tents.

Without verifying the results, I swiftly moved with the aid of enhanced legs granted by divine arts, making my way to our camp atop the mountain.