Episode 51: A chance in a game turns into reality

16. Practice (2)

My father's instructions to go out and die.

Prince Parma struggled violently, saying he could never comply.

The knight commander who was forcing Prince Parma to fill the equipment sighed and said.

"There is no need to despair like that. No matter how much Marquis Lawrence is said to be the Great Wizard, in the end, a wizard is a wizard. A Vanguard armed with Force equipment is a worthy opponent."

"Well, are you calling that comfort?"

"It's not a consolation, it's to tell you how to live, Master. Are you really going to let go like this, hide in a corner like a coward, tremble, and then get your head cut off?"

"what?"

"Anyway, if we stay hidden like this, there will be only one result. All you have to do is become a sacrifice for revenge."

It's not wrong.

Whether I go out and die now or die here, the outcome was the same.

However, the knight commander showed Prince Parma an exit where light, however faint, seeped through.

"But what would happen if you, Master, take advantage of the Vanguard and let Marquis Lawrence off guard and kill him?"

"… … ."

"The Marquis of Lawrence has neither a wife nor a formal heir, so the territory war ends at that time. Our victory will come to an end. In other words, you become the hero of the Viscounty. Do you understand?"

A story that may be fascinating.

However, Prince Parma was not foolish enough to fall for those words.

"Do you really think that I will just say that I like it and get over it? "You're being treated like a total idiot!"

The knight commander smiled and nodded.

"I know you're not that smart."

"Knight Commander!"

"You can hear very well even without shouting. As I said before, what I said was just a 'just in case' situation. "It would be great if you were to win against Marquis Lawrence, and even if you die because of it, it would be an honorable death."

"what? An honorable death?"

"Yes, there is no comparison between dying miserably while being cursed by everyone and dying while trying to protect the territory. "I think you will know what is more noble behavior even if I don't tell you."

The Duke of Parma gritted his teeth.

As his struggles subsided, the knights quickly put Vanguard's force equipment on Prince, and when they achieved their goal, they linked their arms on both sides to prevent Prince Parma from escaping.

"Let go. "Before I kill you."

"Tsk!"

However, Prince Parma raised his auror and shook off the knights.

"Fuck you."

Then, unable to control his anger, he fussed for a while and drank the bottle of whiskey on the table.

The knights tried to grab him again, but the knight commander stopped them, telling them to leave him alone.

Prince Parma, whose emotions were suppressed by alcohol, spoke with venomous eyes.

"Okay, I'll do it. "I'll act like a clown just like you want."

It is dangerous to equip a person with a confused mind with Force equipment.

Prince Parma may attempt to escape while armed with Vanguard.

"I will live. I'll kill fucking Adrian and live for sure. And I won't leave you alone."

But Prince Parma could not escape.

The knight commander was already equipped with Vanguard weapons, and the personnel prepared to take him away were all Vanguards.

So Prince Parma gritted his teeth and decided to obediently follow the knight commander.

"If you defeat Marquis Lawrence, I will be glad to receive your punishment."

"Yes, that's right."

Seeing the lifeless appearance of Prince Parma, the knights, including the knight commander, thought of the possibility of 'maybe'.

Vanguard, with its powerful attack and defense power, was not given the nickname Wizard Killer for nothing.

Even if Adrian was a great wizard, there was a good chance that a miracle would occur if he ignored Prince Parma and let his guard down.

however… … .

-Quaaaang! Quaaaang!

-Clap! Sigh! Skang!

The moment I saw Adrian and Arcia overwhelming the Viscounty Vanguards alone, my vain expectations were shattered and disappeared.

"Um, what is that?"

The sight of a female knight cutting down everything around her and a wizard blowing up a vanguard was unrealistic, like watching a scene from a movie.

[No, that's ridiculous. What kind of wizard!?] [Ouch!] [Don't come!]Thanks to wearing Vanguard equipment, he was connected to the unit's communication network, and countless screams pierced Prince Parma's ears.

"These are the Archmage and Aura Master?"

I heard that wizards are prey to Vanguards, and that even Aura Masters wearing Force equipment can deal with Vanguards as long as there are enough of them.

No, this is probably common knowledge that everyone knows, regardless of whether they hear it from someone or not.

But when I actually looked at it, I realized that it also differs from person to person.

-gulp… … .

The two people in front of me are different in grandeur.

Even though dozens of blue light rays (force) are constantly being sprayed, nothing can penetrate Adrian and Arcia's defenses.

At the moment when there was a momentary gap or connection was broken, the pure white Auror Blade and the magic of the 6th and 7th circles penetrated into an unavoidable position.

Even though they were fighting with their backs turned to each other, Adrian and Arcia, like one organic entity, thoroughly complemented each other's weaknesses and defeated the enemy.

"Hey, hey, Captain. You're kidding, right? "Are you telling me to go in there?"

"This is ridiculous… … ."

Arcia's Aura Blade is further strengthened with a Force Sword and cuts everything in front of it.

Anything in the path of her sword was cut in half and fell, regardless of whether it was a building or a vanguard.

[Ouch! My hand!]But the real problem was more on Adrian's side than hers.

I thought the Archmage was at least worth dealing with.

Although the attack power is strong due to the nature of the wizard, the gap in casting and the slow movement revealed in close combat are known to be major weaknesses.

However, this common sense did not apply to Adrian.

As if he were a martial artist, he cast while dodging Vanguard's attacks with agile and small movements, and frequently fired anti-magic spells from zero distance.

[Geueoeook!] [Monster, monster!]It seems like he would be happier being cut in two and dying.

Rather than being crushed into meat by Adrian's hand.

In the end, the Vanguards of the Viscounty of Parma lost their fighting spirit due to just two people.

-Quaaaaaang!

-Giggles!

- Coo coo coo coo!

together… … .

The sight of the three Sky Fortresses of the Marquis of Lawrence, which had a numerical superiority, rushing in at the same time and blowing away the Sky Fortress of the Viscounty of Parma with body blows unfolded above the city.

A mass weighing one million tons flew past the Prince of Parma's head, passed through the Lord's Castle and fell outside the city limits, spattering lava-like sparks.

-Quaaaang!

-Dude!

Thanks to this, the world was shaken as if it were about to come to an end.

And in the swaying background.

"Who is this?"

I ended up meeting Adrian's bright blue eyes.

"Adrian."

Wouldn't the scenery at the end of the century be more realistic than this?

The bloody scene I experienced for the first time in my life was more cruel and shocking than I could have imagined.

[surrender! It's surrender!] [Say, save me! I don't want to die!]When the vanguards of the Marquis of Lawrence came in and surrounded them, the vanguards of the Viscounty of Parma put down the force swords they were holding and surrendered.

"I thought he was hiding somewhere… … . "Unexpected, Prince Gerris, Viscount Parma."

Thanks to this, Adrian, who was able to walk without any hindrance, approached Prince Parma with an innocent smile.

There was no expression on Arsia's face as she approached him, so Adrian's smile looked very strange.

-Tuk!

"uh?"

But then.

Prince Parma, pushed from his back by someone, took a step forward.

As a result, the distance between the two people became even closer.

When he turned his head, the knight commander, who had lost his triumphant attitude and was completely frightened, was looking at him, biting his lip, telling him to hurry up and go.

Prince Parma closed his eyes tightly and shouted excitedly.

"Adrian Lawrence! "I'm requesting a diary talk from you!"

It was a request that no noble who valued honor could ignore.

However, Adrian was different from ordinary nobles.

"Ha, what do you mean? "This crazy guy."

-Just right!

Adrian responded by snorting and snapping his fingers.

-Sassy!

Then, a ray of black shadow passed from the sky before Prince Parma's eyes, as if drawing a line with a brush.

"uh?"

Prince Parma, who did not understand what was going on, expressed doubts, but then he felt a hot touch on his left shoulder and looked away... … .

-Phew!

I could see the arm that was supposed to be there and the shoulder gushing blood.

He blinked his eyes with a blank expression.

And as soon as he recognized the wound, he felt tremendous pain and screamed.

"Kwaaagh! I'm dying! Argh!"

After a while, an eagle appeared behind Adrian, flapping its huge wings.

It was a very large eagle with a wingspan of just over 2 meters.

The eagle was biting at its torn arm, and the Force Sword, one of the Vanguard's equipment, was tangled in its sheath with a string attached.

"I spent 70 trillion won in installments to buy weapons this time? For some reason, I feel like I can pay it back quickly. Vanguard equipment is scattered here and there, and there is a sky fortress rolling around in the backyard. Ah, the highlight is your family's treasure trove?"

"Ugh! You can't believe it? For that purpose?"

"Let's do it together. "Get revenge and make money, kill two birds with one stone."

When Adrian flicked his hand again, the black eagle soared high into the sky and disappeared.

Prince Parma was so frightened that the eagle might attack again, and he fell to his knees.

Adrian approached him and tapped his cheek with the magic staff he was holding.

"Rib number 2, humerus number 1, carpal bone number 1, tarsal bone number 1."

"W-what?"

"You broke my bones."

"… … ."

"Of course, I could have endured it if only I had suffered a fracture. I am very patient. But you know even if I don't say it, right? You guys tortured me so much mentally. "It's enough to make me angry."

A ghost-like coldness seeped into Arsia's expressionless expression, and when she looked as if she was about to pull out her sword, Adrian stopped her and said,

"I won't be able to die comfortably."

"Hehehehe! Forgiveness... … ."

Adrian grinned and used recovery magic on the man who had lost so much blood that he was now haggard.

Just enough to stop the bleeding.

After telling his subordinates to take good care of Prince Parma, he approached the knight commander who was retreating.

"W, would you like me to guide you to the lord's office?"

Adrian nodded to the knight commander's story.

"That's kind of you."

"I'm sorry."

Has only 30 minutes passed since the start of the war?

And so the battle against the Viscounty of Parma came to an end.

* * *

"I didn't know there would be such a passenger."

'Count Elfrid', the head of intelligence of the Briam Empire and the 7th Circle archmage who was hiding in the Viscounty of Parma just before the start of the war, narrowed his brows and turned his head at the familiar voice.

"Aren't you Her Royal Highness Olivia, the Duke of Riverdale?"

An unexpected giant stood where her eyes met.

This is the Duke of Riverdale II, a key nobleman of the Kingdom of Lucias and also an archmage.

"That was Count Elfrid, the head of intelligence of the Brigham Empire, right?"

Gorgeous blonde hair and bright yellow eyes.

The Duke of Riverdale, who was as gorgeous in appearance as in the color of his hair, had a beauty that a stranger would only consider a celebrity.

However, the black-haired, red-eyed Count Elfrid, who was facing her, was also so beautiful that citizens passing by had to tilt their heads to ask if he was taking pictures.

"Ladies! A war might break out soon, so get out of there quickly... … Hehe!"

A kind middle-aged man spoke to them, but was frightened when the two women disappeared like ghosts.

"It's a famous place."

Count Elfrid and the Duke of Riverdale used blink magic to change the location to the rooftop of a high-rise building.

-Ji-ing!

The Sky Fortress in the sky, which detected the magical power, used search magic.

However, the Sky Fortress's search magic recognized the two people as local residents and returned to standby mode.

"You're quite good."

"That's it."

The two praised each other for avoiding the surveillance of the sky fortress, but then narrowed their eyes and expressed doubt.

"Now that I think about it, Marquis Lawrence was a Riverdale monk, right? Are you here to help the priest?"

"It can't be. Would it be okay for another country to intervene in a territorial war? It only brings dishonor to the priest. By the way, I can at least make an excuse by saying I came to cheer, but what did the Brigham Empire's intelligence chief visit for?"

"I was personally interested while watching the news."

"Personal interest? Is that true?"

"sure."

The Brigham Empire and the Kingdom of Lucias had a symbiotic relationship on the surface, but since they faced a large border, they could turn into enemies at any time.

Because of this, a tense war of nerves broke out between the two to the point where sparks flew.

"Didn't Marquis Lawrence come to check for himself because he suspected that he was not a Riverdale monk?"

"Please don't make strange accusations. He is our recluse. "All the evidence presented by the Marquis Lawrence was unquestionably genuine."

Sharp question.

In fact, Olivia, the Duke of Riverdale, was not entirely sure that Adrian was her father's disciple.

So, I came to observe the Yeongjijeon with a feeling of half curiosity and half suspicion.

However, because he did not show it at all on the outside, Count Elfrid could not confirm whether it was true.

Next, the Duke of Riverdale's counterattack began.

"The Kingdom of Reinharts and our Kingdom of Lucias are allies. If he's thinking of taking Marquis Lawrence out to the Empire, he'd better stop. "He can't just sit back and watch."

"As I said before, it's a personal interest. Of course, we cannot deny that it is also used to collect information."

As if they could read each other's thoughts, they both got to the point precisely.

"… … ."

"… … ."

But that lasts only a moment.

They both knew that no matter how much they questioned and argued, they were not the kind of people who would give each other what they wanted, so it wasn't long before the war of nerves between them wore off.

"Well then, let's just treat each other like that."

"I agree. "If we argue among ourselves for no reason, we will only end up getting tired."

A truce was declared, and the two people only kept an eye on each other and did not exchange a single word.

How much time has passed like that?

- Cheezy!

The two archmages, who were sensitive to magic, felt that spatial movement coordinates were being encoded in the Viscounty of Parma area.

It is a 'space movement interruption magic'.

It was an essential tool in modern battlefields to hinder the enemy's surprise attack and escape.

And the unfolding of this magic... … .

It meant the beginning of war.

"There you are?"

After a while, a group of huge flying saucers (sky fortresses) were discovered gradually approaching the city of the Vichy of Parma from a distance that was invisible to the human eye.

"They attack right away without even giving you a moment's time."

"no way? "Is that Marquis Lawrence?"

"Huh, oh my... … ."

"No matter how advantageous the situation may be, you ignore even your own Vanguard and do good deeds on your own. "It's so reckless."

"It looks like the woman next to him is his fiancée and Auror Master, Countess Klein."

The two people, who dangerously placed one foot on the railing on the roof of the building and used clairvoyance magic, had a conversation rather than a conversation as if they were broadcasting live.

When the two first met, he growled, but now he has the same expression of concern about Adrian's recklessness.

but.

"uh?"

"her… … ."

The Duke of Riverdale and Count Elfrid's faces hardened when they saw Adrian and Arcia alone break through the Viscounty's defense line and overwhelm the enemy Vanguard unit.

"W-what is that?"

"… … ."

Adrian's fighting style was innovative at best, and apostolic at worst.

A wizard engaging in close combat, I had never seen or heard of anything like that.