Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 176 (Part 2)

This mission involved four carriages in total. Two wagons were also mobilized.

Of the four carriages, two had been brought by Rodin. One carried the client—Queen Regina and Prince Arian. The last carriage carried a large number of iron-rank mercenaries.

Bronze-rank mercenaries usually owned horses, but iron-rank mercenaries did not. Most of them didn’t have their own, so a carriage had been prepared for them.

Of course, there were some iron-rank mercenaries who had brought their own horses.

The three of them had their own horses, so they didn’t need to ride in the carriage. Also, in Rodin’s carriage were Karis, Jena, Larry, and Bianca.

In the end, only six Iron rank mercenaries rode in the carriage that was prepared for them.

“Brother, is it okay if I just ride here?”

“The other Iron rank mercenaries are riding in the carriage too.”

“Still. It just seems a bit more comfortable.”

“It’s the same for everyone.”

Rodin’s two carriages took position at the rear of the procession. It was a formation arranged to evenly distribute The Iron rank mercenaries at the front and rear.

The carriage with the six Iron rank mercenaries was at the very front. In case of emergency, it had to serve as a makeshift palisade, so it was positioned at the frontmost.

The Iron rank mercenaries on horseback and Karis, Jena, Larry, and Bianca  were all in the rear, making a total of seven Iron rank mercenaries at the back.

The Iron rank mercenaries had to do miscellaneous tasks like lighting campfires or setting up tents every time the procession stopped. That’s why they were evenly distributed front and back — to match the manpower.

“There won’t be any issues, right?”

“If we’re careful for the first three days, there shouldn’t be any major problems for about a month.”

“The first three days?”

“Yeah.”

The trick the Duke of Lientas had pulled was already exposed. A normal person would usually back out at this point.

But if the Duke of Lientas was truly narrow-minded and had a bad temper, other developments could arise. The odds of him starting something for revenge on behalf of his subordinate were slim, but not zero.

“You’re saying the Duke of Lientas might still make a move?”

“Yeah. That’s right. Well, I don’t think he’s that stupid though.”

The Duke of Lientas, as seen by Rodin, was narrow-minded but also a coward. He wasn’t the type brave enough to try retaliating against a great mage like Rodin.

Moreover, Rodin had left behind traces of a Master. Unless he’d gone half-mad, it seemed likely he’d let things pass quietly.

—

It was lunchtime. The carriages pulled to the side of the road and stopped for a meal.

Larry darted out of the carriage the moment it stopped and began gathering firewood. One of the Iron rank mercenaries prepared the meal site and took out the cooking tools.

Once a good amount of firewood had been gathered, Bianca went around lighting fires. The Iron rank mercenaries settled near the flames and began preparing lunch.

“They’re so orderly.”

Even in the midst of that, Karis and Jena simply stood off to the side. Yet no one dared to tell Karis or Jena to work.

The rumor that Karis had defeated Hurst, the Platinum-ranked mercenary, had already spread widely through the central continent’s mercenary world. Especially among the mercenaries in the Duke of Lientas’s territory — not far from where the battle for the domain had taken place — there wasn’t a single person who hadn’t heard.

“Larry is doing well too.”

“Yeah. He’s quick-witted. He watches the other Iron rank mercenaries and finds work on his own. Admirable.”

The meal finished. After cleaning up, the procession began moving again.

—

As Rodin predicted, they were able to leave the Duke of Lientas’s territory without any issues. The cowardly Duke had feared a confrontation with Rodin.

*Day 4.*

Rodin stepped out of the carriage. At his appearance, Karis and Jena turned to look at him.

“Magical beasts! Thirty-eight of them. Direction: front and both sides.”

“Magical beasts!”

“Magical beasts have appeared.”

Rodin’s voice wasn’t loud. If one wasn’t standing right next to him, they wouldn’t be able to hear it.

But Larry was used to voices like this. He immediately grasped the message and shouted a warning to the other mercenaries.

Upon hearing Larry’s voice, the procession halted. They formed a defensive formation, focusing on the front.

“Looks like orcs. Jena, take out half.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Given the mercenaries’ strength, even without Karis or Jena, they could handle the magical beasts without suffering casualties. Also, if Jena used her full strength, the battle wouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

But this time, Jena was only to show a portion of her abilities. It was to maintain her public image as a Iron rank mercenary.

The procession stopped, and a brief silence fell. Soon, magical beasts appeared, blocking the front and both flanks.

Kwaah! Kchwi-ka!

— Chwik!

Jena stepped forward. Without hesitation, she dove into the middle of the magical beasts and began a slaughter.

Kraaak! Kchwi-aaak!

The magical beasts struggled hard, but it was futile.

Jena dispatched exactly half — nineteen — and returned to the carriage. Not a single drop of blood stained her.

“You can handle the rest, right?”

“Of course, Mage Rodin. You all heard that, right? Half has already been cut down. The rest is our share. Attack!”

“Die!”

“Haap!”

The orcs, whose numbers had been halved in an instant, were stunned. They were so bewildered they didn’t even think to reform their formation.

The mercenaries pounced on the dazed orcs. The Gold-ranked mercenary Scott did not move. Silver-ranked mercenary Poby also remained in the rear, just in case.

Only the Bronze and Iron-rank mercenaries fought the orcs.

Originally, their strength was a bit lacking. While Bronze-ranked mercenaries could fully handle one orc, the Iron-ranked ones were just barely managing.

But the orcs had already lost their will to fight. They weren’t prepared to battle properly, and thus couldn’t respond well to the attacks from the Bronze and Iron-rank mercenaries.

On top of that, the mage’s presence was significant.

“Magic Missile!”

Bianca had somehow climbed atop the carriage roof and supported the mercenaries. Her main targets were the orcs fighting Larry, but occasionally, she sent spells flying at the magical beasts fighting other mercenaries.

Krarrak! Kchwi-eeek!

The battle dragged on for quite a while. Since the Gold and Silver-ranked mercenaries weren’t participating, firepower was somewhat lacking.

But they steadily reduced the number of orcs, and after nearly 30 minutes of fighting, they managed to defeat them all.

“Huff, huff!”

“Phew.”

“We did it!”

“No more cheering! Clean up the battlefield. Dump the corpses!”

There was no time to butcher them for parts. Orc materials weren’t particularly valuable, so the mercenaries discarded the orc corpses without regret.

They dragged the bodies off the road so that the carriages and wagons could pass. Larry and Bianca also helped move three orcs.

“We move again.”

“Move! Move!”

The mercenaries began marching again. They regained their original pace while guarding the carriages carrying Queen Regina and Prince Arian.

“Mercenary Scott.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Could we speak for a moment?”

“Of course.”

Queen Regina called the Gold-ranked mercenary Scott aside. She had something she wanted to ask.

Hyung_Otaku2

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