Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 40 (Part 2)
After the first day, Hedler and Lant didn’t leave the inn. All six of them, including Cliff, spent their time inside.
After six days.
Lant, who was on watch, urgently called Cliff. Cliff, who had been drinking beer, quickly approached the window.
“Is he out?”
“Yes, it seems to be him.”
“Hmm, it’s him. Count Bahas.”
They finally spotted their target. Though physically unstrained, the six days had been mentally exhausting.
“What should we do?”
“They’re moving quickly. Tell everyone to prepare to leave as soon as possible.”
“Yes.”
The group gathered. Since they originally had little luggage, it didn’t take long to get ready.
Darren, the mage, had slightly more baggage due to the communication equipment and a few tools he carried for contacting the main force.
“Larson, Roy, Hedler. Go to the stables and get the horses. The rest wait at the inn entrance.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Don’t rush. Move leisurely. Show some ease.”
“Understood.”
Cliff deliberately looked in a different direction than Count Bahas to avoid suspicion.
Soon, the group brought the horses. They mounted their horses and slowly exited the city gate.
Outside the gate, the number of Count Bahas’s companions became clear. It was slightly more than expected.
“There seem to be about 30 knights.”
“That’s fine. It’s within the expected range. We’ll turn right here.”
“Are we not following them directly?”
“We must avoid suspicion. Mages can see much farther than you think.”
Cliff turned right, and the others followed.
As they changed direction, the distance from Count Bahas’s group increased.
Before long, Count Bahas’s group was out of sight.
“How do we follow them?”
“First, Darren, contact the main force. Report the number.”
“Yes, understood.”
Darren moved to the side, leaning against a large rock. He took out the communication device and began chanting.
Meanwhile, Cliff and the others surrounded Darren naturally to hide the mage from prying eyes.
“Can you hear me? It’s Darren.”
―We hear you. Have you confirmed?
“Yes. The orcs are moving. There are three. All are green-skinned orcs.”
―Three. Confirmed.
After completing the communication, Darren packed his equipment naturally.
All that was left now was to follow Count Bahas and Weidman.
“Shouldn’t we move soon?”
“I told you, mages can see much farther than you think. Especially a 6th-circle mage can perceive a wide range even while moving. Darren, how is it?”
“Yes. There is a 5th-circle spell called Familiar. It allows a mage to see and hear through an enchanted animal. If they use it on a bird, they can monitor several kilometers around them while moving.”
Darren, being a 4th-circle mage, didn’t know much about
5th and 6th-circle spells. What little he knew was from his instructor, so it wasn’t entirely accurate.
“Wow, that’s possible? Mages are something else.”
“There’s no need to be too scared of mages. Knights have their own ways.”
“What do we do?”
“Keep a 20-minute distance and follow them.”
A 20-minute distance on horseback was quite far. Not at full gallop, but faster than walking.
In such a situation, 20 minutes was significant. On flat land, you wouldn’t even see the target at that distance.
“It’s about time to move.”
“Yes.”
After staying for about five more minutes, Cliff led them to depart. They were gradually nearing the battle.
“Darren.”
“Yes, Vice-Captain.”
“We need information to deal with that 6th-circle mage. Is there an easy way to handle a 6th-circle mage?”
“What? There’s no such thing. Is there an easy way to handle a Tier 6 knight?”
“No. That was a foolish question. Then, tell me about the spells you know. Which ones are powerful, which ones to watch out for.”
Darren thought about the spells he knew.
Lethal spells, inconvenient spells, annoying spells, and so on.
Many spells flashed through his mind.
“For knights, Blink would be the most troublesome.”
“Blink. That’s spatial movement, right?”
“Yes. It’s a short-distance teleportation spell, a 4th-circle spell. A 6th-circle mage can probably use it with just the command word.”
Thanks to the Blink spell, a mage could always escape when a knight approached.
For knights who had to get close to swing their swords, it was a particularly tricky spell.
“Yes, I’ve experienced that before. It’s a pain. What else?”
“Probably, they’ll use area spells to limit the knights’ movements and take them out one by one.”
“Any solutions?”
“Well…, the best way is to charge through. Trying to dodge and wasting time only gives the mage more opportunities.”
Cliff imagined a battle with the 6th-circle mage Weidman. It was still quite tricky.
‘We’ll win, but.’
There would always be casualties among the knights. No matter how he envisioned the battle, there was no way to win without losses.
‘What a waste.’
The Royal Guard knights of the Riyaz Kingdom were meant to accomplish great things for the kingdom and the royal family. Losing them because of one mage was a tremendous waste.
—
In the mountains between Hampton and Orphus, the Riyaz Kingdom’s Royal Guard knights hid. Count Preiss checked each hidden knight one by one.
“Well hidden. Listen up. We received a communication. At their current speed, they will pass through here by noon tomorrow. We will cut down the enemies as quickly as possible and retreat. Simple, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll tell you who to target. I’ll take Count Bahas. Bron, Harren… 40 of you will handle the 6th-circle mage Weidman. Jack, Cactus, Roman… 60 of you will deal with the enemy knights. There are 30 of them, so two for each. The rest will adapt as the situation demands. Any questions?”
Count Bahas’s escort had increased slightly, but it didn’t matter. They still outnumbered them more than three to one.
The only potential variable was the 6th-circle mage Weidman.
So, they assigned an excessive number of 40 knights to him. With their field mage, Boil, they believed they could neutralize any surprises.
“Should we block the escape route?”
“As long as Count Bahas and Weidman are taken care of, the rest doesn’t matter. Let them escape if they want.”
“Understood.”
Once the attack started, Weidman would immediately request support with magic. Late requests from fleeing escorts wouldn’t matter.
“Rest until noon tomorrow. Stay alert but don’t let your guard down too much.”
“Yes.”