Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 47 (Part 2)
From the start, the 13-country alliance had more troops. Whether knights, mages, or soldiers, they had the numerical advantage.
However, the Ingram Empire was far more elite.
The empire’s knights always won against an equal number of enemies, and their forces never lost in similar-number battles.
The exchange ratio was roughly 1 to 4 or 1 to 5. For every one unit the empire lost, the 13-country alliance lost 4 to 5.
But this time, the exchange ratio was at most 1 to 1.5. It was a painful loss for the Ingram Empire, unprecedented since the war began.
“Is this the guy?”
“Yes, he’s a knight of the Riaz Kingdom. Albrecht. He was quite famous before.”
“Is he really a knight? How can a knight look like that? Does the Riaz Kingdom choose knights by weight?”
Albrecht had survived the chaos by falling off his horse and not getting trampled in the confusion. It was sheer luck.
“What could this pig possibly know?”
“Well, we can listen to him, and if it’s worthless, we can dispose of him.”
“It’s just a waste of time. There’s no way this pig knows anything confidential.”
“Let’s hear him out for a moment. Who knows? It might be important information.”
Albrecht could hear the sneers of the Ingram Empire’s commanders. His arms were tied to the chair, but his hearing was fine.
“Hey! Are you really a knight?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, how lazy can you be to end up like this?”
“Hmm.”
Although his pride was hurt, Albrecht didn’t show it. He knew his life depended on their words.
“Alright. Pig, you have something to say? It better be useful. If not, you’ll lose your head like the others.”
“It will be useful.”
Albrecht had lived in peace for too long. He had stopped training a long time ago.
His long laziness had ruined not only his body but also his mind. He was no longer the proud senior knight of the Riaz Kingdom.
In the past, he would have shouted, ‘Just kill me!’, ‘No matter how you torture me, you won’t get the answer you want!’ But now, he didn’t even have the courage to raise his voice.
All Albrecht wanted was to survive, even if it meant being cowardly.
“Speak.”
“About ten years ago, the royal family…”
“Don’t just say the royal family. Which country? We are fighting against more than one country, 13 to be exact!”
“The royal family of the Riaz Kingdom decided to establish a special forces unit. They appointed the mage Kreate as the head…”
Albrecht revealed everything he knew about the special forces training center. Not just the level of the trainees but also information about the instructors and committee members.
“…and that’s how they were trained.”
“So, you’re saying they raised kids in a special forces training center? Some of them are 5th-circle mages?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“You called us here to tell us about 5th-circle mages? We have plenty of those in the empire. What a waste of time.”
A 5th-circle mage was a formidable force but not enough to change the tide of a battle.
This wasn’t a small war between regions but a continent-scale war between the Ingram Empire and the 13-country alliance, with a combined force of over 1.5 million.
Given the scale, there were plenty of 5th-circle mages. The Ingram Empire alone had mobilized 11 6th-circle mages.
“Wait! He’s 14 years old.”
“What?”
“Excuse me?”
The two Ingram Empire commanders who were about to leave suddenly stopped. The age mentioned was too significant to ignore.
“Say that again. How old?”
“14 years old.”
“You said he’s a 5th-circle mage? And he’s 14?”
“Yes. He’s definitely 14. Right now, he’s locked up making potions, but he was growing faster than anyone before that.”
One of the commanders, Captain Ferrios, slowly turned around. He glared sharply at the bound Albrecht.
“Listen, pig. If you’re lying, you’ll die the most miserable death.”
“It’s the truth. He became a 5th-circle mage at the age of 12.”
“Ha, unbelievable. 12 years old and already 5th-circle… Lars, bring the map.”
“Yes.”
Lars signaled his subordinates. Someone quickly brought a map showing the entire western continent.
“Hey, pig. Show us where the special forces training center is. Be as precise as possible.”
“Here, right here.”
“Hmm… Isn’t this near the capital of the Riaz Kingdom?”
“It’s nearby. About two hours by horse.”
Ferrios scrutinized the spot Albrecht pointed out. He mentally mapped out the route from the Ingram Empire to the special forces training center.
“Not easy. It’s in a tricky spot.”
“What should we do?”
“Lock this pig up separately. If he’s lying, we’ll peel his skin off piece by piece. Make sure he’s well-fed.”
“Thank you.”
Albrecht felt relieved.
He realized he had survived, at least until they confirmed the special forces training center.
“Understood.”
“I need to meet with the General Commander.”
“Captain, the capital of the Riaz Kingdom is too far. We’ll encounter unwanted battles and losses along the way. Is it worth it?”
“Is it worth it? Of course. He became a 5th-circle mage at 12. If we train him well, he could become a 7th-circle grand mage.”
A 7th-circle grand mage. The very name was thrilling.
But a 7th-circle grand mage wasn’t just achieved by long practice. The Ingram Empire had two mages stuck at the 6th circle for over 30 years. Neither had reached the 7th circle, and probably never would.
“Possibility is slim…”
“The 7th circle… Yes, it’s tough. But raising him to the 6th circle is achievable.”
The 7th circle was a symbolic level. No country had ever had a 7th-circle mage, not even over centuries.
Only the Mage Tower had this mysterious existence.
Many believed the Mage Tower possessed something necessary for reaching the 7th circle.
“But isn’t he making potions?”
“Obviously. The committee feared his growth. So they kept him from training and made him brew potions all day. Tsk, tsk. With the slave Rod, what were they afraid of?”
“Yes, exactly. They banned him from the practice room and forced him to make potions all day.”
“Wow. You must be proud, pig.”