Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: To the Battlefield (1)
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I'd never really thought about revenge.
Parents who sold their own kids were damned scum anyway.
If anything, Paula's lord—who lost his mind over his child's death—seemed comparatively sane as a parent.
The village head had always favored Lian over the other kids, but in the end, that old geezer was just a lackey for those in power.
Of course, if you asked whether they had any other choices, the answer was no.
The tragedy that struck the village was partly a repercussion because Lian had chosen defiance over obedience and tagged along.
That's why Lian had never even considered revenge against the people of his hometown...
"Perfect timing, it's raining."
Plop-plop—drop—
The sky had looked overcast since morning.
Large raindrops began falling one by one onto the terrace.
Lian stepped back inside and picked up a large decorative porcelain plate.
"This won't get me in trouble if I use it, right?"
"Why? What are you gonna do with it?"
"Catch some rainwater."
"Huh?"
Water holds answers, but rainwater holds far more.
Shhh...
The rain began pouring down refreshingly.
Soon enough, the plate left on the terrace held just the right amount of water.
"What are you gonna do with that? Show off some weird magic again?"
"Oh! Magic?"
As Lian carried the water-filled plate inside, Firka and Pablo took interest.
"Show me Paula's lord."
In response to Lian's request, the image of a middle-aged man appeared on the surface.
A face that resembled his wastrel son, whom Lian had killed with his own hands.
But his eyes had lost their light like a madman's, and his complexion was gaunt.
Glancing at the background, it looked like a tent.
And his attire was armor lined with fur leather.
Was he still wandering in search of vengeance for his son?
"What kind of magic is this? Scrying spell?"
"...Can't exactly say it's not. Pretty similar."
"Then, is this guy your enemy or something?"
"Not quite to that extent."
"For someone not that serious, your eyes watching him looked pretty vicious."
Did they?
Lian glanced at Pablo for confirmation, and he slowly nodded.
"Yes. Much fiercer than when you faced Lord Leon, sir."
I'd thought I didn't feel that strongly.
Maybe until now, I'd just wanted to believe that.
"Well, he's the one who killed my parents, so yeah, he's an enemy."
"That's what an enemy is!"
"Well, I killed his son first."
"Ah..."
Suddenly, Delico Matron came to mind from that lord's hollow gaze.
She too was a madwoman who had devoted her life to revenge for her child.
In this light, she and Isabel might truly be soulmates.
"If Lian did it, it must've been a guy who deserved to die."
"That's right. He really deserved it."
But how much did Paula's lord know about his target?
If he knew Lian's name and appearance, he must have at least suspected that the Lian from the Lapis Lazuli Merchant House was the same person.
It was necessary to check where that vengeful ghost was and what he was up to.
"Show me where this guy is now."
The water rippled, and the scene shifted.
Now it showed a vast forest panorama.
But nothing stood out to Lian that could pinpoint the location.
"Pablo. Do you know where this is?"
"Hey, be reasonable. No way you could tell just from this..."
"Looking at the ridge and river shape over there, probably... Black Moss Forest? Near the border touching Andora territory."
"...What? Really? Not just pulling it out of nowhere?"
A place very far from Lian's hometown.
Naturally, it had nothing to do with him.
"What is Paula's lord doing in this forest?"
But this time, the reflected image blurred and hazed over, impossible to see clearly.
"What is this? What was it trying to show? Too blurry!"
"Hmm. Look closely—isn't that dark blob a person?"
"Is it?"
Unable to see clearly with this magic likely meant one thing.
Magical interference.
"A magician..."
A madman blinded by revenge seeking out a magician.
Impossible not to take notice.
The next morning, early.
Lian received a summons from Valua II, along with Firka.
The place they arrived at wasn't just Valua II—elderly knights were there too.
Judging by the golden embroidery on their cloaks, they were likely generals.
But their gazes toward Lian and Firka weren't exactly friendly.
"You've come. Rest well? Looking back, it seems I tormented you harshly right after your long journey yesterday."
"Not at all, Your Highness. Your deep consideration washed away all my travel fatigue."
"Good, then. Come here."
A large map was spread on the table between Valua II and the generals.
And atop it, flag models marking army deployments.
The generals clearly weren't thrilled showing such vital military info to a mere merchant.
But they couldn't defy the king's will.
"What do you think?"
"My profession makes me think of supplies first. Especially with summer and the rainy season starting soon—there'll be all sorts of things to worry about..."
Lian suddenly pondered if there was some product that could revolutionize logistics.
Canned food came to mind immediately.
But with current tech, it'd be hard to produce, and even if made, the cost wouldn't match.
Plus, wagons couldn't handle the weight—lacking practicality in many ways.
"Hmm. In the end, it all circles back to hardtack? No wonder it's lasted centuries..."
Things that survived across eras and cultures had good reason.
"Sorry. A guy who knows nothing about war spouting off."
"It's fine. Not wrong."
"But originally, Your Highness didn't intend to entrust me with supply operations."
Lian examined the strategy map again.
He hadn't played strategy games much in his past life, but even he spotted something odd.
"It feels like the deployments are avoiding forests and rivers in particular."
Not just not crossing them.
The formations avoided even passing nearby.
"Sharp eye. Thanks to that, across this vast border, the actual passable routes are limited."
"And the reason is magicians?"
"Indeed."
"But magicians aren't exclusive to Bordia, are they?"
"That's the point. What do you think, Firka?"
Firka's lips pursed at the question implying what they'd been doing while their army got toyed with by enemy magicians.
"Basically, when magicians clash, it's about who’s better prepared. Defenders have a huge advantage there."
"I see. Makes sense."
"Magicians aren't like you, seeing through enemy spells instantly. Usually, they react after getting hit."
Lian recalled the Delico farm surrounded by suspicious flower barriers.
Even a magician stumbling in unaware would've ended up fertilizer.
But once you knew the counter, it wasn't that scary.
Just avoid the pollen—raid on a rainy day.
Or have a knack like Lian for picking safe paths.
"Best to treat forests, rivers, lakes as riddled with magician traps and steer clear."
"Even plains aren't safe. A normal plain turning into a swamp, bogging us down for ambushes—that was nasty."
"Not just in battle. Supplies rotting overnight—we suffered that too."
As if from personal experience, the generals all wore expressions of horrific nightmares.
"Magicians' twisted spells have me shuddering now."
"No glory in victories from despicable means. Tsk."
The generals' complaint-filled gazes turned to the genuine magician Firka.
She glared back fiercely, unbowed.
"You lot take magician help when you need it! Making Bordia dogs fight each other! Confusing their reinforcements so no ambushes! I did all that!"
"Ahem. Well..."
"Not dismissing your feats, but strategy is..."
"We did our jobs! Don't blame us for your screw-ups!"
"Hey now, that's going too far!"
Tensions between Firka and the generals were heating up.
"Enough!"
Finally, Valua II roared in frustration.
"Did I gather you here to fight among yourselves?"
"My apologies, Your Highness."
"We have no excuses."
"Hmph!"
Firka stayed defiant, but with the generals bowing first, the situation ended.
Valua II just pinched his brow and sighed.
Since he said nothing more, this wasn't a one-off.
"Sorry for the unseemly display before you."
"Not at all. So, specifically, what do you want me to do?"
At Lian's question, a white-haired general placed four black flag models on the map.
Lian's eyes flashed.
One of the spots was the Black Moss Forest where Paula's lord was.
"These four spots are major roadblocks to our advance. But with one body, you can't handle all."
"I see... Could I learn what issues each is causing?"
"I'll explain."
A general with a long scar across his face stepped forward, listing what the enemy magicians had done.
Soldiers leaping into rivers to drown themselves.
Controlling giant wolf beasts.
Weapons rusting in seconds.
"And this Black Moss Forest is by far the worst."
"How bad?"
"Cursed. Drives people mad, sudden deaths—no countermeasures."
"Even without entering?"
"Yes. Common point: right before going mad or dying, they all stared blankly at the forest."
"So they witnessed something in the forest?"
"Who knows. They said they saw nothing."
A creepy tale, like a ghost story.
Then perhaps Paula's lord had gone there seeking a way to curse Lian.
If so, couldn't leave it alone.
"Got it. Then I'll head to Black Moss Forest."
"Wait! Did you hear what I just said?"
"If such vicious magic guards it, the enemy won't expect it to be breached."
"Logical enough."
Valua II nodded to Lian's makeshift excuse.
"However, Your Highness—no unit will want to go near there."
"Not entirely true."
"Your Highness. Surely not...?"
"Send a messenger to General Tulio at once. Lian will assault Black Moss Forest."
The generals exchanged odd glances at those words.
What kind of person was this General Tulio...?
'Hmm? Imagination?'
And Lian suddenly felt like he'd heard that name somewhere before.