Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Cheating Ability (1)
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After setting out, we were climbing the mountain at a rapid pace.
I would point out the locations, and the mages and knights would rush over to disable the magic circles.
Even the undead coming down the slopes were handled by the holy knights, so everything proceeded remarkably smoothly.
The only big issue was how slowly we were moving.
"Left flank operational sector—magic circles fully disabled!"
"Multiple magic circles detected on the side path leading to the center!"
Astor Closel pointed at the map.
"Dispatch personnel there."
"We'll immediately assemble a unit including mages."
"Good."
This must be what they mean by things going like clockwork.
Everything was flowing smoothly.
At least, that's how it looked to everyone else.
"Aigoo, my back... my shoulders..."
I was being worked to the bone just as much as we were safely advancing into the mountain.
Recovered stamina?
That just meant I could perform divinations even more.
"Seeing anything else?"
"Over there in the center—undead are gathering. We'll need to send more skilled people."
"Most of the magic circles have been confirmed as explosion or fire types."
"Told you."
"It could've turned into a hell of fire, just as you said."
Anyone who laid those out across the mountain had clear intentions.
Light the soldiers up as they climbed.
Burn them all to death.
"The resistance is fiercer than expected. How much time do we have left?"
We'd barely arrived at the mountain, and already there had been several battles.
The problem was that every time a soldier died or an undead was shattered, the mountain peak grew even darker.
With demon summoning suspected, we couldn't take it lightly.
The ominous feeling was reaching its peak.
"Can't say exactly, but a few days at most. And it's speeding up."
"..."
The gathered people let out groans.
We couldn't keep climbing safely like this.
There was no way to disable all those in such a short time.
How do you clear an entire vast mountain's worth?
Parmon Elder quietly spoke up.
"We'll proceed with the full assault as planned."
"That'll mean heavy casualties..."
"If the demon is summoned, it'll be several times worse. And then everyone who dies will..."
The elder paused, frowning as if recalling something grim.
"Rise as undead."
"..."
"..."
"Rosel, even if we split the mages into three groups, can we disable the circles?"
"Even if we do, we'll lose the power to fight undead. Not enough mana."
Various opinions flew back and forth.
There were far more magic circles than anticipated.
Meaning the mountain fire would be massive.
Still, we had to put it out somehow.
"The elves should arrive soon. They're moving stealthily, so their pace is slow."
At the mention of elves, everyone's eyes turned to me.
I was the one who'd called them, after all.
Count Nordin shrugged.
"Not even an official imperial request, and I've never seen someone move the elves personally. Honestly, didn't think it was possible."
"Heh heh... Thanks to that, we have more viable strategies."
Truth be told, I knew nothing about war.
Watching the strategy meetings, it felt like chess.
One move influences others, creating flows.
My role? Foreseeing variables or outcomes that could change things.
The elders looked at me like I was crazy when I said that, though.
"Mm... so, we're doing the full assault?"
Parmon Elder gave me another expectant, burdensome look.
"Is that okay?"
The feeling wasn't bad.
The heat from the mountain was still there, but I wasn't sweating buckets like before.
No major misfortunes had hit anyone except Count Nordin so far.
Parmon Elder explained in detail, as if determined not to miss a thing.
"First, we just need the path up free of fire. We have to get as many up alive as possible."
"Mm..."
"The key is this: getting our strongest to the peak with full stamina intact."
That was definitely the crux.
We hadn't been able to approach because of the growing undead numbers—not because we lacked the power to handle necromancers.
"With the new necromancer joining, Closel and I will take them."
"What about the knights?"
"High-grade undead will appear near them—like death knights. Factoring in the church's help, we'll have more than enough forces."
"So, we just need to deal with those magic circles?"
"Even we can't handle fire on the expected scale. Minimizing sacrifices would be ideal."
The conclusion was the fire.
They could just set it and forget it, but we had a lot to do.
Even after beating them, we'd have to come back down and suppress the disaster.
The good news was our forces were substantial.
Honestly, I suspected they'd win even without my help.
Just with a lot more deaths.
"It's all for saving lives, after all..."
"That's the most important part."
"Hold on a sec."
A way to put out the fire.
The elves were already almost here.
Clearing the path up wouldn't be hard for them.
They had spirits, after all.
At that moment, Luna, who'd been sleeping on my back, woke up.
"Awoo...!"
"Hm?"
Snort.
"Hm...?"
Luna snorted repeatedly.
With her bright, sparkling eyes.
It didn't feel like mere baby babble.
Luna had Divine Sight, so she might be seeing something else.
Snort, snort.
"Rain?"
"Kyak!"
If rain fell, no worries about a mountain fire.
The flames would go out quick.
Rain at the perfect time would be ideal.
"Right? If it rains, we're good?"
"Rain, you say?"
"Is rain coming? The gods are aiding us."
"When will it rain? We don't have time to wait."
I didn't know when rain would come.
But I knew a way to make it rain.
"Not sure since I've never tried this myself, but..."
Maybe in my current state, it was possible?
With Ilia's blessing and the World Tree's blessing.
Condition was peak.
If the two gods helped even a little, it was doable.
Just pulling forward rain that was coming anyway.
"I have a way to make it rain."
Astor Closel's eyes sparkled excessively.
"Rain over the entire mountain is 8th Circle magic. It means controlling the whole weather system. Can you do that?"
8th Circle or whatever—on our side, it was commonplace.
There'd been rituals passed down since ancient times.
"It's called a rainmaking rite—a ceremony praying to the gods for rain."
Normally for droughts.
Or to pray for abundance.
Not sure about an immediate response, though.
"Uncle Pope?"
"Speak."
"Which god makes it rain?"
You need to know who to pray to for the rite.
Usually the heavens, but the system here was a bit different.
The answer came not from the Pope Uncle, but from quiet Serena beside me.
"Rain comes from spirits."
"Spirits?"
"Precisely, water spirits. The god Chris is looking for is probably the Water Spirit King."
Spirit King...?
A name I'd never even considered.
Did Spirit Kings count as gods?
"Right, this is animism."
Lately, it'd become so everyday I'd forgotten.
How unique this world was.
A world where the gods' power took physical form.
No different from believing souls inhabited nature and plants—animism.
That explained the close ties between the World Tree and spirits.
Suddenly, the feeling hit me.
My mind grew noisy.
Pook—
Luna clung to my back like she was hugging it, adding one more voice.
Various spirits circling in my head.
Not my possessing deity, but others descending.
"Looks like we can head up right away."
"You're certain it will work?"
Any seasoned shaman could instinctively tell.
If a ritual would succeed or fail.
With two gods helping, and my possessing deity too, it wouldn't flop.
"It'll work."
As soon as I finished, Parmon Elder stepped forward.
"From now on, full speed up the mountain. Ignore the fire—charge ahead no matter what."
Astor Closel issued quick orders.
"Mages, stop disabling circles and shield the troops."
"The church will break through the undead."
Count Nordin approached, chuckling.
Since that last meeting, he'd been unusually lighthearted, talking to me often.
"I've fought plenty of territorial wars myself, but..."
"Yes?"
"If I were a necromancer, I'd be sick to my stomach."