Chapter 78
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Sudden Gate (7)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Kang Ju-young blinked her eyes twice at the unfamiliar term "archmage."
"Are you referring to yourself as an archmage?"
"Looks can be deceiving. I'm walking the path of magic, after all."
Anyone could tell at a glance that the old man was a mage.
With his long wooden staff and neatly tailored robe, it was obvious.
"But what did you mean by calling other archmages riffraff?"
"I meant that those unworthy of the title are calling themselves archmages."
The old man casually tossed out words that could spark controversy.
Still, Kang Ju-young believed he had the skills to back it up and politely asked him to take good care of them.
"I see. Then please make sure the cadets don't die."
"As I said, I'll help just enough."
"May I ask how much that 'just enough' entails?"
"We have to give the cadets—who will shoulder the future—a chance to grow, don't we?"
In short, he meant he'd thin out the monster numbers when they attacked.
Kang Ju-young easily understood the old man's words and frowned.
"What if a cadet dies in the process?"
"You're misunderstanding. I'm not here to conquer the gate in your place."
The archmage shook his head as if correcting her, then restated his reason for coming.
"I'm here to help you, plain and simple. How much I help is entirely up to me."
"......Then let's head to the east wall where the monsters are expected to attack."
Kang Ju-young had plenty she wanted to say but couldn't force him.
As the archmage had said, he was here to "help" her, not to "save" her.
Realizing that, she stopped trying to persuade him and guided him to the east wall where the battle would soon erupt.
Thud thud—
"So, how did you end up caught in a gate?"
"A sudden gate appeared during class, and we got swept up. More importantly, how skilled are you, Archmage?"
When the archmage asked his question first, Kang Ju-young casually asked hers in return.
Fortunately, he seemed to enjoy conversation and answered as if she'd asked the perfect question.
"My skills? Given enough time, I could wipe out a nation with ease."
"A whole...... nation?"
Kang Ju-young's face twisted in utter confusion.
Magic was possible as long as one had [imagination], [incantation], and [mana].
Erasing a nation, as the archmage claimed, was theoretically feasible—but the issue was mana.
"Can a human even possess that much mana?"
Imagination and incantations could be managed somehow, but without the mana to back them up, no spell would manifest.
In her view, no human could wield enough mana for a spell that could destroy a nation.
"You're trapped by prejudice."
Instead of answering directly, the archmage accused her of prejudice.
"Prejudice?"
"It's possible to have that much mana—or not."
Kang Ju-young frowned again at the utterly vague response.
"Ah, Instructor Kang Ju-young!"
Just then, a Hero Association member spotted her and rushed over with news about the wall.
"We're repairing the wall as you ordered, but it might not be done in time."
"Don't worry about it. We don't know how long we'll be stuck here, so we can't stop the repairs."
The moment the wall crumbled, it would sweep away the soldiers defending it—and the cadets too.
As their last line of defense, the wall needed constant repairs whenever possible, in her opinion.
"Understood. But...... who's that with you?"
The Hero Association member nodded, then glanced at the archmage beside her.
With his obvious mage-like appearance, he assumed it was one of the local mages.
"He's a mage who agreed to help us. Said he'd help 'just enough.'"
"I see."
The Hero Association member simply nodded.
His eyes held only the faint hope that it was better than nothing.
"Then I'll get back to repairing the wall."
As the man left, Kang Ju-young turned to the archmage.
"Can you repair the wall, by any chance?"
"Not difficult. But I don't want to steal that young man's job."
"If the wall falls, everyone could be in danger."
"Then we'll just have to defend it well enough that it doesn't fall."
"......"
Kang Ju-young felt an urge to punch the old man, credentials be damned.
"Kang Ju-young."
Meanwhile, someone called her name in a low voice.
Turning, she saw Petra, fully armored and preparing for the imminent battle.
"Were you handling repairs? That would've normally been my soldiers' job."
"We have to fight here too, so we're just patching it up."
"I see. Well, thanks anyway. Things are looking lively thanks to you."
Petra had noticed the energy buzzing everywhere, thanks to the reinforcements and the hearty meal they'd eaten.
"More importantly, who's the old man?"
"He came to help after hearing about our situation."
Petra nodded upon hearing he was part of the reinforcements.
"I'm Petra, lord of this castle. Thanks for the help."
"They call me the Archmage."
"......?"
Petra, not grasping the title, gave her a puzzled look.
"Archmage? Is that your name?"
"I have a name, but you don't deserve to hear it."
"I can't imagine what makes it so grand that you talk about qualifications."
"It's grander than someone who abandons their soldiers, knights, and citizens."
"......"
Kang Ju-young, listening in, thought the archmage had a real talent for inviting fists with his mouth.
Petra seemed to agree; her eye twitched, fist clenched—but she held back from striking.
"I'll be watching to see just how impressive you are."
With that, Petra left with her knights toward the wall.
Kang Ju-young addressed the archmage, who was picking fights when they should be getting along.
"Did you have to say it like that?"
"Truth is always bitter."
Kang Ju-young gave a small shake of her head and gave up talking to him.
In no time, night fell, and torches began lighting up one by one around the area.
"Instructor Kang Ju-young. I've brought the cadets from the barracks."
"Position them along the wall. And your role is crucial—space yourselves out to protect the cadets from getting hurt."
"Got it. But we might not have enough people to cover everyone."
"Do your best anyway. It's our only option right now."
The Hero Association member nodded and led the cadets up the wall.
"Then let's head up too."
"Mm."
Kang Ju-young and the archmage followed, gazing out from the wall at the vast plain stretching before them and the expansive forest at its edge.
"Surprisingly many monsters."
"Monsters?"
Kang Ju-young scanned the surroundings at the archmage's sudden remark.
Of course, no monsters were visible, so she looked at him quizzically.
"That forest over there. At least 30,000 to 40,000 monsters gathered."
"......"
The forest he pointed to was at least 20 to 30 kilometers away.
Not even Kang Ju-young could sense the presence of monsters that far, so she asked if it was true.
"Is that really true?"
"Why would I lie?"
She nodded at his logical reply, focusing on the staggering number: 30,000 to 40,000.
'If 30,000 to 40,000 monsters attack......'
Unless they abandoned the castle and fled, survival would be unlikely.
"How can you sense that far?"
"The power of magic."
For reference, Kang Ju-young had been with him constantly, yet she'd never seen him chant even once.
"......Is it really magic?"
"Doubting me?"
"You haven't chanted a single spell."
"That's prejudice too."
Chanting was a rule of magic, not prejudice—but she held her tongue, knowing his response would be evasive.
"They're coming now."
And as the archmage said, countless monsters began pouring out of the forest without respite.
"......"
Kang Ju-young inwardly cursed a soldier as the emerging monsters quickly surpassed a thousand.
'They said 1,000 monsters every 2~3 days.'
The current horde looked to be nearly 3,000 strong.
Naturally, the sudden increase threw the soldiers into chaos.
"Th-they're way more than usual!"
"Damn it. Was that our last meal?"
"It's all because of the reinforcements! They're here, so this happens!"
Others tried calming them.
"Don't panic! Stick to the plan!"
Watching the soldiers and monsters, the archmage spoke with inner relief.
"Good thing I came."
He raised his staff and cast a spell.
Kang Ju-young watched, then soon gaped in shock.
'No chant?'
The essentials for magic: [imagination], [incantation], [mana].
The archmage had skipped [incantation], but astonishingly, no [mana] was detectable either.
'Same as when I first checked.'
Initially, she'd sensed no mana from him at all.
Even now, mid-spell, his body emitted none.
Flash!—
But changes rippled through the surroundings.
Kang Ju-young felt the world's mana shift as if gaining a will of its own.
'Above.'
Sensing it from above, she looked up.
Hero Association members and cadets did the same, staring at the sky.
Innumerable orbs of pure white light dotted the heavens like stars.
"Wow...... so pretty."
As someone murmured, the sight was breathtakingly beautiful.
But admiration was short-lived—the orbs plummeted toward the monsters like a meteor shower.
Boom!—Kaboom kaboom boom!!—
The orbs devastated the charging monsters like a missile barrage.
Everyone atop the wall watched in stunned silence, deeming the scene impossible.
"That should do it."
The orbs, which had seemed poised to annihilate the horde, vanished in an instant.
Kang Ju-young stared at the archmage, who had dispelled the spell, her expression shocked for entirely different reasons.
"Didn't I say I'd help just enough?"
The archmage met her gaze, true to his word.