Chapter 245: It’s Fun to Stab Others in the Back (2)
Chapter 245: It’s Fun to Stab Others in the Back (2)
After swiftly dealing with the second group, I left them out on the plain where they’d be easy to collect and returned to the hill.
With this, we had taken out fifteen of Captain Ronia’s people alone.
I wanted to thin their numbers even more, but they must have realized by now that someone was hunting their detached units. Doing any more would be difficult.
“I’m back.”
“Welcome back. I assume... nothing much happened. Probably.”
Al’shel didn’t even give me a proper greeting. He just waved a hand while keeping his eyes fixed on The Enemy camp.
“And you? Did anything happen while I was gone?”
“Nothing major, but there has been movement.”
...Wouldn't that qualify as something happening?
“So, what kind of interesting thing did you find that made you want to stay here?”
I lay down next to Al’shel and asked. To be honest, I didn't really know what I was supposed to be looking at, but for the sake of appearances, I activated my sensory expansion to scan The Enemy formation.
It was meaningless, but there’s such a thing as formal beauty, isn't there?
“Hmm. It’s a bit suspicious, but I believe I’ve spotted Captain Ronia.”
“Huh? Where, where?”
I had been looking for a while too, but I hadn't seen that pig anywhere. I’d assumed he was hiding or using some kind of magic.
“See that fairy drawing a Magic Circle in front of the pillar? I suspect that person is Ronia.”
Following his gaze, I looked toward the newly forming Silver-purple Pillar.
There, I saw an androgynous fairy with pure white wings. With eyes closed, the figure was muttering something while deploying a Magic Circle.
“...That’s Ronia?”
No matter how much I looked at it, the only thing that resembled a pig was the fact that those wings looked like they belonged to a pigeon.
“Yes. I had my doubts as well, since the mana wavelength is significantly different from Ronia’s. However, that mage’s skill is beyond imagination. Unless there are two such archmages in that faction, it is reasonable to assume that person is Ronia.”
Hmm.
I thought about it for a moment.
Lieutenant General Par did say that, with a few exceptions, they could change their appearance to suit their tastes. They also mentioned that most have a form they’ve used for so long that it’s essentially their true self.
So, is that form their true self? Or is the pig form the real one?
Even here, the image of a pig carries a strong negative connotation. Why would they choose to look like that?
I don't understand why their faction is so loyal to them, I don't understand their appearance... it’s all so complicated.
Eh, forget it.
The point is, if I crush that person, I don't have to deal with them anymore.
There’s no need to overthink their traits.
So, only one thing matters.
“So, are they strong?”
Al’shel, you’ve been watching them cast magic this whole time.
“To be honest, I cannot tell if that being is strong.”
“Hmm? But they’re a Captain-rank, aren't they?”
Even if rank doesn't always equal power, from what I’ve seen of this ragtag army, rank and strength generally seem to be directly proportional.
I haven't seen a Fleet Admiral yet, so a Captain is effectively the highest rank. They shouldn't be weak.
“I am not saying that being is weak. I simply... do not know.”
“...Explain.”
“The structure and form of their magic are excessively textbook.”
“What’s the problem with that? Captain Af is basically a walking textbook too.”
You were the one who said Af was such an efficiency addict that she does the work of hundreds of mages by herself.
“No, for Captain Af, that efficiency is her identity. For example, a textbook might say, ‘This part is difficult to control, so you must apply a safety,’ but Captain Af trusts her own skill and boldly skips those parts to achieve overwhelming efficiency. In that way, a mage of a certain level inevitably reveals their personality through their magic.”
Ah... so he means this?
Captain Af has the skill, so she customized all her magic to be extremely efficient according to her abilities.
But this person, presumed to be Ronia, doesn't even do that; they just use magic exactly as the textbook says.
A textbook Ronia.
...Weren't they the leader of a bunch of political thugs?
That doesn't suit them at all.
“I don't think that’s Ronia.”
I’d rather believe there’s just another Ronia-level archmage.
“I would agree, but the magical ability they display is far too great. Because it is so perfectly standard, there is no flair or trickery, but the frequency, the precision, and the distribution of mana... the fundamental skills that represent a mage’s caliber are so exceptional that their true strength must be enormous.”
Good grief, that was a long explanation.
Basically, it’s this, right?
“Looking at their ability to use magic, they’re clearly a powerhouse, but the actual content of the magic is like a beginner’s?”
“No, not a beginner. I mean it is textbook.”
Same difference.
Anyway, I understood that they were a peculiar existence.
Now, let’s hear what the last member of our group thinks.
“Un-ho, what do you think?”
“About what, poyo?”
At my question, Un-ho, whose fur had turned brown to match the surroundings, stared intently at The Enemy camp and spoke.
“Whether that textbook person is Ronia or not. You heard Al’shel blathering on about it.”
“Ah, I heard him, but... honestly, I don't really know, poyo.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I never even passed the basic textbook verification. To be honest, I don't even understand why Master Al’shel feels a sense of dissonance, poyo.”
...Un-ho... that’s not something you should say so proudly.
Amidst such idle chatter and scouting, we continued to wait for something to happen.
* * *
The Silver-purple Pillar fired several more times.
By the time the artillery battle—where countless silver orbs rained down on Ronia’s camp—had repeated itself more times than I could count, the sun had dipped slightly toward the horizon.
I had grown bored and stopped watching The Enemy camp, closing my eyes and using a rock as a pillow to explore the infinite darkness. Then...
“It looks like they’re about to clash.”
Al’shel, who had been taking turns watching The Enemy, finally spoke.
I quickly sat up and expanded my vision toward The Enemy again.
“Where?”
“There, over the hill. Lieutenant General Par and a few of their cronies are charging in.”
I turned my gaze to that spot.
Just as Al’shel said, I could see Lieutenant General Par, their eyes stained red, charging forward with their subordinates in tow.
However, there was one very suspicious thing.
...Why are they charging in a single horizontal line?
Lieutenant General Par was in the center.
And three people were on either side of them.
They maintained that formation as they sprinted toward Captain Ronia’s camp.
Even for a disciplined group, that seemed a bit excessive.
Regardless of the strangeness, though...
“...They’re pretty damn strong, aren't they?”
“Indeed. It was the right choice not to attack first.”
“Wow, are those Lieutenant General Par’s direct adjutants? That’s insane, poyo.”
The seven warriors made us glad the three of us hadn't been stupid enough to charge out.
During the first head count, I thought they were just decent, but seeing them unleash their power now that they were in combat... I was speechless.
“Par is radiating that much power and I still can't see their limit, and those six... they’re at the level of your 13 Executives, aren't they?”
“What are you saying? That is quite insulting.”
Ah. So Al’shel does have some affection for his organization. Seeing him immediately object when I compared them.
“The other side is vastly stronger. Among our Thirteen Seats, excluding myself, Quilp, and Seini, there are none who can even come close to those six.”
I take back what I just thought, you little squid.
Anyway, that meant there were about six people ranging from mid-tier to top-tier A-Rank.
If we just looked at combat power without any variables, Un-ho could probably only hold off one or two of them.
“How many could you handle?”
“If Lieutenant General Par is not involved, all six. If they are, it would be difficult if even one more person joined them.”
“I could probably hold all seven of them back if I was prepared to kill or be killed... but there’s no guarantee I’d win.”
If it were a non-lethal fight, I’d almost certainly lose.
I wouldn't have the luxury of holding back against those guys.
“I think I can take three!”
In the meantime, Un-ho chimed in cheerfully.
To be honest, that didn't help much, but it did let me know that Un-ho was stronger in direct combat than I’d thought.
Assuming Lieutenant General Par’s combat power was within a reasonable range, I thought we might win a 3-on-7 fight...
The problem was that even if we won, Par’s faction of 80 people and Ronia’s faction would still be left.
As expected, the best scenario was for those two to fight and exhaust each other.
“I hope about four or five of them go down, and about half of Ronia’s kids get wiped out.”
“Do you think that will happen? They are aware of our presence, so they will likely stop once they have incurred a certain amount of loss.”
Al’shel shot down my wishful thinking, but something he said caught my attention.
Wait a second.
“Is the reason this is becoming a long-drawn-out battle because of us?”
“Is that not obvious? In a 1-on-1, they could just fight without looking back, but in a three-way battle, the two sides fighting only lose out. Even if they fight, they will try to minimize their losses.”
...Now that I hear it, that makes sense.
I just realized it, but isn't that the most basic strategy?
The kind that appears in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Uh... what was it... Zhuge Liang’s Tripod Theory?
...It was something about a tripod. Anyway.
“But Ronia didn't seem to care much about us.”
“Have you not considered that even that might be a ruse? And even if Captain Ronia truly thinks that way, Lieutenant General Par certainly does not.”
While Par’s group continued their horizontal charge, we kept discussing our strategy.
As the distance between the two sides closed, I spoke up, expecting Par to stop.
“Then, isn't now our chance? Why don't we split up and chip away at them? We already decided on guerrilla tactics. Al’shel, you go harass Par’s group alone, and Un-ho and I will go harass Ronia’s group...”
Just as I was making that quick judgment...
BOOM!
A massive sound erupted, and I immediately turned my head toward the source.
There, I saw Lieutenant General Par, who had punched a hole straight through a magic barrier, and their direct adjutants, who were attaching Magic Circles around them.
Immediately after, a roar that shook the entire area took over.
“RONIA! WHERE ARE YOU! IF YOU ARE A SOLDIER, COME OUT AND FIGHT ME NOW!”
I wondered if this was what the ‘Lion’s Roar’ from wuxia novels felt like.
Even though the voice came from a distance, the impact made my body tingle and tremble.
If it was like this for us, what must it be like for Ronia’s main force, who took it point-blank?
With an excited heart, I began to watch the battle, and at the same time, I voiced a thought that had occurred to me.
“Hey, didn't you just say that Lieutenant General Par knows we’re here, so they won't do anything that causes them a loss?”
But looking at Par now, they look like they’re ready to just charge in and wipe everything out.
“...There are always beings in this world who exceed my expectations.”
True. I didn't expect Par to have that little anger control either.
The battle unfolding before us was quite a grand spectacle.
Numerous mages from Ronia’s formation gathered to create a blue fortress wall.
However, Lieutenant General Par and their six direct subordinates smashed through that wall with sheer force and magic, charging inside.
They grabbed the poor enemies near The Wall and sent them flying into the distant sky.
To be honest, Par’s fighting style was closer to a physical-type monster than a mage, but their breakthrough power was something even I had to admire.
“...Now that such a massive wall has been breached, Ronia’s side must be in chaos.”
“Judging by their recovery speed, it looks like they can contain it... but at least ten more will be sacrificed.”
“How long do you think it’ll take them to recover?”
“If Ronia’s faction doesn't make a major mistake, it should take about 10 to 20 minutes. It is certain that Lieutenant General Par will reach their culminating point of attack by then. Their breakthrough power is already visibly decreasing.”
Hmm.
10 to 20 minutes.
Not long, but not short either.
Then, I should put that time to good use.
“Let’s go.”
“Where to?”
“I told you, didn't I? Let’s go chip away at them.”
We have to take advantage of this mess to set the board in our favor.
“Let’s use our small numbers to our advantage. Guerrilla warfare. Sounds good, right?”
To be honest, I used to hate guerrilla warfare.
How was I supposed to act like a partisan while carrying this huge hammer and wearing these blue clothes?
But as I felt the thrill of backstabbing them while following the paths pointed out by the expert, Un-ho...
I suppose you could say I’ve opened my eyes to the charm of guerrilla warfare.
“Since Lieutenant General Par is so kindly drawing all the attention, we can't let this opportunity go to waste.”
“That’s the spirit, Ha-ram! Let’s go catch some more of them, poyo!”
Thanks for the compliment, Un-ho.