Chapter 22
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: The Magic Tower Genius Descends the Labyrinth
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“Keeek!”
“Queruk!”
Cries from all sorts of monsters echoed from every direction.
It was a horde of orcs boasting enormous statures, and among them lurked even high orcs with crimson skin.
“Damn it!”
“Gillian! We have to hold on somehow!”
The Camel Mercenary Corps, who had been out camping, now faced a truly hellish predicament.
They needed to carve a path to escape, but orcs swarmed every direction.
“......”
Captain Camel of the mercenary corps gazed gravely at the cold corpse of his fallen comrade.
They were already outnumbered, but these weren’t even the monsters that typically appeared around here.
He couldn’t fathom why they’d been thrust into such a crisis.
What’s more, these orcs were far larger than any he’d encountered before.
The sheer power emanating from their massive frames was on another level entirely.
Camel quickly steadied his resolve and bellowed.
“Protect the client first! I’ll break through—follow me, everyone!!”
With heroic valor, he hefted his battle axe and charged straight into the orc horde.
“Uwaaaah!”
“Charge!”
The other mercenaries rallied around him, launching a desperate last stand.
Clang! Chaaang! Thud!
In the midst of the clashing weapons and ringing metal, the client trembled violently, clutching at his clothes.
“W-what in the world is going on!? You said this route was safe!”
“......Client, the situation isn’t good right now. Let’s talk after we escape this crisis.”
Vice-Captain Teman addressed the client in Camel’s stead as the captain frantically cleared a path.
In this deadlock, Camel struggled to create an opening.
“Kurrrraa!!”
The high orc’s roar shook the air with ferocious intensity.
Whoosh!
When the massive lump of iron it wielded cleaved through the atmosphere oppressively, Camel’s expression darkened further.
Boom—!
The weapons collided with an explosive impact that vibrated the air—a sound beyond belief.
Camel’s form staggered violently above all else.
“Camel!”
“Protect the captain!!”
As the other mercenaries paled in shock and rushed to aid him, Camel regained his footing and shouted.
“Hold your lines, everyone! I’ll take down this high orc, so don’t get hasty!”
He gripped his battle axe tightly with both hands and faced the high orc once more.
Its towering build forced even him—who yielded to no one in size—to crane his neck upward.
Above all, matching the overwhelming force pouring from that colossal body seemed nearly impossible.
But I have to.
If he couldn’t defeat the high orc, there’d be no escape.
Worse, the other orcs’ combat prowess had surged abnormally because of this one.
A short, decisive battle was their only option.
“Chen!”
With a resonant cry laced with determination, Camel’s arms suddenly swelled massively.
The full unleashing of Chen, squeezing out every drop of mana.
The battle axe he swung next tore through the air at an unbelievable speed.
Whoooosh…!
“Quek!”
Amid the tremendous whoosh, the high orc’s expression twisted in alarm.
The destructive power was on a whole different level from before.
The backlash rippled sharply through their clash.
Kaboom—!
Another massive explosion rang out, and this time the high orc’s body reeled.
Camel staggered from the recoil as well, but he didn’t miss the opening it created.
Now!
Thud!
Pivoting on his planted foot, Camel twisted his torso sharply.
The battle axe in his grip whipped around even more fiercely, tracing a massive arc with a full rotation.
Splurt!
The blade cleaved a huge chunk from the high orc’s massive flank.
“Krraaa…!!”
The high orc, utterly enraged, spewed blood and hunched its enormous body.
The size difference had prevented a fatal blow.
Ah.
Camel sensed he couldn’t dodge.
He’d expended all his mana in that last exchange.
…!
The high orc’s ferocious bulk closed in moment by moment, its savage fangs poised to rip him apart.
Chante
At that moment, a chilling voice rang in Camel’s ears like a miracle.
It was an utterly mystical whisper.
Fwssh!
A blue flash erupted suddenly, and a azure spear pierced straight through the high orc’s skull.
“Kuruk…!”
The high orc collapsed without even a proper death rattle.
“Huff!”
Camel barely evaded the toppling giant and gasped for breath.
He then scanned his surroundings frantically, unable to believe what had just happened.
A mage!
A mage lurked somewhere unseen.
That mage had undoubtedly just saved him.
Should I help them?
Or should I not?
The moment Sylbian arrived at the source of the commotion, he had no time to deliberate.
“...Sylbian, can magic really be cast that quickly?”
Cherentia asked in genuine surprise, but Sylbian shook his head with a frown.
“No, I just forced it out this time. If I hadn’t responded immediately, it would’ve been too late. Let’s help them first.”
“Got it! I’ll join them right away!”
Thud!
As Cherentia charged in, the situation began resolving at a rapid pace.
The orcs were unnaturally strong, but they couldn’t stop her.
“Haa….”
Sylbian leaned against a withered tree trunk, catching his ragged breath.
The cost of using Word of Power moments ago was devastating.
If I hadn’t had the Mana Interference trait, I wouldn’t have dared attempt it.
In truth, he avoided using Word of Power unless absolutely necessary.
Simply reciting the ‘magic incantation’ allowed him to bypass all conditions and wield magic.
As a power that utterly transcended conventional mage logic, the price was immense.
He’d already burned through his scant mana reserves in an instant.
“Press the attack and wipe them out completely!!”
Still, the value of using Word of Power seemed well worth it.
The people before him all appeared to be mercenaries.
Their leader—the one he’d just saved—stood at the forefront.
If I hadn’t saved him…
The mercenaries’ morale would’ve crumbled, leading to heavy casualties for sure.
….
Once the chaos settled, the Camel Mercenary Corps faced Sylbian’s group.
“...First, thank you for saving me. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Camel, captain of the Camel Mercenary Corps.”
Camel bowed deeply in gratitude.
“May the goddess Sera bless you, Mage!”
As their captain led by example, the mercenaries naturally followed suit, bowing deeply to Sylbian one after another.
“Ooh! Impressive, Sylbian!”
Cherentia watched the scene in fascination.
But Sylbian, at the center of it all, merely nodded awkwardly.
“That’s enough—raise your heads. So, what exactly happened here?”
Camel straightened up and met Sylbian’s eyes.
“......!”
His steadfast gaze flickered briefly at the Stigma etched on Sylbian’s neck.
But it was only for an instant.
“Truthfully, there’s not much to explain. We were just ambushed by a horde led by a high orc out of nowhere.”
“A horde led by a high orc….”
Sylbian’s eyes drifted to the fallen high orc.
He’d encountered one before.
High orcs, elite specimens among orcs, weren’t monsters you saw every day.
Yet one had appeared suddenly.
One that even a mercenary corps couldn’t handle.
Something felt off.
“In any case, without you, we’d have been in real danger. What brought you to help us?”
“I heard screams carried on the wind. So I came to assist.”
“...That’s it?”
Camel sounded incredulous.
To him, mages were calculating types who weighed every gain and loss before casting.
Sylbian helping without any reward was hard to buy.
“Yes, that’s it.”
Sylbian replied flatly, and Camel nodded soon after.
“Regardless, we’re deeply grateful. We’ll gather the high orc’s byproducts properly and deliver them to you shortly.”
Camel laughed heartily as he spoke, and Sylbian nodded as if it were only natural.
It wasn’t payment per se, but it was worth accepting.
“Um… forgive my intrusion, but where are you headed, Mage?”
Then client Hazan of the mercenary corps chimed in timidly.
Having faced monsters in the dead of night, he was terrified—and Sylbian, who’d turned the tide, felt like a savior.
“Toward the northern city. The metropolis called Termina, I believe.”
“Ah! What a coincidence!”
Hazan exclaimed exaggeratedly, but Camel’s eyes darkened momentarily.
It differed from their original client’s destination.
Still, he grasped what the client wanted and held his tongue.
“A coincidence?”
“I was headed to Termina too! If it’s alright, would you travel with us? Leave the security and chores to us!”
Hazan pressed on urgently, unable to shake his anxiety from the recent crisis.
The Camel Mercenary Corps alone couldn’t guarantee his safety anymore.
He needed someone more reliable.
A mage—Sylbian.
“Hmm….”
Sylbian pondered briefly.
Normally, he’d refuse without hesitation and go their separate ways.
But witnessing today’s events made the situation seem graver.
If the mercenaries had encountered these orcs first without us.
Could he and Cherentia have handled a high orc-led horde easily?
They’d have won, probably—but without casualties? Not guaranteed.
Glance.
“......”
Above all, amid the orc corpses lay the bodies of dead mercenaries, catching his eye.
The sight tugged at him strangely.
“We’d be honored if you joined us, Mage.”
Even Camel chimed in supportively, and nearly every mercenary’s gaze turned to Sylbian.
Amid eyes brimming with expectation or awe, he glanced sideways.
His eyes met Cherentia’s, who watched him curiously.
“Cherentia, what do you think we should do?”
The question seemed casual enough, but
“......!”
“What…?”
It was plenty to fill Camel and the client’s eyes with shock.
When Cherentia had joined the fray, they’d assumed she was the mage’s minion.
Yet here was Sylbian consulting that very ‘minion’ for her opinion.
“I don’t mind traveling with them. There’ll be monster threats until we reach Termina anyway.”
Cherentia replied nonchalantly, amplifying their astonishment.
Sylbian, unperturbed by their reactions, made his decision.
“Very well. We’ll accompany you to Termina.”
The longer the journey, the more fatigue built up.
Having others for night watches would cut that fatigue dramatically.
“Th-thank you so much!”
Hazan’s face lit up at the acceptance, though doubt mingled clearly.
The mage and beastkin interacted so naturally, as if it were the most ordinary thing.
Absurd.
A hundred out of a hundred would doubt their ears hearing this.
“In any case, we look forward to traveling together, Mage.”
Captain Camel felt suspicions too but was immensely relieved by the agreement.
Having witnessed that magic firsthand, he was convinced.
With a mage on the journey…
The corps’ losses would be minimized.
That alone was more than enough for now.
“We’ll join you tomorrow morning then. We have a campsite ahead, so we’ll spend the night there.”
“Of course—whatever suits you, Mage.”
With that, Sylbian stepped away briefly and held his breath quietly.
His mind had been churning endlessly on the way back.
Above all, an indescribable unease gnawed at him.
Could my mana be drawing even stronger monsters?
From what he’d heard, the Stigma on a mage was generally horrific.
Some even died to monsters.
And now, slowly, the shape of it was coming into focus.
How dangerous an existence he’d become….