Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Chapter 22: Infection Lord
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"First off, their numbers are too low. Of course, the potential of the members is impressive, but their current skills are hard to rely on, and they have zero real combat experience, which worries me."
"Those guys are tougher than they look. Sure, their numbers are small, but the key is that I gave them a heads-up in advance."
"A heads-up, you say?"
"I told Kyle ahead of time. I said that if enemies swarm while I'm gone, they should come up with a plan and act on it themselves."
"So you didn't give them a strategy—you told them to devise and execute one on their own?"
"That's how they'll gain experience, right?"
"Of course, that's true, but... I think I know what role Your Highness expects from Kyle."
Davi nodded.
But from his expression, he still didn't seem entirely reassured.
Of course, I understood. The anxiety that his newly growing disciples' buds might be nipped before they could bloom.
But we had Tolari.
Looking back at all my past regressions, the forces the Talisman Count mobilized for assassinations had clear limits.
At most, fewer than 300 regular knight mercenaries, and even scraping together the maximum, no more than 30 Knight Expert-level fighters.
The most Knight Commanders that ever showed up was three.
The important thing was that even if they all came at maximum strength, Tolari alone could defend the mansion.
"No need to worry. If things get dicey, Tolari will handle them all."
"That's actually part of my concern. How much do you trust Tolari, Your Highness?"
"Not as much as I trust you. But at least, he's not the betraying type."
"I see. Of course, I don't doubt Your Highness's judgment, but..."
"Tolari values magic above his own life. Specifically, Pure Magic."
"What is Pure Magic?"
"Magic that's impossible to cast with a normal human body. And I'm the only one who can make it possible for him. And more than that..."
I recalled Tolari's behavior over the past few days we'd spent together.
"He's ordinary."
"Pardon?"
"Ordinary. Just a regular human."
"You're calling an Arch Wizard ordinary right now?"
"Not his abilities—his personality."
"...Personality. From what I've seen, his personality seems off too. Like a screw's loose or something."
"It really is. Even for an Arch Wizard with all those achievements, you'd expect them to crave something—ambition, fame, power, or money."
"You're saying Tolari has none of that?"
"None at all."
I shook my head.
"He's completely uninterested in anything but magic. That's why his relationships in the Magic Guild fell apart—he didn't care about that stuff."
"Relationships, huh. He does seem overly casual around Your Highness."
"He wouldn't treat Father Emperor any differently. And since he's not from around here, he feels even freer."
"That's frightening. Treating His Imperial Majesty carelessly could doom not just him, but his entire clan. His whole birthplace could vanish."
"He's not carrying a heavy burden like you are. That's why he's so free to act."
"I'm a little envious. But hasn't Your Highness taken on my burdens for me?"
Davi smiled as he countered. I nodded as if it were obvious.
"They're mine now. I'll raise Berit Territory to match other regions within a few years. I've already abolished those weird customs, so free passage is possible now too."
"You've done what I couldn't in a lifetime, so I'll pledge my loyalty to Your Highness for life."
"Not a lifetime—just hustle hard for the next ten years."
"Why ten years?"
Because in nine years, the otherworld invasion begins. Ten years from now, everything will be settled.
If I can block all the otherworld waves in this life, I'll cast off my prince title and all worldly ties to chase my own happiness!
"...It's a thing. Anyway, I told Tolari too. To protect everyone in the mansion while I'm gone."
"You asked him directly like that?"
"Yeah. And Didi too. I told her to go on night walks with Regall while I'm away."
"Night walks—meaning reconnaissance and patrol."
"Regall's nose will sniff out enemies before they even enter the forest. Plus, our maids aren't the type to just sit and take it."
"The maids—you mean the ones at the mansion?"
"Those girls have a trump card. A really powerful one."
Just in the last regression, the mansion maids had scattered paralyzing powder and wiped out an assassin squad infiltrating from the forest in seconds.
"Anyway, we've prepared everything we need to. But before that, our enemies aren't idiots—they must've noticed I'm not at the mansion by now, right? If they're targeting us, it'll be here."
"Of course. The highest chance is a sudden ambush when our carriage leaves the capital's domain and travels these quiet outskirts like now."
"That's what I think too. It'd be annoying to stay on guard forever, so I'd prefer they attack as soon as possible..."
But right then.
"...Huh?"
Something massive leaped into the range of my life detection magic, rapidly closing in.
What was this?
A knight on horseback? No, much bigger?
"Wait, no way..."
I stuck my head out the window and shouted.
"Regall!"
Huh?
But I didn't see the giant wolf's form?
"...Over here."
In that instant, Regall, who had been running right beside us, dropped his stealth and revealed himself.
"It is you! How did you get here..."
"I followed your scent. Hid with stealth. Dawn means hardly any humans around, so it didn't matter much."
"No, that's not the issue. Why are you here? What about the mansion?"
"About thirty minutes ago, assassins targeting you surrounded the forest and started swarming the mansion."
"Really?"
Oh man.
I'd overestimated those guys. They really didn't know I'd left the mansion? I didn't think they'd be this stupid.
"If I'd known, I would've posted a notice saying I'm heading north... Wait, but you got from the forest here in just thirty minutes?"
"I used every ounce of strength and ran at full speed."
"Why?"
"To warn you. Head back to the mansion now, Prince. It's serious. Remember the sewers?"
"Sewers?"
"Yeah. The sewers in Emperor Road where I lived. The monsters that took over them. The ones you called Death Worms or Slimes."
"What about them?"
"Things giving off the same root scent are swarming in. And my senses say it's way more dangerous than back then."
"What?"
My heart sank.
Otherworld monsters mixed in with the Talisman assassination squad heading for the mansion?
"Davi!"
I turned to Davi inside the carriage and ordered.
"I'm heading back to the mansion first! You follow right away!"
"Yes! Your Highness!"
At the same time, I threw myself out the window, casting flight magic just before hitting the ground to soar up.
"Regall! Can you keep up?"
I accelerated toward the mansion and asked. Regall, already following below, panted in response.
"I'm worn out now. Can't keep up if you go faster."
"I'm speeding up more! Tell me details on the enemy before that!"
"Monsters reeking of something horrific. They extend dozens of long tentacles from their bodies to infect nearby humans. They produce more of their kind with the same scent, then roll their ballooned-up bodies like balls to move."
"...What?"
Even the simple description painted a clear picture.
Damn it.
I squeezed my eyes shut then open, screaming inwardly.
That's an Infection Lord!
Why is an Infection Lord here? Why? Has a gate already opened and the otherworld wave begun?
Infection Lords don't even appear until the third wave—they're a huge pain.
If you don't know how to counter them, they're trickier than those mindless berserkers. And right now, I'm not at the mansion.
"...This is bad."
Chills ran down my spine again. The moment I identified the enemy, the unfolding future flashed in my mind.
Infection Lord versus Tolari.
But Tolari can't handle it!
Any other Arch Wizard might, but not Tolari with his wind affinity—it's impossible!
* * *
"Uuu...."
"Uwaaa...."
In front, over a hundred soldiers shuffling along.
Kugugugu....
Behind, a house-sized round lump rolling across the ground with heavy thuds.
What were these things?
Tolari's common sense couldn't comprehend the group before him.
The soldiers looked vaguely like zombies, but their pulsing veins suggested they were still alive. And the giant monster rolling behind kept emitting eerie laughter nonstop.
"Hehe, heh, hehehehe...."
Unpleasant.
Just looking made his mood plummet. Tolari, floating in the air, compressed a small orb of wind in his palm and muttered.
"First, the soldiers."
He hurled the most powerful magic only an Arch Wizard could wield toward the ground.
Tempest.
Upon impact, the released compressed wind scattered sharp blades in all directions.
Whiiiiiinnnng!
The soldiers caught in the blades, along with nearby trees, began shredding like minced meat.
But that wasn't all.
The wind wings extending farthest from the center created a vortex, pulling everything inward to prevent contents from scattering.
It was a prison of wind dozens of meters in diameter.
And inside that prison, over a hundred humans were mincing into shreds.
"Urp...."
Tolari bent over like a shrimp, feeling bile rise.
Good thing it was still dawn and he hadn't eaten.
First time killing people. Small comfort: the severed enemies didn't seem like normal humans.
'What are those?'
Spiderweb-like strands tangled messily between the cut chunks.
Thanks to that, hardly any blood sprayed in this hellish dismemberment. Tolari forced calm and muttered.
"Good thing they're not human. But fools. Didn't expect a mage? Why clump together like that?"
His old native tongue slipped out after ages. Tolari shook his head, recalling his suffocating childhood.
At that moment, the rolling monster stopped and lifted its head.
"You dare to my minions.... There you are! Damn Claude! This time I'll tear you apart with my own hands.... Hm? Who are you? Not Claude!"
It must've mistaken him for Prince Claude when the magic flew first. Tolari prepared a new spell for the monster and asked.
"And what are you? How'd you end up so wrecked?"
"What?"
The monster thrashed what couldn't even be called a neck anymore in a frenzy.
"Wrecked?! I am the Talisman Count, lord of the Talisman house! I am now the most beautiful and perfect being!"
"That's a joke, right?"
"What?"
"Not a joke? Then it's worse. Anyway, I'm Tolari."
"Tolari? You bastard! You were missing, but you betrayed me! Ditching me for the prince!"
The monster's huge body flushed bright red in an instant. Sensing danger, Tolari preemptively hurled Tempest before it could act.
"Of course. I like cute things."
And the wind exploded.
The magic that turned over a hundred soldiers into minced meat piles now focused all firepower on a single monster.
Whiiiiiinnnng!
The swirling wind blades peeled off the monster's flesh like fruit rinds. The Count writhed in agony, screaming.
"Kraaaaaagh!"
But that was it.
Even after Tempest faded, the Count stood there intact.
"What kind of monster..."
Of course, massive chunks had been shredded off.
Still, plenty of flesh clung to its body. Like a turtle, the Count extended its retracted head and bellowed.
"That's all you got? Arch Wizards aren't much! Sponsor, turns out you gave me the best gift!"
"Sponsor?"
Simultaneously, its whole body bubbled and boiled, shredded flesh regenerating from the eerie foam.
"Urp...."
Tolari retched again. But the monster gave no time for comfortable vomiting.
"Become mine too!"
Shwick!
Dozens of tentacles burst from the monster's body at tremendous speed.
'Needles!'
Tolari's gaze locked on the sharp needles at the tentacle tips. They resembled the syringe his sponsor left him.
If stabbed by those needles, would he turn into a horrific monster like that too?
"Insane!"
With a frantic shout, Tolari vanished from his spot.
Extreme acceleration.
Adding wind currents to his flight magic for massive directional thrust.
So fast it seemed to vanish entirely for a moment.
"Hm?"
The monster frowned at the tentacles piercing empty air.
Meanwhile, Tolari, who had flown over a hundred meters behind it in a blink, braked with a pre-made wind cushion and gasped.
'Dying is better than becoming that.'
Shivers wracked him as he prepared new magic.
Tempest.
One didn't work? Double magic—two at once.
'No, two won't cut it.'
The first Tempest had only shaved off 20% of the monster's body.
Two simultaneously would be 40%.
Synergy from dual activation helped, but still short of fully grinding it down.
Fail to kill in one go, and it regenerates.
So what now?
"...."
Tolari reached into his bosom.
-Keep this safe.
-Drink at set times even without me. Plan's three days, but might run long—here's five days' worth.
He glared at the four elixir vials in his hand. Originally five, but one downed yesterday.
Brain Acceleration Elixir.
Vital tool for Pure Magic.
But that Pure Magic—he could actually use it already.
What Claude hadn't anticipated: Tolari was a genius mage beyond even his predictions.
From the first dose, drooling and staggering, he'd already grasped new ways to control his brain.
'Sorry, Prince. Wasn't hiding on purpose.'
Just followed orders quietly, unsure of side effects.
But no time for hesitation now. He swiftly uncorked the vials, pouring all contents into his mouth.
"...!"
A bitterness unknown to the world.
One vial was hellish; four at once numbed his mind.
'No, this isn't numbness...'
Acceleration.
The mage's brain began computations at tremendous speed.