Truly Befitting a Noble

My heart was pounding.

A new way to learn magic had appeared.

My own method, that is.

Crimson Burst. Still can't use it? Because it's a 3rd-class spell, huh.

I'd analyzed someone else's magic just by watching it, turning it into my own.

But my class was still too low to cast it.

That wasn't a problem, though.

Time would solve it.

No need to rush.

I just had to be grateful for this insane new awakening ability.

"Theo-nim! Look at that!"

While I was distracted by the messages, chaos erupted in Viscount Haft's camp.

Kuwaaang—

A massive orb like the sun rose into the air, then exploded right there in midair.

Rain began to fall from the sky.

Crimson rain of fire.

"Kwaaak! Fire, fire on my body! Put out the fire, please!"

"Mage! No, potions, get the potions!"

"The barracks are on fire! Extinguish it first!"

"Damn it! I came to make money, not deal with this mess!"

"This isn't what I heard! They said it was an easy win!"

Viscount Haft's army was suffering.

We'd starved them by cutting supplies and tormented their morale with iron masks.

And today, we'd raided their main camp with ultra-long-range Sunogi sniping.

Followed by magic attacks.

Gaien must have spotted their confusion and made his move.

The effect was tremendous.

"It's coming again!"

"Damn it, what are our mages doing!"

"They're too close! Pull back the front line or something! You want us all dead?"

"Idiot! If we pull back and arrows come flying again, then what?"

"Hey! Less talk, more shielding! If you don't wanna die!"

Shouts echoed among the soldiers, complaints bursting out.

From 1,000 men, Viscount Haft's forces dwindled with each raid.

Morale plummeted accordingly.

It showed plainly.

"Theo-nim! Mages are stepping up! Look over there!"

Lena, with her sharp eyes, spotted the movement in Viscount Haft's camp right away.

"If they've even brought out their staves..."

Before Lena finished, the gathered Crimson Burst in the air dispersed.

The massive fireball that had formed vanished without a trace.

Magic Cancel?

The analysis wasn't perfect, unfortunately.

It seemed like a pre-prepared spell that was just triggered.

Pre-made spells have limits for analysis. Whatever.

There were limits to Magic Analysis, but I'd look into it later.

For now, focus on the battle.

I turned my gaze back to the nameless knight.

He was running.

In the opposite direction.

Heading back to camp?

With their main base in chaos, he was retreating immediately.

He must have judged capturing me too risky.

Thanks to his camp's disorder, he'd saved his own skin.

"Theo-nim, should we snipe him...?"

Lena pointed at the fleeing knight.

But I shook my head.

I didn't feel like shooting an enemy in the back who had lost the will to fight.

Even in war, some lines I wouldn't cross.

"If he comes again next time... we'll deal with him then."

"Will that knight really come back? He nearly died just now."

"He'd better not. Unless he values his life."

I didn't know his exact level.

At minimum, an Aura Practitioner.

With young knight Swicel dead, they wouldn't send anyone weaker.

But now, it didn't matter who came.

As long as it wasn't a straight match against an Aura Practitioner knight, I had nothing to fear.

Having dominated the range, they should fear me.

"Let's head back, Lena."

"Eh? Theo-nim! Are you okay?"

"Ah, yeah. Guess I overdid it a bit."

Dizziness hit as I packed up and mounted the black earth horse.

Today had been too much.

From crafting to the system.

Too many changes.

With such big shifts, I'd need time to adapt.

And by the time I did, Viscount Haft's army would taste endless hell.

"S-So... you're saying we retreat now?!"

"In this situation, it seems unavoidable."

"B-But aren't you here? Put in more effort! Can't you make it work somehow?"

Commander Page wanted to cling to Knight Felisi's legs.

Technically, Page outranked him, but the desperate one bows first.

Besides, Felisi was both a knight and Viscount Haft's closest aide.

One wrong word, and who knows the backlash—Page had no choice.

He'd love to threaten, but it wouldn't work on this opponent.

That was Knight Felisi.

"I've never seen a battlefield this messed up. It was wrong from the start."

"No, but..."

"Plus, we should assume Knight Swicel is dead. To that iron mask."

Despite ongoing battles, Swicel hadn't appeared.

Page didn't want to believe it, but Felisi stating it forced acceptance.

"We need to upgrade the iron mask's threat level. To someone who can face an Aura Practitioner alone."

"N-No way! You know that's impossible! If such a guy existed, he'd have come for me already..."

"Isn't he already doing that? In an even more vicious way."

"Huh? What do you...?"

Page tilted his head at Felisi's words.

No assassination threats yet—what could be more vicious?

Felisi's eye twitched at Page's reaction.

"Our soldiers live in fear of sniping day and night. Actual hits are rare, but you don't know that?"

"That's nothing. Soldiers on the field deal with it."

"Oh, really? Then drop the magic ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠barrier right now... No. Hoo."

Felisi pressed his temple, suppressing rage at Page's disregard for the troops.

No matter how angry, Page was the commander.

Insulting him here would make things unmanageable.

So Felisi pushed hard for retreat.

"Th-Then... could you explain it well to Viscount Haft yourself?"

"Haa. Yes, understood. Retreating from this damned battlefield is best."

"Yes! If you do that... Honestly, what did I do wrong?! It was Swicel! Swicel! That bastard ruined everything! If he hadn't died!"

Truly befitting a noble.

Blaming others came so naturally.

At Page's display, Felisi sighed and gazed at the distant hill.

The exact spot where the sniping began.

I don't know who you are... but next time, it won't end easily.

Knight Felisi steeled his resolve.

Retreating without even seeing the enemy was utter humiliation for a knight.

His feet wouldn't move.

Regret held him back.

Even he had misjudged the foe's skill and lost the initiative.

But that was past.

This was a battlefield.

For the soldiers, it was time to withdraw.

First priority: regroup at Viscount Haft's main camp and reorganize.

"Lena, look! That's... retreating, right?"

"Yes! Theo-nim! We won! We really won! That's definitely a retreat!"

"Ha, finally..."

Lena jumped for joy at Viscount Haft's army retreating.

It had been just over a month of camping out.

We were exhausted.

Honestly, beat.

After patching up, came the sniping war.

And sniping wasn't the end.

Ultra-long-range Sunogi needed tricky arrow crafting.

Plus steady hunting for undead bone dust materials.

Nearby undead were wiped out.

Not to mention unavoidable duties.

Supply blockades continued, even if scaled down.

Especially guarding against that nameless knight wore us down.

Slacken vigilance, meet him suddenly in the woods—death.

I made Rage Flame Potions... but somehow, they won't work on him.

Only seen ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from afar.

But it felt that way.

Like it wouldn't end easily like with Swicel.

He won't charge back, right?

Scouting, hunting, crafting, sniping, guarding, scouting, raiding, stealth.

The endless grind had just ended.

Hoped they stayed gone.

"Lena, they said war with Baron Welden too... what do you think? Will they come again?"

I asked Lena, uneasy.

She answered right away.

She knew this stuff well.

"Probably not for a while. Even if they beat Baron Welden."

"Huh? Really?"

"Yes. Failed invasion means no justification. Baron ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Sellevan proved he can manage his territory."

"Ah, it works like that?"

"Yes. Next, reparations... that's when Count Arno steps in, probably."

Count Arno's slippery tongue came to mind.

Dealing with him exhausted me, but him pressuring them? Relieving.

No—refreshing.

Pity stirred for unseen Viscount Haft.

Anyway, some rest soon.

No war for now; nobles' political games begin.

I had no interest in their headaches.

No time for it.

Process loot, craft new items—cravings filled me.

Plus, more meetings with mages.

Sorry for Gaien and Stain getting analyzed, but oh well.

"As long as no fighting. Rest for a bit, right?"

"Yes, for now."

"Why so uneasy? Anyway, time to head back?"

While talking with Lena, Viscount Haft's army ebbed away like tide.

Speed like they'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠waited for this.

Confirmed them gone, stored the black earth horse in the bag.

Didn't want to ride near gates and get mistaken for enemy.

We walked slowly to the gates.

Surprisingly quiet walls.

Feared attack as foes, but no sign.

Instead.

Drururuk—

The gates, shut tight all along, opened.

As if waiting.

And at the open gates stood one man.

"Hahaha! My eyes never lie! See? Combat mage suits you perfectly!"

Gaien, looking haggard—not a little, a lot.

He grinned wide, welcoming me.