Chapter 268

268

# 32. Stories of Others (3)

#4 Their Situation: The Situation of Ria El Nermia

“Attack!”

With my command, thousands of spells rained down from the sky.

No matter how resilient the evil god’s army was, they couldn’t withstand such a barrage of magic.

ROOOAAAR!

But of course, there were exceptions. Some beings were naturally resistant, like the descendants of ogres or dragons, with their tough scales.

“Burn, Surtr.”

WOOOSH!

The fire giant Surtr took on those tough enemies.

“Everyone, use fire magic!”

“Understood.”

The sorcerers from the Magic Tower cast their spells. Surtr, a demon with a legend of burning a world, was unaffected by human fire. Only flames from a fire spirit king or a similar deity could harm Surtr.

Still, he couldn’t defeat even a simple stick.

– What about the master?

– True.

A stick or metal rod that makes one’s body tremble at the thought of facing it. I’d rather fight the demon king than that.

This battle against the evil god’s army was no different.

“So, I must give my all.”

I didn’t need to use magic myself. Just increasing the mana supplied to Surtr was enough. The flames grew stronger, shifting from red to blue, then to white!

The army of the evil god began to disappear as Surtr’s white flames swept across them.

“Phew...”

I drank a mana recovery potion as I felt my energy draining rapidly. Adjusting Surtr’s mana flow was crucial.

My grandfather, the head of the Magic Tower, often said that the difference between a high-level sorcerer and a grand sorcerer was the ability to manage mana distribution.

Summoning was the same. No matter how powerful the summoned creature, if the mana supply was inadequate, it couldn’t perform effectively.

But using too much mana would lead to rapid unsummoning.

“Ah, Nerkia, the spirit legion.”

He was famous for using all his spirits effectively. Unlike others who would only use high-level spirits once contracted, Nerkia used lower-level ones based on the situation. This earned him the nickname ‘spirit legion.’

Actually, these weren’t unavoidable. With better strategy, many could have survived, but it would delay our mission. We wanted to end this war quickly.

“So, I must bear their sacrifices to save more people.”

“Ria...”

His eyes filled with mixed emotions, my heart ached slightly.

– A small remnant of your conscience, cherish it.

– Quiet.

My words held no falsehood. Ending the evil god’s army quickly would save countless lives.

– But the goal is different.

– Quiet, I said.

Surtr, once only a decoy, now became a figure of fear and respect. Recently, he began nagging me more.

“I wish I could explain our contract to you...”

“Can’t believe my granddaughter has grown so much...”

My grandfather’s wet eyes and gentle hold on my hand made me endure.

“I’m not a child anymore.”

“Yes, you’re all grown. Your sister married years ago.”

“Ah...”

My sister, who left the family through an arranged marriage, now had a large family. She was a talented sorcerer, yet chose love and family.

“Ria, after this war...”

“Grandfather, let’s talk about it later.”

His words hinted at a future, post-war. Professor once warned us about making such plans during missions. They often led to unnecessary risks and deaths.

“No, grandfather. I’m fine.”

After a long talk, I finally managed to send my grandfather away, exhaling a small sigh.

“Tiring...”

Every day, battling the evil god’s army, moving from place to place. It was exhausting but necessary.

“Once I defeat the demon king...”

I’ll take a year off, away from people.

– And that was your unachievable dream.

“It is achievable.”

It is, really... maybe.