CH 15.1

Chapter 15 – Rising Magician (2)

Rafael who had escaped from the danger drank an Elixir potion as he looked at the boy who helped him escape.

The youth who had black hair and eyes looked like he was in his late teens. His attire was different from the kingdom’s provided armor for the army and appeared to be light equipment worn by an adventurer who had just started out.

Rafael did not recognize his face in the slightest.

He naturally did not remember all the faces in the army, but he was a knight commander for many years and had more or less took note of the people who managed to follow him and fight against the Elder Treant.

(Is he one of the recruited adventurers? Considering what happened to the Elder Treant, he’s probably a magician.)

He did not know how the divided army was faring, but it was not strange at all if a few soldiers or adventurers separated from their groups.

Especially the adventurers. It would not be any wonder if they were mired in a state of emergency.

(……But it is strange.)

Rafael felt that the youth was out of place when he saw him.

(His mantle is too clean. And what’s more, there’s an unnatural air about him. He doesn’t appear to be fatigued.)

Rafael and the soldiers had fought battle after battle, and their armor had been dyed with blood belonging to their own and their enemies and even turned black because they fought against Treants were set on fire.

Their deep exhaustion was easily shown on their faces from the fierce battles.

Even though there was some dirt on the boy’s mantle, it was clean compared to the dirtied soldiers. In addition, his breathing was normal, and he did not appear tired at all.

Rafael wondered if the boy did not encounter any orcs or Treants before he arrived.

But it was difficult to imagine that the elder treant had overlooked him. Not with the amount of brainwashed orcs that they encountered many times.

If the boy ran away from them, then his breathing should be labored. In the first place, was it not an unfavorable situation to not know how the enemy’s positions? Was it really possible to bypass their defensive lines?

Although there were suspicious points that Rafael had on his mind, it was true that the uninjured magician had saved them from this danger by himself. It was undoubtedly luck on their side.

In order to win the battle, the Elder Treant must be defeated as the monster used orcs as an outside measure to defeat the humans. If it were defeated, the orcs would cease to move and become literal dolls.

[I thank you, for helping us! Even though you just came, I have to borrow your strength. Defeat the surrounding Treants—]

The youth nodded and agreed.

Rafael looked at the Elder Treant. Although its arm that had grabbed on to him barely did not break, it looked like a blow would shatter it as a large part of it had been gouged out.

[You! The foolish human that interfered and injured me! I will never spare you!]

The Elder Treant’s intense hostility was directed to the youth, but he showed no concern at all and did not flinch at all. His appearance only fanned the Elder Treant’s rage.

[My subordinates! Do not let the foolish human live!]

Three Treants headed for the youth.

[Damn it, everyone, protect him!]

Rafael gave his order in a panic. But the monsters, soldiers and the boy’s position made it impossible for them to aid him in time.

Not only were his soldiers surrounded by monsters, but the latter were also nearer to the boy.

The boy immediately released Fire Arrow in an instant to check the monsters. One was engulfed in flames, and the Treant behind it faltered. However, the last enemy was not affected and swung a branch at the youth, mowing him down.

The lithe body of the youth compared to the soldiers and knights’ burly sizes rolled across the ground three times before stopping.

He did not move. Did their savior die —?

Rafael clenched his fists at his own weakness. He had let a young life be cut off because of his insufficient strength. He was unable to suppress the boiling regret and anger, and these emotions started swallowing him.

But.

The boy abruptly rose up as if nothing had happened. It seemed like he was fine as though he was not feeling any pain.

Rafael was relieved upon seeing that.

(It seems like he’s okay, but is the place that he got struck at fine?)

Fortunately, the boy fought back at the Treants, and ten-odd soldiers managed to break through the thinned monsters’ siege and protected him by surrounding him in a circle.

Magicians cast supportive magic on the youth to raise his power. It seemed like the young boy was quite strong for his age, so with the aid of supportive magic—

New treants came as reinforcements in addition to the Treants that were engulfed in flames because of the youth’s spells, and both groups started attacking them. The soldiers defended against the enemies’ strikes while the youth burned down the treants to ashes with magic.

His disinterested expressions without caring about the danger were reminiscent of a skilled magician’s figure.

[What, a human is overwhelming us? Grrr, my subordinates— Attack that hateful human without stopping!]

The Elder Treant’s raised voice was irritated. There was no one else but the boy in its eyes. The soldiers and the youth’s battle intensified, and conversely, the attacks on the soldiers loosened up.

[Right now! Concentrate your attacks on the Treants!]

Rafael and his men pushed back the weakened siege made by the Treants. They had been pressured until now, but the group around the youth made the frontlines a pincer attack against the enemies. Even though the Treants were stronger than the humans, they had no choice but to be forced back because of the two-way attack.

[Mana Explosion.]

The struggle for supremacy was decided when the youth cast the spell, tipping the scales greatly.

The situation had been reversed after the appearance of the boy before one knew it.

[Good, target the Elder Treant before reinforcements arrive. Half of us will suppress the Treants, while the rest follow me and defeat the Elder Treant!]

The soldiers obeyed Rafel’s command and started splitting up themselves into groups to subjugate the Elder Treant and Treants.

The Elder Treant who could control humans were struck by magic and arrows, and it was outranged with a hit-and-run tactic that was executed with consistency.

The Elder Treant’s face was no longer composed and instead dyed with impatience.

[Why! Why are the humans able to do this much!]

The Elder Treant was driven to such an extent that he spat out these flustered words.

Originally the besieged kingdom’s army should have been defeated. But the appearance of the youth caused the Elder Treant to lose his head and was beaten because of it.

Certainly, the boy was a threat, but it should not have sent its monsters at him, which made the siege thinner. Because the siege collapsed and the soldiers went to the boy, it led to a situation where the numbers of Treants trickled to the boy’s group and got destroyed one after another. The Elder Treant lost its subordinates until it was led to its current situation.

If it had instead called back the orcs, the youth and the kingdom might not be able to rally and regain their strength.

Rafael cut down the Elder Treant’s branches and slashed its trunk. While he continued to break it down, the boy raised his staff at it.

Explosions wrapped the Elder Treant. The repeated attacks caused the trunk to make breaking sound. It was collapsing because it was unable to support its own weight.

[Gaaaah!! R-revered God Moussdeusss!!]

The pleading Elder Treant called out to its master as its death throes echoed in the vicinity.

The final cry of the ancient wood stopped the surroundings noises for a moment.

The cheers of victory immediately filled the next moment. The remaining Treants noticed what happened and began to retreat in confusion.

[Don’t let the Treant escape! Destroy them all!]

A pursuit battle started with Rafael’s voice. The dire battle that they had turned into a winning battle. The orcs who had lost their manipulator were turned into dolls and the damage done to the army was suppressed. The monsters who had dominated the battlefield had been turned around like a miracle in a drama.

Rafael suddenly noticed that part of the plants started withering.

[What is this…..]

[The plant subordinates of the Elder Treant that rely on it will wither.]

The voice belonged to the boy.

[You are……]

‘Why do you know such a thing’ — Before Rafael could ask, the youth spoke again.

[My name is Chaos. I have to go now. My apologies—]

The boy disappeared as though he had finished his role.