CH 16.1

Chapter 16 Part 1 – Thus the Magician becomes a hero

[Sir Lilburn, is this story true?]

One of the courtiers entreated.

[Yes, it’s all true.]

Rafael responded immediately as if to cut off the courtiers’ faint hopes.

His report was all true — The people who understood the report’s summary showed stunned expressions were mixed with a fury that was like fire, and there were those who had faced dyed with blue, and there were also those who were immobile.

[What is your army doing! Your numbers are two thousand and two hundred, and yet there are five hundred dead with two hundred seriously injured!]

[Aye. Our powerful kingdom’s soldiers have suffered this much damage? Sir Lilburn, is there not a problem with your command?] (TL: This weird ancient-speak, not sure how to make it sound ancient. 然り。精強な我が国の兵がここまでやられるものか。リルバーン卿、貴卿の采配に問題があったのでは無いか)

[Indeed, we have to question whether we can trust Sir Lilburn as a commander.]

There were echoing voices asking for Rafael’s responsibility. There were people amongst the courtiers who saw the state of the victorious army and wanted to denounce Rafael for his failure, and take responsibility for the casualties.

However, they did not realize that the damage was to this extent, which had far surpassed their imagination.

[No, more importantly, it’s imperative that we reorganize the army!]

[The restructuring of the army, and the remuneration towards the dead and the injured. This is something that’s a financial disaster for the national treasury.]

The officers-in-charge of the finances could not but feel a headache when they anticipated the amount of monetary damage from this subjugation.

[Hmm, Sir Lilburn. Can you give more details as to why our army suffered damage to this extent?]

At the king’s words, Rafael began to narrate the progress of the subjugation in a matter-of-fact manner.

When they headed for the forest where the orcs resided in, they did not discover their presence. Instead, the various trees in the forest were actually Treant monsters and launched a surprise attack on the kingdom’s army. The orcs were lying in ambush at different sections and contributed to the surprise attack.

The enemy’s leader was the Evil God Moudeus’s subordinate, an Elder Treant. The extensive vegetation in the kingdom were its converted minions and they had collected information about the kingdom. In addition, the orcs were controlled by it. After the Elder Treant was subjugated, the trees and orcs that were controlled as its minions ceased their activities and things ended uneventfully after that.

Everyone’s faces showed bewilderment when the report was finished.

[An Evil God, you say! This ridiculous—!]

The Evil God Moudeus.

Until now, there were just rumors about it.

But if this monster that was just talked about a while ago true, then it was no longer the problem of the kingdom alone. (TL: All the kingdoms vs Demon God.)

[Sir Lilburn, are you trying to deceive us? It’s too much if you bring in this Evil God and tie it to this subjugation. Because there are so many casualties, you’re trying to make a false number where the enemy numbers are too high so that you can make yourself look like you’re faultless, right?]

Against the accusation that it was a false report, Rafael made his rebuttal calmly with much effort, though abandoning his body to various emotions.

[You can listen to the reports of the other knights about the Elder Treant. Also, part of the Elder Treant’s remains has been brought back. You can quickly confirm it by checking it out. Everything about the orcs being manipulated is true. If they were not controlled, it would be unlikely that we would be forced into a bad position to the point of being routed.]

[But no one has ever heard of anything about this Elder Treant. There isn’t anyone who knows if there’s this monster is a subordinate of the Evil God.]

There was one person who knew the Elder Treant — The figure of a youth appeared in Rafael’s mind.

[Now that someone else has mentioned it, the person called Chaos is the one who conveyed the information about the Elder Treant’s minions would wither if it’s defeated. Did you mention earlier that this young man just disappeared? Does he know more about the information about the Elder Treant? Investigate and seek information from the Adventurer Guild about the participants in this subjugation.] (TL: The raws never wrote who was speaking at that moment. I had to look at the LN version, and it’s probably one of the courtiers who’s speaking here. There’s an attempt from me to insinuate that it’s not Rafael’s who’s speaking.)

[About that……]

Rafael was at a loss for words. Before he could ask questions, the boy disappeared. Before the latter used Teleportation magic, he said he had some errands to do, and he left after defeating the Elder Treant.

The achievements he had were tremendous.

When he appeared, the battle situation changed greatly, and he delivered the finishing blow to the Elder Treant. He would surely be given a great reward if they knew where he was.

Rafael had already investigated him as he wanted to hear more from him. But.

[The name Chaos isn’t among the adventurers who participated in this subjugation.]

His name was not amongst the adventurers in this subjugation. In order words, he came alone to that place.

[In other words, an adventurer who happened to know about this unknown monster, did not receive rewards and vanished into thin air…… Really, even if you want to make fun of us you should do it within bounds.]

Mocking laughter resounded all around Rafael.

The youth’s existence was truly questionable.

An Evil God that no one knew if it existed, and a mysterious person appearing, if one was to think about it normally, it was an absurd story that one would believe.

However, there was one who showed a different reaction from the rest.

[Sir Lilburn, do you recall the appearance of that boy?]

That person — King Wilfred displayed a complex expression and asked Rafael.

[…… Yes, a little….. He’s a young man in his mid-teens and he has the rarely seen black hair and black eyes.]

[Is that, so…..]

The king’s eyes were closed temporarily as he pondered. And as if he remembered something, he opened his eyes gently.

[Sir Lilburn.]

[Yes, Your Majesty.]

[The Elder Treant said something about ‘being sealed’?]

『Indeed. “While I was being sealed, these useless orcs stayed here and our strength is insufficient because of them.”』 (TL: If this is a quote, I’m not sure what I TLed the last time, cough, but I’m lazy to search the exact words, so I translated the thing again. Also, this is a THOUGHT quote.)

Rafael recalled on what he reported.

[Yes, there was something like that.]

[If that is the case, then there should be something that could come out if we investigate the past documents. Immediately start investigating with this. And as a matter of a precaution, investigate the forest too. Also, find out who this Chaos person is.]

He gave instructions to one of the courtiers nearby.

[Sir Lilburn, until the veracity of this matter is confirmed, I will put you under house arrest.]

[…… Yes, Your Majesty.]

[We will confirm the details of the reorganization of the army in tomorrow’s meeting. Summarize the details of the damage and reorganization before then. We will adjourn here for the day.]

The courtiers nodded at King Wilfred’s words, and the latter hurriedly left the place. (TL: No idea why ‘hurriedly’ was used here. The LN version did not mention this adjective.)