CH 78

Ardis who threw himself over the walls used mana to kill his momentum just before hitting the ground. Safely landing in the middle of the battlefield, there were quite a few who noticed his absurd entrance.

Drawing 『Skies of Myriad Colors』 from his waist, Ardis started running towards the area that seemed to be on the brink of getting overrun with monsters. He continued slashing at the beasts around him as he proceeded, the area he was heading to have a group of drafted soldiers surrounded.

「Crap! We’re surrounded! 」

「Aren’t there too many here!? 」

「My legs……! They can’t move anymore! 」

「Someone! Support please! ――We need help! 」

It seems like there were not more than ten people there. And surrounding them were more than thirty beasts.

Looking over the entire battlefield, there were more humans than beasts. But since the beasts are just instinctual creatures that have no order, it’s natural that their distribution isn’t even.

Letting loose 『Springtime Mist』 and 『Moon’s Blizzard』, Ardis advanced. The pure white and pale-yellow swords flew through the battlefield with a ripping sound.

The flying blades struck the beasts that surrounded the people from their backs. The first two beasts. They fell onto the ground after losing their heads without even noticing the approaching danger.

The next two. The moment they realized something was wrong, their torso was pierced through. Another two. By the time they turned around and bared their fangs, the blades were already at their necks, severing it off.

Realizing that six of their own kind had been slaughtered in just a few moments, the remaining beasts were aware of the new threat.

「W-What!? 」

「Support!? 」

Seeing the beasts collapse suddenly and the absence of the perpetrator anywhere, the saved drafted soldiers didn’t seem like they understood the situation either.

From where the two floating swords came, a purple shadow with cut through the beasts. Following behind the two swords, Ardis continued disposing the beasts around with 『Skies of Myriad Colors』 as he proceeded in a straight line.

Whenever Ardis swings his sword, another beast would get split into two. Rather than fighting, it felt more like a light workout for Ardis.

From the amateur drafted soldiers’ perspective, every time Ardis swung his sword just like what they did in the training session, another beast would fall. The thirty beasts that were around were cleaned up in less than a minute.

「Are you alright? 」

「Y-Yeah……. Thanks for the help, swordsman……magician-san? 」

After all, Ardis’s handling of the sword in front of the beasts proved that he was a proficient swordsman. But it seems like they were a little confused at Ardis’s light equipment.

After all, Ardis wasn’t wearing any heavy armor nor equipping any shields. He only had a purple robe on him. At the very least, the robe didn’t look like it can serve any purpose in defense.

Even after correcting themselves to refer Ardis as a magician rather than a swordsman, it seems that they still had some hesitation referring Ardis as a magician.

「The injured should retreat and get treatment. Get help from someone. The others should continue fighting against the beasts. Make sure you have more than twice the opponents before you engage. I will take care of areas that have more beasts. 」

Without really directing it to anyone, Ardis went away to deal with the other beasts without waiting for a reply.

For Ardis who still looks like a kid, it probably didn’t seem pretty for the drafted soldiers to get orders from him one-sidedly. But since Ardis was the one who showed overwhelming power, they could only do what he says. After all, age didn’t matter on such a battlefield.

「The melody that severs thine mind and the beckon to Mahoroba―― Molte ・ Orne ・ Sheep」(Sleeping Haze)

While swinging 『Skies of Myriad Colors』 and surrounded by the flying 『Springtime Mist』 and 『Moon’s Blizzard』, Ardis threw out a sleeping spell in all directions. With swords and magic, the beasts were incapacitated one after another.

「I leave finishing off the sleeping ones to you! 」

The soldiers who were given such order from Ardis suddenly gave their replies and started stabbing the beasts that were under the sleeping spell.

In just a few moments, the situation around the area with the most beasts turned around.

「With this much done, I guess they can handle the rest. 」

Ardis who confirmed the surroundings decided to scout for the next spot to head for. And there he saw, mercenaries in the frontlines having an intense fight with a demonic being.

Ardis who set the demonic being as his next target followed behind the two swords and joined the fight with the mercenaries. The roars and cries of human and demonic being, the dull sound of the demonic being’s claws clashing with the mercenaries’ weapons, and the chants accompanied with the ground shaking explosion sounds. ―――――During that, it felt like a faint sound of something cracking was heard.

The mercenaries at the front lines were engaged in an intense fight with a demonic being.

The despairs of the grasslands, 『Despairs』 and 『Whips』, the top predator in the forests, and the feared demonic being which appears in the valleys, 『Tron』, and finally, 『Hounds』 which are on par with Trons in a pack. Any one of them is dangerous demonic being that can’t be underestimated.

「There’re even creatures from the forest and valleys huh……」

Leaving aside the Despairs which live on the grasslands, Ardis frowned at the sight of demonic beings which lived in the forests or valleys.

It wasn’t a battle that the soldiers, whether drafted or not can handle. After all, the danger of fighting against beasts compared to facing against a demonic being incomparable. Even the Despairs and Whips which are said to be the weaker demonic beings are unreachable existence for most mercenaries.

However, the mercenaries engaging them weren’t normal mercenaries either. They were all famed mercenaries from the parties, 『Freedom Cloud』, 『Dragon’s Pawn』, 『Sprit’s Guidance』 and 『Crimson Three Blades』. All of them are parties known in their countries. Whether their opponents are demonic beings or not, it didn’t seem like they were having troubles.

A big statured mercenary waving around a heavy looking axe chopping off the tail of a 『Whips』 in a single strike, and another tall mercenary who pierced the mouth of a 『Despair』.

Some of them confused the demonic beings with their agile movements, and some of them bound the movements of the demonic beings with their spells. They were all people who are used to fighting such creatures.

Of course, the demonic beings wouldn’t quietly get beat up just like that. The powerful jaws of Tron broke the arm of a swordsman, and the claws of a Hound slashed another mercenary’s that wore leather armor, causing blood to spill. It wasn’t just mercenaries around that can fight on equal footing with the demonic beings like the ones from 『Freedom Cloud』.

There were some mercenaries who are completely overwhelmed by demonic beings, and some who are trading deadly blows with them.

「Ted is――, seems like there’s no problem huh. Then I would be better off……, hnn? 」

Ardis who saw the figure of Ted and confirmed his safety had his attention caught by one mercenary. It was a swordsman in a leather armor. That swordsman was dealing with three Despairs by himself.

《――――Pikin――》

Only his dark green hair and thin body showed from his back figure. The swordsman took swift and light steps towards the Despairs.

「ShaaaAAaaa! 」

Without paying mind to the Despairs that hissed threateningly, when he was finally in one-step distance to the Despairs, the figure of the swordsman blurred.

「DgaaaaaAAaa! 」

The sword that was brought down without any notice in advance cut the Despair in half, the diagonal bisected body slid apart and turned into lumps of meat.

「Shaaaa―! 」

The Despairs from left and right attacked the swordsman who stopped his movement after swinging his sword. The swordsman retreated two steps without showing any panic at all. Then, he bashed against the left Despair’s head that came for the attack with the shield fixed on his left arm.

The Despairs seemed scared.

How much power was hiding in that thin body. He stopped the attack from the left Despair with just a single arm, then severing its neck with just a single swing. Then, he turned his entire body around with the momentum, and dealt a blow to the last Despair that came at him face on.

「Gegaaaaaaaa! 」

Raising its last cry, the Despairs were all finished off. The green-haired swordsman dealt with three of the demonic beings named as despairs of the grasslands easily.

Of course, there were several capable mercenaries around on the battlefield. There was a heavy swordsman from 『Dragon’s Pawn』 scattering around demonic beings with raw strength, and another female mercenary from 『Crimson Three Blades』 who was dealing with the demonic beings with light steps. But, the green-haired swordsman stood out amongst all of those capable mercenaries.

After all, the other mercenaries were on the battlefield as a party. Even if all of them are veteran mercenaries, there aren’t many like Ted that can deal with demonic beings on their own.

A swordsman that can deal with three Despairs in just a few moments stood out from all the other mercenaries who gathered here. It might even be that he’s stronger than Ted.

「Interesting. 」

Ardis has an interest in that swordsman now. It was because that his swordsmanship was cleaner and prettier than other mercenaries.

After all, most mercenaries’ swords styles are mostly self-taught. Of course, there are a few mercenaries around who seem to have sword styles from proper schools like the assassin that attacked Ardis before.

It was because most mercenaries originate from the youngest child of a farmer family, orphans or poor families, or those that have no jobs. Mercenaries either get taught by their seniors in career or get their own self-taught swords style if that isn’t possible.

Ardis had never learnt a proper sword style as well. The basis of his swordsmanship was taught by his foster parents who are mercenaries, and techniques stolen from seeing his comrades’ sword styles. But the swordsmanship that Ardis saw just now was obviously a proper school of sword style.

(He seems proficient as well. Could he be a former soldier?)

Nevertheless, the monsters rushed in without regard to Ardis’s circumstances. Towards the swordsman that dealt with three Despairs just a while ago, another two Despairs and four Whips came.

(It would be harsh to deal with them all by himself)

Skillfully adjusting his position to not get surrounded, the green-haired swordsman showed signs of retreating. Ardis who judged that he needed some help grasped 『Skies of Myriad Colors』 in his hands and headed towards him.

「The swordsman over there! You need some help!? 」