Meltor was always prepared for war, so they could muster their troops ten times faster and more secretly than other countries. There was also a major difference between the regular army and magicians. Meltor utilized the dimensional pockets in spades, so they didn’t need a separate supply unit. Moreover, the magicians themselves were the source of their combat power, so they weren’t burdened with equipment. As a result, Meltor’s army had a mobility which went beyond common sense.
Exactly three days after the meeting, troops were gathered at Port Ribenda, an eastern coastal city in Meltor Kingdom. On a night when civilian access to the coast was controlled, the nearly thousand strong expeditionary force were waiting for their commander. Among them, the unit which contained the most people was the Magic Corps.
“Eight hundred man 1st Magic Corps! Commander is Viscount Carter!” Blundell’s loud voice cried out as the eight hundred Corps soldiers saluted. It was a perfect example of military discipline.
Meltor’s Magic Corps weren’t magicians but magic soldiers. They had reached the 3rd Circle using magic reagents and learned a few attack magic spells and secondary spells. They were nothing compared to an aura user, but six or seven of them could defeat one aura user. They had mastered Haste and Fireball, which was comparable to the firepower of archers. Eight hundred magic soldiers were equal to five thousand regular soldiers.
“I, Bors Carter, will honor the name of my family and the royal family.” The commander, Carter, was also excellent. He was a veteran of the last war and still active as a 6th Circle magician. Carter guarded the monster area in the West Forest, so his abilities were well-proven.
Blundell called out the next unit, “Thirty six man White Tower Mobile Unit! Commander is White Tower Master Orta!”
A masked Orta was standing before thirty six white-robed magicians. Perhaps it was because they were both Tower Masters, but Orta politely bowed and returned to his original position. Thanks to Theo, they didn’t need to travel in balloons; however, the magic support of the White Tower would enable them to move even quicker.
Orta’s unit focused on mobility rather than combat power. It would be good if even one of them had the power of the White Tower Master. However, Meltor’s true combat troops were somewhere else.
“Sixty three war magicians of the Red Tower! The commander will also be White Tower Master Orta! The deputy is Red Tower Prime, Vince Haidel!”
This was a formidable force. The air shimmered as the war magicians responded to the call. If they worked together, they could defeat a master. Just a simple Fireball from them could burn down a whole castle.
“I, Prime Vince Haidel, will do my best as a member of the Red Tower to support the White Tower Master.”
Vince’s magic power was enhanced by the ancient language magic system he had studied, so the fluctuations from his body were stronger than the others. Additionally, the fact that he was appointed as the deputy not long after becoming a Prime was proof of his competency.
They had eight hundred magic soldiers, a hundred senior magicians, and a group of four people, including Theo.
“Finally, the four members of Quattro! Their commander is Theodore Miller! In accordance with His Majesty’s edict, Theodore Miller is given the right to act alone!”
Individual combat rights… Even though Theo had the right to lead ten thousand men, it was different when he was a master magician. He was literally a one-man army. So, in order to exert maximal impact, it was necessary for him to move separately.
Theo knew what kind of responsibility had been handed to him and bowed respectfully. “I, Prime Theodore Miller, will do my job as captain of Quattro.”
“Yes!”
Blundell looked dissatisfied when he saw Sylvia near Theo, but he turned to the soldiers who were lined up. They were truly the elites of Meltor. His voice was like a light in the darkness as he ordered them to depart, “All troops! Board the ships in accordance with the specified units!”
The first one to move was the commander of the Magic Corps, Bors Carter.
“We will move! Observe carefully and board the assigned ships by platoon!”
“1st Platoon, follow my flag!”
“2nd Platoon! Move behind the 1st Platoon!”
The sight of eight hundred soldiers moving in an organized manner was spectacular. The soldiers who had gathered on the white sand smoothly disappeared into the ships without any problems. It was like a group of people suddenly disappearing into the night.
Theo watched them for a minute before looking back at his teammates. Two of them looked understandably nervous, while the other…
“Para?”
“Huh?” As she responded crankily, there was something suspicious about the look on Paragranum’s face.
“Did something good happen? Why are you so happy?”
“Oh, you can tell?”
“Yes. What is it?”
“Umm… I’ll tell you later.”
Para meant when they were alone, which led Sylvia to stare at her from behind Theo. However, grimoires didn’t have a lot of interest in human relationships, so Paragranum hummed while ignoring Sylvia. Theo looked between the two of them with a bitter smile and figured out the reason behind Para’s cheeriness.
It seems her research has gone well.
That was the only reason why Paragranum would express such emotions. Lloyd Pollan had been used as an experimental material, so he might not even be human anymore.
Theo cleared his head and looked at the approaching beauty with blue hair, Aquilo the sea dragon. She had come to the port out of boredom. She naturally slipped her arm around Theo’s and whispered into his ear, “Boy, do you remember what I taught you?
“Of course. I can’t forget it.”
He had accepted her blood, but Theo had the senses of a human and didn’t instinctively know how to use the dragon’s power. Therefore, he had learned a trick from Aquilo on the way from Manavil to Ribenda. There was a limit to the involuntary manifestation of power. He needed to consciously manipulate the power in order to counter the currents against the fleet.
Fortunately, Theo was successful in his efforts. His tenuous dominance over the sea had reached a level where he could somehow control the flow of the currents. The fact that he was keeping the moisture around his body at a pleasant state was proof of this.
“Well, this is just the basics. But you shouldn’t have any issues unless you run into a typhoon.”
“Is that so?” ｎｏｖ𝚕．𝚌ｏｍ
Aquilo nodded before saying goodbye in a low voice, “Then boy, have a good trip. We will meet again, so you better not die in a place that I can’t see.”
“… What a bloody goodbye.”
“It is an ordinary saying for dragons.”
He really had no idea if it was a joke or not as Aquilo left without a backward glance. How many people had a dragon said goodbye to after living for thousands of years? Perhaps this coldness was the result of that.
Theo watched her leave for a while before acting.
Huuung…
He used Levitation. It was a basic spell which allowed him to float in the air, but when combined with directional wind magic, it became possible to fly at low speeds. His red robe flapped as he rose from the sand toward Quattro’s ship.
Theo’s ship was at the head of the fleet. It was a position for a major figure in the fleet, but the situation was different this time. This was a sea where the south wind blew extensively. If Theo didn’t open up the sea before him, this fleet might be pushed back to the sand instead of moving forward. As the wind blew with enough force to break the sails, the people’s gazes naturally focused on Theo.
Hoo… Let’s try it like I practiced.
There was a lot of pressure on him right now. It would take a week to change the route of entry from sea to land. If they arrived too late, Soldun would fall into the hands of Lairon and Andras.
Theo was carrying a heavy responsibility. His eyes flashed as he gazed at the horizon that resembled Aquilo’s fluorescent eyes. As he faced the sea, Theo dared to use the language of dragons that was forbidden to humans.
「море, Откройте путь (Sea, open the way)!」
He could only use Dragon Words three times a day, but there was no better way to add power. Theo’s voice wasn’t loud, but his words pierced through the wild winds. Dragon Words, a language which dominated nature, transcended the laws of physics.
Suddenly, the wind blowing from the south to the north subsided and started to move in the opposite direction. The rough sea currents calmed down, and the waves moved toward the south. The soldiers knew magic, and they couldn’t help letting out exclamations of surprise.
“T-This…? Is that Theo’s magic?”
“No, this is ridiculous… Even weather magic can’t change the sea…!”
“T-The sea! The sea is reversing!”
It was just like the soldier shouted. The south wind changed into the north wind, and the waves were moving in the opposite direction as the current turned. The winds inflated the sails of the fleet with a force so strong it seemed like the anchors would be pulled out of the seabed. It was a miracle where the enemy became a friend, and the adverse conditions disappeared.
When they realized the opportunity, the commanders raised their voices.
“Depart! Raise the anchors!”
“Helmsman! Don’t miss this no matter what!”
He could hear the voices of White Tower Master Orta and Viscount Carter in the distance. Despite the feeling of defeating the impossible, he couldn’t help feeling anxious about the future. The thunderstorm on the distant horizon only seemed to add to his anxiety.
Kwarurung…!
His senses had become much sharper after Mitra’s flowering, but he didn’t relax.
Maybe this trip won’t go smoothly.
The Lairon Kingdom and the Andras Empire were both enemies of Meltor. If they prepared for war after the truce, the damage wouldn’t be small. It was obvious that they would be aiming for Meltor. This civil war was a battle to get an advantage in that inevitable war.
Theo looked ahead and saw the future shrouded in dark clouds and lightning.