Episode 393 – Logan McLane, King of McLane, challenges the Empire’s greatest sword, Tris Hornsby, to a one-on-one match!
The voice that resonated across the field seemed to pierce the ears of both countries’ troops.
And snickering laughter erupted from inside the imperial command center.
“You’re crazy.”
“I think the war will end easily.”
“Your Excellency, please respond.”
Murmur.
It was an unusual commotion for the commanders of the central army, especially those in the strictly disciplined imperial army, but it was acceptable for them. Just as the war of conquest was about to begin, the leader was heard saying that he would sacrifice his head.
A fire moth jumps into a fire without even knowing that it will die.
That was the image of Logan in their eyes right now.
however.
A young adept who had lost one eye to that fire moth could never ignore him.
“Master, you need to think carefully. Logan McLane is not a fool. He must have a secret plan to deal with you, Master.”
Of course, he didn’t think that Logan could defeat his teacher.
Therefore, I could only say vague things, but surprisingly, the sword spirit easily nodded.
“I guess so.”
“…yes?”
Jerome’s eyes widened momentarily, as if he didn’t think he would get such an answer even after he said it.
“…We cannot be fooled by the enemy’s tricks. We will follow our original plan with a straight attack method.”
“dismissal!?”
“why…!?”
“Why are you doing this?”
Other commanders were equally surprised.
However, the face of the sword spirit who spat out those words was stiff, and Galen Decade, the mage of the cold wind standing next to him, was just glaring across the field without saying a word.
The cool reaction of the two people with the highest status at this event awakened the spirit of the other commanders.
– There is something we don’t know.
The command becomes quiet the moment a consensus is formed.
Looking back at the command staff, Tris calmly gave instructions.
“We set up barracks and order a rest. We will fully relieve the soldiers’ fatigue and begin the war.”
It means to completely ignore what the other person says.
After those words, no more protests erupted.
* * *
“…The leadership of the ghosts was completely defeated by this guy.”
In the deepening darkness.
The atmosphere in the barracks froze at the calm voice that flowed under the dim light.
“If you say it’s the leadership…”
“Assuming they haven’t made a big mistake, the skill of the highest leader can be said to be the best on the continent when it comes to sneak attacks. Even I can’t avoid injury if I let my guard down.”
“He was also someone who could escape from the clutches of the Grand Mage if he wanted to escape. Such a person died in the royal palace of McLane.”
As Galen came forward and spoke further, the air in the barracks seemed to become even colder for an instant.
“Are you saying that the skills of the man called the Sun of McLane are that good?”
The first to speak after a moment of silence was Greg Marvin, the magic tower lord of Heatwave, a middle-aged mage with impressive red hair that rose into the sky like a blazing flame.
Just as his hairstyle was deformed due to the special nature of his school, his personality was also known to be violent and impatient, uncharacteristic of a mage. Although he couldn’t fully reveal his nature in front of the sword spirit and sharp wind mage, he also couldn’t endure the boring silence.
However, the answer that came right away was not satisfactory to him.
“I can not know.”
“yes?”
“Logan McLane’s age is too young to conclude that his skills are at the level of defeating Dark Swords. Even if he is a genius, it makes no sense. It is reasonable to assume that he used other tactics to deal with them. But….”
Triss stopped talking and her eyes scanned the superhumans in the barracks.
The five magicians including Galen, Jerome, and myself.
It is a war that is even more difficult to lose as the three central army corps, which can be considered the best of the empire, are added to the strength of a whopping seven superhumans.
However, it is absolutely best if you can kill the enemy leader early in the battle.
He too was disappointed that he could not accept the challenge of a child who could not tell the difference between heaven and earth, but…
“His Majesty told him to wage war assuming that Logan McLane was in the same state as me.”
“Ah…”
– What nonsense…!
The same thought crossed everyone’s mind, but all that came out was a sigh.
The emperor’s orders are absolute. Even if you defy him and win, all you get in return is a glare after the merits and demerits are offset.
Considering the possible risks, there was only one option.
Tris read the other people’s expressions and smiled and continued speaking.
“When the war begins, I will take the lead first. Judging from today’s spirit, I don’t think the King of McLane will step forward right away. The format of the war will only change a little, so don’t be too disappointed.”
He too thought the emperor’s orders were excessive, so he tried to be flexible, but an odd voice came out.
“Then I will assist you, Your Excellency.”
A woman whose appearance completely contrasts with that of Greg Marvin, who came before her. The beautiful woman with silver hair, white skin, and sparkling emerald eyes was Nellie Corda, the Ice Tower Lord.
She was rumored to have frozen her time thanks to her beautiful appearance that made it hard to believe she was over 60 years old. Her personality was also known to be extremely stubborn and contrary to Greg’s.
Before Tris could respond to her words, the sound of clicking her tongue followed immediately.
“I’m going out on my own to do something useless again.”
A middle-aged woman shaking her head in disapproval. The owner of the unusually voluptuous body was Celine Wouter, the Magic Tower Lord of Earthquake.
However, she, who had always been at odds with Nellie, was completely ignored by Nellie as always.
“You ignored my words again…!”
“Celine.”
“Hot! Yes sir.”
“Nelly, I will carry out His Majesty’s orders. How dare you say this or that when even I cannot stop you.”
At that cold remark, Celine’s round face became pale for an instant.
“I’m sorry. I got angry without realizing it, so stop…”
“Ahead of a big day, try to control any conflicts among your colleagues. I’ll just let it go this one time.”
In contrast to her calm tone, Celine’s complexion became dull as a sharp force like a blade enveloped her entire body.
A power that can suppress even superhumans with just its force.
‘What kind of guy would say such nonsense when he said he was seriously injured by Shingeom? shit.’
I tried to take a look at the liver and ended up taking a picture of it for no reason.
Swallowing the words she could never say out loud, Celine lowered her head again.
“I will keep this in mind, Your Excellency.”
It was only after she bowed her head and remained silent for a long time that the sword spirit’s gaze fell from her.
“I will take charge of Logan McLane. Nellie will assist me in dealing with his minions, and the rest will follow the original plan. Do you understand?”
“yes!”
Everyone responded loudly to the swordsman’s command with the same voice.
Except for the one-eyed knight who stood behind Tris.
‘We cannot completely rule out the possibility that Master will be harmed.’
Jerome recalled the time in the past when Logan, who was not even a superhuman, stole his eyes. Less than two years later, I was concerned about the demonic talent that overwhelmed me when I became an intermediate Auror user.
Moreover, more time has passed now. Even if Logan had truly reached a similar level to his teacher, I wouldn’t have been surprised.
Jerome wanted to say that.
“Master…”
But his intentions were blocked from the beginning.
“You have not forgotten that Sir Jerome has no say in wartime operations, have you?”
The middle-aged woman with a peculiar look with her blue hair tied up high reminded him of his current situation once again.
Jerome gritted his teeth unconsciously at that cold voice, but he had a set number of words to say.
“…Of course, Lexi.”
Even though the magic tower owner of the tsunami was openly criticizing Jerome, Tris’ expression was grave.
It was a sight that clearly showed that he had already lost trust within the empire, or more accurately, that he had lost the trust of his teacher.
Even if Jerome tells her later, Tris probably won’t listen.
‘…It’ll be okay. I heard Nelly is with us too.’
In any case, he participated in the war as his teacher’s bodyguard, so he could prepare for any emergency not far away.
Jerome eventually had no choice but to swallow what he wanted to say and step back.
* * * The outbreak of war came sooner than McLane expected.
The day after the formation, as soon as dawn broke, Kyle Castle also became noisy due to the bustling movements of the imperial army.
“The Imperial Army is moving!”
“All forces emergency!”
When the sentry soldiers who had already prepared gave a signal as if they had been waiting, the McLane 1st Corps, numbering close to 50,000, and the vigilante group, numbering close to 200,000, began to move busily.
“Everyone is assigned to the designated saro!”
Chi (雉) of the castle wall. A vigilante sitting close to one of the uneven railings raised a crossbow, and other vigilantes stood on top of him, one head apart, like steps, also raising crossbows.
Their appearance looked comical at first glance, but the expressions on their faces were serious.
The relatively large men who were at the bottom were staring straight ahead with heated faces, as if they were more nervous than the pressure of their weight.
Kyle Castle was one of the largest cities in the kingdom, but it was a desperate measure because hundreds of thousands of troops could not all climb on one wall.
Still, the remaining vigilantes were waiting in the back with magazines and crossbows, and next to them were regular soldiers holding spears with their heads hidden under the parapet, and knights looking down the castle wall with ‘red stones’ in their hands.
“As soon as it comes within range, we will destroy it! Ready to fire!”
“preparation!”
Crash.
“Move quickly!”
“What are you doing there!”
The castle walls become extremely noisy.
At the center, Logan was looking at the Imperial army approaching from afar.
– Glory to the Empire!
– Wow!
Doo doo doo doo.
A great army charges in with a fierce force and a roar that shakes the earth.
The sight of many soldiers equipped with repeating crossbows was less shocking because I had already expected it. In any case, in a non-rotating siege war, a repeating crossbow that could not be fired did not pose much of a threat.
However, the sheer size of the articles, which seemed to have 10,000 people at first glance, created tremendous pressure.
Logan also changed the criteria for selecting soldiers and produced a large number of knights, but only the 2nd Corps, based on the current McLane Territory, had a huge number of knights compared to the number of soldiers like them.
If I had had a few more years, things would have been different.
‘There’s nothing I can do about it now.’
The good news was that it hadn’t been that long since the Empire’s standards had changed, so there wouldn’t be many high-quality knights.
In that case, we can handle it with just our weapons.
What needed to be checked now was the location of the superhumans, especially the location of the sword spirit, who could be said to be the head of the army.
‘The sword soul and the cold wind are separated. But that white hair… Oh, it’s Nellie Korda, the Ice Witch. Is the knight in the back Jerome?’
Tsk.
The uneasiness that had been felt since yesterday when Sword Spirit refused to engage in a one-on-one match finally became a reality. It seemed that the war would not be resolved as easily as expected.
And that anxiety wasn’t his own.
“honey.”
The shaking blue eyes and the familiar and friendly face had a look of concern.
“It’s one of those situations we’ve already assumed. I’ll take care of those three. Please take care of the rest.”
A look of worry also flashed across Logan’s eyes as he said that.
Ailen and Clayton Victoria must stop the four Imperial Mages, including the Mage of the Cold Wind. Naturally, the burden on Eilen, who must act as a shield, is bound to be the greatest.
The queen must take on the role of a shield when my woman is the most dangerous.
Fortunately, Eilen accepted her apology with a faint smile.
“Yes. Leave it to me.”
The imperial army was already moving quickly. The conversation could not continue for long.
Eilen immediately looked at the target he had to deal with and moved quickly.
And then.
“For the glory of the empire! ”
When the cries of the knights at the forefront of the imperial army began to be clearly heard, a thunderous shout came out of Logan’s mouth.
“Shoot!”
“Wow!”
The initial blow that will bring the momentum of victory is the only way to defeat the sword spirit. That wasn’t the case.
‘As long as the initial attack works well.’
It can break the momentum with a single blow.
Containing Logan’s expectations, a rain of Quarrels that covered the sky black poured down on the Imperial Army. A
massive rain of arrows, probably several times the amount the Imperial Army had imagined.
It was more than expected. We achieved results.
“
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
!? Argh!”
The imperial knights charging from the front were also unable to avoid the barrage of Quarrels that were pouring down so thickly that they obscured their vision.
And between them, the red stones thrown by the knights on the castle wall continued to pour in.
Bwaaaaang!
Bang!
Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
! _
It’s magic!”
“It’s a wizard!”
Even some of the mid-level or higher knights who could apply force to their armor fell off their horses. The rank-and-file knights were helplessly swept away as if they were swept away by a black wave. The collaboration between a large number of rapid-fire crossbows and Liberatio The advance of 10,000 knights was completely blocked.
Numerous flags began to move chaotically at the command center of the imperial army in the distance.
It was clear that the enemies were also taken aback by the unexpected situation.
‘Good!’
The moment Logan clenched his fists and cheered, a cold wind suddenly began to blow over the castle wall.
– Advance! We will block long-distance attacks! A
loud voice amplified by magic and a bitter cold wind blew across the castle wall where Logan was. It began blowing widely around the center.
“Ahh!”
“It’s magic!”
“Help me!”
In an instant, allied soldiers were frozen and torn apart one after another.
Logan also had never experienced it, but was familiar with it. Magic.
‘Army of the cold wind!’
Grinding
his teeth, a golden light shimmered from Logan’s sword, and soon a wall of golden flames surrounding him for dozens of meters was created.
Flame cutting. The 4th formula of the arcane, a divine sword that cuts off all supernatural abilities, neutralizes the most famous attribute magic on the continent. “Wow!”
“Your Majesty!”
“Sun of McLane!”
The morale of the surrounding soldiers and knights was clearly visible, but Logan’s expression was not good. ‘As expected, it’s
not
enough.’
The essential difference between magic and swordsmanship.
The range he could protect was bound to be limited.
His distorted gaze was directed at the mage floating in the air in the middle of the enemy camp.
