Revolutionary Period –
Supplementary troops conscripted from Lumiere, the capital of the Storm Witch, were assigned to the Northern and Southern armies, bringing the number of troops to 19,500 each.
As Archduke Leopold moved toward Lorraine, the revolutionary army of 39,000 was engaged with the enemy of 40,000.
If you look at it up to this point, the military power was pretty much at an equal level, but the news that was delivered in such a hurry was troubling to us.
“The Royal Guard Mage Corps? Was there such a unit in the Empire?”
At the strategy meeting where the leaders of the revolutionary army gathered, Raphael Balian furrowed his eyebrows and asked.
At least, this is a unit that did not exist until the fight against the Kingdom of Franzia and the Kingdom of Krafte. Of course, little is known.
“The information is clear. “It is said to be an organization made up of powerful wizards.”
This is news delivered urgently by Christine from the capital.
The information was obtained through the Aquitaine Merchant Marine, which was trading with the Holy Church, and Christine would have verified it, so there would be no need to doubt its reliability.
“There are about 20 people. “Most of them are imperial nobles who studied abroad in Holland, the Magic Kingdom, and magicians hired for money or titles.”
“I’m from the Magic Kingdom.”
Balian rested his chin on his hand and frowned.
Even though Balian flies and crawls, he was a mercenary. Of course, it is inevitable that high-ranking people such as wizards are ignorant of their weapons.
Everyone dreams of becoming a knight, so wizards are talented commoners, but the same goes for us, the nobles of Frangia, who use them in moderation.
“…So specifically, how much of a threat are they?”
There was silence in the conference room in response to the question of Northern Army Chief of Staff Alexandre Werther.
The problem is that no one knows that.
I need to know how much of a threat they are and what they can do before I can take countermeasures or not.
As far as we know, the Franzian magician used the ability to rain down water from the sky to render gunpowder useless in a narrow range or to incinerate gathered soldiers.
Although the skills of wizards from the Magic Kingdom are well-known, they are a race that prefers research rather than combat, so they are rarely seen on the battlefield.
“First of all, their leader, Wilhelmina von Weinfeld, was at the top of her class at university in the Kingdom of Magic and is said to have the nickname ‘Witch of the Storm’. … It is said that this nickname is only given to wizards who are recognized as wise. “There are only three wise men of our time.”
Christine happened to be in contact with the Magic Kingdom to enroll Louis, and gave him various information, but the problem is that honestly, it doesn’t make much sense.
“Be wise. “Well, I’ve heard old stories about the magic performed by wise men.”
Everyone who heard Deje’s words burst into laughter.
The problem is that they are mostly nonsense.
Things like crashing down a castle wall with a meteorite, causing a flood from the bare ground, or burning down an entire forest by creating a huge flame all at once… It’s
not much different from the exaggerated myths of ancient heroes.
In the first place, why did a person ranked among the top three in the Kingdom of Magic regret coming to a battlefield like this?
I could easily make a lot of money just by conducting research, publishing papers, teaching students, and creating artifacts.
I sighed lightly and ran my hand over Wilhelmina’s name written in the report Christine sent me.
“Storm Witch. … It’s a nickname given to a wise wizard, but it’s not without reason. “I think it has to do with ability.”
The commanders of the revolutionary army looked at each other with serious faces and said one word at a time.
“Did you use magic like a storm to catch it?”
“It’s scary to even imagine. A wizard who mainly deals with wind attributes.”
“Umm. “How on earth should I deal with him?”
While everyone was making embarrassed faces, Damien de Mirbeau slowly raised his hand and opened his mouth.
“Uh, you really do use magic to summon a storm.”
There was silence for a moment.
After a while, laughter broke out here and there.
“Huh huh. “That is truly a story worthy of myth.”
“No, if the Demon Kingdom had that kind of power, what would they have done other than conquer the world?”
Damien lowered his hand with a dissatisfied look on his face, but I was equally horrified.
Even though that person looks like that, I have a secret sense of it. Summoning a storm?
…Oh no way.
No, it’s not at that level. If he really does something like that, how can I deal with him?
Balian and I looked at each other.
I’m looking very sad, and that’s probably how my expression looks.
“…I guess we have no choice but to fight for now. “I have one request, General Lafayette.”
“Please speak, General Balian.”
“How about dispersing the knights and placing them in each regiment? “If they make a magic attack, we don’t have the means to defend ourselves, but as a knight, we can probably respond to some extent.”
“…hmm.”
Originally, knights were responsible for leading heavy cavalry, but they were used for defense against magic.
But it may be that we, who have almost no wizard power, can be effective as a means to counter them.
“Let’s put it in debt.”
Balian smiled bitterly.
“Oh my. Twice already.”
“Anyway, we don’t know the exact strength of the enemy. In this battle, we also keep in mind that in case of emergency, we retreat before the damage increases.”
If you spread out your knights and receive assistance from Eris and our wizards, you will be able to counter my sniping to some extent.
…I guess so.
–
Balian and I made several attempts to disperse or capture the enemies in our own way, but perhaps because Archduke Karl took overall command, the enemies did not fall prey to such tactics.
Eventually, after joining and reorganizing, the enemies turned around and we had no choice but to deal with them to protect Bahua.
A brightly clear day.
With the summer sun shining, a total of nearly 80,000 troops from both sides filled the plain.
A battlefield where tens of thousands of men in white military uniforms are waving and tens of thousands of men in blue uniforms are advancing from this side.
While the cannons of both armies were continuously firing and playing discordant sounds, I was at the front of the line, riding a horse like the other knights.
If you glance behind you, it looks like Raphael Balian is busy directing everything from afar.
Although the command of the southern army was temporarily entrusted to him, he had no choice but to use all the cards he could.
I have confidence in my bow.
The arrow I shot loaded with magic can pierce not only the magic power of a clumsy wizard, but also the soldier’s baton that is trying to protect it.
So, I expected that it would be effective to some extent even against the Royal Guard magic corps they brought in as a secret weapon.
While thinking that, I urgently yanked the reins and kicked the horse’s butt.
My horse made a hissing sound and without even realizing it, I jumped forward and as soon as I could, the cannonball flew to the side with the sound of the wind cutting through it.
There is a scream behind me and the horrible sound of something breaking and snapping.
Cold sweat flows down.
Damn it, I almost died by accident.
It’s quite unsettling to think that Eris is out in this kind of environment…
-Even though she looks like this, she’s a saint. God will stop the blind cannonballs.
-…The saint said she didn’t believe in God.
-hmm. Uhm- Shall we start believing from today?
…When I recalled the conversation with Eris before the battle began, I actually became more anxious.
The thoughts stopped with the sound of the trumpet.
Infantry chasseurs, lightly dressed and armed with muskets, were seen advancing all at once in the northern army’s lines.
Did you say that they were probably the ones that Balian used to capture the Duke of Lorraine’s knights?
While the line infantry on both sides were advancing toward each other, the Chasseurs who had gone first lowered their posture and spread out and began firing.
When I lifted the telescope, I could see soldiers falling here and there across the enemy lines.
Perhaps because the soldiers were trained to aim and fire with muskets, they seemed to be quite good at hitting and running from a position farther than the engagement distance of the line infantry and still hitting the target well.
I guess I should follow Balian’s lead and train some light infantry.
In any case, the artillery battle is barely boiling over, and Balian’s light infantry is making hits and runs, thinning out the enemy’s strength in advance.
The flow of the early part of the battle wasn’t bad…
I turned the telescope.
It wasn’t that difficult to find wizards in the enemy camp.
Because he was wearing such a colorful and colorful robe that he could be recognized at a glance even from a distance.
The problem is the characteristic movements they are making.
Is that really casting a spell?
The light infantry went ahead first, but the distance between the two armies was still well over 300m.
From a distance where even the arrows I shoot can’t reach?
The moment he thought that, one of the wizards created a fireball and blew it away.
–
“I can’t believe this body, who famously served as the acting commander of the Southern Army, is out in front of the battle lines…”
Damien de Mirbeau was muttering as he watched the sight of Balian’s light infantry fighting and running away against the enemy’s infantry.
The enemies have wizards, so the knights have to deal with the flying magic?
Doesn’t it seem like they are using themselves, who are nobles and knights in name, as escorts for miscellaneous soldiers?
The moment I thought that, a fireball flew out from the enemy camp.
And then it started flying straight in the direction where Damien was.
“Holy shit. “Me first!”
Damien immediately drew his sword and gave it magical power.
Then, as usual when dealing with wizards on the battlefield, I tried to approach the flying fireball by driving my horse, but-
“…Huh?”
I didn’t know it when I was far away, but the fireball that flew was about twice as big as Damien on the horse.
“How can we stop something like this!”
Damien screamed, but there was no need to worry about him stopping.
The fireball flew in a parabola high in the sky, passing Damien’s head from a height where the sword could not reach, and flew into the infantry that was advancing.
Damien shrugged his shoulders at the scorching heat that could be felt even though he was passing far above, and shouts of panic erupted from the infantry.
“Hee hee hee!”
The infantry tried to run away from the huge fireball, but before they could, the fireball fell on their ranks and exploded.
“Aaaah!”
“It’s hot! Hot! Argh!”
Damien, who saw dozens of people struggling and burning to death in the flames, turned his head with a pale face and watched the same fireballs flying across the sky.
–
“Holy shit!”
Is this a wizard?
It’s so different from the wizards we’ve known so far!
I frantically drove my horse and started running towards where Balian was.
Meanwhile, fireballs pass over my head, emitting scorching heat.
How on earth are you supposed to stop things like that?
“Ugh!”
“Run away!”
“Save me, save me!”
The ranks of the infantry had already turned into a mess.
The moment when infantry units panicked and collapsed before even engaging the enemy.
A golden curtain fell in the sky, and the fireballs that collided with it exploded and scattered into embers.
There is only one person who can do this.
“Eris!”
In the distance, behind the infantry, Eris was seen staggering, raising her hands toward the sky.
“Huh huh what’s going on?”
“She is a saint! “The saint protected us!”
“Stay in line! Don’t run away! “The Holy Virgin protects you!”
“Oooh God is great!”
The soldiers, excited by the miracle that occurred just before collapse, are talking wildly, and the commanders and knights are trying to pick up anything they can to calm them down.
Eris, who must have heard those cries, can be seen struggling to get up with Lord Beaumont’s support and pretending like nothing is wrong.
I bit my lip.
It was fortunate that Eris was on the battlefield.
But how much longer can those wizards use something like that? How much longer can Eris hold out?
The moment I thought that, I felt a horrifying sensation that my entire body’s magical power was drained, and I turned my back.
The last resort, probably near the command barracks, in the middle of the enemy lines.
A wizard is floating slightly in the air.
When I lift the telescope, I can clearly see that the surrounding magic power is converging on the wizard floating in the air, with several wizards assisting him.
What is that.
Something is being drawn in the air around the magician floating in the air in a flow that is so visible that the magical power of the atmosphere is being pulled out.
It was a little late that I realized that the thing that seemed to be created by threads shining with magic was a magic circle.
The magic circle starts from above the wizard’s head and gradually becomes complete as it rotates clockwise.
I drove my horse like crazy and ran to Balian.
“General, are you looking at that?”
“I’m watching. “I ordered the artillery to focus fire, but…”
As soon as Balian finished speaking, the cannons roared and fired shells, but the accuracy of the cannons was too poor to hit a single human floating in the distant air.
Is it possible to penetrate that vast magical force and kill him by hitting him before that?
What kind of spell are you completing by gathering that much magical power?
While I was frantically looking for Balian, the magic circle was about one-third complete.
Meanwhile, blazing fireballs flew from the enemy camp once again and were once again blocked and destroyed by the golden barrier.
I can see our magicians clinging to Eris, who is staggering down below, trying to provide some assistance.
Damn it, Eris is reaching her limit.
“The operation was a complete failure. This is not a level the knights can defend. “Even if we try to launch an all-out war like this, we don’t know what that wizard is preparing.”
“Ugh….”
“Let’s step back. “If you don’t take any measures, the damage will snowball.”
“Damn it…”
If we step back from here now, we will have to give up Bahua, which Balian occupied in the Western War.
Balian, who knew this well, frowned.
“If we keep the soldiers intact, we can get the land back. But if you lose all your soldiers, you lose all your land.”
“I understand. General Lafayette. “Let’s go.”
The retreat bugle sounded.
“The cavalry blocks the enemy light cavalry!”
The infantry that was advancing towards the enemy camp immediately turned their backs and the cavalry that received the order rushed out.
Even as our artillerymen were working to move the cannons they had fired back to their horses, shells were constantly flying in from the enemy lines, striking the lines of our infantry.
Balian and I had to watch the scene helplessly, biting our lips.
As time passed and the cavalry on both sides engaged in a war of nerves, by the time this side finished preparing for withdrawal, the enemy wizard’s magic circle was almost completely completed.
“How should I deal with those damn bastards?”
Finally, the moment when all our artillery began to withdraw and the main unit was retreating.
Dark clouds began to gather in the sky.
“…This can’t be right.”
The sky turns black in an instant.
“What?”
“God, what on earth happened….”
Heavy rain suddenly started pouring from the sky that turned black.
-Uh, you can really use magic to summon a storm.
Holy crap. Damien, this damned word has become a seed.
Heavy rain is pouring down, with only the sky on our side turning black, as if half the sky had been cut off.
It’s raining so hard here that it’s hard to even open my eyes, but I’m shocked to see the enemy troops approaching under the still sunny sky right next to me.
At that moment, the sound of thunder rang out.
Not once, but several times.
Lightning struck from the sky along with a fierce thunderstorm, cutting to pieces the troops who had been struggling on the muddy ground in the heavy rain due to their unfortunate delay in retreating.
Even the screams were drowned out by the roaring thunder.
I can’t even hear what the soldiers are screaming or the commanders are yelling.
An overwhelming natural disaster that cannot be resisted engulfs helpless humans.
That’s the Storm Witch.
If we hadn’t retreated, it would have come down on all of us.
Balian, who was looking at the devastation behind him with a pale face and his hair burning, let out a soft sigh.
“…Ha fuck. You act like a war dog.”
?
