"Ah, yes, yes."
The knight casually nodded and let Jerome pass.
'As expected, mages always have such nasty personalities.'
The knight didn't bother arguing, even though Jerome's claims made no sense. Picking a fight with a mage could lead to disaster.
Mages were just that eccentric. Far too many of them seemed to enjoy messing with people on purpose.
Anyway, discipline would be handled by the other mages. If Jerome acted suspiciously, it wouldn't be long before he lost his head.
Jerome shrugged at the knight's indifferent attitude.
"I figured they wouldn't believe me."
It was understandable, given his appearance. His physical age was, after all, only in his twenties.
However, Jerome had spent far more time training in magic than his appearance suggested, thanks to the unique techniques passed down in the Magic Tower of Dawn.
Living in a time-distorted mind realm was a defining characteristic of his magic tower, which was why it remained a single-lineage tradition.
That training had granted him immense power, though he occasionally had to endure being underestimated because of his youthful appearance.
***
Having successfully joined the magic corps, Jerome resumed his lazy lifestyle.
In the Farsali Kingdom, the rebels were at a disadvantage. The royal army was steadily reclaiming territory.
Thus, there wasn't much for Jerome to do here either.
"Hmm, did I come to the wrong place?"
It would have been more impactful to help in regions where the rebels were evenly matched or dominant. There was no need to expend energy in a country that was already winning.
"Ah, I'll hang around a little longer before moving on."
Jerome lay down again. Spending so much time in the mind realm had made him lethargic. Or perhaps he had always been naturally lazy.
While he idled, news of victories came from all directions. Rumors even spread that the forces of the rebels and the Salvation Church were dwindling.
The morale of the Farsali royal army soared.
They were even successfully holding back the rifts. The prevailing opinion was that they would soon end the civil war and join the alliance army.
"Ugh, I should just leave."
After days of lounging, Jerome decided to move on.
Continuing to idle was too uncomfortable for his conscience. It would be better to find a more challenging situation where he could be of real help.
Just as Jerome resolved to leave, messengers arrived with new reports.
"The rebels have been reinforced!"
"The interception unit has been annihilated!"
"The rebels are advancing toward us!"
The royal soldiers at the fortress were slightly shaken but quickly regained their composure. This fortress had repelled countless attacks before.
But their confidence was shattered by the next urgent report.
"The rebel forces now number 200,000!"
Hearing the report, the fortress commander stammered as he questioned the messenger.
"W-what? Two hundred thousand? Are you certain?"
"Yes! Rebels from other kingdoms have joined them!"
The fortress commander's head spun. Rebels forming alliances? It was an absurd situation.
What were the other kingdoms doing that allowed the rebels to gather here? Could the rumors about the Salvation Church controlling them all be true?
Gathering forces from across the continent, the Salvation Church's leader, Gartros, had directed part of his army to launch a surprise attack on the Farsali Kingdom.
"Hmm... there's no way we can hold back such a force."
The fortress commander fell deep into thought.
This fortress had a garrison of 10,000 troops. For a frontline stronghold, it was well-manned.
But against an army of 200,000, it was nothing. No matter how sturdy the fortress was, it would fall within a day under such pressure.
Retreat wasn't an option either. If this fortress fell, the enemy would have a direct path to the capital.
As the commander weighed his options, a messenger from the kingdom's commander-in-chief arrived with new orders.
"All forces are to regroup near the capital and form a new defensive line."
"And us? What are we supposed to do?"
"Your orders are to delay the enemy as long as possible."
In other words, they were being ordered to die.
"I see."
The fortress commander nodded with a calm expression. He had anticipated this outcome.
"If it's for the kingdom, we must obey."
And so, the 10,000 soldiers at the fortress prepared to face their deaths.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sight of 200,000 troops filling the plains was overwhelming. The fortress soldiers froze, their bodies stiff with tension.
The commander moved among his men, rallying them.
"Do not fear! We can hold out! Haven't we done so many times before?"
But the soldiers' faces were filled with dread.
Their past victories had been due to evenly matched forces. They had never faced such a massive army before.
'It's over.'
'To think I'd die here.'
'How long can we even last?'
All they could do was pray to survive even a single day longer.
Unlike the terrified Farsali soldiers, the rebels were brimming with confidence.
Though they came from different kingdoms, they were united for now. Their overwhelming numbers naturally boosted their morale.
One peculiar fact stood out—their commander was a necromancer named Hellnik, sent by the Salvation Church.
A strategist asked Hellnik, "How shall we proceed?"
Hellnik responded without hesitation.
"Everyone, charge."
The strategist was taken aback.
"Even with our overwhelming numbers, that would lead to significant losses. Shouldn't we surround them first and wait for their supplies to run out..."
"Charge."
"..."
The strategist glanced at Hellnik. His face was obscured by the deep hood of his robe, shrouded in darkness. Even so, it felt as if he was smirking.
With no other choice, the strategist relayed Hellnik's orders to the unit commanders.
"Waaahhh!"
They hadn't even brought siege weapons, claiming it would slow their movement. All they had were ladders.
Still, the sight of 200,000 soldiers charging together was terrifying. The fortress soldiers gripped their weapons tightly in fear.
At that moment, Jerome stepped forward.
The mages around him shouted in alarm.
"What are you doing!"
"Get back to your position!"
"Form up! Quickly deploy the mana field to block their magic!"
In wartime, mages were supposed to follow the commander's orders, ensuring magic was used effectively.
The priority was to neutralize the enemy's magic.
But Jerome shook his head.
"I'll take care of the vanguard myself."
"Stop being reckless and get back in line!"
The commander of the magic corps shouted in anger. They had reluctantly taken Jerome in, but now he was pulling such a stunt.
Outside of testing, they had never sensed any real magic from him. At best, he seemed to be around the 2nd Circle.
Now this loudmouthed braggart was trying to show off, making tempers flare even more in the tense atmosphere.
Knights moved to drag Jerome back into formation.
"Huh?"
But something strange happened. No matter how much they walked, they couldn't get any closer to Jerome. It was as if an invisible barrier kept them at bay.
Everyone was astonished, especially the mages.
"S-space distortion?"
"W-what is this..."
"Could he really be..."
Meanwhile, the enemy drew closer. The fortress commander decided it was better to let Jerome act than waste time arguing.
He shouted loudly.
"Everyone, prepare!"
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The soldiers lined up tightly, raising their shields. Stones and oil were prepared for use at any moment.
"Waaahhh!"
The rebels roared as they charged. Jerome muttered to himself as he watched.
"Throwing rocks worked well last time."
Of course, the "rocks" he planned to throw this time were nothing like what he had used against bandits.
Koooom!
The ground in front of the fortress began to shift as dirt clumped together. Soon, massive chunks of earth floated into the air.
"Huh? What?"
The charging rebels faltered as they saw dozens of these massive clumps rising.
Jerome extended his hand and said.
"Go."
Booooom!
The enormous chunks of earth shot forward toward the enemy.
Craaaash!
Dozens of chunks of earth swept through the enemy forces, leaving behind a staggering number of corpses in their wake.
"Aaaaahhh!"
"It's a mage!"
"Why didn't the magic suppression work?!"
The rebel army included a considerable number of mages. Given the sheer size of the rebel forces, they outnumbered the fortress's mages.
Naturally, they had deployed magic suppression fields. Yet somehow, magic had been cast, breaking through the suppression.
"What are you doing? Stop him! Stop him!"
The rebel mages panicked, pouring more power into their efforts. They desperately tried to strengthen their mana fields to disrupt the enemy's magic.
Jerome narrowed his eyes slightly.
"So, there really are a lot of mages."
The power of his magic was weaker than he had anticipated. The scattered mana fields hindered the concentration of his magic.
But Jerome was an 8th-circle mage. He forced his way through the enemy's mana fields and cast his spells.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Though the power of his spells was diminished by the mana fields, it was still enough to devastate the enemy forces.
The powerful spells detonated one after another. Jerome wasn't called a "one-man army" in Ghislain's past life for no reason.
The people in the fortress were left speechless at Jerome's prowess.
He was casting magic despite the interference of numerous mana fields.
"Could he really be an 8th-circle mage?"
Only an 8th-circle mage could perform such miracles. The fortress mages, caught between shock and reverence, trembled as they stared wide-eyed.
The fortress commander broke into a wide smile. Whoever he was, this incredible powerhouse was fighting for their side.
"Have our mages focus solely on suppressing the enemy's magic! Knights, protect that mage! Quickly!"
Knights swarmed around Jerome, forming a protective circle. Jerome gave an awkward smile at the sight.
"You really don't have to go this far."
If an attack reached him, the knights wouldn't stand a chance anyway. While he appreciated their goodwill, it felt a bit embarrassing.
Thanks to Jerome, the morale of the fortress troops soared. Meanwhile, the rebel commanders and strategists were in disarray.
"It seems there's a formidable powerhouse on their side."
"If we keep pushing like this, our losses will be enormous."
"We need to find another strategy quickly."
The relentless magic bombardment was piling up a massive number of corpses. The arrows fired from within the fortress were also slowly adding to the toll.
Seated nearby, Hellnik chuckled, his shoulders shaking.
"So, there was a monster on their side. Why did it take this long for them to appear? The Salvation Church's intelligence is truly pathetic."
Though the quality of the mages gathered here wasn't the best, there were still a significant number of them.
For someone to cast magic while piercing through their mana fields meant that the opponent was as formidable as Hellnik himself.
A strategist cautiously suggested.
"We could retreat for now and reassess the situation..."
"Why would we do that?"
"The... the losses are too great..."
"Keep pressing forward. Why stop when things are getting interesting?"
"..."
"We have the numbers. Eventually, we'll succeed in scaling the fortress. Order them to continue the assault."
In a sense, Hellnik wasn't wrong. No matter how strong the enemy was, their side had 200,000 soldiers. They could overwhelm the fortress before being completely wiped out.
Already, large numbers of soldiers were swarming the fortress walls like ants.
But at this rate, even if they captured the fortress, more than half of their forces would be lost. Losing 100,000 soldiers against a force of only 10,000 was unthinkable.
Would that even count as a victory? At this rate, they'd be wiped out after just two battles.
"..."
The strategists swallowed hard. They couldn't tell if this was meant to be a war or simply a meat grinder to throw soldiers into.
Amidst the tense atmosphere, Hellnik looked around and asked.
"You all don't seem to be enjoying yourselves."
"N-not at all!"
Knowing their commander-in-chief was a necromancer, they quickly bowed their heads. They had no desire to end up as one of his undead minions.
Clicking his tongue, Hellnik continued.
"Fine, then. Let's make this a little more entertaining. How about the two of you join the fun?"
Hellnik gestured at two high-ranking priests. They barely concealed their displeasure.
While they understood the plan, they didn't agree with wasting so many soldiers. On top of that, Hellnik's arrogant demeanor grated on their nerves.
But orders from Gartros were absolute. They had no choice but to comply, for the sake of the church.
"Understood."
"We'll take care of the enemy mage."
The two priests confidently made their way toward the fortress. Watching their backs, Hellnik smirked.
Even from a glance, it was clear. The opponent was a monster among monsters. Those two priests were walking to their deaths.
And that, too, was part of Hellnik's plan.
[T/L: I am in dire need of support. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]