XLIX

As soon as an appropriate amount of time has elapsed, the commander over our entire side, Belfrost, to my irritation, calls out "Forward! March forth and defeat these opponents! View this as a trial! If you can do well here, you are likely to succeed on a real battlefield as well!"

At this signal we begin to march forward. Lector soon calls out "Mages, form the walls!" At his command, a series of short but wide walls erupt from the ground across the battlefield, hiding the other army, which was also approaching from view.

Our side continues forward at a reasonable pace; due to our excellent physical conditions, it is no trouble to maintain it. Once we have crossed half of the field, a process that only consumes a minute, we halt, taking our position. The mages then tear down the walls, showing the approaching army which is much slower.

Evidently caught off guard, they immediately stop and scramble to get in position. "Our tactics have worked! Mages, archers, fire at will!" At Belfrost's command, spells of elemental and non-elemental varieties fly forth, alongside countless arrows.

Additionally, lingering dispel magic spells are cast by our own mages across the ground, heavily restricting our enemy's ability to create any fortifications. What spells and arrows our enemy does send in our direction are either dispelled by our mages, namely, Lector, or allowed to come into harmless contact with our spearmens' shields, where arrows bounce off and the remaining spells dissipate before impact.

After a moment of scrambling, during which many of their troops are forced to flee the field with grievous injuries, they return to formation. Their two mage-type commanders fly above their force, charging towards us. Lector flies up to meet them, and after they appear to exchange a few words, they fly off to duel elsewhere.

[It seems that they are taking the idea of not massacring their own soldiers with their spells quite seriously. Such consideration is a rare sight in this world; I'd expect them to fight right over us as an egotistical demonstration of their own power, to see the powerful thinking of the weak in this word, such is an odd occurrence].

Before our enemy can fully reform, Belfrost orders "Troops, advance!" At once, the spearmen again push forward, assisted by the ranged troops and swordsmen along their sides. Without Lector, far more spells come into contact with our force, having not been dispelled; however, most are dispelled by our spearmens' shields or dodged by our swordsmen. Still, some simple archers are hit, and while the worst of their injuries can be healed by our healers, they often aren't fit to continue battle, resulting in some leaving the field.

After only advancing for a moment, our soldiers finally collide with theirs, initiating the battle for real. Their primary strategy is quite similar to ours, based around supporting a core of spearmen. Even their core is greatly similar to our own, with two rows of spearmen, those in the back with long spears and those in the front with shields. The greatest difference is in formation shape, with our troops in a two-deep line and theirs in a two-deep wedge.

When our forces collide, spears bounce off shields and occasionally armor as the enemy force flattens out on our own, unsuccessful in piercing it. At the same time, the swordsmen forces of each group collide, and both sides' ranged troops aim for the enemy's rangers to avoid hitting their own troops in the area where melee troops are fighting.

Magic swordsmen of each side occasionally drop into battle, removing normal swordsmen from the fight and retreating before the enemy's spellswords. They are extra careful to leave the enemy plenty of time to surrender and leave the field; otherwise, casualties would grow quickly.

Noticing many of our swordsmen on the east side being defeated, I look to see who could be doing such a thing and prepare to intercept him. However, to my surprise no magic is being utilized by the swordsman who is defeating our troops left and right. And only one non-magic swordsman in this place could do such a thing.

[Reinhart,] I think, focusing my attention on him. As if sensing an aura, he immediately turns to look at me. Well, I guess it's totally possible that I could have released an aura of some sort; after all, my power is approaching the commanders here. Still, if that is the case, it is something I would have to look into; after all, I can't have my enemies sensing me so clearly in battle.

Well, whatever the case, someone needs to deal with Reinhart. But before I can charge towards him, another magic swordsman does so. Apparently not recognizing Reinhart as anything more than a talented swordsman, the spellsword casts several basic spells. Against any normal swordsman not capable of magic, such an attack would leave them dodging around with no chance of unleashing a counterattack, at which point they would be open for defeat.

However, it need not be said that Reinhart is hardly a normal swordsman. His blade blurring in its motion, he cut the spells from the air in a single motion. I can't hear the sounds of their battle from across the clamoring field, even with my moderate hearing enhancement skill, but based on his expression, I expect that he gasps in surprise.

In one fluid motion, Reinhart stabs him, a cruel and clearly visible expression plastered on his face. Still, Reinhart controls himself enough to allow the fool to stumble away from the battlefield with a hole in his gut.

I again make towards Reinhart, and he towards me, but Belfrost steps in. "Hiding among your soldiers to sneak attacks in on mine? Hardly behavior fitting of a commander, eh? Still, not like I can blame you. If you were to stand out, a group of mages on your level would defeat you in moments."

[Hmm… I didn't get the impression that their relationship was [this] antagonistic, perhaps I misread things. Still, win or lose, Reinhart will be occupied for a while. I should look for spellswords to crush.]

I do not have to look for long. Boldly standing atop the corpse of one of our own spellswords that he was too rough with, casting lighting with one hand and swinging a sword with the other, a noble exuding excessive arrogance dispatches more of our warriors every second, with no sign of restraint.

[Wait, isn't that the one that got in trouble for intentionally killing soldiers last time, a rather new recruit who got off lightly due to connections and his own talent? Heh heh. I'll enjoy this one.]

That he has killed my comrades hardly concerns me; less people in this world is a definite positive, and odds are they were not any better than he. No, killing him will be enjoyable because if there is one group I hate in this world more than any other it is the nobility. They facilitate the rot of this world by not properly controlling their subjects or their own desires, while still acting as though they are above those they fail to govern properly.

To be worthy of ruling over others, one must be just in commanding them. This means both not acting in tyranny and not allowing it from one's own citizens; that this nation's nobility have failed in both regards is apparent. So, then, to kill nobles is just. Now, some may argue that it makes the world a better place, and so contradicts my goal of bringing it to ruin; however, I desire to see the world barren and burnt, not corrupt and evil; thus, by removing this noble I injure this world's perverse society and bring this world towards the first and away from the second.

I charge towards him before stopping ten feet away. Utilizing wind magic, I push all troops from the area, of course being more gentle to my side.

"Oh, if it isn't the slave who's gotten too big a head. Of course, that that lunatic commoner wizard would take you as an apprentice is fitting for both of you," he says, before releasing a mirthless cackle."

"Heh. Pretty bold coming from a worthless bag of scum mere inches from death."

"Huh? What did you just say to me, [boy]!?"

"I said to say your last words." [Oh, this really is too much fun! I've always wanted to toy with someone like this! And, considering I don't feel bad after committing murder, so long as I don't linger on that lack of feeling, I should be fine. Well, time to die, brat.]

Without saying anything further, I burst out towards him. I swing towards his head, which, though unexpected, he still manages to block. "You little…" is all he can get out before being forced into silence by the ferocity of my attack.

However, my attack isn't as ferocious as I had hoped. I only realize now that I have been completely neglecting one area of training: combining magic and swordsmanship. I am a capable swordsman and a capable elementalist, as well as capable in actually imbuing my sword with the elements, but I have minimal experience in combining these in battle. If I had Reinhart's sword, I could ignore this flaw, forcing my enemy into a duel of swords. However, I have no way to do such a thing, forcing me to use a skillset that I have not trained.

Still, the fight is certainly in my favor. Because I can fly while he cannot, I can stay out of his range and force him into a duel with magic, in which I am certainly superior. Furthermore, by mixing in flying sword attacks, I am able to interrupt his concentration.

And so, by casting spells from afar while having the mobility to avoid his own, I quickly take the lead. Then he surprises me by doing something that is actually… smart. He casts a lingering dispel magic spell over the whole area, forcing sword combat. Or at least it [would] be smart, if I wasn't a greatly superior swordsman. Having effectively cut off his own greatest asset, he draws his sword.

"Hah! Magic swordsman, hardly! You're merely a mage with a sword, while I have received training since birth with the blade. You are no match for me!" He then charges forth, demonstrating such improper form that it is almost laughable.

In fact, I do laugh… as I stab straight into his chest at speeds too fast to follow.

"Wha- I- I sur- I surrender," he barely manages to get out. However, I only give him a gleaming smile in response. Relishing in his terror, I bring down my blade, cleanly removing his head from his body.