<Magic Attributes Distribution>

Retained points: 10

——————

Fire: 20/100

Ice: 0/100

Lightning: 10/100

Wind: 20/100

Earth: 0/100

Light: 0/100

Darkness: 0/100

‘Up until now, I’ve been using fire and wind in equal proportions. It’s made it easier to control the path of my magic, but it’s not as destructive.’

Being able to use multi-attribute magic was an absolute advantage, but it was also true that the magic would be less powerful than if he spent all his points on a single attribute.

In all the battles he’d fought, there was only one time when Cadel realized the limits of his destructive power. It was when he faced the core of Ergo.

But the Sellev before him was a High Demon. She was a higher-ranked being than Ergo, and his life would likely be threatened by a single point if he were to distribute his attribute points loosely here.

‘So now I have to decide my path. Well, even if I don’t like it, that item is there.’

This meant that Cadel had to choose which attribute to prioritize the most. Currently, there were two properties worth 20 points: fire and wind. Looking back and forth between the two, Cadel chose Fire without hesitation. With a master who was a fire magician, there was no reason for him to choose any other element, and in his experience, it was the one that worked best for him.

His fingertips tingled briefly as the proportions of the magic attributes shifted. With a light curl of his fingertips, Cadel mixed the intensified flames with a bit of wind, creating a barrier of fire that enveloped the walls of the gateway and the air beyond.

A vast, blazing barrier. Its mere presence was intimidating, but there was no hesitation or reluctance in the Red Men’s movements.

Cut by sword energy, pierced by ice. Their eyes were fixed on the gate.

“Hmph, I don’t feel like catching them. I was going to play hard to commemorate the return of my powers, but it’s boring when they’re so unresponsive!”

Lydon, who was wildly throwing magic at random in the sky, grumbled. From the looks of it, they looked like they were going to flip over at the slightest breeze, but the Red Men didn’t respond at all, whether it was because they didn’t have a sense of pain or if they were just holding back.

They didn’t care if their race was dying before their eyes, or if one of their limbs was cut off. They just kept going, stubbornly, as if they had no value beyond Sellev’s orders.

Lydon’s eyes shifted at the unexpected boredom. His gaze fell on Sellev. A High Demon whose overflowing demonic energy was mass-producing Red Men.

“……Hmm. I wonder.”

Cadel said not to fight, but no matter what, she looked more interesting than the Red Men. Shall he touch her a little? The chill that surrounded him intensified, along with a look of curiosity and anticipation.

But before Lydon could attack. As if anticipating his sudden move, Cadel’s voice sounded just in time.

“Lydon! Come back here for a second. There’s something I need you to do.”

* * *

An army of monsters has appeared at the southern gate guarding the Empire’s borders.

Immediately upon receiving the news, the Empire moved the First, Fourth, and Fifth Battalions of the ‘Guardian Knight Order’ to the vicinity of the gate with the help of a number of magicians.

The ‘Guardian Knight Order’ was said to be the largest and most powerful of the Imperial Knight Order. The number of people involved in dealing with the monsters was excessive, but the location was near the border and the circumstances of the monsters’ appearance were unusual. It was a clear-cut deployment of manpower to grasp the situation and defeat it.

The battalion captains of each unit waited for their knights to be summoned from Perion Village, one after the other. All the while, their eyes naturally fell on one place. In the distance, a flame shadowed the gate and the sky.

“Looks like they were right about the Scarlet Scales Mercenary.”

Sorin, the battalion captain of the First Battalion, spoke, and Dreyfe, the battalion captain of the Fifth Battalion next to him, frowned.

“Everyone was out of their minds. They abandoned the borders to a bunch of mercenaries? They should only send soldiers to announce the invasion and fight against them with the determination to die.”

“They said they had never seen one before, and they only had four people. I suppose it wasn’t a bad call, considering the Scarlet Scales Mercenary is an upstart faction with a reputation.”

“Hmph, no matter what, they are just mercenaries with no roots. If they watched the gateway, how desperately would they defend it? It’s a good thing we got there before they got their tails between their legs.”

As Sorin listened to Dreyfe’s sour criticism in silence, Jeriel, the battalion captain of the 4th Battalion behind him, interjected.

“Don’t you want to know? I’ve been dying to know, with all this talk of the Scarlet Scales Mercenary lately, what kind of a magician is the commander of them, that he’s being hailed as the genius of the century?”

“The Commander of the Twilight Knight Order, Garuel Monzasi, raved about him.”

“I’m sorry, everyone’s fantasizing. They are mercenaries, mercenaries! They would fight for the monsters’ side in a heartbeat if you paid them.”

Jeriel could only shrug at Dreyfe’s sarcasm.

It wasn’t long before all the knights in each unit were on the move. Sorin raised his voice as he drove his horse at the head of the column.

“As we do not yet know the exact size and capabilities of the enemy, a hasty evacuation could lead to chaos. Therefore, the knights have been assigned will control the inhabitants of Perion and keep them out of the gate until further orders.”

A thunderous reply rang through the air. Without hesitation, Sorin turned his horse around and headed for the gate.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice penetrated the Knight Order’s minds.

― The Scarlet Scales Mercenary is subjugating the monsters attacking the gateway, so all the humans living nearby run far away. If you’re slow, you never know when you’ll die.

A playful tone of voice, like a joke.

Questions and confusion were evident on the faces of the knights as they listened.

* * *

“Did you get that across?”

“Of course.”

“You didn’t say anything weird, did you? Just that the Scarlet Scales Mercenary is guarding the gate, and they should get far away before they get hurt. Did you just say that?”

“It’s not attractive if you keep asking, Cadel. I’ve made it clear, so let’s get back to fighting.”

Cadel sighed softly as he watched Lydon take off, wings flapping excitedly behind him.

‘If delivered properly, word of mouth will surely burn.’

The criteria for success in the quest were clear, but they were not enough to prepare him for what lay ahead. This was Cadel Lytos’ home, and he was a wanted man. It wasn’t going to be like a game, where everything would be resolved once the conditions were met.

Cadel was now in the middle of a hostile zone that was more murderous than any other, and insurance was essential for survival. One of them was this. The ‘imprinting of the mercenary corps’ accomplishments by word of mouth’.

If an Imperial knight recognized Cadel’s identity during the battle, he could have been captured without being informed of the mercenary corps’ participation in the slaughter. To prevent that dire future, he utilized the relatively uncontrollable power of ‘word of mouth’.

‘The evacuated villagers will attribute their safe escape to the mercenary corps guarding the gate. The more widely the story spreads, the less likely I am to be in danger.’

It was natural to want to meet the lifesaver. So, it was only natural that the more the rumors spread, the more Cadel’s lifeline got tougher.

To do this, Cadel used Lydon’s [Phantasm Speech]. Lydon’s voice clearly imprinted Cadel’s wishes on the people near the gate.

‘As long as he didn’t mix in anything weird.’

It was a shame Cadel couldn’t see it for himself, but it was good enough. Now it was just a matter of holding out until reinforcements arrived.