A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 537 Battle of Wits

The young general's worried eyes, the soldiers' expectant and joyful gazes—all these moments were captured by a war correspondent.

The Imperial Army's joy was simple: reinforcements had arrived to bolster their forces.

Originally, the number of spellcasters in the main force of the garrison's accompanying mage, Bivallois, was about the same. Now, with the addition of the western troops, the Empire's numbers now outnumbered the National Guard, whether they were ordinary soldiers or mages, giving them enough confidence.

Richard received the first report: "General, please send reinforcements to the North Shore immediately! The evil ritual has not ended. If the rain of ashes falls again, the entire Oward will be burned to the ground! Also, the monsters must be eliminated; if they spread, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Is there anything worse than the whole city turning into hell?

Yes, of course, the anomalies are occurring in a much larger area.

Oward faced the enemy, evacuating as many defenseless residents as possible to the surrounding countryside, and many others fled elsewhere. Those who remained were either unable to leave or were militia and reserves. Another prerequisite was that the Empire's garrison mages had already been drafted into the army.

In conclusion, the nearby villages are currently completely unprepared. Given the monster's fire resistance and ability to spread, a single monster is enough to destroy a village. Moreover, once the spread reaches a critical point, there is a possibility of triggering a chain reaction and spreading throughout the entire area.

In fact, Richard would have taken it seriously even without being told, and he had already learned about the monster's characteristics through the public channel of the communication spell.

Now there's another problem, which is the National Guard.

Paul slowly walked out from Valois's side. He and Pascal recognized Richard, whom they had met in their very first battle.

Back then, Paul was just a private; now he's risen through the ranks like a starship, and this time, both of them are adorned with the insignia of generals. He noticed that Richard's gaze also faltered, indicating that the other man remembered him as well.

"We need to negotiate. Let us retreat, and the mage can stay to help you stop the catastrophe."

Some of the accompanying mages and soldiers of the Imperial Army were immediately dissatisfied with Paul's attitude: "Do you still have any negotiating terms now? Dream on."

Unfortunately, they didn't keep their word; Richard did: "All the spellcasters remain."

"Okay, the rest of the National Guard will withdraw now. You and your troops will allow us to advance safely to at least twenty kilometers away."

A step back would be a very worthwhile deal for both sides. For the reinforcements led by Richard, they could achieve the result of repelling the enemy without losing a single soldier or firing a single shot. On a larger scale, it could even eliminate the threat of the National Guard to the capital. For the Valois, it was the least costly retreat, merely allowing the spellcaster to "cover their retreat."

These mages can be helpful, but it's impossible for them to take over the North Shore of Oward on their own, so overall it's safe.

Exhausted, the National Guard withdrew from the battlefield under the silent watch of the Imperial Army, retreating further and further east towards where their supply lines were secure. Meanwhile, Paul, Pascal, and many mages were summoned to prepare to enter the remaining urban areas.

Paul felt it necessary to explain to the other mages why they were staying, such as the senior monk, whose incomprehension was almost written all over his face: "Agreeing to their conditions is to buy our comrades time to evacuate and escape from this godforsaken place."

"We have another purpose in staying: to investigate the source of the incident and find out what's causing it. If we just leave or a fight breaks out, won't it just be the Empire's side of the story afterwards? If they say we caused the catastrophe, can you explain that clearly?"

"If we take the army all the way to the capital, there won't be any more one-sided stories," Pascal muttered, shrugging after receiving a glare from his junior brother. "You're right, I was just talking nonsense!"

He pulled out a somewhat worn stenographer and began dictating his report as he walked. Pascal wanted to send it out as soon as possible so that the outside world, especially the magic guild, would notice the situation here.

As soon as the group and the Valuwa mage crossed the Oder River, they heard the crackling of gunfire and frequent shouts coming from the streets and alleys.

"Wonderful, what a beautiful view." Gregory entered the North District from another direction. In the most polluted areas, the buildings and dead trees seemed to have faded, pale with a hint of gray, like burnt-out charcoal.

In contrast, there was a layer of blood film covering the stone path, on which many monsters that had lost their targets crawled. Not long ago, these clusters of fleshy growths were intact humans.

The sorcerer's long leather boots trod across the blood-soaked surface, his movements dancing out of nowhere, occasionally twirling to reveal the hem of his filthy robes. The monsters, oblivious to his presence, remained lost in their blind confusion.

His monk's robes were stained with blood from bottom to top, reminiscent of a fountain pen that fills with ink. The crimson color climbed up the gray coarse cloth robe, deepening its hue several shades. When he arrived at his destination, the God-giver Gregory, dressed in a deep red robe, appeared.

Knock, knock, knock. Gregory was knocking on the gate of the former garrison's mage tower, where the temporary command post of the garrison had been set up for the past few days.

As soon as he entered, he heard shouts and curses from the dungeon beneath his feet, including those from Hench.

"Tsk, are all the mage towers in the Empire this bad? The dungeons aren't even soundproof." Gregory made his way up the tower and met up with Iltsov, the former commander of the city's defenses.

"Why did you take so long? It's almost the last minute." Iltsov had already completed his "duty" as a follower of Mother Earth. Strictly speaking, he had also protected the city. As for the details of the city and the price he paid, don't worry about it, that's not important.

"I can't match the precision of your soldiers, Your Excellency. Shall we begin the second round of the ceremony now?"

"Yes, that's right. Once it's done, the earth's surface will be forever changed, and the power of the Great Mother will be eternally fixed here. Just think about it, Your Excellency Gregory. Once we succeed, we will have a real city, and its inhabitants will be blessed with the most wonderful protection, immortality and eternal life."

"Overward will serve as the outpost for Mother's return, and the capital is just around the corner!"

Gregory smiled and nodded in approval: "Good, good. Then I wish you success." He had already planned it out. If Iltsov could continue to maintain his success, he would let things develop as they would. If he failed, Gregory would find a way to gather the power that had already descended for his own use. After all, he was the gracious one of the Mother Goddess.

"With the Mother Goddess as my witness, I remind you, General, that a group of unwelcome guests have also arrived in the north of the city, and they may pose a significant threat to your plans."

Iltsov retorted, "Do you consider yourself a welcome guest? The mad monks are fine; I'll treat them with the utmost hospitality."

(End of this chapter)