I Became a Hero With a Lot of Experience

48 – 048: The Dark Magic (1)

As the soldiers moved hastily, Las and I abandoned everything else and followed them.

Soon after, along with the first sound of alarm bells, cursing erupted from various places.

“Ah, damn it!! (Experience Points: 5)”

“They’re here!! They’re here, damn it!! (Experience Points: 6)”

The sound of alarm bells indicated the appearance of the enemy.

With a sudden outbreak of war, we hastened our pace and rushed toward a vast plain scattered with sharp stakes.

Beyond the unnatural mist that didn’t fit the sunny weather, imposing intermediary soldiers stood with massive shields, guarding the front.

There were no gaps in their armor, making it uncertain whether they were ogres or not, but at least it was clear they weren’t human.

“When did those appear?”

As if asking someone, I muttered to myself, receiving an ambiguous response from somewhere, “Just a while ago….”

Roughly estimating, there seemed to be thousands of intermediary soldiers alone among the enemies.

In contrast, we had heard that even including all our conscripted soldiers, we didn’t exceed ten thousand.

Rough numbers aside, in this fantasy world, what mattered wasn’t the number of foot soldiers but the individual strength.

That single intermediary soldier could easily mow down our soldiers, so thinking we had the upper hand would be foolish.

“Speaking of individual strength, I do have some….”

But if there’s a commander over there, how much significance would my existence hold?

Honestly, I don’t know.

Given that all the officers I’ve taken down so far supposedly had no previous experience, I still can’t estimate their true strength.

“Should we at least try a preemptive strike?”

“Sir, acting rashly might… (Experience Points: 17)”

Las cautioned against acting hastily in case of an abrupt outbreak, warning of potential significant losses on our side.

As I chuckled in response, partly a jest, a familiar face from the headquarters appeared in the distance.

“Sir!! (Experience Points: 23)”

He was the chief strategist of the Kingdom.

The strategist, who had run with his philosopher-like long beard fluttering, dismounted from his horse and pointed towards the enemy lines.

“The commander requests the hero to deliver the first strike! (Experience acquisition: 23 people)”

“What?”

“Yes? (Experience acquisition: 17 people)”

I thought he came to stop me like Rast, but my expectations were off.

“Due to the mist, we cannot properly assess the enemy’s strength. Therefore, we want to inform the enemy that there is a hero and gauge which officer has come in response to the enemy’s reaction. (Experience acquisition: 23 people)”

There was no reason not to agree.

As soon as I stepped forward, the soldiers behind me cheered.

It might be a feigned response for morale, but hearing such a loud cheer made me shrug my shoulders for no reason.

“Do you intend to use… Growth? (Experience acquisition: 17 people)”

“Am I crazy?”

If I were to say, Gunlance is a formidable weapon.

I would only use it in a situation where there are no eyes to see and the enemy cannot escape.

At the moment, there is no need to reveal Growth in a situation where we are assessing the enemy’s strength.

“Virgin’s Breath!!!”

Taking a deep breath, I expelled golden flames along with the hot air.

Rushing forward, coloring the field with golden light, I illuminated the mist-covered plain brightly.

The cheering intensified at the fantastic sight.

Just before the flames of the Virgin reached the enemies, a transparent barrier suddenly appeared, protecting the soldiers.

The barrier, resistant to the Virgin’s Breath, gradually disappeared as the Virgin’s Breath exerted its full power.

“What?!”

The sudden appearance of the transparent barrier blocked the golden flames, protecting the soldiers.

The barrier, resistant to the Virgin’s Breath, gradually disappeared as the Virgin’s Breath exerted its full power.

“What?!”

The sudden appearance of the transparent barrier blocked the golden flames, protecting the soldiers.

“Blocked?”

Having an attack blocked wasn’t particularly surprising, as it was not the first time.

However, the morale of the soldiers hit rock bottom due to this incident.

It seems that they were expecting me to wipe them all out in one go.

“Hmm… Berial has joined the battle. (Experience acquisition: 23 people)”

“Berial?”

Although the soldiers’ morale dropped, thanks to this strike, we were able to obtain important information.

The Barrier of Protection.

Not a legion commander, but a demon whose name echoed through history across four lifetimes was merely known as a Named, famous for its defensive barriers.

“I may not be a legion commander, but I call a demon who has left its mark on history through multiple lifetimes a Named. If we can bring it down, it will undoubtedly be a significant…!! (Experience Points: 23)”

The staff officer’s words were cut off in the middle.

There was no need to mention the cause.

Because all of us, including him, had our attention diverted by that cause.

“…Is that also a Named?”

A violet light was sparkling on the opposite side from where I had shot my breath, taking a form reminiscent of stars.

For some reason, just watching that light, soldiers couldn’t help but cower in an eerie feeling that couldn’t be dispelled.

In this world, what appears flashy on the surface is not only that but also likely to be genuinely dangerous and powerful.

Perhaps there was a legion commander, and I chuckled at the voice pretending that one might have arrived.

“The emptier the wagon, the noisier it is, and the weaker the dog, the more vigorously it barks. Hey, staff officer. Any information on that?”

“…No, at least, there hasn’t been a boss appearing on this front line. (Experience Points: 23)”

Perhaps the uncertainty about calling it a boss was because it couldn’t rule out the possibility that it might be a legion commander.

Without expressing that thought aloud, I turned my head again to gaze at that light.

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The eerie violet light gradually organized into a sharp, sword-like form.

Could it be a swordsman?

If I had to choose between the defense barrier and the swordsman, my heart leaned toward the swordsman.

“A bit far, but when the battle starts, I’ll head that way…”

“P-please wait. There’s a communication from the commander… (Experience Points: 23)”

“Communication?”

The staff officer took out a small crystal-like object from inside and, after reading the characters that appeared on it, nodded.

“Hero, I apologize, but you should take charge of the situation on Berial’s side. (Experience Points: 23)”

“Why?”

“Because we cannot determine what that is. (Experience Points: 23)”

The power of an enemy emitting violet mana is an unknown variable.

Not only the strength of a deity but also the special magic possessed by the higher-ups in the Demon King’s army remains unknown.

If they possess a ridiculous magic that sacrifices their own life to snatch away the opponent’s, an irreversible situation may occur.

The use of a hero’s trump card, the “Sword of Valor,” cannot be risked against such an opponent.

So, it was decided to definitively defeat Berial, who had left a mark on history through four lifetimes, erase the future threat, and boost the morale of the soldiers.

“Then who will be facing that?”

“The Supreme Commander will face it personally. (Experience Points: 23)”

The Supreme Commander had confirmed the skill of the Kingdom’s Swordmaster firsthand during their first encounter. Despite having the skill to make one reconsider not using it, there didn’t seem to be any issue.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

“… (Experience Points: 17)”

Since coming to this world, I have never had a misplaced ominous feeling. I hope I’m wrong this time, but it’s not a job I can just hope for and be optimistic about.

“Hey, you go there too.”

“Are you sure? (Experience Points: 17)”

Just like Las, who also felt a sense of foreboding, despite asking if he was okay, a cold sweat ran down his cheek.

Although it wasn’t visible because he was wearing gloves, there must be sweat in his hands for sure.

“It’s fine. There will be strong enemies gathered there, so it’s easier for you to fight on that side, too.”

“Thank you. (Experience Points: 17)”

Las nodded and, with the staff, left towards that direction.

So, in this camp, I am the only one who can be considered a strong person.

There were a few commanders who were knights, but they would struggle even against ordinary officers, let alone named characters.

As time passed, when Lance’s arm holding the shield began to ache, a distant drum sound was heard.

“We are advancing!!! (Experience Points: 13)”

With the drum sound, the knight in charge of the command shouted.

Soldiers responded to his voice by raising their voices.

I tried to raise my voice too, but I felt embarrassed for no reason and just looked ahead.

“Let’s go, Baral.”

“Hiiing!”

*****

“This is messed up.”

Moving forward with Baral, it didn’t take long before the fog covering the plain started to move and divided the battlefield in two.

Except for the fact that it could be controlled at will, the fog itself was no different from natural fog, so it could be moved aside at any time.

But since the side battlefield couldn’t be seen, I couldn’t shake off the impression that it was cut off from the headquarters and the blockade.

The side battlefield was heavily occupied by the Swordmaster of the Kingdom and other staff officers, including the top brass.

In this battlefield, there may not be a staff officer, but with the Supreme Commander by my side, it’s practically equivalent to having a command post.

“…Sir, we’re unable to establish contact with the side. (Experience Points: 6)”

A knight approached suddenly, aligning his words next to mine.

“…Is it impossible to move to the side?”

“Yes, the infantry returned safely after being sent. We could dispatch a messenger, but if the battle intensifies, even that won’t be easy. (Experience Points: 6)”

“Well, then the course of action is clear.”

“Excuse me? (Experience Points: 6)”

Judging from the enemy’s intentions, it seems they aim to divide us from the command post and annihilate one of the two.

Considering the deliberately revealed unknown forces, it’s likely their goal lies in that direction.

Unless the Demon King’s army thinks lightly of me, a hero, they must know I won’t go there willingly.

The main objective is probably the Supreme Commander, the pinnacle of the kingdom.

However, abandoning all tasks and moving to the side front would expose us to attacks from the rear.

In that case…

“Defeat the Beerial or Beareal or whatever it is and move to the side front.”

That is the best option.