Illusion Sword Master

＜ Western Front Abnormality (4) ﹥

Including me, the students of the Magic Department, Belmont, and the middle-aged commander, we climbed up the stone wall surrounding the barracks to observe the situation.

In the distance, we could see a group of orcs. They were slowly advancing in a formation that surrounded the barracks, making it impossible to see a way out.

“This is crazy. There must be at least 500 of them.”

In this situation, it was difficult to expect strategic judgment from the students, so the conversation mainly took place between Belmont and the commander.

“How many troops do we have?”

“We currently have a total of 121 people.”

“And the mages? Were there any mages who could educate the students?”

“That… Two students went to pick some rare mushrooms on the back mountain, and I took a short leave…”

“What the… Is that not it?”

I said, observing the orcs’ group. They were holding a flag-like stick with three corpses hung on it. Two of them were easily identifiable as soldiers from the 7th unit. So, the remaining one was naturally…

“What? Why is the mage…?”

It seemed that the mage from the 7th unit, who had gone to pick mushrooms, had been caught by the orcs.

Then, our forces consisted only of a few Albion soldiers and four students from the Magic Department.

Generally, one orc could take on two skilled soldiers.

The difference was desperate.

Belmont and the commander, who had experienced fighting orcs, naturally understood the gravity of the situation, but Roem and Sara couldn’t bring themselves to speak.

“We can just kill them all.”

Only Menka remained calm.

I did my own calculations.

“Can I escape with aerial swordsmanship?”

One of the most intense tasks in the 2nd-year curriculum was to increase the duration of aerial swordsmanship.

If I were to retreat now, the probability of being caught between the orc forces and getting crushed was high. There was no guarantee that they wouldn’t intercept me.

‘If we gather here and engage in battle, how can I possibly slip away smoothly?’

I didn’t feel guilty about abandoning my comrades and fleeing. It was meaningless to begin with.

Fine, I’ll prepare for the worst-case scenario and try to save my life.

However, even if I avoid the worst, there’s no peace in my future.

If I abandon Sera and try to survive on my own, the high-ranking officials will definitely take revenge on me.

The commander would execute me for disobeying orders, and before that, her father, Duke Zephyr, would burn me at the stake.

It’s a hopeless situation, whether it’s the worst or the second-worst.

What can I do? I’ll just have to try my best until it’s possible.

“For now, we can only hold out until the Zephyr family’s reinforcements arrive. I don’t know when it’ll be, but since the family’s young lady is in danger, we’ll use every means possible.”

“That’s right. For now, we can only hold out.”

Belmont accepted the harsh reality, slapped his cheek, and erased the hesitation from his expression.

The first thing he did after regaining his composure was to scold the battalion commander.

“You idiot! What are you staring at? Gather the kids first!”

Even though the orcs were approaching, the battalion commander hadn’t taken any action until now.

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It seemed that this was a dumping ground, with incompetent people in command.

“Why did it have to be today?”

Next, Belmont bowed his head to the cadets.

“I know the situation is chaotic, but with our battalion’s strength alone, we can’t defend this place. I request your assistance.”

“No need to ask. That’s why we’re here.”

Minka replied calmly.

“It may be a bit earlier than expected, but we learned magic to dedicate ourselves to the empire. Of course, we’ll help.”

Roem, as usual, responded with a sense of duty and loyalty, overcoming his tension.

“Hmph. The orcs are nothing. With the Zephyr family’s lightning magic, we can easily wipe them out.”

When the other two responded like that, Sera didn’t want to be left behind, so she puffed out her chest.

“Thank you for your cooperation. With the cadets’ united efforts, we can overcome this crisis.”

No. Why did I have to do it naturally?

“Edan, you have more to do.”

#

[Edan, is there no magic that can get us out of here?]

Belmont called me aside and said this. As someone who had been dragged here because of the 7th battalion’s incompetence, this was a ridiculous thing to say.

[If the soldiers’ morale drops here, we’re really doomed. Please try to lift their spirits somehow. I’m begging you. As someone who rose through the ranks from a soldier, you’re better suited for this.]

This was the real point Belmont was trying to make, after giving me a harsh scolding.

“What a ridiculous hero wannabe, trying to give a speech.”

I stood on the platform, looking down at the soldiers lined up below. Each of their faces was pale with fear.

It’s not possible to remain calm in the face of death, especially when the orcs have invaded in overwhelming numbers. If we were having a peaceful day, it would be even more unbearable.

“If the battle starts in this state, we’ll be crushed.”

In this chaotic situation, the already desperate circumstances would become even more dire.

The mages need the infantry to hold out and provide cover for them to work effectively.

As I looked around, I saw a few familiar faces among the soldiers I had served with.

“Hanson, that bastard, wanted to escape from this crappy place, but ended up getting a badge.”

I pretended to be surprised, and a man with many scars, whom I knew, was taken aback.

“Wow, Ronton. You’re still alive? Have you improved in soccer?”

The guy who was pointed out, with a foolish expression, also reacted the same way, exchanging glances with the scar-faced man who had been called earlier.

Then, he asked cautiously.

“Is it… Captain Ethan?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m Captain Ethan of the 7th Division. Now, I’m a student at the Magic Academy.”

The soldiers, who were surprised that the Magic Academy student knew their comrades, showed the same reaction as when they reunited with Belmont.

“What? Is that really Ethan? I thought it was just someone who looked like him?”

“Ethan, the founder of soccer and the solo ogre slayer?”

“Why are you here? Have you become a mage? You used to wield a sword so skillfully.”

I, who had been playing soccer with them in this orc field, had returned as an elite of the empire. The shocked atmosphere relaxed a bit.

I focused their attention and said.

“There’s no time, so let’s cut to the chase. You might think the situation is desperate, but it’s not. This battle is already won.”

The soldiers’ faces showed discontent and suspicion.

Most of them were dragged into the army for their crimes, but that didn’t mean they were stupid or naive. They knew the war situation was extremely unfavorable.

To boost their morale, I needed to tell a lie. Not a ridiculous lie, but a half-truth mixed with reality.

“The reinforcements from the Zephir Duke’s family will arrive soon. All we need to do is hold out until then.”

Of course, I didn’t know when the reinforcements would come.

“Moreover, the strongest combat power to fight alongside you is already prepared.”

I introduced the students one by one.

“This is Sara Zephir, the young lady of the Zephir Duke’s family. She’s a master of brain magic and has even killed an ogre alone. She’s almost reached her father’s level, the Zephir Duke.”

I added a bit, no, a lot of exaggeration.

Sara glared at me, but with her good political sense, she took it in stride.

“This is Roem, the successor of the Karlen Earl’s family. Although he’s a student without practical experience, he’s actually a veteran mage who has performed dozens of secret missions.”

Roem, who was clever by nature, smiled awkwardly without correcting me.

“And there’s Minka Admine. She’s a human weapon secretly raised at the War University to prepare for this situation. Be careful not to get too close to her, as she doesn’t discriminate in her slaughter.”

Minka, who didn’t care about others’ gazes, showed no particular reaction. Her indifferent attitude made her seem even more like a killing machine.

‘They’re taking it quite well, considering.’

The soldiers, who were stuck here, had no way to gauge the level of a War University mage. So, they didn’t notice the exaggeration in my words.

Hope bloomed on their faces.

“And I’m Ethan, the ogre slayer. As you know, I’m unmatched in killing orcs. After becoming a mage, I continued to research and develop my skills, making me a true ogre slayer now. I even operate an ogre-killing research association with these students.”

My words would be more believable. Unlike other officers who used soldiers as disposable tools, I was a comrade who had eaten with them.

“I’m confident in our victory.”

I took a cool pose, clenching my fist.

“Or do you think I’m crazy to have returned to this orc field again? What’s so funny about that?”

As I did it, I felt embarrassed, so I added a joke to alleviate the tension.

“Haha!”

The atmosphere of the soldiers being dragged to the slaughterhouse eased a bit.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, at least one guy’s butt is nicely shaped, right?”

Although there was a crude sound mixed in, it was still better than being paralyzed by fear.

I tried to speak in a calm tone.

“These green-faced idiots rushing towards us don’t mean our deaths. They mean something much better.”

Good. We almost made it.

We needed a decisive blow to boost the soldiers’ morale to the maximum.

“What’s good?”

Mentioning loyalty or honor was a cheap trick. Such abstract values didn’t resonate with us lowly soldiers.

Whatever.

I just went for it.

“What’s coming to you is victory. Shortened military service. Promotion. More severance pay. And unlimited officer-grade cigarettes and beer. The cadets here will guarantee that this promise will be fulfilled.”

I didn’t think about the consequences.

I had to put out the urgent fire first.

“……”

After a brief silence.

“Yeah! Instead of dying without knowing when, if we just hold on this one time, we’ll get a chance to flip our fate, right?”

Someone spoke as if making a vow, and another person shouted in a high-pitched voice.

“Ethan!”

This cry spread like a contagion among the soldiers.

“Ethan! Ethan! Ethan!”

I saw the soldiers cheering my name with frenzied expressions and tried to maintain a composed face.

It was good that their morale had risen, but receiving such heroic treatment made me feel uneasy.

‘Ugh, I want to run away.’

If they knew that I was still thinking of ways to escape safely, they would definitely try to hang me upside down.

So another lie was added.

#

After the soldiers, who had reached their maximum morale, took their positions, the magic department cadets were preparing to launch a surprise attack on the orcs from the top of the wall.

“How can you, who seemed like a tight-lipped person, tell such a blatant lie without even batting an eye? You said you killed 100 orcs at once and reached your father’s level?”

Serah’s words pierced my conscience. I had nothing to say even if I had ten mouths, so I kept quiet, and Roem took over.

“Ethan did the right thing. The soldiers’ morale has visibly risen. However, saying he’s done secret missions several dozen times is a bit……”

Still, it’s cool, secret mission.

I turned my gaze to Mencxa. If you want to nitpick, do it quickly. It’s better to take the criticism first.

“The human killing machine has gone mad. Okay.”

Fortunately, she seemed to like the nickname I came up with on the spot.

“Archers, load!”

The casual conversation to ease the tension was cut short by Belmont’s shout.

Command of the soldiers was taken by Belmont. It was because we couldn’t entrust the critical situation to a befuddled company commander who was only concerned about his own life. I also encouraged him to do so.

“Charge!”

As we approached the orcs, who were identifiable by their faces, a fierce battle cry erupted.

Hundreds of orcs charged.

“Open fire!”

Under Belmont’s command, the archers fired their bolts simultaneously.

Although the bolts hit the orcs one after another, the number of orcs we could suppress was limited.

The orcs trampled over their fallen comrades, who had been shot with arrows, and continued their charge.

As they drew closer, they launched axes and spears at us.

“Roem!”

At my command, Roem unfolded a wide defense shield.

The weapons the orcs threw couldn’t penetrate the shield and bounced off.

However, due to the simultaneous attack from dozens of orcs, cracks began to appear on the shield soon.

“Sera, magic?”

I urged Sera, who was preparing to cast a spell.

“I’m ready!”

As soon as she replied, Roem lifted the shield. Immediately, a thick bolt of lightning shot out from Sera’s fingertips, covering the orcs.

This one strike incinerated six orcs, but it wasn’t enough to change the battlefield situation.

I also wielded four swords with my swordsmanship, slashing at the orcs.

Roem, who had prepared another spell, redeployed the defense shield, slowing down the orcs’ approach.

We repeated this process, taking down dozens of orcs, but in the meantime, the nearby orcs had breached the gate and were climbing up the walls.

“Hold them back! If even one of them gets in, it’s all over!”

With Belmont’s desperate cry, the soldiers, armed with swords and spears, used their bodies to block the orcs.

The orcs, who had formed a long line and surrounded the camp, began to converge on the perimeter.

“Minka, now.”

I retrieved my swords and called out to Minka.

She had been deliberately excluded from the battle until now.

To make the most of our strongest firepower.

I stood close to Minka, who was attached to my side, and unfolded an aerial sword dance, flying over the orc horde.

It was my first time with a passenger, so the trajectory was unstable.

“Flying—bastard! Charge—now!”

As we dodged the thrown weapons with three aerial swords, we reached the middle of the formation.

Minka’s body, which was extremely sensitive to mana, was burning hot like a fireball.

“Go!”

After reaching our destination, I released Minka.

And…

Whoosh! Boom!

Flames rained down from the sky.

＜ Western Front Abnormality (4) ﹥ End