Mage? Magic Engineer!

The young general’s worried gaze, the expectant and joyful eyes of the soldiers below... all that was missing was a war correspondent to document this classic scene.

The joy on the Empire Army’s side was pure: reinforcements had arrived to back them up.

Originally, the number of Military Mages among the defenders was about the same as the number of Casters in the main Valois force. Now, having linked up with the troops from the west, the Empire outnumbered the National Guard in both regular soldiers and Mages, giving them ample confidence.

Richard received the first report: "General, please support the north shore as soon as possible! The evil ritual hasn’t been stopped. If the rain of ash falls again, all of Ovord will be burned to a crisp! Also, the monsters must be eliminated. If they spread, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Was there anything worse than an entire city turning into Hell?

Yes, of course: the anomaly spreading to an even larger area.

In preparation for the enemy, Ovord had evacuated as many defenseless residents as possible to the surrounding villages, while many others had fled elsewhere. The only ones who remained were those who couldn’t leave, along with the militia and reserve forces. Furthermore, the Empire’s Town Mages had long since been conscripted into the army.

As a result, the nearby villages were now completely defenseless. Given the monsters’ observed fire resistance and ability to spread, a single one would be enough to destroy a village. Moreover, once their spread reached a critical point, it could trigger a chain reaction, threatening to engulf the entire region.

Richard would have taken this seriously even without the warning; he had already learned about the monsters’ characteristics over the public channel of the Communication Skill.

There was still another problem: the National Guard.

Paul slowly walked out from the Valois side. He and Pascal had already recognized the man before them, Richard, from the first battle they had both participated in.

Back then, Paul had been a mere grunt. Now, after a meteoric rise, both men wore the insignia of a general. He noticed Richard’s gaze halt for a moment, a clear sign that the other man remembered him too.

"We need to negotiate. Let us retreat, and our Mages can stay behind to help you stop the cataclysm."

Some of the Military Mages and Empire Army soldiers were immediately displeased with Paul’s attitude. "You think you’re in any position to negotiate now? Dream on."

Unfortunately, their opinions didn’t matter. Richard’s did. "All Casters stay."

"...Alright. The rest of the National Guard will retreat now. You and your troops must allow us to travel safely for at least twenty kilometers."

Each side taking a step back made for a worthwhile deal. For Richard’s reinforcements, it meant repelling the enemy without firing a single shot or losing a single soldier. On a larger scale, it even neutralized the National Guard’s threat to the Imperial Capital. For the Valois people, it was a retreat at minimal cost, merely leaving their Casters behind to cover the rear.

While these Mages could be helpful to the enemy, they couldn’t possibly occupy Ovord’s north shore on their own, so leaving them behind was, on the whole, a safe move.

Under the silent watch of the Empire Army, the exhausted National Guard withdrew from the battlefield, moving further and further away, retreating east toward their stable supply lines. Meanwhile, Paul, Pascal, and a number of other Mages were gathered, preparing to enter what was left of the city district.

Paul felt it was necessary to explain to the other Mages why they were staying. His senior brother, for example, had "I don’t understand" written all over his face. "Agreeing to their terms buys our comrades time to evacuate, to get out of this godforsaken place."

"We’re also staying for another reason: to investigate the source of this incident and figure out what the hell is causing it. If we just leave or start fighting, it’ll just be the Empire’s word against nothing afterward, won’t it? When they claim we caused this cataclysm, how are you going to argue?"

"If we fought our way to the Imperial Capital, there’d be no ’word against nothing’..." Pascal muttered. After receiving a glare from his junior brother, he shrugged. "You’ve got a point. I was just talking nonsense!"

Paul took out a somewhat worn dictation pen and began dictating a report as he walked. Pascal had to send it out as quickly as possible to alert the outside world, especially the Magic Guild, to the situation here.

As soon as the group and the Valois Mages crossed the Oder River, they heard the crackle of gunfire and frequent shouts coming from the streets and alleys.

"Marvelous. Such a beautiful sight." Gregory entered the North City District from another direction. In the most heavily contaminated area, the buildings and withered trees seemed to have faded, their colors turning a pale, ashen gray, like burnt-out charcoal.

In contrast, a film of blood coated the stone-paved roads, where numerous aimless monsters were writhing. Not long ago, these clusters of fleshy buds had been perfectly whole human beings.

The Demon Monk’s tall leather boots stepped onto the film of blood, his steps like a dance without music. He would occasionally spin, causing the hem of his filthy monastic robe to flare out. The entire time, the monsters ignored him, remaining in their state of blind chaos.

His robe began to soak up the blood from the bottom up, like a fountain pen drawing ink. The dark red climbed the gray sackcloth, deepening by several shades. By the time he reached his destination, the Divine Benefactor Gregory had arrived, clad in a deep crimson robe.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. Gregory rapped on the main gate of the former Town Mage Tower, which had served as the garrison’s temporary command post for the last few days.

The moment he stepped through the door, shouts and curses drifted up from the dungeon below. Among them was the voice of Hench.

"Tsk, are all the Empire’s Mage Towers of this quality? The dungeons aren’t even soundproofed." Gregory made his way up, meeting the former city commander, Ilysov, at the top of the tower.

"What took you so long? It’s almost the final moment." Ilysov had already completed his ’duty’ as a believer of the Earth Mother Goddess. Strictly speaking, he had also successfully defended the city. As for the details within the city and the price paid for it... never mind that. It wasn’t important.

"I cannot match the precision of you military men, Your Excellency. Is the second round of the ritual about to begin?"

"Yes, that’s right... Once it is complete, the very surface of the earth will be changed forever. The Great Mother’s power will be eternally fixed here... Just think of it, Your Excellency Gregory, once we succeed, we will have obtained a true and genuine city, where all the residents will receive the most wonderful blessing: ageless and undying."

"Ovord will become the outpost for the Mother’s return, and the Imperial Capital is right on our doorstep!"

Gregory smiled and nodded in admiration. "Good, good. Then I wish Your Excellency success." He had already made his calculations. ’If Ilysov can keep this up and succeed, I’ll just let events run their course. If he fails, I’ll find a way to gather the power that has already descended and claim it for myself. After all, I am the Mother Goddess’s Divine Benefactor.’

"As the Mother Goddess is my witness, I must remind you, General, that a group of unwelcome guests has also arrived in the north of the city. They could pose a major threat to your plans."

Ilysov retorted, "And you think you’re a welcome guest? Mad monk... No matter. I will give them a warm welcome."