I Was Mistaken as a Genius Mage in a Game-Chapter 28

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

From 1 PM to 3 PM, I attended Alter's lessons with Lir, then collapsed. After resting, I would wake up, review, and collapse again. Day after day passed quickly like this.

"A letter from Captain Bellua."

Around the time we finished lunch, the young servant brought me a tightly sealed letter. I carefully tore open the seal and began to read it slowly.

[Unfortunately, a large group of mutants and many demons have been spotted in the swamp 20 kilometers from the forested area. Numerous traps, similar to magical land mines, have also been discovered within the forested region.]

As expected.

The demons had not missed the loopholes in the contract and were preparing to launch a surprise attack. Bellua's ominous prophecy had come true.

"...Tch."

The demons, notorious for their malice and cunning, had been expected to exploit these loopholes from the start. We had never hoped they would not.

I took the quill in my hand and wrote a short reply.

The most uptodate nove𝙡s are published on frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓.

[I'll handle it. Please prepare the 'White Anvil' operation.]

The mistake I made is something I must correct.

That night, I went to bed earlier than usual.

Tomorrow would be a very busy day.

The time when the sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon. Waking up four hours earlier than usual, I packed my robe, hat, and magical book, then walked out of my room.

Alter and Lir were waiting for me earlier than usual. Unlike when we set off for the Enker Plateau, they were fully equipped, wrapped in combat accessories, staffs, and robes.

Passing through the castle gates, I didn’t see the usual luxurious royal carriage, but rather a military wagon and a large platoon waiting for me.

I inhaled the early morning air as I saw countless dwarven soldiers, clad in sturdy, well-maintained armor, standing in perfect rows, with humans, orcs, and elves scattered among them.

"Today, we are going to reclaim our lost land."

The soldiers’ faces were filled with nervousness. They knew. We were not just going to construct an outpost.

We were heading to ambush the demons.

A battle would take place, and there could be casualties and deaths.

Casualties and deaths that might not have occurred if I had been more careful.

"...Damn it."

Once again, the stench of that cursed wagon of corpses passed by my nostrils.

"Originally, today’s expedition could have been much simpler. But due to my mistake, an unexpected variable arose."

I didn’t know what to say to boost the soldiers' morale.

Until a month ago, I was just a high school dropout wasting time in a room fiddling with music scores and MIDI files. How could I know anything about the psychology of soldiers before battle?

"The battle that will take place from now on, is something that, had I been a ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) little more careful, might not have happened. But I made a mistake."

So, I decided to be honest about my thoughts.

"I will formally apologize for this foolish mistake once everything is over."

Once you decide to go to battle, sacrifices must be expected. I understood that with my head... but...

"It should be quite a sight. A general bowing to ordinary soldiers."

I sincerely hoped that none of these men would return to their families injured or dead.

The air in the cemetery I had visited before was so heavy that it felt like my fragile shoulders would break.

I hoped I would never have to go to such a place again.

I knew it was impossible, but I silently wished for it.

"So please... until I bow my head, don’t let anyone die."

A faint smile spread across the soldiers’ faces.

Had they relaxed even a little?

If so, that would be good. But maybe they were just laughing out of sympathy at how this young, naive commander was trying to ease their tension.

Either way, it didn’t matter.

They were laughing, and the subtle tension that had hung in the air disappeared.

For a rookie commander, wasn’t this a decent achievement?

"We’ll depart now."

"Everyone! Get on your horses!!"

No sooner had I finished speaking than Bellua shouted loudly. The dwarves, with their characteristic booming voices, cheered excitedly and mounted their horses. Lir and Alter, annoyed by the noise, plugged their ears with their fingers and climbed into the carriage.

"General."

Amid the soldiers quickly mounting their horses, a familiar voice reached my ears through the chaos.

"...Rex, squad leader."

With one arm replaced by a mechanical prosthetic, the orc squad leader, Rex, approached silently and gave me a quiet salute.

I also quietly returned the salute amidst the soldiers preparing to leave.

His mechanical prosthetic, which had replaced his completely severed right arm, was engraved with the number "6" in ochre paint.

When I lowered my hand, he immediately straightened his arm in a sharp, disciplined motion, as if he had been waiting. Having only worn the prosthetic for less than a month, it was incredible how freely he handled it, almost as if it were his real arm.

"General, you’ve created a massive gap in the Achilleptus Forest, a place where we could never have attempted a reclamation operation. So, there's no need for concern."

There was a deep emotion in Rex's crimson eyes that was difficult to describe.

His words seemed to show sympathy for the young genius who was burdened by the heavy responsibility, but they also felt like a reprimand towards a foolish person who believed they could control everything.

"None of us are perfect. Even the great Swordmaster makes mistakes, so why should we be any different?"

Rex gently patted the horn of the Komodo beside him as he continued.

"After everything is over, you need not apologize. Warriors are those who have resolved to die to protect the future of the innocent. None of us will complain that we didn’t get a ‘perfect situation.’"

"Looks like my promise doesn’t sit too well with you, Rex."

"With our orc culture, it's unheard of for a superior to bow their head to a subordinate. Of course, I understand that you are not an orc, and that there's a cultural difference, so we must respect each other..."

Orcs are warriors armed with a strong sense of hierarchy and soldierly duty. Having grown up in that culture, Rex, an elite soldier, seemed uncomfortable with the idea of a general bowing to ordinary soldiers.

"Everyone on the continent supplements each other's weaknesses as we move forward. There’s no need to apologize for a small mistake when such great achievements have been made. Even the great Swordmaster moves with the party to cover his own shortcomings, doesn’t he?"

"...I understand what you're saying."

"I apologize for my rude interference."

Rex finished his words and bowed his head in apology.

The Rex I saw after such a long time was still the proud warrior, a man with a caring heart.

"It’s alright."

I smiled reassuringly and answered. Upon hearing my response, he nodded, then turned and began to climb onto the Komodo.

I watched Rex mount the Komodo before giving a simple salute and climbing into the carriage where the mages were waiting.

Soon, the sound of hooves and the rolling of the wheels could be heard.

Inside the carriage, aside from me, Lir, and Alter, there were about four more mages from the platoon.

They were veteran mages, intermediate-level mages from the 4th and 5th Circles with considerable battle experience.

"...Hoo."

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

The tight muscles in my shoulders slowly relaxed, and the pressure in my chest that had settled there without me realizing it disappeared.

I found the time to look up at the sky.

Today, the weather was perfect for a storm, but there was not a cloud in the sky.

I took a deep breath, enjoying the clear sky.

The medieval air was much fresher and more pleasant than I had expected.

A small swamp just 10 kilometers from the Achilleptus Forest.

The swamp, overgrown with bushes and filled with numerous small caves, was teeming with mutants whose blood vessels were full of venom.

"...Humans have entered the forest."

A demon, his eyes tightly shut, spoke in a dry tone.

Thanks to the mutants planted near the forest and synchronized with their vision, the demon was able to observe the dwarven infantry, clad in silver-colored armor, moving cautiously through the dense forest.

"They seem like scouts. The main force will reveal itself soon."

"Considering the distance from the forest, it would be more efficient to move the mutants now. If we move them quickly, we can strike before they establish a proper defense."

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

"I agree."

In the deep caves of the swamp, a cold and eerie voice echoed back and forth. Following their command, the mutants began moving toward the Achilleptus Forest, their steps causing the ancient trees in the swamp to collapse and the land to crumble.

In the deepest part of the cave, the demons closed their eyes, focusing all their energy on controlling the mutants.

"This isn't some cult ritual..."

A weak and cold voice was heard.

"...?"

The demons all opened their eyes and turned toward the source of the voice.

There, standing with a red lantern in hand and cloaked in black robes, was a boy with white hair.

"How...?"

The demons were startled. They had no idea who this child was.

A genius young mage who survived a battle with the great lord and had the audacity to extort him—a brilliant strategist with incredible courage.

At the unexpected appearance of such a powerful figure, the demons' minds froze for a moment.

"..."

The mutants, the main force of the demons, were all heading toward the Achilleptus Forest.

Even if they gave the command to retreat, it would take at least 10 minutes for them to return.

Could they hold out for 10 minutes?

Ten demons—just regular demons—facing off against a monster mage who had fought the great lord?

No... Could they even win if they sent all their mutants in full force?

"..."

No matter what strategy they came up with, the only outcome they could foresee was "death."

"...How can you be here?"

In the depths of despair, one of the demons asked a pointless question.

"Our scouts did a better job than expected. Thanks to my capable subordinates."

The boy carefully set down his lantern on the damp cave floor and replied.

"And now, it's my turn to repay that help."

Zzzzzt...!

From between the boy's snowy-white hair, faint electricity sparked.

The light that illuminated the dark cave disoriented the demons' eyes, already adjusted to the darkness.

[According to the scout's report, there are ten of them... This is a perfect opportunity to test what kind of level I'm at.]

The boy had spent nearly a month studying magic under an 8th Circle mage and had become far stronger than when he first fell into this world.

However, he had no idea exactly what level he had reached.

Due to the nature of [Bloom], where all gathered mana is released in one go, it was impossible to measure his level through a duel.

He had to avoid using his stored mana in something trivial like sparring, so that when an emergency arose, he would still be able to fight.

"In the game, to take on ten regular demons at once, you would have to be at least level 20."

So, the demons in front of him...

They were nothing more than a punching bag to test the boy's strength.

"Bloom."

Crash!

The lantern's glass shattered as it was hit by the electricity pouring from the boy's body. The oil inside the lantern floated on the water-covered cave floor. The current from his body traveled along the shattered glass like stepping stones, setting the scattered oil alight.

The next moment.

A tremendous amount of electricity burst from the boy's body, shattering the cave’s ceiling and reaching the clouds above.