Water Magician - Chapter 426: Advance

Editor: Tseirp

At the royal palace, a royal council was being held.

The attendees were…

King Abel I.

Queen Rihya.

Prime Minister Marquis Heinlein.

Captain of the Royal Knights, Dontan.

Captain of the Valkyrie Knights, Imogen.

Acting Grandmaster of the Adventurer’s Guild, Finlay Forsythe.

High Priest Gabriel of the Central Temple in the royal capital.

Folklore Officer of the Central Temple in the royal capital, Viscount Rashata Debuo.

“…That concludes the information provided by the Royal Knights and ‘Morning Star’.”

The facilitator, Prime Minister Marquis Heinlein said, and the others nodded.

The contents were somewhat known beforehand.

What followed was new information.

“First of all, the enemy’s forces consist of the Djinn and his four generals, who are high-ranking followers. Among the four generals, the only one whose name we know is the one mentioned earlier, Oranj. Additionally, they are bolstered by two types of followers called ‘Phantom Soldiers’ and ‘Physical Soldiers’. For further explanation on this, I’ll yield to Viscount Debuo, the folklore officer.”

Marquis Heinlein said, prompting Viscount Rashata to start explaining.

“The Kingdom’s remaining folklore and written records didn’t provide much. However, thanks to the cooperation of the Union, we were able to access the remaining memoirs and materials of the renowned folklore expert Baron Luke Rochecaux. What we discovered was that the ‘Djinn sealed in the east’, Garwin, controls two types of soldiers. One is the Phantom Soldiers, and the other is the Physical Soldiers.”

“Are these phantom soldiers the ones that attacked the Union’s Curcio city, and the Kingdom’s Van Lane?”

Abel asked in response to Rashata’s explanation.

“Your Majesty is correct.”

“Oh, the siege with cavalry crashing against the city gates?”

Rashata confirmed, and Finlay muttered.

“These Phantom Soldiers are described as a kind of hybrid between wraiths and undead… some form of spirits.”

Rashata explained further, to which the High Priest Gabriel nodded.

That’s why Gabriel was summoned to this meeting.

“The entire contingent of three thousand monks from the Kingdom is ready at any time.”

Gabriel declared, to which Abel nodded strongly.

‘Monks’ in the Kingdom are armed clerics of the temple.

Dedicating themselves to the Goddess of Light, clad in armor, wielding blessed staves, and fighting on the front lines.

They would undoubtedly be the trump card against the Djinn’s phantom soldiers.

And perhaps the only strong point on the human side…

“Alongside the Phantom Soldiers are the Physical Soldiers, which have military characteristics. They have physical bodies like ordinary humans and can handle weapons. However, each of them is incredibly strong and never shows fear or hesitation. But since they have human bodies, they also share the same weaknesses.”

“That’s where we come in.”

Royal Knights Captain Dontan responded to Rashata’s explanation, with Valkyrie Knights’ Captain Imogen next to him nodding in agreement.

They were prepared for significant sacrifices.

But they had to do it.

The survival of the nation depended on this battle.

“We have support from various knight orders across the regions. However, the Royal Knights and Valkyrie Knights will be the central forces. Dontan, Imogen, I’m counting on you.”

“Aye.”

Abel said, to which Dontan and Imogen nodded in response.

“The information regarding the Djinn and the Four Generals’ powers is scarce. Records suggest that during the previous war with the Djinn Garwin, the Four Generals were defeated. However, the method remains unknown. Depending on how far Duke Shrewsbury, or rather Erwin Ortiz, has awakened as a Djinn, we can determine… that the Djinn himself couldn’t be defeated ultimately, and was merely sealed.”

“…Indeed, that’s what it all comes down to.”

As Rashata finished his explanation, Abel said softly.

Yes, ultimately, it came down to the power of the Djinn himself.

What they would do about it was the crucial question.

Despite not knowing everything, they had prepared several strategies.

The ‘device’ prepared for the Empire was now decided to be deployed in this battle.

They had devised strategies and prepared tactics, but… they didn’t know how effective they would be.

To defeat and seal it…

Honestly, if this failed, there was no way to stop the Djinn and its army.

Last time, the Djinn was sealed…

However, the sealing method is unknown.

In fact, when the seal was broken is also unclear.

Or perhaps it hasn’t been completely undone.

In the first place…

“Was Erwin’s body taken over? If so, is that the body of the Djinn Garwin himself?”

Abel muttered.

But no one answered.

There was no answer to give.

Abel had a lingering anxiety.

Besides Erwin’s body, what if Garwin’s main body existed somewhere, waiting to awaken?

Even if they managed to seal Erwin’s body, if the main body existed elsewhere, it would be pointless…

Abel shook his head slightly and turned to Rashata, who had gathered detailed information, and praised him.

“You’ve gathered such detailed information. Well done.”

“It was at the strict command of the Prime Minister.”

Rashata replied with a wry smile.

“Information can determine the outcome of war.”

Prime Minister Marquis Alexis Heinlein responded with a smile.

No one opposed his words.

That’s how, thirteen years ago in the ‘Great War’, the Kingdom emerged victorious against the Union.

However, they still lacked crucial information.

Perhaps Marquis Heinlein understood it better than anyone else.

At the same time, he knew they were running out of time.

Leaving the rampaging Djinn army unchecked would lead to widespread unrest throughout the Kingdom.

It had only been three years since the Kingdom Liberation War.

While the southern and western regions were relatively stable, the central region with the royal capital and the northern and eastern regions were not entirely secure.

One of the reasons they had to fight despite incomplete information… was precisely that.

“Currently, Viscount Kenneth Hayward of the Royal Alchemy Workshop is developing sealing alchemy tools with the cooperation of Frank De Verde-dono of the Union. However, since we don’t have a precise understanding of the Djinn’s power, it’s uncertain how effective the sealing will be.”

“There’s no other choice.”

Abel replied, nodding once to Heinlein’s explanation.

And then he continued.

“If those two can’t do it, it means it’s impossible for modern alchemists.”

After that, detailed discussions were held… and two days later, the Kingdom Army, consisting of knights from various regions who had gathered in the royal capital, set out to defeat the Djinn.

Leading the 50,000-strong Kingdom Army was King Abel I himself.

Personally leading the expedition.

However, the king occasionally glanced to his side.

Next to the king, as expected, was the queen.

“Hey, Rihya, are you really going? It’s the battlefield, you know? It might be better to stay by Noah’s side…”

“Abel, how many times do we have to go through this? I’ve left Noah in the care of Marquis Heinlein, so he’ll be fine. Besides, our opponent is formidable. We need powerful priests even if it’s just one more. That alchemy tool Kenneth and Ryo created… or rather, alchemical apparatus, its true effectiveness will be enhanced with more priests. I’ll be more useful on the battlefield. Besides, if we lose, the Kingdom might perish. For Noah’s sake, I will secure victory on the battlefield.”

“O-Okay…”

Abel gave up trying to persuade her having felt Rihya’s strong determination.

…However, Abel seemed likely to bring up the same topic again in a few hours.

“Give it up, Your Majesty. You know best how stubborn the queen can be.”

“That’s because most adventurers are stubborn.”

Two elderly magicians interjected from the side.

They were the supreme advisor of the Royal Magician Order Ilarion Baraha and the leader of the Royal Magician Order Arthur Verasis.

Although both had initially declined, they were ultimately placed in their current positions in the Royal Magician Order through what was essentially a royal decree.

The Order had transitioned from the ‘Court’ Magician Order to the ‘Royal’ Magician Order, with the same members.

But with Arthur and Ilarion as the new leaders…

Incidentally, this time, over two hundred members of the Royal Magician Order were mobilized.

“Our magic research is being delayed…”

“It might have been better to appoint Ryo as the Head of the Magician Order rather than us…”

Both Ilarion and Arthur kept grumbling.

“Ryo would never agree to that… If he were to say, ‘The Rondo Duchy is declaring independence from the Kingdom!’ It would cause a huge problem!”

Abel said, shaking his head slightly.

“That’s not entirely impossible…”

“I’d like to visit the Rondo Duchy someday.”

Both Ilarion and Arthur said, shaking their heads.

Though not physically present in this scene, Ryo was still the central figure.

Leading the Kingdom’s army was the Royal Knights.

Followed by the Royal Magician Order and the Valkyrie Knights surrounding the King and Queen, and among them were three rather unusual carriages.

These carriages seemed to be large contraptions in themselves.

Abel was aware of what two of them were.

Since he had seen their previous forms before they became ‘mobile’.

Moreover, the magic stones used in them were the Wind Magic Stones from the Wyverns they had once acquired…

However, compared to those two, the last carriage, which seemed larger… was still a mystery to Abel, despite knowing its general purpose.

A specialized coachman and Radden from the Royal Alchemy Workshop were seated in the driver’s seat, with Viscount Kenneth Hayward riding alongside the carriage on horseback.

Then King Abel rode up to Kenneth.

“Kenneth, you look quite impressive on horseback.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Abel and Kenneth were originally close friends from the drinking group ‘Second Son Union’.

Of course, in this setting, they had to behave as king and viscount, given the presence of others.

This was unavoidable.

The king and a noble. A clear distinction in status.

Like with a certain premier duke. Though his demeanor doesn’t make that difference too apparent…

“Looking at it again, it’s quite massive.”

Abel remarked, looking at the alchemical apparatus that occupied an entire carriage.

“It houses two devices…. We couldn’t make it any smaller.”

Kenneth said with a wry smile.

“Setting aside the sealing aspect, the other was developed for use in battle, so it’s meant to be mobile, right?”

“Right. It’s large, but it’s designed for use on the battlefield, so it’s equipped with various functionalities for that purpose.”

“Kenneth, you and Ryo made it together, right? I understand your role, but… did Ryo contribute anything…?”

Abel asked, somewhat skeptical.

However, Kenneth vigorously shook his head in response.

“We were able to create this alchemy tool precisely because Ryo was there. He’s amazing!”

“I-Is that so?”

“Yes! Ryo’s magic principle is at its core.”

“But wasn’t it designed for light-attribute magic?”

“That’s correct, but the apparatus uses water-attribute magic, while externally it appears to use the light-attribute magic of a priest. In simple terms, it combines the two.”

“I don’t fully understand, but… isn’t that one of those fusion magic Kenneth announced…?”

“Exactly. It’s one form of Fusion Magic. It combines magic generated by alchemy tools with magic generated by magicians. And it can even fuse magic of different attributes. This is the essence of Fusion Magic.”

Kenneth spoke passionately about the limitless potential of Fusion Magic.

Abel understood that this enthusiasm was typical of alchemists who were both researchers and engineers, so he didn’t say anything in response.

After speaking passionately for a while, Kenneth muttered to himself.

“I somehow feel like Ryo knows alchemy from a different system that I don’t know about.”

“What?”

Abel asked, puzzled by Kenneth’s statement and feeling curious.

“Well, he sometimes spouts completely incomprehensible words…”

Abel commented, and Kenneth smiled.

“Anyway, it was thanks to Ryo that this device could exist. The ‘Long-Range Diffusion Goddess’s Compassion’.”

“It’s just… a guess, but… I feel like Ryo might have been the one to name it, not Kenneth…”

Kenneth mentioned the name of the device, and Abel murmured with a small shake of his head.

“Oh, speaking of which, Ryo mentioned that the name had become a bit too long, so he said we needed an abbreviation.”

“An abbreviation?”

“Yes. He suggested… ‘Panacea Breath’.”

“What does that mean?”

“I have no idea.”

Abel asked with a frown, and Kenneth replied unable to provide an answer with a wry smile.

This alchemical tool wasn’t originally developed for use against the Djinn.

It was developed over the past three years specifically for use against the Imperial Army.

However, the Royal Alchemical Workshop deemed it suitable for repurposing, and Abel supported that decision…

This time, adventurers were not part of the Kingdom’s army.

This was to minimize the risk of information leaks and swiftly advance toward confronting the Djinn army.

Instead, several knight orders were participating.

Among them were the Royal Knights, naturally, and also the Valkyrie Knights, along with many knight orders from noble territories near the royal capital.

Among the central nobles of the royal capital was the Silverdale Knights, for example.

They had mobilized even their entire reserve force. Numbering two thousand knights for this campaign.

This is perhaps the largest mobilization in the illustrious history of the Silverdale Knight Order.

Leading them was none other than the future Duchess of Silverdale, Faith.

Despite being a beautiful nineteen-year-old woman, her command style was firm and rigorous.

The knights who followed her were undoubtedly among the Kingdom’s finest.

Even knight orders from territories farther from the royal capital were participating.

Among these exceptions was a knight order that rivaled the Royal Knights and the Silverdale Knights, representing the Kingdom.

This was the Rune Frontier County Knight Order from the southern region.

Trained by Sera and Ryo in the past, its knights were acknowledged as one of the Kingdom’s strongest forces.

Leading them was Knight Captain Neville Black.

Furthermore, there was a newly rising knight order gaining attention despite its relatively short history.

This was none other than the Carlisle County Knight Order from the north.

Although their numbers were only around three hundred knights.

They had garnered respect from nobles across the kingdom despite their short history of only three years…

This was largely due to the Count of Carlisle, who also served as the knight order’s captain, and his wife, Countess Carlisle, who led the knight order’s magic division.

Warren, Count of Carlisle.

Rin, Countess of Carlisle.

Both were former members of the A-rank party ‘Crimson Sword’.

Warren’s ancestral house, the Baronet House of Harome, is renowned for producing shield-bearers who serve as the king’s shield from generation to generation.

Warren himself, during his adventurer days, bore the epithet ‘Indomitable’ and was even considered one of the Kingdom’s foremost shield-bearers despite being an adventurer.

And when he established his own knight order, he trained them rigorously.

Creating a knight order of several hundred skilled in wielding large shields.

Every member of the Carlisle County Knight Order is proficient in using large shields.

Within this group of skilled shield-bearers, there are individuals of a different caliber.

Numbering around fifty, who are magicians.

Despite their small numbers, they are formidable as they are all capable of close-quarters combat, thanks to being attached to the knight order’s magic division.

Rumor has it that this stems from Lady Rin, who leads the magic division, saying, “Modern magicians should be able to handle close-quarters combat like Ryo!”…

Whether this is true or not, it’s a fact that in battle, it’s better for magicians to be capable of close combat, so they have been trained for it.

By the shield-bearing members of the knight order…

Despite being magicians, they are not soft.

Apart from these renowned and noteworthy knight orders, there are various knight orders of different sizes from across the country participating in the war.

Many of them have been reorganized or expanded over the past three years.

The entire Kingdom Army consists of fifty thousand men.

It was undoubtedly a formidable military force.

At the same time, movements were occurring within the Handal Union.

“Your Majesty, there have been movements.”

Dontan, the captain of the royal knights said, as he handed a report to Abel while on horseback.

“I see. The Union has declared war.”

Under the name of Governor Aubrey, the Handal Union had declared a state of war.

This would give Governor Aubrey dictatorial authority.

Specifically, this authority pertained to all military forces within the union.

In times of peace, individual countries within the ‘Union’ would handle rebellions or issues concerning their own military forces. However, in the case of a dictator being appointed, their orders would take precedence over all others.

And the order of the Dictator, Lord Aubrey, was to attack the armed groups operating within the Union.

While publicly referred to as ‘armed groups’, the Union leadership was plainly informed that they were dealing with ‘minions of the Djinn’.

This clear communication resulted in no opposition from the member countries.

Even the Volturino Grand Duchy, which had previously not taken a proactive stance and had not sought assistance from the Union government, promised full cooperation.

It seems that dealing with the threat of minions of the Djinn was too much of a burden for them.

Two hours after Lord Aubrey declared war, the Union forces led by the Dictator Aubrey set out from the capital Jayclaire and began their march towards the western border of the Union.

Due to the timing of this joint operation with the Union, the Kingdom had no room to deploy adventurers…

In any case, it was at this point, unbeknownst to the general populace, that a pincer attack against the Djinn was launched from both the east and west.

This marked the beginning of what would later be known as the ‘Great Djinn War’.

TLN: Please read my translations at tseirptranslations.com, I did not give permission to any site to host my translations. 

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