The path of a mage diverges greatly depending on which magic they specialize in.
Verden, who majored in elemental magic, focused on combat-oriented spells.
Constantly shifting the flow of mana in response to rapidly changing circumstances, and mastering not just one but various elements—such things serve as nourishment for growth.
And that slight experience elevated Verden to a higher level.
"Mage tactics... I had more to learn than I thought."
Verden wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.
Though he had already reached the 3rd-tier midway, he chose to draw out his opponent's carelessness to seize a sure victory. It was also to carefully observe how the opponent responded and fought.
For Verden, who had almost no combat experience, it was a valuable time.
"The rogue was stronger than I expected, but now I'm certain."
He was confident that his power far surpassed other mages of the same rank.
Even while still in the 2nd-tier, he could have overpowered a 3rd-tier opponent. It might have taken longer and carried a risk of injury, but the outcome wouldn't have changed.
Verden stepped forward to examine the mage's corpse.
The lower half had been pierced by Earthborne magic, unrecognizable, and a spear of ice that penetrated the heart had left the entire body pale and frozen.
He reached out toward the mage's head.
"…No need to blow off the head too."
While confirming the kill would be safer, showing the intact corpse to the lord would help build trust. The traces left on the body could also serve as proof of the opponent's skill.
Withdrawing his hand, Verden picked up the staff lying in the cold blood.
'A magic item.'
This spell allows one to understand the structure of an object.
Its learning difficulty is relatively low, being 1st-tier, but the key lies in interpreting what magic effect the structure produces.
That knowledge is so vast that few study it unless they are professional appraisers.
Of course, Verden was one of the exceptions.
◇ Magic Stone Staff
⦁ Increases spellcasting speed (Minor)
⦁ Enhances power of Ice-elemental magic (Minor)
'Not bad.'
Though it was a mass-produced item, it assisted casting—like adding a couple of fingernails to your hand? Still, those fleeting moments could mean life or death, so it was far better than nothing.
And the boost in power, even if limited to a specific element, was also a plus.
Verden cleaned it thoroughly with conjured water and secured it at his waist. Since it was something he acquired without spending a coin, his lips twitched in satisfaction.
At that moment, Knight Perik appeared.
"Lord Asher! You're safe!"
'Ah, we were hunting down the bandits.'
He had briefly forgotten, distracted by the magical item.
Regaining his composure, Verden turned around while pretending to wipe his forehead.
"Yes, the mage had quite some skill, so it took a bit of time."
"Ah, that makes sense…"
The surroundings were a wreck. Though he hadn't seen the fight, the aftermath painted a vivid picture of a fierce battle.
Yet unlike the ruined body of the rogue mage, Verden stood there without a single scratch, drawing Perik's quiet admiration.
"Sir Perik, then is the bandit subjugation complete?"
"The leader is still rampaging, but the rest have been thoroughly suppressed. It's essentially over. By the time we return, it'll be finished."
Though young, Knight Perik's face was speckled with blood, it was bright. Fortunately, it seemed there were no casualties among the soldiers.
"Then let's gather the corpses and head back."
"...But what about the belongings of this bandit? How should we handle them?"
"Of course, the ownership belongs to you, Lord Asher. The lord said that if you want any of the bandit's belongings, we're to comply. So there's no need to worry."
A good lord indeed.
Verden nodded and followed Perik back to the bandit stronghold.
Bodies of bandits lay strewn everywhere, and the captured ones trembled at the soldiers' spears.
Varja, who had been fighting Knight Enok, spotted the battered Vilshen.
'Vilshen is dead…?'
Disaster. Without Vilshen, breaking through this encirclement was nearly impossible.
A faint trace of fear appeared on Varja's face, unable to hide his panic. Death, something he never wanted to feel, was drawing near.
Clenching his twin swords tightly, Varja bit his lip.
'I'm going to die in this backwater? No way!'
There was too much he hadn't done yet. No one could take his freedom from him.
He had to escape no matter what. There was only one way—kill the knight he was fighting in one blow, then find the hidden horse and flee.
As Varja steeled himself, a fiery aura surged from within.
Thud! As he kicked off the ground, Enok also infused his sword with aura.
Just as Varja intended. What he was aiming for was the second strike. As the swords clashed, the left-hand blade would cut through the knight's neck.
Just before the blades collided, Enok abruptly withdrew his energy.
"Huh?"
Clang. A feeble sound for such momentum. With the shock, Enok dropped his sword. Varja, who had thrown his weight into the attack, lost balance heavily.
"Got you."
Enok slipped under Varja's arm, wrapped his neck and arm, and slammed him to the ground. Strengthened by aura, Enok quickly subdued him.
The two tumbled on the ground, and amidst the chaos, Enok used both legs to pin Varja's arms and legs.
Then he drew a sharp dagger from his waist. As the blade touched, blood flowed from Varja's neck.
"Wait! A knight, throwing away his sword?! Can you still call yourself a knight?!"
"Hah, what nonsense…"
Stab.
"This is real combat, you bandit scum."
Gurgle. Grrrk. Varja's body shook as he foamed blood, then went limp. Enok twisted the blade to finish it and rose after pushing aside the corpse.
He locked eyes with Verden, who had been watching.
"Ahem. It seems I still have plenty of stamina in my youth. With a bit more time, I could have beheaded him clean."
Enok cleared his throat awkwardly as he stood up. There was the pride of a knight, and winning by getting dirty in front of an outsider was a little embarrassing.
Verden, however, didn't care at all.
"But what about those bandits? Weren't they supposed to be wiped out?"
"The original plan was to annihilate them, but some soldiers recognized familiar faces among them. Seems they absorbed survivors from a previously raided village. We'll take them to the castle, confirm their identities, and either execute or spare them."
At Sir Harris' words, several kneeling bandits flinched in fear.
Surviving bandits, huh? Once they reach the lord's castle, they'll likely be executed—like lambs to the slaughter. Well, it's what they deserve.
As the soldiers began to forcibly haul the bandits to their feet, one of them suddenly shoved a soldier hard and dashed into the forest.
"Aaahhh! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"
"I'll take care of it."
At Harris' words, Enok nodded.
Seeing him flee made it certain he wasn't a survivor from the raided village. In that case, rather than capturing him, it would be better to execute him on the spot as a warning.
But just as they were about to give chase, the scream echoing from the forest suddenly went silent.
The forest, now eerily quiet, gave off an ominous atmosphere. At the same time, the metallic stench of blood touched their noses.
"Blood...?"
Though the area was already filled with the blood of bandits, this scent was far stronger.
Verden immediately spread out his mana. He detected dozens of life forms within the forest.
This was...
"Demi-humans?"
"If it's demi-humans... do you mean goblins or orcs?" Enok asked.
Verden nodded.
More than ten orcs and dozens of goblins. A group of demi-humans was approaching. The numbers were considerable, but Verden could wipe them out alone without injury.
Even so, he couldn't afford to let his guard down.
'What in the world is that?'
At the front stood an orc.
Judging from the mana reading, its build was far larger than that of a typical orc. Was it a variant or evolved form? Whatever it was, one thing was clear—it was leading the demi-human group.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The sound of footsteps gradually grew louder.
Then, something shot out swiftly from the forest. Harris reacted immediately and swung his sword, splitting the head of the fleeing bandit in half.
And then, the monster appeared.
A mouth torn wide to both sides, a massive body well over two meters tall. The grotesque orc scanned Verden, the knights, the soldiers, and the captured bandits with its gaping jaws.
[Grrraaaaaaah!]
A monstrous roar shook the forest.
Around its neck, a golden plate stained with blood clinked as it moved.
'That's definitely…'
Though it was dented, it was the same as the one worn by the gold-ranked adventurer seen that morning. And even the sword in its left hand matched.
The expressions of the knights turned grave as they noticed.
"...It seems the adventurers failed in their subjugation."
Dealing with demi-humans was the guild's responsibility, but given the situation, it appeared that not only the gold-ranked adventurer, but also all others had been annihilated.
How an orc, not even a superior species, managed to kill them all was unknown, but now that they faced it, battle was unavoidable.
Crack.
Enok gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.
Then, the grotesque orc charged forward, and the demi-humans hidden in the forest swarmed in.
"All units, form defensive lines! Avoid engaging the orc—prioritize eliminating the goblins! We will take on that monster!"
KWAANG!
The orc's sword clashed with Enok's, erupting with a deafening boom.
Its overwhelming strength exceeded expectations—Enok couldn't withstand it even for a moment and was thrown back.
"Khugh...!"
Enok groaned as he rolled across the ground.
As the monster approached to stomp his head, knights Perik and Harris crossed their blades and severed its front foot.
Behind them, Verden aimed his staff at the orc.
CRACK!
A spear of ice pierced its shoulder. The chill burrowed deep into its body, numbing muscles and nerves.
The orc staggered, unable to regain balance. Seizing the opening, Enok moved like lightning and pierced the orc's heart.
"Haah!"
Shraaack! As he twisted and pulled the sword out, dark red blood gushed forth.
No matter how strong its vitality, there was no surviving a wound like that.
But the orc boldly betrayed that expectation.
Chomp.
[Kieeek?!]
The orc grabbed a nearby goblin and swallowed it whole.
As blood and flesh slid down its throat, the wounds began to regenerate. Even more, its muscles swelled further.
It yanked out the ice embedded in its shoulder and crushed it, then hurled the sword it had been holding.
"What?!"
Harris, eyes wide, hurriedly raised his sword.
CRAAASH! Unable to withstand the force, the sword shattered to pieces. The fragments scattered, embedding themselves into Harris' body.
"Aaaaaaaaagh!"
"Harris!"
"Watch out, Perik!"
The orc charged and swung its arm at Perik.
He activated his aura and swung his sword with full power, but unlike before, it didn't even cut—his blade got stuck in the thick muscle and didn't budge.
Just before the monstrous hand could reach Perik—
Dozens of rock fragments pelted the orc's head.
Blood and broken teeth flew, but it didn't care at all as it reached for Perik.
Thankfully, Perik retreated just in time, but the situation hadn't improved. In fact, it had worsened.
Sweat ran down Perik's face as he recalled the sensation of hitting solid rock.
"How can an orc, not even a superior species, have this kind of strength... Don't tell me this is one of those special entities?"
If so, and if it was one of the special entities recorded in the world's history…
Everyone here, not to mention the entire Pythe territory, would be wiped out. It was an extreme thought, but the sight of that grotesque mouth made it impossible to shake the unease.
At that moment, Verden spoke.
"That's unlikely."
"Wh-why do you say that?"
"For a simple reason."
That clown-like orc was certainly strong.
Exceptional regenerative power through consumption, overwhelming strength that outclassed even knights, and the ability to induce frenzy among its fellow demi-humans. It was far beyond an ordinary orc.
But if that was all—
"It's too weak."
It could never be a match for Verden.
He already had dozens of ways in mind to kill it.
How best to do it?
'Taking them all out at once would minimize casualties.'
Not just that unsettling clown orc, but the group of demi-humans fighting the soldiers as well.
Activating every mana circuit in his body, Verden's blue eyes flashed.