CH 46

"Mm--"

The evil mage furrowed his brow.

The angry voices of the villagers shook the night air as it grow louder and louder. Besides, what is this--

"Magic power?" -- No way, is this a village of magic power holders?

Individually, they cannot even reach the minimum amount of magic power that a regular noble possesses. However, like a whirlpool that has begun to turn the tide, it added up. If you look at the total amount of magic power, the crazed bandits cannot win. --But...

The first step in the proper utilization of magic is to possess the ability to handle and control magic power. Those who have magic power can rarely be found among commoners. Despite this, unless a person is of exceptional talent, it is impossible for them to possess the same amount of magic power as a nobleman, and they often lack the ability to handle them.

Magic, albeit referred to as "sorcery," is a skill that needs to be carefully practiced. Even if a person has a large amount of magic power, if it is not handled properly, it may not only fail but could even be dangerous to the user. And the magic that can be used differs depending on the aptitude of each person.

This must be a village of those who have been blessed with magic by the nobility, but have forgotten such benefits, and have become conceited and arrogant, thinking they can survive on their own power alone. If a commoner had the noble desire to master the path of magic they would have attended a magic school. Even if it is a difficult choice for a commoner.

His mouth twists into a wicked smile.

That would be rather advantageous for his experiments. After all, a remote little village like this is just the beginning. It is rather fortuitous that I could obtain the results of my experiments against the people with magic power there. After all, these people are just a bunch of people who can only produce magic power.

Besides, depending on the way things go, he may even be able to take credit for crushing the unfaithful rebels against the nation in advance.  "Ku ku Ku Ku Ku!"

"Ku Ku Ku Ku Ku Ku ......"

It was terribly crooked and a dry laugh.

--But what if there was a nobleman involved in it?

The evil mage quivered with amusement as if nothing could be more fun.

For a moment, this sense of magic does not have the nobility's signature on it. However, it may be that they are just hiding like his own 【covert】. If they are nobles, they are supposed to fight head-on, but if they are involved in a village like this, they must be nobles who is a heretic and has something shady going on. What if I could defeat that person too?

No matter how much I may be a user of spells like 【covert】 that might rises some voice of some nobles, if I exposed an even more unjust person, the nobles would respond more to the greater wrongdoing than to the method used to defeat him.

Then, maybe he could return to the path of a legitimate nobility and even to the path of a righteous man. He was a nobleman at heart, even if he was corrupt.

To a nobleman, a commoner is a tool. And another nobleman is only a stepping stone and nourishment for his own ascent to higher ground.

"Ku Ku Ku Ku Ku Ku Ku......"

He steps out like a shadow in the midst of darkness with the echoes of joyous laughter. There, a fever-like heat was beginning to swirl in the tone.

Of course, I use 【covert】 just in case. There is no way he could lose to a commoner, but if there were nobles, it would be a different situation. And for the commoners, I am doing them a favor so that they don't see my noble self. --No?　I would say that it is too arrogant for them to look at me openly.

With a sly smile, the dark shadow walks through the darkness, blending into the angry shouts of the villagers.

Because he Entered through the entrance instead of climbing over the wooden fence, the ward is not triggered.

◇

"Ooogghh, ghoooo!　kill, kiiiillll, kiiiill......"

"What the, what are these guys?"

The frenzied bandits crossed the fence, broke through it, and invaded. Originally they were well-built and could stand on equal footing with the beefy villagers. However, they had grown thin and skinny during their fugitive life. Their rabid dog-like eyes shone gruesomely in the rags they were clad in. 

The evil mage 【madness】caused their bodies to grow beyond their original size, and they were proud of their huge, bear-like physiques. Their "power" was supported by the energy that had been extracted from their lives and souls.

The muscles bulge out, forming uneven surfaces like a rocky mountain surface.

Their appearance is so disfiguring that they could be mistaken for a demon ogre. The rags that are tangled around the body are also a further accentuation of this appearance.

"Are these people ..... human?"

No wonder the villagers thought that.

Poof!

The bonfire crackled loudly.

--But the villagers were not even flinched.

Even though they were glaring into the gray eyes of madness, and even though the monsters were roaring and drooling, their voices no longer human, the villagers were rather elated!　They face them with their weapons in hand.

"Ohhhhh."

The two boys, apparently twins, lead the charge, and though they are still in their mid-teens, everyone is not worried about their safety, but rather envies and admires them for their quick action.

No matter how much their physique and muscle strength are strengthened, their crazed minds will not allow them to cooperate with each other. The villagers rushed into the gaps between the broken packs, as the crowds rushed to the boys, one after the other.

A howl went up.

The villagers's spirits also rose.

No matter how proud they are of their skills, they would never challenge them head-on. Some of them were confident that they could push their way through, but they knew that this was not a place to demonstrate their own strength.

It is not individual strength that should be demonstrated, but their combined power!

We are his soldiers. And above all, he would be deeply saddened if any of us die.

From the outside, the battlefield may look like a group of brave villagers heading toward the demons. However, each of the frenzied bandits was separated and then surrounded by several men. The well-organized formation of the villagers was the result of the training of a certain hound.

In fact, Desmond is unaware of this.

What he has been told is that the residents of the Moiré village are using a defensive system and magic tools invented by him to defeat monsters and bandits with less danger than before, and the village is getting more prosperous.

He is not wrong. He only thinks that Randolph's advice and magic tools have made their hunting more efficient than before. However.

He doesn't know that if other nobles were to find out, he would be treated as a dangerous villain, not just a <Damwead heretic>. Moreover, Moiré village appears unchanged from its original appearance as a poor village, and the reason why is because it is easier to bait people to target them.

Used to the way how these Hot-blooded peoples run the village from many times he has visited, he is just welcomed, and then It'll go like this, 

Please give me the first night right, please!　

Yes, yes, Do you guys have any troubles lately?　

No, thank you very much for your concern! But please plant your seed in me!

Okay!　

As you can see, he doesn't have much direct interaction with them, so there was no way for him to know.

The defense system - a magic ward disguised as a wooden fence - detects and debuffs the enemies, and welcomed them with a strengthen forced that uses life energy and magic tools that their lord designed.

This is their humble hospitality, Moiré village style.

The poor victims are attracted by the poor-looking village.

One by one, the muscular men and women, who proudly boast of their beautiful but supple athletic bodies, take care of them.

And the aftercare is so professional that the client does not even remember what was done to them.

By the way, regardless of whether they are bad guys or not, they don't kill them, but capture them alive. After all, that person hates killing. Those caught in this way are reported, saying that they were caught in Aldora territory, not Moiré village. The village is not to be leaked to the outside world.

This was the same with magic tools, especially for combat use.

The nobles did not have the concept of making or using magic tools. Fighting with only their own magic is their virtue, and magic is a precious thing, and there is no way they would ever think of making it available to commoners. That is why the lord is a "Damwead heretic" and is prohibited from taking magic tools outside of his domain, And there are only a few things that are allowed such as a device to fill a bathtub with water, or a device to boil that water.

Magic tools for combat.

Even if they can only be activated by those who can handle magic or life energy, and even if they are no match for the magic of a skilled nobleman, there is no way such a thing can be allowed. It is the best-kept secret. To possess it, one must make sure to silence anyone who sees it.

And that is what they have done so far.

【Wind Blade】

The invisible blades of wind shot from each of the twin boys' blades to the huge, frenzied bandit. Like meteors passing through the starry sky. The blades cut the bandit's body, and although they were unable to penetrate its huge, bear-like physique, they did agitate it and distracted its attention.

The huge arm of the crazed bandit leaped towards them.

With such ferocity and pressure, it was as if the bandits were swinging the trunk directly at them, not just a log, but at the trunk of a giant tree.

They avoided, dodged, and intersected using the wind blades however, this is still not enough.

"Gooooooooo!"

The beast howled.

【Fire Lance】

Flames shot in a spear shape from the spear held by the bald old man. The flames were so powerful that even the crazed bandit's huge physique was knocked down to the ground. However, he was able to survive after receiving the 【Fire Lance】 thanks to 【Madness】 that has been applied to him.

Despite the black charring of its skin and the disgusting smell of its own flesh, the creature is still trying to get up from the ground with its agitated, seething hatred. but then.

The hammer swung down, and it exploded.

【Thunder Hammer】

As soon as the hammer landed on the fallen bandit, dazzling bolts of lightning erupted from the hammer and rippled through the bandit's massive body.

The monster's thick tongue protruded from its mouth, and finally, its eyes peeled back and it collapsed. The earth beneath its hulking frame crumbled as if a giant had struck it with a mallet.

【Thorn Bind】

Thorns weaved him as he fell. Moreover, they are not ordinary thorns. With his huge frame and strong muscles, he would easily tear it to shreds. Hence it contained the weakening debuff curse.

However, the group did not show any joy in defeating the monster, but simply turned to join the other group.

The battle is not over yet.

The villagers of a remote village in a remote region behaved like a veteran who had fought many battles. Before long,  the vicious bandits were captured and neutralized.

--This is not possible.

impossible, impossible, impossible.

The mage, who uses 【covert】 to get up close and watch the heroic figures of the residents of Moiré Village, is dumbfounded by the sight of their dominance.

Even if they had magic power, they were supposed to be nothing more than a lowly mob. But now that the lid has been opened, how could it be? They were so well coordinated and skilled that one could say they were as good as the best Knight Order. Moreover, looking at them up close, it was clear that they did not possess any magic power. Their physical abilities were on par with those of low-ranking nobles who had undergone 【physical strengthening】, but their physical skills were beyond that.

A true display of physical strength.

And the source of the magic power felt from outside the village was - without a doubt - the weapon. It must be a magic tool that can activate a spell. That's all he can think of. But he has never ever heard of such a thing.

Who in the world would have done this .......

Nevertheless, only a noble, and a prestigious noble at that, could prepare or develop a magic tool of that caliber. He knew a few such nobles with that tremendous power. But there is no way they would be crazy enough to give magic to a lowly commoner........

If so, then there's a hidden genius out in the field....and that person is a commoner.

So horrifying!

A horror ran down his back. It even felt as if a vile arm emerged from under his feet, caught him by the ankle, and pulled him down.

He looked down at his feet, but there was nothing but some grass brushing against his ankle.

if the commoners gain access to magic that was originally available only to the nobles, If such a thing occurs....

Technically, these magic tools can only be activated by those with magic powers or those who can handle life energy, such as the residents of this village, but that alone is enough to send the nobles into a panic.

But they are still hope.

He shook at the thought, clutching his fist.

These people are capturing one after another of the crazed bandits that the mages have created. But it was a team, not a one-on-one fight. Moreover, judging from the way they fought, they were bound to lose by sheer force if fought head-on.

If that is the case, then, if I make the 【madness】 stronger, created more mad warriors, and if I, as a talented commander, use 【covert】 and give appropriate command from the shadows, then......

Yes, yes this is it! be positive!

This time, these lowly bastards simply took advantage of my noble honor.

How coward of them!

It is because of us, the nobles, that even the lowest of the low like them are allowed to exist, and it is because of us, the nobles, that the lowly commoners remain commoners.

Or perhaps it was a mistake to choose the commoners as the experimental subjects because the nobles cannot be used as test subjects. As I thought, Commoners are useless, just like commoners they all are.

He acknowledges the reality in front of him to some extent, but his interpretations of it turn into something more favorable to him, shift the cause of the failure, and then he comes up with the next plan.

Next time, next time, he will not fail.

If I don't give up, my dreams will come true.

As a nobleman, giving up is not a noble thing to do.

But then, as if to mock him for it, he was confronted by a spectacle sight...

It was a petite girl. And she was very, very pretty.

Like a resident of this region, she had flaxen hair and auburn eyes. She was probably in her mid-teens by her appearance, her face still had an innocent look to it, her skin was well-tanned and looked good with a short haircut. The girl's eyes were full of confidence and it was clear that she would not back down even if confronted head-on with the hulking bandits, yet she seemed out of place in this swashbuckling scene.

She was dressed differently from the other villagers.

The one-piece white dress with gold and blue embroideries, her majestic stance, and her posture, made her look like an enchantress from an upstanding family,  a "noble" woman.

"Noble."

That's what she looked like.

Her age does not seem to suggest that she is the leader of this group, but among the nobles who boast of their high ranking and a great amount of magic power, there are many who are younger in appearance than their age. Perhaps she is the noble who leads this group, or perhaps she is the person in charge entrusted by the noble.

Still, I can't sense any magic power from her either.......

It was Monica who was thought to be the evil enchantress.

Despite what he thought of her as noble, she was the youngest daughter of the village chief, a commoner from the village.

She has always tried to act and behave in a manner that would be respectful to her beloved Des, but it seems that this is something that even those from the nobility would approve of.

A maiden in love is the strongest creature.

Or so they say.

She stood in front of a man with a large physique and bloodshot eyes. The difference in size between the two of them was so great that they could be described as a bear and a doll, not to mention an adult and a child. If only he had caught her and tugged at her limbs, he would have surely been able to pull them off with as much ease as if he were plucking a flower from the roadside. However, Monica showed no sign of hesitation as she approached the monster head-on.