The Mage’s Nemesis Has Reincarnated - Chapter 65

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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The Natural Enemy of Mages Has Been Reincarnated – Episode 65
【Main Quest: Victory in the Territory War】
└A territory war between Hamilton Territory and Agos Territory has been initiated.
└Lead Hamilton Territory to victory in this territorial conflict.
【Conditions】
└Victory for Hamilton Territory
【Rewards】
└Acquire Skill ‘Alteration’
【Sub Quest: Replicate Magic】
└A territory war between Hamilton Territory and Agos Territory has been initiated.
└Approach the mercenary mages hired by Agos Territory and replicate their magic.
【Conditions】
└Magic Replication 0/100 mages
【Rewards】
└5th Circle Skill Proficiency increased by 10,000
Both a Main Quest and a Sub Quest had appeared.
‘This is the first time two quests have appeared simultaneously.’
It was also my first time seeing a Sub Quest.
Though with a Main Quest present, it would be strange if Sub Quests didn’t exist.
‘Victory in a territory war… I suppose I should prioritize the Main Quest. But… I can’t ignore the Sub Quest either.’
The Sub Quest required me to replicate the magic of one hundred mages.
The reward was generous too—ten thousand proficiency points.
The compensation was far too substantial to refuse.
‘Wait, what? I have to replicate magic from a hundred mages? That means the opposing side has hired at least a hundred mages?’
Compared to our side, which had fewer than thirty, that was indeed a staggering number.
‘They certainly have deep pockets. But there’s nothing I can’t do.’
Zeke accepted both quests without hesitation.
Having come this far, I needed to win the territory war, and magic replication had been my primary objective anyway.
Besides, quests carried no significant penalty even if they failed.
Though I had never failed one before.
‘I would have been disappointed if no quest appeared.’
The corners of my mouth lifted slightly.
Quests were what motivated me forward.

* * *
Before long, the carriage arrived at Hamilton Territory.
Zeke’s company was soon able to meet the lord who had hired them at the castle.
“Welcome. I hear you are the finest practitioners in your field.”
“You are too kind, my lord.”
Captain Chris bowed respectfully.
Zeke and more than twenty other members of the company remained kneeling silently.
“I heard there is a 6th Circle mage among you.”
“That is correct.”
“Who is it?”
Captain Chris turned his head to look at Zeke and Peter.
The two men, catching the hint, rose from their places.
“Those two over there. They are called Zeke and Peter.”
“They seem younger than I expected.”
“However, their abilities are beyond question.”
In truth, Chris had never witnessed their abilities firsthand, but he had no choice but to speak thus.
He needed to inspire confidence in his employer.
“Well, that much must be certain. I trust you will lead us to victory in battle. Should we win, I shall reward you generously.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“Baron Barton over there will brief you on the detailed strategy.”
“Very well, then….”
“Follow me.”
At Baron Barton’s call, Chris and the company members rose and filed out in a rush.
Throughout this exchange, Count Hamilton’s gaze remained fixed upon Zeke.
‘So young, yet a 6th Circle mage? I find it difficult to believe.’
As the mercenaries departed, the whispers of the retainers could be heard.
“Did you see? The appearance of the one called Zeke.”
“He doesn’t even look of age….”
“A 6th Circle at that age? Does that seem plausible to you?”
“Could it be that the mercenaries were lying?”
“Perhaps we should have chosen the Red Wolf Mercenary Company instead….”
Doubt permeated the air among the retainers.
Zeke’s youthful appearance simply did not inspire their confidence.
The lord shared their sentiment and offered no rebuttal.
‘Hmm… I wonder if we can truly win this territorial dispute….’
A shadow had fallen across the lord’s face unlike any before.

* * *
While the retainers harbored their doubts, I and my companions were receiving a tactical briefing from Baron Barton.
“First, we’ll deploy a small elite cavalry unit as bait to lure the enemy out. We’ll remain in an inconspicuous location, and only when the enemy has gathered will we make our move.”
“So you’re saying we’ll lure them in and eliminate them gradually?”
“Precisely. As we whittle them down bit by bit, the infuriated enemy will lead their entire force to attack our territory. That’s when we’ll launch a proper defensive siege.”
“Indeed, in a mountainous region like this, a defensive siege would be exceptionally advantageous.”
Captain Chris stroked his chin and nodded in agreement.
It wasn’t a bad strategy.
Though there were certainly points that gave me pause.
“Will the enemy actually attempt to assault the castle as we intend?”
“We need to make them want to. For that, we must leave the castle gates open. If the fortress appears somewhat vulnerable, won’t the enemy be tempted to attack?”
“But… wouldn’t opening the gates be dangerous?”
“Not all the way—just halfway. Once enough of them have gathered, we simply close it. And we’ll have troops lying in ambush inside the gates, so there’s no problem.”
“But if something goes wrong, even slightly…”
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
The Captain’s concern stemmed from something specific.
Opening the castle gates during a territorial siege carried tremendous risk.
The enemy could easily infiltrate the fortress, and our troops risked being surrounded and annihilated.
A single miscalculation could lose the entire war.
Knowing such anxiety permeated the room, Baron Barton, as commander, had to convince his mercenaries.
“Given the mountainous nature of our territory, we can only achieve victory by converting this battle into a defensive siege. Opening the gates is merely bait to draw them in.”
“Hmm, but deliberately luring the enemy in… our casualties could snowball out of control…”
At Chris’s murmuring, Baron Barton’s eyebrows rose in displeasure.
“If you’re so dissatisfied with the strategy, why don’t you take command yourself?”
“What? No, of course not. How could mere mercenaries like us possibly…”
“If you understand that, then keep quiet and follow orders. Don’t presume to interfere.”
Though the Captain had heard the harsh rebuke, his anxiety persisted, and he asked once more.
“Do you truly believe this strategy will work?”
“It will work without question. There’s no doubt whatsoever.”
At Baron Barton’s resolute tone, Chris finally felt reassured.
But I couldn’t help but feel bewildered.
[The target you are currently observing is speaking a ‘lie’.]
Baron Barton was lying.
‘What? Why?’
I, who had been watching Baron Barton with suspicious eyes, suddenly interjected into the conversation.
“Do you know the scale of the enemy forces?”
“The scale of the enemy?”
Baron Barton, who had been regarding my sudden interruption with displeasure, spoke as though it were obvious.
“Five hundred infantry composed of Aura users, two hundred cavalry, two hundred archers, and twenty mages. That’s what we’ve ascertained. Our current forces are roughly comparable, so don’t worry. We’ll win more easily than you’d expect.”
[The target you are currently observing is speaking a ‘lie’.]
‘What is this? Why does he keep lying?’
The words that had just left his mouth carried falsehood—one of two possibilities.
Either he had understated the enemy’s numbers, or he didn’t truly believe victory would come easily.
Either way, something reeked of suspicion.
It was a thought no commander should entertain.
The very reason for the deception eluded me.
‘Suspicious as it is, there’s nothing I can do about it right now. Confronting him over a lie would be absurd.’
Without concrete evidence, I had to let it pass.
For now, securing victory in the territorial war was the paramount objective.
‘I came here thinking only of the territorial war, yet everything is unfolding strangely.’
An ominous premonition settled over Zeke McLafflin.

* * *
“Kahahaha!”
The lord’s castle in Agos Territory was awash in an unexpected festival atmosphere.
Victory was already theirs—or so it seemed.
“That foolish Count Hamilton. What audacity, challenging us over his daughter’s honor? Hehehehe!”
“Indeed, my lord. Hamilton Territory is as good as yours now.”
“My congratulations in advance, my lord. Hahaha.”
Gary Agos accepted the congratulations of his retainers, draining his goblet in one gulp.
“Phew! The more I think about it, the more ridiculous he is. Starting a war over a daughter he fawned over? Though I must admit, that day was quite satisfying. Hehehehe.”
“As the rumors say, he truly stops at nothing when it concerns his daughter. Your assessment was spot on.”
“Now we need only reel in the prey that has walked straight into our trap.”
“Hehehehe, exactly. Why else would I have violated his daughter?”
Gary Agos’s targeting of Count Hamilton’s daughter was no accident.
He had done it to provoke the Count, draw him into war, and seize his territory.
Though the strong took everything in this world, even they needed justification to claim what wasn’t theirs.
“If they strike first, we have all the pretext we need to invade them. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Precisely, my lord. Our forces stand ready. We need only await their assault.”
“Hehehehe, and in the meantime, we shall celebrate.”
Everything was proceeding far too smoothly.
Exactly as everyone had anticipated.
Yet some of his retainers dared voice their concerns.
“My lord, it may be premature to declare victory. They are surely aware of the disparity in our forces, yet they accepted the provocation so readily. I suspect they harbor some scheme.”
“Indeed. As you know, their territory lies in the Mountainous Region. We would be at a disadvantage in a siege.”
“Given how openly they accepted this challenge, I believe they intend to employ a defensive strategy.”
“With their numbers, that is their only option.”
Gary Agos, who had been listening quietly, bared his teeth in a dismissive grin.
“I know, I know. I understand their thinking, and I anticipate their tactics. That is precisely why I am so certain of victory.”
“Still, caution is warranted, my lord. Intelligence suggests they have hired the Golden Eagle Mercenary Corps. As you know, two Sixth Circle mages recently joined their ranks.”
“Two 6th Circle mages?”
A sneer twisted across the Count’s face.
“So what? We have over a hundred mercenary mages at our disposal.”
Agos gestured toward the distant table where numerous mercenaries were tearing into meat.
Roughly a hundred mages—sellswords summoned from various quarters—filled the hall.
Among them were mages from the Red Wolf Mercenary Company, the legendary rival of the Golden Eagle Mercenary Corps.
“Look there. We have roughly a hundred mages ranging from at least 3rd Circle to 5th Circle. So what’s so frightening about two 6th Circle mages?”
“W-well, that may be true, but still, we ought to exercise caution….”
“No need to worry. I already know what they’re after.”
Count Agos waved his hand dismissively, gesturing for the man to drink, but his true confidence lay elsewhere.
‘Barton said he’d taken care of the commander—this war is already won before it begins.’
Soon the battle would commence, and Hamilton Territory would become my domain.
Not only would I subjugate the lord, but his daughter would be mine to do with as I pleased.
‘Let me show her what humiliation looks like—right before her father’s eyes. Hehehehe.’
His grinning face betrayed not a shred of concern.

* * *
Deckard, the battle mage captain of the Red Wolf Mercenary Company, smacked the back of the head of a subordinate guzzling wine.
“Ow! Why’d you hit me, Captain!”
“You fool. War’s coming, and you’re drinking like that?”
“The lord prepared this celebration and asked us to toast in advance.”
“That doesn’t mean you drink before we’ve even started. All of you—put down those cups and remember your duty.”
The reprimanded soldiers had their rebuttals ready.
“Look around, Captain. The finest mercenary companies have gathered roughly a hundred mages here. What exactly are you worried about?”
“Right, right. A hundred mages could handle hundreds of Aura users without breaking a sweat.”
“And I heard we’ve assembled around two thousand Aura users for this operation.”
“Our forces are more than sufficient to celebrate.”
“We’re not being overconfident without reason.”
The soldiers spoke in unison, already carrying themselves like victorious troops returning from triumph.
All except their captain, Deckard.
“Haven’t you heard? The enemy has 6th Circle mages among their mercenaries.”
“Only two of them. We have over a hundred.”
“How could they possibly hold out against us?”
“We have three 5th Circle mages ourselves, for that matter.”
“Numbers overwhelm even in magic—that’s not just an Aura user principle.”
Seven 5th Circle mages could not match one 6th Circle, or so the saying went. But the enemy had only two.
The soldiers had no reason to fear.
That is, assuming the enemy truly was 6th Circle.
This was precisely what troubled Deckard.
‘What if they’re not 6th Circle at all? What if they’re 7th Circle, hiding their true rank to infiltrate our ranks?’
Deckard’s suspicion was justified.
In the history of the Mercenary Company, no one at 6th Circle had ever joined.
Even a commoner with enough talent to reach 6th Circle could receive a noble title.
There was no reason for someone at 6th Circle to work as a mercenary.
In other words, it was highly likely that a noble with magical talent had infiltrated under a false identity.
If that were the case.
‘Then we might be the ones getting played….’
No matter how many mages—even a hundred—gathered, they were nothing but ants before a 7th Circle mage.
Reaching 7th Circle was a formidable achievement, marking entry into the ranks of Arch Mages.
It was only natural that Deckard felt uneasy.
If by some chance the opponent was an Arch Mage hiding their Circle, it would be an unwinnable battle.
Deckard’s ominous premonition was remarkably sharp.
And accurate.
But there was one thing he got wrong.
The opponent was a monster who could even cast 9th Circle magic.
‘Sigh, what’s the point? Worrying won’t change anything.’
Deckard raised his glass to shake off the anxiety.
As the burning warmth of alcohol slid down his throat.
Pweeeee—
The sound of a horn trumpet rang out.
Everyone, as if time itself had frozen, jolted and hastily rose from their seats.
It was time to march out.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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