How to Live as a Genius Knight in a Fantasy World

12

What is magic?

Magic was the act of manipulating mana to influence the world.

The greater the scale of magic and the more powerful its effects, the more mana it required, naturally drawing in the mana from the surroundings.

An attack magic, Raging Thunder, evaluated to be close to grand magic in power.

Those with even a hint of talent in mana felt an unprecedented sense of unease.

As if something that had enveloped their body was being drawn towards a single point.

All the mana in the vicinity rushed towards the torn scroll in Lord Prielle’s hands.

Despite the Lord letting go and attempting to flee, the torn scroll refused to fall to the ground, fluttering with a blue light.

As the unsettling phenomenon caused the guards to falter, and despite the commander’s orders, individuals began to flee.

Finally, the magic broke free from the parchment and manifested in reality.

Ku-ru-rrring-

In the clear sky, thunder suddenly roared.

A deafening sound, akin to thunder striking right in front of them, momentarily stunned the soldiers.

Illuminating the dark sky, a cluster of lightning bolts struck around the mana pool.

The fierce roars of thunder mixed with the soldiers’ screams filled the battlefield with a dreadful noise.

Like spears thrust down, over a hundred lightning bolts mercilessly struck the ground.

“This is madness…”

Even as he fled, Lord Izell, constantly looking back, exclaimed in awe.

There was no longer any trace of the mana pool.

However, the expression on Lord Prielle’s face, who had used the scroll, was grim.

“We didn’t completely destroy the mana pool.”

Although he had confirmed the lightning strikes, he couldn’t guarantee that the mana pool was completely ruined.

At that moment, a mage riding beside Lord Prielle retorted to his words.

“Even if it wasn’t completely destroyed, it must have suffered significant damage. Being an item infused with magic engineering, it’s intricately structured and will undoubtedly need repairs.”

“Is that so? Regardless, time is of the essence…”

“Depending on the extent of the damage to the mana pool and the proficiency of the mages over there, repairs may take more than a day or two. The impact of the magic was substantial…”

With the mage’s confident words, Lord Prielle’s face brightened slightly.

There had been some cavalry losses during the approach, but if they managed to gain time with only that amount of damage, it wouldn’t be a losing deal.

As long as they could hold out against the Marquis’s army once it reached the walls, it wouldn’t be too difficult.

However, despite a somewhat successful operation, the situation was far from over.

After the sudden magical baptism, the forces of Lord Desel were charging at them from all directions.

Noticing something amiss due to the distinct characteristics of the lightning magic spells, all the soldiers on the plain realized that something was happening and rushed towards the suspected origin.

Clad in dark armor and flesh, they couldn’t completely conceal dozens of cavalrymen, and naturally, Lord Prielle found himself pursued by countless troops.

“Ugh!”

“Cough!”

Rushing towards the castle, urging their horses, they couldn’t avoid falling one by one due to the pouring arrows and javelins.

Though their numbers were few, the soldiers involved in this operation were the elite of the elite.

As the numbers dwindled one by one, the Marquis of Priel and the Marquis of Izell were on the verge of tears.

Under relentless pursuit, when nearing the bridge leading to Priel Castle, nearly half of the troops had already been reduced.

“Just a bit more to go!”

Encouraging the remaining soldiers, the Marquis of Priel, running, caught sight of a group of cavalry rushing towards the bridge.

In the distinctive patterns on their armor, the Izell family crest, a sigh escaped the Marquis of Priel’s lips.

“Ha…”

As despair loomed over them, infantry troops across the bridge began to advance, holding their spears high.

“Save the Marquis!”

“Secure your positions first!”

Though mainly composed of conscripted soldiers who were even unable to fight as guards, it was still burdensome for knights to charge alone after raising their spears.

Before the cavalry could reach them, the infantry troops who had crossed the bridge swiftly took their positions, planting their spears firmly into the ground.

Likewise, Rohan, as one of the infantry soldiers, drove his spear into the earth and secured it tightly under his armpit.

It was clear that with any spear technique, exerting more resilience than this would not be easy.

Having seen the hedgehog-like formation of the enemy, Knight Freyer of Izell was thrown into a brief but intense conflict.

“Shall we endure the damage and attack? We might miss them, but should we preserve our forces?”

After much deliberation, the decision was made to attack.

“We can’t let them pass uncontested like this!”

Allowing a significant magical attack against a small group of soldiers could pose morale issues if not enough damage was inflicted on the enemy.

It seemed more prudent to break through with a moderate force of infantry and target the enemy cavalry as well.

At Freyer’s signal, nearly two hundred cavalrymen began to accelerate their horses.

“Grip your spears tightly! The horses will be coming soon, so stay alert and brace yourselves!”

Captains and lieutenants shouted continuously to the soldiers around them.

“Rohan, see you on the other side.”

“Likewise, Eli.”

After exchanging a brief nod with their comrades, they faced the approaching cavalry with a firm grip on their spears.

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The Izell cavalry, who successfully maintained their formation while moving at a rapid pace due to long training, began to push into the forest of spears.

“Ugh!”

“Argh!”

No amount of training could ensure that a spear thrust into the ground would remain intact or that a man charging with full force on a horse would not be struck.

The cavalry, charging at full speed, impaled by the spears, collapsed to the ground, while the infantry, struck by swords and trampled by horse hooves, met their end.

In an instant, the area in front of the bridge was dyed red with blood.

“Hold on! Hold your ground!”

Despite the five hundred infantrymen waiting in formation, the breakthrough power of the cavalry was formidable.

In a flash, the cavalry, who had penetrated nearly half of the enemy’s formation, began to overpower the infantry with superior swordsmanship.

With no time to be grateful for not dying in the initial charge, Rohan dodged a descending sword from above, rolled on the ground, and rose with his sword and shield in hand, slashing at the horse’s legs.

After finishing off the fallen enemy with a sword to the neck, Rohan deflected a sword aimed at Eli and cut the opponent’s wrist.

“Aah!”

Cutting the throat of a man screaming in agony as a body part fell off, Rohan evaded a sword aimed at his back as he leaped away.

“Eli! Are you alright?”

“Groan…”

With Rohan’s help, Ely, who had narrowly escaped death, let out a whimper as his left arm was severed.

The bleeding was severe enough to endanger his life if left untreated, but the situation was so urgent that even basic first aid seemed impossible.

Hiding him discreetly among the freshly fallen bodies to avoid drawing attention from the enemy, I plunged back into the chaos once more.

Empowered by the basic shield techniques and additional effects of Charles-style combat, Rohan, accompanied by his skilled soldiers, demonstrated a mastery that overwhelmed even the elite enemy cavalry at a ratio of 1:1.

While Rohan and his seasoned warriors engaged the enemy, a separate unit led by Viscount Priel began crossing the bridge.

Upon confirming the Viscount’s successful retreat, the commanders ordered a general withdrawal.

“Move to contain the enemy cavalry!”

“Quickly, back across the bridge!”

“Maintain a defensive stance as you move!”

No matter how loudly they shouted, the excited soldiers were too absorbed in the chaos to hear properly.

The greatest harm in a retreat is the chaos it creates.

At any moment, as they pushed past each other in their haste to escape, the shadow of death crept closer from behind.

With superior stamina, Rohan swiftly crossed back over, only to witness a scene of slaughter unfolding.

Struggling against the cavalry attacking from the side, they were soon overwhelmed by the reinforcements chasing them, leaving them no chance to resist as they were mercilessly crushed.

“Ely…”

The image of his comrade, lying lifeless with one arm missing, flashed in his mind, and without needing to confirm, he could already guess his fate.

It was hard to imagine surviving being trampled by so many hooves, and the thought was too unbearable to entertain.

Suddenly, support arrived from within the castle, and after a volley of arrows from the archers aimed at the legs, the pursuers halted.

“Ugh…”

“I’m alive… I’m alive…”

Whether sensing their survival or simply exhausted, the soldiers sank to the ground.

Rohan, tirelessly swinging his sword and darting around, was nearly depleted of energy.

‘Yet, I am fortunate not to be injured.’

In this place where medical advancements were scarce, a minor injury could lead to death, as the number of lives lost due to seemingly small wounds was countless.

The only things to rely on were the small supply of alcohol and bandages he had brought along, making avoiding injury an absolute priority.

After a brief respite, the commanders rallied the soldiers back to their feet.

They couldn’t afford to linger near the front lines indefinitely.

With all the villagers having sought refuge inside the castle, not a soul was visible on the streets.

Whether from a siege or the passage of time since the war began, the buildings near the castle walls lay in ruins.

As Viscount Priel and Viscount Ezel were identified by the guards, the gates were opened, and a long procession of nobles and soldiers followed them.

Given the considerable time that had passed since the war began, signs of decay were evident in the buildings within the castle, and families congregated in groups all around, having sought sanctuary inside.

‘The nutritional state doesn’t seem too dire.’

As befitting the expansive domain of Viscount Priel, there didn’t appear to be a scarcity severe enough to starve the villagers.

Recognizing the impossibility of finding shelter with so many people crowded inside the castle, Rohan, like the other soldiers, sat in the square to rest.

Finding it challenging to subsist on jerky and flour alone, he reluctantly nibbled on a piece of pemmican he had purchased at a high price.

“Ugh, this isn’t any easier to eat…”

It felt like consuming a lump of grease, but as he continued, the inclusion of grains and fruits added a slightly more varied taste compared to the jerky.

Moreover, being rich in fat and protein, it was an excellent choice to replenish after exerting himself in the harsh cold.

Rolling the pemmican in his mouth like candy, Rohan reminisced about the battle with the cavalry.

“Not bad.”

Rohan’s self-assessment was just that.

Whether it was the meditation and breathing techniques he had practiced while lying down that helped, or the fact that he could fight without fear in his first large-scale battle, he felt strange to have kept his composure amidst limbs flying and constant death around him.

However, from a pure perspective of powerlessness, there were many frustrating aspects.

It seemed unimaginably distant to change the situation, and even protecting his own body was not easy.

“I still need a little more time.”

The image of Eli, clutching his severed arm, came to mind.

Even if miraculous things happened and he was still alive, enduring a cold night in such a severely wounded state would undoubtedly be difficult.

“There’s no law saying I can’t end up like that.”

He wanted to go and save them even now, but he was afraid of lurking in the darkness.

While his comrades’ lives were precious, he was not willing to risk his own life to save them.

“Come to think of it, there was definitely a notification.”

It was the awaited time for rewards, but perhaps due to the ordeal, he wasn’t as happy as he had thought.

Upon checking his skill list, he confirmed that his Combat Breathing Technique had indeed reached 100%.

– Proficient Combat Breathing Technique (SN) / 100% (usable once a week, ‘Breath of Blessing (restore all consumed stamina)’ available)

Rohan, surprised by the additional effect, furrowed his brows.

If the skills he had acquired so far were in the form of passive abilities that enhanced his techniques or power, this additional effect was the first active skill to appear.

“If it’s stamina, could it possibly restore all wounds?”

He briefly entertained a happy thought, but even with Rohan’s conscience somewhat eroded as he adapted to this world, he didn’t think he could wish for such a remarkable effect.

Perhaps in the game, it referred to the strength to engage in activities commonly expressed as stamina.

Of course, even that was a good ability in itself.

In a battlefield where life and death hung by a thread, having robust stamina alone was a tremendous merit.

Moreover, as his level increased and his absolute stamina level rose, the ability would undoubtedly gain higher value.

The only downside was the long cooldown.

Satisfied, Rohan, after reading the additional effect description once more with content eyes, shifted his gaze to another skill.

“There’s not much left of Sword Defense Technique.”

Perhaps due to actual combat experience, the proficiency of Sword Defense Technique, which had been stuck in the 80% range, had risen to 94%.

He had planned to raise this skill to 100% before proceeding with synthesis, but there was no time to hesitate or spare.

He opened the skill synthesis window and raised Combat Breathing Technique and Charles-Style Practical Swordsmanship.

– Synthesizing Charles-Style Practical Swordsmanship (SN) and Combat Breathing Technique (SN).

– The synthesis cost is 2 Ardan’s Feathers.

“The cost has increased.”

Rohan, who had been about to proceed with the synthesis without thinking, was taken aback after reading the notification.

Perhaps due to the increase in the skill’s grade, the resources required for synthesis had increased.

It was only one more in quantity, but doubled in ratio.

“It seems that obtaining more feathers is required when synthesizing higher-grade skills.”

This meant that acquiring good skills without learning from someone else had become more difficult.

In order to obtain feathers, efforts would have to be made to seek learning without new skills.

Struggling to clear his cluttered mind, Rohan turned his gaze back to the synthesis window in front of him.

‘I hope a good skill pops up for once.’

With a heartfelt wish, Rohan tightly shut his eyes and pressed the synthesis button.