Magic Maker - How to make magic in another world - - Chapter 63

Magic Maker – How to make magic in another world –

Chapter 63   And start running

The Duke Balkh actions were swift.

Within about ten minutes of my report, the defense forces had gathered at the training ground adjacent to the duke’s mansion.

Next to the massive barracks, there was a training ground.

Usually, soldiers were diligently training there, and the shouts echoed every day.

I had also moved to that training ground.

The population of Istria is approximately around fifty thousand.

The number of Istria soldiers is around five to six thousand, quite a large number, but the actual number staying in the city is about half.

This is because not all soldiers can always remain in the city.

There are several reasons for this.

For example, the soldiers’ vacations.

While it is difficult to get a long-term vacation, opportunities for them to return to their hometowns are provided.

Because of the rotation, there are always several hundred fewer soldiers.

And the most significant reason is expeditions aimed at subjugation or support to nearby villages.

There are several small villages around Istria, and in the Kingdom of Lystia, besides the capital Sanostria, Istria is the largest city.

Other than that, the territories are small, and they remain in the range of a few thousand people, so they can’t be called cities.

Therefore, Istria often dispatches many soldiers to the surrounding areas.

Especially recently, due to the increase in the number of monsters, expeditionary teams must be reinforced.

As a result, the number of soldiers within Istria has decreased.

In other words, the city’s defense is currently weak.

Originally, as much military force as possible should be allocated for the defense of the city.

This is for guarding against invasions from other countries or organizations and for maintaining public order in the city.

However, the situation in this world is stable.

Recently, the number of monsters has been increasing, and every country is forced to respond to this threat.

While some lords may have their own concerns, it is necessary first to organize the defense of their own territory.

After all, it would be disastrous to be caught off guard by monsters during an invasion by another country.

For these reasons, currently, there are only about three thousand soldiers staying in Istria.

Among them, fifteen hundred are already deployed as guards.

In other words, out of the remaining fifteen hundred, only around twelve to thirteen hundred can immediately participate in the defense.

That is the number of the defense force.

By the way, this number strictly refers to combat soldiers, and those who are considered soldiers but cannot engage in combat are excluded.

The defense force seems to be the name of a unit formed in times of emergency.

Normally, individuals with assigned roles cooperate to defend against threats.

During peacetime, private soldiers provided by Duke Balkh are stationed in various locations.

These private soldiers are not hired by Duke Balkh himself but are soldiers provided by the country. While Duke Balkh has discretion in giving them orders, they are part of the national military.

In principle, it is prohibited for individual lords to hire their own soldiers.

This is likely for the prevention of rebellion. Of course, if necessary, it seems one can apply to have their own private soldiers after going through the proper channels.

However, that would be rare, at least in the current state of Lystia.

If there are no directives from Sanostria or royal decrees, Duke Balkh is the supreme commander in Istria. Soldiers cannot disobey orders, even if they may harbor discontent. However, it also means that as long as they follow the minimum orders, they won’t be subject to punishment.

I witnessed the meaning of this firsthand. The defense forces had gathered swiftly due to Duke Balkh’s prompt response. However, it didn’t imply that the soldiers’ actions were precise. Issuing orders, conveying information, and giving instructions quickly were one thing, but it was meaningless unless those receiving the orders actively acted upon them.

Soldiers had gathered in the training ground, likely the majority that could be assembled at the moment. However, their gathering was just that. There was no formation whatsoever, and at a glance, it looked like onlookers clad in armor were trying to witness something.

The word “coordination” didn’t exist in this place.

“Third Royal Guard Unit! Assemble here!”

“There, don’t walk lazily! Form a line!”

People who seemed like captains were shouting angrily, but the movements of the soldiers were sluggish. For trained soldiers, they seemed quite inadequate. Corrupt. Perhaps it was a matter of habit.

In Istria city, there were small disputes, but major incidents were rare. There were no invasions from other countries, and due to the abundance of monsters, the likes of bandits and thieves had decreased relatively. Therefore, essentially, the enemies of humans were almost exclusively monsters.

The city was not under attack because there were no monsters that would attack a city with a large human population. If that were the case, it explained the laxity. In that case, the incident with the wraith also made sense. For them, it probably didn’t feel like their own problem. But that wasn’t reality. It was an event that would pass for them.

Humans who had become complacent in peace couldn’t understand the horror of war. And the most troublesome aspect was that the quality of the soldiers responsible for defense was probably the lowest in Istria. They had no sense of urgency as they hadn’t fought against monsters, and they hadn’t had opportunities to fight. It would be different if they had experience participating in subjugation or expeditionary forces, but it seemed that such individuals were few.

Some soldiers were in formation, patiently waiting, but the majority were expressing dissatisfaction or looking sleepy. This was a direct order from the duke, and moreover, information clearly indicating danger had been conveyed.

“Geez, why does this have to happen on a night like this…”

“Did some invisible monster appear or something? Yawn… I’m sleepy…”

“That one that was rumored about a year ago? That’s just a rumor, right?”

“Is Duke Balkh’s playtime starting again?”

“He apparently said something about gathering lightning lamps. Can’t use those.”

“A regular lamp should be fine. Even a torch, it’s not like it’s raining.”

“I want to go home quickly.”

Anxiety spreads. One can’t help but wonder if these people can defend against a sudden wraith attack. However, without them, the wraith wouldn’t be expelled. In any case, I need to talk to Captain Roland.

While receiving the soldiers’ gazes, I survey the surroundings. Well, if there’s a child alone in a place like this, it might seem suspicious. However, I couldn’t bring myself to approach.

I don’t know the circumstances, and there’s a strong impression that he’s being lazy or finds it troublesome. Perhaps he doesn’t want to get involved in additional troubles after being woken up in the middle of the night.

The man is in front of the unit. Despite wearing strangely ornate armor, his face is ordinary. He frowns and gazes at the unit members. A stern command would do.

It reminded me of a physical education teacher scolding students gathered on the sports ground. Why are physical education teachers so high and mighty? Maybe appearing authoritative is important. Children tend to underestimate their opponents easily.

No, considering the situation, it might be more accurate to say that humans, not just children, act that way. The figure of the teacher and the captain overlapped, but I quickly faced reality.

“I apologize for the intrusion. I am Shion Ornstein. I received instructions from Duke Balkh to join the unit.”

I address the man who appears to be Captain Roland. His needlessly extravagant armor, reflecting the moonlight, stands out. When he shifts, the sound of metal scraping reaches my eardrums. A slight discomfort surfaces, but I maintain a neutral expression.

“… A child researching the Laziness Syndrome.”

It seems he knows about me. While I have a reasonable level of fame within the medical community, it’s surprising that Captain Roland is aware of me. Well, considering I suggested to the soldiers to carry lightning lamps, it’s not strange that he knows. From his perspective, I might be seen as the ‘noble’s son who added more trouble.’ My deduction seemed not entirely wrong, as the captain visibly frowned.

“Seems like you’ve caused more trouble again. Thanks to you, the soldiers have gathered unnecessarily, all for some nonexistent ‘invisible monsters.'”

Since they’re invisible, one would think it’s impossible to know if they exist or not. I refrain from saying this, as it might provoke resentment. There’s no need to needlessly argue. I remain silent, waiting for his next words.

“…Join the 75th Royal Guard Unit. They’re on the outskirts.”

I raise an eyebrow slightly. The 75th Royal Guard Unit. That’s the unit where Rafina is assigned. As I’ve heard multiple times, the unit is responsible for miscellaneous tasks. While technically part of the combat units, they apparently receive no training. They engage in combat even less than other units. Rafina has reached a considerable skill level through self-training, but she is an exception. Objecting likely won’t make a difference.

“Understood.”

Ignoring Roland’s disdainful gaze, I turn on my heel. At the edge of the unit, a few people are for some reason standing a bit away from the rest of the unit, forming a separate line.

“Shion! Why are you here!?”

Rafina waves her hand enthusiastically, seeming incredibly pleased. It’s almost like a dog wagging its tail in front of its owner, and I can’t help but feel like laughing. Rafina, with a startled expression, quickly lowers her hand and composes herself.

“Rafina, Captain Roland told me to join the 75th Royal Guard Unit.”

“What!? Shion too!? But Shion isn’t a military member.”

“We’re dealing with wraiths that only magic affects, so I offered to help. Besides… given the situation.”

I only need to direct my gaze towards the other soldiers to convey my intention. Rafina puts on a stern expression.

“Other than the subjugation team, everyone looks like this. An emergency assembly like this is rare, but they still seem quite relaxed. I can understand the reason, though.”

“Because no one believes in invisible monsters, right?”

Rafina nods in agreement.

“Yeah. After taking precautions with the lightning lamps once and nothing happening, that’s probably why. Once humans believe something, they don’t easily change their minds. They believe what they want to believe. For them, it’s natural that there are no wraiths, and they just want to go to sleep quickly.”

I had anticipated it, but hearing it from Rafina made the reality sink in. The situation might be worse than I thought. However, even if I loudly proclaim the danger, I’ll likely be met with skeptical looks, and it might make things worse. Since we are following Duke Balkh’s orders, we should at least take some basic actions. Anyway, we need to assess the current situation.

“What about the other squad members?”

“They’re here. Over there.”

Two soldiers were standing with their backs to us. When they turned around, their faces became visible.

“Oh? You’re the one from earlier.”

“You’re the amazing flying kid!”

They were the two patrolling soldiers I encountered on the way—a tall, slender man and a short, obese man.

“I’m Huey. Thanks for earlier!”

“I’m Dave. Everyone calls me Fatty, but I’d be happy if you call me Dave. Thanks for saving us! Appreciate it!”

“I’m Shion… Nice to meet you.”

“But why a kid? We know you’re strong since you defeated that monster from earlier, but…”

“It’s per Duke Balkh’s orders. I’ll be participating this time. Against the wraith—well, the invisible monster from earlier—normal attacks won’t work, so I thought it would be better if I were here.”

“A wraith, huh? You touched and defeated that monster. Is there some trick to it?”

“Well, that’s something I’ll explain later…”

“Whatever it is, for now, we have no choice but to believe. There really was an invisible monster.”

“Yeah, we’ve seen it ourselves.”

These two soldiers saw the wraith. If they had reported the sighting of the wraith, perhaps the other soldiers would have believed it.

“Um, did you report about the wraith?”

“We did. But they didn’t believe us.”

“We, the 75th Royal Guard Unit, are looked down upon. They say there are Knight Units up to the 74th… because we’re the miscellaneous tasks unit.”

“Since we’re the errand boys.”

The two soldiers look bitter. I had heard a bit beforehand that the 75th Royal Guard Unit seemed to have an unfavorable role. However, ignoring reports from subordinates, especially when saying the same thing as Duke Balkh, is not just a matter of disbelief. It’s not just about not believing; they don’t investigate or take precautions. While it might be understandable for a superior not to easily trust information, this is still pretty bad. Expectations for this defense force might not be high, at least not at this stage.

“Um, what about the other squad members?”

“There aren’t any. Originally, there were ten, but now it’s just us three. And, the other day! I, yes, I got promoted to captain! How about that, Shion! Amazing, right! Praise me, praise me! Praise me!”

Rafina is proudly laughing, but Huey and Dave’s faces are tense. Huey whispers something to me.

“The other seven quit the squad. Most said they couldn’t stay in a squad like this. The captain collapsed with stomach pains and left. I and Dave didn’t want to be the captain, but Rafina eagerly volunteered to be the captain.”

“I’d be happy if you didn’t say that since she seems so content.”

The three of us fell into an indescribable feeling, and we directed warm gazes towards Rafina.

And then,

“Hush! I will now give instructions to each squad!”

Roland raised his hoarse voice. While there was a momentary silence, faint whispers could still be heard. They really does seem like a student.

“The 1st to the 15th Royal Guard Units cover the entire East District. The 16th to the 30th cover the central area, the 31st to the 45th cover the west, the 46th to the 50th cover the East Wall, the 51st to the 55th cover the North Wall, the 56th to the 60th cover the West Wall, and the 61st to the 65th cover the South Wall.

The 66th to the 74th will receive lightning lamps at each warehouse and distribute them to each unit. Squads that receive the lightning lamps will move to their designated locations, patrol, and eliminate targets immediately if found.

That’s all. Move quickly. If there are no issues in about two hours, we’ll withdraw!”

Amid sighs, the final words seemed to somehow move their spirits. Perhaps knowing it wouldn’t be until morning made a significant difference. As the squads moved in a procession, Rafina ran towards Roland.

“Roland Squad Leader! Where should we, the 75th Royal Guard Unit, report for duty!?”

Roland glared at Rafina with displeasure. However, Rafina, seemingly unfazed by such a look, wore a confident smile. This girl is truly composed or, let’s say, has incredible nerves. I’m praising her. Really.

“Do as you please. I don’t care if you go home and sleep.”

“No! We can’t rest in such a situation! We’ll give our all and resolve everything!”

In front of Rafina, who saluted sharply, Roland clicked his tongue and walked away. Did he intend to make us violate orders with such words? If we took his words seriously and went home, we would likely be considered insubordinate, abandoning duty, and might be dismissed. Even if we answered as Roland had instructed, he would never affirm it, and no one would believe our words. Well, Rafina probably hasn’t realized that.

“All right! Let’s go! All three of us!”

“Uh, no, Captain. Even if we go, where are we going?”

“There’s only so much four people can do. I think we’d just get in the way even if we tried to assist.”

“Mm, that’s true! What should we do!?”

Rafina tilted her head as if truly troubled. It seems she hadn’t thought about it at all. Oh well, it looks like I have to figure something out here.

“All right, let’s run!”

Rafina tilted her head, and the other two looked at me as if to say, “What is this guy talking about?”

“Run? Where are we heading?”

“I’ll explain while we run. You’ve all had knight training, right? So, you’ve got stamina, don’t you? Let’s go! We’re short on time!”

“Got it! Okay! We understand! Let’s go, guys!”

“Huh? Y-yeah!? Are we seriously going to run!?”

“O-Okay! We get it! I’m not good at running, but I’ll do my best!”

And so, we started running.