The Sword Genius of the Magic Empire - Chapter 56



Only Noblemtl

Episode 56. Fortress Assault Operation (1)

The fortress at midnight was huge and quiet.

A rocky canyon that curves like the back of a crouching giant.

A natural fortress perched high on that dead end.

It is a defensive facility that was once called impregnable.

Enoch looked around for a moment and figured it out.

‘I think I know why the Suin warriors who came earlier to subdue them had a hard time.’

A large defensive facility that is impossible to penetrate if you decide to occupy it. Enoch recalled a memory from a little while ago.

[We will tell you everything we know about the enemy.]

A little while ago.

When the decision was made to raid the fortress.

Coyotl, the leader of the Suin warriors, briefed them about their enemies.

[The number of enemies inside the fortress was about forty. They were made up of exiles who were excellent warriors.]

Coyotl said, holding out a photograph.

[The one you need to be wary of is their leader, ‘Leontos.’]

Coyotl continued.

[2 years ago. Before he was banished, he was the best warrior in the village. But one day, he suddenly started indiscriminately attacking the surrounding villages.]

In short, a ‘terrorist group’ formed by exiles.

Their leader is “Leontos”, as we heard before.

[And most of the other exiles gathered in the fortress are his accomplices. Most of them were his subordinates.]

Coyotes let out a short sigh and said:

[He will also know the whereabouts of the missing Elseid wizards. The exiles and some of the Vendetta forces move under his orders.]

Just after he finished his brief briefing.

Theano on the other side continued speaking in a low voice.

[Our goal is to capture the Suin tribe’s outcasts, especially the ‘Leontos’ just mentioned.]

Theano spoke to the Elseid wizards gathered inside as if reminding them of their goal once again.

[The purpose of this joint mission is to investigate signs of rebellion and search for the missing wizard. The fortress must be raided and the exiles captured.]

Some expressions darkened as if they had expected this.

Of course, capturing someone alive is several times more difficult than killing them.

All of the participants in the joint mission were veterans recognized by Elseid. There was no way they wouldn’t know that fact.

But Theano’s words did not end there.

[Also, to prevent the possibility of them escaping, we must select only a small number of people and move secretly.]

An operation that requires only a few people to take action.

The terrain is already difficult to break through.

It was by no means an easy mission.

To the point where we have to be prepared for there to be casualties.

However, there was no opposition to the operation.

It was obvious to anyone that this kind of raid operation had a high chance of succeeding in its mission.

[First, we need a way to break through the fortress walls.]

One of the wizards belonging to Elseid spoke calmly.

[The outer wall of the fortress is high. It is impossible to break through with most magic, and even if you try to get over it, you will be attacked along the way. If you want to break through the entrance, you have to go through it from the front…]

Just then, Enoch opened his mouth quietly in front of them.

[A frontal attack, do you think it will work?]

[… … ?]

At that time, the bewildered gazes of the surrounding magicians who were listening to the briefing gathered around Enoch.

And Enoch immediately asked the wolf-eared girl who was quietly listening to the briefing from the side.

“Isn’t that so?”

Again, the fortress in the middle of the night before an assault.

Sirocco was leaning back and yawning calmly right next to the shadow of the rock cliff where Enoch was hiding.

Glancing down at her, Enoch asked the same question he had when he had been briefed.

“You can easily get through that much.”

Snap.

At Enoch’s question, she flapped her wolf ears on top of her head again.

And Siroc, looking up at Enoch, smiled brightly like before and answered as if it was natural.

“of course!”

***

In front of the fortress’s massive walls.

Enoch slowly walked out of the shadow of the rock cliff where he had been hiding and revealed himself.

The moonlight illuminated his silhouette clearly.

Enoch didn’t even bother to hide his presence and headed straight towards the open fortress gate.

Even though it was night, there was no way I wouldn’t notice him approaching me so obviously from above the fortress.

“Stop!”

Sure enough, a harsh voice came straight from above the fortress and pierced Enoch’s ears.

“It’s not Suin.”

Instead of answering, Enoch stopped walking.

Then he slowly looked up.

On top of the fortress’ high, massive walls, wizards appeared, clutching crude steeds.

Enoch’s eyes narrowed at the pointy beast-like ears and horns on their heads, illuminated by the moonlight.

No need to say more.

They were a group of people who had been expelled from their tribe.

“… Then it must be Elseid? You came here alone to find your lost comrade?”

They talked among themselves as if they were mocking Enoch.

But Enoch returned the words.

“It’s not Leontos.”

Enoch replied in a calm voice.

“Get him out.”

“… … What?”

As if doubting their own ears, the animal ears on the heads of the exiles twitched all at once.

Enoch added calmly.

“Stop shaking. Stick your head out.”

Even though it was the middle of the night, the distorted expressions on their faces were clearly visible in the moonlight.

Enoch smiled inwardly.

At this point, aggro is certain.

For her, just a few seconds is enough.

Enoch spoke sharply to the men who were hesitating in confusion and anger, as if he was reaching the peak of his provocation.

“He’s not coming out? Then I guess I’ll have to go look for him.”

“Oh my god, this is crazy….”

But the man couldn’t finish speaking.

It was because I suddenly noticed a red reflection in the distance, cutting through the darkness of the night like the wind.

In the darkness, on a slanted rock cliff next to the fortress walls.

There was a red shadow running at full speed along the steep wall.

Taaaaaang!

The next moment, the small figure finished her run down the cliff face in an instant and leaped forward in a big leap.

A red silhouette rose above the fortress walls, kicking its feet as if it was quickly sprinting across.

Phew!

At the same time, the jaw of the man who had been enraged by Enoch’s provocation on the parapet of the wall turned sharply.

“Keuh-uh-uh!”

The exile, who was hit squarely in the face with a kick so fast it was invisible, rolled over the high wall.

When the rest of the exiles on top of the fortress saw that, their faces instantly hardened.

Took.

The girl’s slender bare feet stepped on the fortress walls.

The red mana wrapped around her ankles glowed faintly in the darkness like a thin piece of jewelry.

“no way…!”

The pupils of the people’s eyes widened. Anyone who lived in the village could not have not known.

The rightful heir to the vast rocky desert.

The words of the great chieftain Lycaon from the past.

A genius who has manifested the pinnacle of magic, ‘unique magic’.

“… Sirocco Lycaon…!”

But before he could finish speaking.

Phew!

The girl’s red eyes approached in an instant. The exile lifted his horse’s pole, but it was already too late.

The Scirocco, which was running straight ahead, kicked the road with its left foot. With a crunch, the ground caved in greatly.

She jumped high and glided down with her knees bent, hitting the bastard square in the chest.

A powerful knee kick hits the target.

In an instant, with a loud explosion, the air above the fortress walls burst out loudly, sending a gust of wind gusting.

“Keuh-euh-euh!”

The body of the enemy, unable to withstand the shock that seemed to pierce through his entire body, was thrown forward, bouncing for a long time before crashing into the thick stone wall of the fortress, breaking noisily.

The remaining exiles, seeing their comrades lying unconscious, grabbed their horses and shouted in confusion.

“The young successor of the chieftain. Yes, why are you here…!”

Sirocco, who had naturally spun around in the air and landed lightly, looked at them and responded.

“I wanted to keep asking you guys.”

As she spoke so coolly, Shiroko’s red hair flowed in the night breeze.

Her ruby-like eyes caught the moonlight of the night sky and shone brightly like a wolf.

“Why on earth are you, the proud warriors of our tribe, doing such things?”

“Ugh!”

Instead of answering, the remaining exiles ground their teeth, lifted their saddles, and deployed their magic.

Their body strengthening magic circles are arranged in the air.

At the same time, Sirocco, who had confirmed the enemy’s movements, lowered his body and ran at a speed like a whirlwind.

Whirl!

Sirocco kicks the ground and jumps.

He quickly spun his body sideways three times in the air and swung his legs. In an instant, a powerful high kick struck the bastard’s side.

“Cough!”

The guy was thrown back by the tremendous impact and fell down, breaking through the floor of the wall.

Sirocco lands, turning gently.

In the gap, another enemy swung his sword. The stone axe-shaped sword aimed for her body.

However, Shiroko dodged the enemy’s attacks with light movements and acrobatic leaps into the sky.

Have you ever opened your eyes wide for a moment at such a nimble movement?

Shiroko smiled at the guy once, then quickly kicked his other leg while lifting his body.

The bastard delivers a powerful roundhouse kick to the side.

With that one blow, the air above the entire upper part of the fortress walls vibrated violently with a booming sound.

The man lost his balance on both legs due to the sudden impact and fell down the wall of the fortress.

“Kuaaa …

A scream echoes down the walls.

Seeing his comrades instantly incapacitated, the exile left alone on the wall aimed his magic sword and shouted while deploying a magic circle.

“You little idiot who doesn’t know anything! Why are you asking us why we’re doing this?”

He grumbled and shouted loudly.

“We made a deal with Vendetta! To secure the future of a tribe that would otherwise be destroyed!”

The man who quickly created a physical strengthening magic circle around his body shouted at Shiroko in a state of rage.

“We are moving for the future of the Suin tribe!”

A shout close to a roar.

So the last exile rushed at the red-haired girl, clutching a sledgehammer that resembled a stone axe.

But Shiroko just stood there, staring at the guy, and muttered quietly.

“… Don’t make me laugh.”

Sirocco is only a sixteen year old girl.

In contrast, the man who charged at her with a rough horse was a large warrior.

Even at a glance, the difference in physique between the two is clear, with Sirocco at a disadvantage.

The large outcast rushed forward in an instant, closing the distance and throwing his shoulders back.

With a booming sound, a stone axe-shaped horseman rushed towards her small head.

And that’s when Sirocco moved.

WHEEK!

Shiroko evades attacks by tilting his upper body sharply.

And just like that, he spun his body around and turned around, delivering a powerful kick.

Phew!

A spinning kick with a large arc hits the bastard square in the stomach.

The thing flew in the opposite direction it had come from, broke through the wall railing, and began to fall.

Whew!

Sirocco immediately jumped down and chased after the guy.

She kicked the falling exile in the back, sending him crashing vertically into the ground.

Kuuuuung!

There was a tremendous noise and a cloud of dust rose up.

When the dust settled, Sirocco had landed on the ground, having stepped on the back of the half-unconscious exile.

“What the heck, those guys were talking so grandiosely.”

Shiroko laughed heartily, putting her hand to her mouth at the outcasts trampling beneath her feet.

“This is seriously sloppy.”

Then, Shiroko suddenly discovered a lever on the wall next to the thing he was stepping on.

He then kicked the gate lock lever with his other foot.

Thud!

With a complex metallic noise, the gate in the massive wall opened with a heavy sound.

Meanwhile, Enoch, who saw the door opening outside the fortress, took a step forward.

Seeing Enoch walking towards the open gate, Sirocco turned his head and spoke, still stepping on the fallen water-man outcast with one foot.

“As you said, the fortress door is open.”

“great job.”

“huh!”

Shiroko smiled brightly and wagged her tail once.

The exile she had subdued was writhing under Sirocco, who was stepping on his back with one foot.

Surprisingly, the exiled Suin tribe was alive and well despite being hit by Sirocco and falling from such a high wall.

‘Well, they say that the Suin tribe has strong bodies.’

At that moment, the fallen man lifted his head with difficulty, gasping for breath.

He slowly distorted his expression as he looked at the two figures that came into his sight.

“… It really was just as he said.”

The black-haired boy and the red-haired, wolf-eared girl standing before his eyes. The outcast of the water race slowly muttered as he looked at the two.

“Elseid, has joined hands with our tribe?”

Enoch responded calmly.

“The exiles have a strong sense of belonging? ‘Our’ tribe?”

The bastard shouted in anger.

“… Ha! Even if you managed to break through the main gate, do you think the two of you can take on all of us?”

Wheeing!

Already, inside the massive fortress, a loud alarm was blaring, as if Vendetta had modified the equipment.

The exile smiled crookedly.

The terrain inside the fortress is like a complex maze.

And of course, using the terrain to ambush or set up traps to counterattack is a strong advantage for the defender.

Even if that Elseid guy is accompanying Sirocco, we can’t ignore that.

But Enoch responded with a calm expression.

“There are only two of us, no way.”

Because we also have a prepared pattern.

And before Enoch, several figures passed by inside the dark fortress.

The eyes of the exile who confirmed their identity were filled with shock. The exile muttered softly with his mouth suddenly parched from tension.

“El, Elseid’s… …!”

Wizards in modernized metal armor and black robes.

The white family crests engraved on the arms and back of the black robe shimmered in the night as he passed by.

─Battle magicians of the Elseid family.

One of them spoke quietly.

“Entering the operation area.”

They melted into the darkness of the fortress like organized ghosts and began to carry out their mission.

“It starts.”