Swordmaster of the Red Light District

Practical (3)

87

There are three main routes from the Rubyha Kingdom to the Empire.

The shortest route is through the Signy Mountains.

It is very difficult to cross a rough area where many monsters live.

For this reason, most of the trade between the Ruby River and the Empire used land routes that circled largely to the east, or sea routes that turned to the west.

In the case of the Earl of Osiris, thanks to the port at the edge of the territory, it was in the process of brokering trade and making quite a savory profit.

The normal top is almost impossible to cross the Signy Mountains.

Even if it was possible, considering the number of troops entering the escort, it was really inconceivable.

A large-scale military operation was equally impossible.

Because of this, the Rubyha Kingdom organized a ranger unit with experts, or those with a force close to that.

The word ranger originally used to refer to soldiers patrolling border areas and reporting danger early.

The rangers of the Rubyha Kingdom had a strong infiltrating force in preparation for conflicts with the Empire.

If there was even a war with the Empire, the Rangers would directly cross the mountain range and launch a sabotage operation to inflict damage on the Empire.

The Empire was aware of this, but was not interested.

Even if a small number of rangers went south, there was no choice but to limit the scope of their activities without additional supplies.

If they forcibly dig into the Empire, they would be isolated and annihilated.

It is an empire. We just had to give up a little bit of the land on the outskirts and advance a large army by land route to the east.

If the Jeong Ranger was gritty, it was possible to deploy a large force in the Signi Mountains to block it.

That was really inefficient.

For that reason, for the Empire, the Rubyha Kingdom’s training of Rangers was nothing more than a cute entrapment.

This was the reason why the Counts of Phillips and the Viscounts of Gadi were treated as unworthy frontiers even though they were adjacent to the border and did not receive proper support.

“Don’t get me wrong. Rangers aren’t hostile to the people of the Empire. There’s nothing good about going against the heart of the Empire for no reason.”

Jenkinson looked around the children, repeating the explanation he had given before.

It has been three days since I climbed the Signy Mountains for winter training.

Luna, Yohana, Karen, Darren, and Ian, ten children from the nursery school, who are showing their own achievements, participated in this winter training.

Jenkinson and Didier led the children.

The children were huddled in a pit they had just dug, with mud smeared on their faces to mask the smell.

Karen pulled her knees to her chest to feel less cold.

“Are Rangers strong?”

Jenkinson pondered for a moment before answering Karen’s question.

“The ability to perform operations in rough terrain is superior to that of knights.”

They have to learn a lot in order to survive for a long time without supplies under poor conditions and perform their missions.

Hunting, tracking, camouflage, deodorizing, navigating, lodging, lodging, etc.

Rangers were far ahead of ordinary knights in this field.

“Even if you’re a knight, not a ranger… There are very few cases where you can fight under optimal conditions. There can always be situations where supplies are cut off or you are left behind with your troops. .”

Jenkinson swallowed the shame in his heart as he held the weight in front of the children.

The Phillips knights tended to downplay their training for survival in rough terrain because their role was focused on defending the territory.

Read at n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲

Now that I’m trying to give my children proper survival training, the knights are at a loss.

In the end, he received a lot of help from former mercenaries with extensive experience in combat, such as Jim and Matthew.

‘Rei Gnome always talks about what to do in case…’

There were times when it was funny for a young man to say such a thing, but for the first time it was a theory.

“Don’t complain when it’s hard, remember today’s experience well.”

Karen nodded with a dark face.

It was hard work, and it had been three days since I hadn’t cleaned my body properly.

I couldn’t even go to the toilet at will, and I had to work hard to erase the traces every time.

It felt like I was going to die for a day or two, but after three days I got used to it to some extent.

“Can I meet the Ranger?”

“If you’re a bit unlucky.”

“…Really? This is the Imperial Territory, isn’t it?”

“Sometimes, a ranger goes out for reconnaissance or hunting across the border. I’ve met twice in the past. There’s nothing to worry about. We just need to fight for a while, wave our hands and part.”

After all, it is the Signi Mountains, the land of monsters.

There was absolutely no reason to argue that you had crossed the border a little.

“Think of it as a bad neighbour.”

Saying that, Jenkinson got up, brushing his ass.

I took a break, so I had to move again.

Luna, who had the lowest physique and stamina among the children, took a deep breath, half-passed.

Karen lifted Luna by carrying her luggage instead.

“Luna, let’s do our best!”

“…yes.”

It was Luna who didn’t usually move her body.

A force like the present one was still difficult to bear.

Jenkinson smirked lightly.

“No matter how great a magician, basic stamina must be nurtured.”

“…yes.”

For a moment, Karen pushes Luna and moves forward.

Didier, who was walking earlier, called the children together.

“Now, take a look at this.”

Fallen trees, huge footprints, and long trails of something dragged on the snow.

“It must be a trace of the long tail.”

The Long Tail is a monster with a lizard head, a huge upper body, short hind legs, and a long, thick tail.

Long tail is characterized by slowness, rigidity, and strength.

Rather than hunting directly, he had a habit of stealing prey from other monsters.

“Track it.”

“…”

The children raised their tension and looked around, chasing the traces of the long tail.

The long tail was so massive and the traces were connected to a nearby place, so the children could quickly find the long tail.

The children who found the long tail bowed their backs and lowered their breathing.

In the area a little lower than where the children were, Long Tail was eating animals that seemed to have been hunted by other monsters.

Jenkinson and Didier looked at each other and nodded.

Long Tail was hard and slow, so it was a good opponent to test Luna’s firepower, and it was easy for knights to cope with unexpected situations.

“Luna, prepare the most powerful magic you can use.”

“…it takes about 30 minutes to prepare.”

“i get it.”

Jenkinson and Didier looked at Luna with very interesting eyes.

Long Tail also has a very sensitive sense of mana like other monsters.

How long will Luna be able to hide the flow of mana from Long Tail in the process of casting her magic?

That was also something to be checked in this test.

ooh-!

A vast amount of mana was emitted from Luna and immediately returned to the circle.

A circle that emits light is trapped in a barrier that distorts visible light and hides its existence.

Tsar!

Mana swirls only in a limited space.

Luna was the first to intensively learn how to conceal the circle and draw the air currents inward from Lophilen.

The results are now visible.

The inside of the barrier created by Luna was like a typhoon, but the outside maintained a calmness.

Dozens of runes are written over and erased repeatedly on the circle divided into two.

Everyone watched the scene in wonder.

Jenkinson and Didier couldn’t figure out what kind of magic Luna was trying to unleash, but they had a gut feeling that the power would never be formidable.

What matters now is how long Luna can maintain her current concealment.

As the magic is completed, the aggregate of mana emits a stronger presence.

Finally, Longtail responds.

“Kak?”

“15 minutes. Not bad.”

Jenkinson was satisfied with the time he ticked his fingers.

After completing more than half of the magic, the demonic monster responded.

If you weren’t a very talented wizard, you would have been caught by the monster as soon as you tried to manifest magic.

“Come on, protect the wizard.”

At Jenkinson’s command, the children raised their swords and shields with wretched faces.

Sensing the menacing flow of mana, the long tail slammed on the ground and started approaching.

The pace was slow, but the pressure was no joke due to its huge size.

In the silence, Karen took the first step.

“let’s go!!”

“…”

The children followed Karen and clenched their teeth into a formation.

The children’s goal is to catch Longtail’s attention until Luna completes her magic.

However, when I stood in front of a monster with a ridiculously different weight class, my hair seemed to turn white.

At that moment, Longtail turned around.

aah!!!

Its thick tail swung with a ripping wind.

As Darren inadvertently raised his shield, Karen tapped Darren’s shield with his hilt and pressed it down.

“Do not block, avoid!”

Kwaang!!!

Longtail’s tail smashed through some dry trees.

The children who threw themselves and barely escaped the attack range gasped for breath.

It was not an attack that could be blocked by a shield.

However, if it was fast enough to be unavoidable, it wasn’t.

The knights knew this and made the children fight Longtail.

If you dodge Long Tail’s attacks a few times, you’ll quickly get used to the battle with huge monsters.

The shield held in his arm was a warning that he would not die instantly.

“For now, focus on dodging and get your attention!!”

Karen led the children quite plausibly.

Read at n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲

Not only Yohana, but also Karen, who has a lower motor nerve than Darren or Ian, but the results of taking the class harder than usual are now showing.

Kwaang!! Kwaang!!

Longtail continued to wag his tail, aiming for the children around him.

However, no significant damage was done.

The children got used to the long tail’s attack faster than they thought.

Long Tail certainly possessed superhuman strength that far surpassed humans, but it was slow.

As I got used to it, I started to have black-eyed kids.

Ian, who leisurely evaded the attacks of the long tail several times, swung his sword against the thick and hard keratin of the long tail.

Kang!!

The seeds weren’t even eaten.

Still, it was fun to play with the opponent, and Ian smirked and swung his sword one after another.

However, Ian was not careful.

The Signy Mountains were still covered with snow. You never know what obstacles are under your eyes until you step on them.

Duduk!!

“uh…?!”

stepped on the ground

I thought so, and my foot, digging into my eyes, got caught in the root of a tree.

While Ian, who lost his balance, staggered, the long tail swung his front paws, which were studded with sharp keratin, like a mace.

Ian stiffened for a moment.

At that moment, Karen grabbed Ian’s neck and pulled him back.

Kwaang!!

“Wow!!”

“Wow!!”

The long tail’s front paws hit the empty ground.

Ian, who was barely alive, gasped and picked up the sword and shield again.

Karen was careful not to shift her center of gravity when she stepped on the ground she had not yet stepped on, and widened her field of vision to look at the children.

Didier and Jenkinson smiled happily when they saw Karen who faithfully carried out her teachings more than anyone else.

At that moment, Long Tail slammed its tail into the ground and looked straight in the direction where Luna was standing.

The ominous flow of mana was getting stronger. This was not the time to deal with the flying flies that flutter around.

thud! thud! thud!

Longtail believes in its size and starts moving forward.

Read at n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲

None of the children were capable of stopping Longtail’s charge. Except for Johanna.

“Suck!”

After taking in a breath, Johanna lightly slammed the ground.

The long tail lowered its front foot towards Yohana, who was approaching from the front.

Yohana leans back slightly. A rough piece of dead skin barely passed in front of Johana’s nose.

Koo!!

the ground is ringing

Even the sound of the ground recoiled and lifted her body, but Yohana Botan got on Long Tail’s back.

Longtail felt a human presence above his head and nervously rotated his body.

Yohana jumped in the direction of Longtail’s head and swung her sword.

A blue black energy forms on the sword body.

👌👌👌👌👌

“aah!!

Longtail, which looked like it was poking its head towards the sword, screamed.

The wound was not deep, but he lost one of his six eyes.

Longtail’s attention shifted to Johana.

While Yohana was dragging time, Luna’s magic was completed.

“…Now, I can write.”

“Everyone get away!!”

At Jenkinson’s shout, the children hurriedly ran behind Luna.

The long tail thumped after him, but it was still slow.

As soon as all the children left, Jenkinson nodded.

“Come on, let’s see your skills.”

Black!

All barriers that concealed the flow of mana were removed.

At that moment, a strong wind blew around.

Jenkinson, who was standing closest to Luna, could not focus and rolled over the snow.

Kudang!!

“?!”

Jenkinson’s eyes widened, not even thinking of straightening his posture.

The circle with a radius of 3 m surrounding Luna was filled with runes and glowed.

All the thermal energy that has been encroaching on all sides is concentrated into one point.

The pure white snow that had piled up under Luna’s feet evaporated in an instant.

The red flash that started from the point eats up mana and is called the size.

Jenkinson mumbled involuntarily.

“Red Ray…?”

Read at n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲

No way.

Red Ray is a 4 circle mixed magic.

This means that it is not a magic that a 2nd circle mage can develop with only 30 minutes of investment.

Furthermore.

Read at n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲

No matter how much the 4th circle magic was, he couldn’t hold such a huge amount of heat energy by compressing it into a sphere.

Luna pointed the magic at the long tail that was taking a step backwards.

In an instant, the wind that was blowing around stopped.

immediately after.

An ultra-high heat ray with a diameter of 3 m was radiated toward the long tail.

aa

Longtail couldn’t even scream.

The moment it touched the ultra-high heat rays, the shape was crushed and evaporated into the air.

A ray of red light that extinguished Long Tail reached the foot of the opposite mountain.

For the first time in her life, Luna could not control the enormous energy she had in her hand and raised her arms to the sky.

A ray of red light climbs up the mountain and soars into the sky.

aah!!

A great wave of enthusiasm swept the surroundings again.

Jenkinson and Didier covered the children with their bodies, waiting for the flow of mana to calm down.

After a few seconds, the wind calmed down.

Jenkinson forced his legs to stand up and stood next to Luna.

red ray.

The ultra-high heat rays created by the 4 circle magic reached a diameter of 3 m, and in fact burned all objects within a diameter of 10 m.

You can see the mountain on the other side.

The mountain on the other side was covered with snow until recently.

And now.

In a straight line from the top of the opposite mountain to the base of the mountain, rocks that had changed like lava were flowing down.

There was still snow on the left and right sides of the mountain, making the scenery even more bizarre.

At first glance, it looked as if the mountain had split left and right.

Jenkinson stood there with his mouth open for a while.

“Ray, that motherf*cker…”

When Rey asked for Luna’s magic, if she had allowed it, she would have crossed the Nether Road.

Jenkinson muttered with sincerity.

“The one who will be punished…”

*

Ray was following the children in training from quite a distance.

It wasn’t a problem to accompany him to training, but Karen and Johanna would have been yelling at him all day to keep him away.

Ray, who was maintaining a running distance when the signal was fired in an emergency, suddenly raised his head.

I felt a pretty strong current of mana.

‘Luna seems to be using magic.’

Rey focused her eyes on the place where the mana air currents swirled.

It was still hard to see, but the noise of the battle could be clearly felt.

‘Are you fighting monsters?’

It looked like a long tail.

Rey forgot the jerky and waited for the fight to end.

When I thought it was a little over 10 minutes, the air current of mana suddenly intensified.

“Oh, is the casting finally over?”

I don’t know what kind of magic it was, but the momentum was very strong.

Rey looked up at the mountain in front of her with an interesting look.

👌👌👌👌👌

The red heat rays evaporated the monsters and trees and spread out.

“Oh oh…?”

Rey, who was about to admire, questioned.

‘Why do the heat wires feel so close…?’

Ultra-high heat rays hit Ray, who was obscured by a bare tree.

Rey drew out the swords from both hands and let out a shriek.

“aa!!!!”

aah

*

The ranger of the Rubyha Kingdom, Brandil, was watching the Signi Mountains from the top of the mountain peak.

The scenery was all white, no different from yesterday, but the mountain divided by the red line stood out even more.

“High wizard…?”

I don’t know what kind of magic he honed, but he had to become a high-ranking mage to get that level of firepower without the help of artifacts.

“It’s difficult…”

That mountain is located inside the Imperial Territory.

Read at n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲

Normally, even if a mountain had been burned, he would have approached it cautiously.

But the timing was bad.

It had only been a few days since I heard from my superiors that a high-ranking nobleman of the Empire could flee by this route.

“About reconnaissance… I’ll have to try.”

Brandil let out a long, cold breath.

Even the Kingdom’s proud Rangers did not want to do a big job in the cold winter mountains .