A Genius Boy Who Was Exiled From His Family Home for “Not Being Able To Use Magic” Becomes a Witch’s Apprentice and Masters All Magic in the Right Way. This Is How You Use Your Magic, You Know?

Chapter 159.2. The First Battle

Finally, when the deafening sound subsided.

Still reeling from the close-range noise and light, Lucius spoke.

“…You got us.”

Before him lay the road—the mountain pass, now blocked by rubble and rocks from the explosion.

To put it simply, it had been ‘filled in’. Hermes had used the explosive magic not for attack, but for a single-handed civil engineering feat.

The scale was immense. A unique idea only someone with his overwhelming magical power could come up with.

“… Lucius. Can we pursue?”

Lucius, impressed, was met with an irritable tone.

In response to Archbishop Johann’s question, Lucius shrugged.

“It will be difficult. If it’s just me and Niina, we can overcome the obstruction. But the rest of the soldiers can’t. Moreover, Hermes-sama himself is likely still alive. I saw him withdraw just before the explosion. Given the scale, he wouldn’t have come out unscathed, but… he’s a wounded beast. Pursuing under such conditions, while we’re scattered, would be too risky.”

A calm explanation without personal feelings involved.

Johann listened, his face showing traces of frustration, but then—

“…Hmph. Well, if he managed to escape, that’s still useful. It may even be better this way, I might see something interesting. In any case, they have no escape. Let us proceed slowly, showing them the glory of God.”

“Ha. Then let’s return to the stronghold we seized. All troops, reverse direction!”

At Lucius’ command, the soldiers swiftly turned and began marching back to their base in perfect unison.

At the rear of the group, Niina muttered as she gazed at the filled-in area.

“…Herm-kun.”

After a moment of hesitation, she turned and headed back to her place, where she now belonged.

◆

“──Herm!!”

“Master!”

Having succeeded in stalling them, Hermes staggered and finally joined up with the others.

He was greeted by Katia and Liliana’s voices, filled with anxiety. They supported him from both sides, pulling him close.

“I told you I’d come back…!”

“…Well, I am still in one piece, so hopefully that’s enough.”

“M-Master, you’re covered in blood, who—someone helps him!”

“Hermes-san, I’ll heal you right away…!”

It was no surprise they were frantic.

After all, Hermes was literally drenched in blood, and that was no exaggeration.

Just as Lucius had predicted, Hermes had been caught in the aftermath of his own explosion.

The further a spell is cast from its caster, the harder it is to control. This was an unavoidable result. A massive flaw in exchange for the immense power—hence the ‘self-destruct.’

As Liliana used her healing magic, [Ars Paulina], Hermes spoke up.

“Thank you, Sara-sama… And you too, Liliana-sama.”

“E-eh, m-me?”

“Your magic was the key to helping me survive that.”

Yes, the self-destruct spell had been inspired by a conversation he had with Liliana during their travels.

“When you asked what was the most powerful spell I could use…”—that innocent question had made Hermes rethink things, eventually crafting a spell focused solely on power, ignoring all other factors.

Naturally, the result was a spell with immense power, but one that took too long to cast and caused significant harm to the user. Hermes never expected it would prove useful in such a situation.

Still, he had managed to escape the pursuit.

“…Duke, should we head to the soldiers’ stronghold next?”

“Yes. The lord should be there. We’ll explain everything again once we arrive.”

After hearing the next steps from Jurgen, Hermes felt like they had at least reached a temporary conclusion.

However, his mind soon returned to the recent battle.

He couldn’t help but analyze it frankly.

“…We were utterly defeated.”

“Herm…”

There was no other way to put it.

Their every move had been perfectly anticipated, they had been surrounded with overwhelming force.

They faced enemies more powerful than himself, the Church’s leaders wielding unknown magic, and a battle strategy that was far beyond what they expected.

The road to reclaim the throne had just become much steeper, showing him the true depth of this country’s power.

—But.

“Yet, we survived.”

“!”

Despite it all, they had managed to survive.

They had escaped, without losing a single person, from an enemy that had fully intended to crush them.

That, at least, was a victory. A reason to be proud.

And truthfully, as long as they survived, they had a chance.

Though they lost the battle, they had gained an abundance of valuable information.

—Information that Hermes could learn from, analyze, and devise countermeasures with.

He now knew the enemy’s strength, had seen their magic firsthand, and gathered several useful insights. And most importantly,

“…Nina-sama.”

He had seen that girl again.

She had relentlessly attacked, and they hadn’t been able to do anything.

But before he had to retreat due to the explosion, for just a brief moment, he caught a glimpse of her face.

It was the same face as the one she had shown when they had made that promise back at the academy—to ask for help.

…Then, that was enough.

There was room to help her. A chance to exploit.

With that conclusion, despite his injuries, Hermes spoke with determination.

“──From here, we counterattack.”