The Sage that the Sword Saint is Obsessed With

12 – 3. To the Battlefield (5)

1.

Alfred doubted his eyes.

…It’s a monster.

The rampaging horses were monsters, but what Alfred was looking at was not a horse; it was a human.

Levain.

She, the commander of the Star Knight Order, stood alone in the midst of the enemy lines, fending off attackers from all sides.

Her movements were leisurely.

Her expression remained calm.

There was no sense of urgency in her actions.

Confidence from skill, perhaps?

No, she approached the danger with indifference.

It seemed like a stroll in the woods.

Though he hadn’t been on the battlefield for long, even when he was a frontline commander, he had never seen a knight like her.

Even hearing stories, he thought she was a skilled knight…

But she wasn’t just a skilled knight. Her swordsmanship transcended ordinary levels.

Alfred, who graduated at the top of the academy, was confident in his swordsmanship, but Leuen’s skills were beyond his ability to assess.

“Ssshh….”

Leuen took a deep breath.

Regulating his breathing.

His body was on fire.

He felt the warmth from the attack on his back.

How long has it been since he felt this warmth?

Leuen chuckled softly.

Strangely welcoming.

It’s not a good feeling.

But at this moment, only pain fills his mind.

It’s been a long time since his mind was occupied by a single thought.

Of course, it would be better not to be attacked by monsters and have peace, but he had the wicked thought that having such battles as a daily routine wouldn’t be too bad.

-Whoosh!

Leuen stabbed the sword into the heart of the monster and lifted his head.

There was a creature boasting about being the leader.

A creature standing on a horse-like monster smaller than itself. No, something closer to a mine.

Seven spears were embedded in its back, and it carried a greatsword at its waist.

He wanted to enjoy the battle more, but…

He couldn’t afford to lose any more members, so it was time to finish it.

These creatures might not feel the same way, but due to the nature of the monsters, it becomes easier to handle them if the mother or the leader dies. Once the next leader is determined, who knows.

“Haaah…!”

He took a deep breath.

Leuen kicked the ground and charged towards the enemy.

Cutting through the gaps between the enemies.

The places she passed were marked with graceful, silvery curves.

-Shaaark!

As the monsters turned their heads to see what had passed, bodies were tossed around, and blood sprayed like a fountain.

He swiftly swung the sword.

Monsters were swept away as if carried by a wave.

Thud!

Leuen leaped high.

“Raaah!”

With a roar, the leader pulled out a spear embedded in their back. Lifting the spear high and pulling back their arm, they hurled it with all their might.

An enemy falling from the sky?

A target begging to be hit.

However,

Leuen rolled in mid-air, evading the spear. No, not just evading; they used the spear as a foothold, springing even higher.

The leader pulled out more spears and threw them at Leuen.

Two spears shooting like arrows.

Leuen agilely dodged them, kicking one as it passed.

The spear slowed, spinning.

Leuen caught it, then, as if in turn, launched it back at the leader.

-Swish!

It pierced the leader’s chest precisely.

“Kwaaargh!”

In agony, the leader spat, roaring.

A roar that echoed through the battlefield.

Allies and foes alike grimaced, covering their ears.

“…So noisy.”

-Shriek!

“…My ears hurt.”

The leader’s body split vertically.

With the final roar, life ceased.

Their body split right and left, organs spilling between.

A brief silence.

As expected, the soldiers, now that their commander had fallen, began to move chaotically. Some foolishly continued to fight, while others wisely fled.

Leuen spoke in a low voice.

“…Kill them all.”

A soldier who heard that voice up close shouted in a loud voice, “The captain orders us to kill them all!!”

In response, the members roared in agreement.

One word from Llewellyn was a significant morale booster for them.

The members became even more fierce and intense in their attacks, sweeping away the enemies.

Llewellyn chased after the fleeing enemies.

Not a single one would be left alive.

Because someday, she might come back for revenge.

While she was pursuing the enemies like that, Llewellyn abruptly stopped.

“…What’s that?”

The space was shattered.

This is not a metaphor.

The space was genuinely broken, like a glass window.

It was hard to tell from a distance, but when compared to the nearby trees, the size of the shattered area was quite enormous.

And.

The Demons were coming out from there.

The number was not yet significant.

But if left unattended, they would pour out in quantities that would make defense difficult.

“…This can’t be.”

Alfred, who had followed her on a horse, suddenly spoke in surprise.

“Why is the gateway to the Demon Realm here of all places….”

Until now, it was enough to seal the north of the continent. However, the appearance of the gateway to the Demon Realm here means that they have to deploy troops and block the south as well.

In other words, the enemy’s invasion route has increased by one.

Fortunately, for the moment, it seemed safe.

The Demon Army currently fighting is considered to be the ones sent to gather information about the situation outside the gate.

“What will we do then?”

Llewellyn spoke while looking at the gateway to the Demon Realm.

Beyond the gate, a different world unfolded.

Red skies.

Black clouds.

Dry land stretches out before them.

“…The front line is forming here too.”

“Can’t it be closed?”

“There’s no precedent. Even after sealing the Demon King a hundred years ago, the gate to the demon realm remained open. There was a time when sages and tower wizards researched it, but they gave up, saying it wasn’t something that could be done through magic.”

“What happens when the front line forms?”

“What happens indeed.”

Alfred sighed as if urging to ask what needed to be asked.

“It’ll be like a war every day. Death and killing, that will become the norm here.”

“…Hmm.”

But one shouldn’t dwell on such thoughts.

Lewyn felt relieved.

Being able to continue fighting meant not having to think about other things.

Being able to protect his family while continuing to fight…!

He thought it better than succumbing to sadness.

“I should quickly return and report.”

“…Please do.”

Watching Alfred turn to leave, Lewyn spoke up.

“…I’ll be here guarding.”

Lewyn gazed back towards the demon realm.

Alfred briefly watched her back with vacant eyes.

A slender figure.

Blood flowed from her back, yet her demeanor was more steadfast and trustworthy than anyone else’s.

If there were heroes, it would be women like her.

Not only skilled in swordsmanship but also possessing a heart to protect people without hesitation. Such a person deserved further recognition.

She wasn’t fit to just command a small guard unit like a mercenary.

She was fit to lead an Imperial Knight Division.

Or perhaps…

Join a hero party and defeat the Demon King.

“…Please.”

Anyway, Alfred decided to quickly report this to his father, Duke Drayger. Reporting it to the authorities would take time, and deploying reinforcements here would also take time. Time was of the essence.

“Captain, what’s that…?”

After a moment, Karen arrived and stood beside Leuen.

“It’s a gate to the demon realm,” Leuen said calmly.

“What do you plan to do?”

“…What do you want to do?”

“I will follow the captain’s orders. No, we will unquestionably follow the captain’s orders.”

The members behind Karen nodded as if expressing the same sentiment.

“Is that so?”

Leuen glanced back, tension apparent but strong determination visible on the faces of the members.

“Anyone who wants to run away can do so now.”

No one moved.

“…I will protect the village.”

“Then I will protect it too.”

“I will too!”

“Me too!”

The responses followed one after another.

Whether this was their homeland or not, the Order of the Star was united in purpose.

“Let’s go, then.”

Leuen raised his sword.

“…To the battlefield.”

2.

It had been quite some time since Evan became the disciple of the sage and entered the Tower of the Sage.

“Sigh…”

Evan’s hands trembled slightly.

Not being able to drink alcohol felt maddening.

It had been too long since he had a clear mind.

Though his throat was parched and he craved alcohol, Evan resisted the urge.

Instead, he is fully immersed in studying magic, no matter what it takes.

The sage teaches Evan magic, assigning him a daily task of drawing a magic circle on parchment and interpreting its type. Even now, he is in the midst of deciphering a magic circle.

He has never seen such a magic circle in his entire life.

Although he has the privilege of freely reading the magical books in the sage’s study, understanding the sage’s magic proves challenging regardless of which book he delves into.

Nevertheless, Evan perseveres, painstakingly unlocking magic circles and submitting them.

There are times when his answers are incorrect, but more often than not, they are right.

“Sigh… This isn’t working.”

Evan let out a deep sigh and rose from his seat.

“Let’s just have one drink and come back.”

Just as he was about to leave the study,

-Boom!

A powerful collision struck Evan’s back.

“Cough…!”

Evan rolled on the ground, crashing into a bookshelf.

Books spilled everywhere.

“Please, have a seat.”

Evan lifted his head to see a stern-faced maid looking down at him.

It was the sage’s summoned spirit.

Supervising Evan to ensure he doesn’t slack off.

“When did you arrive?”

“I’ve always been watching over you, sir Evan.”

“I told you to report to the inspiration, not me. Ugh!”

He was kicked again and went flying.

“It’s not the inspiration; it’s the sage. Show some more respect when addressing him.”

“Damn woman.”

“You can curse at me, but I won’t tolerate insults against our master. And I won’t tolerate disobedience to our master’s orders. Forget about drinking and focus on interpreting the magic circle.”

Evan forced a strained smile.

“Just one drink. I can’t concentrate like this. Okay?”

“Would you like to play and concentrate, or simply concentrate?”

The maid raised a fist.

Evan clicked his tongue.

“Fine, fine!”

Annoyed, he sat back at the desk.

“It’s really dirty… Can’t I have just one drink?”

“Chirping too loudly.”

Evan glanced at the maid as if about to curse, then turned away.

“Ugh… Let’s get this over with.”