Return of The 8th Class Mage

Chapter 46

 Pieric Province (1)

The ruler of the east of the empire, the Pieric Province, was connected to the Eastern Great Grass Field. The actual situation was way worse than the report said. They were at war with monsters from the Great Grass Field.

“Who would expect we need a supply squad against monsters?”

“I’d like to call it a war, rather than a conquest.”

“It is definitely a war. Did you see, they were doing a guerilla assault?”

“As I heard, the imperial armies got ambushed.”

“Is the world close to the end? Who would have imagined monsters would do such intelligent moves?”

They were talking at the front lines which were located between the Great Grass Field and the Pieric Province. Many ‘front lines’ were occurring. And these men were carrying their supplies to the front lines. As they said, it wasn’t at the scale of conquering monsters. It was at the scale of war. What kind of conquest would require supplies?

“Why are these monster bastards coming?”

“Who the f*ck knows! They used to fight themselves, or fight with those barbarians! Why are these damn monsters doing this?”

Re-Editor’s Note: I know! I’ve read enough webnovels to know. It’s… A reincarnator who became a monster.

The soldiers’ voices were getting anxious.

They were against a monster union. Various kinds of monsters formed squads and invaded the province. Hence, every village close to the front line was completely destroyed. Although massive armies were conducted and successfully pushed back those monsters, they couldn’t end the war. So they chose a few valleys and built front fortresses, and battles kept on occurring.

“By the way, when will the Archmage arrive?”

“Yeah. We have requested for him ages ago.”

“Isn’t he supposed to arrive here now?”

The soldiers’ questions were heading to a single person. A conducted mage who looked weak and depressed. The 1st class mage, Mcgedie who just graduated the academy 1 year ago.

(ED Notes: Da hells with that name… Mac ge dee? Mac Ge Die?….)

Re-Editor’s note: My Grandma is named McGedie…

“I- I do not know.”

How would Mcgedie know?

Although they were both members of the Ivory Tower, he hadn’t seen any Archmages before. Actually, he had seen one of them for a short moment. The Archmage said that he came to meet mages who would be his friend if he had studied magic in the academy as other normal students did.

“Are Archmages really different to normal mages? Those 3rd class mages who were fighting at the front line, they seem very powerful, but just an addition of one of them won’t change the tide, I assume. As you know, there are so f*cking many of them.”

There were huge rank gaps between the normal soldiers and a mage. Even 1st class mages were much higher than them. However these soldiers didn’t care about their language. It was due to that that the conducted mage was scared and pressured by hostile soldiers.

“That makes some damn sense. Archmages are usually 4th class, aren’t they? I don’t think 4th class would be that much different to the 3rd class. I rather want them to send more imperial soldiers.”

Soldiers started to agree with those silly assumptions. Finally, Mcgedie opened his mouth with a small voice.

“T- there is big difference between them.”

“You sure? Is there really any difference?”

“If an Archmage comes, h-he will be a very powerful ally, indeed.”

“Humph! I don’t believe it.”

There was a reason why these soldiers were acting rude to Mcgedie. When he joined the battle the first time, this 18 year old Mcgedie freaked out and didn’t do anything but hide under the wall. Furthermore, he pissed his pants. A few soldiers saw it, and Mcgedie started being laughed at. They couldn’t ignore him directly, since he had higher rank than them. However, the rumors spread fast. And that was why he was ordered to serve the supply squad instead of the front line.

“But still, we feel very confident though. The supply squad that was guarded by the mage! Who would expect such a luxurious’ squad?”

Even high rank nobles unofficially allowed them to tease this mage. Also, Mcgedie couldn’t say much about this sarcasm.

“How ‘lucky’ we are that ………”

It was the last voice of the soldier who kept joking about Mcgedie.

“E- Erk…..!”

An arrow penetrated his neck.

“Arrow…..?”

The soldiers couldn’t figure out the situation clearly.

Who the hell, from where, shot that arrow?

It was a huge arrow that normal human wouldn’t be able to use.

“Erk!”

Another soldier who laughed the most followed his comrade’s destiny. His head’s side was penetrated by another huge arrow.

“W- What’s happening?”

“L- Look…. Look at there ….!”

From every side, enemies revealed their bodies. It was the trolls. A troll squad who outnumbered the soldiers by double had suddenly appeared and surrounded the supply squad.

“T- troll?”

“How the heck are trolls……?”

Trolls had emerald colored skin with mysterious patterns scripted on it. Trolls were much more dangerous than goblins. Bigger bodies than a human’s, and more muscle power. A sharp chin and nose. A raised back head. A pair of sharp teeth.

Re-Editor: Strange, this description also matches my grandma Mcgedie and her raised back head.

“This doesn’t make any sense…….”

“D- did these trolls wait to hunt the supplies?”

They all knew that monsters that assaulted the province this year were quite intelligent. However, they were still not as smart as humans. They ran away and assaulted when they had to, and they drew enemies to the site where they were ambushing. It was no more than that. However these trolls, who were supposed to be at the front line were awaiting the supplies at the very center of the province. How did they dare plan to cut down their enemies’ supply line?

“M- make a formation! Shield up!”

As the veteran soldiers shout, other soldiers started to pull out shields from the supplies cache. The problem was the number of soldiers weren’t enough to form a defense formation.

“Krrr! Krrrr!”

The trolls growled with their unique sound. They started to pressure the supply squad with their numbers. Furthermore, the troll’s combat skills were overwhelming the soldiers of supply squad. Humans were outnumbered and outskilled. They had no hope.

“S-sir Mcgedie! Do something!”

The panicked soldiers shouted to the mage. At last, it was the mage who may be able to turn the tides in this situation.

“I- I….”

“We are all gonna die!”

“You are a mage! Sir Mcgedie!”

He didn’t even master the 1st class. What could he do in this situation? He was against trolls in many numbers.

‘I- I have to slow down their approach, at least.’

Mcgedie wanted to live as well. He made his own decision, and he acted quickly. Thanks to God, he could see a lot of grass and trees around. It was good to use for a fire.

“W- what the hell are you doing?”

“I’m trying to stop their approach!”

“Why don’t you just hit them directly?”

“B- but wouldn’t it make them furious?”

In this emergency, the soldiers and the mage started to argue. The supply squad was losing their focus quickly.

‘H- how, what should I do…..?’

Mage Mcgedie tried to find a solution. However, he couldn’t think of a good one. But his survival instinct was pressuring him.

‘I- I don’t want die yet.’

Not only Mcgedie, but everyone here was thinking the same. They didn’t want to die. They couldn’t die now. Especially not by trolls. They were famous for eating humans. They didn’t just eat humans, but used their skins and bones for making their tools.

‘Dying by such creatures?’

It was the most unworthy death as a human. However, there was no way to escape.

“N- no. No!”

While unknown soldiers’ desperate cries were representing everyone’s despair, Mcgedie, soldiers, and even the troll squad realized something strange. Mysterious white powder started to fall from the sky. It was crystal clear, and cold. It melted soon after touching the palm.

“Snow?”

Soldiers didn’t know what snow was. Snow never came to the eastern lands. However, Mcgedie knew what it was. He came from the northern side.

“How?”

Hence, he was caught in confusion. He was standing at the Pieric Province, the eastern land of the empire. But then snow was falling at the Pieric Province, instead of rain? Every other place was plausible, but from the eastern land’s sky?

“W- wh……?”

Mcgedie looked up the sky instinctively. As well as the soldiers of the supplies squad who were born and raised in the eastern lands. They all lost their word.

*Wooosh……*

A blizzard.

A blizzard was coming.

A more surprising thing was that there was a man.

From the middle of blizzard, A man came out.

It was a man who wore a blue robe.

“Blizzard.”

With his silent mumbling, a randomly blowing wind started to blow in a specific direction. Like a squad of fish that was hunting their prey.

Random, but specific and seemed like it was hunting, you got it?!

“Krr! KrrrrK!”

“Krrrrrraaaa!”

A tough blizzard swept around the ground. Not at Mcgedie and soldiers though, it was only targeting the trolls. At that point Mcgedie and soldiers lost their mind. It was a natural reaction.

*Woooshhh – !”

The troll squad quickly decided to retreat. However, in front of the mighty blizzard, their struggling legs were meaningless. There were only corpses of frozen trolls left behind the blizzard.

“W- what is going o……”

It happened so suddenly. The trolls were eliminated, and they were the only ones who survived. However, they felt like they were dreaming.

“M- magic?”

After a moment of silence, the soldiers started to think. Okay. This must be magic. Otherwise, this tremendous power couldn’t be explained. Then the question is who did this? A mage, Mcgedie?

‘It can’t be.’

That didn’t make sense to them. Even 3rd class mages couldn’t cast such powerful magic. The magic they just saw was unfathomable. It was a natural disaster. Then there was only one left. A man who was floating in the air. That blue robe man must be a mage then.

‘A mage stronger than a 3rd class mage?’

When everyone had reached to the same conclusion, a mysterious mage came down to the ground,

“W- who are you?”

The soldiers asked him nervously. After their question, the mage took off his hood.

“Drop down your weapon. I’m your ally.”

The mage’s appearance and voice represented that he was a young man. Thanks to that, Mcgedie could guess his identity. A powerful young mage whose age was similar to him, who else could it be?

“I- Ian…. Page?”

The soldiers also knew Ian’s name. They heard a lot of rumors about him. A genius who only could only appear in novels. The youngest archmage in history.

“Are you…. sir Ian?”

Mcgedie carefully questioned.

“You know me.”

Ian replied lightly.

“I- I am honored to meet you!”

Ian nodded shortly. He pulled out a medal from his coat. It was the ‘Medal of the Archmage’, which allowed its holder to have authority to control a province soldier and their citizens.

“I am Ian Page, Archmage of the Ivory Tower who was ordered to help you. I heard that the Pieric land lord is at the front line now, can you bring me to him?”

Ian asked them politely. Since he showed his medal, it was a order. They had no reason to refuse as traveling with him would be the most safe travel.

“W- we will guide you!”

While other soldiers were still caught in a panic, a veteran soldier came out and spoke. He knew the power of the medal. Although it was the first time he saw it for real, but he had heard of its power clearly.

“A- and thank you for helping us all!”

And he already knew the power of a Archmage very well. Archmages were totally different to a 1st class mage. Archmages were much higher than their boss. Any single mistake would risk their life.

“We will never forget the grace we have received today!”

The veteran soldier bowed down and said gratefully to Ian. Other soldiers followed his action by watching him. Although the Archmage acted politely, his social rank was much higher than them.

“T- thank you! Thank you! Mr. Mage!”

“Really thank you for saving us!”

“Thanks to you, I can see my family again!”

They complimented him for a while. Soldiers used every expression they knew.

‘W- wow.’

Mcgedie looked at Ian with admiration. He never got such treatment.

‘That is ….. a real mage.’

He had never seen the real power of an Archmage before. And he realized how weak he was. It was more than amazing, but he felt dizzy.

“Mr. Mage.”

“…….”

“Mr. Mage?”

“Ah! Yes!”