Water Magician

Editor: Tseirp

The suppression army was marching north.

Among them, a mounted meeting was taking place during the movement.

"Even though all the formations and preparations were completed before departure, we're always having meetings, huh?"

"Well, that's how it is. The information the scouts bring in changes daily. We have to keep adjusting various parts of the army to match it. There's the possibility of being attacked before reaching the battlefield or engaging in combat immediately upon arrival. There's also the chance the enemy might attack surrounding villages. In such cases, we have to revise our response procedures… there's a lot to do while on the move."

Abel answered Ryo's simple, common-sense question like an experienced veteran.

Indeed, Abel was a king— he had the experience of leading armies to battle.

Words spoken by someone who's lived it carry weight.

Ryo glanced at Abel, who was riding beside him on Feiwan.

"Nothing, I was just wondering if you wanted to take over command from Prince Ryun."

"No, I don't."

Abel answered Ryo's question immediately.

"That was fast…"

"I'll never get used to giving orders that send people to their deaths."

Abel said, frowning.

His words were unadorned and honest—just plain truth.

Since ancient times, this pain has always been carried by commanders.

It's a timeless reality.

"Because people die, war is evil… that claim might be true."

"Yeah. No one wants to see people die. Or more precisely, maybe we don't want to see the grief of those left behind."

War is inseparable from human history.

In fact, some scholars argue that human history is basically a history of continuous warfare, occasionally interrupted by secondary periods of peace.

"Maybe in the future, golems will take over the fighting."

"Really? Golems may fight, but in the end, won't humans just get thrown into the same battlefield?"

"Compared to golems, human strength is negligible. If golems take the stage, humans can fully retreat… Wait, that would still put humans on the battlefield, huh? Then let's establish an international treaty: no humans allowed on the battlefield!"

"And who's going to follow that kind of rule?"

Abel was skeptical of Ryo's proposal.

"Any ruler whose own life is in danger will probably break it."

"Exactly."

"And when that happens, I'll eliminate that ruler."

"…What?"

"I won't allow rule-breakers."

"So you're going to force a situation where only golems go to war?"

"That way, no humans have to die."

Ryo clearly thought it was a good idea.

He nodded enthusiastically.

But Abel gave him a cold stare.

"What's with that look, Abel?!"

"If we reach a time when golems go to war… wouldn't they also be doing regular labor?"

"Well, probably. Humans won't need to do that stuff anymore."

"Then some water-attribute magician somewhere will be lying on some couch, reading alchemy books all day."

"How rude! Even if golems don't become widespread, I still plan to read alchemy books while lying on a couch!"

"Yeah, I don't see what was rude about my statement at all."

By evening, the suppression army arrived at the campsite.

This would be their last night before the battle.

The next morning, they were scheduled to arrive at Ryokusou Plain, where the monsters were said to be arrayed, and the battle would commence.

There were also cases where the army would enter the plains, spend the night, and begin fighting at dawn the next day.

Which strategy to choose would be decided by the commander and staff after considering various information.

"Looks like we're not entering the battlefield the day before this time."

"If monsters attack at night and it becomes a night battle, humans are at a disadvantage. In wars between humans, such things aren't much of a factor."

"Species-based assumptions are discrimination!"

Ryo insisted firmly.

His stance came from his past experience fighting Akumas.

Fighting an opponent that doesn't die even when its head is cut off.

While humans, of course, die if their heads are cut off.

How unfair!

"It's war. There's no such thing as a fair fight."

Abel stated logically.

People attack because they believe they can win.

They only think that way because they believe to have the advantage.

From the start, fairness is never part of the equation.

Their final meal consisted of a stew filled with chunks of meat.

And rice balls.

"This clumped rice thing—you made this for me once before, didn't you?"

It seemed Abel remembered the rice balls Ryo had made in the Rondo Forest when they had washed ashore.

"Yes, I'm impressed you remembered. In my hometown, we call them 'onigiri'. Compared to wheat bread, they digest slowly and keep you full longer. With this, we could even fight off a night raid!"

"I'd really prefer not to be raided at night."

"Come to think of it, I remember seeing onigiri at food stalls in Darwei too. I'm touched to see that the rice ball culture is thriving here as well."

Ryo said, munching happily.

In Darwei—and the Eastern countries in general, as well as the archipelago region— rice was the staple food.

There were some regional variations, but it was still a rice-based culture.

Having grown up on Japanese food, Ryo felt nostalgic about places where rice was the staple.

And what about Abel?

"I like rice too, you know? Sure, bread was the main staple when I was a kid… But after settling in Rune, I started eating both bread and rice often. The food culture there is rich."

For a hungry swordsman, it seems the type of staple food doesn't really matter.

Although Ryo and Abel were adventurers, within the suppression army, they were participating as advisors.

That, too, by direct order of His Majesty the Emperor.

Therefore, they were not on night watch duty.

And that night, there was no raid.

The next morning.

"There was no night attack. And with how openly the monsters are deployed, it's like they're daring us to attack them head-on."

"Yeah. Either they're extremely confident, or…"

"It's a trap."

Both Abel and Ryo agreed there must be some kind of trap.

But if asked what kind, they couldn't say.

According to Wen Shu, a local attendant, the battlefield was an open plain with no obstructions and excellent visibility.

If it were a forest, traps could be hidden, but in such a plain, laying traps would be quite difficult.

"Maybe they really do just want a straightforward fight."

"In the end, it's always a gamble— you won't know until you're in it."

9:00 a.m.

The suppression army arrived at the Ryokusou Plains.

"This really is a vast open plain."

"Bare ground with barely any grass—can't even call it a meadow."

It was barren land, too desolate to be called a grassland.

There was no tall grass over knee height; half the area was just exposed soil.

Beyond that, they could see a neatly arranged group.

"The monsters are really lined up in formation."

"Yeah. This is the first time I've seen anything like it."

The two spoke while using the binoculars provided by the imperial palace.

These binoculars had been issued not only to them but also to the top brass of the army and squad leaders…

Nearly everyone who had one was now peering through it, surprised by the orderly monster formation.

"Our troops are already intimidated just from seeing that lineup. That was clearly their aim! How underhanded!"

"Underhanded, huh? Well, I guess it's true— monsters lining up like that is unusual. It's no surprise people are reacting differently."

Ryo grumbled in frustration. Abel, on the other hand, had already resigned himself to it.

"Those are orcs, right?"

"Yeah, orcs."

Abel, a former A-rank adventurer, replied to Ryo's question.

Orcs were monsters about 1.5 meters tall, with pig-like heads, who walked on two legs and had two arms.

They were stronger than goblins, but weaker than ogres, which could grow to 2.5 meters tall.

However, orcs were said to be slightly more intelligent and capable of using weapons.

In fact, the orcs in formation were holding swords in their right hands and round shields in their left.

"It's a Roman gladiator style."

"What's that?"

"You know, the people of Darwei also use one-handed swords, but they don't usually carry shields…"

"Hm? Looks like they do have shields."

Abel pointed to the infantry of the Black Banner Army.

"Huh? Oh… you're right."

Ryo had just assumed they weren't holding anything in their left hands.

Because…

"The first person who used the flying ring had a sword in his right hand only…"

Indeed, that man had raised only his left hand, forming two extended fingers.

His index and middle— while the other three fingers formed a circle.

On modern Earth, it might have been called a kenji*.(TLN: Sword-finger gesture)

It was something Ryo had never seen in the Central Countries.

"Well, this is a battlefield. The enemy isn't just in front of you, and you have to move in coordination with the others. If you're forming ranks with many soldiers, having a shield probably reduces damage, right?"

"I see, that makes sense."

Abel's explanation made sense— but Ryo didn't quite grasp it.

Probably because he was raised in Japan, where there's no culture of using shields.

Even in the Sengoku period, soldiers didn't carry shields on the battlefield…

But that, too, was a lack of understanding on Ryo's part.

In the pre-Kamakura era, around the time of the Genpei War, shields held in one hand were commonly used.

Even in the 'Taiheiki', a historical chronicle from the fall of the Kamakura shogunate to the early Muromachi period, there are depictions of soldiers charging with shields raised.

As the katana became a weapon used exclusively with both hands, and spears and polearms—which also required both hands—became more common, shields fell out of use…

Back on the Ryokusou Plains…

Orcs didn't use magic, so they would likely engage in close combat.

What kind of battle would it become… neither the experienced Abel nor the relatively green Ryo had any idea.

Just then, Ryo lowered his binoculars and noticed a group in their ranks who weren't even looking through binoculars.

They were busy assembling something.

Overseeing and directing them was Captain Lu Yao of the territorial army's Magic Artillery Unit.

Each member of the unit seemed to be assembling one of these mysterious devices.

"Abel, Captain Lu Yao and her team are assembling something."

"You're right. That's… oh, that's what they had loaded on the horses they came in on."

Indeed, the artillery unit was unloading equipment from the horses they had ridden.

If it was carried by horse, it probably wasn't too heavy.

"Wooden structures… We don't have anything like that in the Kingdom, do we?"

"Nope. I'd bet that is why they're called the 'Magic Artillery Unit' and not just 'Magic Unit'."

"Ah, makes sense. As expected of you, Abel."

Ryo praised Abel's observation without hesitation.

Yes, occasionally Abel made sharp insights.

Occasionally.

Occasionally…

"Hey, Ryo. I appreciate the praise, but are you thinking something unnecessary?"

"N-no, not at all! Let's just keep watching closely."

Ryo flustered at Abel's pointed remark.

Yes, even if it's only occasionally, Abel could be astute.

Best to be careful!

The two of them were currently with the main suppression force.

This area was referred to as the headquarters.

They were positioned at the edge of the HQ area…

Since Ryo had been directly asked by Emperor Tsuin to protect Prince Ryun, he needed to stay nearby in case anything happened.

Still, being too close drew the stares of the prince's attendants, so he stayed on the outskirts.

Naturally, since they weren't marching at the moment, everyone had dismounted.

The horses ridden by the main force had been gathered in one spot, but something caught Ryo's attention.

They were loosely surrounding Andalusia and Feiwan.

They weren't harassing them.

Rather, it looked like they were showing reverence.

Of course, it was probably just his imagination.

Among the surrounding horses was also the one ridden by Prince Ryun.

An imperial gift steed of noble blood, likely proud and dignified.

There's no way such a horse would bow to another…

"What is it, Ryo?"

"Oh… I was just thinking, it must be tough even in the world of horses."

"Maybe it's a pure meritocracy, unlike humans."

"That sounds really exhausting."

Ryo gave a small shake of his head.

In such a world, you'd have no time to relax—you'd always have to prove your worth.

No lounging around on sofas reading books all day.

"I'm glad I'm human."

"Yeah. Otherwise, no lounging on the sofa for you."

"How did you know…?"

Apparently, Abel could see right through Ryo's thoughts.

Although they were in the corner of the main camp, they could still hear someone loudly voicing their opinions to Prince Ryun.

It was Chamberlain Wen Shu.

"Your Highness, we must charge!"

He was offering explanations and suggestions, but the core message was the same.

However, Prince Ryun didn't nod.

He simply said one word: "Wait".

Then, after a moment, he spoke to Chief Chamberlain Lin Shun.

"Get Lu Yao."

Lin Shun gave a silent nod and went to fetch Captain Lu Yao, who had just finished setting things up and was inspecting them.

"Your Highness."

"Lu Yao, are preparations complete?"

"Yes. All installations are finished."

Captain Lu Yao of the Magic Artillery Unit answered.

"Good. Begin."

With that order from Prince Ryun, the battle began.

TLN: Please read my translations at tseirptranslations.com, I did not give permission to any site to host my translations.

If you like my translations, please support me on Patreon and unlock early chapter releases! 7 day free trial is available for Bronze tier now!