Chapter 84

The next night, we encountered enemy soldiers.

I focused my gaze deep into the forest.

From the dark depths of the forest, ghostly lights swayed gently.

It wasn't just one or two.

Dozens, no, hundreds of ghostly lights were approaching.

Of course, these were not actual ghostly lights but torches held by human soldiers. In the pitch-black forest, their flickering was fantastical and beautiful.

After enjoying the scene for a moment, one of the elf warriors asked me:

"Lord Ike, are you alright?"

The one who spoke was the elf maiden who had led me to the queen yesterday.

I understood her concern and said to reassure her:

"There's no need to worry. It's true that the number of elf warriors assigned to the southern front is small, but I will manage it."

"..."

She didn't respond.

It seemed she was overwhelmed by the number of enemies.

That makes sense.

The enemy force numbered over 600, the largest scale among the battlefronts in all directions. It appeared to be the main force of the enemy army, with many knights and a large number of mages. It was possible that the high-ranking mage who had attacked the elf village a few days ago was among them.

We had to face this number with just a few dozen of us.

If I were in her position, I might have been trembling just as she was.

The number of elves assigned to this southern front was the smallest, while the number of enemies was the largest.

It would be unreasonable to tell them not to fear the enemy army.

Thinking this, I decided to stand at the forefront to boost their morale.

"... Well, in this situation, I can't scold Lylis."

I thought this, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Sighing, I cast the *Flight* spell and flew through the trees toward the enemy army, using the *Silence* spell to completely eliminate any sound.

In the darkness, my immortal robe would likely look like a creature combining an owl and a bat.

Of course, this would only be if any of the enemy soldiers noticed my presence.

I moved behind the enemy soldiers with perfect movements and unleashed the *Pillar of Fire* spell from behind them.

Many soldiers were engulfed by the pillar of fire and turned into human torches.

It wasn't a pleasant sight, but this was the way of the battlefield. There was no room for mercy.

As the pillar of fire rose into the forest, it signaled the start of the elves' ambush. Like in other battlefronts, the elves used their special skills to launch their ambushes.

After confirming the scene, I cast the *Teleport* spell to move to the center of the enemy army. I thought the mage I was looking for would be there. I had guessed that the mage who had released the white beast in this forest a few days ago would be there, and my guess was spot on.

A figure wearing a mage's robe stood out among the knights. The intricate design of the robe proved that the person was a high-ranking mage. I bowed to the mage in a white robe with gold trim.

"I assume you are Varric, the court mage of Rozaria. How do you do?"

The mage reacted with a slight twitch at my words.

This confirmed my intuition, but it seemed this man had no intention of hiding his identity.

He announced himself boldly.

"Indeed, I am Varric, the court mage of Rozaria."

He bowed in the same manner as I did. Truly, a court mage. He knew his manners well.

Then Varric asked:

"Your immortal robe, unusual appearance, and the staff with the coiled snake. Are you Ike, the one whose name is well-known in the demon army?"

"Ike, that's correct. Whether my name is well-known, I'm not sure."

Varric smiled sardonically.

"I see, so that's it."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I just realized that the powerful summoning beast I released the other day was repelled by you."

"Indeed, it was you who summoned it. You possess formidable magic."

"Your words sound like sarcasm when coming from a demon who defeated it so brilliantly."

Varric continued:

"The right-hand man of the demon army, indeed. That's correct. Not many demons could defeat that beast. Your command is also impressive. You've done well with so few numbers."

"I am flattered by your praise."

I responded sarcastically, but the mage didn't get angry. Instead, he continued to praise me.

"But it's a pity. If a mage like you had been born on the human side, I wouldn't have had to come to such a battlefield."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Originally, I am a court mage. I wanted to spend my life immersed in research."

Varric said this as he began to infuse his staff with magic.

"If you had been born on the human side, you could have led a much easier life."

"… That's true for me as well. If you had been born on the demon side, I would probably be drinking tea in Ivalice right now."

I said this as I also infused my coiled snake staff with magic. The color of the magic in my staff was blue, while Varric's staff glowed purple.

The moment our magic was infused into our staffs, the duel began.

Even though we were mages, we fought with a sense of chivalry, which I didn't mind.

First, Varric's first strike was aimed at the back of my head.

*Boom!*

The unique sound of a weapon infused with magic echoed in my ears. It seemed Varric specialized in slash attacks.

I dodged, and a purple shockwave spread backward, splitting a giant tree in two.

"Interesting, indeed."

As expected of a court mage, his magic was formidable. I decided that this person should be defeated here. I swung my staff.

A similar sound echoed, but my staff was infused with magic specialized in causing unconsciousness. I was confident that even an elephant would be knocked out with a single hit.

I swung my coiled snake staff, but it wasn't easy to hit him. He seemed to have good physical abilities.

Among the mages who were often confined to the court, focusing on research and networking, his physical abilities were impressive. He might even have been better than me in terms of physical ability alone.

—However, unfortunately, in every other aspect, I was stronger.

Moreover, his physical abilities were no match for my enhanced body, thanks to the *Immortal Robe* left by the old man.

I took a light step forward and leaped into his guard. Varric let out a gasp of surprise. To him, it might have looked like I used the *Teleport* spell.

I quickly closed the distance and swung my staff. Varric tried to block it with his own staff, but he was a step too late, and his magic was insufficient. His staff, weakened by the shockwave he had just released, broke like a twig.

A *snap* was followed by a *crack*. My coiled snake staff hit Varric's shoulder, and I felt the impact of several bones breaking.

I thought the battle was over, but Varric's mental strength was not ordinary. He didn't lose consciousness and shouted loudly:

"Fall back temporarily! Dispersing our forces is meaningless. Regroup and attack again."

From his command, I could tell that Varric was not incompetent. He had realized the folly of dispersing forces, albeit belatedly. It seemed the strength of the Double Eagle Knights lay in this man. He had achieved numerous military feats as a strategist. I couldn't help but admire him, but I couldn't let him escape.

I cast the *Dispel* spell on Varric, who was about to cast the *Teleport* spell.

If Varric had shouted the retreat order and immediately cast the *Teleport* spell, I wouldn't have been able to stop him.

In a sense, his concern for his comrades led to his downfall. He was indeed a formidable individual.

I bound him with the *Binding* spell and ordered the elves to treat him as a prisoner with respect.

The elves knew this man was the one who had released the white beast, but they didn't seem to want to mistreat the prisoner. They followed my orders obediently.

The elves truly seemed to be a peace-loving race.

Reaffirming this, I was satisfied and sent orders to my scattered subordinates to return to the elf capital.