The Book Eating Magician Chapter 23:

Night in the Nadun Mountain Ranges #1

Not long after the two people joined, the massive procession began to move .  The sight of 30 wagons and a few hundred people moving together was really spectacular . Dust rose up from the earth like a cloud, accompanied by the sound of mercenaries marching .

“Then I will be going now . If you need anything, please look for me straight away . I’ll come running immediately . ”

“Thanks for your consideration . ”

“Haha, no problem . Please relax!”

Gordon maintained the respectful attitude until the end as he bowed and then moved to the front of the procession .  He was a model example of a reputable merchant who refrained from extreme flattery . Even though Theo was wary and vigilant against other people, Gordon left a good impression on him .

Vince stroked his seat a few times and nodded .

‘…A good carriage . He is resourceful to be capable of preparing such a carriage in advance . After a few years, Gordon may become a key figure in this company . ’

The carriage Gordon offered to the two men was one which would only be arranged for VIP guests .

It hardly shook while travelling on the steep mountain trail, and the blanketed floor gave off a soft warmth . Additionally, the curtains hanging over the elaborately carved windows were able to give some shade .  It was just like a travelling inn room .

‘I didn’t think I would be able to see the Nadun Mountain Ranges in this way…’

As they left the academy, Theodore looked out the window with a feeling of excitement .

The people of Meltor Kingdom knew the harshness of the Nadun Mountain Ranges . It was a land where numerous groups of monsters fought . In the deepest parts of the mountains, there were many dangerous things which would cause even famous adventurers to die .

This massive procession was merely passing through the outskirts, never going near the depths .

However, Theo’s interest soon faded .

‘Apart from the thickness of the vegetation, it is just a normal mountain . ’

All types of strange creatures grew in the depths .  There were no such things in the outskirts where the massive procession was moving .

He lost interest in the procession and watched the spectacular sight of the mercenaries climbing up the mountain for a bit . There was nothing much for Theo to see, so he soon turned his attention to something else again .

“Mitra . ”

The girl answered his call like she had been waiting .

[Huing!]

It seemed like she was in a good mood . Mitra loved all the soil around her as she spun round and round! She ran around every corner of the carriage .  Theo laughed as he watched her and extended a finger unconsciously .

[Huung . ]

Mitra clung to his finger .  The moist texture of the soil was unpleasant, but her behaviour was so cute that he left it alone . As his right hand gently stroked her head, she swung herself on his finger .  He doubted if this would be helpful like Professor Vince said, but at least he wouldn’t be bored .

Thus, Theodore took the time to play with Mitra while the carriage headed to Mana-vil .

 

*     *     *

In the end, the procession didn’t encounter any obstacles and the sky gradually turned dim .  The people, who had climbed the steep mountain trail all day, took out pots and dishes to make dinner, pushing away the cool evening breeze with a campfire .

Thanks to Vince, Theo was also treated as a VIP and was able to eat stew and a few pieces of soft bread .

‘Isn’t it quite a treat for eating outside? Indeed, merchants won’t go around chewing on things like dried sardines . ’

Eating was one of the most important things on a long distance trip . Even if the purpose was nutrition, a meal which didn’t have a minimum of taste would just disturb the people’s minds and bodies .

A warm and delicious meal didn’t just alleviate physical fatigue but mental fatigue as well .  The group which realized this faster than anyone else and devised a solution was a high-ranked company .

After finishing the satisfactory meal, Theo looked at the head of the procession and muttered, “Hoo, I feel sorry that I am more comfortable than the professor . ”

Vince had gone to install alarm magic near the campsite after his meal .  It was also possible for Theo, but the reliability of a 5th Circle alarm compared to a 3rd Circle alarm was like the difference between heaven and earth . The practical effect would differ significantly depending on the level .

As a result, Theo was left alone with nothing to do .

‘Well, it isn’t necessary for me to do anything . ’

Rather than returning to the boring carriage, he called Mitra and set her down on the ground .

Mitra cocked her head hesitantly for a moment, before sitting down and using her hands to play with the dirt . The soil touched by her hand became soft or hard and turned into her desired shape . This was possible because Mitra was an earth elemental .  Mitra had just completed the fifth of her small earth carriages when…

‘-Uh?!’ A cold chill ran down the back of Theo’s neck suddenly .

“Detect Evil!” It was a magic to detect enemies .

A magician of the 3rd Circle could detect enemies up to 50 meters away . So, with Theo at the center, a wave of magic power spread out over 50 meters .  Theo ignored the confusion of mercenaries around him and focused on analyzing the results of the magic wave .

‘…It didn’t catch anything? That is impossible!’

Alfred’s perception was still predicting the approach of enemies .  He couldn’t tell where it was coming from, but the chill which hit his neck was freezing .  It was proof that a threat was approaching .

Theo thought about where he’d gone wrong .  Detect Evil was a magic which sensed the enemy on the surface .  Even if an enemy magician neutralized the magic, it couldn’t hide the fact that someone existed .

‘No, wait a minute . ’

“It can’t be…!”

Theo’s eyes fell to the ground where Mitra was playing .

“Mitra! Go into the ground!”

[Hoing!]

As soon as he gave the order, Mitra instantly plunged into the ground .  While she sank into the ground like it was water, she showed Theo the landscape under the ground . The connection of their souls was a strong bond, so it wasn’t hard to share audio and visual .

Theo’s and Mitra’s vision captured the enemy .

‘Hobgoblins?!’

Creatures with dark blue skin and ugly faces were coming up through a tunnel in the ground . The axes in their hands indicated that they weren’t friendly .  The headcount was approximately 20-30 enemies . It was a force which could do considerable damage if they did a surprise attack in the rear .

“Professor, I have to tell Professor Vince…!”

Theodore reflexively turned his gaze and saw a scene of flames rising in the front of the procession .

Kwaang!

There was an intense wave of magic power! This was a spell which was possible for 5th Circle magicians . The head of the procession was probably also being attacked by enemies .  In this situation, it might cause unnecessary confusion for Theo to try and contact Vince now . Additionally, there was no time left .

The hobgoblins in the tunnel were 5 meters below the surface .  The time remaining was less than 15 seconds . Theo only had one option remaining .

‘I have to respond on my own!’

Preparing his mind, Theodore took deep breaths and shouted like he had never done before, “O-h-h-h-h!!”

He hadn’t enhanced his voice with magic, but the desperate yell was enough to reach the mercenaries near him .

“W-W-What?!”

“Ooh, what a surprise!”

“What is that kid suddenly doing?”

However, Theo just dropped his palm near the ground where the hobgoblins were coming up .  Now, it was 4 meters—no, 3 meters . If he didn’t adjust his timing properly, chances were that he would fail . Nevertheless, Theo didn’t worry that he would fail .  Instead, he concentrated on using elemental magic through Mitra .

‘Right now!’

“[Turn into mud!]”

The advantage of elemental magic was that he didn’t need a magic formula; he just needed a clear image to get results .  After accepting Theo’s power, Mitra naturally transformed the surrounding area into mud . This was a disaster for the hobgoblins about to come out of the tunnel .

Kurruk? Kwieeeek!

Kwuaaack!

Kyaak! Kuwaaaack!

Some of them slammed their heads into the mud, while others got their waists stuck, and some hobgoblins only managed to get their heads out . However, all the hobgoblins stuck in the mud were furious .

That said, Theodore wasn’t done .

“[Stiff like a stone!]”

His magic power swept the ground once again, and the mud solidified .  It was just a temporary phenomenon, but the power was great . The hobgoblins screamed as the ground hardened into a grey clay, and they became stuck . The ones who were hardened at the top slumped down .

Theo wiped the sweat off his face and shouted at the mercenaries standing around him, “What are you doing? Kill them now!”

“A-Ah!”

“What is going on?”

They lived on the battlefield, so they soon realized the situation . It was currently a good opportunity .  The hobgoblins, which had their heads or upper bodies exposed, were killed, just like crops being harvested . Halberds broke the hobgoblins’ heads, while others were smashed to death .

In an instant, the 30 hobgoblins from the tunnel had been wiped out .  However, the chill Theo felt hadn’t disappeared yet .

Pew pew puet—

If it wasn’t for his extreme concentration, he wouldn’t have noticed the sound . Theo turned in the direction of the sound and saw something familiar .

‘Arrows!’

The hobgoblins were monsters who used tools like humans and also attacked tactically . If Theo hadn’t responded to the ambush, then many mercenaries would’ve died from the previous attack .  This was why hobgoblins were troublesome and dangerous monsters . They stole loot from humans and used them to attack humans .

In his head, he recalled Alfred’s memories .

–The speed is normal, with a wooden shaft and metal tip .

If this was the case, the arrows could be stopped without much difficulty .  Together with that intuition, Theo instantly created a wide area wind barrier .  There was no need to stop it with armor .

He just needed to affect the trajectory to kill the power of the arrows .  After encountering a headwind, the power of the projectiles would fall by half .

“Aerial Defender!”

The evening breeze passing by lent a hand .  Strong winds were helpful in this situation . Just a slight change in direction could reduce the threat of the arrow .  The arrows affected by the headwind eventually fell to the ground before they reached the procession .

Theo was satisfied with the results, but his eyes narrowed as he gazed in the direction of the arrows .

‘…They are coming . ’

The hobgoblins, hiding in the shadows, started to move after knowing that two ambushes had failed .  In the darkness beyond the campfire, eerie shrieks and red eyes could be seen .

During the night in the Nadun Mountain Ranges, a full-fledged battle began .