“You fool. Having to rely on the family’s power for such a simple task.”
“My apologies.”
An elderly man with a head full of silver hair was scolding a middle-aged mage in a cold tone. The luxurious attire adorned with various jewels and ornaments revealed that the old man’s status was anything but ordinary.
He was none other than McDaniel Skyler, the head of the Skyler Count family and the master of the Skyler Magic Tower, one of the three major forces in the Leslie Kingdom.
And the one bowing his head with a pale face in front of him was his second son and the tower’s second elder, Thaddeus Skyler.
Responsible for the acquisition of Perido Tower, Thaddeus had to resort to the family’s power when Raul’s sudden intervention threw their plans into disarray.
‘Damn. If I had just a little more time, it would have transitioned smoothly.’
The takeover was nearly complete without Perido Tower’s master even realizing it. By the end of the month, when the loan’s maturity date arrived, they planned to swiftly absorb Perido Tower.
But an unexpected force had shown up, completely upsetting their plans.
“No more mistakes will be tolerated. That puny tower might not matter, but the family’s reputation is at stake! Do you understand?”
“Yes. I will handle it cleanly!”
Due to this incident, acquiring Perido Tower was bound to incur a loss. Aside from having to make concessions to the other two forces for the regulation change, the transition to public bidding made undercutting the price difficult.
It might have been better to abandon the acquisition and target another tower, but now it wasn’t possible. The current acquisition of magic towers by the major forces in the kingdom was essentially a preliminary show of strength.
It was a way of demonstrating power to neutral nobles and towers that hadn’t yet allied themselves with any major force.
‘Our force is this strong, so you should join us.’
Failing to acquire a marked tower would not merely be a financial loss. After receiving a harsh reprimand from his father and returning to his office at the tower, Thaddeus held a meeting with his retainers.
“So, what’s his background?”
“Viscount Raul de Ashton. A newly rising noble making a name in the Ruben Kingdom. He is the third son of the distinguished Count Ashton household and was elevated to viscount for his contributions during the recent gate crisis. And…”
One of the retainers reported what was known about Raul. Given the many activities Raul had been involved in, it was a lengthy report.
Though the information wasn’t entirely accurate, being about foreign affairs, it was enough to indicate Raul’s remarkable achievements. However, those present at the meeting reacted coldly.
“Well, those Ruben Kingdom folks sure like to brag.”
“Knights living and dying for honor is one thing, but this is over the top.”
“The Ruben Kingdom must have suffered greatly. To resort to such crude hero-making.”
At just 15, he had led knights to save the royal castle and capital, reclaimed several territories overrun by monsters, won territorial battles against six different regions simultaneously, obliterated several Imperial Intelligence Bureau hideouts, and was expected to be at least an Expert high-level in personal strength.
It was naturally hard to believe all of this at face value.
“Basically, he’s a brat riding on the Count Ashton household’s coattails?”
“Yes, that sums it up. However, he seems to have substantial financial resources. His investments in several free cities have been successful.”
“No matter. How rich can a mere viscount be? Anything else of note?”
“It appears he has some kind of relationship with Lord Gray.”
Thaddeus’s previously indifferent expression showed a slight scowl.
“That is a bit concerning. But Lord Gray won’t be interested in such trivial matters.”
Even the powerful Skyler Tower couldn’t disregard the great sage Gray. In fact, those involved in magic could not help but be more concerned by him.
“In any case, this is our turf. We cannot let some insignificant foreign viscount claim our prey. Prepare meticulously.”
“We are already set. That brat will deeply regret challenging us.”
Everyone in the conference room wore confident expressions. But were they aware that the information they received had actually been downplayed?
***
The public bidding and special auction process for the acquisition of Perido Tower was simpler than expected.
The top four bidders were selected, and these four teams would compete in a simulated battle to determine the final winner.
Raul’s First Knight Order emerged as the highest bidder in the public auction. Since the bid amount had to be deposited with the Mage Association as a security, false bids were impossible, and Raul’s bid was nearly double that of the others.
For Raul, knowing the future of Perido Tower, this sum was insignificant and also a precautionary investment to avoid any foul play.
Thus, the four highest bidding teams were Raul’s First Knight Order and the three major forces of the Leslie Kingdom. It was an expected outcome, so there was nothing surprising.
And unsurprisingly, Leopard Tower and Cornelius Tower withdrew from the mock battle, leaving the acquisition of Perido Tower to be determined by the result of the mock battle between Raul’s First Knight Order and Skyler Tower.
Buzzing.
The outermost area of the capital, cristillen, in the Leslie Kingdom. In the large stadium managed by the Mage Association, a massive crowd gathered.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had a mock battle, hasn’t it?”
“Yeah, with all the tower bankruptcies happening almost every day since the Gate crisis, it’s been hard to hold any matches.”
“Still, I’m really looking forward to this. A 300-man mock battle! We don’t see large-scale battles like this often.”
Mock battles held in the Leslie Kingdom were different from territory wars in the Ruben Kingdom. When conflicts arose, lords or magic towers in the Leslie Kingdom resolved them through mock battles.
The Mage Association provided a stadium for mock battles, which was equipped with a ‘large-scale illusion magic circle’. This allowed for battles to be fought without risking lives while still determining a winner.
The downside was the enormous cost. The more soldiers involved, the more mana stones were consumed, so it was usually conducted on a smaller scale.
However, due to the significant stakes and amounts involved in this acquisition battle, and with both sides wanting many participants (especially Skyler Tower), they agreed on a 300-man match.
“By the way, what is the First Knight Order? While it’ll be entertaining for us to watch, can they really take on Skyler Tower?”
“I heard it’s a guild from the Ruben Kingdom. Supposedly backed by a notable family, but honestly, isn’t it a bit too much?”
Not only common spectators but also those involved with magic towers naturally predicted a victory for Skyler Tower.
The First Knight Order was practically unknown, and the circulating information was hardly credible.
“I wonder how much strength Skyler Tower will deploy.”
“Given the scale of this, they won’t just bring in a show of face. They know we’re watching.”
There were quite a few representatives from Leopard Tower and Cornelius Tower in the special seats of the stadium. They had no reason to miss this opportunity to assess the power of their competitor.
Most likely, the tower masters from the main towers were also watching the mock battle. The scenes from the mock battle were scheduled to be broadcast through magical screens at various locations.
However, watching it at the stadium had no parallel. At the stadium, one could see the battlefield’s scaled-down representation in person, view battle scenes from various angles, and receive commentary and related information on the battle.
Soon, an announcer from the association appeared in the commentary booth and began to briefly explain the background and participants of this mock battle. Finally, both sides’ troops started to enter the arena.
“Skyler Tower is entering!”
At the announcer’s introduction, the stadium doors opened.
Thud, thud, thud.
A hundred shield soldiers, clad in green cloaks with lightning marks, orderly marched in. Following them were fifty knights in dark green armor, arriving on horseback, and lastly, 150 mages in green robes leisurely made their appearance.
“Waaaah!”
“Skyler Tower is the best!”
“Show the power of the Leslie Kingdom!”
The audience cheered to welcome Skyler Tower. One hundred shield soldiers, fifty armor users, and 150 mages. This was the typical mock battle composition in the Leslie Kingdom.
The hundred shield soldiers, equipped with artifacts engraved with various defensive spells, stood at the front to block incoming spells.
The fifty armor users were the assault troops who would charge into enemy lines when gaps appeared. The 150 mages were the main firepower, responsible for crushing the enemy with their spell bombardments.
“Hm, they’ve mobilized quite elite forces.”
“All mages filled from the 4th circle or higher magic corps. They seem intent on making a strong show.”
“It’s unlikely they’ve deployed their entire main force. They must have substantial hidden reserves.”
Analysts from competing magic towers busily recorded information. A 4th circle mage was equivalent to an Expert-level knight.
They were the chosen ones who had surpassed the 3rd circle, which anyone could theoretically reach through effort.
They were capable of large-scale killing spells that could significantly impact the battlefield. Seeing that more than a hundred such mages had been mobilized, one could easily guess Skyler Tower’s capability.
At that moment, the announcer’s voice echoed again.
“Now entering the forces of the First Knight Order!”
Rumble.
The doors opened.
Clatter, clatter!
Five standard-bearers carrying blue flags adorned with golden hawks charged out. Following them were knights in white armor on white horses, their blue cloaks emblazoned with golden hawks fluttering as they rode behind the standard-bearers, galloping around the arena.
The 250 knights, in a 5-column formation, paraded around half of the arena, and finally, 50 mages in mage attire entered and took their positions.
Buzzing.
The spectators and analysts, seeing the composition of the First Knight Order’s forces, widened their eyes and couldn’t hide their surprise.
“Wow! Amazing. Are those knights?”
“A pristine knight order, how impressive!”
“To witness such a spectacle in a mock battle!”
Truth be told, compared to Skyler Tower, the entrance was overwhelmingly grand and magnificent, capturing everyone’s attention.
However, after a brief moment of awe, the expressions of the spectators gradually turned to pity.
“Tsk. This is obvious.”
“Pitching an knight order against a magic tower. Maybe in real combat, but this is a mock battle….”
“They’re from the Ruben Kingdom, huh? Typical. Foolishness has its price.”
The analysts’ assessments were no different.
“Have they forgotten that Power Armor force fields are nullified in mock battles?”
“Do they not realize that in large-scale battles, knight orders are ineffective against magic battalions? They say he’s a rich fool, and it seems he’s indeed clumsy with troop management.”
In Leslie Kingdom’s mock battles, with mages as the main force, naturally, mages, rather than knights, should stand out.
Thus, the rule ‘Power Armor force fields nullified’ was established.
Thanks to this rule, armor users, who could normally cut through spells in actual combat, were no more than ordinary knights in the mock battle.
Moreover, facing a magic battalion composed of 4th circle or higher mages with a knight order was ludicrous. Also, the 50 mages in Raul’s team couldn’t be considered a true battalion.
Raul, lacking sufficient mage forces, had only filled the mage quota by recruiting mages from Perido Tower. Without the condition of ‘at least 50 mages participating,’ he might have filled the ranks entirely with knights.
To the magic towers of Leslie Kingdom, the battle seemed decided even before it began. And this was evident to Thaddeus Skyler, the commander of Skyler Tower’s forces.
“This is absurd. No matter how famed they are from the Ruben Kingdom, to be this reckless.”
“If we had known, there’d have been no need to employ the mage battalion. They’ve just exposed our forces unnecessarily.”
“It doesn’t matter. Since it has come to this, we must showcase overwhelming power. That way, even those who hesitated will come to their senses.”
“Absolutely right.”
Soon, the stadium transformed into a vast terrain with hills, forests, and plains. Raul’s First Knight Order and the elite forces of Skyler Tower from the Leslie Kingdom began to move to determine superiority.
(To be continued)