"Lloyd, do you hear me?"
Shneider's voice came through the mana plate.
"The monsters are coming back to life. It is likely Necromancy Magic. Link up with the Cruse Squad and incinerate the corpses as they fall."
"I see. Cruse-neesan’s unit barely has any mages. Understood."
Flames conjured by magic were on an entirely different scale than fire arrows. If I scorched the flesh and went so far as to thoroughly shatter the bones, resurrection would be nearly impossible. As expected of Shneider, he had a firm grasp on how to handle an undead conflict.
"Wait, Lord Shneider!"
Saias cut into the communication.
"My squad has more mages than Master Lloyd’s. Furthermore, I pride myself on my profound knowledge of Flame Magic. Please, leave this task to us!"
"...And your name is?"
"I am Saias Revenant!"
Now that he mentioned it, that was the first time I’d heard his full name. House Revenant was a famous lineage of Flame Mages. Prestigious houses that produced renowned mages for generations often interbred to concentrate their power, resulting in higher-purity magic. Bloodline Magic—the Revenant version was particularly famous. If I went with him, I might actually get a chance to see it in action.
"Shneider-niisan, I’d like to request this as well," I added.
"Hmm... If Lloyd goes that far..." Shneider fell silent for a moment, then gave a sharp nod. "...Very well. Both of you take a small detachment and head to the gate."
"Yes! It shall be an honor!" Saias shouted, giving an ostentatious salute.
Perfect. Now I might get to see that Bloodline Magic. I headed back to my unit to get ready immediately.
"I appreciate the help, but don't think for a second I'll lose to you," Saias muttered as he brushed past me.
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it!"
I really hoped he’d show off that Bloodline Magic. I was starting to get excited.
"Tch! ...Hmph."
Looking irritated for some reason, Saias returned to his men. I didn't quite understand his mood, but he seemed motivated enough, so I figured it was fine.
We finished organizing our units and made for the gate. Saias led a group centered around mages; it looked like he had about two thousand men. For a "small detachment," he had certainly brought a lot.
"Hmph. This many are necessary to protect the precious Mage Soldiers. Rather than worrying about me, shouldn't you be concerned for yourself? I don't see a single Mage Soldier in your ranks..."
"They just aren't dressed in a way that makes it obvious," I replied.
In reality, I was the only mage. I was still dedicating a significant amount of power to maintaining my Magic Soldiers, but since I’d refined the Spell Formula the other day, the burden had lessened. The Military Magic techniques Shneider had shown me included several ways to simplify formulas, which had been a total revelation. Using those as a reference, I had managed to reduce the mana consumption by nearly half. Because of that, enough of my strength had returned that I could fight reasonably well.
I had only brought five hundred troops, including the Magic Soldiers. Ren of the Poison Moth had come along since her poison mist was effective in a melee, as had Bills and his dozen or so bandits. Tao had also tagged along, claiming she wanted to see Cruse in action. Honestly, this wasn't a sightseeing trip.
"Even as you say that, Master Lloyd, you look like you're having the time of your life," Bills noted.
"...Was it that obvious?"
"Anyone could tell just by looking at your face. ...Still, up close, this is one hell of a gate."
While we talked, we reached the vicinity of the gate. It was so massive that I had to strain my neck to see the top. The sounds of combat echoed from the other side. A group of soldiers waiting nearby called out to us.
"Oh, Master Lloyd and Master Saias! We are from the Second Squad. The messenger told us to expect you. You're here to incinerate the monster remains, correct?"
"Yes. Leave it to us and you'll have nothing to worry about. You can rest easy," Saias declared.
"We appreciate it. We'll provide your escort and act as guides. We look forward to working with you."
"Likewise."
"Then, we shall open the gate. Please wait a moment."
The soldier signaled the gatekeepers, who began turning the massive wheels. With a heavy, grinding roar, the gate started to swing open.
"Let’s move! Follow us!"
The soldiers charged out on horseback the moment the gap was wide enough. We followed.
"Men, do not fall behind!" Saias shouted, spurring his horse forward with gusto.
We trailed a bit further back at a more leisurely pace.
"Hey, Lloyd, we're falling behind. Is this okay?" Ren asked, her voice tinged with anxiety.
Bills gave a low chuckle. "Don't sweat it, kiddo."
"Who are you calling a kiddo?!"
"Look over there." Bills pointed ahead to where the Saias Squad was engaging monsters. "Those guys are staying too close to the vanguard. They're getting sucked into pointless skirmishes. We're a small force; we should focus on finishing the job we were given. The boss knows exactly what he's doing."
"I-I see... As expected of Lloyd!" Ren’s eyes began to sparkle with an intensity that was actually a little painful to look at.
Was that really why? I hadn't been thinking about that at all.
Regardless, we eventually arrived at the area where Cruse and her troops had passed through. Monster corpses were scattered everywhere, and the heavy stench of death filled the air.
"Alright, everyone. If you please," the guide said.
"Leave it to me. Lloyd-kun, I will take charge of this side. You handle that area over there. Try to keep up, alright?"
With those words, Saias led his Mage Soldiers toward a pile of corpses. They formed groups of five, surrounding the monsters and chanting in unison. Intense pillars of fire erupted.
They were using Quintuple Casting for their Fireballs. By having five people coordinate a Lower Magic spell with a short chant, they could produce a powerful effect while minimizing the individual mana cost. I see—so that was the standard for academy elites. It was well thought out. Watching other people use magic really was educational and fun.
"Hey, hey, they're moving pretty fast over there. We've only got one mage on this side. Is this gonna be okay, boss?"
"Hm? Oh, I'm already done."
I had already finished burning the monsters on my side with Fireball. If I hadn't finished quickly, I wouldn't have been able to watch their demonstration in peace.
"No way... you burned all those monsters to ash in an instant? I only looked away for a second... So this is the Seventh Prince. I can see why the big man decided to follow him."
"Heh, this is just a taste of Lloyd’s true power. Impressed?" Ren looked strangely smug, prompting Bills to let out an exasperated sigh.
Still... hmm. I had intended to burn them away completely, but some charred bones remained. I thought I had improved the formula quite a bit, but there was clearly still room for refinement. I suppose I’ll reconstruct the Spell Formula again on the way.