The Book Eating Magician chapter-278

The meeting on the reorganization of the army took a lot of time. In
addition to the newly joined Orta, there were the elf reinforcements and
the two master level guardians. Not only that, but most of the elf
warriors were from different fields, ranging from reconnaissance to
fighting. Therefore, they had to come up with a plan of how to move them.

The meeting was held until the sun was in the middle of the sky. As a
result, Theodore was placed in a vacant lot with his assigned personnel.

He looked around at those who had joined him and said, “First, Quattro
and the detached group will move directly under me like before. The
performance that you showed on Karul Plains was excellent. Please show
the same thing in the future.”

Yes! The 30 magicians saluted. The groups under Sylvia, William, and Para
didn’t have any casualties. They might have been lucky, or it might
have been due to good commands. Theodore didn’t think this optimistic
outcome would continue, but he hoped it would drag out as long as
possible. He didn’t want his heart to be bothered by the loss of
familiar faces.

Looking around at his subordinates, Theodore’s gaze stopped on a person
for a moment—a blonde girl.

‘Paragranum.’

She was the Yellow Tower Master who had founded the cornerstones that
were the magic towers.

Theodore used to think that Paragranum had simply picked Meltor as a good
place to study magic, but not anymore. If there was someone who guided
the northern war for centuries as Gluttony presumed, then the grimoire
hiding behind a shell was also a winner.

There was a chance that the recipe to make titanium had been handed over
by Paragranum.

“…Next.”

However, it was still too early to question Paragranum. Theodore tore his
eyes away from the grimoire in the guise of a young girl.

Anyway, her body was just a terminal, and there would be no big outcome
if Theodore killed her. Additionally, there was a need to find the
grimoire’s main body in order to threaten it with Gluttony.

‘It is obviously hidden somewhere in Mana-vil.’ Theodore thought of a
few suspicious places as he looked at the waiting elf.

The elf had blond hair that was close to silver, and he looked like a
sculpture. He was Edwin, the guardian of Elvenheim who was placed under
Theodore’s command, along with 50 elf warriors.

“I am happy to be with you again. Third branch of Elvenheim, Sir
Edwin.”

“I am also thankful for your guidance, Benefactor.”

This time, they shook hands instead of using a military ceremony. Edwin
was Theodore’s subordinate, but he was also a guardian with the highest
reputation in Elvenheim. As an elf with the power of senior elementals,
Edwin didn’t bow to anyone except for the high elves.

He wasn’t someone to speak informally with.

‘I didn’t ask, but things turned out well.’

Theodore was relieved as he spoke to Edwin, who followed him like a mild
puppy.

The bow master of Andras, who had aimed for him last time on the Karul
Plains…

Apart from Theodore who had foresight with his super sensitivity, the
best person to match the bow master was Edwin. Ellaim wasn’t weak, but
right now, the unit needed a master specialized in ranged combat rather
than close combat.

It would strengthen the strongest part of the unit, rather than the
weakest part.

In the first place, war mages acted on the principle that they would
defeat the opponent before they got close. Close combat was a last
resort. A magician who allowed a knight to get close was already halfway
defeated.

Furthermore, Theodore hadn’t seen it yet, but the Gladio that
Paragranum had repaired was sleeping in his inventory. Even so, there was
a chance that the bow master might strike when Theodore’s feet were
tied up by another one of the empire’s Seven Swords.

The presence of the enemy bow master, who could shoot arrows over a few
kilometers, was a nightmare.

‘In the worst case scenario, the 1st and 2nd Swords will have recovered
rapidly and then strike at me, but… it is meaningless to worry too much
about it.’

The probability of that was close to zero. Theodore might be a hero, but
on the surface, he was just a 7th Circle magician. He wasn’t an
opponent that two of the strongest swordsmen in Andras would team up
against to assassinate.

Meltor had the combination of Veronica and Blundell, so it would
strategically be very stupid.

Putting the powerhouses in one unit might allow a terrible power to be
exerted at one point. However, if they didn’t act according to
schedule, this could become a huge hole. For instance, if Theodore
didn’t move at all, how long would the 1st and 2nd Swords wait in their
locations?

Meanwhile, Meltor would be able to trample on the empire. Blundell and
Veronica would cut at that gap.

Additionally, that could also be applied to Theodore’s force.

“Dame Rebecca, sister of Sir Randolph.”

“Yes, My Liege.”

In response to the call, Rebecca moved forward and knelt on one knee like
a knight. Her left hand was on her waist, while her right hand was on her
heart. It was the greeting of a person who would devote both her sword
and her life to him.

‘…Indeed, she has a genius talent like Randolph.’ Theodore
reflexively read and admired her skills.

Rebecca’s performance had probably advanced by two stages since they
said goodbye four months ago in the Soldun Kingdom. She was probably
around Randolph’s level when he had been at the duel trial?

Rebecca was at the last wall before becoming a sword master, realizing
her Aura Ability. It was the turning point where crossing the wall
depended on a person’s capabilities. Despite his admiration, Theodore
spoke in a cold voice, “Is this enough to keep what you have promised
me?”

He was asking if she could survive on the battlefield where even the life
of a sword master wasn’t guaranteed.

“I’m sorry. But Brother said that in order to move onto the next
stage, action, not practice, is needed.”

“That’s right. He also crossed this wall because of real action.”

It had been a stormy night when he had been on the side of the infamous
sea dragon, fighting against a grimoire from the Age of Mythology. The
experience of that day surpassed the decades of experience that Randolph
had built up.

After that, Randolph found his Aura Ability and his overall skills
soared. It couldn’t be compared to that night, but this war might be
enough to awaken Rebecca’s ability. However, that wasn’t the answer
that Theodore wanted.

“Do you intend to use this war as your springboard? If you have such a
thought then leave right now.”

“My Liege, please allow me to speak.”

“I give permission.”

After receiving Theodore’s permission, Rebecca looked up at him with
her green eyes. “My Liege, I swore to be your sword.”

“So?”

“Swing me freely. My blade will bathe in the enemy’s blood, and I
will cut more sharply than before.”

“I am a magician. You might not get the role you desire.”

“If I’m interfering, then leave me. I will return to my sheathe at
your waist.”

Rebecca abandoned her pride as a knight and only followed him. Yet as the
beautiful knight spoke in a dignified manner, it was clear that some of
her pride still remained. It was enough to make the people gathered here
feel overwhelmed.

Sylvia looked serious, but Theodore couldn’t read her mind and just
accepted Rebecca’s request.

“Okay. Make sure that you thoroughly move according to my
instructions.”

“I will keep that in mind, My Liege!”

As Rebecca stepped back, Theodore realized that all the personnel had
been sorted out. It was a group of fewer than 100 elites. Although it
might be difficult to attack Rutben, it was a unit capable of destroying
a decent fortress in half a day.

“Apart from the leaders, I will see the rest of you here tomorrow
morning. Dismissed!”

The work he had to do wasn’t over yet. As all the members of the unit
returned to their quarters, Theodore moved to the barrack with his
executives. As mentioned earlier, he had to be careful not to waste this
power.

He had to do something that wouldn’t become a negative. Theodore looked
through the maps and used Alfred’s memories to determine the place to
attack.

“Rutben is too crowded. It is a little further, but how about
Elverin?”

“The distance is too great. It will take time for troops to arrive to
occupy the area, and there aren’t any great benefits to occupying it.”

“Moselle Castle looks okay.”

“Umm… The terrain is vague. We don’t have to rush into things. In
the East, it is called ‘something that one hesitates to give up even
though it is of little interest’?”

“Then Moselle is put on hold. What is next?”

Someone asked, “What about Dofrun Castle?”

‘Dofrun Castle’ was a unique name, so the people in the barrack
looked at the location on the map.

Then they sighed.

“It is too much. The empire’s rangers are guarding that mountain. The
whole area is completely covered with defensive lines. The enemy
reinforcements will arrive in half the time.”

“Even if we can fly over the defensive lines, Dofrun Castle itself is
quite a strong fortress. If we are surrounded while exhausted, our odds
won’t be good. Moreover, the senior officials of Lairon are staying
there, so their power would be increased.”

“It seems impossible for anyone to move stealthily toward Dofrun… It
is a fortress that needs to be captured from the front, similar to
Rutben.”

Dofrun Castle itself was manageable. The walls weren’t thick, and the
elite troops, including the knights, were of an ordinary level. Theodore
and his unit could easily destroy the fortress. The problem was the
harshness of the path leading to Dofrun.

‘Ranges cover the mountain area over tens of kilometers…. It is
impossible to pass through without being detected by a defensive line.
Dofrun Castle should be excluded from the list of targets.’

Theodore grunted as he looked at the map and realized that the words of
the other people weren’t wrong. Even Alfred, who was called a genius at
tactics, couldn’t find an answer to this obstacle.

Wouldn’t it be better to get a small profit, rather than aim for
something big and get into trouble? Theodore was leaning toward Moselle
Castle that was mentioned earlier.

“Ah.”

Then an old memory popped into his mind.

‘Yes, if it is that…’

Theodore looked at Edwin’s face. He remembered what he had experienced
when he first stepped into Elvenheim. His mind shone as he thought of a
similar method.

“…Shall we try it once?”

The next day, Theodore and his subordinates disappeared from Meltor’s
military camp.

* * *

Berbatov Mountains—it was one of the largest mountain ranges in the
empire, with peaks which reached an altitude of 6,000 meters.

The spectacular terrain of the mountains and its geographical proximity
to the border meant it had the nickname of ‘Imperial Wall.’ The
rangers who defended the Berbatov Mountains were always proud of this
fact, not tolerating even a single bird flying above their heads.

Today, some unlucky birds died from arrows.

“Ohh, that was pretty good practice. Did you shoot two at the same
time?”

“There is a saying about two for one. So, I decided to try it once.”

“Very interesting. Should I also try it once?”

Hitting two birds with one arrow… The imperial archers were certainly
remarkable, but the Berbatov rangers were the only ones who could show
this type of archery—shooting flying birds with arrows.

All of the rangers were good enough to distinguish faces on the horizon,
and they could even see the leaves rustling a distance away. They were
the reason why Meltor didn’t target these mountains. The entire
mountain range could be burned down, but they didn’t use this method
because there were no benefits.

The knights were filled with pride, and eventually, one of them shot down
three birds with one arrow.

“Today the mountain is peaceful. Won’t we die of boredom?”

“I agree. I wish an intruder passed by.”

“Eh, just one person? There should be 100 people.”

“Hahahaha! Is that so? Indeed, I should be able to shoot 100 people!”

This remark might seem arrogant, but it was the truth. The rangers of the
Berbatov Mountains could shoot hundreds of people alone.

They were garbage if they missed one shot in 10. If they missed one in
100, they were a fool. Then if they missed one in 1,000 shots, they would
avoid going out, stating it was an unlucky day.

So, the Berbatov rangers couldn’t have imagined that as the two knights
in the watchtower were chatting, there really were almost 100 invaders
passing under their feet.

‘Fools, shoot me if you can.’ Theodore laughed as he walked through a
tunnel 800 meters under the Berbatov rangers.

It wasn’t easy for a sword master to detect something 800 meters below
ground. This was impossible to detect with just a bow and good eyesight
even if the elementals weren’t being used. Theodore borrowed Mitra’s
vision to watch the rangers above ground, enjoying this bold infiltration.

“Hah, I never thought it would be reproduced this way…” Edwin
murmured as he walked near Theodore.

This method was familiar to Edwin.

It was the way of the forest. Previously, Ellenoa had shown this power to
Theodore when he arrived in Elvenheim. The tree branches, roots, and
bushes had moved to create a road that hadn’t been there previously.

However, Theodore applied it under the ground, not to the forest, making
a tunnel which went for several tens of kilometers.

“It is only possible with your help, Sir Edwin.”

It would be noticed if they used magic, even at this depth. So, Theodore
made this tunnel purely by borrowing Mitra’s power. But the amount of
power consumed exceeded what Mitra was capable of. Theodore would only be
able to make a tunnel that was two or three kilometers at most by himself.

Fortunately, a few days ago, he had been given 50 elementalists who would
support Mitra’s power.

“I can’t refuse the Dancer’s partner…”

“An auspicious day…”

Theodore ignored the burdensome rumors behind him and kept on walking.
His super sensitivity whispered that it would be a disaster if he asked
what they meant. Theodore turned his thoughts to a different direction.

‘We will get there by evening. It should be fine to rest a little bit
and start in the middle of the night.’

Dofrun Castle itself wasn’t far. It just seemed far away due to all the
defensive lines in the mountains. If they moved in a straight line, they
could reach there within a day.

According to secret agents of the white tower, it was the place where
high ranking officials of Lairon were staying. Theodore’s eyebrows
twitched as he remembered the ugliness he had seen from those in Lairon.
They were the ones who were trying to spread the flames of war in the
name of their god for the purpose of gaining benefits from it.