9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 142 - Choice and Focus (4)

“Holy shit… That’s incredible.”

Involuntary admiration spilled from my lips as I watched Ferint performance through the telescope.

Ferint literally tore through the battlefield.

‘There was a reason tanks never developed in this world. What’s the difference between those guys and tanks?’

Of course, they weren’t massacring enemy forces with artillery shells like tank crews would. They were simply focusing their tremendous force on the mages.

During their perfectly coordinated advance, the most striking figure was Appel Damier.

Damier shot forward at speeds no human should be capable of, launched himself into the sky, and killed a mage in an instant.

Now he was charging toward the ramparts firmly protected by barriers.

The other Ferint were the same. All of them swung their swords while stabbing the sky-bound mages to death as if they had wings.

“Ahhh!”

“Gyaaaah!”

The death cries of mages could be faintly heard from various points overhead.

Of course, the Pontinell side wasn’t just sitting there taking it.

Boom!

‘They must have finished aiming.’

Cannons fired from the ramparts and mages began chanting spells.

“Aker, glatus!”

BOOM BOOM BANG!

Transparent light clusters appeared in the blue sky, then massive ice spears plunged toward the ground.

As bombs fired from the ramparts exploded here and there, dozens of glinting ice spears threateningly pierced the air.

For a moment my breath caught and I clenched my fists, but the Ferint casually dodged the spears and charged toward their targets.

Their swift movements were as if they could predict the magic trajectories.

‘Damn, what the hell…!’

Human muscles can withstand that kind of movement?

‘Is that even physically possible?’

It’s cheating.

That kind of power is nothing but cheating like superpowers!

Has it been one minute since the battle started? Maybe two?

My stomach began to ache as I watched the mages being helplessly slaughtered.

‘No wonder Kruger was so confident!’

He had these monsters beyond human limits under his control—no, he himself was such a monster, so what would he fear?

It wasn’t only Pontinell that had hidden their decisive cards.

This must be Schufaben’s hidden dagger.

‘With 100 Ferint, you could conquer the continent.’

I gnawed my lips. My ears were ringing from the constant explosions of bombs and spells, but I didn’t even think to cover them.

‘This way we’ll really…’

Do other countries have elite knight orders like this?

Certainly, the legends and fairy tales of continental nations feature stories of powerful knights who slay dragons and demons.

But if they had such knight orders, they couldn’t have been so helpless before Schufaben’s invasion.

So Ferint could be considered Schufaben’s unique unit type.

‘This is insane. At this rate, won’t the continent really get devoured?!’

A faint groan escaped my lips.

I hadn’t expected it to be this extreme.

“Commander.”

Just then, Captain Alina Himmel whispered beside me and pointed toward the ramparts.

I unconsciously turned my telescope that way and saw Damier running at high speed, his white knight uniform fluttering and bloodstained.

It seemed like only 30 seconds had passed while I was lost in thought, but in that time he had crossed the plain and reached that far.

As he swung his sword, a blinding light burst forth.

“Agh! Flash bang!”

For a moment the massive lens flashed like lightning had struck, and I dropped the telescope.

“Commander.”

Captain Himmel quickly caught the telescope and spoke again.

“The barrier has been breached.”

“What?”

I rubbed my bloodshot eyes and took the telescope back to focus on the ramparts.

I could see Damier’s sword slicing through the blue barrier.

“It really has.”

But Damier soon retreated from the ramparts. The barrier quickly regenerated, and it seemed to be firmly gripping Damier’s sword and wouldn’t let go.

As the surviving mages reached out, fire rain and hail poured down on Damier.

Damier let go of his sword. His legs glowed white like they had minutes before.

At that moment fire and ice met, causing an explosion near the ramparts. Damier’s shadow was swept away and disappeared in the swirling ice fragments.

“Ah!”

A sound that was either a sigh or exclamation burst from my lips.

‘Is he dead?’

My hands gripping the telescope were sticky with sweat.

‘There might be some chance of victory…’

But it was false hope.

Three seconds later, Damier walked out leisurely with a mana barrier around his body. He then flew up into the sky like he was walking on air, killed another mage, and returned to his unit.

In that time, two-thirds of the mages pouring various spells from the sky had evaporated.

Whether Damier alone caught several, or several together caught one.

Either way.

***

The blood-stained plain was littered with mages’ corpses.

‘Are they stalling for time while preparing a counterattack? But it hasn’t even been 10 minutes yet—what could they prepare?’

I stared at the chaotic plain then turned my gaze toward the ramparts.

While young—no, practically child—mages died in droves, that old archmage from before still hadn’t shown himself.

‘He’s definitely plotting something inside there.’

The city before us was the first gateway into Pontinell.

Looking at how they deployed dozens of precious high-level personnel like mages, Pontinell’s government’s will was clear.

Beyond those ramparts, they absolutely wouldn’t let the Schufaben army pass.

I read that signal.

And I closed my eyes, smelling the acrid scent of blood while forcing my brain to work.

I didn’t know if they had gathered all the country’s mages or only deployed some.

But either way, they couldn’t deploy them endlessly to this battlefield.

Nearly thirty mages had died in 10 minutes.

How much would that number grow if they held out longer? Yet why was the Pontinell side waiting in silence?

‘Some massive finishing blow? Anyway, I’m betting on that there’s something.’

Then what method should I take now?

‘We have fewer than 60 people.’

We didn’t bring soldiers here. No infantry, cavalry, or artillery. Just the Ferint, me as commander, and Captain Himmel.

The journalists who tried to follow were thoroughly intimidated and locked up, then left under Deputy Commander Rudolf Eisler’s watch.

“We came to annihilate the enemy for His Excellency the Supreme Leader. We won’t do anything else. Ferint’s combat methods are classified, so you must bring minimal personnel.”

A few hours ago, the unnamed Ferint commander spoke bluntly.

Now I understood.

Why Kruger made Ferint such a secretive and closed organization. And why he tried to minimize observers.

That was a dangerous group that could only operate as the Supreme Leader’s dagger.

The people witnessing Ferint in that city would surely feel fear and despair.

I finished thinking and opened my eyes.

Another mage fell from the sky. I could see a knight’s sword piercing the mage’s heart with tremendous force after shattering the barrier.

‘I just need to wait.’

What easier gamble could there be?

So I plopped down on the ground. There were no watching eyes anyway.

“Are you unwell anywhere, Commander?”

Of course, except for Captain Alina Himmel.

I stretched out my aching legs and grinned.

“No, nowhere’s uncomfortable. I’m just planning to watch the battle from here, Captain. What a prime spot.”

“I see. Ferint’s skill is remarkable.”

Captain Himmel nodded stiffly, but I realized she was tense.

Well, with such an incredible battle unfolding right in front of us.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BANG!

Lightning struck down at various points on the plain, white mist spread, tsunamis surged, and chains of ice and waves of fire chased after the knights as if to devour them.

But the knights dodged all attacks with extreme power and speed while wearing barriers, bringing down the mages one by one.

The tremendous collision of mana shook the very air. The mana from both sides was so strong it made my skin tingle.

I counted silently.

About 10 minutes now, maybe.

One, two, three, four…

‘One hundred fifty-seven, one hundred fifty-eight, one hundred fifty-nine.’

About 15 minutes after the battle started, by my count.

Bright light began seeping from atop the ramparts.

“Captain Himmel!”

I jumped up and called my aide. She bowed with perfect posture.

“Yes, Commander.”

“Run.”

“Pardon?”

“Run, like last time! Leave me and run toward that garrison, quickly!”

She looked like she’d heard something impossible, and the captain’s face went rigid.

“Escorting the Commander is my duty.”

“You’ll die pointlessly if you want to do that.”

“Then what about the Commander?”

She took an awkward stance.

“If you carry me, we can’t go far! Hurry up and run! If we just stand here stupidly, we’ll get swept up in magic!”

It was getting blinding now. The last mage’s corpse fell from the sky, and the knights looked toward the ramparts.

The old archmage was rising above the ramparts with a staff in one hand.

And at the tip of that staff was a massive sphere of light that must have been 50 meters in diameter.

“Yes, like this!”

I was thrilled by that little sun-like mass of light that was probably pure condensed mana.

I didn’t know if it was the thrill of my prediction being right or my reason being paralyzed by the fear of approaching death.

“Hahaha! Hahahaha! Hahahahaha!”

When I suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, Captain Himmel looked at me with a somewhat disgusted expression.

“Commander…?”

I wiped away the tears that burst out from laughing too hard.

“Sorry, Captain. Cancel that talk about seeing family at New Year’s. Didn’t I tell you to run?”

“I cannot betray the Commander.”

“Stupid!”

I shouted, but now even my voice couldn’t be heard. That sphere of light was sucking up all the air and wind like it was absorbing energy.

“Sol— lumina!”

But why could the archmage’s spell chanting be heard so loudly?

‘Ah, Colin. I’m glad I left you at the garrison.’

The light that kept growing finally exploded, sweeping across the plain and rapidly approaching as it devoured everything.

I spread my arms wide and closed my eyes. Then I grinned and muttered.

“Let’s blow up together, you bastards.”

BOOM!

With the roar thundering in my ears, I died.

Or so I thought.

Suddenly all sound cut off like a speaker’s power had been unplugged, and a strange sensation like being in a vacuum dominated my entire body.

‘Am I dead?’

I cautiously opened my eyes to find bluish light surrounding everything.

Human figures in white uniforms arrayed in multiple layers around me and Captain Himmel.

50 Ferint standing as if in formation review, their swords extended in all directions.

Powerful mana flowing from there formed barriers.

Beyond the barriers was a hell of light, but inside here no heat or blinding glare could penetrate.

The Ferint commander glanced back at me standing there with my mouth agape.

“This is the second mission His Excellency the Supreme Leader entrusted to us.”

I could vividly feel my expression rotting. But the commander announced with mechanical indifference like a soulless person.

“Keep Lucas Redan alive.”

The light faded.

“All units, cancel spells.”

At the commander’s quiet order, the barriers were withdrawn.

“Form 35th formation.”

The Ferint formed a long, spear-like formation in perfect unison. As they stamped their feet once, their legs began glowing white.

“Counterattack!”

At the commander’s order, 50 knights shot across the plain like missiles. Their long trailing trajectories were like shooting star tails.

The Ferint reached the ramparts in an instant and swung their swords in unison, sending sharp sword energy slicing through the air. The barrier surrounding the entire city split in half with a cracking sound.

The Ferint stepped on the ramparts and launched into the sky. The archmage was struck by sword attacks from 50 swords and died.

20 minutes after the battle began.

We had won.