The Protagonist’s job was to deal with the Skeletons climbing the Ladders onto the City Wall.

A flurry of ice chunks instantly poured down, breaking the Ladders and knocking Skeletons off.

However, many Skeletons were still climbing onto the City Wall.

The Protagonist’s Magic had a range.

It was longer than a bow’s, but the City Wall was much longer than that.

Eventually, after dealing with one side, I had to run to the other side to push back the climbing Skeletons and break the Ladders. Because of this, my stamina depleted much faster from all the running.

Running without rest, I remembered a spell used by a very old Mage.

He not only used defensive Magic but also knew how to use Magic for long-distance travel. It would be incredibly useful if the Protagonist could also instantly travel long distances like him.

Occasionally, if a Messenger was sent from another City Wall, support was provided to that side by the Family Head. If either side broke, everyone would die. The Nobles had no time to fight among themselves.

The Skeletons were pushed back just enough to be annoying. Occasionally, when the Protagonist appeared, they would retreat. Then, Messengers from other sides would shout that something terrible had happened.

They didn’t even retreat when night fell like the Orcs. But as I endured, a turning point came, just as the Count had said.

They seemed to be feeling impatient. The Skeletons charged all at once, as if pouring out. Dozens of large Skeletons also attacked.

Gasp. Gasp.

I gasped for breath.

The City Wall was in a terrible state. The Skeleton bones scattered everywhere and the bloodstains on the ground were horrifying.

But the surviving Soldiers were looking out beyond the City Wall. Because there was a truly unbelievable sight there.

Large Skeletons lay fallen everywhere in this place, and the Skeletons piled on the ground were so numerous that calling it a field of bones would not be an exaggeration.

The ice Golem standing in the middle seemed to be saying that the Protagonist was the strongest.

Even the evil Mages in the distance seemed dumbfounded, coming quite far forward just to stare at what the Protagonist had done.

Not only what the Golem had done, but the Protagonist also exerted effort.

I couldn’t count how many ice chunks were thrown in between, and I used Blizzard whenever it was dangerous. That happened three times.

Amidst all that, the fortunate thing was that no Messenger came from the other City Walls.

I didn’t know if the Nobles had fought well, or if the offensive was concentrated on this side. Anyway, I just felt that we had made it through the day.

Then, a group of figures in Robes walked slowly from the enemy side.

They were Emissaries delivering a message. Among them, I saw the old Mage I had seen before.

It was the Old Man I had met on the way to my Castle with the Princess, who had tried to win over the Protagonist.

When he reached near the City Wall, he stopped and shouted something.

But perhaps because he was so old, his voice didn’t reach me. I turned my head to Mordon. If he had good ears, he might have heard it.

“What are they saying, Beggar?”

“Words not worth hearing.”

“What is it?”

“They say they want to meet the Baron.”

The Old Man said he had something to say and asked for someone to be sent.

It seemed he wanted to talk to the Protagonist.

I was curious what he would say. When the Protagonist tried to go out, those around him stopped him. They said it was clearly an enemy trap.

The Protagonist went outside the City Gate and met them.

For some reason, I felt that the Old Man wouldn’t harm the Protagonist in such a place.

Perhaps that thought came to me because they were both Mages.

From the start, the opponent had entered a range where the Protagonist could cast Magic.

It meant he had come prepared to die. What he wanted to say, even with such resolve, was what made me most curious.

The Old Man, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, looked gaunt.

In that short time, he seemed to have aged another ten years. His wrinkles were so deep that it wouldn’t be strange if he died tomorrow.

“We meet again.”

“Haven’t we seen each other every day?”

The Old Man revealed his yellowed teeth. To be able to laugh in such a state, he was an amazing Old Man. If he weren’t an enemy, I would have enjoyed talking to him, which was a shame.

“What did you want to see me about?”

“To advise you to surrender.”

“Surrender?”

I didn’t understand what the Old Man was saying.

The Protagonist was the one who won this battle. Despite pushing in an enormous number of Skeletons, they couldn’t cross the City Wall. They lost.

“That doesn’t sound like something a loser would say.”

“Do you truly think you’ve won?”

I looked at the Old Man’s face.

I couldn’t read his expression. It could have been a bluff, but if it wasn’t, it was a dangerous situation. My head became complicated.

“We still have many Corpses. And after today’s battle, you won’t be able to exert much power for a while.”

I kept my mouth shut.

The Old Man was right.

Even if I learned to use external mana, if the Ring was strained, I had to rest it.

Otherwise, the Ring I had painstakingly created could break. Using such powerful Magic as Blizzard three times in one day was my limit.

“You might have fended off this attack, but since your power has waned, you won’t be able to stop the next offensive. We came to tell you that fact.”

“Are you telling me to surrender?”

“You are a Mage. A very excellent Mage. And we are trying to usher in the age of Mages. You should join us. For what reason are you staying there?”

“A woman.”

I covered my mouth with my palm.

Even after the Protagonist spoke, he was slightly surprised.

It was true. But it wasn’t something to say in front of people. The Old Man standing in front of the Protagonist also made a bewildered expression.

“Th-that, I can understand.”

“Really?”

“When I was young, I was also crazy about women. Any excellent man wants to take a good woman. You could call it a man’s instinct. But you are unexpected.”

“Unexpected?”

“If you have that level of skill at your age, it’s barely enough to abandon everything and pour your energy into one thing. But to be crazy about women and still reach that level… You surprise me every time.”

…

The old man was so excited that he even spat. The protagonist closed his mouth. Praise was good, but he didn’t want to hear that he was crazy about women.

Even while conversing, the old man glanced at those standing on the City Wall.

The distance was ambiguous, so their conversation couldn’t be heard over there. He couldn’t understand why he was looking. He wondered if he was about to say something he couldn’t say to others.

“Change your mind now and come over here. I won’t ask about anything that has happened so far. If you have such a lineage, I have high hopes for the Mages who will be born in the future.”

“I’m not a stud horse, what are you talking about?”

It was absurd. His tone treated him like a stud horse for breeding.

“Nobles value bloodlines, but Mages value them even more. If both the mother and father are Mages, nine out of ten children will have the qualities of a Mage. It’s excellent if outstanding Mages marry. In that sense, you are a very desirable resource. So much so that we can’t even comprehend it. Coincidentally, the Elder’s female disciple is also very talented, so it would be good if the two of you united.”

“I can only be with someone I like.”

“If a woman’s beauty is outstanding, affection will naturally arise even if there was none before. I’m already looking forward to it. You were a commoner, weren’t you? If you properly teach magic to your future children from a young age, even more outstanding Mages might emerge. This, it’s enough to make me wet myself.”

He covered his ears.

The old man’s cunning tongue was tormenting the protagonist.

He regretted coming out. This was the problem with Mages. The more they trained and advanced in their realm, the stronger their curiosity became.

“I don’t want to hear any more.”

If, as they threatened, he had to prepare for another Absorption tomorrow, he needed to rest a bit to be ready to fight.

The old man and the dark mages next to him did not attack as they watched the protagonist leave.

It was because Mordon was next to him.

Even if they did attack, he could handle them sufficiently. At that moment, someone from their group rushed out. It was the Fortune Teller.

“Bill?”

“It’s been a long time.”

“Were you on that side?”

Bill nodded.

When he rushed out, the old man’s complexion changed. But he didn’t stop him.

There was a momentum as if he would act immediately, so he prepared to fight. It would be bad to overexert himself, but he still had some energy left.

“You said I was in danger before, didn’t you?”

He didn’t know why Bill had suddenly appeared.

If he had come to the protagonist, he seemed to have something to say. He listened to his words. He didn’t forget to signal Mordon. The dark mages might come forward. If push came to shove, Mordon would stop them.

“Did you also come out to tell me to surrender?”

Bill shook his head. That reaction made him even more curious.

“I came to tell you to steel your heart.”

“My heart?”

“While you have been fighting a War of Attrition, you have been increasingly cornered. But the same goes for us.”

“Bill! What are you saying now!”

The old man raised his staff.

Faster than him, he prepared to create and hurl a chunk of ice at him.

The old man trembled. He dared not attack. It was because he realized that if he did anything rash, he would die.

Unlike the extremely old mage, he couldn’t use magic to protect himself or escape.

“What he said is a lie.”

“Not entirely a lie. It’s true that they intend to drain your strength before the decisive battle. However, that is truly a life-threatening act. Today, the number of Skeletons decreased more than expected, so we don’t have many Corpses left on our side.”

“Didn’t they bluff? Why did you say it wasn’t entirely a lie?”

“Because the dark mages will also step forward.”

His face hardened.

“Until now, they sent Skeletons but never directly came forward to fight. They were beggars who were afraid of being killed by you. But now it’s different. They will attack, thinking it’s their last chance. If you can’t use your full power, they also have a chance of winning.”

“Still, your side has a better chance, right?”

“Don’t be afraid. This is the final battle.”

“Bill! You really!”

The Old Man, who was listening to the story, extended his staff.

Unable to bear it any longer, he chanted a spell, and a Fireball instantly appeared.

The Old Man couldn’t perform Silent Casting with his skill. Judging by the blood flowing from his nose and mouth, it seemed he had overexerted himself.

He threw an ice chunk he had already created, extinguishing the Fireball. The remaining ice then burst the Old Man’s stomach.

However, the Old Man didn’t die. Even as other Dark Mages fled, he clutched his spilling intestines and cried out,

“Arise!”