After casting such large-scale magic, Mum staggered feebly and fell to her knees.

[Appraisal].

《Julia Chrebl. HP: 79 / 79, MP: 107 / 253.》

Her MP was at 210 before using the magic, which means the 《Fire Storm》 just then actually used up 103 MP.
As far as it goes, her remaining MP is enough for one more attack, but there might be situations in which she would want to use spells for diversion purposes, so it’s better to a.s.sume that there won’t be another shot of that spell unless we are greatly cornered.

That said, the enemy camp was shredded by the 《Fire Storm》, and it appeared as though at least a hundred mercenaries were caught up in the technique and became unable to fight.

Originally, the split into three squads to encircle the fortress and attacked in waves.

In regards to the damage sustained by the enemy side, there were just over 100 soldiers from Mum’s magic, and dozens  of soldiers from the defences of the fortress knights.

The base had also been burnt to a crisp from the fire tornado, and I could see that chaos had arisen in the chain of command, even from here.

That’s why I believed that the mercenaries will retreat from here temporarily.
If they bear the full brunt of battle while in chaos, their numbers will just decrease without being able to do anything.

However, my prediction was off.

From the vicinity of the scattered encampment, one of the men slowly rose, picked up the carbonised spear lying beside him, took aim at the heavily breathing Julia-kaasan, and threw with all his strength.

If it was just that, I would have thought that it was merely an act of desperation, but the spear rotated with a terrifying force as it flew this way in a straight line.

“――Babu!”

At once, I tried to use [Physics Magic] and [Letterless Invocation] to catch the spear but――

“Buu!?” (Wha!)

A bizarre feeling was transmitted through the invoked magic.

Looking closely, the spear had some kind of black lightning coiling around it.

Then, I suddenly hit upon a good idea.
[Appraisal]!

《〔Damaged〕Iron Lance. Stats: Dark enchantment, Lightning enchantment, Deadly Curse enchantment. Made with Goleth’s (ゴレス) [Enchant Magic] 9 skill.》

Wh-what is this!?

No, anyhow, I understood that it was something dangerous.

I stacked ♭ 2, 3, 4, 5…. a total of 9 times, before the spear finally ceased its movement.
[Appraisal].

《〔Ruined〕Iron Lance. Stats: Dark enchantment, Lightning enchantment. Made with Goleth’s [Enchant Magic] 9 skill.》

One of the enchanted states produced by [Enchant Magic] disappeared, but the other two remain.

I think it moved with a similar speed to how it did when it came.
That spear――

Bam!
With that sound, it exploded in midair.

I wasn’t sure what happened for a moment, but I understood when I saw the mercenary’s stance.

――The mercenary had promptly thrown another spear and intercepted the returning spear.

It’s a lie, right?

I strain my eyes at the mercenary who was only the size of a fingernail when seen from here, and then used [Appraisal].

《Goleth (Mercenary group leader《Goleth of the Lance》《Wolf of the battlefield》《Pillaging Brigade》)

Half Dwarf
Half Demon (A being who transformed into a half-demon with a curse from the evil G.o.d)

Level  51

MP 229 / 259 (9 + 250)

Skills

[Lance Spearmanship] 5

+ [Toughness] 9 (MAX)　(It becomes hard to feel pain and fatigue during combat)

• General

[Spear Skills] 7

[Unarmed Combat Skills] 5

　(This one’s body sustained the curse of Monguenues, the evil G.o.d, and was able to obtain Add〔Enchantment〕to his status and skills. The additions require a sacrifice of 10 years of one’s lifespan × number of additions.) 》

Ah, I clearly understood it.

If this guy was a boss then of course he would think that the fortress could fall.

It seems that after devoting himself to the evil G.o.d, Goleth received the benefit of ‘Add’.

The terror of these statuses and skills probably have no need to be explained.

Well, [Toughness] looks like a lesser form of [No Fatigue] though.

Julia-kaasan also seemed to notice the dangers of this guy and her face paled.
Well, anaemia-like symptoms had temporarily appeared due to the sudden decrease of MP anyway.

Even so, Mum stood up firmly, sternly scowling at the mercenary ― the group leader, Goleth of the lance.

However, Mum.

He mightn’t be the slasher himself, but he’s unmistakably a man of the evil G.o.d’s side.

I untie the cord that fastened me to my mother’s back, and float in the air with [Physics Magic].
Then, I come out before Mum and confront Goleth directly.

At the surreal sight of a baby floating in the air above the ramparts, the atmosphere of the surroundings stilled.
Goleth’s filthy, unshaven square jaw was partly opened and he was c.o.c.king his head in confusion, while Mum forgot to breath in astonishment. The fortress knights nearby also stared at me with blank faces.

The first to recover was Goleth. He took a lance from the subordinate-looking mercenary standing beside him and hurled it at me.

I received the spear, casting ♭ with ease, and sent it back towards Goleth―― No, it had been shifted slightly and was thrown back at the subordinate-looking mercenary standing next to him.
Without erring, the lance hit the mercenary and his upper body was blasted away without leaving a trace.

Goleth grinned as he was covered in his subordinate’s blood, due to him standing so close.

Goleth caught some other mercenaries and shouted something at them.

Because he was singlehandedly beating them to death, the other mercenaries were shrinking back and didn’t dare approach him.

In that time, I was also searching the surroundings to see whether there was anything I could throw.

There were.
Lying here and there on the ramparts were stones and bricks used to drop on enemies clinging to the castle walls.

I cast [Physics Magic] on a number of them and thinking that ‘victory goes to the one who makes the first move’, I hurl them towards Goleth.

Some of the bricks crumbled in midair as if they had been travelling too fast, but an armful of stones rushed at Goleth and his followers in succession.
Goleth smashed the stones flying at him with his fists, but his followers had no way to do so, receiving stones to their heads and dying, spraying grey matter all around them.

Continuing, I adjust the speed and scatter smallish rocks and bricks in Goleth’s surroundings.

Several mercenaries received them directly and fainted in their spot (the possibility of their death is high too).

Losing his patience, Goleth personally took out a bunch of lances from their base and shouted some things at the subordinates.
As the subordinates withdrew with relieved expressions, I presume that he said something along the lines of ‘you’re in the way, so move’.

Goleth crushed the rocks and bricks I hailed on him with one hand while he cast [Enchant Magic] on the lance he grasped in his other hand.
In the end, the charging of the lance was completed without the rocks I threw causing any damage to Goleth.

Boom――!!
The lance was released from Goleth’s arm, along with the sound of air splitting.

While gradually decelerating its speed with [Physics Magic], I increase the horizontal force little by little.
The lance pa.s.ses by my side, and then after turning around in a large circle, I again increase its speed and redirect it towards Goleth.

Goleth tried to dodge the spear by a hair’s breadth, but naturally, I saw through it.
Just before impact, I invoke several additional ♭ and coercively change the trajectory, aiming at Goleth from right overhead.

But regrettably, Goleth leapt back to avoid the spear at the last moment.

Like the armour, the floor was also crushed from the impact when the spear collided with it.

Seeing that as a chance, I toss rocks and bricks without a moment’s delay, but as expected, Goleth destroys them with one hand while preparing his next spear.

Understanding that the rocks and bricks won’t get through any more, the ones I had already cast [Physics Magic] on were aimed at enemy soldiers in a convenient location and thrown, disposing of the soldiers.
The blockhead soldiers who were watching the exchange between Goleth and I collapsed dumbfoundedly, their heads looking like pomegranates.

In the meantime, Goleth’s charging had finished, and the second lance comes flying.
I suppose him not looking worn-out is an effect of [Toughness].

I intercept that attack with several ♭, and fling it back with plenty of composure.

In that time, I once again use [Appraisal] on Goleth.

《Goleth. HP: 341 / 379, MP: 189 / 259》

Hmm. So one use of [Enchant Magic] uses 30 MP.
Because the lowest cost for a Master Cla.s.s magic skill is 10, I calculate the first attempt to have cost 30, the counterattack just then taking 10, and the second lance using 30.

The decrease in HP was probably because damage was inflicted on his body from the attack that broke his armour just now.

Was that also a benefit of [Toughness]?

While I was doing that, Goleth took a bundle of 5~6 lances and started casting [Enchant Magic] on them all in one go.
I see, it won’t be settled at this rate.

Thinking that it would be hard to move in that condition, I once again pick up some rocks and throw them at Goleth.

Goleth smashed several rocks with one hand, but it seems he decided it was too bothersome midway and proceeds to ignore them.

My thrown rocks. .h.i.t Goleth, but I didn’t see him even wince at all. [Appraisal].

《Goleth.HP: 171 / 379, MP: 59 / 259 (9 + 250) 》

Alright. Damage has been properly acc.u.mulated.

Goleth, who finished charging the spears, finally throws spears towards me.
I didn’t stall them all, there were two directly in front of me, and one flying at the walls a little below me.

It was possible to simultaneously catch them all.

However, I purposely caught one of the spears in front of me with [Physics Magic], avoided the other spear by making it ‘fall’ from the sky, and decided to disregard the one aimed at the walls.
Naturally, that was after making sure that those spears wouldn’t hit Julia-kaasan or the other knights.

In regards to the events following, the moment I landed on top of the ramparts, my foothold broke, and I fell from the walls without even being able to float in the air.

“Edgar-ku… n……!”

I heard Julia-kaasan’s screams stretch out midway.

That was because I used [Physics Magic] and accelerated the drop, evading the fourth and fifth lances thrown at me successively.
Then I forcibly shifted my course forward as I imbued the first lance that I grabbed with all the MP I have――

Woooosh!
Together with the record-breaking sound of cutting wind, the discharged lance hits Goleth’s torso, who was unable to react.

Surprisingly, Goleth catches the spear.

However, the momentum was hard to suppress and Goleth was repelled backwards with a tremendous force.

Losing his ankles and being unable to land, Goleth maintained a spinning state and each time he made contact with the ground, flesh and blood would be scattered from the exposed part as he tumbled far beyond the battlefield.
He moved too far away, so my eyes were unable to confirm Goleth’s condition but――

[Appraisal].

《Goleth. HP: 0 / 379, MP: 0  259. Condition: deceased.》

When I viewed his status,

《〔Goleth’s〕Corpse.》

was what it had changed to.