New chapter of May Our Village be Happy is out (2/2 chapters)

Magic User

 

 

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

The first to act was Mika. With the intention of incapacitating the enemy knight in a single strike, he swung the log with tremendous momentum. If the opponent had been nothing more than an ordinary man, he would have been struck down instantly, unable to evade the blow of a log swung at such speed. However, as might be expected of one worthy of being called a magic user, the knight retreated with astonishing swiftness and avoided the attack.

The knight interpreted the trajectory and the range of the log with flawless precision. He evaded it with the bare minimum of movement, and even as he did so, his stance with weapon at the ready never collapsed. Although such extraordinary agility might be attributed to the blessing of magic, the reflexes with which he perceived Mika’s assault, as well as his flawless bearing without the slightest opening, seemed to be a matter of his own ability. He was not merely one who could employ magic, but rather, a knight of formidable strength in his own right.

“Then, let us see how you withstand this.” (Mika)

Mika hurled the log at a height barely above the ground. The spinning projectile flew toward the knight, yet he was not caught by it. He leapt aside, just as he had when dismounting from his horse earlier.

Mika did not only allowed the moment of the knight’s landing to pass unexploited, but also manipulated another log with magic and launched it into him. This time, the knight could not entirely evade. The blow landed squarely upon him.

“—!?” (Sergei)

Mika was certain that this single strike had decided the matter, but the result proved otherwise. Although the knight was blown sideways by the immense weight and speed of the log’s impact, he did not collapse disgracefully. Instead, he steadied his feet against the earth, slid several meters, and managed to hold his ground while still standing. He had withstood the strike of the log upright.

Although the blow had struck him directly in the torso and must have imparted tremendous shock, he displayed no evidence of grave injury. Upon witnessing this, Mika’s eyes widened in astonishment. He was left dumbfounded as he realized that bodily fortification through flesh-strengthening magic could manifest such extreme effect.

“Uwah!” (Mika)

Mika had no leisure to remain stupefied, for the knight rushed toward him at terrifying speed. In order to defend himself, Mika drew a log close at hand and retreated backward. He spun the log wildly, forming from it a wall impossible to pass through. Yet the knight circled swiftly to Mika’s left. Mika instantly cast the log in that direction, but the knight lowered his body close to the earth and evaded the erratically spinning projectile with inhuman skill. Since Mika had been facing west upon the battlefield, the log that he flung leftward veered southward toward the village, where it struck a house squarely.

The pillars splintered, the walls collapsed, and the roof caved in, leaving the dwelling half-destroyed. If memory served, the house had belonged to Ivan’s son and his wife. With silent remorse in his heart, Mika apologized to them, vowing that he would see it rebuilt, and he extended his hand to command another log–…

“Hii!” (Mika)

The knight rose faster than the next log could be drawn to Mika’s side and advanced with his sword already poised. Mika broke off the spell and leapt backward in haste. He barely managed to evade the knight’s slash by allowing himself to topple to the ground. Rising quickly, he turned to seize the log once more with magic, but before he could act, the knight had already lifted it from the earth.

Once an object was acknowledged as being held by another, Mika’s magic hand could no longer reach it or rather, it became exceedingly difficult to influence. While Mika faltered at this unforeseen development, the knight dragged the log back and hurled it away. Even with his body reinforced by mana, the log weighed more than one hundred kilograms, and though he seemed somewhat strained, he nevertheless succeeded in throwing it.

Mika’s psychokinesis hand extended to no more than four meters. Thus, the log cast beyond that radius was lost to him. Moreover, since he had retreated to avoid the knight’s blade, he had distanced himself too far from the stacked logs as well. They too lay beyond reach.

“This is very bad, this is very bad indeed!” (Mika)

Mika turned his back and fled in desperation, while the knight pursued.

“Uooooooooh!” (Dimitri)

From outside the knight’s field of vision came a sudden assault. It was Dimitri. The conscripted enemy soldiers whom he had faced were already slain, lying behind him in pools of blood. The battle-axe that an ordinary man of average build would require both hands to wield, Dimitri, by virtue of his massive frame, swung with a single hand and brought down upon the knight. It was a blow heavy enough to split a man asunder. Yet the knight, in a feat that beggared belief, caught it with a single hand. He used the metal gauntlet upon his left arm to block the axe’s edge.

Although the blade did not bite through, the shock must have been tremendous. Indeed, the gauntlet had been dented beneath the force of the strike. Nevertheless, the knight withstood the impact with no more than a slight displacement, then swung his arm and deflected the axe aside.

Immediately, he poised his sword to thrust into Dimitri’s chest.

“No!” (Mika)

Mika, who reacted in desperation, seized with magic a nearby stone used for slinging and hurled it toward the knight’s face. The knight raised the sword that had been aimed at Dimitri and struck the stone aside. During that brief distraction, instead of thrusting, he drove a savage kick into Dimitri, who had already raised his axe anew.

The strengthening of flesh by magic endowed even a mere kick with overwhelming force. His left foot shattered the wooden shield that Dimitri had brought up in haste and sent him flying backward. Although Dimitri did not release his axe, he crashed violently into the earth and was unable to rise at once.

That a single kick had destroyed the shield and imparted such force to a man of Dimitri’s size. Had it been a sword thrust, the consequences would have been catastrophic. Mika breathed a sigh of relief that he had thrown the stone when he did. Yet that relief was fleeting. The knight’s gaze turned upon Mika once more, and his face grew taut. Since Dimitri had intervened, Mika had gained a small measure of time to retreat. He did not waste it, yet even so, the knight was now less than ten meters away.

At that moment Mika stood near the wooden fences’ western rear. To his right, the villagers strove desperately to prevent the enemy soldiers from breaching the defenses. Around him lay scattered sling stones and spare wooden spears. The logs, however, lay either too far ahead or too far behind for his hand of magic to reach.

“Stay back!” (Mika)

Crying out, Mika hurled stones and spears in random succession. Yet these crude attacks served only to delay the knight’s decisive strike by a brief margin. He evaded, or deflected them with sword or gauntlet, while his cold eyes never left Mika. They were the eyes of a predator upon its prey, closing in inexorably despite the barrage.

Glancing back as he retreated, Mika failed to watch his footing and stumbled over a stone. He fell heavily upon his backside. Yet even as he dragged himself backward upon the ground in a pitiful state, he continued to hurl stones and spears. All resistance proved vain. The knight reached him. The stones and spears were gone. Even the dagger at his waist had already been thrown. He had no means of offense remaining.

Mika’s face paled. The knight’s lips curved, assured of victory.

Then–…

“Gaaaaaah!” (Dimitri)

A roar, like an explosion, burst forth, and the knight, despite himself, turned his head. It was Dimitri. Still unsteady from the earlier blow, he grasped his axe with both hands and hurled it. The axe soared through the air, only to fly behind the knight in a completely irrelevant direction.

“…Hmph.” (Sergei)

The knight sneered through his nose at the sight and turned back to Mika.

By then, Mika already gripped a crossbow.

“—!” (Sergei)

Before the knight could so much as widen his eyes in astonishment, before he could so much as stir, Mika pulled the trigger. The crossbow, the swiftest weapon known in this world and in this age, endowed with the power to pierce even metal armor, loosed its bolt at point-blank range into the center of the knight’s chest. It pierced the mail he wore with ease and buried itself deep near his heart. The knight’s eyes opened wide in disbelief, and his sword slipped from his hand.

“This much is effective, after all.” (Mika)

“…That much is only natural.” (Sergei)

Mika, muttering in wonder, was answered unexpectedly. Even with flesh fortified by magic, the skin and muscle could not be made impervious to a crossbow bolt fired from so close. The knight spoke with a tone of exasperation, then toppled sideways onto the earth. Dimitri rushed forward and, drawing his spare dagger, plunged it into the knight’s throat repeatedly. Again and again he thrust, until he was certain the knight’s breath had ceased entirely. Only then did he turn to Mika.

“…Mika-sama, are you injured?” (Dimitri)

“I am unhurt. Thank you, Dimitri, you saved me.” (Mika)

At Mika’s reply, Dimitri exhaled in relief.

“And you as well, Marcel. You perceived the situation well. It was most commendable.” (Mika)

Turning, Mika addressed Marcel, who stood behind him.

“I am honored. Had I been able to strike true from that distance, it would have been preferable…” (Marcel)

“No, it was well. Because of you, I was able to deliver a decisive strike at close range. It was your assistance that enabled our victory.” (Mika)

At Mika’s words, Marcel nodded with visible relief.

At long last, their most formidable adversary had fallen. Mika, filled with relief, rose to his feet. When he had turned to flee after the logs were taken from him, he had glimpsed Marcel moving behind.

As a last resort for the villagers in times of emergency, Mika had requested Ernest to procure two crossbows in autumn. One he entrusted to Helga, guardian of the manor, and the other to Marcel. Having seen Mika’s struggle, Marcel had sought to aid him with the weapon. Mika had caught sight of this in the corner of his vision. Thus, while the knight bore down upon him, Mika had hurled stones and spears indiscriminately, partly to divert the enemy’s attention away from Marcel.

Marcel, seeking to strike from outside the knight’s perception, seemed reluctant to fire, perhaps lacking confidence that he could strike a vital point from that distance. Mika therefore conceived that it would be better to have the crossbow thrown to him, so that he might fire at close range with certainty. Yet he could not conceive of a way to obtain even a few moments’ reprieve.

At that instant, Dimitri had roared and cast his axe astray, drawing the knight’s eyes away. While the knight turned, Mika extended his hand, and Marcel, perceiving his intent, cast the crossbow. Objects thrown by hand could still be caught by Mika’s hand of magic. He seized both the crossbow and the bolt telekinetically, loaded them while drawing them close, and grasped them in his hands. As the knight turned back, Mika loosed the shot. At such close distance, it could not fail. That single bolt determined Mika’s victory.

“Now then, let us display this knight’s corpse and see whether Lord Howells will choose to withdraw.” (Mika)

While saying so, Mika turned his gaze upon the body of the physical magic user.

 

—

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)