Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 48

Episode 48: The Count's Request (1)

According to information sent by the first search party, Viscount Bailon went missing after leaving the village below the Kazerdan Ridge.

After that, contact with the search party was cut off, so the second search party had no choice but to head to the village. The plan was to find the necessary clues there and then move quickly.

Verden was accompanied by one knight.

Perhaps because it was a specially trained steed from the Count's household, its speed was faster than using flying magic. The shaking was so great that even someone skilled in horseback riding would be thrown off if they let their guard down.

'But what on earth is this wizard?'

The knight glanced back.

Normally, the person behind would hold onto the waist of the person in front to maintain balance. However, this wizard Asher was not holding onto anything, but was sitting upside down, looking back.

I couldn't understand how it didn't fall when it was shaking so much.

'Well, since you said you were a wizard, I guess you used some kind of magic or magic item.'

The knight broke off his interest and turned his head forward again.

Verden looked around and enjoyed the effects of the Rune Ring, Exceed.

'Is this a runic arrangement classified as advanced?'

Enhancement of all senses.

The world we live in feels different, as we can discern what is around us without relying on sight, and we can maintain our physical balance even while riding a horse.

The same goes for magical precision and reflexes.

By imprinting the Exid into his magical circuits, Verden had grown to a higher level not only in magical ability, but also as a human being.

'I wonder how useful it will be in actual combat.'

As I was thinking about that, I arrived at my destination before I knew it.

A small village surrounded by fences just below the mountains. People glanced at the armored knights and muscular warhorses and whispered among themselves.

“Spread out and search for clues related to the count and the search party. Three of you keep your horses, and the rest move in pairs. If you judge that there is danger, immediately set off a signal flare.”

“Yes, sir.”

The knights scattered in all directions.

Knight Commander Balkan approached Verden, who was left alone.

“You come with me.”

"All right."

Verden nodded.

Since I asked you to cooperate with the search party to become Count Rodenmeyer, there was no need to act unilaterally in the current situation.

I walked around the town with Balkan and asked about the whereabouts of the missing people.

There were results.

After a while, the knights pieced together the information they had heard.

“There is a broken carriage in the forest. From what I’ve heard, it looks like it was the carriage that Count Bailon rode in.”

“It seems that the first search party also left their horses in the village and headed there. The locals were too scared to ask for someone to guide them, but it doesn’t seem like a very complicated location, so I think there will be no problem finding them.”

“Understood. We will leave our horses in the village and move on foot.”

Since the location is in the forest, if you ride a warhorse, your mobility will actually decrease. No fool would dare touch the Count's warhorse, so there is no problem leaving it to the villagers.

Just before Verden and the knights left the village, an old man holding a cane blocked their way.

“I think it would be better not to go.”

“……What does that mean?”

When Balkan asked, the old man pointed towards the village with his cane.

“I’ve lived here for 70 years. I know this area of the Kazerdan Ridge so well that I can walk around with my eyes closed. This village where I was born and raised was very peaceful, with no dangerous subhumans or demons. But… but, the forest has been acting strange lately.”

“The forest?”

“The forest is noisy. Birds, deer, wild boars, goblins, all living things are moving around differently each day. No one in the village knows it, but I, I alone, can feel it.”

The old man shuddered.

As if terrified.

“The forest is crying, like a child facing death. So if you don’t want to be swept away… it would be better to just turn back. Forget about the people who are gone.”

The old man turned and headed towards the village.

Looking at his back as he walked slowly with a cane, Balkan opened his mouth.

“……Let’s go.”

They had no intention of giving up on the missing people just because of a few words from a village elder.

However, there was still an inexplicable sense of unease in the knights' hearts.

* * *

The knights formed a large formation and ran through the forest at the same time.

Their speed, enhanced by their energy, was not inferior to that of a horse. The wizards Verden and Clark moved through the sky by flying.

'The forest is crying… … .'

Verden looked down at the forest, recalling the old man's words.

Conifers densely packed in the mountains. The quiet atmosphere is not much different from other forests… … . If there had been no acid, I would have thought so.

I don't know about the other articles, but I have a strange feeling about Verden's sense.

The feeling of chills on the back of my neck would be more accurately described as creepy.

'There is something in this forest.'

Verden was convinced of this.

Soon we arrived at the place where the broken carriage was.

Balkan frowned and drew his sword.

“……Things are getting serious.”

About half of the carriages were missing, so we don't know what the hell was attacking them.

Judging from the burn marks, it seems to be a bomb or magic… … I searched the area, but other than the remains of the carriage, I couldn’t find any clues.

“There are no traces like this… Asher, I heard from His Majesty the Count that you tracked down and dealt with the wanted criminals. Can you show me some of your tracking techniques?”

"All right."

That's what I came here for originally.

<Magic Sensing>

Verden spread his magic.

Then Clark snorted in disbelief.

“Huh, what did you mean, you’re tracking with magic detection? Haven’t you even learned the basics as a wizard? And if you expand the range like that, your magic will be depleted in an instant, so what are you planning to do when an attack comes?”

“Clark, stop.”

“No, you know that too, Commander. How can you find traces that even we, with our first-tier magical power detection, couldn’t find?”

“It’s not like it’s completely nonsense.”

“Captain!”

“His Highness hired Asher to find the missing people. If the magical power drains due to the magical power detection, we can take care of it. If you have anything to say, it won’t be too late to say it after the tracking is over.”

Balkan dismissed Clark's complaints.

Verden ignored them and expanded the range of his magical power detection. Perhaps because his senses were heightened, he was able to read most of the information pouring in without having to filter it out.

'… … What is this?'

No trace of the missing person was found.

What caught Verden's attention was the forest itself. He felt an unusually strong vitality from some of the trees. This was a reaction that could not be felt from ordinary plants.

“Did you find it?”

“There’s no way I could have found it…….”

“I didn’t find it, but I found something else. This way.”

Verden, carrying a staff, took the lead.

Using flight magic, he quickly passed through the trees, and even to Vulcan, his movements were unusual.

'Excellent reflexes and magical manipulation ability. At least the flight spell is better than Clark's.'

A search party followed Berden.

Soon, Verden stopped. Only then could Balkan sense the strange smell that was permeating the forest. As he looked at a nearby tree and took a step forward, its roots began to wriggle and quickly fell upon Balkan.

“It was Trent after all.”

Crunch!

There was a flash of light, and the tree's roots and trunk split into two. It was a swift sword strike, worthy of a knight commander of the Count's family.

The Vulcan who cut the trent clicked his tongue.

“Trent in broad daylight. I don’t understand. I thought that the tree-shaped anomaly called trout hated sunlight and only appeared in dark, damp areas. Did it drift in from here?”

Verden asked.

“In this area?”

“Don’t you know? It’s quite famous in the duchy. It’s called the ‘Devil’s Forest’ and the Adventurer’s Guild and the duchy has legally prohibited access to it, but it’s said to be a good place for Trent to grow because it’s dark even in broad daylight.”

'Devil's Forest?'

I've heard of it.

From the listener from the Ark, whom I met in Brienthe.

“But it’s a weak reason to say that the Count and the first search party went missing because of Trent. Even if you look at the traces of the broken carriage, there must be another reason…….”

At that moment, a noise was felt nearby.

Verden and Vulcan reacted almost simultaneously, followed by Clark and the Knights on edge.

“Come out.”

The Balkans were in full swing.

The sound of footsteps coming from inside the forest gradually got closer. Eventually, someone who had been hiding revealed himself.

“……Brennan?”

He was one of the first search party reporters who went missing.

* * *

'That's the missing knight?'

Verden looked at Brennan, who stood tall without answering.

Armor with scratches all over it, pale skin with no blood left, and eyes that were a cloudy white. The only weapon left was the scabbard, so I don't know where I left it.

'And above all… … .'

Brennan seemed almost lifeless. That man… … no, that man seemed more undead than human. I’ve never heard of that kind of undead, so I can’t judge, but it was clear that he wasn’t in normal condition.

“Brennan, what the hell happened here?”

“…….”

“Answer me, Brennan!”

Despite his superior's orders, Brennan remained silent.

Only when Balkan approached Brennan himself did he react.

“Brennan, hurry up and get the situation…….”

Phew!

Brennan swung his fist at Vulcan.

But it had already been predicted. Vulcan grabbed Brennan's fist with one hand and pulled him towards him.

Boom!

An elbow that hit his chin. Then he grabbed the back of his neck and kicked his knee into his stomach. With a dull sound, his armor distorted and he was crushed to the ground.

Vulcan, who had subdued Brennan, placed his hand on the back of his neck.

“……It doesn’t seem like it’s undead since it has a pulse. Is it possessed by something? Clark, do you know anything?”

“I don’t know either. First, contact the Count’s family…….”

“Balkan Light.”

Verden looked around.

Clink. Clink. The sound of grass rustling can be heard from around here. Something that looks like a group, not a single entity, is gathering around here.

A race of beasts, demons, beasts, and humans, all with white eyes like Brennan, slowly approached.

The Balkans were troubled.

Should we sort things out here or take a break?

In the end, he chose the latter.

If the missing people were in the same situation as Brennan, finding a way to rescue them was the top priority. He quickly tied Brennan's arms and legs as she resisted, then draped her over his shoulders.

“All forces, retreat! Avoid combat and secure a retreat route as a priority!”

“I will break through!”

<Wave>

The ones at the front were swept away to the sides by Clark's magic.

The knights moved forward, cutting down any enemies other than humans, while Verden used magic to block the pursuers' advance from the rear.

But that didn't last long.

Oh my!

“Ugh……!”

An arrow flew from afar.

Balkan barely managed to block it with his sword, but he was unable to let go of the shock and took a step back. Soon after, a monster appeared.

It was an archer wearing a dirty platinum plate around his neck.

“Even the adventurers got hit…!”

“Chief! Up ahead!”

Thud. Thud. Thud.

A large ogre emerged from the trees. There was a human wizard on his shoulder, one of the Viscount Bailon's attendants, holding a staff.

'The exit is blocked.'

If you want to get through this, you'll have to take some damage. And if you can't shake off the pursuit, the nearby villages will be reduced to rubble.

After a few seconds of standoff, Balkan was about to make a decision.

<Stone Crack>

Sharp rocks the size of houses rushed towards the ogre.

The viscount's attendant tried to block it with an ice sphere, but of course it wasn't enough.

[Grrrrrrrrrr!]

────Quaquaquaqua!

An ogre that was literally torn apart. Despite its tough hide, more than half of its body was blown away, and it lost its balance and fell to the ground.

In the aftermath, the Count's attendant was thrown out.

The platinum rank adventurer drew his bowstring toward Verden.

But before he could even fire his arrow, a huge wall rose from the ground, completely blocking his view.

"magic……?"

Not Clark. The search party's gaze naturally turned back.

Verden said, lifting the staff on his shoulder nonchalantly.

“Let’s go.”