I Already Know That My Magic Power Is Ridiculously High! Now I Just Need To Get A Lovely Bride - Chapter 17

I do have an idea about the secret behind my magical power, but I’ve only ever discussed that with Father. I don’t distrust Getrard, but I’d rather change the subject now.

“I see. But I don’t want to be compared to some great person. I just want to live in a peaceful world without wars, with a happy life and a lovely wife by my side.”
“You must be joking! Lord Minashiro, you shine brightest in times of chaos. I believe that if you set your mind to it, you could conquer the world, sir.”

What on earth is Getrard saying? All I want is to have a decent life because I was born into a good family. I never aspired to become the greatest general in the world—having lots of magic power doesn’t automatically make you one. I feel I should set him straight.

“Getrard, I’m not interested in ruling the world.”
“Oh?”

Getrard looked at me with keen interest.

“All I want is to live peacefully and happily on the lands of Ortenos. If anyone stands in my way, I will crush them completely so that no one ever dares oppose Ortenos again. That’s all.”

I said this while pointing my pipe at the midst of the chaotic Balbat forces.

“I see. So that means you plan to wipe out every nation on the continent of Atra and bring the entire land under your rule.”
“Huh?”
“Only someone as sharp as you—and as well-respected as our lord and our master—could so accurately see Ortenos’s true state. As expected, truly as impressive as always. I, Getrard, will devote my life to your path of conquest until my dying breath!”

It seems Getrard believes that I intend to become the ruler of the entire continent. I wonder what mistake he must have made to reach such a conclusion.

“No, I mean…”

I tried to protest, but before I could say another word, a powerful magic wave struck us.

“…That’s ‘Intimidation,’ isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is ‘Intimidation.’ But compared to the power of your ‘Maten,’ Lord Minashiro, it’s nothing more than a gentle breeze.”

It was probably Balbat who had unleashed the Intimidation on us, but as Getrard said, our unit was hardly affected.

(Tch, I’ll ignore the other issue for now.)

I glanced briefly to the south. When I first used my detection magic, I had discovered another Hoshistera-class individual. Since then, I’ve confirmed a few times from horseback that this individual has been following us at a precise distance of about ten kilometers. If this enemy is indeed hostile, I’d like to take him out, but since there’s a chance he might be an ally—and given that he is Hoshistera-class—I cannot attack him, nor can I neutralize him. I was about to decide what to do when Balbat suddenly became roused and forced us to postpone the matter.

“Getrard, how does a battle between Hoshistera-class warriors usually begin?”
“Sometimes it starts suddenly like a surprise attack; other times, there’s a formal opening statement before the fight begins. When large armies clash, it’s more like a collision of stardust, but when only a few soldiers remain on each side—as is the case now—it is usually a one-on-one duel between Hoshistera-class warriors, with us, the satellite Satera-class, providing support.”
“I see… In that case, let’s first see how Balbat acts.”

After a brief hesitation, Getrard’s face twisted into an evil smile.

“Lord Minashiro, it pains me greatly and feels rather presumptuous to say this, but please listen to me.”
“What are you going to say?”
“I have a secret tactic to finish off Balbat.”
“Oh?”
“Your master might not approve, but I judged that only a wise and distinguished lord like you, Lord Minashiro, could understand what I’m about to propose.”

In a voice as low as that of a creature of darkness, Getrard revealed his plan to me. I, too, am no exception—there is a clear weakness inherent to being Hoshistera-class.

“I see… So that is how we can lure Balbat into lowering his guard.”
“Yes. But note, this isn’t a tactic just for Balbat—it applies to all nobles. So, Lord Minashiro, please be very careful.”
“Haha… Truly, I feel this deep in my bones.”

I couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh at this cunning plan that exploited the inherent paranoia of nobles. I had heard that Getrard’s generation was extremely fixated on hating Naiya, and he seemed even more so than I had expected. To me, the old man laughing there like a grinning grandpa looked more like a demon.

“Now, stop right there!”

Suddenly, a voice amplified by magic rang out from the Naiya Kingdom army. It was the voice of a man in his twenties—most likely Balbat himself, the enemy leader. I had no obligation to heed his orders, but since we were already planning to halt, I signaled the entire army to stop with a hand gesture. We, who had been marching in a line, spread out in a horizontal row with me at the center.

We glared at the Naiya Kingdom army for a while until our formation was reestablished. Their force consisted of only about a thousand mixed cavalry and infantry.

(Indeed, using the Intimidation Sphere to crush a wall of 9,000 soldiers was a huge advantage. Our cavalry numbers and morale are superior.)

From the center of the Naiya Kingdom army, a man of average build, riding a white horse in black armor and with golden hair—symbolizing the Naiya royal family—stepped forward.

“I am Balbat von Naiya, the second prince of the great Naiya Kingdom! You lowly lackeys of Ortenos dare to trample on our lands! State your name!”

I understood at once—that was Balbat.