Magic Caster of Destroy

Count Lindon was one of them. To him, magic casters were little more than street performers. Of course, the priests he turned to when he was sick or injured were a different matter.

“…I don’t think that’s quite right. They can be quite hard to deal with if they use ‘Flight’ spells and attack with area-effect magic. It’ll still be troublesome even if they just attack from a distance. Of course, professional magic casters won’t do things which don’t benefit them. Still, the Empire’s alliance with Ainz Ooal Gown is just too strange. They wouldn’t go this far if he was a simple magic caster, so we had better stay on our guard.”

Those severe words were spoken by Margrave Urovana, whose head of white hair and wrinkled face conveyed the stern dignity of a senior individual. As the oldest of the six Great Nobles, he was a clear contrast with the young Count Lindon. Every word and gesture of his made the Count nod in reluctant agreement. However, the one opposing him was Marquis Bowlrob.

“Hmph! Who’s this Ainz Ooal Gown? Like Lindon said, what can one man do? If he flies, we’ll shoot him down with bows. The same if he attacks from far away. What can one magic caster do?

Those stories of magic casters who change the battlefield by themselves are just that, stories!”

“…I beg your pardon, but isn’t it possible that some of the stories which bards sing of heroes might be true?”

“I believe that the Warrior-Captain-dono is not in possession of all the facts. The bards exaggerate the facts to fuel interest. After exaggerating the facts, the stories are well-removed from reality. This is only made worse as bards spin tales gleaned from other bards, given that oral traditions are prone to distortion.”

“However, if they could gather a lot of magic casters that could use ‘Fireball’―”

“And exactly how probable would an assembly of said magic casters be, hm? Do tell us, O Warrior-Captain-dono.”

“That… I think it’s not too likely.”

‘Fireball’ was a third-tier spell. It would be impossible to amass a large number of magic casters who could use that spell, even if one had the magical academies of the Empire.

“Then, isn’t that the answer? Magic is a good weapon, but no matter how powerful he is, one man cannot change the battlefield! You ―forgive me― the Warrior-Captain-dono is a perfect example.

While nobody can match yourself in a duel, even you can’t slay several thousand people in one go!”

He was right. Gazef could not find anything to rebutt Marquis Bowlrob’s argument.

Those tales of destroying tens of thousands in a single blow were of dubious reliability at best. Even that granny, one of the Thirteen Heroes, Rigrit Bers Carau, couldn’t accomplish such a feat.

However, the disquiet still lingered in Gazef.

Could it be that he had not met a truly amazing magic caster, but was simply clueless?

“…Then, what if it was a dragon?”

“Marquis Volumlash… that magic caster is a human, why would you even bring up a dragon?”

“No, I meant in terms of one man fighting a brigade…”

“In the first place, there’s no point mentioning dragons when we’re discussing humans! I don’t know what you’re all thinking, so afraid of a measly little magic caster―”

He turned a sharp glare to Gazef.

“As nobles of the Kingdom, you should be ashamed of yourselves, cowering at the sight of his shadow! Still, it’s not like I don’t understand the Warrior-Captain-dono’s concern… then, let us consider Ainz Ooal Gown to be a force capable of equalling five thousand men.”

“F-five thousand?!”

Lindon’s eyes went wide.

“Don’t you think it’s a little much, valuing one man as equal to five thousand? Equating him to half would still be too much.”

“I, for one, consider the Warrior-Captain-dono to be a match for a thousand men, and given that our Warrior-Captain-dono is so wary of this individual, we shall count him as being able to battle five times that amount. I have faith in the Warrior-Captain-dono’s appraisal of him.”

“You honor me.”

Although he still doubted that Ainz Ooal Gown’s combat power was only equal to five thousand men, that much was already difficult enough to believe. It would be better to thank him and try to regain a little bit of goodwill. With that in mind, Gazef lowered his head.

At this juncture, the hitherto silent Crown Prince Barbro opened his mouth.

“If I might be allowed a bit of your time… I’ve been thinking. Why don’t we draft those adventurers into the army? After all, they work in the Kingdom, so aren’t they subject to conscription? Why aren’t they allowed to join the military? I don’t recall any law in the Kingdom forbidding that.”

The Great Nobles glanced at each other. As landlords, they clearly understood the value and power of adventurers. Because of that, they would not accept Barbro’s line of reasoning.

On his part, Gazef felt that the reason why Barbro had such thoughts was because he was a member of the royal family. If he had a fief to manage, he would not think like that.

Marquis Raeven coughed.