Cheat Magician Life That Started From Being Judged Useless

Havre's trump card

***---***

 The cheers that erupted at Camilla's succession to the throne turned into screams and roars in an instant.

 Black smoke was rising from the other side of the building with the people on the other side of the balcony where Camilla was standing.

"Don't panic! Don't move recklessly, stay where you are!"

 Camilla raised her voice, but the public commotion didn't seem to stop.

[ Kent-sama, the checkpoint is being attacked. The knights were blown away with magic that I have never seen before. ]

"My King, a horde of Zombies is coming up from the moat."

 As Basten and Zae reported, it seemed that they attacked from the front.

"Zae-tachi clear the moat of Zombies, and Basten guide me to the attack site. Camilla!"

 I called out to Camilla from the back of the balcony, which the citizens couldn't see.

"Maou-sama, what is it?"

"I'm going to check on the situation, I'll leave Fred as your escort, so don't let anyone other than the Knight Commander come near. The report can be heard even if we're far away, is that fine."

"Ha!, as you wish."

 Zuuuuuuuun!

 As soon as Camilla bowed her head, the sound of an explosion resounded again.

"Maou-sama, what is that sound?"

"Probably, Havre got some explosives."

"What are explosives?"

"A chemical invented in the Republic of Kilia that generates strong energy when instantly combusted."

"The Republic of Kilia, instantly combusted ... energy you say?"

"In any case, think of it as a dangerous thing, so Camilla should go to the back of the building and let the knights guide the people ..."

"Nope, even if it's an order from Maou-sama, I can't follow those instructions."

"Are you going to take the lead?"

"Yes, I can't just put the people in danger and stay in a safe place alone."

 As a member of the Royal Family, it was a respectable attitude, but to be honest, considering the side of the escort, it was nothing more than a nuisance.

 However, there was a determination in Camilla's eyes that she was unlikely to move even if forced.

"It can't be helped ... Knight Commander!"

"You called for me, Maou-sama."

"Keep people out of Camilla's vicinity, and create a system to protect her from those around her. I'll have my genus protect from the inside."

"As you command."

"Fred, don't let anyone carelessly approach Camilla."

[ Roger ... Leave it to me ... ]

"Nero, keep an eye on the surroundings from within the shadows, and slash anyone who tries to attack from above."

"Leave it to me, nya."

"Camilla should give instructions from a place away from the people, since Camilla is being targeted, the people will be in danger if they get close."

"Yes, as you wish."

 I left Camilla's escort to Fred and Nero, and I moved with Basten to the attack site.

 Zudooooooon!

 As soon as I peered out of the shadows, a third explosion sounded.

 The knights who had drawn a defensive line in front of the bridge were blown away and flew into the air.

 The first checkpoint, which was set up in front of the bridge, was blown away without a trace, and a small crater was formed on the ground.

 On the other side, a horde of Zombies were wriggling as if filling the road.

[ Kent-sama, several bodies from that group of Zombies came running in a mass and suddenly activated an unknown magic in front of the knights. ]

"That's not magic, it's the explosion of explosives."

[ Kent-sama, it's that. ]

 A group of about 10 Zombies were running towards where Basten was pointing.

 On of them held something like a small barrel.

 The inside of it must be explosives, that is, gunpowder.

 I didn't expect it at all, but I guess this was Havre's trump card.

"Here they come again! Magician's attack!"

 The knights on the defensive side shot off attack magic, but even if the Zombies running in front were defeated, the ones coming from behind would step on the flesh of their comrades and move forwards without showing any signs of stopping.

 If they rushed the knights at this rate, there would be more damage.

 Aiming at the barrel from the shadows, I fired a light-attribute attack magic.

 Zugaaaaaan!

 When the explosives inside the barrel ignited, around ten Zombies turned into bones and pieces of meat and were blown away.

 Anyway, aren't the Zombies too fast? They came running fast.

 When you say Zombies, Ah~h ... or, Uh~h ... while groaning, I had the image of them walking around, but they're too fast, aren't they.

 Zombies overflowing from the direction of the city also fell into the water moats.

 It may be that they wanted to swim across the moat and climb the wall to enter the castle, but as soon as they fell, they were chopped up and turned into pieces of meat and drifted away.

 Even if the Zombies were able to move faster than I expected, they wouldn't be able to match Zae and the others in the water.

 I found a small barrel floating in the water moat, so I used summoning to bring it closer to me.

[ Kent-sama, it's dangerous. ]

"It'll be fine as long as it doesn't get too close to a fire. However, that Havre, to think he even got a hold of explosives."

 While I was talking with Basten, another group of Zombies started running towards the knights.

 Of course, I had no intention of letting them reach the knights, so I shot light-attribute attack magic into the barrel filled with explosives and blew them away.

 The Zombies running in front acted as a shield, and when they reached the knights, they somehow set fire to self-destruct.

 Because Zombies that were originally corpses were used, even if they self-destructed, the attacking side wouldn't feel any pain even so much as an itch.

 It was possible that the Republic of Kilia used the same tactics in their fight against the Jogesen Empire.

"Basten, there must be someone handing explosives to the Zombies, so go find them."

[ Roger that. ]

 Even after Basten was sent out, a group of Zombies with explosives came running out of nowhere.

 This time, they were so clumped together that I couldn't see the barrel from the outside, but I fired light-attribute attack magic regardless.

 Originally light-attribute magic was extremely effective against the Undead, so it easily penetrated the Zombies and ignited the explosives.

 Zudoooooon!

 The knights holding up their large shields weren't directly damaged by the explosion, but the Zombie flesh rained down, and the surroundings became in a terrible state.

 Another group of Zombies advanced, this time in a larger mass.

 It wasn't as quick as it was before, but I was worried about whether attack magic would work.

 So, I used the repatriation technique to send the barrel directly above the group of Zombies, aiming for the moment it fell on top of the Zombies and shot through it.(TN:If it was in the moat, wasn't the gunpowder in the barrel wet?)

 Zudoooooon!

 Twice as many explosives as before blew up all at once, so the ground was gouged out with an even louder sound.

 The knights who were hit by the blast were also knocked over, but they were wearing full-plate armor, so they should be fine.

 When I turned my eyes in the direction of the group of Zombies, the Zombies behind them were also blown away, and their advance seemed to be stalled.

[ Kent-sama, I found them. ]

"Guide me there."

 Basten guided me to a merchant's warehouse, where small barrels were piled up.

 Several burly men with black cloth over their mouths and their heads were on the lookout around the barrels.

 The warehouse faced a back street, and it was overflowing with Zombies.

 The person who was handing the barrels to the Zombies was a strange-looking woman.

 Her dark hair was intricately braided in fine braids like those of a reggae musician.

 She wore a bright green and yellow geometric national dress, and even her face was painted with the same pattern as her clothes in blue-black dye.

 The woman holding a short wand that looked like a baton was probably a dark-attribute magician hired by Havre.

[ Basten, what is that pattern? ]

[ I don't know, but I wonder if it's something magical ... ]

[ To even put makeup on your face ... ]

[ Kent-sama, that is probably a tattoo. ]

[ Ehh, do you put a tattoo on your face? ]

 When Basten told me to take a closer look, perhaps because of the booster, the woman's forehead was glistening with beads of sweat, and although she occasionally wiped it with her arm, the pattern didn't seem to blur.

 While I was fascinated by the strange appearance of the dark-attribute magician, a man ran down from the second floor of the warehouse.

"Damn, you have to protect them more carefully."

"Any more than this, it's difficult."

"Idiot, why don't you just let the Zombies hold the barrels and be carried by Zombies. Hurry up!"

 After being instructed by the man, the magician chanted and handed the barrel to a Zombie.

 A single Zombie curled up with the barrel, and another Zombie carried it onto the main street.

[ Kent-sama, what should we do. ]

[ For the time being, let's blow away the ones that just left, and then deal with the barrels over here. ]

 From the shadow of the ramparts overlooking the road along the moat where the Zombies were advancing, I aimed at the Zombies holding the barrels.

 Because I shot them before they left the Zombie horde, the surrounding Zombies were also caught up and became pieces of meat.

[ Kent-sama, do you want to blow up the rest of the barrels as well? ]

[ No good, no good, if that amount explodes all at once in the city, it will be a catastrophe. ]

[ Then, what should we do? ]

[ I'll take all of them to the shadow storage with my summoning technique. ]

 When I returned to the warehouse, I saw another man running down from the second floor.

[ That's no good, that's no good. You need to protect them better. Or rather, don't let the Zombies accidentally explode, right?"

"I won't do that. There's no way I can do that in my position."

"Is that true?"

"I'm not lying. I can't lie."

"Tch, you're useless ... Okay, five at a time this time, in the same way as the first time, have them rush at once!"

 I only heard a little about it, but it seemed that the dark-attribute magician was more threatened rather than hired.

 Even so, five barrels at a time would be troublesome, so I'll take the remaining barrels."

[ Summon ... ]

 The dozen or so barrels filled with explosives all moved into the shadow space.

"They're gone! What's going on."

"Where, where did they go! Was it you bastard?"

"It's different, I didn't do anything."

"If that's the case, why did the barrels disappear!"

"Ah~ ... I took the explosive barrels."

 After confirming that there were no people left on the second floor of the warehouse, I called out to them from the top of the stairs, and all the men's gazes gathered at once.

"Bastard, where did you enter from."

"Umm, about there, it somewhat feels like ..."

"Bastard, don't look down on me! Who are you!"

"Haa ... There's only one kid who would get in the way of Havre, isn't there. Why don't you use your head a little?"

"Bastard ... Maou, is it?"

 The masked men unsheathed the daggers hanging from their waists all at once.

 Gasha gasha~~n!

"You're kidding me ..."

"How is that ..."

 Aiming at the tips of the daggers, I summoned them one after another.

 The masked men groaned when they saw the tips of their blades falling on the stairs with a loud noise, leaving only the handles in their hands.

"Basten, beat them up enough that they won't die."

[ Roger that. ]

 When Basten came out of the shadows and moved like a gale, the masked men were slammed into the walls of the warehouse one after another and fell silent.

 Only the dark-attribute magician remained.

"Now, what are you going to do?"

"I have no intention of resisting, you and I are on completely different levels."

"Then, can you get the Zombies out of town?"

"Alright. I'll follow your instructions ..."

"It looks like there's something you want to say."

 The dark-attribute magician hesitated a little before opening her mouth.

"Though you're not obligated to do as I ask, can you help me save my brother?"

"Your brother, where is he?"

"He should be with Havre, in the castle."

"Inside the castle? How did Havre enter the castle."

"Havre never left the royal castle, he pretended to run away and hid inside the castle."

"Basten, please stay here, I will return to the castle!"

[ As you wish. ]

 It was almost at the same time that I returned to the royal castle that the building facing the front yard was blown up.

 From the third floor where the explosion occurred, a large amount of debris rained down on the gathered citizens.

 I immediately spread a shield of darkness and sent the blast and debris to the training ground via the shadow space, but it seemed that some people were injured due to fragments of the wall that I didn't intercept in time.

"Camilla! Are you okay!"

"Yes, I'm fine, but the citizens ..."

"Listen! Foolish people!"

 It was Havre Calvine who raised his voice to the crowd, interrupting Camilla's voice.

 To my surprise, he emerged from the building protected by about five knights and stepped into the crowd.

 He should have been in hiding, but his clothes and hair were neatly arranged, and he didn't look haggard.

"My name is Havre Calvine. I am the one who will save this Resenburg from the tyranny of the Royal Family. You are being deceived by the Resenburg Royal Family."

 Some people had dissatisfied expressions, but they were overwhelmed by the power of Havre, who led the rough men in the mines, and kept their mouths shut.

"Only this royal capital has escaped heavy taxes, but you know how much the surrounding territories suffer from heavy taxes. In the western territory, you probably know that there are people who starve to death every year. Don't you know that the eastern territories are suffering from monster attacks! All of this is the result of the tyranny and incompetence of the Royal Family. At this rate, Resenburg will be attacked by Barshania, and it won't be long before it becomes a vassal state. Even if the King leading it has changed completely, fools with the same bloodline will not be able to let you survive this national crisis. That's why I stood up, even if I was deprived of my status as a noble, even if my territory was taken away, even if my life was taken away, I absolutely cannot allow the Royal Family's tyranny!"

 Havre waved his right hand quickly as he shouted out his arbitrary reasoning.

 Then, the knights who were guarding stepped away from Havre and stepped into the crowd.

 The knights were carrying barrels that were probably filled with explosives.

"Everyone, don't move! These barrels are filled with special chemicals made by the Republic of Kilia. If you pour magic into the lid, it will be like that."

 The spot pointed at by Havre was the building of the royal castle that was destroyed mercilessly after being blown up.

 There was a large hole in the wall, and the surrounding window frames were also messy.

"If we blow up the chemical here, the gathered people will be blown to pieces. Camilla Resenburg, if you want to save the lives of the people, you must end your life here or swear in front of the people that you will become my wife."

 Havre looked decent when he appeared, but as he spoke louder, his eyes became strange.

 The fact that he looked the same as Nakagawa-sensei the other day shouldn't just be my imagination.

 There were five knights who were aiding with Havre, all holding barrels in both hands above their heads and stepping into the seated crowd.

 In addition, a boy about the same age as me was kneeling at Havre's feet with a barrel on his back.

 Perhaps, this boy was the younger brother of the dark-attribute magician.

"What's wrong, Camilla Resenburg. Answer me!"

 I whispered to Camilla, who gave me a questioning glance, to extend the talk, and when I was about to hide in the shadows, Havre raised his voice.

"Oops, don't do weird tricks. Besides, the Demon King kid should be there. Show yourself!"

 I nodded back, and Camilla jumped to her feet, and she stepped to the edge of the balcony without showing any emotion.

 After that, walking as if to obey, I checked the positions of the knights.

 The people had left the area around Havre, and only the boy was kneeling.

 Reinhardt called out to me from the shadows.

[ Kent-sama, shall I decapitate him with a single blow? ]

"Nope, don't make a move yet."

[ Do you have an idea? ]

"Yup, just a minute."

 Camilla stood at the edge of the balcony, and she spoke poignantly.

"Havre Calvine, you great sinner who colluded with Barshania to try to take over the country. You have finally shown up. You were running around the royal castle like an insect, but you're dressed neatly, so you must be fully prepared to be executed."

"Fuhahaha, I don't hate strong-minded women. I'll train you until you're fully obedient."

"If you spout such nonsense, you'll only have a painful experience again."

"Fuunh, who's the one who's going to have a painful experience? Knight Commander, kill the kid, otherwise the people will lose their lives."

 In his own way, he must have used the explosives he had obtained to try to turn things around, but for some reason, it seemed that various plans had failed.

 It was true that the progeny knights were holding up barrels of explosives, but if the nearest knight's barrel exploded, Havre wouldn't be able to get away unscathed.

 Above all else, if the barrel carried by the boy at his feet exploded, he would be blown to pieces.

"What's wrong, Knight Commander, kill the kid!'

 The Knight Commander was unable to move with a bewildered expression on his face.

 I didn't know whether or not he wanted to kill me, but from a position that couldn't be seen from Havre, in my shadow, Fred was poised with his twin swords.

"Umm, can I have a moment, Havre-san."

"What is it, brat. Are you going to summon a monster again? If you show signs of doing so, it's going to be a bang."

 Havre threatened by placing his right hand on the lid of the barrel the boy was carrying.

"No, no, I would like to ask you a question, have you been inside the royal castle all this time?'

"What's wrong with that. It was ridiculous to see those people who were confused thinking that I had escaped."

"Is that so, be honest, who was protecting you?"

"Fuun, do you really think I'm going to reveal that? Ridiculous."

"If you don't tell me, I guess I have no choice but to stubbornly ask."

"I, do you think I will speak easily?"

"No, I don't think so ... But, you're a little far away, so should we talk a little closer?"

"Haa? What are you saying ..."

"Summon!"

 While talking, I carefully checked the position, set the range, and summoned Havre to the balcony, but left the right hand that protruded from the range.

 Following that, the five barrels held by the knights were also summoned.

 It was charming that I summoned their wrists as well.

"Ugaaaa, my hand ... Wh, what's going on. You, what have you done!"

"I won't mess up this time."

 Accelerating by adding wind attribute magic to the magic of body strengthening, I hit a left hook that strengthened my bones and skin firmly into the flank of Havre, and pushed up the right uppercut towards the falling jaw.

 Havre, whose toes seemed to float up, fell down with a bang.

 There might be questions for him, so I cast healing magic on the amputated part of his right arm to stop his bleeding.

 In the front yard, the knights who had lost their wrists with the barrels were being beaten up by the crowd.

"Reinhardt, protect the boy."

[ Got it! ]

 Citizens were also crowding around the boy who was forced to carry the barrel, but when Reinhardt suddenly appeared from the shadows, they screamed and retreated.

"Don't panic! That Skeleton is Maou-sama's genus. Don't worry, they won't harm you!"

"I won't let you, nya!"

 Almost at the same time as Camilla raised her voice to the people who were surprised by Reinhardt, Nero jumped out of the shadows and swung its front legs.

 The blades of wind shot from Nero's claws broke the arrows shot at Camilla, and even cut through the soldiers holding their bows in the opposite building.

"Calm down! This Storm Cat is also a genus of Maou-sama. It won't harm innocent people. Don't worry!"

 Seeing Camilla approach Nero herself, the panicked populace regained their composure.