Ch.208208. Marquis of Bordeaux (2)

In truth, suddenly declaring war like this is politically a very poor move.

Even though violence may be an easier and faster means, having at least a minimally justifiable cause not only helps steer the situation in your favor but also serves as a safety net.

Even if you wage war and lose, with an adequate justification, mediation might intervene, at least saving you from complete ruin.

Furthermore, a flimsy pretext could provide an opportunity for other powers to intervene, and beyond that, it could create difficulties for the aggressor by uniting hostile forces….

If one must attack, creating at least a fabricated justification might be a basic prerequisite.

But…. All these considerations lose their power before me.

Before me, who not only has the royal family and royalists led by Louis VII as backing, along with the still-in-her-prime founding hero (my mother), but who has also reached the advanced rank myself.

Justification? Responsibility? All of that is nothing but empty words with no meaning before the name “unaffiliated advanced rank.”

Advanced rank. An individual who overwhelms groups, collectives, society. This would be an absurd expression that couldn’t even be imagined in my previous life on Earth, but in this world, it’s an undeniable reality.

Of course, there are tactless fools in this world too who question how an individual could possibly overwhelm the massive collective that is society, but even these fools shut their mouths when they witness advanced ranks directly wielding their power.

Monsters who split mountain ranges in half with a swing of their sword, crush intermediate knights with a few words, sweep away armies with a flick of a finger, and collapse castles by simply releasing power without any technique.

Even the most physically frail magic users at the advanced rank have enough durability to withstand hand cannons with their bare bodies thanks to the influence of magical power, and the durability of an Aura user specialized in enhancement is truly transcendent.

If intermediate ranks are superhumans (a higher species than humans), then advanced ranks are human-sized strategic weapons. A certain degree of unreasonableness is perfectly acceptable.

When even a small nation becomes a respected minor power in the international community the moment an advanced rank joins them, perhaps that gives some idea of the weight advanced ranks carry in this world?

As such an “individual” whose mere existence can disrupt the world’s balance, I was now planning to use the Marquis of Bordeaux as a sacrifice to engrave my name upon the world.

My purpose is singular: to prevent annoying riffraff from getting in my way.

Taking my mother as an example, her status doesn’t simply come from being a founding hero and companion to the first king.

It’s the bloody past that mother has built up until now. That is what creates her lofty authority and status.

Ironically, humans are animals that can sometimes be wise but can also become stupider than anyone else, with some fools approaching advanced ranks like moths to a flame, thinking they can use them despite knowing they can’t handle the consequences.

Therefore, what I need is fear.

Fear of my existence. Overwhelming fear that makes it clear that whoever touches me will fall straight into the abyss.

Fear that prevents anyone from even daring to oppose me is one of the essential conditions for me to live comfortably in this world….

‘Is the preparation going well?’

[Yes!]

And so, I invaded this marquisate alone.

Of course, I’m not truly alone; some animal friends have agreed to accompany me and participate in this judgment.

[Grrrr….]

First is Corin, who is manipulating the climate in this marquisate region. This animal friend, who has been with me the longest, has recently resumed growth after a period of stagnation and is gradually heading somewhere between intermediate and advanced rank.

-Boom!

The fact that he can manipulate the climate of an entire region with his power alone is undeniable proof that this fellow has transcended the ordinary intermediate rank.

[It’s eerie….]

‘That can’t be helped. It’s usually like this when dark clouds gather, isn’t it?’

Accompanying me is also my safety net, Astra. With his still excellent mobility and buff magic, he can be a sufficient variable even in advanced rank battles on his own.

Of course, his buffs can’t match those of an advanced rank, but ultimately, it’s natural that those who receive buffs are stronger than those who don’t, even if the effects are relatively weaker.

[Wow….]

And this golden stone monkey sitting on a warhorse he found somewhere, mouth agape beside me, my disciple and animal friend Wonsul, is also temporarily accompanying us for education.

Although he uses “Taoist arts,” a magic system somewhat different from mine, the basic principles of casting Taoist arts are almost identical to druid magic, so there’s enough compatibility between them for me to provide adequate education.

In addition, I haven’t forgotten to teach him spear techniques, almost the only weapon skill I can confidently claim to have mastered, or universally applicable techniques for all magic users, like how to craft magical tools.

….Unfortunately, I have no talent for Taoist arts, but that was within the expected range, so let’s move on.

[Master, is this climate manipulation a Taoist art… no, magic?]

‘Strictly speaking, this is actually Corin’s power… but I suppose it is a magical phenomenon.’

[I see!]

With sparkling eyes, he was observing the gathering dark clouds and their essence with his two golden pupils.

Just as I was pleasantly imagining whether he might be able to recreate this with Taoist arts…. I suddenly noticed several life forces approaching around me.

‘Intermediate, intermediate, intermediate…. Average level?’

One powerful intermediate that could be described as upper-intermediate. About four veteran intermediates that could be described as mid-intermediate. And about twenty-two ordinary intermediates that could be described as lower-intermediate.

In knight terms, they would be classified as knight commander level, veteran knight level, and ordinary knight level respectively. As they approached, I quietly “pulled” the soul of a ferocious primitive beast from the wilderness within my soul.

[■■■■■■■■■─!!!]

As a terrifying roar echoed in all directions, a primitive beast in the form of a giant dinosaur, Chompantlus Ketzach, revealed its terrifying and magnificent form in mid-air.

If I were to describe its appearance, it would be like an Indomi■■ Rex with a body structure closer to quadrupedal locomotion.

This giant and terrifying beast, resembling the mother Chompantlus yet somehow different, naturally used its special ability.

Originally, Chompantlus’s ability was to store the skulls of killed creatures as stock and mimic their special abilities, but the ability of Chompantlus Ketzach, which has “evolved” in various ways, is different.

If I were to name it, it would be ability copying. It’s an incredibly unfair—and truly unfair—powerful special ability that copies the special abilities of those bound to me through animal friend contracts, like Ketzach.

[■■■■■─!!!]

Currently, the number of special abilities he can copy is 3 in total. These 3 slots are allocated to Gretel’s Aura, Maery’s ignition ability, and Hydra’s regeneration ability.

His physical abilities, already considerable as a primitive beast, have been amplified to abnormal levels by the power of Aura, and by concentrating the ignition ability on his teeth and claws, he has increased his elemental attack and anti-metal attack power.

To top it all off, he compensates for his slightly lower stability with regenerative power that can restore even severed heads, making him an almost complete vanguard as an intermediate rank, except for his lack of ranged or area attack methods.

And around that time, the knights who were the owners of the approaching life forces revealed themselves.

They were all wearing metal equipment that, while not solid adamantium, appeared to be at least adamantium-steel alloy judging by its slightly dark color, and all wielded weapons imbued with basic-level magic, emitting magical power of a different color than Aura.

Based on the fact that their weapons were mostly similar rather than distinctive, they were probably mass-produced magical weapons sold in bulk by magic towers.

Of course, it would be wrong to dismiss them just because they’re mass-produced.

They might be more durable and less prone to damage compared to the usual standard, or they might be sharper and less likely to dull compared to ordinary weapons without magic enchantments.

These differences might seem trivial, but when you consider that these small elements combine to enhance a warrior’s combat power, they become significant.

But… would this make any difference in the face of an overwhelming gap?

“””””….?!!””””

These twenty-nine knights, who presumably came to stop a magic user, were visibly taken aback by the giant monster that suddenly appeared before them.

Of course, being combat machines called knights, they didn’t take long to… in fact, they immediately regained their composure and seemed about to form something resembling a battle formation….

-Thud! Thud! Thud!

At that very moment, Ketzach charged forward at an unimaginable speed, leaping into their still incomplete formation—something barely resembling a passing grade, if I were to make a comparison.