I Was Mistaken as a Genius Mage in a Game-Chapter 60

The driver of the military carriage carrying me and my companions swung his whip with force. The horses, bathed in sunlight partially blocked by the clouds, stepped forward with a heavy rhythm.

The wind started to flutter the military carriage's tarp.

"By the way, there are a lot of supplies! What are all these things for?"

With the wind shaking the tarp, it seemed that Ed was feeling cheerful, as he asked this in a bright voice.

"......"

Sitting next to me, Lir seemed somewhat uncomfortable with Ed’s approach, with her cool expression and tone. Considering her personality, it seemed like it would take a long time for them to become close.

Maybe they never would.

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Honestly, I don't want to get close to that guy either. There's something unsettling about his excessively bright face.

......Does he even know where we're headed?

If he did, he couldn’t be smiling like that.

"......Private Ed. We're heading to the battlefield. Wouldn't it be better to be a little quieter?"

As the uncomfortable atmosphere showed on my, Lir's, and Alter's faces, Rex, unable to stay silent, spoke up.

"Oh! Sorry about that. It's my first deployment as a soldier, and I must have... I'll calm down!"

Hehe, that guy apologizes so brightly and cheerfully.

It's annoying.

"......Well, aside from the fact that the private is being a bit noisy, I’m curious too. It looks like there’s about two to three times as many supplies as usual."

Rex, calming Ed down, asked me in a cautious voice. It seemed that even with his military experience, seeing this much supply being transported at once was unfamiliar to him.

Twenty-one supply carts, heavily loaded with supplies, were moving along the well-maintained road, escorted by soldiers.

Normally, supplies move in five or six carts at a time, so this was a very unusual number.

"How long has the battle in Vallerand been going on?"

"Almost two months."

"Then the soldiers’ morale must be pretty low."

Two months.

The time I spent fighting in the dungeon was barely two days. Even that short period felt painfully hard and agonizing. What must the soldiers, who have been fighting on a far more intense battlefield for thirty times longer, be going through?

"It seems like there have been quite a few desertions as well. Everyone must have reached their limits."

Vallerand is the most intense battlefield in the war between the continent's people and the demons. The soldiers would have been enduring daily pain, with their flesh and bones grinding down in the process.

They are the ones who managed to survive for two months in that hell.

It’s still too early to reward them, but I believe that those who’ve managed to grit their teeth and hold on for that long should at least be given something.

"We’ve also brought a lot of tobacco, alcohol, and coffee, in addition to food, weapons, and armor. I plan to distribute them to the soldiers in Vallerand. For morale."

"Does the military supply alcohol too? I love alcohol!"

Ed, unable to contain himself, interrupted my conversation with Rex.

What a seriously unlikable character.

"......Obviously, alcohol is not part of the supplies. I bought it with my own money."

I didn’t elaborate, but the alcohol and tobacco stored in the carts were of the highest quality.

"Do you mean the tobacco and coffee, too?"

"......Yes, well."

"Can you really make that much money when you become a general to buy so much alcohol and tobacco?! That’s a bit surprising."

Of course, it would be expected, but as a general, I earn a considerable income of about 30 gold per month.

But even that substantial salary wasn't enough to fill all those carts with top-tier alcohol and tobacco.

So, I had to ask my servants to use the income from the land I own.

As the owner of the capital, the richest land on the continent, there is no problem I can't solve due to lack of money.

If my salary is insufficient, I can just use the income from the land, right?

The supply carts that had started running just as the sun began to rise did not stop even when the sun reached its peak. It wasn’t until much later in the afternoon that we entered the Achilipthus forest area.

The familiar scent of grass filled the air as dwarf sentries, standing on the newly made road, greeted us.

The dwarf soldiers called me "Master of Spirits" instead of my title or name.

...I have no idea what rumors are circulating among the dwarves, and I can neither guess nor prevent it.

I just chuckled and lightly greeted the familiar faces, and Ed, who was watching from the side, sent me a gaze filled with incomprehensible admiration.

How strange, this forest seems to have everything from spirits to mortals, and not a single sane one in sight.

"General, I heard you're heading to Vallerand today. I wish you good luck."

Belua, the blacksmith, saluted me with a determined expression as I passed the forest supply road.

"......I’ll probably die."

Standing next to him, Trian cursed me.

"Still, you came out to greet me. You must be worried, right? You’re more delicate than I thought, Trian."

Getting angry here is something only amateurs do.

I raised the corners of my mouth and retorted to the cold elf’s words, making a smile despite the slight ache in my teeth.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

"Well, it’s not the first time I’ve seen someone die. Still, I want to see their face for the last time."

Look at the attitude of this damn elf.

"Haha, I see..."

I wanted to punch this filthy elf in the head as I got off the carriage. However, I knew that this rude elf wouldn’t just stand there and let me hit him with my slow punch, so I could only sit down and suppress my anger.

"......Let’s just get going."

After observing the exchange between me and Trian, Lir sighed softly and then spoke to the driver.

Thanks to the elf’s sharp observational skills, she had likely already noticed that I was gritting my teeth.

"Well... if I survive, I’ll make sure to hit him at least once."

Trian looked at my bony hand and faintly smiled, saying that as if it were amusing.

"......You’ll have to keep your promise."

What a rude guy. Even if I have ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) to beat that bastard up, I will definitely return alive and make sure I get my chance.

And so, we left behind the light greeting from Belua and Trian and left the Achilipthus forest.

The dark clouds began to gather ominously over the horizon. The horses' pace gradually slowed. No matter how hard the driver whipped the horses, their pace didn't quicken.

Soon, the pungent smell brushed past my nose. At the end of the road, I saw a grim-faced driver pulling a cart filled with something.

"......"

The driver of our carriage silently lifted his hat to greet his colleague, but the driver of the cart rushing towards us didn’t even glance at him.

As the cart with a thick tarp approached, the sour smell grew stronger.

When the driver’s face, leading the cart from the opposite direction, passed by like the wind, a deep shadow had fallen over his wrinkled face.

The wheels of the cart rattled. A creaking sound came from somewhere. Through the tarp covering the cart, something... like a human arm slipped out.

That was when I recognized the identity of the sour smell that had been lingering in the air.

It was the smell of a corpse cart.

"......"

Most of the people inside the carriage could tell what the smell was. Even Ed, who had been so talkative, swallowed dryly without saying anything.

The storm clouds grew even darker. The wind that blew felt sticky, like a viscous liquid. An uncomfortable sensation crawled up my skin. It felt as though my flesh was heating up or swelling.

With the thick, heavy air, the supply cart finally arrived at Vallerand.

"......We’ve arrived."

The driver, as if overwhelmed by some immense force, spoke in a trembling voice.

Rex, leading his massive frame, was the first to disembark. Behind the flapping tarp, the dark sky greeted us.

Following the brave orc, Ed, carrying a large sword, also stepped down. He seemed just as tense.

Among the mages, Alter was the first to rise. Unlike his usual habit of walking with his bare hands, today he was holding a long staff that matched his towering height.

Lir and I got off the carriage almost simultaneously. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t scared, but I stepped out, trying to look composed.

"......Loyalty."

A weak voice greeted us. Perhaps having not slept for days, the officer’s dark circles were deeply etched.

Behind him, faint groans and screams could be heard.

"Loyalty......"

Boom!

From far away, an explosion cut off my greeting. Everyone present turned their gaze toward the sound of the explosion, except for the officer, who didn’t even look in that direction.

"It’s just a magic mine explosion. Don’t worry about it."

"Ah... Okay."

...He says not to worry about an explosion?

I guess battlefield common sense is so broken that it’s almost unrecognizable compared to medieval standards.

"By the way, you’ve got a lot of cargo. I don't think you just brought food or weapons..."

"......Ah, I brought alcohol, tobacco, and various other luxury goods. All top quality."

I spoke to the officer with a somewhat nervous expression.

That guy’s face looks terrifyingly grim.

"......Did you say alcohol and tobacco? Do such things get supplied?"

The officer, whose face had slightly softened, asked, as if he couldn’t believe what I was saying.

"I spent some of my own money. I figured the soldiers’ morale must be quite low."

I answered, and asked the driver of the supply cart to hand me a bottle of wine, which I gave to the officer. The officer took the wine bottle, and tears fell over his dark circles.

"11-year-old...!"

The officer with the grim face brought the bottle to his cheek, murmuring with emotion.

"Thank you!"

Soon, he smiled brightly and repeatedly bowed to me.

...Though his dark circles didn’t disappear, it was much better to see him smiling.

No matter how elite the soldiers facing the great warlord were, they were still human.