The Gousser Marquis army led by sterica had initially held an overwhelming advantage due to their superior numbers and strength.
However, the appearance of the earth dragon completely flipped the situation.
The suddenly appearing earth dragon displayed terrifying destructive power, trampling soldiers one after another.
Having nearly annihilated the Gousser Marquis army, the earth dragon was now closing in on sterica as she tried to flee.
"Hii!"
Seeing his sister let out a short scream, Rigel smirked.
"Hey, isn't this a bit too much for you, Sister?"
"Shut up! I know that already!!"
sterica shouted in frustration and raised her sword into a fighting stance.
Rigel shrugged his shoulders in exasperation.
"Co on… You know you don't stand a chance, yet you still want to fight? Give it up. You'll just throw your life away for nothing."
"Be quiet! I am a proud mber of the Gousser family! Strategic retreat is one thing, but I can't just abandon everything and run away in total defeat!!"
With those words, sterica dashed forward at incredible speed, closing the distance to the earth dragon in an instant.
(She's still fast… But she doesn't look as quick as she used to be.)
Rigel calmly analyzed the situation.
To be clear, sterica's ability was quite impressive.
She was probably on the level of a mid-tier adventurer or mid-tier soldier.
However, that was still within the realm of ordinary strength.
From Rigel's perspective, after rapidly growing stronger through his cheat skill **[Rape]**, her power felt lacking.
Even so, she might have been able to put up a decent fight against the earth dragon if left alone.
Thinking that, Rigel decided to watch quietly for now.
"GUOOOOOH!!"
The earth dragon opened its massive jaws wide.
The next instant, scorching flas burst forth.
"Kyaaaaaaaah!!"
sterica scread as she was engulfed in flas.
She collapsed to the ground and stopped moving completely.
(Ah well… As expected, she couldn't handle it.)
Looking at his fallen sister, Rigel shrugged without much emotion.
"Having a pathetic sister sure is troubleso. —[Water Ball]"
He casually chanted the spell, creating a mass of water that he hurled at sterica.
With a loud *sizzle*, the flas were extinguished.
She was still breathing.
There were also many other soldiers who were critically injured but still alive.
Watching the scene, Rigel thought:
(Now then, what should I do next?)
The Gousser Marquis army had been completely destroyed.
The only unit still combat-capable was the Fourth Unit under Rigel's command.
However, he couldn't afford to retreat here.
Behind the earth dragon were the enemy soldiers.
If he ran now, the surviving soldiers—including sterica—would likely be slaughtered.
"Well, I guess there's no choice…"
Muttering to himself, Rigel chanted another spell.
"[Volcanic Fla]"
In an instant, a massive vortex of flas appeared and swallowed the earth dragon whole.
Its power was overwhelming.
"GUOOOOOH!! Ooooooooh…"
Even the sturdy earth dragon couldn't withstand it.
Its entire body was burned to a crisp, and it died on the spot.
"Wh-what!? He took down that earth dragon so easily…!?"
"You've got to be kidding! Do you have any idea how much it cost to ta that thing!!"
"Who the hell is that man!? We weren't told there was an A-rank or higher mage participating!!"
As the enemy soldiers shouted in shock, Rigel declared coldly:
"Alright, you're next. Co at if you want to die."
Facing Rigel's fearless smile, the enemy soldiers showed expressions of pure terror.
It was only natural.
After witnessing a spell powerful enough to slay a dragon in one blow, anyone who remained calm would be the strange one.
"What's wrong? Not coming?"
"Hiiiii!!"
"Save ee!"
"Uwaaaaaah!!"
The enemy soldiers scattered and fled like baby spiders.
Rigel watched them with a bitter smile.
(Really… Losing their will to fight over sothing like this? What pathetic bastards.)
He didn't bother chasing them and simply stood there.
Then he began chanting another spell.
"—[Area Heal]"
A gentle light spread across the entire battlefield.
The mont the light touched them, the fallen soldiers began standing up one after another.
"U-uuun…"
"This is… recovery magic!?"
"Don't tell … Young Master Rigel did this?"
The soldiers groaned and questioned as they rose.
Of course, those who were already dead didn't co back to life, but all the lightly and moderately wounded should have been fully healed.
After confirming that, Rigel nodded in satisfaction and walked over to sterica.
"You're still alive, right, Sister?"
"…Yeah, sohow."
sterica answered while grimacing in pain.
Looking down at her, Rigel said:
"Then it's fine if I beco the supre commander now, right?"
"Wha—!? Why would it be!?"
sterica's eyes widened in shock, but Rigel continued without paying much attention.
"Because you're weak, right? And I'm strong. So naturally, I should be the one giving orders."
"Guh…! It's true your magic power is ridiculous… but that doesn't an I'll just accept it so easily—"
"—[Fire Laser]"
"Ah… Aaaah…!"
A high-powered laser spell grazed sterica's cheek.
She tried to argue back, but fear made it impossible for her to speak properly.
Seeing her reaction, Rigel let out a small sigh and said:
"I am the supre commander now. Got it, sterica?"
"Y-yes…"
And so, command of the Gousser Marquis army was transferred to Rigel.
After healing the survivors with recovery magic, he quickly reorganized the remaining forces.
Then, instead of stopping at the battlefield, he led the army deeper into enemy territory.
---
Rigel and his forces had achieved victory in the battle on the plains.
Although the earth dragon had caused considerable damage with its rampage, Rigel's recovery magic had kept the number of deaths relatively low.
He had taken the position of supre commander from sterica, reorganized the troops, and advanced deep into enemy territory.
Now, they were just a short distance away from the enemy's fortress.
(Hmm… This might be a bit tough.)
Rigel muttered inwardly as he surveyed the surroundings.
The enemy forces were few in number, but they were all elites. They wouldn't be easy opponents.
If they holed up inside the fortress, it would be difficult for his side to attack recklessly.
Even the fire magic that had slain the earth dragon might not be effective against a sturdy fortress.
(My **[Rape]** skill is at level 3. In close combat I'm now stronger than sterica, and I've also learned fire and recovery magic. But even so, I can't take down a fortress by myself. What should I do…?)
While he was thinking, a voice suddenly called out from behind him.
"Hey, you."
When he turned around, sterica was standing there with an extrely displeased look on her face, glaring at him.
"What do you want, Sister?"
"What do you an 'what do you want'!? You dragged us all the way here without a plan. Don't tell you don't have any strategy at all?"
"Ugh…"
Rigel faltered, struck where it hurt.
Seeing his reaction, sterica let out a big sigh.
"Good grief! This is exactly why you're useless! Even if you've gotten a little stronger, you're still incompetent!"
"…Tch. Don't get cocky! You're the weak one here!"
"Wha—!? How dare you, you little brother!!"
sterica's face turned bright red as she yelled.
Rigel also raised his voice in response.
The nearby soldiers, hearing the siblings arguing, hurriedly tried to intervene.
"Please calm down, both of you! You're on the sa side — and you're siblings! What are you fighting about!?"
But the two didn't stop.
In fact, they only grew more heated.
"Shut up! Stay out of this, you small fry!"
"Exactly! This has nothing to do with you!"
While the soldiers clutched their heads in distress at the escalating argunt, a loud voice suddenly rang out.
"Enemy spotted! It looks like a small platoon that failed to retreat in ti!"
The voice belonged to one of the Gousser Marquis soldiers.
sterica reacted first.
"What did you say!? Where!?"
"Over in that direction."
Following the soldier's pointing finger, they saw a group of people running around in panic, kicking up dust.
Rigel spoke with a bored expression.
"Is it really worth making such a fuss? Our troops already have them surrounded."
As he said, the enemy soldiers were indeed already encircled.
Even though it was only a small platoon, letting them escape could cause trouble later.
If they could be crushed, it was better to do so.
However, crushing them wouldn't really help with capturing the fortress itself…
"—Hm? Hey, aren't they struggling more than expected?"
Rigel muttered.
It was understandable that the enemy soldiers were resisting desperately.
If they were captured by the Gousser Marquis army while their main force was holed up in the fortress, their fate would be grim.
Still, sothing about the situation felt off.
No matter how hard they fought, the difference in numbers should have been impossible to overco…
(What's going on…?)
Rigel frowned, deep in thought.
Then sterica spoke from beside him.
"Hmph. That enemy platoon leader… I think I've seen him before."
"Oh?"
"Yes. I fought him in a sword tournant a few years ago."
sterica glared hatefully in that direction.
At the end of her gaze stood a young swordsman.
"Heh… So that's him. Now that you ntion it, his face does look familiar."
Rigel also recognized the swordsman.
He was the one who had once fought against sterica.
If he rembered correctly, his na was Amand.
He recalled him as a young but talented swordsman.
It wouldn't be strange for soone like him to be put in charge of a platoon despite his age.
Rigel thought so.
"Alright, let's go take a look."
The enemy platoon led by Amand was still barely holding on.
However, more and more Gousser Marquis soldiers were arriving to surround them.
It seed there was no longer any path to escape for the small unit, but—
"Gyaaaaah!!"
"Guwah!?!?"
One after another, Gousser soldiers were being cut down.
Amand was fighting desperately.
"Why are you having so much trouble with just a small platoon?"
"This is… Supre Commander Rigel! But that man keeps taking down our elite soldiers one after another…!"
The man answered Rigel, who had just arrived.
Just as he said, Amand was still mowing down soldiers left and right.
"Yaaah! I am Amand, the one who will one day beco a Sword Saint! Co at if you have the courage!!"
Amand boldly declared his na.
Rigel looked at her with an exasperated expression and called out:
"Hey, you. Stop this pointless resistance and surrender."
"I cannot! As a swordsman, I cannot retreat here!"
Amand declared firmly.
Rigel shrugged his shoulders as if to say "good grief."
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