Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World chapter-156-wind-breeze

From atop his horse, Henry observed the two figures kneeling before him, their noses bloodied and swollen from the recent beating - "He was rather pissed, huh?" - Henry thought, seeing the result of Olaro's 'gentle' care - "He has gone soft, not even a single bone broken." - Henry still remembered when Olaro taught the soldiers in the training center of the castle. It was a miracle of a day when nobody was sent to the infirmary bed.

Henry didn't particularly care whether the mages were injured, as long as they could fulfill their duties -"It's been some time since our last meeting, hasn't it?" - Henry remarked casually, his tone devoid of any particular emotion - "I hope Luna has been able to teach you a thing or two of magic."

The duo nodded, their eyes avoiding meeting Olaro's gaze, a mix of anger and fear imprinted in their eyes. They desired revenge, but they knew they couldn't challenge the bald man without risking serious injury or even their lives. It was safer to remain compliant, like sheep in a wolf's den. Not minding the silence, Henry continued - "In the next few hours, we'll reach the first city on Aritreia's grounds" - he gestured towards the south where the faint outlines of a city could be seen on the horizon - ""We can't afford a prolonged fight, since we need to finish this war in a month. I want to take those walls down as fast as possible. So, what can you do to help me?"

The duo remained silent again, only nodding their heads, like two chicken scratching the ground for food.

"Maybe Olaro broke them, he shouldn't have aimed for the heads" - Henry thought, shooting an annoyed look at Olaro, who responded with a sheepish shrug, apologizing for his actions, but also stepping forwards to take responsibility.

The general could sense the king getting angrier - "Apologies, Your Majesty" - he said - "Perhaps I was…to forceful in my actions. I will try to make them open their mouths again." - he took a step forward, ready to act.

The duo's eyes widened in terror, and they gestured desperately toward their lips, attempting to make sounds but unable to part their pale, bloodied lips. Olaro seized both of their chins and pulled them downward, their hands instinctively reached for Olaro's, trying to pry his grip away, pained muffles echoing from them. However, they were unable to stop the bald general. Their lips, seemingly glued shut, suddenly opened, a thin stream of blood coming out.

"Well, can you talk now?" - Olaro asked, his tone feigning concern while a sly smile played on his lips. It felt really good resuming the lesson. Yes, he should be a teacher when retiring.

"Y-yes!" - they both responded, their voices unable to hide the anger present in their being. They wanted to retaliate and pay back for the pain and beating. However, the fear didn't allow them to move.

Olaro turned to the king and nodded, offering a victorious smile as he raised his thumb. "Can you answer me now?" - Henry asked, his patience wearing out.

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty" - They said in unison, their voices trembling with pain and fear of the bald general's possible return. They didn't want to be torture.

"Well, how can you be useful?" - Henry asked, his impatience unveiled by his tone. These two had already wasted an hour of their march, and he wasn't keen on repeating himself to these two. It was both frustrating and absurd that two mages couldn't even free their own lips, it was humiliating.

The duo exchanged glances until the young man with a big nose spoke up - "I believe we can assist in bringing down that barrier, Your Majesty" - he said - "Though we've only just formed our Spirit core, teacher Luna taught us a specific spell, saying that it was all we needed. It's a spell we can only cast a couple of times, at most, before exhausting ourselves." "Although I already expected…one spell, they won't be much useful" - Henry thought, rubbing his forehead. However, he had to ask - "What is it?"

The duo could sense the king's disappointment - "It's a wind spell called Wind Breeze." - They lowered their heads in a somewhat embarrassed manner.

Upon hearing the spell's name, Olaro, standing nearby, had to hide a laugh using his hands. The name seemed more suited for drying laundry or acting as a personal fan to cool down the king on a hot day. It didn't sound useful in a war.

"Wind Breeze?" - Henry repeated incredulously, this name didn't seem useful at all - "And what exactly can it do?" - Despite his skepticism, Henry didn't want to cloud his judgment.

"Well..." - It was the other young man who responded, his appearance plain enough that it could be found in any streets - "It is a spell that can summon a breeze, You Majesty. It's a useful spell" - He said, hiding the dissatisfaction towards the king's words and doubt.

Henry wanted to jump off his horse and bash their faces into the snow, like Olaro. A breeze. He couldn't think of any situation where a breeze would be useful in a war. Would the enemies need a hairstylist - "How will this be useful?" - he asked, struggling to contain his emotions.

The man with the big nose responded - "We've been practicing this spell by lifting each other off the ground with the breeze, Your Majesty. Although it's a bit slow and can sometimes fail midway, we can lift a person up a wall…if it isn't too high, of course."

Henry's eyes lit up with interest, finally seeing some utility - "Show me" - he demanded, wishing to see if this spell would be of any use. If it proved to be true, Henry could already think of strategies where it might come in handy.

The two young mages immediately complied. The mana glowed green around the young man with a big nose. He pointed towards his companion and a gentle breeze seemed to concentrate in the air, gradually lifting the other mage upward. It was slow, but he was indeed ascending. "Higher!" Henry commanded, noticing the ascent had halted quite high up. Yet, even at this height, they wouldn't be able to reach the top of Icemit's walls. There had to be more to this spell. Gritting his teeth, the man with the big nose pushed his mana to the limit - "Ahh!" - he screamed, nearly passing out. His friend began to ascend once more for another minute, until Henry ordered him to stop.

Henry's eyes sparkled with a newfound excitement - "This war may prove easier than anticipated."