I Was Mistaken as a Genius Mage in a Game-Chapter 59

Thud!

The sound of something large and thick knocking on the door echoes in my ears as I sit on the bed fiddling with my guitar.

It was a rough knock, one that might be considered rude by some, but when I think about who is on the other side of this door... such thoughts vanish.

This must be the most polite and gentle knock they could manage.

"Come in."

I set the guitar aside and slowly got up from the bed, walking toward the table where my teacup was placed.

Soon, a massive forearm, as thick as something that could crush a head like tofu, grabbed the doorknob and opened the door.

The large, muscular back of the person bent slightly to pass through the small doorframe before straightening up. The sound of their uniform straining and slightly stretching was audible with the movement.

Although they were wearing white cotton gloves to hide the fact that they had a prosthetic arm, the light reflecting between the gloves and the uniform kept drawing my attention.

"At your service."

As always, Rex greeted me with a polite salute.

"You’re wearing a uniform?"

I asked this as a greeting the moment I saw Rex. He didn’t lower his salute but answered my question.

"Well, yeah. This isn’t a battlefield, after all."

Rex’s expression seemed somewhat awkward. Two thoughts briefly crossed my mind.

The first was a very reasonable thought: shouldn't you wear thicker clothes on a battlefield?

The second was a rather rude thought: "A uniform and an orc?"

...This is quite hipster, isn’t it?

Even without it, Rex’s combination of the dwarves’ finely crafted mechanical prosthetics and his rugged muscles already made him a solid contender for the title of "hipster." But adding the medieval-style, ornate soldier uniform made his "hipster" factor break through the critical point.

An orc.

A species that always goes topless, carries large weapons on their backs, and shouts only about honor.

A species that doesn’t care if blood and flesh are smeared on their bodies, who wear leather garments that barely cover vital areas, a tribe of exposure and wildness.

And now, that same species is wearing a huge uniform adorned with medals and unnecessary decorations, saluting in front of me. And one of his arms is mechanical.

"...At {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} your service."

I suppressed a thousand impolite questions boiling up in my mind, giving a clumsy salute before lowering my hand.

"Please, sit."

I guided Rex to the chair I had already prepared for orcs before inviting him in. The chair was about twice the size of a normal human-sized chair, allowing Rex to sit comfortably and raise the teacup.

...Looking at it now, I should have prepared a teacup more suited for an orc. The large teacup, half the size of my face, looked like it belonged in an espresso machine rather than something Rex could hold.

"How’s the injury on your back?"

"It’s improved enough that I could jump into battle right away. Thanks to the skilled priests."

Rex proudly showed off his massive arm muscles, hidden beneath his uniform, as if there were no aftereffects.

...Although I know it’s impossible, seeing such massive arm muscles up close makes me constantly think that this orc could crush my head like tofu at any given moment.

"How’s the artifact you got? Do you like it?"

"...It’s surprisingly versatile. At first, handling it felt a bit tricky, but once I got the hang of it, I adapted quickly."

Rex fumbled with the chest of his uniform, explaining while trying to adjust.

While I still struggle with handling the red crystal, it seems like it’s nothing for Rex, a born warrior.

"I’m glad you like it."

"It’s just that... I feel much hungrier than usual. My food intake has tripled. At first, I thought it was just because my body was healing, but even after I fully recovered, I haven’t been able to reduce my food intake."

"Powerful artifacts often come with a corresponding side effect. One... don’t worry about it. As long as you eat well, there should be no problem."

One of the many advantages of the artifact Rex acquired was that the price was surprisingly minimal considering its power.

Artifacts that cost things like lifespan or hearing are common, but increasing food consumption is nothing compared to that.

"...I’m sorry, but I don’t think it’s as simple as that. Sometimes, supplies don’t arrive on time on the battlefield. Being able to hold out on limited food is an important trait for a warrior."

Rex replied seriously, opposing my optimistic attitude.

"Well... I suppose so."

Rex’s point wasn’t wrong. This world isn’t a game where you can pull out endless, never-expiring bread from an infinite inventory whenever you want.

...It’s not wrong, but did he really need to get so serious about it?

This orc is way too serious.

"Ahem, well. Let’s move on to the main topic. I know that I’m still lacking in training and that I need to stay with Alter and Lir, right?"

"I know."

"There are three mages I need to protect. Even for Rex, it must be difficult to protect all three without a problem, right? It would be great if there were at least one more vanguard that fits the level of Valerand."

Right now, with just Rex, the party balance doesn’t work. There are three mages, but only Rex as a vanguard, which makes it highly likely that we won’t be able to handle sudden ambushes or unexpected variables.

We need more vanguards to cover the mages’ weak agility and survival.

To form an ideal party, we would need a ranger or assassin with great reconnaissance skills...

"What about Trian? Since Lir seems to be quite shy, wouldn’t it be less burdensome for her if we use a familiar face?"

"His tracking skills are good, but his combat ability is lacking."

I hate to say it, but Trian, with his current skills, wouldn’t make the cut even for an average job in Valerand.

He had trouble even piercing the skin of the spider monsters in the Achiliptus Forest.

Of course, I’ll acknowledge his excellent tracking ability and observation skills based on the vast experience of elves, but if his arrows don’t hurt the enemy, they don’t mean much on the battlefield.

"Also, what we need now isn’t a scout. As you know, Rex, we have three mages. We desperately need infantry to protect these mages."

"If you need infantry, I know a talented one."

"Would they work in Valerand?"

"His current skills are excellent, and he has immense potential."

"In that case, please bring him. We need someone who can protect us in case something happens."

A week passed by faster than usual.

Lir and I grabbed one of the many empty rooms in the castle and trained every day to survive on the dangerous battlefield.

For me, I focused on honing my senses to better handle the red crystal, and Lir concentrated on using magic more nimbly and quickly than usual.

"Welcome! I am the head instructor of the Continental Alliance’s First Training Camp..."

After Alter’s lessons ended, Lir and I received basic military training from a special instructor... no, from the training camp director.

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

Until now, we could cover our awkward movements with our talents alone, but the battlefield we were about to face couldn’t be survived with just magical talent.

"Trench warfare is expected to be the main type of combat! I’ll focus on giving lectures on attributes for the next week, and I’ll conduct training with a military mindset, making sure we complete it perfectly, but just in case..."

The director seemed quite burdened by the fact that he had to conduct basic military training against generals.

"In trench warfare, what the mages need to do is..."

Unlike Alter’s magical lessons, the director’s military training didn’t really stick in my head.

Thanks to having an unusually high magic stat of 20, learning magic wasn’t that hard for me, but military training was a completely different field.

I didn’t expect much from it.

Since I’ve never felt like my intelligence has particularly increased except in the realm of magic since I woke up.

"Well, originally, physical training should follow, but due to time constraints, we’ll move on!"

...Thanks to the considerate curriculum and the director’s extraordinary military spirit to somehow complete the mission, Lir and I managed to learn basic movements and the positions mages should take in combat situations.

We only got a taste of it, but it was a hundred times better than being thrown into battle with no knowledge.

"At your service!"

And so, the morning of the day we left for the expedition, Rex greeted me with a loud salute at the castle’s front gate.

Behind him stood a male warrior carrying a large sword, as big as his own body, strapped to his waist.

"At your service! Private First Class Ed, newly assigned to General Bin’s escort detail!"

The cheerful greeting was so lively that it made me doubt if this was how a Private First Class should be acting against a general.

...Private First Class?

"How long have you been in the military?"

"I just finished basic training yesterday!"

Hearing Ed’s words, I couldn’t help but look at Rex with a face asking for an explanation.

"Ed is a former adventurer with verified skills. He protected isolated villages from mutants on his own during his wanderer days, full of justice. Technically, he’s probably more skilled than me."

"When I got the offer, I was shocked. To be the bodyguard of the genius mage who made waves across the continent, isn’t this my chance to become a hero? There was no reason not to take it. So, I enlisted right away, as Rex suggested!"

"...He talks a lot, but he’s definitely skilled."

"He finished a two-month basic training course in three days, and the instructor said it was the third fastest record! I’m sure the general will recognize my skills soon enough."

Perhaps because he hadn’t been in the military for even a week, Ed’s manner of speaking wasn’t that of a soldier.

"My goal is to become a hero! I look forward to working with you, General!"

...I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears when he said something so cheesy as "My future goal is to be a hero."

"I... uh, yes, at your service."

After Ed’s salute, he fumbled for a bit before he could get back into the proper position.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

...Maybe it’s too harsh to say "This guy needs to redo his drill training from the start," since he hasn’t even been in the military for a week.

"Then, I look forward to working with you from now on!"

As I watched him, I suddenly thought that he looked like a character from an 80s Japanese game director’s design.

Yeah, Ed wasn’t a person, he was a character.

He casually spouted cheesy lines on his first meeting, and I couldn’t believe he was a human living and breathing beside me.

The sword he carried was as big as his torso, and his hair was spiked out like a hedgehog — he was the epitome of an ‘80s “hero.”

Looking at him, I’m reminded again of the world I’ve been dragged into.

Medieval fantasy.

A world where diversity and originality don’t exist, and everything is narrow-minded and consistent.

It’s a world where, as soon as you’re born, your job is already decided. Most orcs become barbarians, elves become rangers, and dwarves become blacksmiths.

I hate this world.