Chapter 157: Burning the Magic Plains

Rest and his team had ventured deep into the center of the Sabnock Plains for their investigation, only to be met with an unexpected obstacle. It wasn’t the monsters, strengthened by the magic energy of the area, but rather the overgrown, ordinary weeds that blocked their way.

These weeds, which had grown to the height of an adult man, obscured their vision, hiding any monsters lurking nearby. Worse, the dense magic energy within the plants interfered with their Presence Detection magic. If they didn’t deal with this, the team would be vulnerable to surprise attacks.

“Well… burning them down will solve this.” 

Rest muttered as he began setting the surrounding vegetation ablaze.

He unleashed the advanced fire magic, ‘Firestorm’, clearing large areas of grass and opening a path toward the center of the magic zone. He avoided using ‘Amaterasu’—a spell that gathered sunlight—since it could dim the surroundings and increase the risk of an ambush from monsters.

“Amazing…”

“Rest really is incredible. I didn’t know he could do something like this.”

From behind, Isis watched Rest with awe in her eyes, while Yuri looked at him with sincere admiration.

“Well, this much is expected.” 

Lubase said with a smug grin, arms crossed, staying alert to their surroundings.

Meanwhile, Argyle, the knight sent from the royal palace, and Rail, the priest dispatched from the temple, stood frozen in stunned silence, speechless at the sight before them.

Rest continued casting the advanced fire magic over and over, burning the surrounding vegetation. Incidentally, Rest had received permission from Andrew Iwood, the leader of the pioneer group, to burn the area beforehand. After all, this location was slated for development into a town once the magic plains were tamed. Using the magic energy of the area would allow them to build a more prosperous city than usual, so clearing the weeds and any monster was necessary anyway.

Andrew would likely be grateful for Rest’s help in clearing the area.

“To use that many advanced spells without even showing signs of running out of magic… This man truly is… my ideal…” 

Isis swallowed hard, mesmerized by Rest’s accomplishment.

Advanced magic was powerful, and even for upper-year students in the magic department, two or three casts would be their limit. Yet, Rest had already cast more than twenty spells, and his magic power still showed no sign of depletion.

“Graargh!”

“Gyaw, gyaw!”

Burned by the flames, monsters began leaping out of the tall grass. Some rushed toward Rest, while others tried to flee.

“Lightningbolt!”

“Hyaa!”

Isis swiftly shot down the monster charging at Rest, while Yuri crushed the skull of another that attempted to escape with a powerful kick, sending it to the ground.

“Pathetic.” 

Lubase sneered as he slashed a monster in two with his sword.

The four of them continued cutting their way through the heart of the magic plains with ease, making steady progress.

“Damn it… This can’t be happening…” 

Muttered Argyle behind them, clenching his fists in frustration. The young members of the group were the ones getting all the action, while he, the seasoned knight, had hardly had a chance to prove himself.

It wasn’t as if Argyle was incompetent. Though he had the misfortune of being related to someone involved in a rebellion, his abilities were real, which was why he had been entrusted with this mission as a way to redeem his tarnished name.

(I came here expecting to clean up after these inexperienced kids, but they’re all monsters!)

It wasn’t just Rest with his seemingly infinite magic power. Isis’s speed in casting spells and Yuri’s incredible physical strength allowed them to eliminate enemies before Argyle could even react. Lubase’s swordsmanship was on par with the others, and being a knight himself, Argyle could tell—Lubase’s martial skill surpassed his own.

(Are these really students? I haven’t had a single chance to step forward…!)

Argyle had hoped to redeem his reputation through this dangerous mission, but instead, he was being overshadowed by young talent. He hadn’t had any opportunity to shine and was starting to feel like a complete burden.

“Damn it… At this rate…!”

“Even so, we really appreciate your help, Argyle-san.” 

Rest suddenly said, turning toward the frustrated knight.

“Huh?”

Rest’s words caught Argyle off guard.

“Thanks to you keeping watch behind us and protecting Rail, our healer, I can focus on the enemies ahead without worrying about my back. Taking on such a thankless task for the sake of the team—it means a lot.” 

Rest said earnestly.

“O-oh, right… yes, of course!” 

Argyle quickly adjusted his tone, recalling that Rest was a noble count.

“Yes, the less glamorous jobs are ones that people like me must step up to handle! Supporting the younger generation is a duty for us older ones. Please, don’t worry about it!”

It seemed Argyle had decided to go along with Rest’s praise. Framing his role as supporting the younger members helped maintain his pride, despite not being able to take the front lines.

“Leave the rear to me! You all keep focusing on the front!” 

Argyle declared, sounding more confident.

“Thanks, we’re counting on you,” 

Rest replied, turning forward again, hiding a smirk as Argyle’s mood brightened.

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