How a wizard lives 12

Chapter 12- The Extermination Team.

The extermination team crossed the fields all day.

By noon, the dense forest that had slowly begun to appear on the left side was right in front of them by evening.

The team prepared to camp at the entrance to the forest.

This seemed to be a common campsite used by caravans and mercenary groups, as there were rudimentary stone walls and spaces for toilets.

As soon as they arrived at the campsite, the workers began unloading supplies from the carriages and preparing dinner.

The mercenaries also set up sleeping areas and dug latrines.

The court mage, Dunmer, along with three mages and four knights, crossed a narrow stream and approached the path leading into the forest.

They wanted to check if there were any suspicious signs nearby.

“This area seems clear for now.”

In places with many obstacles, detailed mana detection was difficult, but detecting large creatures like monsters or demonic beasts wasn’t too hard.

After scouting the area, they returned to the campsite.

The pot over the fire was already bubbling with hot soup.

The workers handed bowls of soup, half a loaf of bread, and thinly sliced salty meat to the mages and knights.

Yurik took his bowl of food and sat down with the mercenaries he had shared the carriage with.

They asked the handsome mage if he had found anything during the scouting.

“No signs of monsters or demonic beasts yet. Though who knows what might happen overnight.”

“They probably won’t come this far.”

“But we’re dealing with demonic beasts. They don’t follow common sense…. Imagine a monster clad in iron armor. I’ve heard there are plenty of those on the southern front.”

The mercenaries began sharing stories about the demonic race and demonic beasts on the southern front.

Perhaps because it felt distant from their own lives, their tone was filled more with curiosity and interest than fear.

After a neither long nor short dinner, they prepared for bed.

Of course, with a forest full of monsters nearby, they had to set up a watch.

The knights and mages were exempt from the watch, and the mercenaries took turns in pairs.

Yurik set up his sleeping spot next to the gap-toothed female mercenary who had prepared the ground well.

But before sleeping, he read a few pages from the grimoire given to him by the Grand Witch Adrian.

It had become a habit to read a page or two before bed.

Instead of using a magic orb, he caught a few fireflies by the stream and used them as a light source.

The starlight was bright enough anyway.

Snoring, the sound of the wind, the cries of beasts.

The mage closed his book and looked up at the sky.

A meteor streaked across the sky, leaving a long tail.

After gazing at the sky for a while, Yurik put the book back in his bag and crawled into his sleeping bag.

He closed his eyes in the soft wool.

* * *

As expected, nothing happened overnight.

But perhaps because of the eerie aura emanating from the forest, everyone seemed to have had restless dreams.

People woke up with tired faces and began packing up.

Yurik went to the stream to wash his face with cold water.

The misty dawn forest seemed like a glimpse of another world.

After a quick breakfast and finishing their preparations, the team boarded the carriages again.

Team leader Thomas gave the signal to depart after making sure no one was left behind.

“Let’s move out!”

The carriages crossed a wide stone arch bridge over the stream and headed into the forest.

In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the extermination request began the moment they entered the forest.

The mist, illuminated by the rising dawn, spread a pastel-like red light.

Yurik etched this scene into his memory, planning to paint it once the request was completed.

The thick mist gradually dissipated.

The forest path, barely wide enough for two carriages, was more silent than lively.

Despite the brightness, the forest felt unnaturally heavy with a dark aura.

While it would be better to avoid such paths if possible, all roads eventually led through this forest.

“This place always feels eerie, no matter how many times I pass through. There’s something strange about the forest.”

“Oh great, the fortune teller has arrived. Why don’t you set up a stall?”

Yurik periodically spread his mana to assess the surroundings.

The main threat to watch out for was flying demonic beasts.

They could suddenly swoop down and crash into the carriages, or even pick them up and drop them from a height.

Once, during training with the Grand Witch Yelni, Yurik had been caught by a monstrous bird and dropped from a great height.

Fortunately, he only broke a limb or two.

“If they’re attacked, they’ll immediately drop their prey. If you’re caught, don’t hesitate to attack first.”

Even demonic beasts wouldn’t be much different from monstrous birds in that regard.

The extermination team’s carriages moved along the forest path, taking several short breaks until noon.

Then, they found something.

The lead carriage waved a red flag, signaling to stop.

Soon, the convoy slowed to a halt.

Having just taken a break, the mercenaries poked their heads out and saw that the middle of the forest path was in complete disarray.

The team dismounted and cautiously approached the scene, which was clearly the site of an attack.

“No survivors!”

The mercenaries and knights searched the area, but there were no bodies—not even the horses that had pulled the carriages and carts.

The demonic beasts must have eaten them, or if any had survived, the forest monsters had dragged them away.

Judging by the carriages and carts, the group that had been attacked wasn’t very large—maybe six or seven people at most.

They might have been able to handle ordinary monsters, but they were no match for flying demonic beasts.

“The casualties keep piling up.”

“We need to exterminate them quickly.”

At least it was now certain that the demonic beast was nearby.

However, if the extermination team was too large, the demonic beast might not show itself.

So, the team leader planned to have some members hide in the carriages when the beast was likely to be active.

“First, let’s clear the wreckage!”

The team moved to the chaotic scene and began clearing the debris.

Some mercenaries carefully searched through the wreckage for any valuables that might have been left behind.

Of course, many mercenaries were superstitious and avoided touching the belongings of the dead, fearing bad luck.

“If you mess with the dead’s stuff, you’ll end up joining them, you idiot.”

“I’d rather eat and die, damn it.”

The team leader didn’t bother stopping them.

He had seen enough of mercenaries’ habits, and besides, the items were ownerless now….

After clearing the wreckage from the path, the team set off again.

They soon arrived at a relatively spacious clearing in the forest.

Of course, this place also had its share of wreckage—some old, some relatively new.

These were the remnants of groups that had been wiped out by monsters, not just demonic beasts.

It looked like a massive joint graveyard gathered in one corner.

“We’ll wait here.”

The open space made it easier to deal with the demonic beast compared to the narrow forest path.

Team leader Thomas gave detailed instructions as he moved around.

The chances of the demonic beast appearing tonight were high, so they had to be fully prepared.

He asked the court mage Dunmer, who had returned from scouting the area, to handle the demonic beast if it appeared.

“Hoho, that young man over there is more important than me.”

Dunmer pointed with his chin at Yurik, who was calmly resting among the mercenaries in the distance.

“…That man?”

When Thomas asked for clarification, Dunmer stroked his beard and spoke with confidence.

“He’s above my level. He’s no ordinary talent.”

The other two mages hadn’t noticed, but Dunmer, who was quite well-known even in the Magic Tower, immediately recognized Yurik’s strength.

If one had studied mana circuits deeply, it was impossible not to notice the immense flow of mana coursing through his body.

“The circulating mana is being purified every moment. …His understanding and mastery of circuits are beyond absurd.”

When Dunmer first saw him, he could hardly believe his eyes.

At a glance, it seemed like simple mana circulation, but it was actually moving through circuits so fine and long that they were invisible to the naked eye.

Of course, it wasn’t impossible to force such a thing, but maintaining those circuits non-stop like that was beyond even Dunmer’s capabilities.

…What kind of training had he undergone to achieve something that was only theoretical until now?

“I don’t know who his master is, but they’ve taught this monster some monstrous methods.”

At first, Dunmer was shocked, thinking that the mages of the Magic Tower had improved so much while he was away.

But no matter how he looked at it, this was clearly the result of individual talent, not collective effort.

“Where did such a monster suddenly come from….”

If someone like this existed, rumors would have spread across the continent and reached Dunmer’s ears naturally.

But he hadn’t heard of such a talent in recent times.

“…It seems he’s more talented than he looks.”

The court mage had no intention of forcing his opinion on the skeptical team leader.

After all, it would become clear during the upcoming battle with the demonic beast.