The Challenger's Return: Rebirth of the Rainbow Mage
Chapter 9: Tutorial (7)

"Attack!"

"Attack!"

Neither side backed down. The two armies swiftly ran at each other for a straightforward, full frontal clash.

Men were cut down with spears and swords. Pained screams after injuries and battle cries meant to bolster one's courage equally filled the air.

Red blood quickly muddied the field, making it impossible to traverse without great care.

One negative consequence of humanity fighting primarily against beasts in the world of the [Tutorial] was the lack of development of war tactics.

The only strategy for a war like this was: whoever has more, stronger, soldiers will win.

On the first clash, it was the Nosk family who were on the losing end. From an onlooker's perspective, it was as if they were getting mowed down by the Brenner family's stronger fighters.

The Brenner Family kept advancing.

But in reality, the battle was closer than it looked.

Darius didn't notice that most of the soldiers that Renora sent out rotated in and out on the battlefield.

As soon as they were injured, they took out glass vials full of pink-tinted liquid and chugged them down. And when they did so, their wounds started healing at a much faster pace.

Furthermore, the magic arrays started to activate.

Dozens of soldiers at the very front were busy fighting their enemies, such that they couldn't see the red light coming at them from the sides. By the time they noticed, they were already dead along with dozens of other nearby Brenner allies.

And Renora had some more tricks up her sleeve.

Darius couldn't have known how long she had been preparing for a day like this.

At first, she prepared in stealth and haste borne of deep fear of a sudden assault by the Brenner family, who were largely responsible for the death of her beloved brother.

The Brenners were just too strong not to be exceedingly cautious.

The patriarch himself was so old, but so powerful, and led his family with an iron fist.

It was still unknown just how many powerhouses he had under his command.

But as her preparations steadily ballooned in magnificence and method, still no assault came.

Her confidence also grew as various projects started to show favorable results. Renora researched and experimented with all sorts of esoteric fields.

The Nosk family now had achievements in alchemy, magic arrays, blacksmithing, mana formulas (these were the pseudo-spells the mages here used to manipulate mana), and even a bit of basic metal technology.

But none of these were her biggest achievement.

It was time for Renora's pride and joy to enter the battlefield.

On the backline, a group of men dressed in tight-fitting black uniforms suddenly appeared as if out of nowhere, and started quietly chanting.

They were inconspicuous compared to the roars of rage and anguish on the battlefield.

Darius still managed to detect something. He looked to the back and found the group of men in black.

A barely-discernible hint of danger emanated from them as they continued to chant.

Darius was immediately alarmed.

If there was any danger at all for a fighter as powerful as he was, it meant it would be devastating for the battlefront in general.

He couldn't let them succeed!

Darius ran as fast as he could to the Nosk's back line to stop those black outfitted men from completing their chant.

There was still some time until they finished.

Darius shouted to his own army,

"Stop them!"

His voice was loud even over the general din.

Otto, who was watching the battle from another roof top with a small telescope, followed where his finger was pointing and saw the men who were chanting.

Otto's eyes widened as he felt the mana fluctuations surrounding them.

'How vicious!'

That was the only word Otto could use to describe this ploy.

The spell Renora had directed these men to use seemed to be a derivative of a particularly nasty dark element spell that drained the life force of nearby allies and enemies to empower the caster.

The caster would initially enjoy a large boost in attributes, but would eventually lose their free will in return for their newfound power.

At that point, they would basically be monsters. On the battlefield, they would become unstoppable.

Otto was certain that the current derivative was much weaker than the original spell, but it was unknown just how many of its effects Renora could reproduce.

He wondered if she actually understood the implications of what she was about to do.

Otto suddenly hoped the church would hurry up and intervene- he didn't enjoy watching a massacre.

And right then, it seemed that Otto's prayers had been answered.

A massive force descended onto the battlefield.

Both the Brenners and the Nosks were forced to stop in their tracks.

Men tried to move their swords and spears, only to find out that even with their great strength, their armaments wouldn't budge even a little.

The black suited men at the back of the battlefield were forced to stop chanting.

Darius stopped running. Renora stopped manipulating her mana to catch Darius.

Everything stopped.

The meadow was utterly quiet.

A woman emerged from the right of the battlefield and walked calmly over after signaling her subordinates to surround the two families.

Horror appeared in both Darius and Renora's eyes.

'The Temple.'

It wasn't that Bront City's temple was very strong, or had great intimidation factor by itself.

In fact, neither were true. Lady Eleina herself was only a Level 10 Mage, not particularly powerful for a leader of a force.

But the reason why Darius and Renora were upset had nothing to do with this.

Unlike the Brenner family or the Nosk family, Noira's Temple was not a singular organization.

The Temple was, in fact, an enormous power that could rival even the royal family for hegemony, if they wished.

Naturally, this wouldn't happen any time soon, as the teachings of Noira strictly forbid such a thing, and for now, Noira's priests were very pious.

But it was clear to the two family heads that whatever Eleina had done just now was not something her Temple alone could pull off. She had backing.

In fact, the truth was similar.

Eleina was actually using a magic array passed down to her by the previous Temple Leader before he died.

Her hesitance in using it came from the fact that this magic array was gifted for one purpose: to protect their branch of the Temple in dire times.

It was one of two extraordinary magic arrays given to her. This one was the 'Suppressive Array' while the other was the 'Killing Array.'

Otto estimated it as a large-scale true Grade 1 Array. As a large-scale array, it required much more mana to make, but could also exert more power.

And only a true array could muster this level of suppressive power.

Each array had three total uses, and the Suppressive Array lasted for thirty full minutes.

Eleina dearly hoped she would not have to bring out the Killing Array. Else, this whole compound would be dyed in deep red.

"Greetings, Patriarch Darius, Matriarch Renora."

Both stated regained a bit of control over their bodies as the suppressive power surrounding them slightly loosened.

They could now speak.

Renora went first. Her tone was harsh, and a bit confrontational despite the situation. No one would be happy being captured in a Suppressive Array like this.

"May I ask why Noira's Temple intends to intervene in a matter of our two families?"

But Eleina didn't back down. Her eyes were startlingly cold as she looked at Renora.

"Renora, may I ask why the Nosk family was researching forbidden magic?"

Eleina directly called her by name this time. It was clear she viewed Renora's action with extreme contempt.

Renora's face paled. She hadn't realized Eleina would recognize the mana fluctuations.

But this was her own ignorance of the temple. Eleina was the Head Priest of a temple that practiced Light-Element spells.

Unlike most mages, she knew a few real spells, too.

How could she fail to recognize how the dark element resonated with those men in black?

Eleina didn't know exactly what the spell intended to do, but she could at least see up to here.

Using the dark element had long been forbidden not only in Bront City, but in the whole of Grentham Kingdom.

This alone was enough to charge Renora and her entire family with a capital offense.

But Eleina didn't intend to let Darius off, either.

"Renora, Darius, I'll be blunt. As nobles, you both have a duty to the city of Bront and the Grentham Kingdom.

A duty which you are currently neglecting.

A monster army has gathered outside of the city and grows bigger each day. It threatens to run the city into the ground.

Commander Zeller has requested the aid of you nobles three times. Yet not a single noble family has responded.

Now, not only have you not offered your help, you are blatantly reducing the city's manpower by fighting amongst yourselves.

Congratulations. You have successfully forced my hand.

I'm afraid I have no choice but to compel you both."

Eleina's wore a faint smile as she finished her speech.

Her voice was pleasant to listen to, but both leaders couldn't help but find her words extremely grating.

'Fight the monsters?'

Darius viewed such a thing with contempt. Fighting the monsters was the military's job.

He was not about to become a dog of the military just because of some measly commoners.

What did those commoners have to do with him? Why should he care if they were eaten?

Frankly, even if the city were destroyed, he and his family would have no trouble escaping and resettling in a nearby city.

And since when were monsters strong enough to do such a thing?

Bront City had stood tall for a hundred years!

Of course, Darius didn't dare to say these objections out loud. Not when his body was basically in Eleina's control.

Plus, he knew those Temple assholes were ridiculously moralistic, and would not view his words at all kindly.

Yet neither Darius nor Renora actually thought it would be tough to fight the monsters, even if they were numerous.

The reason they refused to help the military was instead related to their pride as nobles.

They were nobles! How could they submit to those army dogs?

Still, both were able to recognize that they were in a dangerous situation. They themselves could hardly move, and Eleina's forces had already surrounded them.

Should they show any hostility, they had no doubt that Eleina would not hesitate to wipe them out along with their families.

These were their strongest forces! If they were killed, it was likely the whole family line would be finished.

Wisely, Darius and Renora immediately chose to submit.

Renora declared,

"My Nosk family will henceforth agree to give Commander Zeller our full support."

"My Brenner family shall also partake in killing the monsters. However,"

A cunning smile hung on Darius's lips,

"The Nosk family first attacked our Brenner Family mansion. Now that bi…*cough* Renora has used forbidden magic to attempt to massacre my family's troops.

I hope the Temple will help me vent my anger and account for these reprehensible actions."

Most nobles were good at speaking, and Darius was no exception. He squarely placed the blame for their war on Renora's shoulders.

Eleina simply glared coldly at Renora and spoke,

"Indeed. She will pay a large price for her actions here."

While Eleina knew the attack on the Brenner mansion was actually not the work of the Nosk family, after she saw the forbidden magic, these small details no longer mattered to her.

Plus, it was that man who had helped her create this situation, and she didn't intend to expose him now.

Meanwhile, Renora paled once again, but barely retained her composure. At least, she certainly wouldn't be killed right now. It seemed the city needed her power.

Schemes flashed through her mind. Renora would have to think of a way to escape…

Eleina then spoke once more.

"I'm afraid I can't trust your words alone, Patriarch Darius, Matriarch Renora. I have prepared a contract for each of you, and for all your family members."

The Temple priests and their lackeys started passing out the contracts.

Eleina smiled. If the suppressive array was the preemptive strike, this contract was the true killing move.

This was something Otto had informed her of when they'd met yesterday.

While verbal oaths were also binding, users who broke a promise would merely experience a backlash related to the intensity of the oath they had taken.

The punishment for breaking the contract, however, could be directly written into the contract itself.

Eleina spoke once again.

"These contracts are binding, and more powerfully binding than oaths. The punishment for breaking the contract is on line three, immediate death.

To those who can't read, I will explain its contents.

For the Brenner Family, there are four conditions.

First, you must assist Commander Zeller with the full force of your family, including Patriarch Darius himself, and follow his orders on the battlefield effective immediately.

Second, if the city falls to monsters, not a single member of your family may leave the city.

Third, your family will remain in service to Commander Zeller for a total time period of three months starting immediately.

Fourth, all core and peripheral Brenner family members currently in Bront must sign this contract. This is the responsibility of Darius Brenner.

Remember, any who do not fulfill these terms will immediately be struck down."

Darius's face soured. If he had mobility, he would have thrown the contract directly back in Eleina's face.

But he didn't have time to speak before Eleina continued,

"For the Nosk Family, there are seven conditions.

First, to redeem your lives, you must assist Commander Zeller with the full force of your family, including Matriarch Renora, and follow his orders on the battlefield effective immediately.

Second, you must ensure that no more than 10,000 civilians die in the monster attack. If more than 10,000 civilians die, it will be considered breach of contract.

Third, your family will be responsible for paying the pension of every single civilian and soldier who dies on the battlefield or in the city.

Fourth, you will use the forbidden magic you have developed to fight the invading monsters in service of the Grentham Kingdom.

Fifth, your family will remain in service to Commander Zeller for a total time period of five years starting immediately.

Sixth, your family will be responsible for ensuring every noble family currently in Bront signs a contract stating they will help the military on pain of death. Each family missing will add an additional year of servitude by your family to Commander Zeller.

Seventh, all core and peripheral Nosk family members as well as all who work under the Nosk family currently in Bront must sign this contract. This is the responsibility of Renora Nosk."

She paused for a second to watch the nobles' changing expressions.

"Does everyone understand the contents of this contract?"

Eleina looked at the expressions of rage all around her.

Renora, especially, felt like she was about to go crazy.

How could it have come to this!? Every single thing she worked for all these years was about to be completely demolished because of a single misstep.

"I'll be very clear. Anyone who refuses to sign this contract will die immediately."

All the fight suddenly left them as they remembered where they were. Most of the family members resigned to their fate.

Darius also gave a resigned sigh as he himself signed the contract. Who told him to be caught in this trap?

The conditions for his family were extremely harsh, and he was deeply unwilling to sign at first. How could a noble like him bear to be 'in service' to an army commander?

Yet his conditions suddenly didn't seem so bad when he compared it to the conditions given to the Nosk family.

Darius even felt a bit of schadenfreude at the Nosk's plight. He felt it was only just.

Paying for the pension of everyone who died in battle alone was bound to amount to an enormous cost. Who knew if the Nosk family could scrape together that much money.

Plus, it was clear that Eleina's intention was for the Nosk family to remain in service to Commander Zeller and Bront City indefinitely.

Which noble family would agree to sign such a hateful contract? Even Otto hadn't expected this turn of events.

The contract was also written ingeniously, and left little to no room for any loopholes.

If anything, there were loopholes where both families could accidentally die rather than accidentally escape.

Naturally, Eleina wouldn't have the knowledge or acumen to write such things. This part was all Otto!

But the changes to Renora's contract were written on the spot, as Eleina did her best to follow the same style, and to great effect.

She was rather pleased with herself.

The Brenner family was the first to sign as Darius gave them each a nod.

Eleina used magic to detect Noira's aura on each of them to ensure compliance.

When she found one woman who was unwilling to hand her fate over so easily, one of the priests walked over and directly burned her to death.

The Nosk family members paled as they saw this scene. Indeed, they didn't have the right to resist right now.

Renora was completely unwilling to sign this ridiculous contract, but quite frankly, she no longer had a choice in the matter.

In the end, she could only grit her teeth until they almost cracked and sign the contract. She didn't forget to send a look filled with resentment at Eleina, either.

Eleina lightly said,

"If you fulfill all of these conditions, and your Nosk family remains standing after the monsters attack, I will personally come fight with you so you can vent your anger."

To Renora, though, these words were only filled with endless mocking.

She even had the desire to directly commit suicide to avoid this ridiculous contract, but she resisted the impulse.

After all, one could only make a comeback if alive.

Now that everyone was finished signing the contract, the two families immediately got to work making sure their family members were bound as well.

Otherwise, their leaders would have to face the consequences.