I Tricked a God

The roar of the wind never ceased for even a moment.

Somewhere beyond the saddle platform, the air currents howled with such force that they could have effortlessly torn a person from the back of the Scarlet Serpent. Yet around the saddle itself, it was as though an invisible boundary existed. The wind curved around it and rushed onward, leaving the space within almost perfectly calm.

At the moment, only two people occupied the platform.

Kael sat opposite General Salazar, his legs crossed beneath him, his posture flawlessly straight. Even here, he kept his back erect and looked perfectly composed, as though he were not thousands of feet above the ground but attending another lecture at the Academy.

Salazar himself was the complete opposite.

The General sat completely relaxed, one elbow resting on his raised knee. His boots had been removed and lay carelessly off to the side, while his dark shirt remained open, exposing a lean, sinewy body covered in countless old scars.

Some looked like claw marks, others resembled burns, while still others were impossible to identify.

At the moment, the General was leisurely smoking a pipe.

After taking another draw, he exhaled a thick cloud of smoke into the air. It drifted slowly above the platform, but the instant it crossed the invisible boundary of the protective barrier, the roaring wind outside swept it away.

Adjusting his glasses with his wrist, Salazar took another draw and nodded toward a small jug standing between them.

“Pour me a drink, soldier.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kael immediately rose to his feet and reached for the jug of strong liquor.

Only now, standing closer to the edge of the platform, did he truly grasp the height at which they were traveling. Out of the corner of his eye, Kael caught sight of endless clouds drifting slowly around the Scarlet Serpent, while far below stretched the lands of the Empire. From this height, the rivers and violet-hued forests looked like nothing more than intricate patterns painted across an enormous canvas.

As he filled the first cup, Kael's gaze drifted involuntarily to the left.

There, as far as the eye could see, stretched a colossal mountain range.

The gigantic peaks ran far to the south, disappearing beyond the horizon, yet even there the stone ridge did not come to an end. It was as though someone had drawn an uneven line of mountains across the entire continent, dividing the land in two.

Noticing the direction of his gaze, Salazar scratched his goatee and smirked.

“A mountain range full of treasures that are simply too difficult to extract…”

Kael handed him the cup before carefully adding, “Yet the Scarlet Serpent Army has still managed to achieve some success there.”

Salazar accepted the cup, turning it slightly in his hand as he watched the white liquid sway lazily against the rim.

“That’s more of a necessity,” the General replied calmly. “My section of the front is rich in natural resources and contains areas with exceptionally high mana density. We have to fight constantly to keep those locations from falling under enemy control.”

Taking a small sip, he turned his gaze back to the mountain range once more, as though he saw not lifeless stone but a map of endless conflicts spread before him.

Meanwhile, Kael carefully settled back into his place and, lifting his own cup, said thoughtfully, “Before my deployment, I read a great deal about the southeastern sector of the front... But I doubt any text can convey what it's really like.”

“It can't,” Salazar answered without hesitation.

Draining the contents of his cup in a single swallow, Salazar wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before continuing.

“My section of the front is one of the oldest. Because of its abundance of natural resources and strategic locations, it became one of the first places where the ancient war against the Beast God Horde began.”

His gaze lingered somewhere in the distance for several seconds, his eyes narrowing slightly as though the General were recalling something long familiar.

“Over the centuries, this section of the front has become a system of its own, with its own rules and laws.”

As he spoke, Salazar was no longer looking at the mountain range. It seemed that something entirely different now lay before his eyes—a never-ending succession of battles, generations of soldiers, and countless attempts to hold this land.

Kael drained his own cup as well. The liquor was unexpectedly strong, making him let out a restrained breath, though his expression never changed.

Setting the cup down beside him, he respectfully inclined his head and asked, “Would you mind telling me a little more? If it isn't too much trouble.”

Salazar merely shifted his gaze to the clouds drifting past and, taking another draw from his pipe, slowly exhaled the smoke upward.

“My front isn't a thin line on a map. It's a vast buffer zone between humans and the beastfolk.”

The plumes of smoke rose slowly above the platform, only to vanish in an instant as the wind swept them away.

“The territory changes hands constantly, while full-scale breakthroughs are rare. The war has long since ceased to revolve around destroying the enemy's army. It's all about controlling strategic locations.”

As he spoke, the General continued smoking, occasionally exhaling smoke in the middle of a sentence. To an outside observer, it might have looked rather theatrical, but the ease with which he did it made it obvious that it was simply one of the General's bad habits.

Pointing at the jug between them with his pipe, Salazar silently indicated that it was time for another pour.

Without a word, Kael leaned forward and refilled the General's empty cup, while Salazar continued, “Fortresses, outposts, and fortified positions are scattered across the entire territory, connected by roads that have been built over hundreds of years and changed hands dozens of times.”

Salazar paused briefly, watching as the white liquor once again filled the cup.

“Most important positions are protected by magical barriers that are extremely difficult to breach quickly. If the attackers fail to break through before reinforcements arrive, the assault usually ends in retreat.”

Accepting the cup from Kael, the General took a sip before continuing in a more measured tone, “That's why surprise attacks, diversions, sabotage, and operational speed are so highly valued. Sometimes a small squad can accomplish more than several thousand soldiers if it ends up in the right place at the right time.”

Kael listened intently without interrupting.

The more he learned about the front, the more he realized how limited his previous understanding of war had been. From Salazar's description, what took place there resembled a struggle for resources and strategic positions far more than endless head-on clashes between armies.

Noticing the young man's thoughtful expression, the General suddenly glanced at him over the rim of his glasses.

“Considering that you managed to slip past the enemy during the riot, your abilities should come in handy.”

A faint smirk appeared on Salazar's lips.

“I already know which squad I'm assigning you to.”

Kael immediately found himself wondering which squad the General meant.

Judging by the certainty in his voice, Salazar had made that decision long ago. Still, Kael chose not to ask any questions yet, understanding that the General had not finished explaining.

Salazar took another draw from his pipe and continued in the same concise, almost military tone, “Areas rich in rare metals, alchemical materials, and other resources are especially valuable.”

Exhaling a stream of smoke to the side, he fell silent for a moment before narrowing his eyes slightly.

“But some of the most important locations are the training zones.”

Kael frowned involuntarily.

That was not at all what he had expected to hear.

“Training zones?”

Salazar gave a short nod.

“To maintain and develop the strength of its mages, the army needs opportunities for training and advancement. In territories with exceptionally high mana density, both armies construct specialized zones, each of which requires enormous resources to create.”

The General took another sip before continuing, this time with unmistakable practical interest in his voice.

“Naturally, capturing one of the enemy's training zones is considered a tremendous achievement. Not only do you deprive the enemy of everything they invested in it, but you also gain an almost ready-made training ground for your own troops.”

Kael nodded thoughtfully.

The more he listened, the more he realized just how different warfare on this front was from the conventional image of it. Here, they fought not only for territory, resources, or fortresses. Any location capable of accelerating the development of powerful mages automatically became a strategic objective.

Noticing his thoughtful expression, Salazar suddenly smirked and added, “As a matter of fact, your squad's base has one of those training zones.”

That immediately caught Kael's attention.

“Really?”

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“M-m,” the General gave a lazy nod.

“We took it from the beastfolk about thirty years ago. They've tried to reclaim it several times since then, but without success.”

Salazar shifted his gaze to the clouds ahead and added with obvious satisfaction, “And to this day, it's considered one of the finest training zones on my entire section of the front.”

Lifting his cup, Kael asked with evident curiosity, “And anyone can gain access to it?”

Salazar looked at him as though he were an innocent fool.

“You said you'd read about the front,” Salazar said, raising an eyebrow.

“I did,” Kael nodded calmly. “But most of the information was classified. I was simply denied access.”

Salazar studied him over the rim of his glasses for several seconds before giving an understanding grunt.

“That explains a lot.”

Taking another draw from his pipe, the General continued unhurriedly, “The front has a special merit-based economy. It was developed over centuries to ensure every soldier has a reason to do their job well.”

Kael leaned forward slightly, immediately intrigued.

“For every completed mission, successful operation, and even routine patrol, you'll earn military merit points,” Salazar continued. “Naturally, the more dangerous the assignment and the better the results, the greater the reward.”

The General took another small sip from his cup.

“You can then exchange those military merit points for all kinds of benefits and resources. Techniques, materials, artifacts, access to rare specialists, special supplies, and, of course, training zones of varying levels.”

Hearing that, Kael found himself deep in thought.

The approach truly seemed sensible. Instead of distributing every resource manually, the army had effectively created an internal marketplace where a person's value was determined by their actual contribution to the war.

After a brief moment of thought, Salazar took another draw from his pipe and shrugged.

“You'll learn all the details once you arrive.”

Raising his cup, he drained the remaining liquor in a single swallow and added with satisfaction, “Just be prepared—the modern front is nothing like ordinary people imagine it to be.”

Kael nodded silently.

The longer the conversation continued, the more convinced he became that reality differed greatly from what books and reports described. Even now, Salazar was giving him only the broadest overview of how the front functioned, yet it was already enough to understand that an entirely different world awaited him ahead, one with its own laws, rules, and order.

“Looks like it's going to be far more interesting than I originally expected.”

He wasn't given long to dwell on the thought.

The very next moment, a small fist-sized flame suddenly flared into existence beside Salazar. Hovering between them, it flickered several times before a woman's voice emerged from within.

“General Salazar, you've finally returned! I'll gather all the Captains before your arrival!”

The moment those words were spoken, the General's demeanor changed almost instantly.

Only a second ago, he had looked like a relaxed veteran, lazily sipping liquor and sharing stories from the front, but now not a trace of that easygoing attitude remained.

With a quiet grunt, Salazar clamped his pipe between his teeth and cast a brief glance somewhere ahead.

“If Alice managed to sense me, then we're almost at the front line.”

As he spoke, the General began buttoning his shirt at an unhurried pace. His relaxed posture vanished, the carelessly open front of his shirt disappeared, and with each button he fastened, more of his stern, unwavering aura returned.

Once he had finished with his shirt, Salazar suddenly slapped the saddle with his palm.

At first glance, the gesture seemed completely ordinary, but Kael immediately felt a wave of mana ripple across the platform. It swiftly spread through the Scarlet Serpent's entire body, as though conveying some kind of command.

The response was immediate.

The gigantic creature shifted its course slightly and began a gradual descent.

The clouds around them grew thinner and thinner, while the land below drew ever closer.

Salazar calmly waved a hand to activate his spatial ring and withdrew a red envelope sealed with two wax seals. One bore the Empire’s dragon emblem, while the other depicted a strange, fanged grin, like a sinister smile emerging from the darkness itself.

Turning toward Kael, he extended the letter.

“This is my order for your future commander.”

The moment Kael accepted the letter, Salazar immediately added in a stern voice, “I'll drop you off near the nearest frontline city. From there, you'll travel by wagon with the soldiers who regularly make supply runs.”

Kael silently nodded, placing the envelope into his spatial storage.

Turning his back to him, Salazar watched the approaching ground far below before unexpectedly asking, “Do you understand the reasoning behind my decision?”

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Kael offered a polite smile and replied, “Of course, General. I need to be on the same footing as every other member of the squad. If they see that I arrived with you personally, it'll disrupt the chain of command.”

Salazar shot him a brief glance over his shoulder before replying with a smirk, “You've got a good head on your shoulders.”

He turned his gaze forward again and added calmly, “You'll go far—provided you don't get yourself killed along the way.”

At those parting words, Kael could only offer a crooked smile.

Over the past day, he had already begun to realize that, for Salazar, remarks like that were something akin to praise. Getting used to that style of communication, however, was proving more difficult than he had expected.

By then, the Scarlet Serpent had descended considerably, and with its new angle of approach, Kael could finally get a proper look at the land below.

Beneath them stretched a vast violet forest.

Towering trees rose dozens of meters above the ground, forming an unbroken canopy of lush treetops, with black cliffs rising here and there among them. They were so straight and elongated that, from a distance, they resembled gigantic blades thrust up from beneath the earth.

“The vegetation here is vastly different from what I saw in Lasthold and the Capital...” Kael noted to himself as he carefully observed the landscape drifting beneath them.

Soon, however, something else caught his attention.

Far off amid the endless forest, a small city came into view.

It looked as though it had been carved directly out of a sea of violet vegetation, surrounded by trees on every side.

“I suppose this is my stop...”

The Scarlet Serpent continued losing altitude at a rapid pace, then finally changed direction and headed straight toward the edge of the forest not far from the city.

A few seconds later, the gigantic creature was already gliding between the treetops. Thick branches snapped beneath its body with loud cracks, leaves and strips of bark scattered in every direction, and its mighty wings sent great clouds of dust billowing into the air.

Then, in the very next moment, everything beneath Kael's feet shuddered as the dragon finally touched down.

Its massive body settled among a tangle of enormous roots that covered the ground like a gigantic web. Colorful insects drifted lazily between the trees in every direction, and the damp forest air was a stark contrast to the coolness of the high heavens.

Kael had only enough time to glance at the nearest trunk, noticing that its bark was covered in strange spiral patterns, as though someone had deliberately carved them across the entire surface of the tree.

But there was no time to examine it further.

Salazar was already on his feet. Adjusting his glasses, he spoke in his usual stern voice, “I'll be expecting great things from you. Don't let the Scarlet Serpent Army down, soldier.”

Without hesitation, Kael stepped to the edge of the platform, leaped down to the ground, straightened his back, and answered crisply, “Yes, sir!”

With those words, the Scarlet Serpent spread its enormous wings once more.

A single powerful beat stirred up a veritable whirlwind of leaves, insects, and broken twigs. The second lifted its massive body from the ground, and with the third, the dragon surged skyward, effortlessly weaving between the treetops of the gigantic trees.

For several more seconds, flashes of crimson scales could be seen through the gaps in the foliage before the creature finally disappeared among the branches and soared back into the heavens.

Kael remained where he stood.

He watched the departing dragon until the thunder of its wings finally faded somewhere high above the forest.

Only then did he allow himself to relax.

Letting out a weary breath, Kael swayed slightly from the intoxication he had been concealing for the past several hours. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he muttered quietly, “Do all mages become drunkards with age, or is this just a coincidence? Then again... there's no point complaining...”

Focusing, he called upon his own mana, directing the energy through his body and gradually steadying himself. The unusual heaviness in his head slowly began to recede, though Kael had no intention of relying on that alone.

Activating his spatial ring, he quickly retrieved a small vial filled with a pale green elixir.

Uncorking it, Kael looked at the pale green liquid inside and murmured softly, “Considering it neutralizes poisons, it should help with alcohol as well...”

With that, he drained the contents in a single gulp before immediately returning the empty vial to his spatial ring.

The effect was immediate.

Within seconds, the heaviness in his head noticeably diminished, and his thoughts became clearer. The elixir could not erase every trace of the alcohol at once, but the improvement was unmistakable.

Rolling his neck and taking several deep breaths of the damp forest air, Kael nodded in satisfaction and muttered, “Alright, time to get moving!”

The next instant, he burst into motion.

Roots protruding from the ground flashed beneath his feet, dense shrubs vanished behind him, and Kael rapidly picked up speed as he headed toward the city he had spotted earlier from high above.

As he ran, his gaze drifted involuntarily to the several spatial rings on his fingers.

“Even though I only had a month, I managed to accomplish quite a lot...”

Endless days spent studying under the Archmagisters and nights devoted to work immediately resurfaced in his memory.

“I've definitely got enough elixirs and explosive talismans to last me for a while.”

For a brief moment, memories of his lessons with Archmagister Guro and Archmagister Bontia flashed through Kael's mind, and a sly smile found its way onto his lips.

“It was worth constantly bombarding them with questions and asking them to demonstrate different techniques. Now all of it is preserved in my limitless memory...”

Continuing his dash through the forest, he effortlessly vaulted over a fallen trunk and slipped beneath a low-hanging branch.

His thoughts inevitably returned to alchemy and runic inscription.

“There's still a great deal I need to learn how to do with my own hands... But I'll have more than enough opportunities to practice.”

As he raced through the forest, Kael felt a quiet sense of anticipation.

Although he had chosen not to bring it up during his conversation with General Salazar, over the past month he had managed to draw a great deal of useful information from the Archmagisters. One conversation with Al-Hakim in particular stood out in his memory, when he had casually mentioned certain aspects of the military economy.

“Skilled artisans are highly valued in the military...” Kael recalled.

The thought made his smile widen ever so slightly.

According to the Archmagister, the army was in constant need of alchemists, runic inscriptionists, artifact crafters, and other artisans capable of producing useful items on the spot.

“Although military merit points received from other soldiers don't count toward rank advancement, they can still be spent on resources...”

Kael understood perfectly well that this opened up some rather interesting opportunities.

He smirked faintly and muttered under his breath as he ran, “All that effort to join the Guilds wasn't for nothing... It'll immediately give people greater confidence in my abilities.”

His words quickly vanished beneath the rustling of the leaves, but his thoughts continued to unfold on their own.

“I'll be able to earn points by trading with other members of the squad or by taking commissions. In my situation, that's simply perfect.”

The more Kael thought it over, the more advantageous his position appeared.

Most new recruits had to begin their time at the front virtually from scratch, gradually building up both merit and reputation. He, on the other hand, already had several avenues through which he could contribute to those around him.

Kael vaulted over another protruding root and, ducking low, slipped past a dark rock.

“First, I need to understand how my squad functions, what it needs, and what opportunities it offers.”

With those thoughts in mind, he accelerated even further, leaving another stretch of forest behind.

Somewhere ahead lay the city, and beyond it—his new squad and the place that, for the next several years, would become his new home.

As he involuntarily imagined his future comrades, their personalities, customs, and daily lives, Kael felt a quiet sense of curiosity.

Before long, he would meet the people beside whom he would fight, live, and perhaps risk his life more than once.