The cunning NPC and his reincarnated villainess

The view from the top of the ancient dam nested between two peaks of the mountain range, giving the southern part of Wondalandor its unique climate, was truly spectacular.

The breathtaking sight of the valley that was a lake in ancient times was quite something.

The people back then didn't rely on the magic pellets and rather used the artifacts to enhance their own magic – with that sort of power that's unimaginable in the current times, they erected the enormous dam and dried out the original lake gaining access to bountiful farming land that the area was known as since then.

The soldiers and thugs were camping out on the western side of the massive dam, right by the edge of the water, whose level was so high it was almost spilling out.

Actually, according to locals – before they were evacuated – this year, summer was so hot that the mountains lost their snowcaps for the first time in centuries.

It was actually plausible that it was the first occurrence of that kind ever – which was further enhanced by the sight of fresh cracks that spread all over the construction, looking like a path of a lightning strike.

"Captain."

"Boss!"

A soldier with rough features and a snake-like man approached the raven-haired man at the same time, carrying something rather interesting.

Namely – a rather expensive-looking armchair that must have belonged to either some wealthy merchant or maybe even a nobleman in charge of the city they abandoned.

"Good job."

Medea looked at the presented gift and nodded his head with approval despite his voice and expression remaining serious.

At his gesture, the two men put the furniture by the edge of the dam and moved aside, sitting down on both sides and looking at their leader expectantly.

Not only them, the rest of the men, both soldiers and low-lives, gathered by the edge, looking down at the arriving Battllorran's third field amry first corps down below.

"Haa... I swear if this isn't enough to end this idiocy... How long do those fuckers want to keep me away from my dummy?"

Medea's serious expression blossomed into a friendly smile that sent chills down the spines of his people, even though it wasn't directed at them but at the enemy swarming below.

"Anyway. It's time to start cooking."

"YEAH!"

The black-haired captain declared while sitting down comfortably in the expensive chair, and his forces let out a cheer that echoed down, getting the attention of the invaders...

-------

"...i-impossible...!"

The gray-haired general gasped, looking up and straining his eyes to discern whether his vision was playing tricks on him or not.

"MAGNIFICATION PELLET! GIVE ME A MAGNIFICATION PELLET AND THE VOICE TRANSMISSION PELLET, NOW!"

*rustle*

The man called out in urgency, and his command was hurriedly carried out by the supply unit.

After all, they really were the best-equipped force of the Battllorran kingdom... at least when the food and water weren't involved.

*CRACK*

In a couple of moments, murky gray and light green marbles were handed to the general, and he crushed them after pointing them toward the most disturbing spot.

*WHOOM*

"...!"

The two spells unleashed – one had no visual effect, so it was initially less noticeable, while the other one created a sizeable square film suspended in the thin air that worked like a magnifying glass and enlarged the exact location that it was aimed at.

"It...! It's the black-haired demon!"

The horrified shout of a soldier that could not keep his voice down was exactly what every single member of the first corps was thinking.

The magnifying spell was showing all of them the sight of a black-haired man in his early-twenties donning the armor of the Wondalandor's soldier with the insignia of a captain.

The man with hair as black as the raven's feathers was sitting casually in an ornamental armchair that was so out of place that it seemed like an interference of some dark forces.

The man was crossing his legs and leaning to the side, resting his chin on one hand...

...as if the fourty-odd thousands of soldiers gathered below him were nothing more than a bunch of ants swarming around a cube of sugar that he felt pity for...

Or was it amusement...?

The man's expression was that of a gentleman seeing his good acquaintance.

The friendly smile.

But that was even more disturbing.

What sort of being smiles in the face of a force that could overwhelm them so thoroughly...?

"..."

"!!!"

The black-haired man must have noticed the spell from up high and straightened his back. Without changing his expression, he reached out towards his pocket and pulled out a silver box that many of the Battllorran kingdom soldiers recognized as a pellet casket.

He casually opened it and browsed through the content, pulling out a single white marble...

"Something's not right..."

The gray-haired officer furrowed his brows – despite the white marble being a magic pellet that he didn't recognize, it was something in the enemy officer's image that stood out to him more.

"Where are his earrings... Wasn't he always wearing the earrings with magic pellets...? The reports always..."

"General... that white pellet... I... I think that's the signal pellet that activates every other unprotected pellet in a certain range...

The general frowned in confusion, but the supply officer who brought him magnification and the voice transmission pellets were more focused on the white marble in the black-haired enemy's hand.

"WHAT?! But then we have to...!"

The gray-haired man gasped, staring at his own pellet casket as if it was a bomb about to explode.

"No... we are outside its effective range and even if the spell reached us, pellet caskets are enough to block the signal... I don't understand what is he pla..."

The supply officer raised his hand reassuringly and shook away from the magnified image of the black-haired officer – just to flinch as his eyes bulged out when he spotted something that shook him to the core.

"DEAR HEAVENS...! The...! THERE ARE MAGIC PELLETS LODGED IN THE CRACKS IN THE DAM!"

The officer growled and turned his back on the general, throwing himself into a mad dash without waiting for anyone else to realize what was about to happen.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU...?!"

*CRACK*

The general howled after the deserter, but the magically enhanced sound of the white signal pellet being crushed echoed down the dam...

*CRACK* x420

*WHOOOO* x420

...followed by the sudden bursts of flames spouting from all over the construction...!

*THUMP* *RUMBLE*