I Was Mistaken as a Genius Mage in a Game

The burning forest. The erupting blue lightning. The battlefield filled with blood and screams.

The sharp clash of metal.

All of it fell silent in an instant.

The arrival of a single man froze everything on the battlefield.

A single sharp longsword at his waist and the numerous daggers hidden within his coat subtly hinted at his profession.

Despite being a warrior stepping onto the battlefield, the man wore no armor. Yet, not a single soul present dared to worry about him as he appeared, his white garments fluttering.

Sword Saint.

Two simple and archaic words manifested on the battlefield.

“That’s far enough.”

With that single phrase from the Sword Saint, the Grand Lord’s arm, which had been gripping the boy’s throat, was severed. Jet-black blood, thick with lethal poison, gushed out like a fountain.

The Sword Saint, who had been standing in the middle of the forest path just moments ago, was now holding a gleaming sword under the moonlight. And before anyone realized it, he had already caught the falling boy and landed lightly by the roadside.

“…You arrived sooner than I expected. Only about a minute and twenty seconds have passed, haven’t they?”

“I happened to have a mission nearby. Unlucky for you.”

The Grand Lord scowled and flapped his wings in irritation. The burns he had sustained from the boy’s lightning had long since regenerated with fresh skin.

“Where are the others? Did you come alone, brat…?”

The Grand Lord’s tone was venomous, as if he was familiar with the Sword Saint’s comrades.

“They’re slow, so I came ahead. What, are you hoping for a reunion?”

Gently setting the boy down on the roadside, the Sword Saint twisted midair, his silver blade pointing directly at the Grand Lord’s throat.

“I’ll give them a proper reunion once I take your head. Don’t take it too personally.”

With that, the Sword Saint lunged.

The Grand Lord, Maltiel, twisted his wings sharply, veering off course in midair with an annoyed expression.

Boom!

Maltiel’s wing was slashed, and the Sword Saint landed with enough force to create a crater, as if a meteor had struck.

“Tsk…”

The Grand Lord glanced between the soldiers surrounding the unconscious boy and the Sword Saint rising steadily to his feet, then clicked his tongue in regret before soaring higher into the sky.

‘A one-on-one against the Sword Saint is unwinnable. And there’s a chance that white-haired 7th-circle mage will regain consciousness and join the fight.’

It was a shame he had failed to eliminate the boy—someone destined to become a great threat.

‘…I must admit it. My only option now is to retreat.’

If he pushed his luck here, he wouldn’t just fail to kill the boy—he’d end up losing his own life without inflicting any damage on the humans.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Of course, the Sword Saint wouldn’t just watch him escape.

A throwing dagger, hidden within his leather coat, shot through the air in a perfect arc, embedding itself into one of Maltiel’s wings.

Maltiel faltered midair, and the Sword Saint seized the moment, launching himself forward with a force that shook the earth.

A second, even larger crater formed beneath him.

The force of his takeoff sent shockwaves through the ground, uprooting trees and sending mutant archers tumbling from their perches like ripe acorns shaken from a branch.

Schlick—

A single, clean sound echoed as the Grand Lord’s head separated from his body.

“…How unpleasant.”

Even with his head severed, the Grand Lord did not die. From the cut base of his neck, a spine sprouted, followed by rapidly regenerating flesh, forming a completely new body.

Breaking off his assault, the Grand Lord cast his gaze downward.

His eyes landed on the unconscious white-haired mage, surrounded by soldiers desperately fending off the mutants.

“Rise.”

At the Grand Lord’s command, the earth cracked open.

From beneath the battlefield, massive tentacles erupted through the ground.

A colossal mutant, an amalgamation of ancient trees and orcs, emerged into the fray.

The creature lashed out with its enormous tentacles like whips, striking at the gathered soldiers.

“…Disgusting.”

“Clever, you fool.”

Maltiel sneered as he flapped his newly regenerated wings, beginning his retreat.

The Sword Saint’s eyes flickered between the fleeing Grand Lord and the massive mutant now decimating the army.

The Demon Grand Lord, Maltiel—resurfacing for the first time in three years.

If he were slain, the demons under his command would be rendered useless. The death toll inflicted by his forces already numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

Killing him now would mean saving countless future lives.

It was regrettable that the soldiers below would perish, but from a broader perspective, capturing the Grand Lord was the priority.

The Sword Saint knew this better than anyone.

He understood it more than anyone…

Schlick—

A massive tentacle was cleaved cleanly in half with a sharp, chilling sound.

“…Everyone, behind me.”

But he was not the kind of man who could forsake those dying in front of him for the sake of those who might die tomorrow.

“All units, rise, fight, and die.”

Cracks began to spread across the ground beneath the Sword Saint’s feet in response to the Grand Lord’s words, his figure already a distant blur beyond sight.

Countless towering trees toppled, revealing swarms of large and small mutants emerging from the roots.

“Injured soldiers, focus solely on tending to your wounds. I will handle all threats.”

“…But the Grand Lord—!”

The one-armed orc, Rex, shouted as he gazed at the sky, where the Grand Lord had disappeared among the stars.

Every soldier present was willing to lay down their lives if it meant severing the Grand Lord’s head.

They had seen their neighbors butchered by mutants, their wives twisted into grotesque creatures at the hands of the demons.

“Silence. I already know.”

The Sword Saint’s expression contorted, as if he himself found his decision distasteful, and he answered sharply.

The one most tormented by this foolish choice was none other than the Sword Saint himself.

“Just rest and recover quietly.”

With those words, he slowly raised the sword in his grasp.

***

The faint morning sunlight forced my eyes open.

A searing pain shot through my back, making me want to scream, and my temples throbbed intensely. Splints had been tied to my arms and legs, and a bandage wrapped tightly around my head, giving me the sensation of being constricted.

I couldn’t remember exactly when I had lost consciousness.

I had encountered the Grand Lord… been pushed to the brink of death… and then I had heard the Sword Saint’s voice.

What happened after that?

I waited for my blurry vision to clear before cautiously sitting up and surveying my surroundings.

“…Shit.”

The sight around me left me cursing involuntarily.

The world was drenched in a chaotic mess of blood in every color.

Enormous trees, drenched in flames and corrosive poison, lay blackened and charred, while heaps of unidentifiable flesh were piled atop the fallen trunks.

A colossal spine, the size of a house, stood erect in the middle of the path like a banner. Scattered around were massive war hammers and swords, their owners unknown.

“You’re awake.”

I had been staring blankly at the ruined forest when a familiar voice reached my ears.

Turning my head, I saw the Sword Saint standing there.

The only character in the entire game with a level in the triple digits, a hero of the allied forces encountered only in the final battle against the Demon King. The strongest human in this world.

“I heard of your deeds. You possess remarkable talent for someone so young. To stand on equal footing with the Grand Lord…”

“On equal footing? That’s not true. I was just lucky.”

I quickly corrected the Sword Saint’s misconception as politely as possible. All I had done was stall for time, running away and putting on a bit of bravado.

Equal footing? Who the hell was spreading such insane rumors?

“Rex told me everything. Humility is a virtue, but distorting the truth is unnecessary.”

…The distortion wasn’t on my part. That would be Rex’s doing. Even you, sir?

“They say the Grand Lord specifically targeted you in this ambush. Is that true?”

“…Uh, yes. That’s correct.”

“You faced a Grand Lord one-on-one and survived with all your limbs intact.”

“…Yes. That’s also true.”

“Rex claims you are a 7th-circle mage. Is that true?”

“That part is false. I barely have the magic capacity of a 4th-circle mage.”

From my countless tests on my character’s stats back in the game, I knew that even with a magic stat of 20, I would only be evaluated as a 4th-circle mage at best.

That was probably where this misunderstanding originated.

“I have never entered a mage tower, nor have I received formal training in magic. I’m just a vagabond who happens to have magic in my body, but I don’t even know how to properly develop or control it.”

“…What?”

The Sword Saint frowned, as if he found my answer absurd. His face grew serious as he stroked his chin and began pacing around me in thought.

‘Of course, he would find it a waste. A 7th-circle mage at my age would be considered a national-level asset.’

It seemed Rex had overheard the Grand Lord’s remarks and reported them straight to the Sword Saint without verifying the truth.

Unfortunate, but I was nothing more than a fledgling mage who had been created four days ago.

And with a bizarre build, at that.

I wasn’t what they thought I was. If they would just leave me alone, that would be great.

I needed to hurry to the mage tower, train properly, and become strong enough to at least protect myself.

“At dawn, you will accompany me to the Imperial Palace.”

“…What?”

What?

“Your potential is limitless. A mere 4th-circle mage held his own against a Grand Lord… and without any proper training? I don’t know where a monster like you came from, but this must be reported to His Majesty the Emperor and the three allied kings.”

“…What?!”

Excuse me? The Emperor? The allied kings?

“Do you have any knowledge of court etiquette? You’d best learn quickly—mistakes before the Emperor and the kings will cause unnecessary trouble.”

…What the hell is this guy talking about?