The Rune Mage Starting at Hogwarts

Although the resistance now has more than 500 men, only about 300 of them are young and strong and ready to go to the battlefield.

Even though she had previously fought a small skirmish with a 10 vs. 30 ratio and won decisively, Irelia has never actually commanded a battle with more than 100 men.

Even with the help of magic, Irelia didn't seem to have much confidence at this moment.

Ryze shook his head: "The pressure is indeed immense, but I also see a chance of winning in the astrological charts."

Irelia abruptly raised her head, a glint of light flashing in her eyes: "What are the odds?"

“Although the red light representing the Noxus Legion is dazzling, it is very chaotic,” Ryze said, looking at the two of them. “This means that there are huge internal contradictions within this legion, and it is not a united front.”

Based on his knowledge of Runeterra's backstory from his previous life, Ryze roughly understood what was going on.

The current leader of Noxus is still Darkwell.

Swain was probably still in the army at this time, and was being ostracized due to political struggles.

This legion, sent to attack Presidium, was not only filled with generals from different factions, but also had LeBlanc's schemes behind it.

"Therefore, if we can seize the opportunity, I believe this battle will be a major opportunity for Ionia and the resistance!"

Chapter 398: Pre-Battle Preparations

“Chaos…” Irelia repeated the word in a low voice.

After thinking for a moment, she turned around and looked at the parchment map again.

“If there are internal conflicts among them, then the legion’s command system will definitely be in trouble,” Irelia began to speak faster. “Since they’re ignoring the rest of Navori and heading straight for Presidium, they must be eager to achieve quick results, wanting to seize the center of Ionia in one fell swoop and completely destroy the will to resist in the rest of Ionia!”

Kalmar stood to the side, looking at Presidium on the map, and asked softly, "We don't have an advantage in a head-on defense. What are your plans?"

Irelia first confirmed the most basic direction: "We can't confront them head-on on the plains outside the city."

“If they’re in a hurry, the most likely thing they’ll do is rush straight into the city,” Aurelia continued. “We can put up some resistance on the outskirts, then retreat and give them the open spaces in the city. When they think they’ve completely taken over Presidium and their guard is at its lowest, we can use our familiarity with the city’s terrain to launch a counterattack and trap them in the streets.”

Karma pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement: "This will limit the charge of their heavily armored soldiers and allow our monks to utilize their strengths in close combat."

“This is just a temporary solution, and it’s the only option we have as a last resort,” Aurelia sighed.

"After all, if we really did that, Presidium would certainly be damaged, and the number of casualties would not be small. However, our resistance forces are indeed not strong enough to fight Noxus's elite legions head-on."

"It depends on how much siege equipment they brought and who their commander is. In the next few days, we'll reconfirm the suitable guerrilla locations outside Zhoucheng Town. This plan can only be implemented as a last resort, and we also need to try our best to win over the hearts and minds of the Presidium people and reduce casualties. I'm leaving these matters to you, Professor Karma."

Karma nodded slightly.

“We need to start preparing immediately,” Irelia turned to look at Ryze. “The medical station needs more herbs and bandages, and there may be a lot of wounded. I’ll have to trouble you these next few days, Mr. White.”

Rizz nodded.

"It was just a small thing."

“Besides that, those who have learned magic are crucial in this battle,” Irelia said earnestly. “These next few days, we need them to work together more effectively with the Illumination Charm and the Ironclad Charm.”

Ryze agreed: "I'll have them practice the practical combination of these two spells over the next few days."

The meeting lasted until late at night.

Irelia also summoned all the core squad leaders in the camp and arranged various defense and reconnaissance missions overnight.

Although everyone knew this day would come sooner or later, as it was finally approaching, everyone in the camp was pushing themselves to speed up.

The next morning.

As dawn broke, the sounds of soldiers training echoed through the camp.

The sound of hammering in the blacksmith's shop hadn't stopped since last night.

Ryze stepped out of his magic tent, intending to check on the magic squad's training progress and arrange today's practice, when he saw Li Qing carrying his pack.

Li Qing didn't wear his usual training clothes today, but instead changed into a set of gear suitable for long-distance treks.

He carried a simple backpack on his back and a water bottle hanging from his waist.

"Are you going out?" Ryze stopped and asked.

Even though he hasn't yet mastered the power of the Dragon Spirit, Li Qing's current strength is already considered among the best in the camp.

Shortly after joining the resistance, he was assigned to be a squad leader by Irelia, while also training in magic under Ryze.

It was during this time that Ryze gradually learned about Lee Sin's experiences.

Although Li Qing is said to be a monk of Shuoji Temple, he has actually been away from Shuoji Temple for several years.

According to him, he made a grave mistake and was expelled from the Temple of Shojira. After that, he wandered around Runeterra with a friend from Freljord and only returned to Ionia in the last six months.

However, when Noxus invaded, he wanted to come and join the Ionian resistance, but he did not want his friend to be involved in these matters, so he sent his friend back to Freljord from the north, before Noxus invaded.

Ryze already knew at that time that the friend Li Qing mentioned, who possessed several beastly powers, must be Udir, the Spirit Walker.

Upon seeing Ryze, Li Qing walked up to him with a somewhat solemn expression, clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect, and said, "Mr. White, I received a letter from my friend last night. He told me that a new army from Noxus has invaded the Hilana Monastery and the Shuoji Temple in Galin Province from the north. Although I am now an outcast of the Shuoji Temple, I must go back."

Reiz looked at Li Qing.

He could sense that the dragon spirit within Li Qing's soul, which was not yet fully awakened, was more restless than before, like a volcano that could erupt at any moment.

“I know that the Noxus army attacking Presidium will be arriving soon, but I’m sorry, I can’t bear to see Shuoji Temple destroyed by the Noxus war,” Lee Qing took a deep breath. “I’ve already handed over command of the squad to my deputy, and the roster and training plan were handed over last night. I’ve also consulted with Captain Irelia, and she has approved my request to leave temporarily.”

Li Qing looked into Ritz's eyes and said firmly, "Mr. White, I guarantee that I will be back when the Noxus Legion and the Resistance are locked in a decisive battle. And if the trip goes smoothly, I may be able to bring even more strength to our Resistance."

Rizzi knew what Li Qing would encounter on this trip.

In his original lifespan, Lee Sin, in order to protect the monastery, ultimately activated the power of the dragon, which he had not yet mastered, burning his eyes in the process, but also completing his transformation.

Ryze didn't intervene; this was an inevitable step on Lee Sin's path to becoming a hero. Forcibly interfering with someone's fate wouldn't necessarily lead to a better outcome.

Only through this experience can Li Qing truly grow into a grandmaster who masters the power of the dragon.

Moreover, if the other side could bring Udir and the monks of Shuoji Temple to join the resistance, it would undoubtedly greatly expand the size of the resistance.

Therefore, Ryze simply nodded: "Since you've made up your mind, then go ahead and come back soon."

Li Qing bowed again, preparing to turn and leave.

“Li Qing,” Ryze called out to him again before leaving.

Li Qing stopped and turned to look at Rizz.

“Sometimes, what you see with your eyes isn’t necessarily the truth,” Rez said calmly. “When you’re at your wit’s end, don’t just rely on your eyes; use your heart to perceive the world around you.”

Li Qing paused for a moment, seemingly not quite understanding what Rez meant by those words.

Knowing that Ryze possessed divination abilities, he still nodded solemnly: "I've got it. Thank you for reminding me."

After saying that, Li Qing turned around and strode out of the camp, his figure quickly disappearing into the morning mist of Presidium.

After Li Qing left the camp, the atmosphere in the camp became more and more tense every day.

Over the next week, everyone in the resistance was making final preparations.

The dozen or so members of the magic squad practiced magic repeatedly in the open space every day.

Rhett further simplified the basic spells of Hogwarts, and at the same time improved the Armor Charm to make it more powerful and usable by multiple people at the same time.

It's just that there are relatively few monks practicing magic nowadays, otherwise they probably could have really created an array of eighteen bronze men.

Besides instructing spellcasters, Ryze spends most of his daytime at the medical camp brewing enough potions, and also teaches those who want to learn some basic potion theory.

These people don't need to make very powerful potions; they just need to be able to process the herbs used for treatment and brew them simply. It's much easier than making acne medicine for first graders.

Of course, even under such circumstances, Rizz would still take advantage of the darkness to sneak into the Presidium Archives for one last nighttime stroll.

After all, the Noxus Legion will most likely still occupy Presidium, and even simple sabotage could cause unimaginable damage to this great library.

Rizz wanted to memorize all the valuable information from the Great Archives beforehand.

Similarly, under Kalmar's coordination, the evacuation of civilians from Presidium was also progressing rapidly.

After learning that the Knoxas Legion was about to arrive, most of the residents packed their rations and moved to the deep mountains in the north.

While the Presidium remained neutral, keeping its doors closed to indicate its unwillingness to participate in worldly wars, it tacitly allowed the students to seek refuge.

The once bustling and ancient Presidium saw its population decrease by more than 70% in just a few days.

Those who refused to leave still held onto Noxus's last hope, believing that as long as they didn't resist, they wouldn't be in danger; it was just a matter of paying to avoid trouble.

Ryze could only say that these people were hopeless; good words were useless against them.

One week later.

The sky was overcast, and it looked like a storm was about to break.

At dawn, several scouts responsible for reconnaissance on the front lines rode into the camp at high speed.

They looked tired, but they still gave a report on the situation.

These scouts possessed a certain talent for light magic, and thus received special instruction from Ryze this week, learning to use simple light refraction magic to conceal their forms. Before leaving, Ryze also gave them an alchemical item that could activate a levitation spell, making it easier for them to return to the camp and report information in a timely manner.

In addition, they also possessed a telescope spell based on the same principle, which allowed them to observe situations thousands of meters away from a low point by multiple refractions and magnifications of light.

“Reporting to the captain, Mr. White,” the lead scout said, pointing to the map on the table, “we have reached the front lines of the Noxas Legion. They are now only about a day’s journey from Presidium and will be at the city gates by noon tomorrow.”

Irelia's expression remained unchanged; she simply continued to ask, "How many of them are there? What about their equipment and weaponry?"

The lead scout explained seriously, "We've checked with the telescope spell many times. The entire legion has about a thousand men, and they're very well-equipped. They're not even in the same league as the vanguard soldiers we fought before."

Upon hearing this, the faces of the squad leaders standing nearby immediately showed worry.

But then, the scout brought another piece of good news.

"But apart from the equipment, we found that this regiment did not bring a large logistics convoy at all. The entire unit only had a dozen or so wagons carrying food. Based on the consumption of a thousand people, the food they carried could only last for three to four days at most."

"Afterwards, we specifically searched the area several dozen miles behind them, but we didn't find any follow-up teams or any newly built supply stations."

Upon hearing the scout's report, the squad leaders inside the house exchanged glances.

“They only have three or four days’ worth of rations, and they haven’t even set up any supply lines…” Irelia’s finger pressed on the map. “This doesn’t fit the normal advance logic of a legion. It seems you were right, White. This legion is indeed in a hurry and wants to take Presidium before their rations run out, using the city’s resources to replenish their supplies.”

As she said this, Irelia raised her head and said firmly, "Since they are short of supplies, we absolutely cannot let them reach the city gate safely. Street fighting inside the city is the last line of defense. Before that, we must make them pay for every step they take outside the city!"

She pointed to two terrain features on the map outside Presidium.

"From their current camp to Presidium, they have to cross a mountain path and two dense woodlands. We divided the team into three groups and used our familiarity with the terrain to take turns ambushing and harassing them in these places."

"Remember, we don't need to confront their heavy armored formation head-on. We have only two objectives: first, to eliminate their vehicles as much as possible; and second, to exhaust their strength and slow down their arrival at Presidium."

The squad leaders immediately nodded in agreement.

Rizzi looked at the map and then added, "The magic team has mastered the improved Ironclad Charm and Light Charm these past few days, which can provide you with cover in the woods. If anything happens, you can also use the communication tools I gave you to contact us."

“Okay, let’s do it this way,” Irelia quickly gave the order. “Everyone, go and check your equipment immediately. We’ll meet at the camp gate in half an hour and set off along the planned route.”

Chapter 399: Swain's Dilemma

Meanwhile, on a plain more than forty miles from Presidium.

This is the last plain before Presidio in the Navoli province, beyond which lies a vast valley and woodland.

Noxus's army camp is now located on the edge of this plain.

After a night's rest, they are now preparing to set off.

Inside the central command tent, Swain stood before a makeshift wooden table, looking at the map of Ionia spread out before him.

Swain now has short black hair and wears a dark red Imperial officer's heavy armor, and doesn't look as gloomy as he will later.

He looked very serious, his right hand resting on the sword at his waist, while his left hand pressed down on a military order that had just been delivered.

That was an order given directly to him by Brown Dacwell, the Grand Commander of the Norse Empire.

In recent years, the president has become increasingly irritable and suspicious, and has even become somewhat obsessed with the pursuit of immortality.

In order to find the legendary treasure of immortality in Ionia, Darkwell not only dispatched a large number of special forces to search for relics throughout Ionia, but also forcibly transferred most of Swain's elite soldiers half a month ago.

The legion originally tasked with attacking the core area of ​​Navoli had several thousand men, but after the force was split up, Swain now only has a thousand soldiers left.

Not only were their troops insufficient, but even their supplies were severely depleted. Kwer prioritized allocating them to his trusted forces searching for ruins throughout Ionia, leaving the Swain Legion with meager provisions.

The only saving grace was that Darkwell still understood the importance of weaponry and equipment to a legion, which allowed his legion to at least retain enough weaponry for a thousand men.

Even so, Duckwell's demands in the letter remained as unreasonable as ever.

He completely ignored the current situation of the Swain Legion, only mentioning that Swain must take Presidium within five days, otherwise Swain would be relieved of command and recalled to the Immortal Fortress to face military trial.

Including the time since this letter was sent, there are only three days left.

After reading the urgent letter, Swain silently threw the military order into the brazier beside him without offering any comments.

Since Darkwell is still the supreme ruler of Noxus, they have no right to discuss the other's decisions; they are only responsible for carrying them out.