While the citizens of Millis who had narrowly escaped death were expressing their gratitude and asking questions, Therese had little patience to deal with them. Instead, she anxiously turned her attention to Wood, who was charging headlong into the beast horde.
"That boy is too reckless! He's already saved everyone, so why is he still rushing into the beast horde?
This isn't something one person can handle! No matter how strong he is, this is just too much!"
What is a beast horde? It's an endless, surging tide of magical beasts. No matter how strong an individual is, their mana will eventually run out, and their stamina will be exhausted.
From bringing them back from the forest, to using the Imperial-Level healing magic to save the Holy Knights, and now casting multiple powerful ice spells—even someone at the level of the Seven Great Powers would struggle to keep up with such intense, continuous consumption.
So, Therese was now considering whether to assemble a rescue team to go into the beast horde and support Wood.
With the strength of the Latria family and the few Holy Knights they had saved earlier, it wasn't impossible for her to quickly gather a rescue team of several dozen people.
"That lord must truly be the divine child sent by Millis to save us! His strength is beyond comprehension!"
"Is this the power only a true god could wield? Those magical beasts are no match for Lord Wood!"
"So, it turns out that Millis' favor has always been with the Latria family and Lord Wood, not the Pope or the Millis Church!"
While Therese was still pondering whether to contact her mother and organize a rescue team, a chorus of awe and exclamations erupted around her.
When Therese turned her gaze back to the beast horde outside the city, she realized that her earlier worries had been completely unnecessary.
Her monstrous nephew, Wood, didn't need any support or rescue. Without any constraints or burdens, Wood unleashed his full power, and Therese couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for the magical beasts.
The beasts charging toward Wood included some infamous and incredibly powerful creatures.
If these beasts had stayed in the forest, they would have been untouchable overlords, living lives of luxury and dominance.
But now, these terrifying creatures, which would make ordinary people tremble in fear, were being slaughtered like mere fodder under Wood's blade.
The beast horde was like a massive tidal wave, and Wood was a sharp sword cutting through everything in its path, effortlessly tearing through the horde and advancing straight to its center.
"This should be about the right spot.
From here, even if I go all out, it shouldn't affect the city gates."
Standing at the center of the beast horde, Wood held *Frost Knight*, now drenched in blood, horizontally and let out a soul-shaking roar.
"Ghost God Descent: Frost Knight!"
"ROAR——————!"
A majestic dragon's roar echoed through the area, reverberating across the land.
From their position at the city gates, Therese and the others saw a massive ice dragon's phantom suddenly erupt from the ground at the center of the horde, enveloping Wood's figure. In the next moment, an bone-chilling cold swept across the entire battlefield!
"Imperial-Level Ice Magic: Frozen Domain!"
In the world of *Mushoku Tensei*, there was no such thing as ice-elemental magic. Only basic elements like fire, water, and earth existed.
Rudeus' lightning magic and Wood's ice magic were both developed through their own abilities and magical knowledge.
Among all the elemental magics, Wood's ice magic was by far the strongest. Now, with the additional boost from *Frost Knight*, Wood's so-called "Imperial-Level" magic had surpassed the usual standards of Imperial-Level spells.
Dark clouds gathered over the capital of Millis, and despite it being the height of summer, everyone present felt an icy chill.
As the first snowflake fell from the sky, the light snowfall quickly intensified, turning into a full-blown blizzard.
At the center of the beast horde, an enormous magic circle, spanning hundreds of meters in diameter, rapidly expanded outward from Wood's position.
The moment Wood poured his mana into the magic circle, it erupted with a dazzling blue light, enveloping all the magical beasts in the area.
"ROAR—ROAR—ROAR—ROAR!"
Normally, when a beast horde forms, the magical beasts become fearless and lose most of their rationality. At that point, their minds are filled with nothing but endless rage and destruction.
But when the massive magic circle appeared on the ground, the once-relentless beast horde, which would trample everything in its path, began to falter for the first time.
It was simple—no matter how much creatures rely on instinct, they still fear death. It's an innate trait of all living beings. The magical beasts, now sensing danger, were instinctively warning themselves that the magic circle beneath them was deadly, capable of easily taking their lives.
However, sensing danger was one thing; avoiding it was another.
Almost as soon as the blue magic circle was completed, a violent snowstorm erupted from within it. A bone-chilling cold surged out, and in an instant, the magical beasts were frozen into massive ice sculptures, without even a chance to struggle!
A cold wind swept across the sky, and when the icy breeze hit Therese and the others on the city walls, they finally snapped out of their stunned state.
If it weren't for the fact that this scene had unfolded right before their eyes, and the cold wind blowing against them felt so real, Therese and the others might have thought they were dreaming.
A vast icy plain and towering glaciers had appeared in the middle of summer? And this area had originally been flat plains!
There hadn't been a single speck of ice here before, and now, an entire frozen tundra lay before them.
"Is this also the power of magic? What level of magic is this? How much mana does it take to cast something like this?"
As they gazed at the icy landscape before them, the same question arose in everyone's minds. And when they looked at the lone figure still standing on the frozen plain, many began to wonder if Wood was truly the child of a god.
Such magic and mana reserves were far beyond what any human should possess. Combined with Wood's youthful appearance and age, it was hard for anyone to classify him as "human."
At the very least, as members of the same species, no one present had ever seen anyone as monstrously powerful as Wood.
"Don't just focus on the final spell. His swordsmanship and physical abilities are equally absurd.
Have you ever seen someone charge into a beast horde alone, reach the center unscathed, and then cast such a powerful spell while surrounded by countless beasts?"
As Wood sheathed *Frost Knight* and slowly walked back toward them, the way everyone looked at him had completely changed.
The Holy Knights and city guards now regarded Wood with a mix of awe and respect.
As for the ordinary citizens Wood had saved earlier, their eyes were filled with gratitude and reverence, as if they truly believed Wood was a divine messenger or the child of a god.
Only Wood's aunt, Therese, remained largely unchanged. When she saw Wood returning, she immediately wrapped him in a big hug and then scolded him in a motherly tone, "If you pull something like this again, I'll spank you as your elder.
Even if I can't beat you, I can always tell your mother, Zenith. She's always doted on me the most."
Therese knew that ever since her sister had brought her children back to the Holy Kingdom of Millis, she had noticed that despite Wood's overwhelming strength, he was completely under Zenith's thumb.
So, Therese also knew that if she wanted to lecture Wood, invoking Zenith's name was the most effective tactic.
"Aunt Therese, you have Zenith to back you up, but I also have Grandma Claire on my side. This time, not only did I save those people, but I also brought a lot of prestige to the Latria family, right?"
The citizens who had been locked outside the city gates would have undoubtedly become food for the magical beasts if left unattended.
Wood wouldn't claim to be a saint, but he believed he wasn't a villain either.
Among those trapped outside were many women and children. Though he was accustomed to life and death, he couldn't stand by and watch innocent women and children be devoured by magical beasts when he had the power to save them.
And since he was going to save them, Wood didn't want all the credit and reputation to go to the Millis Church. That's why he had announced himself as a member of the Latria family, making it clear he had no connection to the Millis Church.
This way, even if he saved them, their gratitude would be directed toward the Latria family, not the Millis Church.
And now, it was clear that Wood's earlier actions had been highly effective. The people he had saved were now praising Lord Wood and the Latria family, while the Millis Church and the Old Pope were barely mentioned.
As for the Holy Knights, they could only watch helplessly as Wood's actions won over the hearts of the people.
The citizens' faith was their own, and not even the Pope could dictate whom they chose to believe in.
By locking them outside the city gates earlier, the Holy Knights had already lost their trust.
Now that Wood had saved them, it was only natural for them to be grateful to him and the Latria family. The Church had no grounds to object.
Just as Wood and the others were celebrating their victory over the beast horde, another wave of roars and screams erupted from within the capital of Millis.
It was important to remember that the capital had more than one entrance.
While Wood had dealt with the beast horde at this gate, the Holy Knights and guards at the other gates had failed to hold back the horde, allowing the beasts to break into the city!
"Aunt Therese, we need to go. I'm really worried about Grandma Claire and the Latria family."
As the magical beasts flooded into the capital, they began to rampage unchecked. The once-bustling city had become a massive feast.
For the magical beasts, the humans fleeing through the streets were nothing more than delicious, easy prey.
Concerned for Claire and the Latria family, Wood didn't take any time to rest. He immediately drew his sword and headed in the direction of the Latria estate.
Therese, of course, followed without hesitation, carrying the Holy Maiden on her back as she chased after Wood.
The Holy Knights, watching as Therese took the Holy Maiden away, wanted to say something but hesitated when they remembered Wood's terrifying display of power.
As for the citizens Wood had saved earlier, after seeing Wood and Therese leave, they glanced at the remaining Holy Knights and then decisively chose to follow Wood.
They had lost all faith in the Holy Knights and the Church.
Compared to the Holy Knights and the Pope, they now placed their trust in Wood, the divine child who had descended like a god to save them.
While the ordinary citizens couldn't keep up with Wood and Therese's speed, that didn't matter. Everyone in the Holy Kingdom of Millis knew of the Latria family.
Since Lord Wood had said he was heading to the Latria estate, they simply needed to follow in that direction.
Compared to the Holy Knights and the Millis Church, Wood's overwhelming display of power had given them a far greater sense of security.
On the way to the Latria estate, Wood encountered numerous magical beasts attacking humans. Each time, he dispatched them with a single strike, reducing them to nothing.
By the time the people he saved could even begin to wonder who he was, Wood was already far ahead.
But for those who were curious, the citizens following behind quickly provided answers.
"That lord is Wood of the Latria family—a divine messenger of Millis!"
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