Step By Step! (9)

What I had in mind first was a bridge based on the same concept as the Sky Bridge, but considering that there would be limits on how many beastkin could pass at once, and that we would have to transport and carry large quantities, I asked Hare, who was beside me.

“By any chance—could we make a golem that either runs while hauling a huge wheeled cart loaded with iron ore, or one that walks while carrying it?”

What I had in mind was something like a “train,” but since I honestly didn’t have the ability or knowledge to quickly cobble together a steam engine, I asked in order to try using this world’s power instead.

“What are you trying to do now?”

“Well… if there’s a moving puppet with strong power like a golem, made with magic stones, I feel like I could try something.”

“…It’s possible. If you have about two top-grade magic stones, you can command a golem that can lift most boulders.”

A method came to mind: lay rails, place carts on them, and have a golem pull them to transport massive amounts of iron ore. With a few ideas in mind for that, I first began making a large ramp that could serve as the foundation of a Sky Bridge.

Hare looked at me with an expression of fascination, but right now, work mattered more than her gaze.

As I went, I recovered my stamina whenever I had gaps, and I kept asking Hare questions little by little.

As a result, I learned that as long as we had magic stones, making a golem wouldn’t be too difficult, but the person imprinted as its master had to remain within a certain range—so someone would have to handle the golem continuously. And because operating a golem consumed a certain amount of magic power, we would either have to have it carry magic stones, or otherwise employ a mage.

“Whew… this is tough.”

Wiping sweat away, I looked at the forest visible below the bridge.

The trees of the Forest of the Demon Dragon were enormous. They had grown to an average height of over twenty meters, and because of that, instead of passing through the middle of the trees, we were raising the Sky Bridge up to the treetops and reinforcing it so it wouldn’t shake or collapse as we worked.

Because of that, it looked like the construction period would increase, but since it would be positioned high up, I thought whoever used this bridge would be safe from nearby threats.

Moreover, if I made the concentration of magic power a bit denser, I could make the strength of objects I raised through Construction even sturdier. To confirm it, I asked Wijel and Demina to attack the structures, and the results gave me a fairly satisfying indicator.

They had boasted they could win even against a master, and that was because I had confirmed the structures wouldn’t easily break even under the full-power attacks they unleashed in human form. After that, I found myself thinking up a few ideas related to construction, but honestly, I was pushing myself a bit because I just wanted to finish this boring work quickly.

As I continued working silently, my only outlet was talking with Hare, and the beastkin who followed me merely spent their days in boredom as well, regretting that there weren’t any monsters around.

“It’s boring, but… productively!”

It was the line I kept in my mouth lately as I charged up my fighting spirit while working.

Meanwhile, at the same time…

The notice from the Terakan Empire was nothing short of a bolt from the blue for the Atoon Kingdom.

“Just… why did that idiot do something like that!!”

The King of Atoon threw a blaming look around, thinking the country would be ruined because of the atrocities his son had committed, but the cowardly ones had already fled to other countries as refugees, and even the ones who remained were trembling, banking on the king to somehow handle it.

“Jillien de Atoon has committed crimes tantamount to treason. The very fact that he procured and used the enthralling poison, one of the continent’s Ten Great Forbidden Drugs, is already irreversible, and furthermore, it is right that you restrain Prince Jillien and swiftly hand him over to the Terakan Empire. That is what I deem proper!!”

“That is correct, Your Majesty!!”

Many nobles watched the King of Atoon squeeze his eyes shut, but the nobles’ demand wasn’t wrong.

At present, Atoon was being gossiped about nonstop for attempting to kill even the newly emerged Heroes, on top of its defeat after losing the Hero.

The biggest problem among them was the talk that even the Hero’s death might have been Jillien’s doing.

“Your Majesty, rumors are spreading that Prince Jillien’s atrocities may have occurred even during the previous Hero’s time. Even the death of the female Hero who went to the battlefield with His Highness Jillien back then is said to be suspicious, so you must make a decision swiftly. Your Maajesty!!”

The King of Atoon squeezed his eyes shut. The nobles spoke without hesitation, telling him as a father to drive his son to death—those people had always envied and resented Jillien’s talent.

Could this incident also be the nobles’ trap?

It was when the King of Atoon put off judgment about Prince Jillien with that thought, that the front of the audience chamber grew noisy.

“What is going on?”

What answered the shout of Marquis Gelbeng, in charge of palace defense, was a scream, and soon the door to the audience chamber was violently torn away—and through that opening, someone strode in boldly.

“…You wretch… what in the world are you doing?”

The King of Atoon asked in stunned confusion, but the newly appeared figure didn’t even bow his head to the king and shouted proudly.

“Atoon will be reborn because of me. I will wash away the rotten nobles with blood, and the softened royal family will, beneath the name of me—Jillien de Atoon—who has decisiveness, write a new history.”

It was Jillien’s shout, filled with madness, and with the royal guard knights who had appeared alongside him, the hall fell into chaos. Then the King of Atoon asked.

“Was it truly… you who did it?”

“Father, rotten water must be drained away. The Terakan Empire of today has no experience of war, and its soldiers are not hardened troops. Compared to them, we have all become elite and a strong army through long wars, and we are warriors who display outstanding bravery—so how can we be blinded by numbers, grow frightened, and tremble?”

“You’ve gone mad… you’ve truly gone mad!!”

The King of Atoon spat out his fury, but Jillien de Atoon ignored his father’s shout and ordered the royal guard knights.

“Escort Father to the detached palace. And among these rotten nobles… if there is anyone whose mind is still awake, speak now. If not… you will all become lonely souls on the edge of my blade.”

At that moment, an aura blade, holding an eerie light, began to flare and blaze from Atoon’s sword. Everyone could only be shocked, and some nobles began to step forward, thinking Jillien de Atoon had opened a new realm and was ready to display his valor.

It was the moment the King of Atoon was replaced.

Meanwhile, the Terakan Empire’s movements also began to change rapidly in step with this.

“Signs of rebellion…?”

Agnes was receiving reports from the position of Supreme Commander, and based on information sent by spies, she began inferring the situation.

“The troop deployments are changing around the royal castle, and knights are being sent to many nobles’ territories… is this it?”

“That is so. Moreover, even the frontline troops are said to be pulling back to the rear.”

“And what of the front against the Demonic Tribe…?”

With Atoon’s sudden course, the Mirkas Federation had ended up bearing all responsibility. Judging there was a risk the continent’s foremost defensive line could collapse, Agnes spoke.

“Divert part of our forces there.”

“Why… is that?”

“Vengeance matters too. Exacting a price for provoking the Terakan Empire is a matter of pride. But if the border is broken because of our pride, how do you think later generations will judge us?”

“But sending forces away from the rear right now…”

“We’ve received reports that House Ischtein has mobilized troops as well. The forces defending Atoon’s capital are one hundred fifty thousand, and House Ischtein’s forces are one hundred thousand. Even if there is the advantage of defense and siege, we brought three hundred thousand. Even if we divert two hundred thousand to the other side, we still have room.”

“But we must besiege them. If the difference in numbers isn’t large… the casualties…”

“I know. But we will mobilize mages and knights. We also have three masters, and they have none. With strength like that, what do you think?”

“Certainly…”

Even the aide had to agree with Agnes, and it was the moment the Terakan army split its forces.

‘It may be a hasty judgment… but the Sword Saint will take our side… she surely will…’

Separate from the rapidly shifting state of the continent, the Ingrad Apothecary was enjoying a massive boom, and the medicines the Dust of Sands Trading Company carried were stirring a new wind in the south.

“Just how did those Dust of Sands bastards manage to establish ties with the Ingrad Domain?”

The “Golden Leaf Trading Company,” which could be called a rival, recognized that the Dust of Sands Trading Company had entered a phase of rapid expansion and was searching for a method.

“Isn’t it related to the fact that Chairman Amode broke his seclusion?”

“Didn’t you say he traveled north on business?”

“Rumors say a ‘sky route’ opened to the Ingrad Domain. We are verifying the truth of it, and recently, with strange moves, Dust of Sands has been buying Mansia fruit and Kanapa fruit seeds in bulk until the seeds run dry.”

“Mansia, fine—but what in the world would Kanapa be used for?”

“We do not know. Their information control is so strict that we had no way to find out. Only that the region those two fruits are flowing into is the Ingrad Domain.”

“Again, again it’s Ingrad… what on earth has been happening over the past half year… I can’t make sense of it…”

It was the company head of Golden Leaf Trading Company, “Braden Bare,” who found it painfully embarrassing as a merchant that his information was late.

A merchant reporting to Braden cautiously asked him a question.

“How about dispatching the vice-chair to the Ingrad Domain?”

“Hilde??”

“Yes. If it is Vice-Chair Hilde, who is clever and sharp, I believe she can surely uncover something.”

“And what is the temperament of that Viscount Ingrad like?”

“Nothing is known precisely, but he is said to have excellent character. Moreover, he is an outstanding manufacturing technician, and they say he is a master craftsman of casting.”

“…Manufacturing and casting? What else?”

“He seems to have won the beastkin’s hearts.”

“Ah… then was the rumor that he safely got through the Demon God’s month true?”

“It appears so. Therefore, I deem it not bad to urgently dispatch Lady Hilde and learn the news.”

“Hm… besides Dust of Sands, do you know who else is moving?”

“Every merchant group and trading company besides us is showing signs of moving to build connections.”

“In the end, those Dust of Sands bastards moved first. That’s what this is…”

After agonizing seriously, Braden finally made a decision.

“Send Hilde. And tell her to dig into everything and spy thoroughly. If that doesn’t work… I will permit even extreme methods.”

“By ‘extreme,’ you mean…?”

“I mean she may use her weapons as a woman!”

It was Braden making a truly extreme choice.