We Go For It First! (2)

The letter that flew to the Empire’s leadership, and the Empress who received it, had no choice but to recognize that the situation was serious and fall into deep thought.

“War, public opinion, and the Demon Tribe—there is not a single thing going as I wish.”

The Empress thought the Empire was the strongest on the continent, and that this remained unchanged even now, but the problem was that her thoughts were growing complicated because of the civil war caused by one part of that strongest power.

“Hilman, if you have a mouth, speak. What do you think of the change Ingrad has caused?”

“….I never even imagined that they would publicly declare… the war to isolate the Demon Tribe as Ingrad’s achievement.”

The problem was being caused by what Duke Asilbar, who was called the sword of the Emperor of Dradnos, had publicly declared.

What had become an issue was that the achievement of this battle was thanks to “Ingrad’s noble sacrifice.”

Moreover, even words that the actions of the Imperial Family of the Terakan Empire, which was suppressing such Ingrad out of selfish desire, deserved to be condemned were openly circulating.

“If we trace the source of the rumors, it ultimately leads to one place, the Information Guild, but…”

“That is not important. Most of those who hear rumors that have already spread accept them as truth.”

“…Should we also give strength to rumors…”

“It is already too late. Do you think the fire will subside just because we set a counterfire?”

The Empress let out a sigh, shook her head, and opened her mouth.

“No, rather, it will grow larger.”

“Then… does that mean we must respond according to the letter sent from Ingrad?”

“Hilman, you are the Chancellor. Is it not only proper that you handle most matters, great and small, including diplomacy?”

“I say this because I fear that if I do as I wish, it will become even more of a mess. I am in the midst of fully experiencing the feeling that the world is changing.”

“I agree with those words as well…”

The world had changed. To say that she was keenly feeling that was the correct answer. In truth, the civil war was a “defeat.” If she expanded the war further, the Demon Tribe reaching the vicinity of their necks was a problem, and yet if she simply ignored it, granting away two independent zones was also a problem.

However, in Ingrad’s case, they had attempted “dialogue” first and made a transaction proposal in the form of “purchasing” useless land rather than a military resolution.

“We cannot refuse this proposal, can we?”

“After all… they are important people. And Her Highness the Princess as well…”

When the Empress thought of Princess Riana, her head still throbbed. Moreover, the problematic part was what would happen if the master of Ingrad did something to her daughter.

She was her only child and the legitimate heir, but the problem was that if an issue occurred, it was not as though there were no one to replace her.

‘If the Grand Duke’s family steps forward… things will become troublesome…’

The Tiger of the South. The fact that he was remaining quiet right now could be called fortunate. Moreover, he had a son who was third in the line of succession.

Considering that Princess Riana was first in the line of succession, there was one person in between, but because he had such a weak personality, he was not even brought up much.

The dominant evaluation was that he had only managed to take the position of second in line because his father’s power was far too overwhelming.

“Before my brother steps forward, we must tie up the conclusion of the civil war. Hilman, prepare a communication channel with Ingrad. And confirm whether we can give him the status of a sovereign prince… and set the schedule so that matters proceed with Ingrad’s independence effectively recognized.”

“In the end… you will make that decision…?”

“The world has already witnessed it. Unless we can kill him completely… if we cannot do that, we must instead think of drawing him back into our embrace.”

The Empress’s voice carried a sense of grief.

After that, the Empress continued discussing the Ishtain Region and ultimately reached the decision that she had to deal with at least one of them.

Honestly, recognizing the independence of both regions would cause serious problems for the Empress’s pride, and since there was already talk that there might be a problem with her leadership, it could be called a decision she had no choice but to make.

Moreover, unlike the Ingrad Region, the Ishtain Region could be called a trade gateway where many people lived in a strategic key point.

So she reached a decision.

“Tell my brother, Archduke Pearl… that I will entrust his son, ‘Rex de Pearl,’ with the position of commander of the punitive army, and ask whether he is willing to clean up the Ishtain Region and take that place.”

“Do you truly… intend to give him an opportunity?”

“Recently, there have been signs that a large amount of funds has flowed in that direction. My thought is that we must draw his attention so he cannot do anything else.”

This was a matter of appointing the son he cherished like gold and jade and seating him as commander-in-chief. Moreover, unlike Princess Riana, who had made mistakes in succession, Rex de Pearl was one of the legitimate heirs who could inherit the blood of the “Terakan” Imperial Family, so the Empress thought he would surely accept the proposal in order to establish merit.

‘Grevados de Terakan, no, Archduke Pearl… My brother, I know that your choices always carry a hidden dagger… but this time, I strongly hope that you make a mistake.’

How nice would it be if he were blinded by merit and reached his hand somewhere else too?

The Empress thought such thoughts.

Now that fifteen days had passed since the initial outbreak of the war, every area that had become a battlefield had been cleaned up, and work was underway to build walls with the First Fortress as the standard.

“Phew, I never thought I would end up doing this again…”

This time, the work involved raising massive walls roughly twenty meters high by adding the height of the fortress walls to the height of the Sky Bridge, and it was part of the process of preparing to make the area into both a rest stop and a densely populated zone, forming even a city center.

What I had felt through this war was the importance of this First Rest Stop and fortress.

In fact, the dominant common opinion was that if we had tried to resist, we could have held a siege for days and days, and because of the evaluation that if we could expand the scale of this place by at least five times and create a large castle, it would become easier to oppose enemies pushing in from outside, I had no choice but to begin the work in the end.

“It is something no one but you can do, my lord. Besides, are you not working while thinking of it as creating a third stronghold city?”

At Hare’s words, I thought my sighs were increasing and spoke.

“Making it is fine. But why I have to go through all this hardship every time is what makes my head complicated. Moreover, when I think of how exhausted I was from infusing mana for ten straight days, oof, it really makes me shudder.”

I let out a sigh as I thought back to how busy I had been preparing the goods to be sent to the Demon Tribe’s front, and the interesting point was that the news I had received from the merchants while sending the third carriage procession to the battlefield this morning was unexpected.

“But why did that person called Duke Asilbar pass the merit to me?”

“There could be several possibilities… but perhaps he was moved by the aid you sent, my lord?”

“For that to be the case… hm.”

I had not thought of it as special aid. To put it bluntly, it required me to suffer, but it did not use particularly expensive medicinal ingredients.

“You are the only one who thinks of it simply, my lord. Do you know how hard humans have to work to buy one container of that medicine?”

Well, it was not medicine sold cheaply. Even so, I had thought it was not expensive medicine either, but when I considered the basic standard of living in this world, it was certainly a high-priced item that commoners would have to save several months’ wages to buy, so I simply closed my mouth.

“It is clear that for now, in the war against the Demon Tribe, humans have switched to the offensive and are winning battle after battle, but I think the problem is the Demon King.”

“Mm… They say he is not retreating, right?”

“It seems he is continuing to push down. Because of that, it seems the border between Atoon and the Empire is now under emergency conditions. Moreover, since Ishtain is also included in that route, the fire has fallen on their feet.”

They had even blown up their walls, and unless there was someone with the Construction ability like me, I had heard it would take years to restore the castle.

If not that, then they would have to spend a fortune at one of the continent’s leading Magic Towers and mobilize mages, but I knew that would also take several full months.

To put it bluntly, if the Empire decided right now to clean up Ishtain, it meant they would have to face them in close combat.

‘Just how cheat-like is the Construction ability…’

It was a moment where I realized that again, but more than that, I looked around at the remaining area and had no choice but to take a stamina recovery medicine out of my chest and eat it.

“Are you not taking magic power recovery medicine these days?”

“I do take it. I just do not take more than two pills a day.”

“Wait a moment.”

Then Hare naturally reached out, placed her hand on my chest, and used magic. A magic circle quickly emerged around Hare’s hand and took shape.

And after a moment, Hare immediately used the magic and began examining something, then let out a deep breath and spoke to me.

“It does not seem like there is magic power poison itself, but your stamina has been badly damaged. You are making and taking some strange medicine again, are you not?”

“….You can see even that?”

“Of course. It is literally just magic that checks health, after all.”

I thought that if that magic existed, there would be no need for things like health checkups, but Hare asked me stealthily.

“But what are you planning to do with Princess Riana? You do not intend to hand her over during the transaction this time, do you?”

“Mm, I am thinking about it. My vassals want us to keep one card in hand, but if I follow that, I feel needlessly sorry to Princess Riana, and yet if I send her back, I do not know how the Empire will respond.”

“Then how about just going for it outright?”

“What are you talking about?”

Hare, smiling brightly, said something absurd.

“You sleep with her. If you make her your woman, the Empire too…”

“No, if I did something like that, war would break out immediately. Hare, you say that because you do not know the Empress’s personality. No, leaving the Empress aside, I think even the Emperor would stop at nothing and want my head.”

“Even for display?”

“Of course. They would probably chew it, tear it, taste it, enjoy it, and do everything else with it.”

Hare chuckled as she laughed, and Demina, who was also beside us, began laughing with her. Sleeping with Princess Riana?

Honestly, if Princess Riana had been an ordinary woman and had courted me, my heart would surely have wavered. However, she was a woman from a family that was far too extraordinary.

I was not foolish enough to drink from a cup even while knowing it was full of poison.

“Phew, anyway, since I have to finish this place before preparing for the dialogue with the Empire in fifteen days… each day will be a little tight. Who is the vassal and who is the lord here… honestly.”

It was the moment I had no choice but to immerse myself in the work because of Linda and Matilda’s insistence.

Afterward, I began spending my schedule working ten hours a day and enjoying leisure in the remaining time, and as the castle gradually neared completion, I had to watch Demina and Hare argue. The reason was nothing special.

“I am telling you, Dagaz City suits it.”

Hare’s suggestion was the runic word “Dagaz,” and its meaning was beginning and end. In other words, she said that because it was both the first gateway to Ingrad and a place that symbolized the end for those leaving, Dagaz City suited it. In Demina’s case, she was fighting to name it Algiz City, taking the runic word “Algiz,” which meant harmony.

The debate between the two women, who liked the meanings held by the two cities of Ing and Rad, continued. In the end, they looked back at me as if telling me to decide, and because they argued in the same pattern every time, I gave them an answer to reduce their worries.

“First, it will be divided into two districts, the existing fortress city and the city built on the ground, correct? Then, since the fortress city strongly carries the meaning of beginning and end, let us name it Dagaz District, and since I hope the city that will form below the fortress city will have harmony, let us name it Algiz District.”

“Then what will the name of the city that combines the two districts be?”

That seemed to be what they were curious about. So I looked up at the sky, saw the sun, and asked.

“What is the runic word that symbolizes the sun?”

“If it is the sun, then it is ‘Sowilo.’”

“Then let us make it ‘Soil City.’”

The two women muttered Soil City, and because I had made the decision, I could see them repeating the name “Soil City” without objecting.

Like that, it was the moment when the First Rest Stop and fortress was named “Soil City,” which would come to be called the City of the Sun.