In The Name Of Ingrad! (5)

We had no choice but to enter an emergency meeting due to messages sent from places such as the Mirkas Federation, and it was for none other than the circumstances of the Relief Group.

“It seems Linda had a very hard time. It begins by saying she is sorry to deliver this kind of news. It seems the Demonic Tribe is acting fiercely… What do you think?”

The atmosphere was quite heavy.

In reality, it could be said that most of the neighboring countries were at war. Needless to say for Terakan, the three-way war between Terakan’s east, which was now trying to split away, and the Pearl family was in the most serious state in its own way, and Briden, beyond the Forest of the Demon Dragon, where the civil war was reaching its final stages, was also at war, so there was no exchange.

At least in the case of Atoon and the Mirkas Federation, they had been able to repel the Demonic Tribe’s invasion by destroying the gate on the mountain range side leading to the East Continent, but rumors were openly circulating that the other locations where one could cross over by land from the East Continent were in a serious state.

“They desperately wanted the whale beastkin. Is there a reason?”

Ulde carefully asked a question, and I told Ulde why they had wanted the whale beastkin.

“It seems they requested them while remembering the toughness of the whale beastkin from when we repelled the former Terakan invading army. Moreover, have they not recently performed greatly and rendered distinguished service in war? I cautiously think it may be because of that.”

“I see. I heard that cosmetics related to moisturizing have been improved this time… so I think I will go. Please grant your permission.”

It was a sudden request, and most of the retainers in the meeting room looked at Ulde in surprise. Then Ulde, feeling their gazes, showed a light smile and explained the reason.

“One never knows when I may grow too old and become unable to go to the battlefield. Even now, I am steadily weakening. Therefore… I thought it would not be bad to become a stepping stone for the Relief Group’s place to stand as my final battlefield.”

Certainly, Ulde was an old beastkin who had lived in the same generation as Murumur, or in the same era as Wijel’s father.

The fact that he was still active and healthy until now was enough to be called amazing, but in reality, borrowing Murumur’s words, I had heard that Ulde was still a powerful figure worthy of the description “Ingrad’s strongest.”

I intended to have Wijel and several others accompany him, but Ulde, who sensed my intention first, spoke.

“Considering the role of the Relief Group, if many people move, I think there will be that much more commotion. Therefore, I wish to lead five thousand elites and advance not to the Relief Group’s area, but close to the Demonic Tribe’s territory on the Mirkas Federation side, and block the entrance.”

It could be called a fairly dangerous operation. Moreover, the number was far too small. It had been said that the number of troops in the recent attack exceeded twenty thousand.

So I spoke with concern.

“If the enemy pushes with numbers, even the powerful Ulde and the whale beastkin will be in danger. If that is the case… would it not be better to add more personnel instead?”

However, the part I was worried about was the fact that war would break out. Even if we requested Atoon’s rear support, I thought there were too many difficult points.

So resolve was necessary.

“Ulde, I do not want my people to die or be injured. However, I also dislike our country being looked down upon. Therefore, I will create the best stage for you, so please go on a magnificent adventure.”

“….How should I convey my gratitude for this…? I do not know where to place myself… Your Majesty…”

Ulde’s eyes turned slightly red. So through a long strategy meeting, we were able to organize three thousand-man units that would directly help the Relief Group in place of the mercenaries, and a whale beastkin unit, including Ulde, of fifty thousand people to be sent to the boundary with the Demonic Tribe.

Additionally, through the mercenaries inside Ingrad, we planned to hire tens of thousands more in the role of a “supply unit” to help the whale beastkin.

Enormous military spending would occur, but Ingrad was not a country bound by money, so we were able to make the decision.

And the preparations of the army began to proceed quickly. To put it bluntly, it was because we planned to move the army through the gate on the Longsem Region side, which was one of Ingrad’s newly organized six regions and located close to the Mirkas Federation.

“If we prepare for movement while replacing mana stones, we should be able to send all the troops in two days. We plan to make supplies proceed as quickly as possible through the mercenaries, so please keep that in mind and simply show us a magnificent performance.”

After that, we had to decide the level of armament for the whale beastkin, and Ulde was instead flustered by Wijel’s words recommending “special-grade” scale armament.

That was because special-grade scale meant supplying the whale beastkin with steel-plate armor and extra-large firearms exclusively for whale beastkin.

They were weapons that fired 1.5-inch grenades, and aside from whale beastkin, they could be called armaments difficult even to hold.

At least for the whale beastkin, who could lightly lift and use those extra-large firearms, they could be said to be perfectly suited.

“Would that not be excessive…?”

“Honestly speaking, I cannot advise much about personal armament, but I think it is necessary to clearly imprint Ingrad’s image. And I will also give you one hundred magic cannons, so please lead the best stage and return.”

I did think it was becoming more of a spectacle the further it went, but I thought that much had to be done to deliver a heavy blow to the Demonic Tribe. Moreover, the fact that they had targeted the Relief Group was endlessly detestable.

I intended to make them pay the proper price for it.

“I shall… obey your command…!”

Ulde bowed his head as if he had made up his mind, and after that, Ulde rose from his seat early to organize the whale beastkin, while the remaining people began preparations to organize the units that would back him up.

It could be called sudden war preparations, but in reality, this did not make Ingrad noisy. It might also have been because the scale of the country had grown, but it was also because most of the army consisted of whale beastkin. That much suggested that Ulde’s charisma still exerted tremendous influence over the whale beastkin even now.

After finishing the agreement with the east and completing the concentration of its army, the Pearl family was spreading its forces toward the second gate among the three walls that could be called Terakan’s final gates.

Since Terakan also knew the importance of this place, it had spread out an army of nearly five million and was preparing to defend the castle, but the problem was that most of the Terakan Imperial Army were conscripts and had not received proper training.

And while their morale was also hitting rock bottom because they had been urgently conscripted, the Pearl family’s army of four million was preparing for war, so the atmosphere began to become ominous.

“I-Is it not said that to succeed in a siege, you need at least twice the number of the defenders?”

“….I do not know much about that, but… having to fight a hero… is terrible.”

In the perception of the Terakan Empire, “Archduke Pearl” was a hero. He was a member of the Imperial Family, yet he had not hesitated to mix with the people, and furthermore, he was a good man who knew how to throw himself into danger for the people.

Because of that, most of the people, who had initially thought someone was spreading nonsense again when Archduke Pearl rebelled, now had the truth before their eyes and were trembling in fear.

“Do not tremble!! The enemy’s numbers are fewer than ours! Even if you simply push back or stab the enemies climbing up with the weapons given to you, we have the advantage! Defeat in this war is impossible!”

The people found the words of a lower commander and knight who was going around encouraging them irritating, but fear and terror of death could not possibly be soothed by words like that.

Meanwhile, Archduke Pearl, who had begun to spread out his army widely, asked his son Rex, who had joined him, a question.

“You said to send the knight order into the underground waterway and open the castle gate. Where did you obtain that information?”

Only Archduke Pearl and a small number of the leadership knew that the army of four million was bait for a single operation.

“There was once an official who came to ask me for advice for the repair, maintenance, and management of the Second Gate. He came with blueprints and asked me to look over several places that were in danger of collapsing because they needed to be repaired and remodeled.”

“Huh, that was several years ago. You remembered it?”

Archduke Pearl was surprised. Honestly, people easily forget even things from a few weeks ago.

Though it had been an important matter, the fact that he had remembered it was unexpected to Archduke Pearl.

“Because I knew Father’s ambition, I had no choice but to remember it. You know it, do you not? The long-cherished wish… the aspiration.”

“I see. You, too, were a tiger cub. Kukuk, admirable. You are remarkable, Rex, my son.”

Then Archduke Pearl patted Rex’s shoulder. In truth, the Second Gate was no different from the final gate toward the capital.

That was because the true final gate, the Third Gate, was effectively closer to a work of art than something with the function of a wall.

It was the product of long history and various cultures combining, and because it could be said to have almost no defensive ability as a wall, Terakan’s true end could be called the Second Gate.

With only a single step remaining, Archduke Pearl felt as if his hands and feet were burning with excitement enough to drive him mad.

It had been a long wait.

As he recalled the past, when the imperial throne had been taken by his younger sister, who was better at politics than he was, and he had been left only with the byname “Sword of the Empire,” the skin of his palm screamed beneath his clenched fist.

Rex quietly looked at that appearance of his father, but he did not say anything in particular. That was because Rex also knew that it was not far off now.

And when the time ripened and the deployment was complete, Rex left the command headquarters and moved his steps somewhere.

It was a place where they were digging out an area that could lead into the underground waterway, and when he arrived there, he saw personnel examining a pit engulfed in darkness.

“Have you found it?”

“That is correct. Finally…”

The margin of error had been quite wide, so they had trouble with the search, but in the end, they had found it. And after Rex also confirmed that the knight order prepared in advance was lined up, he said to them,

“History will change by your hands. It means you will carve out Terakan’s heart and transplant the heart of ‘Pearl’ into it. And you will be greatly rewarded for the merit of opening a new world and achieve glory. I guarantee it…. Our Pearl family does not forget grace. Do you understand!”

A heavy “thump!!” resounded. All preparations were complete.

So he turned his head, looked at the waterway like an abyss, and said,

“Go and open the castle gate, and burn!”

When the order was given, the soldiers holding torches began to rush into the waterway together with the knights as if being sucked in. And Rex sent a hand signal and gave the order to advance.

The great war of five million against four million had just begun.

Though it was said to be a great army of five million that had not been made elite, they were in a situation where they had the wall, so an extremely difficult siege was expected. However, Rex was confident.

He was certain that they would win this war, and that by riding this momentum, they would be able to drive Terakan into history.

And one other person was also surveying this war situation broadly.

“Leader, what do you think?”

Irude Timaek, who was looking down at the clash of humans numbering nine million from the top of a high mountain, pondered at his subordinate Derik’s question and said,

“The Pearl family will win.”

“If so, how would it be… to join them?”

“That would not be bad either. But in my opinion, my eyes keep going to Ingrad rather than them.”

“Ingrad… you mean?”

Irude Timaek recalled Viscount Ingrad, who had been rising ever higher when he had been eating his meals in the Terakan Empire, and thought that if he desired the sunny side of the world, it would be right to settle in Ingrad and seek safety instead.

Moreover, “drugs” brought in a great deal of money, but they were endlessly dangerous. Irude Timaek, who had experienced betrayal in the Western Continent and also faced a punitive force, realized that it was time to take his hands off them now.

“We will settle in Ingrad with the funds we have earned. If we start by eroding from the bottom, including that place’s medicinal herb market… will we not come to meet him face to face as well?”

Derik merely answered that he understood those words from his leader. And the two of them turned their eyes away from the war between the two groups that had just begun.

The place they had to go was not where a setting star was, but beside the rising sun.