In The Name Of Ingrad! (20)

It had been discussed in advance, but instead of operating the human army on the same battlefield as the whale beastkin units, the operation was carried out by deploying them to a new battlefield to show that humans could also achieve results.

To do this, a great deal of supplies and portable Gates had to be urgently produced, but the expansion of Gate technology, once improvements had begun, was advancing day by day.

Thanks to that, it was truly pitiful that the few magic forces we had were working hard enough to have their souls wrung out of them, but by putting effort into encouragement and improvements in treatment worthy of their efforts, the treatment they received in Ingrad itself was transforming into something more splendid than anyone else’s.

‘Well, I suppose even that is only good when they have the chance to enjoy it…?’

It was something that could be accepted bitterly, but it could be said that thanks to them, we had become able to advance farther.

“Wijel, are the preparations complete?”

“We can finish occupying up to the destination, but must they really be deployed on the East Continent?”

“I thought about many things, and apart from the matter of the Relief Group, I judged that we needed to respond based on the fact that the Demonic Tribe has begun to recognize us as an ‘enemy.’”

“Mm… It is indeed the correct judgment. However, the part about it being in the very middle of enemy territory weighs on my mind.”

I knew what Wijel was worried about.

Bluntly put, after a Gate was seized, if we failed to realize that it had been seized, we might end up letting the Demonic Tribe’s elites into Ing City.

It was not something we could not stop, but damage would occur, and since an important figure among the vassals could potentially suffer harm, he seemed to be worried in various ways.

“The Demonic Tribe won’t be able to target us rashly. If they can’t do anything about our weapons system, which could be called an unknown power, then no matter how much they come at us, we’ll be able to win.”

Bluntly put, the fact that rapid supply was possible through the Gates was an incredibly important point.

As long as we did not allow them to close the distance, defeat was impossible, and I also planned to play a certain role here.

I felt strangely moved by stepping on land for the first time in a while(?).

Strictly speaking, I had set foot on the land of death, but the fact that it did not feel that way to that extent, and the fact that all the humans of the East Continent were looking at us with concern, worry, and fear, made my head subtly complicated.

‘From their position, it would feel like only their ruler has changed… and to an even more frightening ruler, at that…’

It was obvious how they would think of us, who had cleaned up the Demonic Tribe they themselves could do nothing about far too easily.

So we intended to respond to the humans of the East Continent through the manuals the Relief Group had made, and I planned to build a city here that would serve as a kind of forward base.

“Now then, we have a lot to do. The Demonic Tribe won’t just watch us even while we’re standing around like this. Let’s work.”

After that shout, the soldiers began moving in perfect order.

In order to first stabilize the secured humans, I could see soldiers moving according to the Relief Group’s response manual to secure food and places to rest as their priority, as well as troops spreading out somewhat widely and going on alert in order to protect those soldiers. Afterward, the Ingrad forces moved busily, taking positions in each designated area and installing magic cannons.

Honestly, it could be called movement beyond my expectations.

It was the Ingrad Legion made up of humans, who had been evaluated as still lacking practical combat experience before their elite training had fully progressed.

However, the way they were deployed in actual combat, followed Wijel’s orders, maintained formation in an instant, and scattered was quite unexpected, and it made me feel certain that they could do it too.

“I can see how much effort they put in.”

After hearing my words, Murumur, who had been watching it together with me, cut in and spoke.

“Humans have their own strengths, after all. What do you think?”

“They certainly look good. Since our Ingrad isn’t a nation with only beastkin as its residents, I hope they can achieve great results.”

“Results, you say…?”

I thought the evaluation would change depending on how perfectly they could show their defensive ability here.

We had committed an act that could be called an invasion, but in the first place, the Demonic Tribe had treated us with hostility and invaded us.

There may have been a cause, but it could also be said that we had secured legitimacy through the repeated attacks the Relief Group had suffered.

That was because the Demonic Tribe had crossed over and persistently targeted the Relief Group.

We had mobilized the army with the purpose of responding to that, and had come to this point, but I had no regrets.

“Now then, shall I move for the sake of my own work?”

“I would like you not to overexert yourself.”

At Murumur’s words, I said that I understood, then moved my steps toward the front.

Honestly, there had been a time when I had spent a long while wondering what I could do after coming out to the battlefield. And the answer I reached as the solution I had put forward was to use “Construction” and complete the castle walls at a speed only I was capable of.

For this purpose, I had prepared plenty of magic power recovery medicine and stamina recovery medicine, but in the middle of all that, Demina had expressed worry to me as if nitpicking.

“Please refrain from taking magic power recovery medicine as much as possible.”

Ever since the incident involving side effects long ago, the vassals had shown particular concern about me taking magic power recovery medicine. Since it had been an incident where I could have died, even now, I was still being nagged to strictly control anything related to it.

The same was true now, but in reality, the me from back then and the me now were so different that it would be fair to call us different people, as my abilities related to magic power had changed.

“Thank you for worrying about me. So I’ll be careful so you don’t have to be too concerned.”

“Please do not forget that Your Majesty’s body is the most precious of all.”

Leaving behind that brief conversation with Demina, I was able to arrive at the destination, and it certainly was desolate.

The East Continent’s climate itself was not that bad, but the fact that it had not been managed was clear, and because of the traces of destruction scattered everywhere, it seemed that there was nothing intact, leaving only bitterness in my heart.

“So it’s possible for a place to be broken this badly…?”

I stretched my hand toward that place, which had been neglected to the point that it had become no different from a wasteland, enough to be called ruins and a land of death.

I raised my magic power, activated Construction, and set the range while imagining the castle wall.

I began shaping it while paying attention so that it would not burden the army being deployed, and after a while, it seemed I could raise the castle wall in the form I wanted, so I was able to finish the Construction.

I felt magic power rapidly seep into the land. It was an enormous amount, enough to be called a tremendous quantity, but it was an amount familiar to me, and not that great an amount to me. Just as I was able to roughly understand anew what sort of level I was standing on…

With a “grrrrrk” sound, the castle wall gradually began rising faster and faster. Since it was a structure whose length, height, and width had all been carefully considered, the process of its creation itself could be called rather slow, but I expected that the fact that a castle wall was undoubtedly being formed would certainly reduce the burden our allies felt.

“It is a fascinating ability every time I see it.”

At Murumur’s words, I scratched my head for no real reason.

“It is useful, after all. But it does tire me out a lot.”

“It would make no sense if causing such a miracle did not tire you.”

I had worked hard. So that I would not tire! So that I could develop!

I had always thought I was causing trouble, and I had tried hard to take care of the things I could do before anyone else. Feeling proud of the growth that could be called the result of that, I spoke.

“Could you tell Wijel? Tell him to assign manpower to the castle wall, and that if he separately tells me what watchtowers or anything else are needed, I’ll install them.”

“Understood.”

Demina headed toward Wijel after receiving the order. I glanced at her, then looked at the castle wall that had taken its place perfectly and stood upright, and thought.

‘Could I recreate the Great Wall?’

It was something that made me chuckle, but while thinking that it might be possible if I just spent a little time, I began constructing the rest of the castle wall.

The moment the walls of the Terakan capital collapsed, many people thought the same thing.

‘The Empire is finished!’

However, as if declaring its will not to fall so easily, the Empire began taking action that could be called its final resistance through the collapsed wall.

That was the sight of knights clad in splendid armor beginning to pour out.

“Are those the Gold Lions and Silver Lions?”

At Archduke Pearl’s words as he watched from afar, Rex also nodded and spoke.

“They are elite knight orders. Though they collapsed once, they are knight orders that still have reserves as well… and the knight leading them is a person with a reputation comparable to Her Majesty.”

Rex could not help but become tense as he thought of Agnes.

That was because she was the worst opponent and the final opponent for House Pearl. Furthermore, there was also a need to be careful of the shadow that existed within the Terakan Imperial Family.

As he thought of the group almost no one knew about, the ones called Terakan’s dagger, Rex spoke in a worried voice.

“If we defeat Agnes, we will be able to seize the Empire easily, but she is far too precious a talent to drive to her death.”

At Rex’s words, Archduke Pearl asked him.

“How do you intend to persuade her?”

Rex thought there was only one way to persuade her.

“Agnes is a person who swore loyalty to the ‘Imperial Family’ itself. It means that if the master of the Imperial Family changes, she is someone who will follow that master.”

“…Does she look like someone who would betray them so simply? She is a proud Master.”

“I think there is a possibility precisely because she is a person with pride. We… I believe we should head to the Imperial Palace through the castle gate as planned.”

“Then those people will cause immense damage. Can you respond to that?”

It was not a level they could not respond to, but Rex did not feel like deliberately leaking their combat power away. Knights were difficult to raise. With the certainty that if they used ordinary soldiers as sacrifices to buy time and overthrew the Imperial Family, they could obtain all those sharp swords, Rex conveyed his thoughts to Archduke Pearl.

“Your Majesty need only seek them out while holding the Empress’s head. If you do so, you will be able to possess all the swords drawing blood over there.”

“So it seems you believe all of them swore not to the Empress, but to the Imperial Family itself.”

“That is so. In fact, Sir Schneider, the oldest knight, is a knight who has served three generations of the Imperial Family. If we consider him, the prediction should prove correct.”

“I hope your thoughts are right. Then… we must move quickly.”

Archduke Pearl gritted his teeth as he watched the soldiers die miserably, and at the sight of his father looking as though he would draw his sword and charge off at once, Rex urged his horse forward and spoke.

“I shall open the path. Your Majesty… need only walk along the path I create…”

With that, Rex drew his sword and began charging toward the castle gate, which did not yet seem likely to open. However, he was certain.

The castle gate would surely open…

In that way, the siege of the capital, which could be called the final war of the Terakan Empire, rapidly began to ride the flow of events.