Volume 2, Final Part, The Great Djinn War
Chapter 0418 How to Start a War
-x-X-x-
Twenty days before the Pope's Inauguration ceremony in the Western Countries.
This is Curcio, a city near the western border of the Handal Union, one of the three major powers in the Central Countries.
It's situated near the border with the Kingdom of Knightley.
And has a population of around fifty thousand, making it a relatively small city. However, being one of the cities along the western border of the Union, it hosts a garrison of the border defense force.
But they only number around five hundred troops.
The Union has had numerous conflicts with the Kingdom in the past.
Including the 'Great War' thirteen years ago, which was a full-scale war.
However, currently, they have maintained relatively good relations in recent years, even dispatching large-scale diplomatic envoys to the Western Countries.
While they cannot afford to be complacent, compared to the Empire, which shares a border further north, the Kingdom is considered a much less hostile neighbor…
That was the prevailing sentiment among the populace until that day.
The border guards at the watchtower in Curcio.
"Captain, what's that over there?"
A member of the watchtower team, suspicious of what they saw through the installed telescope, asked the captain beside them.
"Hmm? Let me have a look through the telescope."
The captain said, taking the telescope and peering through it himself.
A telescope is a tube-shaped device that magnifies distant objects.
"Dust clouds… could that be cavalry?"
At that moment, the captain's mind flashed with memories of the nomadic horse-riding people who had invaded the Imperial territory and even slain the Emperor in one fell swoop.
However, after a moment's thought, he realized that such a scenario was impossible here.
Beyond the border wasn't the Empire or the Corridor States.
It was the Kingdom.
Finally, the raised flags came into view.
It was the flag of the Kingdom!
…Uh?
"The Kingdom's flags? The Kingdom's army? There are ten thousand riders…"
The captain said, passing the telescope back to the initial team member.
"Indeed… they are indeed flying the Kingdom's flags… An invasion?"
The team member muttered, prompting the captain to finally snap back to reality.
"R-Ring the bell! Close the city gates! Hurry, send word to the capital!"
He issued a flurry of orders.
"Other than the Kingdom's flags, there are no other banners. Is it the Kingdom's army, or perhaps a noble's private army… I cannot tell."
The report came from the team member still looking through the telescope.
"What in the world is going on…"
The captain's words echoed hollowly inside the watchtower.
Thirty minutes later.
Curcio fell.
In the capital of the Handal Union, Jayclaire, the Governor's Office.
"Your Excellency, we've just received word that Curcio has fallen!"
"So soon! Just thirty minutes ago, we received word of the attack…"
Even the distinguished Lord Aubrey couldn't hide his surprise at the report from his aide, Lamber.
Indeed, Curcio only had a garrison of five hundred troops.
After all, it wasn't a major city located on a major highway and had no other large cities nearby that could be potential targets.
Being a border city meant it had high and thick walls and the soldiers stationed there were not poorly trained.
Even if they were attacked by tens of thousands of troops, as long as the gates were closed, it shouldn't have fallen within an hour or so…
"But the reality is that it fell in less than thirty minutes…"
Lord Aubrey, quickly regaining his composure, muttered to himself, starting to think.
Supporting reinforcements for Curcio have already been dispatched.
Leading them is one of Aubrey's trusted subordinates… trained by him for years, they would act accordingly to the situation.
For example, if the city has already fallen, they would surround it from a distance and wait for further reinforcements to arrive…
There's no need for detailed instructions on such matters.
The real question is…
"Are they truly the Kingdom's army?"
Lord Aubrey's mutterings were audible to Lamber, the one who reported.
"Huh? But the report said they were flying the Kingdom's flags…"
"Lamber, you're straightforward as always."
Aubrey chuckled wryly at Lamber's spontaneous words.
"So… what you're saying, Your Excellency, is that those who attacked pretended to be the Kingdom's army, and the reason for that is to incite conflict between the Union and the Kingdom? But for that… they would have had to sacrifice their soldiers as well. Are they willing to sacrifice soldiers for such a scheme?"
Lamber quickly grasped what Lord Aubrey was implying but began to express his anger at the idea of sacrificing soldiers for a scheme.
At least Lamber doesn't seem to be a schemer.
"Don't be angry, Lamber. Well, admittedly, some aspects are hard to understand… But it's even less believable that the current Kingdom would want to go to war with us. Just the other day, there was talk of King Abel being ambushed by Imperial insurgents, right? Would a Kingdom that's been provoked by the Empire willingly pick a fight with the Union? Only a fool would do such a thing."
Lord Aubrey paused for a moment, then continued.
"King Abel isn't that much of a fool."
From the Union's perspective, the Kingdom is one of its hypothetical adversaries.
Whether it was the 'Great War' thirteen years ago or the intervention in the war against the Inbury Duchy three years ago, they've fought numerous times.
So, while not exactly a desirable opponent, they've never been considered foolish.
Of course, there were times when they thought the previous king had lost his ability to govern…
War doesn't just happen suddenly, without warning.
A little thought would make that clear.
The domestic and neighboring country's situations, conditions, circumstances, and such must all be in place.
Preparation is necessary to exercise military force.
This includes assembling troops, training them, and ensuring supplies are ready.
Troops must be mobilized, weapons and provisions transported, and the terrain and situation of the battlefield analyzed.
Uprisings, train bombings, or even the assassination of a crown prince can trigger a war… that's a fact.
But all of these are nothing more than mere 'triggers'.
Only when guns are prepared, bullets loaded, and targets determined… only after such preparations are made does war occur simply by pulling the 'trigger'.
Just having the 'trigger' alone doesn't cause anything to happen.
Lord Aubrey pondered.
Why now?
Why Curcio?
Do they want to involve the Union in the war?
If so, the possibility would be higher in the eastern border of the Union.
Although there are many small countries in the surrounding area, it's more unstable than the western border.
Or perhaps, the border with the Empire has a much higher possibility.
Or perhaps they want to drag the Kingdom into the war?
If so, targeting the Empire would be much more likely.
After all, they attacked the king.
Or perhaps…
"Do they want to turn the western part of the Union or the eastern part of the Kingdom into a battlefield…?"
Abel was at peace that morning.
Before breakfast, he swung his sword and worked up a sweat.
Breakfast was shared with Queen Rihya and Prince Noah.
After that, he carried out his morning duties.
As usual, he was swamped with paperwork, but after three years, he had grown accustomed to it.
Also, those around him seemed to have grasped Abel's rhythm or pace, leading to many things being optimized.
This led to reduced stress and, consequently, fewer mistakes.
As a certain Duke of Rondo somewhere used to say:
"Don't work yourself to exhaustion".
"Nope, that's impossible."
Abel always retorted.
…And even now, he still refuted that.
But that peaceful morning was shattered by a report from the Prime Minister, Marquis Alexis Heinlein.
"Your Majesty, the western Union city of Curcio has fallen to armed forces."
"…Ah?"
King Abel's response was one of disbelief.
No one can blame Abel, of course, except the premier duke who finds fault for no reason.
The western Union city… the countries bordering it are the Kingdom and the Empire.
Furthermore, considering the location of Curcio, it should be a city near the border with the Kingdom.
In other words, the only country that could potentially attack that city is the Kingdom.
But the king of that Kingdom, which is himself, had not issued any orders to attack Union cities.
Moreover, it seemed that the city fell 'by armed forces'.
What armed forces?
"…Like the order of assassins? Or perhaps, like the bandits in the north from the other day?"
"The details are unclear. However, according to information obtained in the Union capital of Jayclaire, it was a group that raised the Kingdom's flag."
"That's absurd!"
Abel's response to Heinlein's information was an outburst.
Naturally so.
A group flying the flag of the Kingdom.
He hadn't issued any such orders himself.
It was likely information from spies Heinlein had secretly placed in the Union capital of Jayclaire, so the information itself was likely true.
If so, then what did it mean?
"…Of course, there are no units related to the Kingdom's army that would do such a thing… right?"
Abel asked Heinlein, who was the prime minister, to confirm, as there was a possibility he didn't know.
"Of course not. According to the information received in Jayclaire, it was said to be about ten thousand cavalrymen. Currently, there are only a few places in the entire Kingdom that can mobilize such a force. I've also confirmed with the lords of various regions, and the only ones on an expedition are the Silverdale Knights. The rest are all within their territories."
Marquis Heinlein replied, seeming suspicious and having already confirmed many things.
"It's usual for Silverdale to be on an expedition… they're elite, but there are at most fewer than two thousand. Ten thousand, on the other hand…"
"There are indeed many incomprehensible aspects… We've issued notices to the cities on the eastern border of the Kingdom. And for information gathering, we've requested cooperation from the major trading companies."
Both Abel and Marquis Heinlein understood that something unusual was happening, but they had no clue about the cause and purpose.
Above all, they lacked crucial information.
Therefore, they decided to request cooperation from trading companies to gather information.
The number of merchant caravans traveling to various places was enormous.
The information coming from these trading companies was substantial.
Among them, there could be information important to the kingdom's government.
If they could pick up on that…
While still incomplete on a national scale, information gathering from the merchant caravans under the trading companies had become indispensable for the Kingdom as a whole.
Several hours after the fall of the city of Curcio in the western part of the Union.
In a town slightly south of where Curcio is located, near the eastern border of the kingdom, lies the city of Van Lane.
With a population of approximately fifty thousand, it is a city of similar size to Curcio in the Union.
The defense of this town is maintained by three hundred soldiers from the eastern garrison of the Kingdom.
Something unusual was also happening at the watchtower in Van Lane.
"Captain! Look at that dust cloud!"
"Could it be… the Union? No, we received a notice, was it that? Are the city gates still closed?"
"Yes. They are closed according to the notice."
"All right, hurry and contact the royal capital. A dust storm is visible in the east."
Thirty minutes later, the city of Van Lane fell.
On the mountainside overlooking the city of Van Lane, three carriages belonging to a caravan were parked.
This caravan frequently traverses the cities near the eastern border of the Kingdom.
Their caravan flag depicts a city illuminated by moonlight.
They are the Third Caravan from the Gecko Trading Company's main branch in Rune, operating in the eastern border direction.
Their routes never cross the borders, instead, they connect cities near the Kingdom's border or between large cities like Rune and the border cities within the Kingdom.
Due to the flexibility in their trade depending on the season and goods, they often avoid major highways.
Consequently, they are accompanied by a strong dedicated escort squad.
The captain of the Third Caravan's escort is Chloe.
Formerly a member of the Inbury Duchy Intelligence Department, her chestnut-colored hair and matching eyes often make her look adorable as they move around.
However, due to her training in the intelligence department, she is surprisingly strong in close combat.
After the downfall of Inbury Duchy, she defected to the Kingdom and joined the Gecko Trading Company as an escort using her connections from her days back in Inbury Duchy.
There, she was trained by Max, the escort squad leader, and now serves as the escort squad leader for caravans traveling to and from the eastern border region.
"Evans, what's that…?"
Chloe addressed the relatively young caravan leader.
Generally, caravan members require strong physical stamina and resilient mental strength, making them usually quite young.
In the Gecko Trading Company, most caravan members retire to work in the stores by their thirties.
As it's physically easier.
However, in terms of the excitement of business, the caravan side far surpasses the store side…
Among the young caravan members, there is the nineteen-year-old caravan leader, Evans.
However, despite his youth, he has ample achievements and has been involved in caravan activities crossing borders since he was ten years old.
Despite his youth, neither the caravan members nor the escorts disregard him.
"Oh, Chloe. Here's a report of what we've just seen."
Evans said as he finished writing and rolled up the paper into a thumb-sized tube.
"Honestly… I'm not sure if they'll believe the report of what we saw in Van Lane just now."
Chloe expressed her concern.
Evans nodded in agreement.
However…
"Even so, it's better to report it. We're equipped with messenger pigeons for times like these, after all."
Evans said as he attached the thumb-sized tube to the leg of a messenger pigeon in a cage and released it into the sky.
The pigeon flew westward.
"It may not be as fast as a hawk, but it shouldn't take too long to reach Rune city…"
Amidst the gathering of various information from the eastern region, that piece of information came in.
"Your Majesty, we have received reports of a group heading towards the eastern region Count Lanshan's city of Van Lane. It is said that Count Lanshan has dispatched his forces."
"So they're finally here…"
Abel nodded in response to Marquis Heinlein's report.
He didn't think the approaching group was the Union army, but he believed there would be some kind of movement.
Although it wasn't clear yet who was behind these movements and what their intentions were, it seemed likely that something would happen, potentially leading to a deterioration in security.
Thirty minutes later.
"Your Majesty, it's been reported that the city of Van Lane has fallen."
"That's way too soon, isn't it?"
King Abel couldn't help but utter the same words as a certain Union Governor.
However, it only took a moment for Abel to regain his composure.
"Hey, Alexis."
Alexis is the first name of Marquis Heinlein.
Whenever Abel addresses him like this, it usually means a difficult proposal is on the horizon.
Although it was a difficult proposal, Marquis Alexis Heinlein had experienced many times over the past three years that such proposals often turned out to be the right move.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"I think Lord Aubrey and I should meet in person and discuss this."
"As you wish."
Marquis Heinlein nodded once and replied.
He had come to the same conclusion, but it was still a difficult proposal to make.
A meeting between the leaders of two major powers.
And it was urgent…
However, Abel's proposal came with an unexpected addition that caught Marquis Heinlein off guard.
"For that meeting, I want Kenneth to come along as well."
"You mean Viscount Kenneth Hayward?"
Needless to say, Viscount Kenneth Hayward was a genius alchemist who represented not only the Kingdom but also the Central Countries.
"If possible, I'd like them to bring Frank De Verde as well."
"Ah… You intend to establish a direct communication system using alchemy between the Crystal Palace in the royal capital and the capital city of Jayclaire, I see?"
Currently, thanks to the alchemy tools developed by Viscount Kenneth Hayward, direct communication was possible between the major cities within the Kingdom.
Of course, there were some limitations, but compared to the time before this system was in place three years ago, it had become significantly more convenient.
Establishing a similar system between the capital and the royal capital would allow for quick confirmation of the intentions of the top officials in the event of incidents like this one.
If Ryo were here, he might have exclaimed, "Hotline!".
On Earth, a direct line is set up between the heads of government of two countries for direct dialogue, which is sometimes referred to as a hotline.
What Abel was proposing was indeed a 'hotline' between the Kingdom and the Union.
-x-X-x-
Two weeks before the Pope's Inauguration ceremony in the Western countries.
Red Post, a border city in the eastern part of the Kingdom.
Rednar, a former border city of Inbury Duchy, in the western part of the Union.
Both are named after the characteristic red soil near the border.
The Kingdom-Union border runs through the middle of these two towns.
A huge tent was set up along this border line.
That was the location for the meeting.
"Nice to meet you, Your Majesty. I am Aubrey Hubble Coleman, the Governor of the Handal Union."
"I have heard of Governor Aubrey Coleman's distinguished reputation. I am King Abel the First of the Kingdom of Knightley."
After the greetings, they shook hands.
While the two men's expressions were calm, the atmosphere around them was heavy.
It seemed as though tension was palpable between them.
However, a completely different exchange of greetings was taking place on their side.
"Frank… it's been a while."
"Kenneth, you've grown up well."
It was a reunion after several years between the alchemists representing both the Kingdom and the Union, who could be considered the brains of their respective nations.
Those two had worked side by side in the Royal Alchemical Workshop, producing numerous inventions.
Although there was a considerable age gap between them… talent knows no age.
They both considered the other to be the foremost alchemist in the Central Countries.
Such was the high regard they held for each other.
"All right, Kenneth, I've brought some delicious bread. Not quite up to the standard of bread from Cologne, but it's quite good. Hey, Mr. attendant over there, bring us some coffee to our table. We'll be eating bread over there."
"Frank, you never change…"
As Frank and Kenneth headed towards the seats at the corner of the tent, they exchanged conversations.
Observing them from a distance were the leaders of the two countries.
It was Lord Aubrey who broke the ice.
"I was honestly surprised when the suggestion was made to bring Viscount Kenneth Hayward. Was it alright to introduce Viscount Kenneth to Dr. Frank?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Do you not think there is a possibility that Viscount Kenneth Hayward might defect to our Union?"
"Not at all. Rather, wouldn't it be Dr. Frank de Verde who might want to return to the Kingdom? Persuaded by his beloved disciple, Kenneth?"
"Nah, I don't think so."
With that exchange, Abel and Lord Aubrey both laughed heartily.
From their distant seats, holding bread in one hand,
"The ones steering the country have it tough, don't they?"
"Certainly."
Such conversations between the two alchemists went unheard by the King and the Governor…
"The only thing our Union wants to confirm is this."
Lord Aubrey did not have an especially scary expression as he spoke.
But he certainly wasn't smiling.
Both of them had already decided on the questions and answers to follow.
This was simply a confirmation.
"Was it the Kingdom that attacked the city of Curcio?"
"No, it wasn't."
The voices of both the questioner and Abel, who answered, were very calm.
Because they understood that this was a confirmation.
Lord Aubrey, the questioner, simply nodded in response.
"The Kingdom only has one question too."
Abel said, his expression not particularly tense.
But he wasn't smiling either.
Even though he understood it was just confirmation, it was not something to smile about when considering the deceased royal subjects.
"Did the Union attack the city of Van Lane?"
"Of course not."
The voice of Union Governor, Lord Aubrey remained extremely calm.
Because he understood that it was merely a confirmation.
Abel also nodded once.
"The confirmation has been made, hasn't it?"
"Yeah."
Both Aubrey and Abel knew this in their heads.
Because it didn't make any sense.
But confirmation was necessary.
It was to confirm whether the other party was lying or not.
At their level, it was easy to see if the person in front of them was lying.
"Now, that brings up a problem."
"Yeah. Who exactly carried out the attacks?"
"Exactly. For what purpose did they attack, sacrificing lives?"
Both Abel and Aubrey had reached the same question.
"Normally, I'd say it's the Empire, but…"
"Yeah… however, it's too far from the Empire's border."
Both Abel and Aubrey shared the same thoughts on that point.
Both the Kingdom's city of Van Lane and the Union's city of Curcio are located well south of the Empire.
It would be extremely difficult to move ten thousand cavalrymen that far without the knowledge of both countries.
Of course, the Empire had Baron Hagen Benda, who could use
Currently, he seemed to be away from the Empire, having joined the diplomatic mission to the Western Countries… however, there was indeed a possibility that he could return and use
Honestly, both Abel and Aubrey were contemplating whether the Empire would go to such lengths.
But why bother with that when they could easily do it further north?
Even if they wanted to create a 'situation where only the Union and the Kingdom were involved', there was no need to engage in siege battles.
Just like how the Empire attacked Abel in the north, there were plenty of other methods of deception available.
No matter how skillfully executed, there was no reason to initiate a siege that would result in significant casualties just to pit these two nations against each other.
Moreover…
"In Curcio, the residents were slaughtered, the city was set ablaze, and it was abandoned."
"Same with Van Lane."
Indeed.
Both cities were abandoned…
All the residents were killed, yet there was no evidence of any looting of valuables or supplies.
Despite the significant sacrifices made during the siege…
"In fact, I would like to provide some information regarding that matter."
Abel interjected.
"Oh? Please go ahead."
Lord Aubrey understood well that they were sorely lacking in necessary information for an accurate analysis.
"This concerns the time when our city of Van Lane was attacked… It seems that the cavalry continuously rammed against the city gates. Gradually causing damage until the gates were finally breached…"
"Your Majesty, what… does that mean exactly?"
Aubrey furrowed his brow in response to Abel's information.
Naturally so.
Cavalry crashing into the city gates one after another?
Does such a siege tactic exist?
What happened to the cavalry that crashed into the gates?
Furthermore, such an attack doesn't seem to have significant effectiveness.
Lord Aubrey, known as a 'Great General', naturally has numerous achievements in siege warfare.
And Abel's description of the siege was unheard of.
"Well, that's true. Even those who reported it couldn't believe what they saw. It seems that the cavalry that hit the city gates damaged them, then disappeared into thin air."
"Were they not human?"
Abel's words were met with a slight shake of the head from Lord Aubrey.
But the response to that question came not just from the two of them.
A little further away, enjoying warm bread and coffee at another table…
"Could it be the legendary army of the Djinns?"
It was Frank De Verde.
"Dr. Frank?"
Lord Aubrey uttered, looking puzzled.
"Well, even I have looked into the legends of Djinn. There was a book with such descriptions back then. I don't remember the title. But there must have been a more famous folklore officer in the central temple of the royal capital than I am. Just recently, he came to the Union and identified the Djinn bug…"
"That must be Viscount Rashata Debuo."
Kenneth responded to Frank's words.
"Yeah, that's right. I think confirming it with Viscount Debuo would be the most reliable."
"I see."
Lord Aubrey nodded vigorously in response to Frank's words.
"Indeed, we need to confirm this promptly."
With that said, Abel stood up.
"Your Majesty."
"Yes, Lord Aubrey, I understand. As soon as we get any confirmation, I'll contact you immediately. Although, it's unlikely that communication via alchemy tools is possible yet…"
Abel replied promptly to Lord Aubrey's words.
"When we return to Jayclaire, we can establish a connection right away."
"Eh?"
Abel and Lord Aubrey both responded in unison to Frank De Verde's words.
"It seems Frank was also thinking about long-distance communication using a similar mechanism. With a little adjustment, it seems it can communicate with the Kingdom's system. Although, it's only with the large one in the royal capital."
"At the final step, I was stuck, but Kenneth always finds a way. He solved it easily."
"No, it was just luck…"
Kenneth blushed deeply at Frank's praise.
It was an exchange that revealed the warmth of the relationship between the two…
-x-X-x-
After the summit meeting in the eastern part of the Kingdom and the western part of the Union.
Duke's Mansion Annex in Wingston, the largest city in the eastern part of the Kingdom. Office of the new lord.
There, although the ducal authority remained under the guardianship of the royal family, the head of the Shrewsbury Duchy, Erwin Ortiz, had begun to learn governance as a lord.
He appeared to be about thirteen years old…
Although he appeared to be Erwin Ortiz…
In this world, appearances and reality do not always align…
"Why! It's been six days already, why hasn't the war started yet!"
The person who appeared to be Erwin shouted.
"Garwin-sama. Even though you've been resurrected, perhaps it was a bit too soon? Shouldn't we wait a little longer… until your power is fully restored…?"
"Be quiet, Oranj! My power has already returned to about eighty percent! But the remaining twenty percent… for this, the blood of many humans must flow in the east!"
"As expected, dealing with King Richard's yoke is troublesome."
"Silence, Oranj! Don't speak of him!"
The boy named Garwin, who appeared to be Erwin, yelled back.
The man called Oranj, who was yelled at… was a huge figure with a rough and rugged appearance, as if he embodied boldness and roughness.
His long, dark orange hair and eyes of the same color stood out even more than his massive frame.
"Isolda, don't you have any plans?"
Garwin shouted, looking at one side of the room.
Seated on the sofa where he shouted was a woman with long black hair, leisurely sipping tea.
After taking a sip, she spoke slowly.
"As I mentioned before. A plan like that won't start a war. And it turned out as I predicted."
"Ugh…"
With a composed expression, the woman named Isolda asserted.
And Garwin was at a loss for words in response.
After a while of silence, Garwin frowned and spoke.
"…I admit it. I was wrong. I should have listened to your advice."
Garwin admitted his mistake sincerely.
Garwin may not have had an exceptional intellect, but because of his awareness, he didn't have much resistance to admitting his own mistakes.
In response, Isolda nodded and continued.
"First, filling the last twenty percent of Garwin-sama's 'power' as a Djinn is extremely difficult. Gathering magic power with your servants Jaya, which the humans call 'djinn bug' is ineffective for this purpose. Realistically, the only options would be the usurpation of magic power from a very special species or the mass collection of 'Fragments of God' through human deaths."
Isolda paused here to take a sip of tea without saying a word.
Garwin waited silently for her to continue.
"Most likely, Finn-sama, who was sealed to the south, completely broke his seal before Garwin-sama using the former. However, this likely involved a considerable element of chance. So, if we were to plan it strategically, it would be the latter. And the most effective way to do that is through war…"
"Yeah, that's right."
Garwin chimed in on Isolda's words.
"However, wars between nations don't happen so easily. Therefore, it seems best for us to take the initiative."
"Take the initiative?"
"That's right. Instead of engaging in wars between nations, we can simply slaughter the humans on our own."
"That makes sense."
Garwin nodded emphatically in agreement with Isolde's suggestion.
"But there is one thing I must warn you about."
"Hm?"
"That is the fact that Garwin-sama's 'body' is located in the basement of this mansion."
"That's… true, but… even if they find it, ultimately, the humans won't be able to do anything, right? I'm immortal…"
Garwin frowned at Isolde's point and questioned.
"Of course, no one can kill Garwin-sama… but if it were to be destroyed in its current, soulless state, it would take quite a long time for you to revive."
"How long exactly?"
"Probably around five hundred years."
"…That's a long time."
Garwin remained lost in thought with a frown on his face.
After about thirty seconds of contemplation, he spoke up.
"In that case, what would happen if I were to discard this Duke of Shrewsbury's body and return my soul to my original body?"
"You would likely remain trapped by King Richard's seal until your power fully recovers…"
"For how long?"
"It could take a hundred to two hundred years."
"…That's still quite a long time."
"The best course of action is for many humans to die in the eastern part of this Kingdom and the western part of the Union without anyone knowing about the 'body' or Garwin-sama. To that end, it would be best for Oranj and Vim Lowe to move around conspicuously, killing humans."
"Me?"
When Isolde said this, the giant Oranj pointed to his face, asking for confirmation.
The other man, Vim Lowe, stood silently against the wall in the corner of the room, nodding in agreement.
"Both of you should move prominently within the Union's territory so as not to attract attention to Wingston. Initially, you should focus less on the eastern part of the Kingdom. Not to say not to engage at all, just you know… And this time, instead of the 'phantom troops', Garwin-sama will provide you with 'physical troops' to lead."
"Physical troops…"
Garwin responded with a more troubled expression than before to Isolde's words.
However, he didn't argue.
He understood that physical troops were necessary in this situation rather than phantom troops.
"Unlike last time, Oranj and Vim Lowe will be acting away from Garwin-sama for an extended period, so 'physical troops' are necessary. Of course, they won't be like the 'phantom troops', so make sure not to mismanage them."
Both Oranj and Vim Lowe nodded at Isolde's words.
"And be careful not to weaken the power of the Kingdom's eastern region too much, lest the Union intervenes, leading to incidents like the fall of Wingston."
"Ah… like in the previous war with the Empire."
Isolde added, her tone tinged with bitterness, and Oranj replied with a wry smile.
"The Empire didn't cause any trouble because they weren't interested in controlling the eastern region of the Kingdom, but with the Union, you never know what might happen. Of course, in the end, this eastern region will also be offered as a sacrifice for Garwin-sama's resurrection…"
Isolde said as she chuckled ominously.
Oranj glanced at her, shrugging his shoulders.
Vim Lowe nodded quietly in the corner of the room.
And Garwin nodded firmly and confidently.
They were Garwin, the 'Djinn sealed to the East', and his four generals.
The King's office in the royal castle.
"Indeed, as Count Frank de Verde mentioned, it aligns with the description of the 'Djinn's phantom troops' found in the legends."
The person who answered was Viscount Rashata Debue.
Incidentally, Frank de Verde was a count when he was in the Kingdom….
He has no family, including successors.
Therefore, the title of Count Verde is vacant after it was confirmed that Frank had left for the Union.
The territory is managed by the royal family.
"Phantom troops…"
The one who muttered that was Captain Dontan of the Royal Knights.
There was another Knight Captain present.
"I apologize for my ignorance, but what exactly are 'Phantom troops'?"
The one who asked was Knight Captain Imogen of the Valkyrie Knights.
But it's not that she's ignorant.
Abel and Dontan didn't know either.
And so they both said:
"I'm curious too."
"So am I."
"I'm sorry, I didn't explain well enough."
Rashata apologized instead.
And then, he began his explanation.
"Considering that the information comes from documents over nine hundred years old, please listen with a pinch of salt… There is a description that says, 'The Djinn commanded phantom troops'. After examining several documents, it seems that these are like ethereal bodies created by the Djinn."
"Ethereal bodies?"
Abel asked, though the other two knight captains also looked puzzled.
"You can think of it as the Djinn's mysterious power allows them to create soldiers. And soldiers that the Djinn imagines."
"What the…"
Abel was at a loss for words at Rashata's explanation.
"However, some documents mention a time limit of one day, it seems. There is certainly a time limit, but the duration varies, ranging from a maximum of five days to a minimum of twelve hours… I'm not really sure about the specifics."
"I see…"
Rashata explained, and Imogen nodded and murmured.
"If there's a time limit, it would be difficult to assign these 'phantom troops' to tasks like guarding the castle."
Dontan remarked.
Perhaps they were already envisioning battles against the Djinn in their minds.
"That's right. However, it is also said that the Djinn also commanded 'physical troops'."
"Now it's physical troops… Ancient folks sure liked using complicated words…"
Abel grumbled.
"These are flesh-and-blood humans. However, they were said to be manipulated at the will of the Djinn and its generals, without their own will."
"Ah, now that you mention it, the Djinns have officers or generals, don't they?"
Dontan nodded several times as he confirmed.
"According to the documents, the Djinn sealed in the east had four generals. However, the details remain unclear."
Rashata said, shaking his head slightly.
If even he doesn't know, no one in the Central Countries would.
"Wouldn't the physical soldiers, being human, require water and provisions? Isn't it less practical compared to the phantom soldiers that can be summoned in and out?"
Abel asked what he genuinely felt.
As a king, one mustn't let either the people or the soldiers go hungry.
"It is as Your Majesty says. However, while the phantom soldiers have a time limit, the physical soldiers do not. Furthermore, although they are flesh and blood, they are said to be much stronger than ordinary soldiers. Apart from not being able to use magic, they are considered the strongest soldiers."
"Not being able to use magic is a relief, but being called the strongest soldiers…"
"That's unsettling…"
"Yeah…"
Abel, Dontan, and Imogen sighed again at Rashata's explanation.
"What do we know? Do we know if the Djinn has revived?"
In response to Abel's question, Dontan and Imogen both nodded vigorously.
What the three of them wanted to know was exactly that.
However…
"I don't know."
Rashata's answer was ruthless.
"The appearance of the 'Phantom Troops' indicates that the Djinn is quite awake. But if it were fully awakened… to be frank, it wouldn't end with just that."
Upon hearing Rashata's words, the other three swallowed hard.
"First of all, like the Southern Djinn, we don't know exactly where the body of the Eastern Djinn is sealed. At the time, those who sealed them had various intentions. There were even signs that they deliberately prevented the exact location from being known. We don't know what kind of seal it is, and we don't even know the location…"
Rashata himself shook his head slightly.
"Rashata, does it have… any weakness?"
Abel's question was to be expected.
But Rashata's answer was also to be expected.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. There doesn't seem to be anything in the legends that could serve as an answer…"
"…I see."
Abel sighed softly and murmured.
"Confrontation with the Djinn… that's heavy…"
-x-X-x-
Near the eastern border of the Kingdom.
Belonging to the Gecko Trading Company's main branch in Rune, the Third Caravan, assigned to the eastern border, consisted of three freight carriages moving along.
"Finally, we can return to Rune…"
"Haha… It must have been hard on you, Chloe."
In response to the murmurs of Chloe, the leader of the escort team, caravan head Evans chuckled.
Chloe knew.
Evans may speak kindly, but deep down, he didn't truly think that way.
Evans is a merchant.
He's become a man almost entirely driven by instinct to maximize profits by pushing the limits.
Of course, he's willing to put himself in danger for the sake of his comrades and subordinates in the company, but at the same time, he loves making profits.
So she can't afford to let her guard down.
"Still… it doesn't feel right to be traveling like this with a virtually empty cargo."
(See, I knew it! )
Chloe muttered to herself in response to Evans' words.
Indeed, traveling with mostly empty freight carriages was an uncommon occurrence.
Moving with no cargo was not advantageous for the caravan.
After all, it meant there would be nothing to sell upon arrival at their destination.
But this time, they had no choice.
"It can't be helped, Evans. There was nothing available for purchase in Hafrena City. In their current state… even our supplies were barely sufficient for them."
"That's true. Since the city was accommodating so many refugees… Thanks to that, the government bought up all the food we brought at a high price."
The sales amounted to a considerable sum.
Leaving everyone in the caravan with satisfied faces.
Upon returning to Rune, they were sure to receive a physical special allowance.
"Besides, who would have thought that the Kingdom Knights would be present. Hafrena is the central city of Viscount Hafrena's territory, and it's quite well-defended compared to the surrounding cities. With the large number of refugees it accommodated… it makes me wonder if it was designated as a defense point."
"That's possible. There were even a couple of company commanders among them. Wonder if it's going to turn into a battlefield…"
Chloe pointed out, and Evans responded, recalling the details.
By the way, the personnel composition of the Third Caravan consisted of six company members, nine guards, and three freight carriages.
With two company members and three guards per carriage, the ratio of guards was quite high.
This was because they often traversed areas with poor security along the eastern border.
Making it the basic personnel configuration for the Gecko Trading Company's caravans in the eastern border area.
"Still, it surprised me that the First Caravan had already delivered goods to Hafrena city. I wonder where they got their information from…"
"Well, that's because Zieg-san leads the First Caravan. He's always ahead of the game when it comes to gathering information around the eastern border."
Chloe nodded repeatedly at Evans' response.
"Nevertheless, the eastern border feels quite ominous, doesn't it? Not as much as beyond the border, but… Half of the refugees in Hafrena are said to have fled from the Union territory. Moreover, it's the first time we've received orders to return to the main headquarters in Rune…"
The Gecko Trading Company's main headquarters in Rune had been urging the caravans traversing the eastern border area to return to Rune as soon as possible.
They even used hawks for communication.
Because of this, Evans decided to depart with empty carriages.
If there hadn't been orders to return, he might have tried to arrange cargo by any means possible….
In that regard, Chloe was relieved.
While Caravan Head Evans was certainly competent in many respects, he was by no means omnipotent.
"The First Caravan left before us, didn't it? They were quite ahead of us."
"Yeah, they did. About four or five hours earlier, I think? They left with the patrol team scouting the surroundings."
"If they went out with the patrol team, they're less likely to be attacked. They're quite shrewd, aren't they?"
Chloe expressed admiration from the perspective of the guard captain.
Evans chuckled as he responded.
"Well, I suppose that's true… Besides, with someone like Luce in the first caravan, not even ordinary bandits would dare to touch them."
"True… both Luce and you, Evans, are a bit too strong."
"Strong, huh…"
Evans sighed heavily in response to Chloe's assertion.
About thirty minutes after the Third Caravan left Hafrena city…
A man riding a horse hurriedly approached from the front.
It seemed that he didn't have business with the Third Caravan, so they passed each other.
However, even as they passed, the man on horseback glanced at the flag carried by the Third Caravan.
A city illuminated by moonlight… the Gecko Trading Company's flag.
After passing each other, the man on horseback turned his horse around and returned.
"Something wrong?"
"He was staring at the company's flag the whole time."
Chloe asked, and Evans answered.
The man on horseback, looking agitated, said from atop his horse.
"I'm from the patrol team. Members of the Gecko Trading Company, just like you, are fighting up ahead!"
With just those words, he turned his horse around again and galloped towards Hafrena city.
"Evans!"
"Yeah. All escort members, get on the carriages. Head to the rescue at full speed!"
The entire Third Caravan, with everyone on the carriages, raced forward at full speed.
To save their comrades!
"Evans, look!"
Chloe, the leader of the escort, pointed to Evans, who was driving the lead wagon.
In the area she indicated, all three carriages were already broken, and over twenty people had fallen.
"Engaged in combat? Why!?"
Evans couldn't help but exclaim.
Currently fighting were six individuals.
Five men wearing red light armor, resembling knights against…
"Zieg-san!"
Evans shouted again.
The only one fighting was Zieg, the head of the First Caravan.
But in the next moment.
Zieg was blown away.
"Shit.
Finally within range of Evans' magic, he cast.
Ice walls surrounded the five knights in red armor from all sides and above.
It wasn't a spell meant to defeat them but to hinder their movements and rescue allies.
As the three carriages of the Third Caravan arrived, Evans, Chloe, and all the caravan and escort members disembarked with potions in hand.
Then they rushed to the fallen.
Evans ran first to a young boy of about fifteen.
"Luce!"
It seemed Luce had been stabbed in the abdomen with a sword.
And the wound was quite deep.
"Eva… a member of the patrol team… rushed out… couldn't create Ice Wall…"
"It's okay, don't talk!"
Interrupting Luce, Evans poured half of the potion directly onto the wound on his abdomen.
Then he brought it to Luce's mouth.
"It's a potion, drink it."
Following Evans' instructions, Luce obediently took small sips.
As he drank, the wound on his stomach seemed to glow slightly, indicating that it was healing.
As he continued to drink, his breathing began to stabilize.
He's probably going to be okay!
At this moment, Evans finally felt relieved.
Due to losing quite a bit of blood, Luce would likely find it difficult to move, but his life had been saved.
Looking around, potions were being distributed.
The Gecko Trading Company's caravans kept a considerable amount of potions in stock.
They knew that just one potion could save a person's life.
And this time, it seemed to have saved quite a few lives.
"Fifteen members of the First Caravan, and five patrol members, we managed to make it in time."
Upon hearing the report from Chloe, Evans nodded vigorously.
The rush with the carriages had paid off.
"But those knights in red armor…"
The five knights enclosed within the ice wall.
They were trying to break the
"I wonder what they are, really? Are they even human? They seem to lack expression or emotional fluctuation…"
Evans muttered.
Hearing that, Chloe also nodded.
While trying to break the
'Expressionless' was the perfect word to describe them.
However, the strength behind their sword swings against the ice wall, and the sharpness of their thrusts were quite something.
"It's only a matter of time before it breaks…"
Evans could tell because he had cast the
At this rate, it would likely be broken in less than two minutes.
And the situation was beginning to change.
"Boss! Something's approaching up ahead!"
A caravan member pointed in the direction of the north and shouted.
Indeed, there was rising sand smoke, indicating something was approaching.
Whatever it was, it wasn't an enemy they wanted to fight.
They had rescued their comrades.
And even helped those who weren't their comrades.
Since their objective was achieved, they had to retreat.
The problem was where to retreat to…
Anywhere other than Hafrena city was too far.
"There's no choice. Everyone, get on the carriages. We're heading back to Hafrena city!"
Thus, the Third Caravan of the Gecko Trading Company's Rune Headquarters retreated after saving the First Caravan and the patrol members of Hafrena.
Back to the city of Hafrena that they had come from moments ago.
"Evans-dono, I am grateful for your aid in saving our patrolmen."
Bowing her head was Viscountess Mirabel Power of Hafrena.
Having just come of age this year at eighteen.
She had dull blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and a face that exuded both seriousness and intelligence.
Due to the turmoil from the Eastern Unrest three years ago to the Kingdom Liberation War, many noble families in the eastern part of the Kingdom were extinguished.
The House of Viscount Hafrena was no exception. All direct descendants were gone, and the territory was on the verge of being confiscated by the royal family.
But then a young girl stepped forward.
Mirabel, who had served as a priestess in the temple of Hafrena city.
Revealed herself as the illegitimate child of the previous Viscount of Hafrena.
Proof of her status, sealed in a letter and entrusted to the temple for emergencies, along with the testimony of the temple's high priest, were presented to the royal family.
Since the royal family was also troubled by the extent of the extinction of eastern nobility, this petition was promptly processed, and Mirabel was reinstated with the surname 'Power' and officially appointed as Viscountess Hafrena.
That was two and a half years ago.
Since then, Mirabel had devoted herself entirely to the reconstruction of the territory centered around the city of Hafreina.
Having spent her childhood in the temple, she was inexperienced in governance.
Therefore, she gathered talented individuals.
Through the temple's mediation, she succeeded in securing talents from the south and west.
As a result, the Viscountcy of Hafrena was able to develop at a considerable pace, even among the reconstruction areas in the east.
Currently, it is recognized as one of the central areas in the vicinity, even by the royal castle.
Thanks to that, even the Royal Knights had been dispatched this time, albeit only two companies of 100 men.
That same Viscountess Hafrena herself bowed to Evans, a mere merchant.
"No, my lady. Please, raise your head. It was only natural for us to come to their aid since our comrades were also involved this time."
Evans hastily replied.
As a merchant who travels near the eastern border, Evans is aware of the circumstances surrounding Viscountess Hafrena's ascent to nobility and understands that it's the result of her upbringing, having interacted with people from all walks of life since childhood at the temple.
However, even with that understanding.
The difference in status between a commoner like Evans and a noble like Mirabel is significant.
It's only natural for him to feel flustered when a noble lowers their head to him in public.
In this flustered state, help arrives.
The two company commanders from the Royal Knights stationed in Hafrena city.
"Viscountess, everything is ready. Isn't that Evans-dono from the Gecko Trading Company? Didn't he leave just a moment ago?"
"Zack, they saved the patrol team. Didn't you hear the report?"
Zack, a man addressed as such, expressed doubt upon Evans' return, but another company commander explained.
"Yes, Commander Cooler, Commander Cobook, we are back again."
Evans replied to the two Company Commanders of the Royal Knights.
They were Zack Cooler and Scotty Cobook, who also belonged to the 'Second Sons Union'.
-x-X-x-
"Hey, Scotty. Those patrol guys, they didn't get hurt, right?"
"Yeah. Looks like they were saved just in time by Evans and his crew. Both the patrol team and the First Caravan seem to have no casualties… but they've lost a lot of blood. Everyone's resting at the mansion. I heard Evans and the Third Caravan folks are helping with medical care."
Conversation between the company commanders of the Royal Knights.
Both Zack and Scotty are official company commanders.
Above them, are only a few battalion commanders and the knight captain…
It can be said that they are in a high position even among the Royal Knights.
In the current Royal Knights, company commanders command fifty knights each.
Since knights usually have squires, they effectively lead fifty knights and fifty squires.
Here in Hafrena, there are two companies of the Royal Knights stationed.
Excluding large cities like Redpost, this can be considered the most well-defended area along the eastern border.
Conversely, if they can't win with this, then it's hopeless…
At such a time.
"Commander! There's a signal fire coming from the north!"
Upon hearing the voice, the two hurried to the city wall and looked north.
"Is that… around Buso Village?"
"Probably. Looks like they're attacking villages without walls."
These past few days, villages without walls and traveling caravans have been under attack.
"Alright, let's go. Zack, I'll leave the place to you."
"Scotty, are you really going? It's almost night…"
Zack was a bit hesitant over Scotty's words.
"Well, that's what we agreed on. We take turns going out. And it's our turn this time."
Scotty said with a wry smile.
He too was responsible for his subordinates.
And didn't want to needlessly endanger his subordinates… even if it was the duty of the knights.
However…
"The revival of the Royal Knights… we have to demonstrate it through our actions. As His Majesty Abel said."
With those words, Scotty gathered his subordinates and set out from the city of Hafrena.
"Scotty-dono has departed, I see."
"Yes, my lady."
Viscountess of Hafrena, Mirabel Power spoke to Zack, who was watching Scotty's squad head north from atop the city walls.
(Despite her last name, Power, she's a beautiful woman…)
Zack thought.
But he quickly shook his head in his mind.
(No, my heart only belongs to Sera-san!)
The world is quite complicated…
"About fifty knights headed north."
"Hmm. So they've split up their forces. For a strategy I wasn't expecting much from, it's not bad."
Muttering upon receiving the report from his subordinate was Oranj, one of the four generals of the Djinn Garwin.
This place was deep within the forest, with a distant view of the city of Hafrena.
A unit of 'physical soldiers' led by Oranj was lurking there.
Unlike the 'phantom soldiers' created by Garwin, these 'physical soldiers' had clear physical forms.
In fact, they were humans.
However, they lacked individuality or will.
But there were exceptions.
It wasn't practical for a single general to gather information, give instructions, and direct the entire army.
Therefore, Garwin could create high-ranking physical soldiers among the 'physical soldiers'.
These high-ranking physical soldiers could serve as lieutenants or squad commanders.
Reporting to Oranj since earlier was Grüne, a lieutenant among the high-ranking physical soldiers who would later lead the unit on the frontline, and Blüne, who was slated to lead a squad as well.
Unlike other physical soldiers, Grüne and Blüne were hardly different from ordinary humans.
Grüne had green hair, while Blüne had blue.
Their appearances were those of young men in their mid-twenties, but they had not actually lived for over twenty years; they were essentially newborns, implanted with Garwin's knowledge…
Experience-wise, they were extremely questionable.
Oranj secretly thought.
"Alright, as planned, we'll launch a night raid. Prepare yourselves."
It was soon after dark.
"Uuh…"
An arrow pierced the throat of a Hafrena guard stationed in the watchtower.
At that moment, multiple grappling hooks latched onto the city walls.
Shortly after, figures started ascending via those hooks.
A head emerged cautiously from atop the city wall.
Swish.
An arrow pierced the exposed face, causing it to fall outside without a sound.
A man clad in red armor.
"Damn, they actually came. Hurry! Royal Knights, get up on the city walls and stop their intrusion! Archers and squires, shoot down anyone attempting to climb up!"
Zack shouted loudly.
The men in red armor.
Even in the tumultuous regions of the Union where they're active, attacking walled cities was unheard of… this understanding had spread widely, and indeed, there had never been an attack on a city within the Kingdom's borders…
Zack, however, had been considering the possibility.
The timing of the smoke signals from the direction of Buso Village was just too perfect.
Nevertheless, his level of preparedness was merely to err on the side of caution.
Hence, the watchtower was compromised…
He never expected a direct attempt to scale the walls so suddenly.
"Ugh… geez! I really hate defensive battles… Scotty should've stayed, and I should've gone to the village instead."
Zack muttered under his breath.
It was a voice soft enough that his subordinates wouldn't hear.
He was in a position to command fifty knights and oversee a hundred squires, after all.
As a commander, he realized there were words he shouldn't utter.
Thus, the curtain fell on the defense of Hafrena.
On the front lines, Blüne was issuing orders… but it was evident to everyone that the assault wasn't going smoothly.
Especially to General Oranj.
"Isolda said to let them gain experience, but is it really possible…? If we want them to gain experience, shouldn't we start with training? Certainly, real combat experience is the most valuable and can't compare to training, but… 'physical soldiers' can die just like normal people."
A surprisingly sensible comment from Oranj, whose appearance and demeanor made it hard to imagine such thoughts.
Nevertheless…
"I personally detest siege battles, so there's not much I can do."
Even the minions of Djinns had their strengths and weaknesses…
"Isolda said that the experiences Grüne and Blüne gain will become Garwin-sama's experiences, but I find that hard to believe… If that were the case until now… Garwin-sama would be a bit wiser…"
At that moment, Oranj glanced back diagonally.
There stood his deputy, Grüne.
His expression remained unchanged.
But…
"Grüne, don't mention what I just said to Garwin-sama."
It was a gag order!
"…"
Grüne said nothing.
Silent and expressionless.
"Grüne, are you listening?"
"…Understood."
Oranj spoke sternly, and Grüne bowed his head in response.
While harboring a slight unease… Oranj directed his gaze forward.
Around Oranj, there were only about twenty 'physical soldiers'.
All other 'physical soldiers', numbering over three hundred, were deployed for the siege.
The command of this was undertaken by Blüne, a high-ranking minion.
The followers of the Djinn Garwin can roughly be divided into three types.
Firstly, there are the top-ranking followers, the Four Generals like Oranj.
They always serve Garwin, transcending eras.
Simply put, the Four Generals also revive with Garwin's resurrection.
Next are the high-ranking followers like Grüne and Blüne.
These are newly created each time Garwin is resurrected.
As a result, memories are not inherited.
However, it seems that Garwin implants his own memories each time he creates them…
Lastly, there are the lesser entities.
Be it the 'physical troops' or 'phantom troops'… and even small creatures like the djinn bugs.
To be frank, they are disposable.
Even the 'physical troops', which require considerable effort to create, are disposable from Garwin's perspective.
All for the sake of Garwin's complete awakening.
By extinguishing the lives of many humans from the eastern region of the Kingdom to the western region of the Union, Garwin draws closer to complete awakening.
…Apparently.
In truth, Oranj didn't really understand it.
"Such a hassle."
With that single phrase, everything was summed up…
An hour had passed since the defense of Hafrena began.
The defense led by the Hafrena garrison and the Royal Knights showed no major flaws.
Considering that each individual is facing off against the powerful 'physical troops' of the Djinn, this could be considered quite an impressive feat.
Of course, there are reasons for that.
"Do not let them onto the walls! The moment they climb up, it's over!"
Zack Cooler, company commander of the Royal Knights, shouted.
On the walls, Royal Knights with spears lined up, pushed down the red-armored knights climbing the walls from above.
While they stand no chance in a fair one-on-one fight, they could manage somehow against the 'physical troops' climbing with both hands occupied!
Furthermore, from the watchtower, the Hafrena garrison were showering arrows and magic onto the red-armored soldiers who were trying to climb the walls or break through the gates.
The command of this was being conducted by Viscountess Mirabel Power of Hafrena herself.
The lord herself taking command of the defense.
That was inevitable.
Despite having arranged for the recruitment of talents for the revitalization of the territory through connections with the temple, personnel related to internal affairs inevitably took precedence.
If the territory doesn't become prosperous, it won't be able to sustain its defense, nor feed its army.
So, internal affairs come first.
It's just the order of things.
Yes, even for territories close to the borders.
Furthermore, there was a more realistic reason.
Within the temple's network, there's inevitably a shortage of personnel capable of commanding the military…
It couldn't be helped.
Due to various reasons like that, there was currently no one in Hafrena who could command the entire defense force…
Some can command patrols and squads, but that's about it.
Mirabel hoped that eventually, those individuals would gain experience, and among them, talented individuals would emerge.
Mirabel herself, after becoming the lord, received some basic military command training… so she was somewhat better off than others…
Well, perhaps it was because the Royal Knights were taking care of the frontlines that things were somehow holding up.
The defense hadn't collapsed and was proceeding smoothly.
"Ugh… such a hassle. It's a total disaster… but if too many casualties occur, Garwin-sama will definitely be angry… and Isolda will look at me with cold eyes… Yeah, it's probably best if I just handle it myself."
Oranj grumbled.
Of course, no one responded to his complaint.
Even his adjutant, Grüne, remained expressionless, facing towards the city of Hafrena without turning his head.
Oranj let out a deep sigh and spoke up.
"Hey, Grüne."
"Yes, Oranj-sama?"
"This is it for Blüne's training."
"…This is it?"
Seeming to not understand Oranj's words, Grüne asked for clarification.
"I'll go and open the gates myself."
"Oh, I see…"
Grüne nodded, apparently understanding Oranj's explanation.
There was no objection.
"You, too, lead this squad and join the siege. Let's just get this over with quickly."
"I understand."
-x-X-x-
At that moment, Zack Cooler being near the gates was purely coincidental.
It was quite fortunate that he managed to hear the muffled sound amidst the chaos of the battlefield when a magic incantation was interrupted.
Rushing to the source of the sound, facing the one responsible for it, whether it was lucky or not was a matter of perspective…
"It's the same with this guy, but have incantations become the trend among magician these days? Back in the day, incantations were only done during the use of grand magic…"
The huge man in front of Zack remarked.
Presumably, it was a question directed at Zack.
The sword he held in his right hand was bloodied… at the feet of the huge man who had come through were the fallen bodies of the defense force's magicians.
"You bastard… how did you get on this side of the wall?"
Anyone, not only Zack, could clearly tell that the huge man in front of him was an enemy, an attacker, and should have been outside the wall.
"Well, you know, if you're asking me, jumping over these walls is easy peasy."
The huge man replied with a smirk.
"So, I take it you're not just an ordinary soldier?"
Zack said, drawing his sword while keeping his guard up, of course.
"You're wearing some pretty fancy armor yourself. So you're not just an ordinary knight, you're a commander, right?"
Oranj, the huge man, said with a clear grin.
"I'm not going to answer that! If you really want to know, ask with your sword!"
With that, Zack swung his sword at Oranj.
Clang, clang, clang…
Oranj deftly parried all of Zack's attacks.
His defense with the large sword was like something out of a textbook.
Using every part of the sword from tip to hilt to parry with minimal sword movements.
A defense that made it clear to the opponent that, due to its faithfulness to the basics, it wasn't easy to break through.
For the past three years, Zack had devoted himself to the way of the sword.
As a result, he had become so strong in sword arts, that he ranked in the top five among the Royal Knights when it came to swords.
He had swung his sword relentlessly, defeating and being defeated.
That's why he understood.
(This guy is a monster…)
Of course, he was a Djinn's subordinate.
Moreover, he was probably a high-ranking one.
So, he was undoubtedly a monster… but it wasn't in that sense that Zack thought so.
In terms of sword technique, he was a monster.
It was because he had gained strength himself that he could understand.
The strength of the man in front of him, in terms of sword technique.
It was the same with everything.
Only when your knowledge, experience, and abilities improved could you understand…
The greatness of the person in front of you.
The skillfulness of the person in front of you.
…You could understand the vast difference between yourself and them.
(I can't win this…)
But just because he understood that he couldn't win didn't mean he could run away.
The fact that he had come alone to this gate area undoubtedly meant that opening the gate from within was his objective.
If Zack retreated now, the gate would be opened, and the city of Hafrena would fall…
If that's the case, then what he could do was…
"Someone! Please come!"
Zack shouted.
Yes, call for reinforcements.
"Hey hey… isn't a one-on-one duel the pride of a knight?"
"Beats me. That practice stopped being a thing a long time ago."
Oranj said with an exasperated tone, and Zack rather confidently affirmed.
Indeed, such chivalry had long since faded… in fact, Zack didn't even know if such a time had ever existed except in books.
"Well, never mind that. Even if you call for reinforcements, all it will do is increase the body count, don't you think?"
"…Even so, letting you open that gate will spell the end."
Zack had to answer despite momentarily being at a loss for words due to Oranj's accurate point.
It must be protected at all costs…
Scenes like that always emerged on the battlefield.
That's why the hearts of commanders grow more and more tumultuous.
They understood they were letting their comrades die, yet they had to give orders.
For the things they absolutely must defend, they must say, die for us.
"It's a damn cruel business."
Zack muttered nonetheless.
At least, the Royal Knights went into battle with that resolve.
To protect the citizens.
To protect the Kingdom.
Zack stood firm.
And continued swinging his sword.
No matter how many times he was blocked.
He would keep swinging.
No matter how many times he was blocked…
Clang.
"Ah…"
Zack involuntarily let out a sound.
Oranj dodged Zack's diagonal strike without taking it head-on.
Using footwork he hadn't shown until now.
Stepping forward with his left foot, Oranj slashed upward with his lowered sword.
His incredibly sharp sword flash tore through Zack's abdominal armor, running from his right side to his back.
Just one strike.
"Ughaa…"
Zack kneeled, unable to withstand the blow.
"For someone who's only picked up the sword for a few years, you're not bad, human."
Oranj said with a confident smile, looking down at Zack.
"Guess this is it… Sera-sa…"
"Off you go."
"
A young voice echoed on the battlefield.
Clang.
Oranj's sword was deflected by something invisible.
"Ohh…"
Eyes widened, he muttered involuntarily.
In the meantime, a young man ran from a distance and knelt beside the fallen Zack.
He took something out of his pocket.
"Commander Cooler! It's a potion, drink it!"
"Evans-dono… stay back, he's dangerous…"
Evans, the head of the merchant caravan, approached Zack with a potion.
Despite Zack's attempts to keep him away while gasping for air.
"It's okay. It's an ice wall made by my teacher. It won't break that easily!"
Saying so, Evans made Zack drink the potion.
"Hmm… so this is an ice wall. I thought it was a barrier, but… it's surprisingly transparent."
Orange remarked.
Impressed, he lightly tapped it with his fist.
"Water magic of this caliber. I've never seen anything like it even in past battles…"
Oranj muttered, recalling something.
Then, looking at Evans who had administered the potion, Oranj spoke.
"Water magician. Your attire doesn't look like that of a knight. A magician in a knight order? Not bad for a human of your age to wield such magic."
"I'm a merchant."
Evans stated firmly.
"Huh? A merchant? Seriously?"
Oranj replied with a bewildered expression.
Looking at Evans once again, Oranj noted.
"Indeed… now that you mention it, you're neither a knight nor a magician in robes… But still, such powerful magic? Among humans, you're quite advanced… right? Even in this Kingdom? And you're just a merchant…"
"I don't know who you are, but you seem quite ignorant. My magic is nothing compared to my teacher's"
Oranj expressed admiration, and Evans denied it.
"…Is that teacher of yours really that amazing?"
"Yeah, incredibly so. My magic is like child's play compared to his."
"O-Ohh…"
Evans stood proudly, his words imposing, and Oranj, for some reason, felt intimidated by his expression.
Perhaps this aspect of Evans was inherited from his 'teacher' who might have been a water-attribute magician….
"Phew… thought I was a goner. Evans-dono, I owe you one."
Zack said, standing up with his sword as support.
"Commander Cooler, I'll keep using
Evans said.
"That won't be possible, I'm afraid."
Oranj replied.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it's an impressive ice wall, but…"
Swoosh.
After a light sound… the
"Wha…"
"It's not unbreakable."
Evans was speechless.
Oranj smirked, lifting his sword onto his shoulder.
"Damn it… I couldn't even see the sword flash…"
Zack said regretfully.
Oranj's strike was lightning-fast.
"Well, getting healed is important. Yeah, it's damn important. I agree it should be done right away. However…"
Oranj paused for a moment, scratching his nose before continuing.
"While that's happening, I'll take the opportunity to open the city gate."
Zack readied the sword that was supporting his body again.
Running away wasn't an option.
Seeing Zack's determination, Evans made up his mind too.
"
A thin layer of ice armor covered Zack and Evans's bodies.
"I don't know how effective it'll be against that sword, but…"
"No, I appreciate it."
Zack nodded in response to Evans's whisper.
Then he continued speaking.
"Evans-dono, if I fall, keep casting that ice wall you just used to keep him away from the gates."
"Eh…"
Zack said that and then without waiting for Evans's answer, he leaped into Oranj's range.
His quickest strike yet.
…However.
Oranj sidestepped to the left using his footwork, and then struck Zack's right side again, where he had been injured before.
"Guhaa!"
However, Zack's abdomen wasn't cut this time, but his body was blown away.
"Your sword flash has dulled."
Oranj muttered and increased his speed toward the city gates.
"
"I told you that's futile."
With that remark, Oranj swung his sword at the ice wall….
Clink.
He swung, but… a loud sound echoed, indicating he couldn't cut through.
"What the hell?"
Oranj was clearly surprised.
This was perhaps the first time since appearing near the gate that he was genuinely astonished.
"
(
As Evans chanted further, two ice lances attacked Oranj from both sides.
Slash, slash.
The lightning-fast sword, almost unrecognizable as a greatsword, swept left and right, slicing through the ice lances in an instant.
However, that was a decoy.
The main attack was…
"From above!"
Sixteen ice lances attacked Oranj from directly above.
The area was filled with swirling sand and smoke, hindering visibility.
"…Did I get him?"
Evans muttered softly.
Surely, his 'teacher' would have said something like.
"Evans, that's a flag".
Even the movement of his body was invisible to Evans.
He didn't even recognize the five-layer ice wall crumbling in an instant.
Completely unconsciously, completely accidentally, his body moved…
Evading the furious strike.
From the enraged Djinn's follower, whose clothes were now tattered.
"Hey… a merchant dodging my sword? You gotta be fucking kidding me."
Oranj's earlier composure had vanished.
He exuded an aura of anger.
Evans dodging was purely coincidental.
For the past three and a half years, they had been practicing mock battles of Ice Wall and Icicle Lance exchanges among themselves…
But despite dodging, Evans fell on his backside and couldn't move anymore.
Oranj raised his sword.
"Rot in hell."
In fact, that too was a flag.
The water-attribute magician there wasn't alone.
"
A younger voice than Evans' resounded.
Younger, but with much more magic power than Evans.
Member of the First Caravan.
"Luce!"
He possessed a significant amount of magic power, but he had bled too much during the attack.
His complexion wasn't good.
How much longer could he fight…
"Hey, wait a minute… what's going on here?"
A voice filled with surprise, anger completely dissipated.
Of course, it was Oranj.
"There's another person who can use such magic? In this remote city? How's that possible…"
Oranj paused and looked at the pale-faced boy who had cast the new spell.
"And… please don't tell me he's another merchant or something. He looks like a kid at first glance."
Shaking his head repeatedly, Oranj spoke.
"Now, what should I do…"
While Oranj was pondering, the situation outside the city walls underwent a drastic change.
"Knights, charge!"
A sharp charge order was issued by a young woman.
Immediately, the knights launched a surprise attack on the men in red armor from behind.
Even Grüne, who was assigned to the rear guard, was not careless.
Blüne, who was commanding the vanguard, had not overlooked the possibility of reinforcements.
However, they had only anticipated reinforcements consisting of fifty Royal Knights heading towards Buso Village.
They believed they could handle a surprise attack of that scale adequately.
It wasn't arrogance but a fact that there was a significant power gap between the Djinn's 'physical soldiers' and human knights.
However, what attacked them was not fifty.
But three hundred knights.
"Breakthrough! Show the strength of the Silverdale Knights to the Djinns!"
A charge led by the future Duchess of Silverdale, Faith.
Their strength was among the top in the Kingdom.
In equal numbers, they could surpass even the Royal Knights.
Facing such a charge from the rear, even the formidable Djinn's 'physical soldiers' couldn't hold their ground.
After five charges, they were routed.
Thus, the defense of Hafrena came to an end.
Later, in a series of wars known as the Djinn War, this battle marked the first victory of humans against the Djinn's minions.