The war has begun.
I’m surprised at myself for not being as shaken as I expected, as if it were someone else’s business.
“Instructor, about our next move.”
“Regarding that, I cannot move.”
“That’s…”
“Ah, the ones connected to them have rebelled at this timing. I must deal with them. And the Machine King, who was originally supposed to be in charge of defense, also cannot move. The Giant King is handling something they are familiar with, so the Tree King should fill that gap.”
I calmly tried to organize the situation while waiting for our forces to gather.
“So, that means there’s no reserve force?”
“That’s right. It takes too long to gather soldiers from each territory. No, recruiting soldiers from friendly territories now would weaken their defenses. That would be a bad move.”
“If the White Tower is an offensive from Isal, then the entire continent could become a battlefield.”
“That’s right.”
We formulated countermeasures through communication, but the significant reduction in deployable forces was a handicap.
“Jirou, it may be cruel to entrust you with such an important mission on your first sortie, but I want you to head to the Demon Lord’s Castle. I’ll leave the handling of the invading army to Raidou. With Lunaria and him together, there’s no need to worry about falling behind.”
“Understood. If we can free the Demon Lord, then there’s a good chance of turning the tide, right?”
“Indeed. I’m counting on you.”
So, I need to compensate for that.
“Human King, departure preparations are complete.”
As we were having that conversation, the captain informed me that departure preparations were complete.
“I understand. Instructor, I will now head to the Demon Lord’s Castle.”
“Indeed. I’ll head there once this is resolved. The Dragon King is ahead, so cooperate with him.”
“I understand.”
If that’s the case, I need to act quickly.
“Captain, set sail.”
“Understood.”
The monitor’s image cut out, and Tufaris’s engine output increased.
“After activating the teleportation gate, slow forward. Target: Demon Lord’s Castle!”
Under the captain’s orders, the crew moved to prepare for departure. The mooring ropes were released, and the ship gradually pulled away from the dock, its bow turning towards the large magic circle before us.
This magic circle is a special teleportation gate supplied with magic power from within the dungeon. It’s a large-scale teleportation gate possessed by the general, capable of traveling to the Magician Continent.
Tufaris slowly advanced towards the brilliantly shining magic circle. Beyond this teleportation magic circle lies the Magician Continent. We need to resolve the anomaly occurring there.
This is quite a big task for my first job.
The scene visible from the bridge began to change gradually.
“…”
The voyage is proceeding smoothly. In that case, I should summarize the current situation before we arrive.
There’s one thing that’s been bothering me.
How could the other party place the White Tower precisely at the location of the Demon Lord’s Castle?
The Demon Lord’s Castle is in the capital. Naturally, it functions as a city, and it’s not something that enemies can easily invade. The castle walls are equipped not only with physical defenses but also with magical defenses. Measures are also in place to prevent the Demon Lord’s Castle from being attacked by teleportation magic.
To attack that city, one would naturally have to confront it physically from the front. However, in reality, the Demon Lord’s Army’s leadership was taken down right at the start. If that can be done head-on, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than a god being capable of it, but the continent also has a guardian, the Moon God. It’s unlikely they would be allowed to do as they pleased so easily.
Then, the only possibility is…
“Is there a traitor in the Demon Lord’s Army?”
I can’t say it’s impossible, but the number of people capable of carrying out such a large-scale deception and tampering is limited.
“…”
It’s a disturbing thought, but for a moment, I considered if someone within the Demon Lord’s Army’s upper echelons, perhaps among the generals, had colluded. I shook my head to silently dismiss it, but once a disturbing thought takes hold, it’s not easily dislodged from one’s mind.
Emerging from the teleportation circle, Tufaris flew through the air above the Magician Continent, illuminated by moonlight, gradually increasing its speed, but the destination was very easy to spot.
“It’s bigger than I imagined.”
Six white towers unfolded in a circle around the Demon Lord’s Castle. Pure white towers emitting a brilliant white light. Towers untouched by defilement.
Perhaps it’s only visible to Tufaris, flying in the sky, but at least from above, their size is readily apparent.
“Human King, there’s a magic power reaction in the eleven o’clock direction. That’s…”
“It’s the Dragon King. He seems quite agitated. Maintain course and remain vigilant of the tower ahead and the Dragon King’s movements.’
“Understood.”
And then, the sight of a dragon fiercely attacking the tower. The White Tower was withstanding the colleague’s intense attack head-on. If the intention is to seal the President, then it’s unlikely to be constructed fragile enough to collapse easily from external forces.
“Captain, under the cover of this, let’s analyze the White Tower. We might be able to detect changes from the Dragon King’s attack. Until the enemy attacks, we’ll observe for now.”
It would be acceptable to utilize the Dragon King’s actions to understand the reason for its sturdiness.
“Is that all right?”
“Even if we join the attack, I doubt it would break. Besides, if we get too close, we might be attacked. More importantly…”
And.
“Even though the Demon Lord’s Castle is sealed, there’s no sign of them trying to occupy the city. the lack of combat is concerning.”
More concerning is the eerie absence of enemy presence in the city itself.
“Captain, any damage to the civilians?”
“So far, none. They seem to be in disarray due to the Demon Lord’s Castle being suddenly covered by a barrier, but the soldiers are keeping the citizens together.”
Despite achieving such a major victory, the enemy is doing nothing. No, is their inaction part of the strategy?
“…”
This might not be the time for observation and information gathering.
“Captain, while informing them of this information, please contact any friendly forces within communication range. I want to know what changes are occurring where.”
“Understood.”
A premonition, a quiet chill running down my spine. It felt like my movements were being manipulated by the opponent.
As I listened to the captain giving orders to his subordinates, I used my magic.
“Come, Valse.”
“Yes, I’ve been summoned~”
In times like these, we should call upon a professional in barriers. I want to borrow the wisdom of a high-ranking spirit.
“Apologies for calling you so soon, but do you recognize that?”
My tone might have been a bit blunt, but please forgive me.
“Oh my, you look quite stern. Well, seeing that, it’s no surprise.”
“As expected, is this related to a god?”
Valse-san, seemingly unconcerned by my attitude, looked in the direction I pointed and exclaimed “Oh dear,” as if she had seen something unpleasant, placing her hand on her forehead in disgust.
“Yes, that’s the Tower of God. It should rightfully be in the Divine Realm. Are they thinking about the world’s balance by bringing something like that out?”
“Is it dangerous?”
“Quite. This continent is currently maintained in a delicate balance by that perverted god, but that could disrupt it.”
“What’s happening?”
“Imagine a hole opened in the world, and it will be easier to understand.”
If it’s a divine artifact, it makes sense that it can withstand the Dragon King’s attack. However, Valse-san says the problem isn’t there.
I peered intently at the White Tower through the bridge’s window.
“It’s not growing directly from the ground; it’s piercing a hole into an otherworld space and growing from there. By fixing it like that, the spatial balance around that area has become strange. If left unchecked, a grand dimensional rift will open there, and the world’s collapse will begin!”
“That’s bad, isn’t it?”
“I’ve been saying that since a while ago.”
The fact that the White Tower’s actions are leading to automatic world collapse sent a chill down my spine.
“Is the fact that the enemy isn’t appearing related to that?”
And is the reason they aren’t deploying soldiers near this world-collapsing device to avoid getting their forces involved in the collapse?
“That’s not it. The tower itself is incredibly tough and only serves to connect dimensions. It can create barriers like that, but it’s truly just a passageway. However, it’s strange. It’s not even registering on my detection.”
“In other words, is that tower uninhabited?”
“I think so. Rather, if it’s being used in this way, the main force is likely somewhere else.”
That makes sense, but I can’t feel relieved.
“Are there any methods to destroy it?”
“If you and I cooperate, we might be able to take down one. Destroying all of them would… hmm, it would take time.”
“Specifically?”
“To destroy one, you would need to exert your full power to the point of collapse. After that, you would need to rest and recover, so I can’t give you a precise time. It depends on your recovery ability.”
So, I need to completely drain my magic, not just squeeze it out.
“They’re bringing out such troublesome things.”
“That just means they are considering the person inside extremely dangerous, doesn’t it? Rather, I sense a desperation to win, even if it means destroying this world.”
The person who conceived this must be an extraordinary individual. Not many people would possess the idea of winning by destroying the world outright.
“Did the Sun God make such a decision?”
“Hmm, it’s possible, knowing him, but I also have a feeling it’s not him.”
If the Sun God were to fully engage in this war, the strategy would change drastically. We might not be able to find a path to victory without using gods ourselves.
“Do we not have enough information to determine that?”
“Indeed. However, I can say this much: bringing this out means they are extremely serious.”
Is it possible to hold back in a war? Isn’t the reason for starting a war that one desperately wants to win?
“It would be easier if they were underestimating us.”
“Wars aren’t won easily.”
“That’s true.”
As I braced myself before their seriousness and pondered what to do—
“Dragon King is approaching us!!”
The observer reported loudly. And then, the Dragon King appeared directly in front of the bridge.
“Hey! Human King, what are you leisurely watching for!!”
The thought of receiving my first-ever complaint from a dragon flashed through my mind, indicating I still had some composure left.
“I was merely gathering information about that object. I’m not slacking off.”
“Did you find something out?”
“All we know so far is that it’s a possession of the Sun God, and theoretically, destruction is possible.”
However, the Dragon King, who came to deliver that complaint, retracted his anger upon hearing my words and eagerly sought more information. There’s no particular need to hide anything. I honestly conveyed what I knew.
“Tch. I suspected as much from this unpleasant feeling. Damn it.”
His displeasure seemed to increase upon hearing it was a divine artifact.
“Hey, Human King, can that method of destruction be performed immediately?”
“It can be, but I can only destroy one, and if I do, I won’t be able to act for a while.”
However, he inquired about the method, seeing a glimmer of hope.
“…Then, destroy that one. I’ll widen the gap. Then, the Demon Lord inside will somehow manage.”
And surprisingly, the Dragon King requested cooperation.
Today’s word: Cooperation is possible if there is a common goal.
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Currently, I am serializing another work: Pandora Pandemic Panic ~ Pandora’s Box Was Opened Again, But We Are Fighting Back With Various Things at Our Secret Base!! Please check that out as well!!
