Four days have passed since Yuri took over as the Lord of Feel.
He was currently in the process of taking over from the provincial governor. Since no major problems had arisen, the important matters seemed to be related to the magic silver mines and the orcs of Mylight.
He thought it would be a good idea to organize a large-scale hunt, but since Yuri had just arrived, it might be better to wait until things settled down a bit.
However, such news reached Feel via Amagi Castle.
“I expected it, but I didn’t think they’d actually go that way.”
“The Order’s Guild is moving, but why us?”
The content was a request for reinforcements from Vagenbach.
It was a bridge city in Libertà, closest to the border with Retisencia.
The number of troops was unknown, but it seemed that the Retisencia army was approaching Vagenbach.
Emperor Reinhardt had immediately organized an Order and dispatched Rex as General Order.
“This is a report, so it’s not like they’re asking us to go to Vagenbach, are they? The number of Retisencia troops seems to be less than 500, so I don’t think the dispatched Order will suffer any casualties.”
“Although Mylight is in between, Feel is closest to Libertà. If, by any chance, it were to be used as an evacuation site… and I don’t think Retisencia has given up on Feel, so there’s a non-zero chance they might feint an attack on Vagenbach and launch a surprise attack on us.”
Ah, I see.
Indeed, as Yuri said, the dispatched Order is about 100 people, but with Rex, Rosemary, and Muse present, they could quickly annihilate a Retisencia army of about 500.
The existence of demons is a cause for concern, but since no reinforcements have been confirmed from Abaricia, there probably aren’t that many.
Furthermore, as Mana said, although Mylight Mountains are in between, Feel is the closest to Libertà in a straight line.
If there were flying mounts like Wyverns, Feel could be considered as an evacuation site, and the possibility of Retisencia launching a surprise attack cannot be denied.
That’s probably why they are informing Yuri about the advance of Retisencia and telling him to be prepared for any eventuality.
“So it seems we should not move from Feel.”
“That’s right. However, I heard that my brother and sister-in-law have also been dispatched, so it seems unlikely that we’ll be needed.”
“I imagine so.”
With three Ancient Orders and about half of them being High Orders, there shouldn’t be any problem with a few demons.
“That’s all well and good for Vagenbach, but is Polar alright?”
“It’s stated that there’s no change from before.”
Rika seemed to think that the invasion of Vagenbach was a diversion and that the main target was Polar, but there seemed to be no sign of any advance in that direction.
An army was gathered in the imperial capital Kobaldia, but the Guilds had withdrawn, and even the only remaining Trader’s Guild had scaled down its operations, making it impossible to gather supplies.
Despite this, the Imperial King had apparently pressured the Trader’s Guild, and recently the Trader’s Guild decided to withdraw as well, making it even harder to gather supplies.
Therefore, they believed that Vagenbach would be an easier target than Amister, and this was the prediction of Emperor Reinhardt and Tolman.
“They really like to shoot themselves in the foot, don’t they?”
“This is what happens when an idiot is king.”
I agreed with Athena and Ludia, but at this point, even the word “idiot king” felt too mild.
“How are the citizens not protesting?”
“Since Retisencia’s national character is to oppress the weak and fawn over the strong, they probably don’t even consider rebellion.”
“It seems there were some, but like the army, they couldn’t gather supplies, so they seem to have naturally disappeared.”
The Order’s Guild had dispatched an intelligence unit to the imperial capital of Retisencia, Kobaldia.
They seemed to be disguised as traders and their guards, but I don’t know how they infiltrated beyond that.
However, they were apparently obtaining information reliably and were regularly reporting on the movements of the Retisencia army.
According to the report from that Order, it was certain that 3,000 Retisencia troops were gathered in Kobaldia, but due to the hasty mobilization of a large army, there was a shortage of food, and heavy taxes were imposed on nobles.
Naturally, ordinary citizens were also subjected to tax increases, and many were unable to pay.
As a result, during the winter, there were constant deaths from starvation and freezing, not only in the slums but also in ordinary households, and the population of Kobaldia decreased by more than 10%.
Given this situation in the capital Kobaldia, other cities and villages seem to be even worse off.
Without support from Abaricia, it is not uncommon for villages in rural areas to have less than half of their original population.
Initially, the anger was directed at Amister, but since the imposition of heavy taxes, it has shifted to the Imperial Royal Family.
Some nobles, declaring the overthrow of the Imperial Royal Family, incited not only the army but also ordinary people, but they were unable to act due to financial difficulties caused by heavy taxes, shortages of supplies, and low morale due to hunger.
There are also some decent nobles in Retisencia who care about their people, and a small number of them have defected to Libertà with those who wished to do so.
“Retisencia is in chaos. Sending an army like this will only shorten the country’s lifespan.”
“They’re probably too foolish to understand that. Abaricia won’t provide any reinforcements, let alone support, so they’ll destroy themselves if left alone.”
That’s right.
While I can’t say I don’t feel anything about starvation and freezing deaths, it’s also true that the people of Retisencia had looked down on the Guilds, and had even looked down on other countries, so no country or Guild has come forward to offer support.
It’s entirely their own fault.
“Even so, attacking Vagenbach means they’re finally at their limit in terms of supplies.”
“It seems so. It’s reported that those who defected to Libertà used their personal fortunes to provide support, but Retisencia took advantage of it, and in the end, the defectors’ personal fortunes ran out, so they must be truly desperate.”
The report also stated that as soon as the support disappeared, the citizens of Retisencia began to curse the defectors.
What a truly outrageous country, to curse those who supported them with their own money when they themselves did nothing.
“Furthermore, it is reported that in northern Retisencia, anomalous species, seemingly evolved with Demon Crystals, have begun to rampage indiscriminately.”
“Anomalous species too? Since using Inn Magic becomes impossible when transforming into demons, is it because their familiar contracts were forcibly canceled?”
“That’s a possibility. Familiars evolved with Demon Crystals were originally controlled through familiar magic or summoning magic, and once the contract is canceled, there’s no reason for the monsters to obey.”
This is also entirely their own fault.
I’m curious why it’s only in northern Retisencia, but perhaps the use of Demon Crystals on monsters was conducted in secret in the north.
Did they think they wouldn’t be noticed? Since it’s far from Amister and Libertà.
And this is the result. They truly have no salvation.
“But how were anomalous species found to be increasing in the north?”
“My brother ordered an investigation of all of Retisencia. They went to the north for that purpose and discovered them there.”
“All those appointed to the Scout Order are level 50 or higher. They were also supplied with high-performance arms and armor made from materials from Jade Silver and P-rank monsters, so they were able to defeat up to P-I rank monsters without casualties.”
The Scout Order is an Order for scouts and intelligence, and only the King and the Grand Order’s Master know its full details.
Due to the difficulty of the missions, high-level individuals are appointed, and the equipment provided is top-of-the-line, but beyond that, even Mana and Yuri are unaware of it.
However, that Scout Order also went to investigate in northern Retisencia and defeated several anomalous species.
Many villages were already wiped out, and even towns protected by barriers suffered more than half of their residents as casualties.
“The north is almost wiped out, but the Emperor is completely ignoring the anomalous species. It’s a worse situation than Solemn.”
“I believe it should be annexed immediately, but with this much chaos, not only supplies but also a considerable number of personnel would have to be allocated. We have some leeway in terms of supplies, but personnel is tight.”
“Indeed. However, the increase in anomalous species and the shortage of supplies are entirely due to the Emperor’s mismanagement. It’s cold, but this is a matter that the Emperor should handle.”
Mana stated this coldly, and everyone except Mako seemed to agree.
I, like Mako, thought it might be good to offer some support, but they told me it would be meaningless because Retisencia would surely divert the relief supplies to attack Amister and Vagenbach.
Moreover, even if those supplies were given to the army, their fate would be to perish, so the effort and supplies for support would be completely wasted.
Therefore, although it may seem cold, support is meaningless.
Indeed, if relief supplies don’t reach those who truly need them, it’s meaningless, and prioritizing one’s own country remains the same regardless of the world.
“We are probably too soft.”
“It’s unthinkable on Earth, or rather, in Japan.”
“That’s because their education is so thorough, and their ethics and morals are so sound. I know that the guest lived in such a country, and successive kings of Amister have also set it as their goal.”
That’s amazing in itself.
Well, perhaps they could learn from us regarding ethics and morals, but there are also many things they shouldn’t try to emulate, such as weak diplomacy.
Since it will be the central nation of the Federation Heavenly Empire, perhaps there’s no need to worry about that.
“So, besides the anomalous species, how is Vagenbach doing?”
“The Libertà army in Vagenbach has already been incorporated into the Soldier’s Guild, and they are heading towards the border with Retisencia under the command of Rex and Delfina.”
So Delfina was mobilized too.
No, if the Libertà army stationed in Vagenbach has been incorporated into the Soldier’s Guild, it’s not strange for the Grand Soldier’s Master to come, but is Solemn alright?
“Delfina too? Is Solemn alright?”
“It seems to be alright for now. Hilde is also there, and reinforcements for the Soldier’s Guild are urgently needed, so I think it has something to do with that.”
“Ah, I see. Currently, the registered Soldiers, excluding those registered in Deseo, are only dispatched from the Order and Saber. However, the Libertà army is a front-line force, so it might be possible to dispatch them to Solemn if necessary.”
Is that the reason?
However, the Libertà army has also been significantly reduced, so it will likely be a handful for the newly established Grand Duchy and the Bridge Duchy alone.
But if even a few can be dispatched, it will also lead to reinforcements for the Soldiers dispatched to Deseo.
The commander of the bridge city garrison is also a High Class, and there are reports of them being appointed as Soldier’s Master, so there should be no confusion in the chain of command.
“However, the priority now is to protect Vagenbach from the Retisencia army. Yuri, the Libertà army in the bridge city has started registering with the Soldiers’ Guild, haven’t they?”
“Yes. Delfina has been visiting the bridge city every day. It seems she received the news of the Retisencia advance in Acquario.”
Acquario, a bridge city in the central-southern part of Libertà.
Its location is further south than Formalhaut, which was self-destructed at the first International Conference, and it’s a bridge city overlooking the Nadal Sea.
I recall hearing that it is also used as a safe beach because they created an artificial sandy beach below the bridge.
“Acquario. That’s also the gateway to Alegria, so it’s quite an important city.”
“Yes. However, it faces the Nadal Sea, so Solemn’s attacks were quite fierce.”
Bridge cities are cities built on giant bridges, but Acquario is slightly different.
It is located at the mouth of the Grande River, which flows through Libertà, and Acquario has a mid-river island of considerable size, on which the city center is built.
Of course, the bridges connecting to the island are also developed as part of the city, and it is the third largest city after the capital Estrella and Lichtenfels.
Therefore, the residents of Formalhaut and the two cities below it, which were decided to be abandoned, have moved to the Acquario Bridge Nation centered around Acquario.
By the way, while Estrella is a city built on a giant bridge, Lichtenfels, like Acquario, is a city that straddles a mid-river island.
“Even so, they seem to be accepting residents from abandoned bridge cities. Is reconstruction going well?”
“Yes. The damage Acquario sustained seems to be only to the western bridge.”
Acquario is a city with two bridges, east and west. The east side is densely packed with shops and workshops, while the west side has residences and the mansions of fireball councilors.
Solemn apparently focused its attacks on the west side to reduce Libertà’s military strength, so most of the buildings on the east side were not attacked, and the upscale residential areas and administrative districts on the island were completely unharmed.
When Solemn attacked, Isabella Acquario, the representative of Acquario and the one to be enthroned as Bridge Duke, was in the administrative district and narrowly escaped.
Nevertheless, the damage was significant, and many residents lost their lives, so the reconstruction of the west side is being prioritized.
“So that’s how it is.”
“Yes. In fact, all bridge cities facing the Nadal Sea, except for Acquario and Lichtenfels, are scheduled to be abandoned. Some of them even had their bridges destroyed.”
Bridge cities, as the name suggests, are cities built on bridges.
If the bridge is destroyed, the city not only loses its functionality but is also devastated.
In fact, I heard that the bridge city west of Acquario had its bridge destroyed by the attack of a Steam Battleship, and its representative lost his life.
Delfina was apparently visiting Acquario.
“It’s fast to use Traveling for messages, but I think it’s a bit much to use Ancient Class for it.”
“When the Communication Tools are completed, will they be distributed to the Ritter’s Guild?”
“We want to do so in the future, but it’s not possible yet. There are also issues with the magic stones and materials used, so there’s still a lot of improvement needed.”
The current Ancient Class, by adding magic that complements the weaknesses of my Multi Edge, can all learn the long-distance teleportation magic Traveling. Therefore, the Ancient Orders have been continuously visiting cities that will become the capital since the establishment of the Federation Heavenly Empire was decided.
Traveling is magic that opens a teleportation gate. Unlike Teleport, which is based on coordinates, the image of the destination point is important, so it’s possible to use it without problems even if you arrive at your destination using someone else’s Traveling.
However, it’s impossible without some level of imagination, so just imagining the Heavenly Tree or Treasured Tree won’t work.
Fortunately, cities and villages are recorded in the Sterring I submitted, so it’s possible to teleport by manipulating the operator and consuming magic power.
The Grand Hunter’s Master said he had become incredibly more relaxed.
However, Traveling is a magic that can only be used after evolving into an Ancient Class, so in urgent cases, Ancient Classes are mobilized for messengers.
Mana and Prim’s opinion is that they don’t want to use Ancient Classes for messengers if possible, especially during wartime when they are at the core.
I agree, but if that’s the case, the quickest solution is to use the Communication Tool I developed.
However, the Communication Tool is still a prototype, and the materials used are mainly from P-I rank monsters, so it is far from practical.
If only the rank could be lowered to materials from G-rank monsters.
“Regarding the Communication Tools, we can only leave it to Yamato, so all we can say is to do our best.”
“That’s enough.”
However, I can’t afford to complain.
My wives are also cheering me on, so I should do my best.
