Chapter 222. Giant Caterpillar

After the alliance with the Demon Race, the kingdoms neighboring the Heinkel Kingdom concentrated their armies along the borders to isolate and blockade it.

They advanced slowly, forming a siege line, and by now, they had completely surrounded the capital of the Heinkel Kingdom.

The largest force among them was, unsurprisingly, the Arken Empire.

Three legions had been mobilized for this operation, and mercenary companies hoping to make a profit had joined them as well.

As a result, a total force of 100,000 men had gathered—a number large enough that even the total mobilization of an ordinary kingdom's military would not have been enough to match it.

With such a massive force assembled, their forward base was equally extraordinary.

The barracks built for temporary use had been constructed from sturdy wood and bricks. They had even dug wells and built roads, making the place suitable for use as a village even after the war.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Empire had invested in this place as though it had come with the sole intention of claiming the land for itself.

"King Hudret proposed an alliance?"

Ureas was seated inside the command post, while the commanders continued reporting through the markers placed across the map.

"Yes. He has already formed an allied force with the surrounding nations and is requesting that the Empire join the alliance as well."

"He proposed that since this is not a war between humans, but a war between humans and the Demon Race, it will be difficult unless we unite and commit all our strength. He suggested putting our individual interests aside and focusing solely on the war."

Ureas snorted.

"Hah! It's an obvious ploy. After shamelessly devouring the Duchy of Yurei, he wants us to put our interests aside? Isn't that just another way of saying he intends to take the capital as well?"

"He probably does have such intentions."

"How many of those cowards have gathered under this so-called alliance?"

"Their pure military strength is 50,000."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes. Our scouts personally counted them all."

The Empire itself had an enormous force of 100,000 men, but only 40,000 were actually combat troops, meaning they were far fewer than the allied army.

"There are only three neighboring kingdoms, aren't there? They wouldn't possibly commit to an all-out war just to beat a single member of the Demon Race. How did they come up with that number?"

"They're not going to sit idly by either."

An incongruous female voice rang out inside the command post, which was thick with the smells of sweat and tobacco.

Princess Olivia Arken was also participating in the meeting.

She had shed her splendid dress and jewelry and was now wearing armor.

Her current position was the head of the relief corps of the Alte Religion.

She was responsible for caring for the wounded and handling supplies in the rear.

"This war has a clear cause, after all. And they also want to use this opportunity to prevent another enemy from taking advantage of the situation."

"By 'another enemy,' do you mean us?"

"Yes. That's right. They think we're like gluttonous monsters that indiscriminately devour everything in our path."

"That's hardly surprising."

Ureas had indeed intended to do exactly that.

By condemning the weakness of the Heinkel Kingdom for joining hands with the Demon Race and achieving a great victory, he planned to seize most of the resources in the capital.

And was that all?

He also intended to interfere in the internal affairs of the surrounding nations, claiming there was no guarantee that they would not ally themselves with the Demon Race as well.

Nothing could have been better for Ureas to gain support in his homeland while establishing himself through military achievements.

"What do you think, sister? How should we get out of this situation?"

"I think it would be best to join the allied army and establish a united front. If we do that, wouldn't the surrounding nations' suspicions die down to some extent?"

"Hmm..."

Ureas stared silently at the map and ran a simulation in his head.

When he imagined twelve nations participating in the war and dividing the spoils among themselves, the resources they would gain were already insufficient to justify the cost.

Ureas hated suffering losses more than anything.

Isn't there a better way?

It was then.

"General."

A sentry who had been stationed outside came in to report.

"Count Rooster has arrived and is waiting."

"Send him in."

A moment later, a huge, well-built man entered the room and bowed.

"I greet His Highness the Second Prince and Her Highness the Princess. I am Count Oldin Rooster. By order of Grand Duke Golt, I have joined the front lines with the 11th Legion."

"Thank you for coming, Lord Rooster. I was just in a bit of a difficult situation myself, so perhaps we can come to an understanding."

The Veteran Hero, Oldin Rooster.

A man who had earned Valdemar's trust by proving himself through sheer loyalty and imposing presence.

Ureas liked him because he believed they had something in common.

Olivia also greeted him.

"Welcome, Lord Rooster. Is Grand Duke Golt not participating in the war?"

"His Grace is advanced in age, so he will not be participating in this battle. I have come in his stead."

"Is that so? The last time I saw him, he seemed to be in good health. But I suppose it must be difficult for him now that he has grown older."

Count Rooster stared directly at Olivia before speaking.

"His Grace is very concerned about Your Highness."

"About me?"

"He believes it is inappropriate for a woman to be on a battlefield like this."

A flower in a greenhouse should remain in a greenhouse.

His intentions were painfully obvious.

Olivia smiled as she replied.

"Being born into a noble family means having obligations worthy of that birth. As someone who has inherited the Golden Blood, when the peace and security of the continent are at stake, would it truly be the behavior of someone who serves a greater cause to simply sit back and wait while taking care of myself?"

"You have no need to concern yourself with such trivial matters as a princess."

"At the same time, I am also a trainee saintess of the Alte Religion. How could caring for the soldiers who risk their lives and supporting them from behind be considered trivial?"

Olivia added another remark.

"Grand Duke Golt is known for caring deeply about his soldiers, yet he himself has not come to the battlefield. It makes me wonder what sort of greater cause he has in mind."

"His Grace is not in good health, Princess Olivia. Please be careful with your words."

"Don't you dare lower your voice at my sister."

Ureas stepped in front of Rooster.

No matter how much he liked the man, he could not stand by and watch someone pick a fight with his younger sister.

"How dare a lowborn bastard bare his fangs at the Imperial Family, who are as exalted as the heavens? What an arrogant bastard."

"...."

"I don't like the look in your eyes. Are you planning to commit treason?"

"I am a man loyal to the Empire."

"If you're loyal to the Empire, shouldn't you show even greater loyalty to the Emperor?"

There was not a trace of respect in Count Rooster's eyes.

He mechanically bowed his head before answering.

"Prince Ureas, you are nothing more than a prince. The position you currently occupy is merely that of the Emperor's representative. It does not make you the Emperor."

"How dare you..."

"Let's stop."

Olivia intervened in the tense atmosphere that was on the verge of exploding.

"It feels as though the Demon Race has already begun plotting against us. We're fighting among ourselves first, after all... We were all emotional, so let's put this matter behind us. Would that be acceptable, Lord Rooster?"

"I apologize for the discourtesy. I will submit our army's plans in writing, so please take them into consideration."

In effect, he was saying that they would not be joining Ureas's army.

Count Rooster withdrew, while Ureas's face turned bright red as he glared at the spot where the man had disappeared, huffing angrily.

If Olivia had not been there, things undoubtedly would have turned into a full-blown confrontation.

As expected, he's not an easy man to deal with.

If Olivia were asked to name the five talents she coveted the most, Count Rooster would undoubtedly be among them.

He had survived countless battlefields where the survival rate approached zero and had earned the title of Veteran Hero. He possessed every quality of a true general, lacking nothing in strategy, tactics, or personal martial prowess.

But above all, what Olivia valued most was his loyalty to Valdemar.

It was never easy to possess both exceptional ability and profound loyalty.

If only I knew where that loyalty came from.

Olivia lightly tapped her lips.

I want him.

There was nothing she could do about it, so she could only swallow her regret.

Still not having cooled down, Ureas suddenly shouted.

"When will the Far East arrive, as promised? Why are they taking so long?!"

"We did receive word that they would arrive soon, but... I'm not sure how that could be possible for an army that departed a week ago..."

"A week ago? Is this really a distance that can be covered in a week?"

Even the Empire's army, which had come from the nearby Empire, had taken more than two weeks to arrive.

Ureas could no longer suppress his simmering anger.

"It looks like that Ferda is planning to screw us over, but I'll show him just how much he'll regret it."

Olivia sighed inwardly.

I'm going to have to waste my emotions calming this idiot down again.

At that moment, a sentry entered the command tent once more and reported.

"Attention! A strange creature believed to belong to the forces of the Grand Duchy of Valdrova is approaching."

"What do you mean?"

Ureas frowned and glared at his adjutant, while the sentry hurriedly explained again.

"Well, something with the flag of the Grand Duchy of Valdrova planted on it is approaching us. It looks like a gigantic caterpillar, and there are more than thirty of them."

"A caterpillar?"

"Could it be that the Grand Duchy has also joined hands with the Demon Race...?"

"No, it's nothing like that! There doesn't seem to be any connection with the Demon Race. They just appear to be bringing along some extremely unusual creatures...!"

The adjutant was rambling as though he had seen some kind of monster.

Olivia stood up, looking frustrated.

"Rather than sitting here worrying ourselves sick, why don't we simply go see it with our own eyes?"

Olivia's steps were surprisingly light as she went out to see it for herself.

With every step she took, the heavy atmosphere seemed to lighten, as though she could finally breathe freely again.

And then she understood why the adjutant had called it a gigantic caterpillar.

Its long body and the contours created by the tents made it very easy to mistake it for one.

"What in the world is that?"

The commanders stared at the object with a mixture of fear and awe.

At first glance, its structure resembled that of a wagon.

Yet there were no horses at the front, and it was moving smoothly on its own.

To move something of that size, mana would have been the most logical answer. But even that raised the question of whether something so unnecessarily enormous could actually move.

"It's a mana-powered automobile."

Olivia answered.

"A mana-powered automobile?"

"Yes. I once heard that they were developing mobile equipment using Mana Stones. I heard Escolleia was working on it, but I never imagined they would have already made something this advanced."

A light began to shine in Olivia's eyes.

What she saw was a carriage traveling between the enormous mana-powered automobiles.

The carriage came to a stop in front of Olivia and Ureas, and a man appeared from inside.

Gray hair and blue eyes.

A man with a cold expression that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Despite his young age, there was a sense of experience about him that no one could afford to dismiss.

Ferda Valdrova.

He stepped down from the carriage and politely greeted them.

"I greet His Highness Prince Ureas."

"You arrived early. I heard you departed a week ago."

"I apologize for the delay. Since these were things made using a new technology, we had to handle them carefully, so we allowed ourselves plenty of time and marched at a leisurely pace."

"You came at a leisurely pace?"

"Yes."

It was unbelievable.

Having spent so much time on battlefields, Ureas knew that such a thing should have been impossible.

Even a small elite force marching without rest would have taken a week, and with the size of the force Ferda had brought, it should have taken at least three weeks even under forced marching.

So that caterpillar-looking thing must be that useful.

He had already coveted the powerful Magitech weapons, and now the mana-powered automobiles had caught his eye as well.

The others felt the same way.

The line of mana-powered automobiles arranged itself in perfect order, and the soldiers inside began pouring out.

Their helmets and armor were similar to, or perhaps slightly inferior to, those of the Imperial soldiers.

Instead of long spears, however, they carried something resembling a staff.

"Is that the weapon that killed that monster in a single shot?"

"How could they possibly kill a monster with something that looks like that?"

No matter how they looked at them, there was no sense of overwhelming strength, nor did the infantry give the impression of being particularly well trained.

They looked so weak that the commanders could not help but underestimate them, imagining that if they charged them right now, they would be defeated without resistance.

Ureas felt the same way.

Looking over the forces Ferda had brought, he asked:

"I heard you sent a hundred knights, but there don't seem to be even a thousand infantrymen."

"Four hundred infantrymen were selected, all of them Tactical Infantry."

"Are you not going to deploy cavalry?"

"No. We intend to form a defensive force centered entirely around Tactical Infantry. We determined that this would be the most effective approach."

"So you're planning to advance over our corpses."

Ureas gave him an unpleasant glare.

Ferda already knew that Ureas had deliberately expressed his willingness to participate in the war because he did not want to provide them with Magitech weapons.

"You have nothing to worry about. Even if our army advances defensively, we will never retreat."

"That remains to be seen. If your vanguard is weak, won't the entire strategy be rendered useless?"

"You're right. That is why we selected the Far East's finest knights to form the vanguard."

"The finest knights..."

Ureas glanced toward the knights.

They might have been renowned in the Far East, but in the Empire, they were nothing more than frogs ruling their own little pond.

As he scanned the knights, his eyes happened to settle on a man wearing heavy cavalry armor.

"That man...?"

Ureas was not the only one who noticed him.

The other commanders also fixed their eyes on the man.

"Who is that man...?"

"That armor and that enormous club... There is only one person who uses a weapon like that... Could it be!?"