ㅛNe1627330 The border between the two countries extends over 400km from north to south, and there were countless ways to get from the empire to Macline.
However, if you wanted to find a safe way for a large company to move, the number would be reduced to a few dozen, and if you wanted to find a way for thousands or even tens of thousands of troops to safely enter, it would be just a handful.
To be exact, there were only three places.
The ‘Merchant’s Road’ connects Kyle and Ruspelheim, the trading centers of the kingdom and empire.
The ‘Hunter’s Road’ goes around the southern part of the Northern Demon Forest and connects the northern hunter cities. The ‘Adventurer’s Road’ goes
around the northern part of the southern mountain range and connects the southern cities.
“Strictly speaking, they are all roads that make money, so it is safe to say that they are all merchant roads.”
Damian, who was listening to Logan’s words, tilted his head.
“Do you think all three of those would be break-in routes?”
“of course.”
“…The central highway alone is a plain where 100,000 armies can advance at once. But even the trade routes between North and South….”
“The size of the imperial army is larger than that.”
In fact, when the imperial army first invaded in a past life, the great army of the empire, numbering well over 100,000 strong, was tied up at the border for more than a week due to the fierce fighting between the Sword Duke and the Esperanza Territory Army. Thanks to the time gained by crushing the kingdom’s strongest Auror users and the strongest knights, the royal family of Grandia was able to quickly gather troops.
However, when they began to deal with the imperial army on the central road, the large armies of the empire that came through the trade routes between North and South had already begun to lay waste to the country.
‘Well, even if we had known in advance, the kingdom’s army at the time would not have been able to stop the imperial army.’
But now the case is different.
That’s why even more.
“Even if there is nothing we can do about the central highway, there are places in key locations in the North and South where forts can be built. Even if we just block those two places, the war will be much easier.”
“It’s called a boulevard, but strictly speaking, it’s a passageway where numerous forks intersect. Is it really possible to block it by building a fortress?…”
“It’s possible.”
“…How can you be so sure?”
“That’s right…”
Because you said that in your past life.
– If only that had been done, the kingdom would not have collapsed so easily.
Logan swallowed the bitter smile in his heart and continued with a smile.
“As you said, the Hunter’s Road and the Adventurer’s Road, unlike the Central Road, are trade routes with dozens of paths intricately intertwined. However, there are several intersections where all those roads intersect at the same time. Both in the Empire and in our territory.”
“Ah… How do you know so much? You’ve never been there before.”
“I heard.”
“yes?”
to you.
“So I can’t remember a clear location. Check the geography and take a look at one place in the north and south where a fortress can be built. We will build a fort there and station some of the troops from the 2nd and 3rd corps on a permanent basis.”
Logan grinned while looking at Damian, who couldn’t hide his absurd expression.
“Of course, we also set up a great magic circle.”
Logan said it because he was confident, but Damian, who had no way of knowing his true intentions, was embarrassed. It seemed like they were finalizing a national policy without knowing how much the budget would be based on something they heard somewhere.
But when I looked at the king’s eyes, they were so serious that I felt frustrated.
‘Well, he was always a man who achieved results like this. ‘It’s ridiculous.’
Damian sighed and gave up on retorting.
“…In just a few months, the busy farming season will begin again. We need to decide on a location and mobilize workers as quickly as possible. I think it would be better to complete the basic construction in two or three months and then proceed with construction again after the harvest season.”
“There will be no problem with completion in two or three months.”
“yes?”
“We have the best experts in the world.”
“Ah…”
Looking at Logan’s confident face, Damian smiled awkwardly and prayed for the rest of his colleagues who were destined to suffer.
* * * Come here and roll.
“It’s strange…”
Roll over.
“Why are you like this?”
Hamar, who had been rolling around on the bed for a while, woke up waddling and stretched out his short arms.
“Hwaam.”
As I scratched my stomach, which seemed to have been especially protruding these days, I blinked and saw that warm bread and tea had not yet cooled down on the table. There was a basin filled with washing water in front of the door.
“There is clearly nothing wrong…”
Is it just that there is nothing wrong? These days, people are enjoying a luxury that was unimaginable ten years ago, when they were returned as dwarven slaves and even the skills of dwarven craftsmen were ignored.
The owner of the Taren Magic Workshop where there is no one in particular to interfere.
One of McLane’s key officials responsible for national power and a confidant of the king.
After I got used to having a security guard around all the time due to safety concerns, it was only a relief.
however.
But why…
“Why am I so bored?”
The workshop is going so well that it’s a shame.
‘You can’t break the line on purpose.’
Hamar munched on his bread, thinking about all sorts of things.
“I’m bored, let’s make something… hehe!”
Then, startled by what he had said, he covered his mouth and looked around.
Because I suddenly felt like I heard someone’s voice.
– Isn’t it romantic for your species to create things?
Hamar shook his head from side to side, recalling the whispers of the devil whose face he had not seen for several months now.
“Ah, no, no, it’s because I was brainwashed by that person. Of course! How nice it is to have fun instead of working!”
I was shaking my fists and shouting as if I was making a promise to myself, but honestly, it was also true that my hands were itching after not producing for nearly half a year.
“I’d like to try some carving.”
When I thought about that, the first thing that came to mind was my ex-lover.
A village where dwarves who hid deep in the mountains to avoid humans lived together. Among them, there was one lady who gave me a sense of happiness, the owner of particularly beautiful eyes.
“Noir…”
As I thought about her, the memory of trying to recreate those eyes and getting caught by the owner and getting in trouble came back to me.
“Ah, just thinking about that time…”
It seems like I had consciously forgotten it for a while.
“I forgot about you, Noir. I’m sorry.”
The memory that suddenly came to mind sparked a desire to pick up a hammer and chisel again. I didn’t want to admit to the bullshit that the romance of the race was a creation, but it was also true that as a dwarf deep down, there was nothing that much fun to do.
“Yes. Well, sculpture is a hobby.”
I was trying to rationalize myself like that and leave the room.
“Hamar!!”
bang.
“100 million!”
Hamar had no choice but to roll backwards as the door suddenly hit his nose.
“Huh? Haha… Why were you there…?”
Tamer, a one-armed dwarf who burst open the door and came in, smiled awkwardly.
“Ugh. What? Why were you there? You son of a bitch, is it wrong for me to be in my room!”
As Hamar, whose eyes were burning with murder, approached with a bleeding nose, Tamer, who was frightened, retreated hesitantly.
“Why are you doing this!”
“I tried to catch me one day. Let you die today, you bastard.”
“Oh no. Now is not the time for this!”
“No. It’s time like this.”
“There is an order from His Majesty the King!”
Hamar’s body stopped at the desperate eloquence of Tamer, who was grabbed by the collar.
“…what?”
My face suddenly stiffened and the corners of my mouth trembled, giving me an ominous feeling.
“The order is to build two forts within three months!”
And as expected, the prediction was exactly right.
“…What? Build two things in three months?”
“It’s a fortress.”
“Fortress? I know fortress, you mean something like a castle?”
“…I guess that’s probably the fortress.”
“What are you talking about?!”
“I, too, was dumbfounded and came right away to tell you the news!! The official document said it would be possible considering the time to build Aegis Castle, right?”
“…Aigis? Oh, that Saturn? The one that we and that wizard and I worked hard to create?”
“yes.”
“You want me to do that again?”
Hamar, with a bewildered face, asked again as if he could not believe it, but Tamer only uttered even more gloomy words.
“This time, we’re going to build it with stones so we can use it all the time. There are two of them, too.”
Only then did Hamar realize. Tamer’s face as he says those words is equally vain.
dump.
“Ugh… Ah, you damned snout. Why did you say you were bored…”
Hamar didn’t get angry, but instead sat down and slapped his own cheek.
“No, Noir. Did you put a curse on it like back then!? When you left!?”
Then I screamed into the air and pounded my chest.
Although this behavior did not seem normal at all, Temar seemed to understand his feelings to some extent and let out a long sigh.
‘It’s an escape from reality. ‘I admit it, workshop manager.’
But I had to say what I had to say.
“Hey, Workshop Manager. If you want to meet the schedule, you have to leave today…”
I try to get the words out carefully.
“Aaaah!”
Seeing Hamar screaming like he was having a fit, Temar inadvertently took a step back.
‘…Are you really crazy?’
“…Ahhhh. Why can’t I be happy?”
Fortunately, it seemed like he wasn’t really crazy. Tears were flowing from Hamar’s face as he sat down, the reward for facing reality.
* * *
“…So, instead of installing a magic circle in an existing castle, you’re going to build a new fortress and then install it there? That’s in two places?”
As the scar on Clayton’s face became grotesquely distorted, Greek took a step back without realizing it.
This benevolent teacher sometimes surprised even those who were familiar with him because of his appearance, which was so different from his heart.
– So I tried to keep my composure and not be swayed by other people’s reactions. That really helped with magic, too.
The teacher had always said that, but the news he delivered this time was enough to destroy the fruits of such training.
“yes.”
“And within three months?”
“…yes.”
“Hehe. It seems like His Majesty thinks we are some sort of superhumans.”
Master, you are a superhuman. Victoria too.
Greek swallowed the sound of truth that rose up to his throat.
“It seems that His Majesty has set a rather tight schedule considering the work at Aegis Castle. How about making a suggestion?”
“…It’s ambiguous.”
“yes.”
“It’s ambiguous because I don’t think it’s impossible at all.”
“…yes?”
For a moment, Greek wondered if his teacher had eaten something wrong for breakfast.
“It’s different from the time of the Aegis. Instead of a castle to be used in short-term warfare, we need to build a castle made of stone that can be used all the time. It’s also a castle big enough to install a great magic circle underground.”
“Yes. Even taking that into account, I think it’s possible. As long as the castle design is perfect.”
really?
Clayton continued with a bitter smile, perhaps knowing the feelings of his student who was looking at him with a blank expression.
“So what about Lord Hamar? You said you would?”
“Even though that guy always says he can’t do it and is dying, he still does it in the end. If you look closely, it looks like he’s enjoying it, but…”
“Yeah. That might be true.”
Looking at his teacher, who couldn’t shake off his worries even though he was grinning, he couldn’t help but tilt his head.
“But wouldn’t it be okay to be honest and say we can’t do it?”
“Hmm?”
“There’s no reason to say we’re overdoing it. There isn’t one, right? Independently of His Majesty’s orders, Viscount Damian, the planner, said that if there was no time to spare, the completion could be postponed until after the harvest season. They say it shouldn’t interfere with the busy farming season.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. Moreover, since you have the status of a teacher, it is an unreasonable schedule, so please make a suggestion and adjust it.”
That’s what Grick truly thought.
Even recently, he was a teacher who devoted himself to the study of magic circles day and night. In the aftermath, students like him also suffered a lot.
But the teacher His thoughts seemed to be different from his.
“No, that can’t be possible.”
“Master. You have already done your part well, Master. You don’t have to overdo it…”
“I’m not overdoing it. Greek I told you. A wizard should be as careful as possible with his words.”
“Yes? Oh yes. That’s right…”
Grick remembered what his teacher had been saying since he succeeded in mass producing the artifact a few years ago.
– Stay away from lies and build up the truth.
– That was ultimately the stepping stone to overcoming the wall of superhumanity. It will work.
To be honest, I still don’t understand what this has to do with the level of magic.
“Even if you fool the rest, you can’t fool me. I think it’s quite possible. So I can’t say it’s not possible.”
But for some reason, the image of the teacher saying that even with a tired complexion was deeply engraved in his heart.
