Chapter 2:
Completion of the Fortress City
WE SPENT THE NEXT WEEK BUILDING AND completing the fortress city. I still needed to finish extending it to the Wolfsbrook Mountain Range, but it was good enough for now.
The castle at the center of the fortress was elaborate and exquisite, and once I’d fixed the fortress walls that were already in place, I remodeled the tops of the walls with a Japanese aesthetic. I also built ten towers into the wall, each four stories high, and four smaller castles inside the fortress. These towers and castles were linked by connected passageways for quick access from anywhere in the fortress. The main castle at the center was cut off from this network, and any of the towers and smaller castles could likewise have their passageways cut off to slow down intruders.
In case of a head-on attack, I designed the whole thing so that our people could attack with machine bows from high ground. Intruders would have to pass through the smaller castles, so I made sure that we could shower them with arrows from the stone wall, the towers, and the small castles themselves. The place was impregnable.
I performed my final checks on the finished wall, then stood in front of the castle gates and looked up at my work: the small castles, the towers, and the impressive center castle that sat atop the stone wall in the distance. Not to toot my own horn, but the sheer force of it all was impressive. I could’ve stood there admiring it forever, but I didn’t have the time for that.
In front of the gates stood Dee and the Seatoh Village Chivalric Order, the nobles who had helped me with the project, and the commanders of the other orders. I looked at all their faces and said, “Um, everyone! It’s thanks to your hard work that we finished ahead of schedule! When His Majesty returns, he’ll look up at that incredible castle and see much work you put in, and of course I will personally tell him about all of your efforts. Thank you so much!”
I bowed my head deeply. When I looked up again, I found the arrogant nobles quietly bowing in return. Maybe it was the wrong time for jokes, but I was so surprised that I thought, What’s wrong, guys? Do your stomachs hurt?
I stared at them until they each raised their heads to look right at me.
“This has been an incredible experience,” said one noble.
“If anything,” said another, “it is we who should express gratitude to you.”
“This fortress is going to become our nation’s most important base.”
Once the rest of the praise had died down, Pinin nodded, making his double chin wobble a bit, and stepped forward. “A week ago, none of us could lay claim to any personal accomplishments. But now, having worked on a construction project that will go down in history, each and every one of us is proud to say that we played a part. We offer you our deepest thanks for granting us the opportunity to be a part of this project.” His voice resonated with utmost sincerity.
What’s up, Pinin? Did you eat something bad? My shock must have shown on my face, because Pinin started to laugh, putting a hand on his hip and puffing out his chest.
“What, does it not seem in character? Frankly, at first I thought it was deeply shameful to be working for a baron, never mind a child. But now, looking at the castle that you created with your magic, I’m reconsidering everything I thought about you. If you’re amenable, we would like to form an alliance with you, just as Viscount Panamera has.”
This meant that he recognized me as someone of equal standing. Not only that, he wanted to ally himself with me. The baron of a super tiny territory on the border could ask for no better offer!
I nodded my assent, grinning. “Thank you so much! Oh, but I have to check with Viscount Panamera before I form any further alliances.”
“Ha ha ha! You really do act nothing like a child! Indeed, as she is your equal partner, we cannot well ignore her. However, as I am sure you are aware, we also cannot be away from our own territories for too long, so we will depart first and send emissaries at a later date.”
“Understood. Thank you for your consideration.” I shook hands with them all, sharing words of good fortune with everyone.
With that, each of the nobles headed back to their respective homes. They all had to pass through the monster-ridden Wolfsbrook Mountain Range, so I dispatched adventurers and Chivalric Order members as bodyguards. With Arb leading the machine bow squad, they’d have plenty of manpower, even with reduced numbers. I also loaned out two war wagons to make sure everyone would be perfectly safe.
Before Arb led Pinin and the others toward the mountain range, I gave him some quick instructions. “Once you get back to Seatoh Village, I want you to issue a job request to Ortho and his people. Oh, and I’ll be looking for volunteers to stay here for about two months, so can you tell Esparda to get things ready?”
“Yes, as you wish!”
“Ah, also spices! Spices and wheat flour!”
“Oh, right! I won’t forget!”
At this point, five hundred or so people remained in the massive fortress city. We could defend the place if we manned the ballistae, but we couldn’t hold out for very long.
For this place to function properly, there would need to be at least three thousand people on site. The wall and the towers would require three shifts’ worth of lookouts, with each shift consisting of at least one hundred people. Without a minimum of a thousand people, nobody would be able to take breaks. We also currently only had two to three hundred soldiers to deploy as an immediate fighting force if we came under attack. If Yelenetta deployed two-legged wyverns or their black balls, I wasn’t fully confident we could hold the line.
“Hiring mercenaries for the long haul doesn’t seem viable,” I said aloud. “What should I do?”
Dee folded his arms and looked up at the castle. “Indeed. Even with assistance from Seatoh Village we wouldn’t have enough manpower for a fortress this size—and we need to make sure we don’t leave the village defenseless, either. I would say we need about a thousand more soldiers. I know that Seatoh Village has exceeded three thousand residents, but our Chivalric Orders combined only total about eight hundred; we receive temporary support from adventurers and mercenaries to fill in any gaps. I think we will need to solicit people to migrate here from elsewhere.”
Between the Esparda Chivalric Order and the Seatoh Village Chivalric Order, we had a combined eight hundred people? I had no idea. Saying that aloud would piss Dee off, though, so I just nodded.
Dee scratched his chin with a finger. “We need soldiers to protect this place, but we also need an acting governor. They would manage resources and food, so we need someone talented and intelligent.”
“How about Esparda?”
“No, I think that would be unwise. He is undoubtedly fit for the job, but we need him to manage the village when you are gone.”
Okay, so Esparda wasn’t the right choice. But the only other person who seemed up to the task was Dee, and I needed him available if and when I got called into battle. Neither Arb nor Lowe was ready for that sort of responsibility.
“This is a problem. Maybe I should ask Panamera?” I suggested.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea, but it would take at least half a year to come to fruition.”
“Could we hire mercenaries until then?”
“Hmm… If we called over one hundred members of the Chivalric Order, then had Sir Esparda act as a temporary governor… No, even then, half a year is too long.”
We were still brainstorming when a single soldier came running over from the Wolfsbrook Mountain Range side of the fortress. They were a member of the Seatoh Village Chivalric Order. “Lord Van! Lord Murcia has arrived with five hundred men!”
“…What?” I looked up, blinking in surprise. “Murcia is here?”
“Heya, Van. Looks like you went and made something incredible again, huh?”
Murcia approached me with an exasperated look on his face, his eyes trained on the castle. Approaching from the Wolfsbrook Mountain Range side, you had to pass through two small castles and then the exterior wall before you arrived at the castle gates. It was a bit of a hike, all things considered; if someone wanted to take the whole place over and get through to the other side, they’d need at least five thousand soldiers to make it happen. Based on how impressed he looked, Murcia must have put this together as he made his way through the fortress.
“That castle at the center is the biggest one, right? It sure looks unique. Normally the center of a fortress is composed of linking towers; I don’t think there’s ever been a fortress as complex as this. And I’ve definitely never seen anyone build a castle on top of a wall! It would be difficult to put soldiers in formation and dispatch them in place like this, but if you’re putting everything into its defensive capabilities, it’s a brilliant design.”
Murcia’s observations were sharp. This surprised me a little—I’d always seen him as a fairly mild-mannered person—but it seemed that he had good instincts when it came to military matters. Or maybe this was just the result of all his hard work. If I were my actual age, I sure wouldn’t have been able to offer such astute observations about this strange castle.
Daddy dearest didn’t seem to value him much, but it was becoming clear that Murcia was highly talented.
“I know, right?” I said candidly. “What brings you here, by the way?”
Murcia laughed dryly and rubbed the back of his neck. “So, um, it’s kind of complicated. Father ordered me to give you assistance.”
“…In constructing the fortress city?”
Murcia made a complicated expression and shook his head. “I phrased that badly. I’m apparently no longer a candidate to become head of the family. His Majesty said some things, but I don’t actually know what’s going on. Father didn’t give me a firm objective or a specific timeframe; I was just told to do what I can to help you.” He gave a self-deprecating little laugh, then sighed.