With deep relief, I reached the top of the castle tower and turned to face the others. Ventury came up first, followed by His Majesty, and the sight visibly took their breath away.
I knew how they felt. Every floor of this castle was designed so that ballistae or machine bows could be fired from it, and each window had a sturdy covering. The interior of the castle was fascinating, certainly, but it was also filled with drab rooms and hallways and a narrow staircase; the top of the castle tower, meanwhile, opened in all directions, allowing warm light in. And every direction other than that of the Wolfsbrook Mountain Range showed nothing but blue skies.
As if drawn in by the blue horizon, His Majesty and the others walked toward the terrace. Eventually, they recovered enough of their wits to voice their admiration for the view.
“Oooh!”
“This is incredible!”
I followed them out to the terrace. I’d seen it many times already, but even I found myself moved by the tremendous view. Under the blue sky, stretching out toward the horizon, lay an open field bifurcated by the main road. The stunning new castle town was directly in front of us, and to the left and right you could make out parts of the Wolfsbrook Mountain Range.
When you climbed the claustrophobic tower stairs, this was the view that greeted you at the top. The sense of liberation it granted was deeply refreshing. Even the breeze felt amazing. But it wasn’t all for show. Van’s designs served a practical, strategic purpose, and it was time to explain that to the others.
“The top floor here is called the castle tower. The fortress city was designed like a staircase leaning on the slope of the hill. In other words, the wall and gates that face Yelenetta are at the lowest point of the superstructure, crowned by the watchtowers. Next is the castle tower of the first small castle, then the second, then the third. Where we stand now is the highest point in the stronghold.
“Each castle functions as its own defense point, but a key element in this fortress city’s defense system is that even in other places our troops can keep an eye on our surroundings. Additionally…” I moved to the railing of the terrace and put my hand on it, then pointed at the main road. “The ballistae on the floor below us can fire as far as the center of that main road.”
This caused a stir. When I turned around, everyone was staring at the road. They could not hold back their surprise.
“Say what?!”
“A true threat to anyone who would try to take this fortress city.”
Frankly, I understood where they came from. Even Van, the mastermind behind the ballistae, had been shocked by the firing range when he tested one out for himself. Yes, the ballistae were less accurate at that range, but they were still a massive threat to anyone approaching the stronghold.
The powerful mages in the group were even more impressed than the rest, given that they normally reigned over the battlefield. Unable to hide the smile creeping across his face, His Majesty remarked, “And you say that he still wants to do more? Now I’m curious as to his plans.”
Ventury put his hand to his chin, his expression one of careful thought. “Hm. Will we be able to handle Yelenetta’s new weapons?”
“According to Van, at their current technical level, we should have no issues. Their cannons have low accuracy already, and the greater the distance at which they fire, the worse that will get. Should one of their shots manage to reach us, the projectile would likely land somewhere in the fortress city, but not necessarily on its actual target. Essentially, it would be pure luck.”
This was, word for word, what Van had told me. His Majesty and Ventury both appeared satisfied by my answer.
“I see,” said Ventury.
“In that case, we have nothing to be concerned about,” His Majesty agreed. “If our enemy chooses to strike at this fortress city with full knowledge of its defensive capabilities, they will do it in an unorthodox manner. They would look for some kind of weakness or opening.”
Van was the most well-researched of us all when it came to the black balls, and it was that knowledge that earned him such deep trust from His Majesty and Ventury.
As other nobles joined the conversation, I noticed some late arrivals beginning to climb up the castle tower. Among them were two faces I hadn’t seen in a year.
“Brother Murcia?”
Jard and Sesto both looked shocked to see me.
Sesto
AFTER TRAVERSING THE LABYRINTHIAN CASTLE, I made my way up a set of steep stairs. I was genuinely astonished by the outer wall, the gates, and the beauty of the fortress city’s interior, but the castle at the center of the stronghold was all dark hallways and stairs.
“I suppose this is the best that could be done in a couple of months,” Jard murmured, putting on airs. “It must have required a great deal of manpower to accomplish.” But the reality was that we could never have accomplished any of this.
To get to the fortress city we had to traverse the treacherous Wolfsbrook Mountain Range, but we arrived to find a beautiful and well-maintained road. There were rest facilities scattered along the path, and to add insult to injury, the mountain road ended in a strangely designed stronghold, all of which was said to have been made by Van when His Majesty first attacked Yelenetta.
The other Chivalric Orders marching with us at the rear discussed it avidly. We entered the Wolfsbrook Mountain Range braced for the dangers ahead, but in total, the journey lasted not even two weeks. We had the road, rest facilities, and fortress to thank for that, and all of it was Van’s doing. The Chivalric Orders were understandably grateful for this, so they were abuzz over Van and his accomplishments.
Jard took every opportunity to complain about this, but after a time I lost the drive to keep whining. Jard was confident in his fire magic and proud of his administrative skills. He believed he was suited to lead troops on the battlefield. But I wasn’t like him. I knew that I had failed as a governor, and when it came to leading people into combat against mountain bandits, I was nothing to write home about. Sure, there were opportunities for me to wield my fire magic, but I never accomplished much of note. If anything, I got in others’ way. Comparing myself to Van made me feel like a pitiable fool.
Honestly, the praise for Van all came down to his abnormal magic abilities. If I had magic like that, I could have accomplished as much as him, and I would have been the one to receive a peerage. In the end, it was all down to luck. When my magic was appraised and I learned that I possessed not just elemental magic, but fire elemental magic, I thought my future was secured. But in my brief year away from home, everything changed. The war with Yelenetta was huge, certainly, and if it were only that, then perhaps I’d have viewed it as a good chance to make a name for myself. The real problem was Van.
When Father sent Van to some middle-of-nowhere village, I assumed Van wasn’t long for this world. Thanks to his fantastical magic, though, not only did he turn his village into all of this, he was even lucky enough to have a dragon conveniently pop up for him to slay.
I continued to walk through the castle, thinking, Just how much can the world love him? If only that could have been me. Eventually, I spotted light at the top of the stairs: we had arrived at the top floor.
Following Jard to the top, I was greeted by a breeze of fresh air redolent of trees and leaves. I heard the sounds of iron grinding against iron…and a familiar voice.
I turned my head, looking past the crowd to seek the source of the voice. Ahead of us stood more than a dozen armor-clad people and, in the back, a single person looking our way.
“Brother Murcia,” I whispered.
Murcia immediately recognized us. “Jard? Sesto? Are you telling me Father doesn’t intend to participate in a battle this size?”
His whispers seemed so much louder than they were. Jard opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get the words out, the other nobles accompanying us dropped to their knees and offered loud greetings. “Your Majesty! I apologize for our late arrival!” said one man, still in his prime.
From the back of the room, His Majesty approached us and nodded. “You need not apologize. I merely used the extra time to tour our new fortress city. As I’m sure you have all seen by now, it is tremendous. With this new fortification as our home base, we will crush Yelenetta with ease.” He chuckled, his shoulders shaking.
One of the few noblewomen among us poked her head forward. She was Viscount Panamera, a noblewoman who’d joined the rear guard to lend us aid because of our tardiness. Rumor had it that she was one of the people who helped slay the dragon that attacked Van’s village. On our journey through the Wolfsbrook Mountain Range, she’d used powerful fire magic to handily set multiple large monsters ablaze. I felt confident assuming that she was the primary reason Van had managed to slay the dragon at all.
She had a commanding presence as she stepped forward, the same attitude she had displayed during our interactions earlier in the march. “Well, well,” she said. “I was excited to see this place for myself, but it is as you say, Your Majesty. It far exceeds my expectations.”
His Majesty nodded and spread his arms out wide. “For ten long years, despite our power and resources, we have failed to extend our borders. Ten years, frozen in time. But I am confident that we can move forward at last. Time moves for us once again! As you must all be aware, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. We will carve away Yelenetta’s territory, and the achievements will go to those who act quickly!”
His smile was fierce, his words those of someone with absolute strength. Words of utter confidence. Words that seemed imbued with magic itself.
He’s right. This is my chance to make a name for myself here. If the fighting gets too fierce, I could be killed…but as long as I stay with a faction that avoids the heavy fighting, I should be able to claim some achievements. But which faction? Who will give me the best chance to use my powers?
As I pondered this, I saw Jard grinning out of the corner of my eye, his fists clenched. He didn’t intend to miss this opportunity to climb the ranks. But while his magic was second only to Father’s, his ragtag group of mercenaries were hardly dependable.
I gave my brother a sidelong glance. I suppose I could just use him and, if things get bad, abandon him.