Defensive Battle of the Royal Capital (1)
The Imperial army appeared near the capital of the Kingdom of Arland, Alblud.
Their force numbered around 300,000—a massive army. In contrast, the capital Alblud had fewer than 500 soldiers remaining.
“… To think they’re trying to build a capital this vast.”
The Supreme Commander of the Imperial army’s capital assault force muttered in disbelief. The original city walls of the capital were far off in the distance, and new, enormous walls were being constructed across a vast stretch of land.
If this capital were completed, it would become the largest city on the entire continent.
But when the commander finally approached the city, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Thousands of golems, and an almost army-sized crowd of civilians, were working tirelessly on construction.
Despite the invaders standing right before them, no one paid them any attention and simply continued working.
This country was dangerous. The commander instinctively understood that. Left unchecked, they would become a threat beyond control.
Standing before his entire army, the commander shouted loudly:
“Citizens of Arland, hear me! Your army has already been annihilated. As of this moment, I declare the occupation of this land. Kneel before us!”
“… What a joke.”
“Forget that idiot. Let’s get back to work.”
The citizens of the capital responded with mockery, then returned to their tasks. Inside, they were seething with fury, to the point they wanted to tear these invaders apart limb by limb and burn them alive. But they had a job to do. They had a goal—to build a magnificent capital and welcome Alicetia home.
Moreover, the capital now housed refugees from the provinces. These people needed work to survive. And the capital was critically short on manpower.
As a result, the refugees had accepted temporary jobs as laborers building the new capital.
The sneers aimed at the Imperial soldiers made not only the commander but the entire Imperial army flush with anger.
In the Granzur Empire, soldiers held great status. Even rank-and-file troops were not to be insulted by commoners.
And yet, the very commoners and demi-humans who should be kneeling before them were openly ridiculing them.
Furthermore, despite their overwhelming military presence, no one fled, and not even soldiers appeared to defend the city. No—there were soldiers present, but they yawned openly right in front of them.
They were being underestimated. Realizing this, fury ignited within the Imperial troops.
“Kill them as you please! Teach them what happens when they mock us!”
With the commander’s order, the Imperial army roared and advanced. But as they neared the citizens, they collided with an invisible wall. A translucent barrier covered the outskirts of the new capital—a barrier that stretched into the sky, unmistakably a large-scale city defense barrier.
“A city defense barrier? Damn that Magic Kingdom, they must have leaked their tech.”
Hearing the commander’s words, one of the citizens sneered.
“Idiot. This is made by the Princess. Why would we buy something from the Magic Kingdom?”
“So? You think you can still kill us now?”
“Damn it! Mage Corps, unleash your magic!”
The Imperial army’s mage corps chanted their spells, hurling countless magical attacks at the barrier. But the barrier didn’t even waver.
Dust clouds billowed like smoke, but when they cleared, the barrier remained perfectly intact. The Imperial army redirected their attacks to areas untouched by magic, ordering soldiers to strike physically.
They knew the weakness of city defense barriers.
While capable of deploying powerful protection, such barriers consumed enormous amounts of mana, especially under constant assault.
If they applied enough pressure, the barrier would eventually shatter or run out of mana.
While the Imperial army relentlessly attacked, the capital’s citizens cheerfully continued constructing the new city.
At noon, the bells rang, and everyone casually sat down for lunch.
“Ahh… delicious!”
“Put your back into it!”
Sitting on beams and other materials, they enjoyed their lunches, watching the struggling Imperial soldiers as if watching a baseball game on TV.
Most bought lunch from street vendors, especially the burger stands operated by the Viceroy Merchants Union. These burger stands, a massive hit across Arland, lined the streets in rows to keep up with demand.
While hamburgers had existed in Arland before, they were originally food for the poor, just like on Earth. But Alicetia had commissioned the development of affordable versions for the common folk.
They had also been improved to be juicier—another huge success.
The Imperial soldiers glared with hatred at the citizens mocking them as they ate.
“Cowards! Come out and fight us now!”
“We’re not soldiers. And we don’t have time to waste playing with you.”
“If you wanna fight, come on in… that is, if you can! Hahaha!”
The citizens vented their frustrations by provoking the Imperial soldiers, who, in turn, raged like fools, taking the bait. But even as the day ended, their relentless attacks couldn’t breach the barrier.
Exhausted and dejected, the Imperial soldiers trudged back to their distant camp.
“Seems like the squad we snuck inside didn’t make it.”
At the Supreme Commander’s words, the remaining staff officers and commanders sighed heavily.
“If only they had managed to stir up some chaos inside… But judging from that situation, they were wiped out. We underestimated them.”
“Your Excellency, a night raid! Let’s crush them with a night raid. The barrier should be nearly down by now!”
The Knight Commander slammed the table with determination.
“Is that really true…?”
The Supreme Commander was utterly exhausted. He had never experienced a war where his common sense was so completely useless. Age only made the fatigue worse. Honestly, he wished he were back in the Imperial capital overseeing its defense instead.
The Commander of the Mage Corps agreed with his doubt.
“Based on our analysis, that’s a layered barrier. At least seven separate barriers stacked together. That barrier withstood today’s full-scale assault without so much as a scratch—and there are seven of them. There’s no way to break through.”
He paused before continuing.
“We should withdraw and focus on crushing Arland’s main forces instead.”
The Mage Corps commander’s statement made the Knight Commander’s face flush bright red. Even in the Empire and the Magic Kingdom, capital city defense barriers consisted of only a single layer.
But seven? He couldn’t believe it. The Knight Commander still clung to the belief that Arland was a magically underdeveloped nation.
And even if they truly had seven barriers, the mana required to maintain them should be astronomical. They wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long.
In that case, constant pressure on the barrier would eventually deplete their mana. From here, the capital of Arland was clearly under construction, even dismantling their old city walls—making a siege defense impossible.
Without the barrier, they could easily overrun the city, or so he believed.
“We are being mocked by demi-humans! Are we still soldiers of the Empire? If we fight seriously, that pathetic barrier will be nothing to fear!”
In the end, it was decided that a night raid would be carried out to prevent the barrier’s continued operation. Clearly, the capital’s defense force was minimal. Even if they counterattacked, sheer numbers would crush them—the Knight Commander’s argument prevailed. Indeed, the capital’s defenders were few.
It was the dead of night. The Imperial army began moving again.
But contrary to the commander’s expectations, morale was low.
The reason was the daytime assault. The civilians who should have been kneeling and begging for their lives had laughed in their faces, enraging the Imperial army into attacking with everything they had. Naturally, this had drained their strength.
The commanders, caught up in their own rage, had failed to properly account for this.
Forcing their weary bodies forward, the Imperial army once again approached the barrier.
“Checkmate.”
With a soft snap and a groan, voices drifted toward them.
Before the Imperial army stood a group of about ten soldiers—the Viceroy Guard.
“… Can I take that move back?”
“Commander, that’s the twelfth time you’ve asked.”
“… Tch, guess not.”
The Viceroy Guard had set up spotlights and were patrolling for the night.
Realizing the Imperial infiltration into the capital was impossible, they had resorted to deliberate harassment.
Watching the soldiers blatantly enjoying their game in front of them, the Imperial soldiers couldn’t even muster anger anymore—just sighs.
The Viceroy Guard had already anticipated a night raid. These were seasoned veterans, former Kingdom soldiers discharged due to age or injury. They could read the Imperial army’s thoughts like a book, especially when those thoughts were clouded by rage.
As the Imperial army attacked that night, the Viceroy Guard leisurely played shogi, further eroding their composure.
The Imperial army was attacking the capital. Normally, such a situation would boost their own morale while the capital’s civilians trembled with fear, demoralized. The civilians might even revolt and submit to them.
But in reality, the capital’s control was flawless. Alicetia’s reputation alone dispelled any anxiety among the populace, filling them with confidence. They were certain: as long as they held on, the capital would never fall.
Moreover, the capital’s anti-government agitators were powerless. They had no idea how to disable the barrier. Even if they tried to act, they were terrified of ending up like the others who had caused disturbances.
Those captured troublemakers now quietly sat on their knees, waiting to be shipped off to the mines. They seemed to have learned their lesson. Aside from their vacant, lifeless eyes, they were physically healthy. Their mental state? Who knows.
Blinded by anger, the Imperial army failed to notice several crucial developments in the night.
They didn’t see the return of the armed airships to the capital. And beyond that…
“Alright, preparations complete!”
“Plenty of shells ready to go.”
“The armed airships are joining the fight too.”
On the opposite side of the Imperial army’s encampment, Alicetia’s clones stood ready.
Those 20-inch cannons, originally showcased and then abandoned for convenience, had been restored to working order. Shell production was complete.
With the armed airships back in action, their numbers had increased to two. The capital’s counterattack force was fully prepared.
“The Imperial army will be annihilated.”
“Slaughter the invaders.”
“Kill them all.”
Without emotion, Alicetia’s clones quietly moved in, baring their fangs at the Imperial army’s throat.
What do you think about this chapter?
