“What? You’re saying we’re going to break something?”
“The important thing is the message. We’re sending a message that no matter what losses we incur, we will smash Harpas’s legion to pieces.”
I moved closer to the map and traced the first defensive line marked in black with my finger.
“Even if Harpas is getting stronger, his essence won’t change.”
Harpas is a demon who governs war, destruction, and death. He is a natural-born genius among demons, so we need to strike him unexpectedly.
Preferably in a way that doesn’t spill our blood.
“So… does that mean we’re going to smash all the fortresses?”
Archbishop Pierre met my gaze with a look of disbelief.
Yeah, it’s shocking. But it’s the most efficient method for now. Normally, collapsing a fortress means it disappears, making it an impossible solution, but…
I’m here.
A fortress is something I can recover in a matter of hours.
Of course, it’s not like I can restore it in an instant; it would take a toll on my stamina.
“Under normal circumstances, breaking and then fixing it would take a long time, but… you can leave that part to me. I’ll demolish it conspicuously and seize it.”
No matter how strong the monsters are, they’re just weak creatures in the face of disaster.
“Now that’s fiery! I like it! Let’s start right away!”
“First, we need to gather our troops.”
“We’ll head out first. Archbishop Pierre, you should quickly regroup and reassign your forces to this point.”
I pointed to the back of where the black line was drawn. A fork in the road that would allow us to re-enter the first defensive line after crossing the second.
“Principal Merlin, please sound the signal stone now… and relay the message for everyone to gather at this fortress.”
“Got it.”
“And are there any soldiers from the first defensive line fortress? The ones who served a long period?”
“There should be a few.”
“Could you call them? I need to ask them something.”
Knowing the structure of the fortress even when breaking it makes it easier to demolish. Archbishop Pierre readily agreed to my request.
“Understood.”
————————-
“I thought from the academy, but… are you human?”
“This is definitely more like a mole!”
“I think if we called a platoon to dig, it would be slower than this.”
“If you spend ten years just digging, you’ll end up like this.”
“If digging for ten years turned you into this, the Empire would have a mole brigade by now.”
Well, if someone could dig as well as me after a decade of digging, they’d be inhuman. Just gathering a squad of people like me would make for an easy war.
We could tunnel underground, collapse the terrain, destroy the city itself, and create underground routes to stealthily transport supplies.
“Anyway, I think it’s around here.”
“Here?”
At my words, the seasoned veterans looked around in confusion. They could only see the dirt illuminated by the lighting magic, but eventually, three of them looked at me with puzzled expressions.
“How do you know?”
“You’ll know when you see it. Just set up a powerful flame magic here.”
“This is your expertise, so I trust what you say. Everyone, step back; we need to draw the magic circle.”
At that, we immediately stepped back.
Since it was magic we would use after leaving the tunnel, there was little risk, but there was no need to be close and disrupt the drawing of the magic circle.
“All done.”
“Then let’s step back.”
We all exited the tunnel and gazed at the Gustav Fortress in the distance. We were about 500 meters away, so we hadn’t been discovered yet. I pulled out jerky from my pocket and tore it up.
“Care for some jerky?”
“Jerky sounds good!”
“Give me some.”
“I’ll pass. Eating something salty will hinder my magic.”
Is that so? Well, I suppose that’s what the great mage would say. I munched on the jerky and looked up at the moon hovering above the fortress. A crescent moon, I think.
By the way, I wonder if there are any legends related to the moon in this world? There’s Kalon, the god of the sun and light, but I’ve never heard of a moon god.
I chewed the jerky while lost in useless thoughts. Once preparations finished, Principal Merlin raised his right hand, touching his thumb to his index finger, and said.
“I’ll begin.”
Snap, went the sound as he flicked his fingers.
Then, an incredibly loud sound echoed, one that could be heard from 500 meters away.
“Now that’s fiery!”
“Seeing that massive fortress collapse is a sight to behold.”
After all, it’s not common to see such a gigantic fortress crumble entirely. We leisurely watched the scene until the dust, thick enough to block the moon, settled, then stood up and brushed ourselves off.
“Shall we move on and deal with the remaining remnants?”
“Let’s do just that.”
“I’ve got a bit of a mood to rest.”
“Are you going to slack off like that!”
“Do you know the formulas in that magic circle? A regular mage would have taken hours just to draw it! Activation? Forget about it!”
“Stop fighting.”
“Principal Merlin, please take a short rest. We’ll wipe out the remaining remnants and return.”
“Understood. Have a safe trip.”
We left Principal Merlin, who was dozing off on a suitable rock, and headed towards the fortress.
Naturally, terrifying moans emerged from the completely collapsed fortress. As the sounds grew closer, we drew our weapons.
“Who knows how many have survived.”
“All the remaining ones are mine!”
Whoa. It’s completely wrecked.
It’s only natural, but looking at what we’d done, I couldn’t help but marvel. The fortress that had stood for hundreds of years had vanished without a trace, leaving only dust behind.
“It’s a bit unsettling…”
“Don’t worry; I can recover it soon.”
“I’m counting on you.”
We stepped onto the rubble of the fortress. The rancid smell permeated the air, indicating that countless monsters met their end beneath it.
For us, it was a good thing. The fewer monsters there were, the easier it would be to deal with them.
“Then I’ll start.”
I ignited a flame above my head. A minimum device to secure visibility and act as bait to draw in the monsters. I extended the shovel and surveyed the monsters crawling out from the debris.
No matter how sturdy it is, a fortress collapsing like that leaves them disoriented.
“I’ll take the right.”
“Then I’ll take the left!”
“I’ll proceed straight ahead!”
We split up efficiently and swung our weapons. Although some monsters counterattacked, most were pinned down and unable to move under the debris.
Like hunting prey caught in a trap, we dispatched the monsters mechanically. We quickly grew accustomed to the putrid smell of blood soaking our bodies.
[Contractor, right side!]
“Grrrrr!”
Is that a troll?
I dodged a surprise attack from a troll who swung its half-torn-off arm by leaning to the side. The injured arm was falling toward me far too slowly, so avoiding it wasn’t that difficult.
I raised my gaze, noticing rags around the troll’s mouth. Has it eaten someone?
I infused the shovel blade with the Phoenix’s flame. The shovel ignited, and the intense heat warmed the night air.
“Crafting.”
Where do you think you’re going? The remnants of the fortress bound the troll’s feet, preventing it from moving. Unable to maintain its balance, the troll collapsed in a cloud of dust. I immediately climbed onto the troll’s body and plunged the shovel bluntly into its half-ripped shoulder.
SSSSSSSH—the sound of flesh burning.
Cutting wasn’t that hard. I finally plunged the shovel blade into the troll’s throat and ignited the flames.
“I’m a bit busy, so you can die quickly.”
“!@ㅕ(#&!($&!($(*!!!!!”
[AAAH! My ears!]
What a racket. I pulled the shovel out of the lifeless troll’s body and started looking for my next opponent.
The fight wasn’t over yet.
————–
“It seems like there are no living ones.”
“Just a bunch of pathetic ones makes it boring.”
Geren, who had been the most enthusiastic in slaughtering monsters, sat on the debris and yawned in boredom. Kalintz clicked his tongue at that sight, then looked at me and asked.
“How long will it take to repair?”
“A few hours.”
I stood up and surveyed what was once a magnificent fortress. Now, crushed debris covered everything around.
I recalled the fortress’s appearance as described by the soldiers and as seen on the map, and I began to gradually restore it using my skills.
“Crafting. Crafting. Crafting. Crafting. Crafting. Crafting. Crafting…”
It wouldn’t have been surprising if my voice became hoarse from chanting the incantation, but with the power the Phoenix’s Blessing granted me, my throat remained fine.
“…That’s a sight to behold.”
“When did you arrive?”
“I just got here. Need any help?”
“Could you cast some purification magic? I feel all grimy.”
“Got it.”
With the incantation of ‘Clean,’ my body felt fresh as if I had just bathed and changed clothes.
Now, that feels refreshing. I glanced over at Kalintz and Geren, who were asking for magic to be cast on them, then resumed my task.
In about two days, the order of knights led by the archbishop would arrive, so I just had to set up a base before then.
“Crafting, crafting, crafting…”
Maybe I’ll ask the Empire for some reconstruction funds afterward.
With silly thoughts in mind, I set to work on rebuilding the fortress.
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