Giant Caterpillar

After allying with the demons, the kingdoms neighboring the Heinkel Kingdom massed their armies along the border to isolate and blockade it.

They advanced slowly, forming a ring around the kingdom, and now it looked as though they were surrounding the capital of the Heinkel Kingdom.

The largest of them was, naturally, the Arken Empire.

Three legions were mobilized for this operation, and mercenary bands hoping to claim their share joined them as well.

Thus, a total force of 100,000 had gathered—a number too large for even most kingdoms to match by mobilizing their entire armies.

With so many troops gathered, their forward base was extraordinary as well.

The barracks meant for temporary lodging had been built with sturdy timber and bricks, and they had even dug wells and built roads, making the place suitable for use as a village even after the war.

The Empire had invested so much that it would not be an exaggeration to say they had come with the sole intention of claiming this land for themselves.

“King Heodret proposed an alliance?”

Ureas sat in the operations command post while the commanders continued to report using the markers placed on the map.

“Yes. He has already formed an alliance with the surrounding nations and is requesting that the Empire join as well.”

“He proposed that, since this is not a war between humans but a war between humans and demons, it will be difficult unless we unite and commit our full strength. He suggested that we set aside our respective interests and focus solely on the war.”

Ureas snorted.

“Ha! It’s an obvious ploy. After shamelessly gobbling up the Duchy of Yurei, saying we should set aside our interests means he intends to swallow the capital too, doesn’t it?”

“I doubt that was his only intention.”

“How many of those cowards in this so-called alliance have banded together?”

“Their actual military strength is 50,000.”

“Are you certain of that number?”

“Yes. Our scouts counted every one of them to arrive at that figure.”

The Empire also had an enormous force of 100,000 troops in total, but only 40,000 of them were actual combatants, leaving them with far fewer troops than the allied army.

“There are only three neighboring kingdoms, aren’t there? Surely they wouldn’t launch an all-out war just to beat down a single demon. How did they come up with so many troops?”

“The surrounding nations aren’t going to sit idle, after all.”

A woman’s voice, out of place amid the sweat and tobacco fumes filling the command post.

The imperial princess, Olivia Arken, was also taking part in the meeting.

She had shed her splendid dress and jewelry and was wearing armor instead.

Her current position was head of the Altesin relief corps.

She was responsible for caring for the wounded and handling support from the rear.

“This war has a clear just cause, and they also want to prevent another enemy from running rampant under the pretext of this incident.”

“By ‘another enemy,’ you don’t mean us, do you?”

“Yes, that’s right. They see us as gluttonous monsters that do nothing but devour them indiscriminately.”

“That comes as no surprise.”

Ureas genuinely intended to do exactly that.

He planned to condemn the weakness of the Heinkel Kingdom for joining hands with the demons, win a crushing victory, and then seize most of the capital’s resources.

Was that all?

He also planned to interfere in the domestic affairs of the surrounding nations, claiming there was no guarantee that they would not ally themselves with the demons.

Nothing could better serve Ureas in winning support at home while building his own reputation.

“What do you think, Sister? How should we get out of this situation?”

“I think it would be best to join the allied army and form a united front. If we did that, wouldn’t the surrounding nations’ suspicions ease somewhat?”

“Hmm…….”

Ureas quietly looked down at the map and ran a simulation in his head.

When he imagined twelve nations joining the war and dividing up the spoils, they would already be in the red based solely on the resources they could obtain.

Ureas hated suffering losses more than anything.

Wasn’t there a better way?

It was then.

“General.”

A sentry from outside came in to report.

“Count Rooster has arrived and is waiting.”

“Let him in.”

A moment later, a huge man with a sturdy build entered and offered a greeting.

“I greet His Highness the Second Prince and Her Highness the Imperial Princess. Count Oldin Rooster presents himself. By order of Grand Duke Golt, I have joined the front with the Eleventh Legion.”

“Thank you for coming, Lord Rooster. I was just in a bit of a difficult situation, so perhaps we can reach an understanding.”

Oldin Rooster, a battle-hardened hero.

A man who had earned Valdemar’s trust by proving himself through sheer loyalty and prowess.

Ureas liked him, thinking they shared something in common.

Olivia also greeted him.

“Welcome, Lord Rooster. Is Grand Duke Golt not taking part in the war?”

“The Grand Duke is advanced in years, so he did not participate in this battle. I came in his place.”

“Is that so? When I last saw him, he seemed to be in good health, but I suppose age has begun to weigh on him.”

Count Rooster stared intently at Olivia as he spoke.

“The Grand Duke is very worried about Your Highness.”

“About me?”

“He believes it is improper for a woman to be present on a battlefield like this.”

Flowers in a greenhouse should stay in the greenhouse.

His intentions were obvious.

Olivia smiled and answered.

“Being born into nobility means carrying out the obligations that come with it. As someone who inherited golden blood, if I simply sat back and waited to protect only myself when the safety of the continent was at stake, how could that be the conduct of someone who serves a greater cause?”

“You needn’t undertake such a trifling task in your capacity as a princess.”

“At the same time, I am an apprentice saint of the Altesin Church. How could looking after soldiers who risk their lives and supporting them from behind be considered trifling?”

Olivia continued.

“Grand Duke Golt is said to care so deeply for his soldiers, yet he himself has not come to the battlefield. It makes me wonder what sort of greater cause he claims to serve.”

“I was told the Grand Duke’s condition is poor, Princess Olivia. Please do not speak carelessly.”

“Don’t you dare use that tone of voice with her.”

Ureas stepped in front of Rooster as he spoke.

No matter how much he liked the man, he could not stand by and watch him pick a fight with his little sister.

“How dare a lowborn cur bare his fangs at the imperial family, who are as exalted as the heavens? You insolent bastard.”

“…….”

“I don’t like the look in your eyes. Are you planning to commit treason?”

“I am loyal to the Empire.”

“If you are loyal to the Empire, shouldn’t you show even greater loyalty to the Emperor?”

There was not a trace of respect in Count Rooster’s eyes.

He mechanically bowed his head and answered.

“Prince Ureas, you are nothing more than a prince. The position you hold now is merely that of the Emperor’s representative. You cannot become the Emperor.”

“How dare you…….”

“Please stop.”

As the tense atmosphere threatened to erupt, Olivia intervened.

“It feels as though the demons have already begun scheming. Here we are, fighting among ourselves first……. We both let our tempers get the better of us, so let’s bury this matter here. Would that be acceptable, Lord Rooster?”

“I apologize for the discourtesy. I will submit our army’s plans in writing, so please take them into consideration.”

In effect, he was saying that he would not join Ureas’s army.

Count Rooster withdrew, and Ureas’s face turned bright red as he glared at the spot where the man had disappeared and seethed.

If Olivia had not been there, the situation would undoubtedly have exploded into a full-blown conflict.

‘He’s every bit as difficult as I thought.’

If Olivia were asked to name the five talents she had her eye on, Count Rooster would certainly be among them.

He had survived countless battlefields where the survival rate approached zero and was known as a battle-hardened hero, possessing every quality of a true general, from strategy and tactics to personal martial prowess.

But what she valued most of all was his loyalty to Valdemar.

Being both capable and deeply loyal was by no means easy.

‘If only I knew where that loyalty came from.’

Olivia tapped her lips lightly.

She wanted him.

There was nothing she could do, so all she could do was swallow her disappointment.

Still simmering with anger, Ureas shouted for no reason.

“When will the troops promised by the Far East arrive? Why are they taking so long?”

“We did receive word that they would arrive soon, but……. I’m not sure whether that’s possible for an army that set out a week ago……”

“A week ago? Is this really a distance that can be covered in a week?”

Even the nearby Imperial army had taken more than two weeks to arrive here.

Ureas could no longer contain his simmering emotions.

“That fellow Ferda seems intent on making fools of us. I’ll show him how much he’ll regret that choice.”

Olivia sighed inwardly.

‘I’m going to wear myself out soothing this idiot again.’

At that moment, a sentry entered the command tent again and reported.

“Salute. A strange creature believed to be part of the Grand Duchy of Valdrova’s forces is approaching.”

“What do you mean?”

Ureas frowned and glared at the adjutant, and the sentry explained again.

“Well, something with the flag of the Grand Duchy of Valdrova planted on it is heading this way. It looks like a gigantic caterpillar, and there are more than thirty of them.”

“A caterpillar?”

“C-could it be that the Grand Duchy has also joined hands with the demons……?”

“No, it isn’t! It doesn’t appear to have anything to do with the demons. We only saw them bringing along a very unusual creature……!”

The adjutant was babbling as though he had seen a monster.

Olivia stood up, looking frustrated.

“Rather than sitting here fretting, wouldn’t it be better to see it with our own eyes?”

Olivia’s steps were remarkably light as she went to see for herself.

With every step she took, the oppressive air seemed to lighten, as though she could finally breathe freely.

And she thought she understood why the adjutant had called them giant caterpillars.

Their long bodies and the ridges formed by their canvas coverings made them easy to mistake for one.

“What on earth is that?”

The commanders gazed at the object with fear and awe.

At a glance, its structure resembled a wagon.

Yet despite having no horse at its head, it was rolling along smoothly.

Mana would have been the most plausible answer for moving something that large, but its absurd size made one wonder whether it could move at all.

“It’s a magic-powered car.”

Olivia answered.

“A magic-powered car?”

“Yes. I once mentioned making transport equipment using mana stones. I heard they were developing it in Escolleia, but I never expected them to have built this many already.”

Olivia’s face began to light up.

What she saw was a carriage racing toward them between the enormous magic-powered cars.

The carriage stopped in front of Olivia and Ureas, and a man appeared from inside.

Gray hair and blue eyes.

A man with a cold expression that revealed nothing.

A man who, despite his young age, possessed an experience that no one could ignore.

Ferda Valdrova.

He stepped down from the carriage and offered a polite bow.

“I greet His Highness Prince Ureas.”

“You arrived early. I heard you set out a week ago.”

“I apologize for the delay. Since these were made using new technology, they had to be handled carefully, so we marched at a leisurely pace to allow plenty of time.”

“You came at a leisurely pace?”

“That is correct.”

It was impossible to believe.

As someone who had spent a long time on battlefields, Ureas believed such a thing to be impossible.

A week would have been plausible even for a small elite force on a forced march, but with the force Ferda had brought, it should have taken at least three weeks even at a forced march.

‘So that caterpillar-looking thing must be incredibly useful.’

He had coveted the powerful magitech weapons with their overwhelming firepower, and now the magic-powered cars had caught his eye as well.

The others felt the same way.

The procession of magic-powered cars arranged itself in perfect order, and the soldiers inside began pouring out.

Their helmets and armor looked no better than their own.

Instead, they carried something shaped like a staff rather than a long spear.

“Is that the thing that killed the monster with a single shot?”

“How are they supposed to kill a monster with something that looks like that?”

No matter how they looked at them, the soldiers did not seem strong, nor did the infantry seem particularly well trained.

If they attacked right now, the soldiers seemed certain to be helplessly overwhelmed, and the onlookers began looking down on them despite themselves.

Ureas felt the same way.

As he looked over the forces Ferda had brought, he asked him,

“I heard you sent one hundred knights, but there seem to be fewer than one thousand infantry.”

“All of the infantry are tactical infantry. Four hundred were selected and sent here.”

“Are you not going to use cavalry?”

“No. We intend to form a defensive garrison centered entirely around tactical infantry. We judged that to be the most effective approach.”

“So you intend to march over our corpses.”

Ureas gave him a disdainful look.

He already knew that Ferda had volunteered to join because he did not want to hand over the magitech weapons.

“You have nothing to worry about. Even if our army advances defensively, we will never retreat.”

“That remains to be seen. If your vanguard is weak, won’t it all be for nothing?”

“You are correct. That is why we selected our finest knights from the Far East and placed them in the vanguard.”

“Your finest, you say…….”

Ureas glanced toward the knights.

They might have been well known in the Far East, but in the Empire they were nothing more than frogs playing king in a well.

As he scanned the group, his eyes happened to land on a man wearing heavy cavalry armor.

“That one……?”

Ureas was not the only one who saw him.

The other commanders also fixed their gazes on the man.

“That man…….”

“That armor and that enormous club……. There’s only one person who uses weapons like that……. Could it be!?”

Ureas had sought the man out before and offered him a knighthood, only for the man to arrogantly leave without even acknowledging the offer.

Ureas asked Ferda whether that was the man he thought it was.

“Could that be the man known as the Moving Fortress?”