315 - Mobile Fortress
"I did say it. I said it would be nice to have something convenient, like a big porter, where you could sleep and stay. I said it, but... have some restraint, Damian."
The Allied Forces were gathering in Lufence one after another.
The place they had prepared was a wide-open plaza, or rather a grassland, but now a large town had been built there. Many tents stood in rows, and among them were merchants doing business and troupes performing arts.
In one corner, dozens of large porters created by Damian were lined up. They were custom-made items that used magic ore for power in order to transport massive amounts of luggage. It was a fact that transportation had become much easier thanks to the porters.
Damian, with a staff disproportionate to his small body slung over both shoulders, was yawning while looking at a particularly large porter.
"It wasn't me. Well, I helped with the design. I collaborated with the automatons on the power source and things like that, but the one who came up with the idea was old man Ratata."
I turned my gaze toward old man Ratata, who was holding tools and giving instructions to his disciples. He gave me a thumbs-up and a smile.
"It's a man's romance. A moving fortress is just too cool."
It was certainly cool.
—No, that's not the point!
"How much money did you spend? I mean, how could you make something like this within that tight schedule?"
Damian looked uninterested in my question.
"Why not? I call it a fortress, but in reality, it's a mobile workshop. Maintenance for automatons, maintenance and manufacture of armaments. Other than that, it just has cannons attached."
Looking up at the small mobile fortress, I saw the surrounding soldiers staring up at it with their mouths agape, and I didn't even feel like scolding them.
Damian smiled.
"There are rooms for Lariel and the others too. Though they're narrow. Also, I can prepare a stage so it stands out. Like this."
As Damian raised his staff, the Mobile Fortress slowly began to move. A stage indeed rose at the front, making it prominent.
Damian slung his staff over his shoulder.
"That's the thing, right? Lariel's combat style is basically defensive, so I think this, which can set up a position immediately, will be useful."
Looking up at the Mobile Fortress, I said,
"Whether it's useful or not, first of all, the consumption of magic ore—"
Old man Ratata interrupted with a smile.
"Listen. Do you see that chimney? That's the power source; I made it so that you throw magic stones in there and it moves with the power of steam. It's not cost-effective, but since it's not our money anyway, I figured it was fine to push the limits."
"...That payment, isn't that me? Am I not the one with the final obligation to pay!?"
Damian and old man Ratata averted their eyes from me. These guys sacrificed me for the sake of their own romance. This is bad. These two are a set that must not be left alone.
Damian and old man Ratata said in thin voices,
"...We responded properly to the requests."
"U-um. We responded perfectly. We made other things properly too."
These guys don't get it.
"You didn't respond to my requests regarding the financial aspect at all! What is this, just when I thought things were getting a bit better, it ends up being this!"
The ones who rushed over at my shout were Unit One, Unit Two, and Unit Three. They were clad in blue armor more luxurious than before. The clothes they wore were white; if someone called them Valkyries, I'd probably be convinced. The binders also had more of a wing-like feel than before.
Well, the insides are far too hopeless, though.
"Oh, so we were over budget after all. Well, we knew that would happen."
When Unit One, who apparently knew, said that, Unit Two and Unit Three also nodded.
If you knew, tell me.
"You guys, I'm giving you a punishment later."
Then, the three of them looked at me with relaxed smiles, and Unit One spoke as the representative. With an expression that looked almost joyful.
"Punishment! That... is what we have been waiting for!"
It's no use. There's really no one here but hopeless people.
Then, Vera walked toward me. Behind her were sailors carrying guns and luggage.
"Vera? Why are you in a place like this?"
Vera pointed at the Mobile Fortress.
"Because I'm the investor for that. Actually, it was supposed to be my father, but at this rate, he was going to make Lariel take on a considerable amount of debt, so I handled it on this end. Besides, this is basically a land ship, right? If so, we're better suited to operate it. The power source is similar, too."
Come to think of it, Vera's ship had a similar power source. If you put magic stones into the furnace, I believe that's how it—.
"Eh? You're coming too? No, it's dangerous—"
"It's dangerous for everyone. Besides, I'm used to rough business, and the other members are all technicians and amateurs when it comes to operation."
Old man Ratata crossed his arms and nodded.
"Well, that's true. But I didn't think the little lady would come."
Vera let out a sigh.
"I have no intention of letting anyone else take this. Well, if I think of it as a land ship, I'm interested. I mean, the scale is quite large."
Vera looked around, surprised by the scale. But even this wasn't everything. Armies were gathering in other locations as well.
The main force where I was. And two separate detachments. With three armies, the total would likely exceed two hundred thousand. In addition to the four-nation alliance, the number had swelled by absorbing deserters and bandits.
"One hundred thousand in the main force. The others are two armies of fifty thousand each. I left one to Baldoa and the other to Maxim-san."
"Oh, that's unexpected. What about General Broa?"
"I'll leave the command to him in the main force. I mean, basically, the eastern part will just be a march, so there probably won't be any major battles until Central moves."
That's right... the defeat of the Walt family is paying off now. After all, among the territorial nobles, there is no lord who possesses a military force capable of fighting properly against the current me.
Even if they tried to fight together, if you ask whether the lords could gather and fight properly, the answer is "no." There's the reason that they can't serve under someone else due to their pride, but the biggest problem is that they cannot gather enough soldiers to oppose an army of two hundred thousand.
Banseime was considerably weakened.
"According to Launo-san's investigation, those who could make a proper judgment have already defected to our side. After all, the Banseime royal family in Central isn't moving at all. Even when they seek aid, there's no sign of them moving."
Damian, who had been listening, said uninterestedly,
"Aren't there lords without judgment? Look, there are probably quite a few people who think they just need to side with whoever wins in the end."
Vera also nodded.
"That's true. There are people who can't read the flow. There are quite a few even among the nobility."
I said to those two,
"I'm spreading the word that they should make it clear which side they're on. In fact, there are people who joined us after hearing those rumors, or people who managed to escape. To remain undecided even then is just wrong, right? Sorry, but your lands and assets will be confiscated. Well, unless there's a reason they couldn't move. But there are houses where the head is absent and the heir isn't even ten years old, yet they joined us."
Compared to such houses, what is it about deciding to be a fence-sitter even though the head is present? And there was another troublesome problem.
There were many people aiming to do what Banseime did when Agrissa was defeated. In other words, people trying to sell themselves at a high price to me.
However, the period for selling oneself at a truly high price has ended.
I smiled.
"Well, since I want land after the victory, I'll have the decent lords disappear. Even with a rough calculation, giving away Beime and Lufence wouldn't be enough. If I break it down too much, I won't be able to compete with other countries, my authority will thin, and I won't be able to keep them in check."
Vera looked at me.
"You're quite dry in those areas. Looking at you normally, it seems like you'd be prone to sentimentality."
I recalled a bit of the past.
"A lot happened and I grew out of it. Well, I like beautiful words, but both Celes and I have bought too many grudges. I want to process those things and hand them over to the next generation without problems."
Regardless, I wanted to secure a solid foundation. For that purpose, there are many obstructive lords.
Old man Ratata looked at me.
"Big brother, you're quite a villain."
I smiled.
"That's not right. Because I am... a great villain who will leave his name in history. Well, if I win, I'm a hero."
After all, to ensure that it's not just Banseime and us who are exhausted, I'm involving the entire continent in the decisive battle.
—Launo had infiltrated Banseime.
The location was a town ruled by the territorial nobles of Banseime, and he was meeting up with his subordinates at a tavern. Speaking of taverns, they usually bustle at night, but from the food served and the fewness of the surrounding customers, Launo sensed that Banseime was considerably exhausted.
One of the subordinates disguised as a traveler looked around.
"Everywhere is desolate. Moreover, the food served is terrible."
On the plate was a thin soup and a small piece of bread. Additionally, only a few snacks for the alcohol were placed on the plate.
The ones pretending to be traveling performers were a pair of elves. If they were elves, they wouldn't be suspected even while traveling, and they were two who volunteered after hearing they could become knights.
"According to my kin, it's the same everywhere."
"However, Central seems somehow eerie. Even if customers gather when songs are sung, it's as if there's no vitality... moreover, there seems to be no liveliness at all. According to that person, it's like the fire went out. It seemed so eerie that they fled immediately."
Launo organized the gathered information.
"No matter which route we take, there are only problems. Food shortages are also severe. There are too many places that won't be able to survive the winter."
While worrying, Launo was thinking of something even more troublesome internally.
(Even so, what is the reason the lords, who don't seem to be charmed by Celes, are obeying Banseime?)
There were territories that were charmed by Celes and declared total resistance. But conversely, there were many territories that refused to obey Lariel even though Celes wasn't involved. He felt it was different from a sense of justice or the fact that Lariel was from the same Walt family as Celes.
Launo said to his subordinates,
"Finally, we'll go as far as Darion. That's where we're scheduled to assemble."
Seeing his subordinates nod, Launo worried about the situation in Darion, the final destination—.
—Clara, who was leading the transport unit, was twitching her eyebrows at the sight before her.
The wild yams gathered in North Banseime were stuffed into wooden boxes as much as possible. They were troublesome yams full of vitality that would continue to increase if left alone.
In places where human hands don't reach, they can exist in massive quantities. In managed places, they are disposed of moderately.
The reason wild yams couldn't be obtained in Banseime could be said to be because there were few such places. However, once the buying of wild yams began in North Banseime, the people of Beime searched for and brought back massive amounts of wild yams.
It was a reaction typical of the people of Beime, whose ability to act differs once they realize it becomes money.
And, looking at that mountain of wild yams, Adele, who had declared she would provide the funds, had a pale face.
"...It's true that things have been chaotic since last year, but I never imagined there would be this many. What should I do. The finances... we've secured food, but the finances..."
Next to Adele was a person who shouldn't be in this place—Maxim.
"It's alright, Adele-sama. I, Maxim, shall recover funds from those who agree to the exchange of food."
Adele looked at Maxim.
"I'm counting on you, Maxim. Otherwise, the funds are already..."
Clara looked at the two of them.
"I'm not in a position to say this, but since it's a parting before a great battle, couldn't you move further away from money? Besides, this mountain of wild yams... even though the preliminary processing has been done, aren't they quite tasteless?"
Adele and Maxim, who were holding hands, turned toward Clara.
"This is the result of thinking about the solution to the food problem. Since we can survive the winter with this, isn't it fine? It's far better than starving to death."
"That's right, Clara-dono. This is a great achievement for Adele-sama."
Clara pushed up her glasses slightly, her lenses glinting.
"...The soldiers are depressed, thinking that this will be their food. You explained it properly, right? Morale is dropping."
Adele froze with an "Eh!?" expression, then looked toward Maxim with awkward movements. Maxim shook his head.
"I have received no instructions. I mean, as a general problem, isn't this under the jurisdiction of Lariel-dono or Rianne-dono?"
Clara looked at Adele.
"I heard that Adele-san would take responsibility for the wild yam matter. I was worried because no notification ever came, and... you've gone and done it, haven't you."
To the cold-sweating Adele, Clara smiled.
"That's why you're called the degraded Rianne."
Then, Adele shouted at Clara.
"You're the one saying that! Listen, I'm busy with the management and reconstruction of Beime!"
Maxim also moved to support Adele.
"That's right! Adele-sama is busy!"
However, Clara laughed through her nose.
"Rianne-san manages Lufence while also looking at the overall picture, though. Well, please do your best. Also, won't you finally notice the atmosphere around you? Even though the decisive battle is near, you've come this far in a subtle relationship... just get married or something already. Baldoa-san has already had a simple ceremony with Alette-san."
Hearing that, Maxim began to panic. Thinking that it's not cute for a giant man to act like that, Clara looked at Adele.
Then, Adele tilted her head.
"...Who is marrying whom?"
By saying that, she sank Maxim. While completely put off, Clara approached Maxim.
"Do your best. I'm rooting for you. Also, Ludmilla-san is trying to arrange a bride for Maxim-san. Please be careful."
Maxim, in a state of having collapsed to his knees on the ground, said to Clara,
"...I-I'll do my best."
...was what he said.