Black Iron Magician

Chapter 489 National Border Fortress

――――The 82nd day of training.

The borders of the Elderado Great Empire, which are always at war with many other countries, are without exception fortified to prevent the invasion of enemies from the outside. In particular, on the border with Carmine, there is a fortress built with the best of Elderado’s technology, and the troops assigned to it are all strong. In addition, this impregnable fortress is commanded by the 『Steel General』 Galesse, one of the eight most powerful generals in the empire. He is an immortal veteran who always survives on the battlefield even though he always fights boldly. His fighting style is specialized for close combat with a large spear, shield, and heavy armor, and there are very few people in the empire who can break his protection. Many say that Galesse is the strongest in terms of pure physical strength alone. Therefore, those with a warrior’s temperament admire him and make him a great goal.

「………」

Since the war with Carmine began, Galesse’s daily routine has been to stand at the lookout point of the fortress. Galesse advised that he would personally lead the defense of the fortress in order to be at the forefront of the war. Titos agreed, believing that Galesse would be the best man for the job and would raise the morale of his hot-blooded soldiers. After receiving official permission from the emperor, Galesse quickly moved to the area, riding an earth dragon. All this was done so that he could personally deal a death blow to Carmine, who had offered them ridiculous conditions. Galesse, filled with resentment, has been waiting for the war to begin ever since he arrived at the fortress.

「………」

「Look, Galesse-sama himself is watching over the enemy territory. I wonder what is he thinking with that stern expression.」

「It’s obvious. He is raising his own morale by imagining himself fighting enemies so that he will have no problem whenever and however the enemy arrives. When you are a soldier of my level, you can see the aura emanating from his body through his armor. Still, it’s amazing…. That aura is both intense and calm. I can feel that he’s watching the whole battlefield so that he won’t miss a single thing.」

「Yeah. His gaze, which is looking at the impure land of Carmine, will shake the enemy and give us courage. Several days have passed since the designated date of the war, yet there has been no change on Carmine’s side. This is a huge disappointment, and would normally be enough to lower our morale. However, with Galesse-sama keeping a daily watch on the enemy territory like this, we can always keep in mind that this is the worst battlefield. In fact, the original watchmen seem to be training more intensely so as not to lose to him.」

「He is a true commander. All right, it’s a break time, but let’s train hard!」

「Hey, Galesse-sama always says that excessive training like in the imperial capital is poisonous to the body, you know? But well, I’m in the mood for it now. I’ll keep you company for a while!」

The soldiers in the fortress saw Galesse and increased their fighting spirit against Carmine. Strangely enough, this had an impact on the entire fortress that greatly exceeded Deris’s expectations. But Galesse himself――

(…… Heeey! When the hell will they come!? It’s already half of the promised date, you know!? Did I get the date wrong!? No, that’s impossible! I’ve confirmed it many times with my subordinates! I’ve even sent a message to the capital! What the hell was my winning strategy for!? I was making adjustments until the very last minute while traveling by the earth dragon…! I was planning to end this immediately without worrying about such details as the one-week time limit…! By why are the enemies not showing!? According to the rules, the starting point must be beyond the border. If so, the only starting point would be here. After all, this is the only land that borders Elderado Great Empire and Carmine. …… Ah! C-Could it be that there’s another border that I don’t know about? Could it be that the territory has expanded without my knowledge? I’ve been thinking only about this place and I haven’t considered other possibilities, but is that possible? N-No, I’m bad with study, but I’m well versed in military studies. Of course, I have a perfect grasp of the geography of Elderado as well…. B-But just in case, let’s check it out. It would be awkward to ask my subordinates about our own territory, so I should try to contact the imperial capital secretly. Yeah, that’s a good idea. As long as I ask it as casually as possible whether there is any possibility that Vakala’s subordinates will appear in other places, my reputation won’t be damaged. Let’s ask it like a dandy who’s concerned about the situation…. Umu, that’s a good idea! Let’s do it when it’s a restroom break! Alright…!)

――was the one who was most confused in this fortress. I guess you could say that he was the one caught up in Deris’s strategy the most. On the outside, it looks like he is glaring at the enemy territory and waiting for a fight, but inside, he has mixed feelings that lead to his agitation. Every day, he was staring at the enemy territory only because he wasn’t able to pierce his spear, and he was just looking for a place to vent his frustration.

It was really only a coincidence that he was able to keep his men calm and morale up, and still maintain the best possible fighting stance. But well, Galesse is often misunderstood in this way and his image is formed mostly because of misunderstanding, so in a way, it’s his ability.

「… Hey, you there.」

「Y-Yes! Do you need something, Galesse-sama?」

「I’m going to the restroom for a while. I’m going to go take care of something for a while. In the meantime, keep an eye on the enemy territory, okay?」

「U-Understood! I will do it even if it cost my life!」

With a look that overwhelmed anyone who saw him, Galesse left the place to the watchman and quickly headed for the communication room of the fortress. However, if he walked too fast, the others would think that he couldn’t hold it anymore for the toilet. Therefore, he walked in a dignified manner.

「Hey, connect it to the capital. It’s an urgent matter.」

Upon arriving at the communication room, Galesse instructed the communication staff to do so. Long-distance communication via a special magic item can only be used by a very limited number of people in this fortress. The only person who can use it is Galesse, who is the general in charge of the fortress, and the other Great Eight Generals. Upon receiving the instruction, the communication staff activated the magic item and transmitted magic power to the capital.

「Galesse-sama, it’s connected.」

「Umu.」

Galesse picked up the receiver and began to think about the person he should ask.

(The best thing to do here is to connect to Ernest, I think? He is still in the castle as an adviser and His Majesty’s escort, and he has more knowledge than anyone else. He sometimes thinks unnecessary things because of his quick-wittedness, but he’s a good person. I think it’s better to ask him than the others.)

Galesse was satisfied with his thought.

「It’s Galesse. There’s an urgent matter, so get Ernest――」

「――Ernest is busy right now. I will listen to it instead.」

Galesse’s satisfied expression froze. The voice that came from the receiver was not the voice of the castle’s communication staff, but the voice of a familiar woman.

「T-That voice, Acerola!?」

「Yes, it’s me. I was about to communicate with another place, but it was connected to your place. Not only the mood, but you can’t read the timing too, huh? So, what is it? Just say it quickly. I’m the same Great Eight Generals, so it won’t be a problem, right?」

「No, you see…」

It was messed up.