Chapter 310

Chapter 310 - Lightning Surge

This marks my third visit to the Dwarf Mountains. The previous two times I'd descended into nothing but dark basalt wastelands, but this time was different.

After we arrived and the castle gates opened, I could hear birds chirping. We had landed deeper inside than the eastern border outpost where the Dwarves used to stand guard.

Perhaps worried about the shock of teleportation, the stone blocks they'd outsourced were piled up at a considerable distance.

"Rampage? If I recall correctly, there used to be a path leading up the hill over there."

"It seems His Majesty had the road cleared so you could transport them more easily."

The Dwarf King had excavated the center of the hill to carve out a road four meters wide. Even though it was a small hill, I could imagine how many hours of shoveling had gone into it, and I felt for the effort.

"The old man doesn't do things halfway."

"Stone was always a headache. We couldn't just throw it away--there was so much stockpiled and the quality was good. But leaving it took up space and nobody was buying. Even selling it cheaply didn't cover shipping costs."

"Were you perhaps hoping I'd build a few more bridges?"

"Maybe. Who else would come all the way to these mountains to buy stone besides Your Excellency?"

Gold and silver could be sold anytime. But the chance to sell stone was a gift from God.

Britainia's Thames River stretched 370 kilometers in length, cutting across more than half the south. Two bridges could hardly handle the traffic.

With the road cleared and transport made easy, Eugene couldn't help but feel tempted. It was, apart from being a gesture of goodwill toward a customer, also a sales pitch that lured him into building a third and fourth bridge.

"Welcome! I've been eagerly awaiting your arrival, Count."

"I'm glad to see you looking well."

The Dwarf King welcomed Eugene warmly, yet his eyes never left the box the Hammer Brothers were carrying.

"Here, the payment as promised."

When the lid opened, it was filled with gold and silver coins. They were packed in cases with indentations for groups of ten, making them easy to count.

"Oh my! To pull out money the moment we exchange greetings. Has our relationship really been that dry?"

"Is there something unsatisfactory?"

The other party was a king, but Eugene spoke comfortably.

Perhaps it was because he'd traveled the world and accumulated so many tangible and intangible assets? Both Eugene and the Dwarf King accepted it naturally.

"Of course I like it! Isn't this straightforwardness the very beauty of a conquering king? A virtue that weak kings who've only held a pen their whole lives could never follow."

"It's only been a little over four months, but I imagine Your Majesty has had your share of headaches as well."

The Dwarves of Khazad-dor were overjoyed by the unprecedented bulk order of stone. The problem was that it would be stockpiled on the eastern side of the mountain range.

-Putting it on the Black Wastes side? Not the western valley?

-Has His Majesty been swindled?

The craftsmen, who had shut themselves off from the world's affairs and only swung pickaxes in their underground kingdom, couldn't help but feel uneasy.

-It's not just one or two of us who've seen that magic castle disappear.

-Everyone says so, so I'll believe it for now, but it's such an outlandish story.

-Think about the achievements that follow him. Would a knight who values honor so highly break his word?

-The achievements were just as outrageous as the castle, weren't they?

-Well...

-...?

It was no easy feat to make those who hadn't seen it with their own eyes understand Eugene and his castle. Even if the king guaranteed it.

-Just trust the hammer-wielding fellows' judgment. A knight who follows him that devotedly wouldn't break his oath.

Somehow they reached an agreement, but the unease lingered. After all, since the Dwarves had settled in these mountains, that location had never seen a single shipment of goods.

With multiple Dwarves casting anxious glances toward the east several times a day, even the king couldn't help but worry. It was then that Eugene arrived, bringing a measure of relief.

*

A grand banquet was held to honor the distinguished guest. Eugene sat beside the Dwarf King, exchanging stories about the world's affairs--mostly concerning Roman.

"Have you heard anything about House Morad? I haven't gotten proper news since they returned during the civil war."

The Groja Khanate's 3,000-strong cavalry, instigated by Gaius, had invaded House Morad's territory.

"I heard they successfully repelled them, but the damage was severe. It was the eldest son, Timothy, who was defending the estate while the Count was away on his expedition..."

"Why do I already feel uneasy at the start of this story?"

The Dwarf King nodded and poured beer into Eugene's cup.

"He'd just returned as a prisoner of House Duran after the great defeat at Goldford. As the family's successor, he must have been anxious."

"Even the position of accompanying his father during the civil war had been taken by his younger sister."

"Then when he heard that a barbarian raiding party had entered the territory, he tried to stand against them."

"Oh dear."

Eugene buried his face in his hands.

Count Morad hadn't taken all his vassals with him. Many lords had remained in the territory for various reasons, including logistics and defense.

In the emergency of the nomads' invasion, with cries for help coming from all directions, Timothy rallied the remaining vassals and marched out.

It was hard to criticize this as being blinded by ambition. If he'd cowered in such a situation, the resentment from the lords whose estates had been destroyed would have been immense.

"I understand where Lord Timothy was coming from, but he should have held back. Even if it was shameful and drew criticism, he should have held out as long as possible and waited for Count Morad's main force to arrive."

"How extensive was the damage?"

"Every single knight escorting him, including Timothy himself, was killed in action, and his unit was scattered."

Hearing the details of the battle, there was a part of this where Timothy had some grounds for grievance.

Timothy, believing failure was absolutely not an option, pushed his spies and scouts to their limits in an intelligence war.

-Lord Timothy. After trampling Ganam Village, they headed west. They're clearly targeting Minoc Village.

God helps those who help themselves? By sheer luck, he successfully predicted the Groja cavalry's route.

-Leave the infantry behind. Give the knights and cavalry two spoonfuls of coffee each.

Coffee was a precious luxury. Even knights could hardly come by it except at the banquets of wealthy nobles, let alone the commoner men-at-arms.

With so little tolerance for caffeine, the beverage produced an awakening effect comparable to drugs.

As a result of the forced march with only knights and cavalry, he successfully ambushed the Groja warriors who were pillaging the village.

-Strike them down! Kill them all!

-[Expletives]! [Expletives]!

In such ambushes, cavalry was far more vulnerable than infantry.

Infantry could somehow fight even in situations of "Oh no! The enemy is here!" as long as they gathered their equipment and formed up. The Gord warriors were famously good at handling such situations.

But cavalry couldn't do that. War horses drank over 20 liters of water a day, so wells couldn't sustain them.

At the point where they halted for pillaging, some were taken to water sources, some were released to graze in meadows, and some were gathered in a suitable clearing for inspection.

If ambushed at such a moment, there was no answer.

-Are those lunatics?

-They've already finished preparations for retreat?!

Yet the warriors of the Groja Khanate pulled it off. As befitting nomads born and raised on horseback, they successfully retreated.

The warriors who remained in the rear even looped nooses around the villagers' necks and tied them to their saddles as they galloped away.

-Please spare us!

-Neighhhhh!

No matter how little knights valued commoners, they couldn't bring themselves to strike and trample them in pursuit.

-Leave these barbarians in the field!

-Congratulations on the victory.

They had cut down about 100 nomad warriors, and the enemy had abandoned the spoils they'd plundered from the north and central regions in their flight. This could reasonably be called a victory.

Timothy dispatched additional scouts and let his exhausted horses rest. He also distributed the recovered spoils as rewards to commend the knights and cavalry who had followed on the forced march.

The problem was that the Groja warriors, thought to have fled, launched a counterattack. And they'd gone around both sides to avoid the scouts.

This was only possible for an army that maintained three to four remounts per soldier and could switch horses mid-march.

-You must retreat immediately.

Now the situation was reversed. But the settled people's cavalry couldn't respond as swiftly as the nomadic cavalry.

"And so Lord Timothy was destroyed. Afterward, the Groja warriors changed into the dead knights' armor, raised their banners, and put Lord Timothy at the front."

"Don't tell me they used that to ambush the infantry following behind?"

The Dwarf King nodded.

"With Timothy and the knights returning with banners waving, how do you think the infantry responded? They mustered a show of respect for their lord and were swept away."

Afterward, Timothy was put in a sack and trampled to death by hooves. However, this was not meant as an insult. It was said to be the Khanate's own etiquette for killing without spilling noble blood.

After Count Morad arrived and with the support of the centaurs, they managed to drive the enemy out, but that was as far as it went. The damage was too great to pursue.

Afterward, the Groja Khanate's cavalry reportedly ravaged a few more devastated central regions before returning to their homeland.

"Count Morad must be deeply distressed. I should send a letter of condolence and a gift as well."

"Is that really necessary?"

"Of course. It's the duty of a vassal."

The Dwarf King choked on his beer in a violent cough. As startled attendants rushed over, the Dwarf King waved them off.

"I'm fine. It's nothing. The Count... cough! made such an outrageous joke that I choked."

Eugene casually picked at the food, and once the Dwarf King's coughing subsided, he asked further.

"How are things between the central and southern regions? The ceasefire treaty is so harsh that I'm quite uneasy."

"They haven't been enforcing the treaty. It seems the news of Lord Timothy's death was also a shock to the southern nobles."

This was the incident where the heir to the Great Western Lord was killed by barbarians who had invaded his own home. On the great steppes of Roman's northeast, ten or twenty times as many various nomadic tribes lurked.

With Roman weakened by civil war and the Groja Khanate having taken a hefty bite, a second or third wave of nomadic raiders could come knocking at any time.

"So they've joined hands for now as a precaution against further nomadic invasions."

"The new King of Roman also deserves much credit for mediating between both sides."

"Still, burying the grudges from a brutal civil war couldn't have been easy."

"King Damien enthusiastically relayed rumors he'd heard from trade caravans traveling the east. Apparently, a powerful conqueror has appeared on the great steppes. They say he's already unified several tribes."

Eugene, who had been drinking his beer, froze on the spot.

"Count?"

"...I got nervous. That's frightening news."

"The Count, who fears nothing in the world? You've gotten much better at joking! It's a good quality for a ruler."

The Dwarf King chuckled heartily and slapped Eugene on the back.

"Those primitive nomads kill each other over a single sheep and carry on feuds across generations. One tribe devouring another is routine, and even when they occasionally grow larger, it amounts to nothing. Once the leader dies, they all scatter again. And their lifespans aren't even that long."

"Do you think King Damien was exaggerating to rally the nobles?"

"Using external threats as a pretext to tighten internal control is an essential skill of kings, isn't it? I use it often myself. Merchants traveling distant trade routes are always prone to exaggeration. I believe King Damien made good use of it."

With a still-serious expression, Eugene asked again.

"They're not also good at putting ships on the water, are they?"

"A great many nomads consider saltwater the devil's water and won't go near it."

"That's a relief. I lock down the sea, and Your Majesty locks down the mountains. As long as they don't come out, we're fine."

"Oho ho ho! Enough with those inappropriate jokes!"

Eugene had toppled monsters that required national-scale responses, like the Lamia Queen and the Hydra.

Whether in duels with illustrious knights or in battles between armies, he was victorious every time. Even when isolated by a foreign conspiracy, he single-handedly annihilated a demon army and ended the civil war.

Historically, no knight had ever achieved such glory, so it was incomprehensible why he would be nervous over mere barbarians.

Having heard enough stories, it was now Eugene's turn. The Dwarf King, with a face full of curiosity, pried into all manner of things about the New World.

Naturally, the first question was predetermined.

"Did you really find a gold mine there?"

Eugene produced a one-kilogram gold ingot from inside his coat and placed it before the Dwarf King.

"It took four days."

"..."

It took quite a long time before the Dwarf King asked his next question.

"There are no cities there and not much entertainment, so how does everyone spend their leisure time?"

"There's a large cat-folk settlement called the Divide. It's large enough for meaningful exchange. Besides, hot springs and the sea are nearby, and everyone loves soccer, so they don't seem bored."

The Dwarves' 11-on-11 soccer was full of excitement. They all had low centers of gravity and, while unable to ride horses, were naturally gifted in footwork. On top of that, they were a famously sturdy race.

From defenders to strikers, they all used mortar-style dribbling and engaged in fierce physical clashes, making it an absolute thrill to watch.

Occasionally, a few of the befriended cat-folk would join in, and every time, heated words were exchanged.

-That's cowardly!

-Fight fair and square head-on!

Aerial header tactics using height were considered cowardly.

"Kahaha!"

With every anecdote he heard, the Dwarf King laughed until tears streamed down his face. Everything felt wondrous to him.

*

After enjoying the banquet thoroughly for a full day, Eugene immediately made preparations to depart.

"What, you're leaving already? I still have so much I want to talk about!"

"It's been a long time since I've seen my wife."

The Dwarf King, who had a political marriage like any other king, couldn't understand. As a king, he was as gracious as an oasis, but as a husband, he was a desert at night.

"Come to think of it, I heard you two still don't have children. Each day together must be all the more precious."

"It has nothing to do with duty."

The face Eugene showed in that instant was that of a beast beyond all savagery.

"Whether it's the result or the process, it's the most enjoyable thing in the world."

There existed one being that could bring even the fearless, invincible Eugene to his knees. It was the beast called desire.

Only Varda's lips and touch could drive it away.

"Conception with a half-fairy is said to be difficult, but I'm not worried at all. I'm confident that joyful news will arrive before long."

The Dwarf King looked at Eugene's burning eyes and nodded.

The bond between the Fairy Princess and the Wandering Castle Lord was famous throughout the world. Seeing Eugene lose some of his composure ahead of their reunion, he realized those rumors had not been exaggerated.

"Your Excellency the Count, please come again anytime!"

"There's no one in this world who carves stone better than us!"

Eugene departed amid the passionate send-off of the Khazad-dor Dwarves.

"Take it slow~! Take it slow~!"

"Bring more sand and spread it on this dirt. Otherwise it'll turn to mud and get slippery."

Having received advance notice, his subordinates had mobilized hundreds of cattle and horses to load the stone. All of them were grinning as they imagined people's reactions when they returned to Britainia.

While many lords imposed heavy taxes to fund wars, Eugene consistently maintained low taxes, and when he returned from expeditions, exotic goods flooded the market.

Thanks to this, a unique culture had emerged in Britainia by now.

Flash!

"He's here! The Count is here!"

"Contact the guild at once!"

It was a phenomenon where all markets would dramatically activate upon spotting the great lightning. The people joyfully welcoming their lord's return of their own accord, without anyone having to mobilize them, was a bonus.

Historically, such a ruler had never existed before.