Steel and Mana

Chapter 371 – The Kingdom of Markoth

With autumn arriving, just as the weather changed, so did the most-western part of the continent. Was I surprised? No, not really. Instead, I was glad it was going so smoothly... because I couldn't really push out the idea of something terrible happening to my city, to my people, to those who I was responsible for.

How did I get this far? I just wanted to have a leisurely life. I was already reborn as a noble; life should have been easy. Not that it wasn't, but it was busier than what I actually wanted. They do say the more you reach for, the more responsibility you will have to shoulder. I didn't know that having a harem would also mean I would be in charge of so many lives.

Oh well... I can't actually complain because of how everything snowballed; I somehow became a leading figure, dictating how things are playing out. Coming from a techie to a Sovereign... heh. Thanks, my half-brained dude from 2004, for pushing me off that reincarnation road. I owe you big time.

"What is it?" Merlin asked, looking at me, stopping his report, noticing that my thoughts were drifting elsewhere. "Did I miss something?"

"No. I just reminded myself of where we started... and where we are now."

"I see. Hm... We can still climb higher, My Sovereign."

"But should we?" I asked, shaking my head. I did not want to hear an answer, so I waved my hand, signaling that he should continue reporting the latest changes within the Union.

For months, negotiations had been going on between the newly established council, one that had Matilda Zimmermann as Avalon's senator, and between the new Emperor of Geth. I wasn't surprised that this Attila I was young, barely sixteen, and always came flanked by advisors who spoke for him. Really... he was just a puppet, thrust there to sign contracts as fast as possible so they don't fall behind and could still be considered establishing members of the Union. Credits to him, he stood tall, his youthful face showing actual determination. Maybe he understood it... perhaps it was an act. Not that I really cared. Either way, they were acting exactly as I predicted, and, maybe to their surprise, we were the first to nod for accepting them into the Union.

And they didn't come alone. Besides them, the Kingdom of Moria, mostly nothing but a buffer state between Geth and Sar, also petitioned to join the Union as well. From what I understood, their royalty had both bloodlines from Geth & Sar, and with now being part of the Union... they had all that they needed to finally truly become independent. More than that... They had CC. To put it simply... They had a fuckton of it. I was surprised when they asked for a private meeting with me, and they revealed it...

It guaranteed their independence from both Empires and supplied them, but now, they wanted more than crumbs, and I was willing to pay. Oh... I was. So, building a railway straight into Moria was a must. I just really hoped that if we bore deep, a balrog wouldn't pop up all of a sudden. Hm... who would win? The Balrog or Yuri with the Princess?

"Sovereign?" Merlin asked again, seeing me grin.

"Khm. All is fine! More importantly, how's the Pass?" I asked back, refocusing my thoughts.

"We established lookout platforms on both sides of the mountainside, up to a kilometer away from the Gods' Gate."

"Gods' Gate..." I muttered as it was the codename we gave to the massive formation within it. "Are the ziplines working?"

"The scouts had been trained and can ride it blindfolded." He nodded, continuing to explain.

It was something simple, really. We had multiple posts built up on the mountainside, connected by zip lines between a hundred and five hundred meters long. Those stationed there were keeping an eye out constantly, and if anything was coming through, they could instantly relay it back. If there was too much trouble, they could zipline from one to the other, straight back to the home base if they had to. Of course, it wasn't foolproof; nothing would be... but I also didn't want these posts to be anything but a death sentence to my soldiers. They were too valuable for that.

"With this, we should notice anything that wants to come over way before it reaches the entrance."

"We are also going to see how winter starts," I stated because, indeed, this will be the first time we witness it firsthand. I was... expecting something weird to happen, but I also hoped it wouldn't. "Any input from your old self?"

"Not much. He said that in the winter, the formation becomes traversable for monsters with no repelling force emanating from it. As for us... we can come and go whenever we want. I wonder..."

"Hm? About what?"

"About those we sent on the Walk." He mused, scratching his chin, "How far did they get?"

"Who knows..." I shrugged, shaking my head. "Probably not far."

"There is one more thing." He straightened up, looking at me seriously, making me raise an eyebrow, "I want to make an official request."

"Oh?" I sat up straight, "I'm all ears."

"We should send people over and establish a forward base on the other side, my Sovereign."

"Continue." I nodded, letting him explain it to his heart contents.

"With the Union formed, we could get access to all we need. Ishillia never bothered with it because those resources were needed elsewhere to defend the borders. Now, we can take advantage of our collective non-aggression pact. We can build a second castle straight at the opening of the passage, Leon."

"I also thought about it." I nodded, standing up, walking to my window, and looking out at the cloudy autumn sky. Rain should come soon... "With what we have now, including the Camelot and all the additional mechs... we could guard it."

"If we also implement Galahad's designs, we can build mobile, walking bases."

"True." I chuckled proudly because my son had indeed taken over my spot of designing new toys. "With Moria's CC support, this could be... realized. But I will need to gather the others' support first."

"So... you are not against my suggestion?" He asked, his eyes lighting up.

"No, I am not. Why do you think I invited them over for winter?" I looked back over my shoulder, smiling at him. "There is no better demonstration than facing some hungry monsters."

...

....

......

The Ishillian delegation finally climbed up the final hill, their horses weary from the long journey. They had already forgotten how it was to travel, too used to the trains and their speed. Now, relying on the old caravan-style, it reminded them just how long a journey could take to get somewhere. Without them, the Union that had just been formed couldn't have been maintained. They were sure of it. No wonder Atuvia fell apart after the two long winters... if not for Avalon, they may have never recovered.

And now, they were finally within the borders of their target empire... Markoth. Looking up, the sun hung low in the sky, and most of the delegation expected some kind of border post to stop them, but... everything was empty. Unmanned. Weird. Traveling further in, waiting for the day that a group of soldiers or anyone would stop them and ask what they were doing there, but that never really happened. Duke Alaric, the head of the Ishillian delegation, felt that something was very off. He reined in his horse and surveyed the scene before him, standing atop the hill. His gray eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of crumbling stone walls, overgrown fields, and the faint outlines of abandoned villages in the distance. Once again... only ruins. No humans... no animals either.

"By the gods," Lady Sephane, his second-in-command, murmured, her voice barely above an audible whisper. She adjusted the hood of her traveling cloak, her usually composed demeanor shaken to its core. "This... this can't be because of the ongoing rebellion, can it?"

"No... I don't think it is..." Alaric nodded grimly. The Empire of Ishillia had known of Markoth's struggles, but they paid little to no attention to it, especially not after all that had been going on within its own borders.

Still, even with a civil war happening, Markoth was not weak. It was comparable to Roblesia or the Theocracy. No, even above them. Yet... From what they had seen since traversing their supposed territory, the kingdom was a shadow of its former self; its once-proud cities were reduced to rubble, and its people were scattered like leaves in the wind, blown to who knows where.

The delegation had traveled alongside the Atuvian Trailblazers, assigned to them by Chairman Alvor himself, with a man at its lead who traveled these lands before the long winters, before Atuvia also fell apart. Even the experienced man had fallen silent as they passed through the ruined countryside, his confidence shaken... it wasn't how he remembered. The roads he once traversed were overgrown. It was in great need of repairs as if nobody had even bothered traveling it for decades. A moment later, Garrick, the merchants' leader, rode up beside Alaric, his lips pressed together tightly behind his beard.

"This is the third village we've passed without seeing a single soul," he said, his voice low. "This is not the work of human hands, Your Excellency."

"It isn't..." Alaric's jaw tightened as he agreed.

They had already been granted an answer without having to reach the kingdom's capital. Without asking about their passage in the mountains... They broke through. The demons had done it...

Seeing the aftermath firsthand was bone-chilling. The delegation had crossed the mountains and lowlands; they came from a well-fortified and heavily guarded place—one that Avalon preserved, and now he understood its significance. Why Empress Mirian Ishillia was so close to them. It all made sense.

The further east they traveled, the more they heard, though. They had come across the rumors of the chaos to the east, passing through the small kingdoms like Exan and Clifia... But they were just that. Rumors. However, the sheer scale of destruction was staggering. Those rumors didn't do justice to how it actually was.

Only a few days later, as they approached the outskirts of Markoth's capital, the true extent of the kingdom's suffering became even more apparent. The city walls were akin to cheese, pockmarked with cracks and scorch marks everywhere. But it was the first time they saw living beings, giving them some kind of hope. Guards patrolled the remaining ramparts, but their faces were gaunt, and their armor was mismatched, scraped together from what they found. The city gates creaked open reluctantly after their arrival, revealing a city that was a pale imitation of its former glory. Most buildings stood in various states of disrepair, their roofs caved in and their windows boarded up, abandoned, their owners probably dead. The streets were eerily quiet for the size of this city, save for the occasional clatter of a cart or, the distant cry of a child or the barkings of stray dogs.

Finally, a small contingent of Markothian officials awaited them at the main square; their robes were faded, and their expressions, similar to their dull clothes, looked exhausted. At their head was a man who introduced himself as Lord Cedric, the kingdom's current minister of trade and commerce. His greeting was polite but strained, his eyes darting nervously to the Trailblazers' wagons. The reason was simple... trading... trade what? They had nothing.

"Welcome to Markoth," he said, his voice carrying a note of resignation. "We are honored by your visit, though I fear we have little to offer in the way of hospitality."

"We aren't bothered by it," Duke Alaric dismounted and inclined his head in a gesture of respect. The Empire of Ishillia sends its condolences for your losses," he said, looking around and sighing. "We have come to offer what aid we can and to discuss matters of mutual interest." They got their answer. Now it was time for a new initiative—something Alaric decided on himself, given that the Empress gave him free rein on this mission.

"Thank you..." Lord Cedric's smile was thin, almost imperceptible. "Your words are kind, but I fear the situation here is beyond aid. The monsters have left us with little but corpses and ruin. Even now, we struggle to rebuild while fending off the remnants of their kind that, after so much time, still pop up from caves and abandoned mines."

"Lord," Lady Seraphine stepped forward, her voice gentle but firm. "We understand your hardships. We witnessed that this land has suffered greatly, but we believe there is still hope. Together, we may find a way to rebuild."

"You said Ishillia... How quaint..." The minister's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he sighed, dispersing whatever he was thinking about. "Hope is a rare commodity in these lands, my lady. But come, let us speak further in the council chambers. There is much to discuss, and the rest of the remaining nobles will be gathering there as we speak."

As they followed Lord Cedric through the desolate streets, Alaric couldn't shake the thought of what he had seen. This was no longer a kingdom—this was a graveyard. Their delegation had arrived with the intention of gathering intelligence or forging alliances and strengthening ties. Yet, the reality of Markoth's plight threw all of it out the window. How far did their destruction spread? If nobody came in to conquer their land... could it mean that the monsters spread farther than Markoth's borders...? How far?

The Trailblazers, trailing behind him, were led to an unused warehouse and had already begun unloading their wagons, distributing what supplies they could spare to the desperate citizens, beginning to establish a good and helpful image of their delegation. Garrick, of course, caught Alaric's eye and gave a curt nod.

"We'll do what we can; the political part is up to you," he said quietly. "But this... this is going to take more than a few wagons of grain and medicine to solve."

Alaric nodded in agreement, as this land needed an actual miracle...