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Up until a day before we were to arrive in Dresden, I had to meet with the general and heads of each unit dozens of times to talk about tactics.
"What is this strange-looking thing?" Lieutenant General Fabian, the commander of the 3rd Army, asked while touching the item I gave him.
"It's a wireless magic communicator that I made. The range is a radius of 10 kilometers centered around me, so we can communicate anywhere within that area."
"This finger-sized thing can do something like that from such a long distance?"
The wireless magic communicator that I created acted akin to a radio tower and significantly increased the range of telecommunication. However, its weakness was that if someone were further than 10 kilometers from me, our messages wouldn’t reach each other. Yet, this problem was solved by attaching a repeater to other people’s communicators.
"Yes, the magic communicators distributed to the regimental commanders serve as radio repeaters, and so, theoretically, the maximum range of the radio is across both ends of the border. However, even with the repeaters, I think the maximum distance is 100 kilometers due to the deterioration of the sound signal."
Extending this distance might be possible if I made a radio amplifier in the middle, but there was no time to make that.
"Huh, even William-nim couldn't build a communicator like this. Does it really work?"
When Lieutenant General Orleon, the commander of the 14th Army, expressed his doubts, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Isaac expressed my thoughts for me. "It was brief, but we did a real test. I only went 50km away because I didn't have time, but the sound quality was clear enough to understand, and we were able to communicate.”
As this was on an entirely different level from the current innovations, the highly advanced technology made everyone feel like they were entering a new world.
"That's… that's impressive, both the performance of the invention and the creator’s abilities."
I responded humbly to the 14 army commander’s compliment, "In General William’s case, he is an elemental magician, and producing magic tools is not his specialty."
Of course, my specialty was not making magic tools either.
Everyone said, ‘oh, I see’ and moved on, but the commander of the magic corps gazed at the magic communicator as if he were observing a godly object. He appeared as if he wanted to study it after the war ended, but it was a futile dream since I was going to destroy them all remotely after the war was over.
"If it's this small, we won’t need to have to have a separate signalman to manage it.”
I shook my head. "No, I didn't have a lot of time to make it, so the inner structure isn't that sturdy. You should use the current, more durable communicator for normal situations. My invention was originally made for disposable use strictly during this war."
"Hmm, is that so?"
Everyone smacked their lips with disappointed faces. I smiled and taught them how to operate the magic communicator. "Hmm, it's not difficult. In fact, I like it because it's simple."
Simplicity in its functions was essential because it was designed for older people like generals and individuals at the regiment commander level or higher.
As we were finishing our preparations, an announcement was broadcasted on the train through the speakers.
- Addressing all soldiers on the train, this train will soon enter the North Dresden station, its destination. All soldiers, please prepare to get off the train. I will repeat once more. All soldiers, please prepare to get off the train.
"It seems we’ve arrived. Everyone, once we stop, lead your soldiers to the south gate. We will head right to the frontlines."
"Yes!" At Uncle Bloody's order, the commanders of each unit saluted and left the conference area to head to their respective units.
When all the commanders left, Uncle Bloody stared at me with worried eyes and asked, "But is it really possible to send orders to all the troops immediately? No matter how fast the communication is, I don't think that’ll be easy."
I smiled lightly at my uncle's concern. "You don't have to worry. A quiet morning is good for strategic tactics."
In fact, I initially wanted to control the army at the company level, not as regiment units, but I didn't have enough time to create the communication devices. The communicator was not the only thing I had to prepare, so I couldn't help it.
"And they're all war veterans. So, if I can't cover a certain situation, I'm sure they'll take care of it on their own.”
Obviously, I was going to "make" it so that there wouldn't be a situation that I couldn’t cover.
"Huhuhu."
Uncle Bloody heard my laughter, and he gave me a creeped-out expression. As expected, the air conditioning must be too high.
* * *
Malecia stood in front of Aries's mansion door, blocking Capricorn, who was wearing a yellow-green mask. He said, "I don't know why someone like you is here when you should be with the kingdom’s main assault force that’s heading to the empire’s border.”
Capricorn took off his mask and glared at Malecia as he stood in his way. "I have nothing to say to a servant. I'm here to see Sir, so get out of the way, Mercenary King."
Malecia smirked and shrugged. "First off, to correct the words of the Great Warrior General, I am not a servant."
Capricorn furrowed his brows and revealed his displeasure. Nevertheless, Malecia did not stop talking. "And without a prior engagement, the Master does not meet others."
"I already said I have nothing to say to a servant.”
Despite Capricorn's growl, Malecia did not care and finished what he had to say. "Lastly, I want you to refer to me as the Black Knight rather than Mercenary King, Sir Defeated Dog."
Towards the end of Malecia’s sentence, Capricorn released his killing intent. "Do you want to die?! A trivial piece of trash running his mouth, relying on Sir!”
When Capricorn pulled out his sword, Malecia smiled and readied his own blade, saying, "Hmph, I don't know why you’re talking about dying when you’ve had your arm cut off by Bloody. He hadn’t even released his seal properly. Were you perhaps saying that to yourself?"
"You mercenary trash!”
When Capricorn put a strong aura around his sword, Malecia sneered mockingly. "Well, that's mean of you to call a mercenary, ‘mercenary trash.’ Oh, but it appears as if you found something like that somewhere. Did you search around a junkyard?
Malecia’s provocation made Capricorn lose his rationality, and he screamed, "I'll rip your mouth off!"
"Try it! Defeated Dog!"
If it was before Capricorn had his arm cut off, then perhaps not, but the odds were in Malecia’s favor now that Capricorn was maimed and his body was out of balance. When Capricorn swung his sword, and Malecia tried to receive it, they suddenly changed positions and hit the air.
"Hmm, I've tried recreating the Druid's magic, and it's not bad.” When Aries exited the mansion wearing a black mask, Malecia immediately put his sword back in its sheath.
Aries gazed indifferently at Capricorn and said, "But fighting in my territory? It seems you want to die, brat.”
Capricorn's survival instincts screamed, despite the complete lack of emotion in Aries’ voice, and he exclaimed, "Oh, no, Sir!"
“So, then, what’s with that sword?”
When Aries pointed out the sword in his hand, Capricorn quickly put the weapon in its sheath and made excuses. "This, this is, Sir’s servant was rude, so I was simply going to discipline him.”
Aries stared at Capricorn and spoke indifferently. "A disciplinary action… You have a Druid’s curse on you, and you’re going to discipline my ‘subordinate’?”
"A Druid's curse, what do you mean?"
Aries yawned and faced Malecia as if he was unconcerned with Capricorn's question. "Too bad you missed the chance to resolve your grudge. Didn’t you say that your colleague died at the hands of that brat?”
"That’s all in the past. Only children who lack control over their emotions possess grudges about deaths on a battlefield.”
"Is that so? Despite that, it seemed like you were seriously going to cut him,” Aries commented.
Malecia laughed leisurely. "Isn't it only natural since he drew his sword in Master’s territory?"
Aries nodded, convinced by Malecia’s matter-of-fact answer. "That’s true, but if that brat dies in my territory, I’ll feel reluctant to visit the graves of the Tri old men. After all, he is a direct descendant of the Tri old men."
The Tri old men that Aries spoke of were the Tri brothers of the Hunter Tribe, members of the subjugation party that defeated the Demon King 120 years ago.
"Truly? It seems I was short-sighted." Malecia stood behind Aries, answering casually.
Meanwhile, Capricorn was left with his question unanswered, and he took a deep breath and repeated himself, "Sir, what curse is on me?"
Aries yawned and nodded as if he were bored. "From the looks of it, you’ve been done in by that weird helmet bastard. I'm sure the only ones who can use Druid magic right now are that bastard and myself."
"A helmet?"
Capricorn gave another query, unable to understand Aries's words, but Aries stared at Capricorn's body, disinterested in his question, and asked, "Have you been covered by trees recently?"
Capricorn nodded in surprise. "Yes! That's correct. The white half-mask, the nephew of Bloody Blade, caught me with that type of sealing magic."
"Seal? Oh, so you can use it like that. Using a curse as a seal... that has many useful applications. Was it Scorpio that undid the seal? Libra couldn’t have solved it since he is a narrow-minded man."
"Yes, that’s correct. Is it a severe curse?”
Aries grinned as he saw the somber expression on Capricorn’s face. "Not really. At most, you only lose your appetite and starve to death, or your vitality is drained, and you shrivel up and die, but it's not anything impressive.”
Capricorn turned pale at Aries’s diagnosis. Indeed, Capricorn noticed that he was still tired even after resting. He just didn't know that he had such a curse, thinking that it was the aftereffect of his arm being cut off. He muttered, "Scorpio, that bastard. She did a poor job undoing it, saying she didn’t know about the magic.”
Capricorn then asked, "Sir, could you possibly undo this curse?"
Aries yawned and touched Capricorn's forehead with his index finger before he stated, "I've undone it."
Then, he waved at Capricorn. "Haam, I’m lacking sleep. I need to sleep more, so leave, brat."
"Wait a minute, sir!" Capricorn caught Aries as he tried to go back inside the mansion.
Aries looked at Capricorn in annoyance, and Capricorn went on, "Currently, our Hunter Tribe’s people and our allies, the kingdom, are at war with the empire. I have come here as a member of the Hunter Tribe to ask Sir for assistance."
Aries gazed at Capricorn with blatant irritation in his eyes. Capricorn said, "Sir also doesn’t like that the empire stole Zaharam, so Sir joined the Twelve Zodiacs!"
"No, I’m part of it because Sagittarius said he’d find me the Demon King’s summons."
Capricorn was flustered by Aries's words. "This war will have the support of the Trade Union and the Magic Kingdom. Not only is it a chance to regain Zaharam, but also to destroy the empire!"
“Magic Kingdom?”
Aries seemed as if his willingness to participate had fallen even further. Then, Capricorn made an urgent suggestion. "Sir can take whatever Sir wants from the supplies!"
Seeing he was still not interested, Capricorn used his last resort. "In the name of the Green Mane tribe, I request of you! Please join us in the war!”
Aries looked taken aback, and he replied, "You're asking me for something like this? All right. Then this fulfills the request promised to the Tri old men. Do you agree?"
Capricorn forced himself to nod at Aries's question. This war was the only chance he had to get back at Bloody for the grudge over his brother. He had been told that he would get used to the artificial arm, but he made this decision because he realized more than anyone that he could no longer regain his full strength.
At Capricorn’s consent, Aries yawned and waved. "Haam~ Okay. Then go. I'll sleep a little more and join you."
After saying that, he went straight into the mansion. Capricorn closed his eyes tightly and turned around. He prayed that his choice was not wrong.
* * *
I sighed, sitting on the castle wall facing the enemy. "Oh jeez. The curse on that wolf has been lifted."
The curse on the wolf was the lost Druid magic. The fact that it was released meant that the wolf had contacted the Curse Specialist who shared the Druid magic with me.
"That's annoying."
How come my ominous premonitions are never wrong? Now, since it’s already happened, let's just walk in the face of the annoying Curse Specialist.
Then, I heard a magnificent horn, and arrows began to fly.
A siege was about to begin over Dresden.