Chapter 267: Rallying of Forces
The small port town of Lisbon in the Kingdom of Castilia was bursting with activity.
Once deserted after news spread that it lay directly in the path of the Great Demon God, the town was now teeming with life as fleets, saints, and mages from around the world arrived to lend aid. With the influx of help, the fleeing residents had returned, and the town was suddenly alive with energy.
After all, people and resources were pouring in from all over the world.
Makeshift lodgings were being erected with the full might of the nation’s resources, while opportunistic merchants had banded together to create a bustling entertainment district. The town was experiencing an unprecedented economic boom.
「This is all part of Silesie’s plot!」
「You’re still saying that, Revenant?」
Revenant, the advance mage of the Kingdom of Castilia, shouted that as soon as he spotted me and Sarah-chan arriving for an inspection.
Once a calm and calculating silver-haired tactician, Revenant was now almost unrecognizable, his voice tinged with frustration. Ever since the international conference, he had been on edge like this.
I suppose the stress is different for generals who only have to fight wars compared to ministers dealing with the domestic front.
「What do you expect me to say……To make matters worse after our defeat, the treacherous Kingdom of Aragon has seceded, and now the Great Demon God is here to utterly destroy us.」 「Let’s not start conflicts now.」
The entire continent was facing a dire crisis.
No nation had the luxury to wage war against another at this moment.
「I know that! But our nation is the one that will be trampled by the Great Demon God! If you really are a hero, couldn’t you at least divert its invasion path away from us?」
「You’re asking for the impossible.」
Does he think a hero can do anything?
「You’re absolutely planning to destroy us…」
「If that were the case, we wouldn’t be gathering the world’s forces here to take down the Great Demon God before it makes landfall, would we?」
「ugh…」
Revenant sighed heavily, his frustration palpable.
It was understandable. When a massive demon god capable of destroying not just nations but the entire world was advancing towards your capital, it would make anyone’s face turn multiple shades of panic.
「Revenant, just look at Lisbon. See how lively it is? Resources are pouring in from around the world, and the town’s economy is booming.」
「It’s still far from enough. We’ve deployed every last ship in our fleet for defense!」
「My kingdom has committed three times as many ships for transport and coastal defense. Every nation is spending freely on this.」
「Ugh…」
It was crucial that the fixed artillery cannons remained targeted on the Great Demon God’s advance, so constant surveillance was necessary. Even scouting was dangerous, as it required us to clear out the demonic beasts surrounding the Great Demon God while gathering intelligence.
「Look, Revenant. They’ve started unloading the ‘Continent Cannon’.」
「Yes, this will be an incredible asset if it’s completed…」
The massive steel structure, over 20 meters long, couldn’t be easily transported by land. It had to be split into several blocks, and just getting it from the factory to the sea had been a monumental task.
We had to start by paving the roads with tar, a byproduct of coking coal, then haul the enormous pieces on carts pulled by dragons all the way to the port of Nant. From there, they were shipped by sea, with each part now being unloaded at Lisbon’s docks.
Once here, the cannon was to be reassembled, and the final reinforcement and coating processes would begin. With only six months left, time was of the essence.
Three parallel projects were underway: the cannon’s assembly, its transportation, and the construction of the mount. The combination of knowledge and resources being poured into this was also contributing to advancements in science and technology that would shape the future of the world.
Meanwhile, behind the construction of the cannon at the docks, priests and specialists were working on the production of special shells for the weapon.
「Sarah-chan, I’m going to check on things over there.」
「Don’t worry, I’ve got the cannon installation under control.」
She’s dependable.
Now, over there… Ah, there he is.
「So, Takeru-dono, you’ve made your way here as well?」
「It’s been a while, sensei.」
Lyle-sensei was overseeing the preparations for the special shells. While building the massive cannon was crucial, there was just as much debate over what kind of projectile should be fired at the Great Demon God.
The consensus was that holy magic worked best against the Great Demon God. At one point, there was even a wild plan to fire a priest who had summoned Asama directly at the demon like a human cannonball. In the end, however, they settled on using one of the world’s largest magic stones, infused with holy magic from all over the kingdom, as the projectile.
「It’s been a while, Silesie’s Hero-sama.」
「Good to see you again, Bishop Rosa.」
The one who bowed her head to me was Bishop Rosa, who oversaw the capital of Silesie. Priests from all over the world had gathered to take turns casting holy magic on the enormous magic stone that would serve as the shell for the cannon.
「I’m here as well.」
「Archbishop Nicholas, good to see you.」
「This time, even the Neo Homotestant faction is pitching in.」
「Please keep your clothes on!」
I hastily stopped him as he began to disrobe, attempting to go half-naked.
What was he thinking? No one asked for a fan service moment from him.
「Actually, casting holy magic like this improves its power.」
「Yeah, right.」
「Leave it to me, Silesie’s Hero. Any saint who doesn’t feel the fire of battle in the face of this world crisis is no saint at all!」
Nicholas, the archbishop with his silver-framed glasses glinting, had also gathered a crowd of handsome young priests to assist in the holy shell-making process. Having switched sides from the Dyson faction and helped Emperor Conrad in the previous conflict, Nicholas was allowed to remain as Archbishop of Northmark despite his heretical leanings.
Ironically, Nicholas’s Neo Homotestant faction was proving useful once again. Due to his penchant for promoting male believers to priesthood, the numbers of his clergy—though their quality might be debatable—were impressively high.
Looking at this, one couldn’t help but think that Nicholas’s claims about the female-dominated nature of the Asama Church, with many brothers being left in the shadows, weren’t entirely baseless. His large group of priests was undeniably a valuable asset.
「Truly, it is disgraceful that in the presence of His Holiness the Pope, the Neo Homotestants continue their vulgar and lowly behavior.」
「Oh my, it seems the vile saintess has arrived to ruin this beautiful gathering of men.」
The person approaching, accompanied by Ria, was none other than Pope Anastasia II of Ravenna—a mere child with silver hair and a flower crown on her head.
「Ah, Hero, it’s been some time.」
「Your Holiness, have you grown a little taller?」
She was still an actual little girl, not an ageless loli-baba. I believe she’s around eight years old now? A year without seeing her, and it’s only natural for a child to grow.
「Hero, why do you sound disappointed that I’ve grown?」
「Oops, that’s right, you can read minds. I just thought it was a bit of a shame that you’re maturing, considering how unique your presence is as a child.」
Anastasia II wasn’t just any child; she had a spiritually pure nature and was a natural medium, capable of reading the hearts of those around her.
She was like a shrine maiden, constantly sharing part of her consciousness with Asama. While the deity wasn’t currently manifested, this still made her a kind of genius, I suppose.
「Ria, what does ‘unique presence’ mean?」
「It refers to elements that make one’s character stand out, Your Holiness.」
She explained it seriously. Anastasia II tilted her head in confusion as she listened.
「The fact that my character doesn’t stand out is precisely why I’m able to summon Asama. It seems better to remain that way.」
「Rest assured, Your Holiness, your character stands out splendidly.」
I may have caused this odd tangent by thinking it, but what exactly are we talking about? The Asama Church is facing a crisis, and yet here we are, relaxed.
「We are not relaxed, Hero. Asama is quite distressed.」
「If you say so, Your Holiness, then I’ll believe it.」
So even Asama feels the weight of the situation.
「But, at a time like this, I must keep my heart calm to prevent the faithful from panicking.」
「As expected of Your Holiness. Absolutely right.」
I would like to hear more about what Asama thinks, though.
「Hero, Asama seems to be at a loss. Still, Asama is grateful for your efforts, so for now, things will stay as they are.」
It’s nice that she can communicate with Asama just by thinking about it. But I do worry about what might happen when she hits puberty—there are some thoughts kids just shouldn’t be exposed to.
「Don’t worry, Hero. I’ve grown used to indecent thoughts, thanks to these two.」
Anastasia II gestured toward the perverted saint beside her.
Right. If she can endure reading the minds of people like Ria and Nicholas, then her mental fortitude is certainly on another level. I guess I can relax.
「Hero, now is not the time to be concerned with my development.」
「You’re absolutely right. The fact that Asama is feeling uneasy does make me a bit worried, though.」
‘That’s a secret.’ she whispered, placing a delicate finger to her lips.
Pope Anastasia II really is adorable.
「No need for flattery, Hero.」
「It’s not flattery; I wouldn’t lie like that.」
「Regardless, we believers will do everything we can for Asama. Now, let me show you the brilliance of my holy magic.」
「I shall accompany you by all means.」
Ria added with her usual formality.
It seems things are under control here.
Just then, Lyle-sensei approached again.
「Takeru-dono, the alchemists wish to show you the royal gold.」
「They’ve done it?!」
The coating for the special shell meant for the Great Demon God. Only something extraordinary could penetrate the Great Demon God’s armor.
Royal gold is a legendary alloy formed by fusing mithril and orichalcum, both mythical metals in their own right. It’s a material even alchemists could only theorize about because of the rarity and power of its components.
After extensive research in the attached alchemy workshop, the first prototype was finally complete. Inside the crucible was a glowing, silver-blue metal.
It looked like an even mix of mithril and orichalcum, though it seemed there was slightly more mithril. I wondered if this was the correct ratio.
「Is this the royal gold?」
「It’s just a prototype for now. We’re about to conduct durability tests. Since the target is a creature of chaos, we’ll need Kaara and Oracle-san’s assistance as well.」
Through the efforts of alchemists from across the world and the collection of rare materials, we’ve finally managed to produce just enough royal gold for a single shell. The value of this special alloy, combined with the magical stone alone, is beyond comprehension.
Given that the world is in crisis, there’s no need to hold back. We can be as extravagant as necessary, and frankly, it feels oddly satisfying to do so.
「We plan to reinforce the inside of the barrel with black cedar for now, but I think we could use royal gold to coat the barrel as well.」
「We’ll consider that. Given that we’re combining the force of a large quantity of dynamite with the collective magical power of the mages, regular steel won’t be strong enough.」
As we were discussing this, Revenant, an advance mage, arrived at the alchemy workshop. Despite being an enemy, it seems he’s contributing to the creation of the materials.
It’s surreal to see Lyle-sensei working alongside an enemy advance mage, but that’s the situation we’re in now.
Revenant may complain, but he gets things done. With the danger looming directly over him, it’s only natural he’s pulling his weight.
「By the way, Revenant, I’ve been meaning to ask—has King Ferdinand been evacuated from the capital yet?」
If the Great Demon God breaks through the defensive line, the capital of Castilia will be the first to fall. Precautionary measures are essential.
「King Ferdinand has not left the royal palace in Castilia…..」
「What? Why not?」
Refusing to flee despite the impending arrival of the Great Demon God—King Ferdinand is as stubborn as he is a hikikomori.
I have to admit, though, it’s admirable.
「His Majesty believes in the power of Silesie’s Hero who defeated Castilia. He plans to stay in the capital, awaiting news of the Great Demon God’s defeat. That’s why I won’t hold back, either. If we fail here, Castilia will fall.」
「I see. Then tell him we will defeat the Great Demon God without fail.」
With that much faith placed in us, we have no choice but to rise to the challenge.
I’ll do my part and prepare for the final battle that’s fast approaching.