Published: January 15, 2026
【Murcia】
By nature, I have always been overly cautious. My father often scolded me for it, and I never really liked that part of myself.
Yet, suddenly, Van entrusted me with the role of lord of the fortress, and to make matters more pressing, His Majesty the King joined the battle. I was put in charge of the defensive command in this critical fight. The weight of responsibility made me want to run away immediately. This was the most anxious situation I had ever faced, but there was no way I could flee.
At the very least, I hoped the Yelinetta Kingdom would not launch a fierce assault. Perhaps my wish was somehow heard, because the Yelinetta Kingdom did not attempt a quick decisive battle but instead employed a strange tactic.
“They’re coming!”
Dee’s shout echoed, and a few seconds later, the ground trembled from the shock and explosion sounds. Immediately afterward, nobles skilled in four element magic such as Venturi and Viscount Panamera loudly issued commands.
“Magician squad, counterattack!”
“I’ll strike first! Those who believe they can reach, fire in order!”
“Yes, sir!”
Venturi gave the orders, and Panamera launched a fire magic attack first. Following that, spells of ice, wind, and earth flew wildly. Dozens of magical attacks rained down, all directed towards the group assaulting this fortress city.
The cannon. The latest weapon of the Yelinetta Kingdom that Van had told me about. This threat rivals even top-class four element magicians. In fact, depending on its use, it might be even more powerful.
Just as the roar sounded, the city walls within magic range shattered with a noise. The iron balls flying at such high speed, too fast to track with the eye, could destroy even the walls Van had built in just a few hits.
Walls repaired by usual methods could be destroyed in a single strike if hit at a critical point. Considering how rare it is to have a top-class four element magician and how long it takes to develop their skill, this weapon—the cannon—might actually be more useful.
As proof, after driving away the group wielding cannons several times, His Majesty’s expression gradually darkened.
“...Your Majesty, it seems the Yelinetta Kingdom’s army has begun to retreat,” Venturi reported, and His Majesty nodded slightly.
“…Hmm. Should we advance with the entire army? But if those cannons lie in wait, the terrain could cause great damage.”
Muttering as if asking himself, His Majesty lifted his face and looked at Venturi and the others.
“Let me hear your opinions. Yelinetta seems to be buying time, but what is their aim? If they are buying time, what benefit will they gain from it?”
His Majesty spoke in a low voice, and after a moment of consideration, Venturi and the others voiced their thoughts.
“…Perhaps they are mass-producing those cannons,” Venturi answered. This made His Majesty furrow his brow and tilt his head.
“They say these are items obtained from the Central Continent, but have they reached the point where they can produce them on their own… or have they already begun production? If that’s the case, the more time we give them, the more disadvantageous it will be for us. But I don’t think they could develop it so easily.”
Though His Majesty understood the danger from Venturi’s opinion, he doubted whether it was likely. The other nobles hesitated, but when His Majesty turned his gaze to them, they hastily spoke up.
“They may be trying to pin us down here and invade from the coast.”
“No, maybe they want to retake Scudetto…”
“Don’t be foolish. That’s impossible without first reclaiming this area.”
The nobles spoke their opinions before His Majesty could ask. After watching their discussion for a while, His Majesty seemed uninterested and looked at Panamera with a bored expression.
“…You’ve been quiet for a while. Any opinions, Viscount Panamera?”
When His Majesty said this, everyone’s gaze turned to Panamera. For me, that would have been enough to make my voice tremble. But Panamera smiled confidently and spoke boldly.