novelraw Chapter 153: Engagement - Manubium
Chapter 153: Engagement - Manubium
153. Engagement - Manubium
Lena, Leo, and the five warriors of the Albacete tribe passed through the two gates of the Astin-Aster Kingdoms.
The border between the two northern kingdoms was marked by the Antarop Grand Canyon, and the gates were set up between the split canyons.
The border was heavily guarded.
Despite both serving the Klaus royal family, the two kingdoms had been at war a decade ago.
Lena and Leo easily passed through the gates using the mercenary badges given to them by Uncle Elson. They were questioned about their purpose, but Leo lied, saying they were looking for work, and they were not questioned further.
However, the five warriors had a tougher time. Although verifying their identities wasn't difficult, when they straightforwardly stated they were here to participate in the Reti tournament, they were questioned why they weren't participating in the Maunin tournament held in the Astin Kingdom.
"Because of the war, the tournament wasn't held in the Astin Kingdom. How many times do I have to say it? If you doubt it, you can communicate and ask. Do you think I don't know there's a priest at the gate? I'm the next chief of the Albacete tribe."
"Please wait a moment."
The young gate guard was flustered. He went to his superior, muttered something, then returned and asked,"Can you swear on the honor of a warrior?"
"What? Swear on the honor of a warrior for this? Just call the priest."
"The priest isn't here right now. This is a question for your convenience, so please answer sincerely."
"Huh, unbelievable... Fine. I swear on the honor of a warrior. The Maunin tournament wasn't held in the Astin Kingdom. Satisfied?"
The five warriors grumbled as they passed through the gate. Within a few weeks, they stood before a massive fortress.
"Wow..."
It was the capital of the Aster Kingdom, Manubium. Apart from ‘Droksha Albacete,’ a great warrior who had been here once before, and Leo, who seemed indifferent, the other five couldn't hide their admiration.
Even from a distance, the towering walls looked massive. The entire wall was made of rocks coated with Manubium, resembling a cascading white waterfall.
This impregnable fortress wasn't originally intended to be a capital. It was built solely to repel invasions from the Aisel Kingdom.
Aisel Kingdom, often called the magical kingdom, and the precursor of the two northern kingdoms, Aslan Kingdom, had a long-standing enmity.
Aisel Kingdom was established by the imperial family who fled to the eastern swamps after the collapse of the Arcaea Empire. Naturally, the imperial family despised the Aslan Kingdom, believing that the rebellion by the barbaric tribes had led to the empire's fragmentation.
Likewise, Aslan Kingdom, which loathed the imperial rulers who had oppressed them, clashed with Aisel Kingdom for decades until the conflict culminated in a full-scale war.
The war, named after the northeastern region where the two kingdoms shared a border, was known as the 'Moritania War.'
In the early stages of the war, Aslan Kingdom, having experienced the Northern Independence War and incorporating the barbarians as citizens, had the upper hand. They quickly occupied the Moritania wastelands and advanced southward...
However, the beings that cemented the Moritania War as the 'War of Magic' blocked the Aslan Kingdom's advance.
These were the magicians.
This was the first time magicians emerged as key figures in a war. The term 'magician' was unfamiliar back then. There were shamans who could manipulate the mana floating in the air through sheer talent, but their spells were not suitable for the battlefield.
Everything changed with the great shaman 'Cornius.' Born in the eastern swamps, he devised a way to inscribe formulas in the air.
By forcing free-flowing mana into a fixed direction and flow, he created what became known as 'Mana Road,' the foundation of modern magic.
The Aslan Kingdom army, which had been advancing smoothly, was stunned.
The sky was painted with large-scale magic. Flames, lightning, typhoons, and earthquakes engulfed the army, overturning the known conventions of warfare.
Dense formations with spears. Archers armed with shields for long-range shooting. Cavalry breaking formations and annihilating fleeing enemies.
None of these tactics could be used. The dense formations of soldiers were merely appetizing targets for the magicians.
The Aslan Kingdom army was defeated. They lost not only the Moritania wastelands they had occupied but also their own territory.
Seizing the momentum, the Aisel Kingdom army, under imperial command, advanced towards Aslan Kingdom's capital, Barnaul. The Aslan Kingdom's offer of peace, proposing to cede substantial land, was ignored. The Aisel imperial family intended to annihilate the despised Klaus royal family.
However, their advance was halted at the Antarop Grand Canyon. In areas rich in the white mineral 'Manubium,' magic inexplicably lost its power.
Without magic, the Aisel Kingdom army was no match for the Aslan Kingdom army, leading to a prolonged stalemate at the canyon gates.
Peace was long gone. The animosity between the two kingdoms had deepened to the point where both believed they could crush the other if not for the other's advantage – magic for Aisel, and the canyon for Aslan.
The Aisel Kingdom began looking for ways around the Antarop Grand Canyon.
Crossing the frozen northern sea was an option, but it was perilous for transporting heavy military equipment. Thus, they sought to negotiate passage through the land of the Bellita Kingdom.
However, the Aslan Kingdom army found a breakthrough first.
Defending the canyon, they occasionally ventured out to gather information about magic. The Aslan Kingdom generals, who devised countermeasures, once again advanced their army.
It was a peculiar advance. The army, divided into thousands of units, spread out widely, simultaneously targeting dozens of strongholds.
It was a war to push back the front lines.
It was a type of war that had never been seen before. The traditional method of soldiers rushing to engage in battle had been transformed by the presence of magicians.
Moreover, the generals of the Aslan Kingdom disbanded their cavalry. Since they couldn't use the cavalry due to the fear of the magicians' large-scale magic, they paired the precious knights in twos and threes and pushed them into the front lines.
The strategy worked. The Aisel Kingdom's army began to be pushed back.
With the front blocked by the canyon and no way to advance, the Aslan Kingdom's army spread out and began to occupy the surrounding lands, forcing the Aisel Kingdom to split their forces and knights.
However, Aslan had a significant advantage in the number of knights. They had twice as many as Aisel, and the Aslan citizens (especially the barbarians) in the newly occupied territories supported the Aslan knights' supply lines.
Struggling to maintain their front lines and supply routes, the Aisel Kingdom's army couldn't hold out as the harsh northern winter approached and proposed peace.
The newly drawn border remained the same as before the war, at the Moritania Wastelands. The war left only scars.
Reflecting on their shortcomings, both kingdoms prepared for the next conflict. Having realized the terror of magicians and the utility of the mineral 'Manubium,' the Aslan Kingdom built the fortress 'Manubium' to defend against magical attacks.
Unfortunately, they couldn't build it in the Moritania Wastelands, as Manubium lost its effectiveness when too far from the Antarop Canyon.
Lena, Leo, and the five warriors settled into an inn on the outskirts of Manubium. With the Reti tournament a week away, the inn was bustling with warriors from all over the Astin Kingdom.
"The Letii tournament victory will go to our tribe's great warrior and my friend, Droksha Albacete! If anyone disagrees, come take my drink! Hahaha!"
Bahatar Albacete, tipsy and grinning, shouted provocatively. The blatant provocation was met with feigned outrage from the surrounding warriors, who approached, saying, "The victory is mine, so hand over the drink!", and a drinking party ensued.
Leo, looking exasperated, stood up and said,
"Lena, I'm going out for a bit."
"Huh? Where are you going?"
"Just... for a walk."
Lena, although reluctant to leave the newly started drinking party, tried to stand up to join him. But Leo gently pushed her back into her seat.
"I'll go alone."
"Why? If it's because of me, it's fine. Today isn't the only day. Let's go together."
"It's okay. If I take you, I'd feel bad for the other guys. I'll be back soon."
"Hmm~ okay. Don't get lost and come back soon."
- Smooch.
Lena wrapped her arms around Leo's neck as he stood up, pulled him down, and gave him a light kiss. It was a natural act that wouldn't be surprising for a newlywed couple.
Leo responded with a few more kisses on her lips, then left the inn amidst the playful teasing of the warriors, "Wow, so hot!"
He wandered aimlessly, but his eyes scanned every corner.
Just in case there were any traces of Ashin around, like in Barnaul, he checked the surroundings in advance.
Manubium's outskirts were wider than any city he had experienced before.
Since the fortress of Manubium was not originally intended to function as a capital, commercial and residential areas had to be built outside the fortress.
Leo wandered the city for a long time but returned to the inn empty-handed, feeling relieved.
In the room, Lena Ainar, intoxicated and in high spirits, hugged him tightly, and Leo familiarly stroked her hair.
*
Leo continued to wander outside frequently. Lena, initially grumbling about why he kept going out alone, suddenly exclaimed "Oh?!" with a peculiar look of expectation, then cheerfully sent him off, "Okay, take care."
Why is she acting like that again?
Though curious, Lena Ainar's odd behavior wasn't new, so Leo diligently explored the city for the week leading up to the Reti tournament.
Unable to cover the entire vast capital, Leo focused on the four cardinal directions. Naturally, he also entered the inner city, but the guards were exceptionally vigilant since it was a fortress.
Other capitals would usually let people in after some basic questioning, but here, they meticulously interrogated everyone. Leo found the mercenary badge and documents proving his (fake) mercenary status from his uncle very useful.
After thoroughly exploring even the narrow inner city, Leo found nothing and felt relieved.
He realized it was foolish to worry that Ashin might be everywhere, and he even laughed at himself for being so anxious.
It seemed the crisis had passed.
After all, everything that seemed connected to the {event} was left behind in Barnaul, so Lena and he were safe. Now, he only needed to live happily with Lena and plan their wedding.
Leo felt good about himself as he exited the fortress. Admiring the magnificent white walls, he returned to the inn only to face a new crisis.
Lena was looking at him with sharp eyes, clearly upset.
She subtly hinted, unable to let go of her expectations,
"Hmm... nothing again today?"
"What do you mean?"
"Just that making me wait too long isn't good. If the expectations grow too high, I might be disappointed, you know?"
"..."
At times like this, it's best to stay silent. Lena clearly expected something from him, though he didn't know what.
Leo stayed silent, observing her.
"What's so great that you've been wandering outside for a week?"
As expected, Lena began dropping hints when Leo didn't speak.
A slightly angry expression. Her eyes frequently glancing at his waist. Despite her words, her tone carried a hint of anticipation...
Ah.
Leo barely held back his laughter.
"Lena, you thought I was out shopping for a surprise gift or something, right?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our Highest Level Supporters (SwordGod's):
1. Diablo75009
2. SilentWhisper
3. Matthew Yip
4. George Liu
5. James Harvey
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------