Overwhelming Firepower

Lucen sat inside one of the newly constructed Thornefang bases near the Inevirian border, reading through the numerous reports that had accumulated on his desk.

He was surprised to learn that Inevir possessed weapons like the golems.

In the game, the war against Inevir had never been shown in detail. It had existed mainly as background information while the main characters dealt with events elsewhere.

To learn that Inevir possessed golems had excited him for a second. Under different circumstances, Lucen would have already gone to find one to look at.

However, due to his position, he couldn’t just go to the front lines. Right now, similar to an RTS game, he was managing the war through maps, reports, and communication orbs rather than participating in every battle himself.

A massive map of Norvaegard covered one wall of the room. Markers showed the locations of Thornefang bases, artillery batteries, railway stations, and every Fenrir unit deployed near the border.

There were also separate markers for the armies of other nobles, the Iron Wolves, the tower mages, and the royal guards. Of course, he did not have control of any of those pieces.

Each of those forces answered to a different commander. The noble armies obeyed the heads of their respective houses. The Iron Wolves answered directly to the king, while the Tower mages followed the orders of their Tower Masters.

The Royal Guards were primarily responsible for protecting the royal family and important locations throughout the kingdom.

Lucen could send them information and suggest where they should deploy, but he could not order them to move.

Only the Thornefang soldiers and Fenrir units under his command could be freely positioned. It was also possible to move the Stellhart knights, but that was it.

’It would also be better if, like an RTS game, I could have a live map to see everything happening from here. Even with the video orb, it wasn’t possible yet.’

A Video Orb could record everything around it, but those recordings were stored inside a Storage Crystal. Someone still had to carry that crystal back before Lucen could view what had happened.

Communication orbs allowed people to speak and see one another across great distances, but every orb had to be connected to another. They could show Lucen the commander standing in front of one, but not an entire battlefield from above.

Creating what Lucen wanted would require observation devices positioned across the border, relay stations capable of transmitting their images, and some method of combining all that information upon a single map.

It was far beyond what their current communication network could accomplish. However, it was not impossible.

Lucen pulled a small notebook from beneath the reports and wrote down the idea.

Real-time battlefield observation system.

Airships could carry Focus Video Orbs high above the battlefield. From that height, they would be able to observe troop movements across several kilometers.

If those images could be transmitted through a chain of communication orbs, commanders would no longer need to wait for scouts to return.

The difficult part would be displaying all those different images in one place. Lucen stared at the map covering the wall.

’Mireya might be able to create an illusion that changes according to the information it receives.’

The Purple Tower already possessed magic capable of reproducing detailed landscapes and moving images. If its illusion magic could be combined with Robert’s communication technology, creating a constantly changing map might actually be possible.

It would require an enormous amount of mana and several experienced mages to operate. Even so, being able to observe the battlefield in real time would be worth the cost.

Lucen added Mireya’s and Robert’s names beneath the idea before closing the notebook. That was a project for later.

At present, he had to make decisions using the information available to him.

’The Fenrirs are doing better than I anticipated. Still, it is only a matter of time before Inevir develops a strategy for dealing with them.’

Well, that was something he had anticipated. Even back in his old world, when tanks first appeared, they had shocked soldiers who had never seen armored vehicles crossing trenches and advancing through gunfire.

However, that advantage had not lasted forever.

Soldiers learned to target their weaker armor. Field guns were aimed directly at them, mines were buried along their paths, and trenches were widened to prevent them from crossing. Eventually, weapons were created for the sole purpose of destroying tanks.

No weapon remained invincible once the enemy understood how it worked.

’When the Second World War began in my old world, military technology advanced at a frightening pace. The same thing is going to happen here. Robert’s going to love this; I guess he was born in this era because of this.’

Lucen could not help but think about the crazed genius who had helped him numerous times.

As if thinking about him had somehow served as a summons, one of the communication orbs on Lucen’s desk began glowing.

Lucen took a mana crystal from the desk and placed it against the orb’s activation ring. Mana flowed from the stone into the device.

Robert’s image appeared above the orb. His dark violet hair was even more unkempt than usual, and several dark stains covered his gloves. Smoke drifted through the laboratory behind him.

He did not bother with a greeting.

”I want one of the golems.”

Lucen shook his head and sighed; he had already anticipated this. ”If you want a golem, then you need to get one yourself.”

”I’ll do it,” Robert answered without hesitation.

”You can’t do it. First off, taking down a golem takes a lot.”

”Then give me a Fenrir.”

Lucen stared at Robert’s image. ”A Fenrir requires six trained soldiers to operate.”

”Then give me six soldiers as well.”

”No,” Lucen answered.

”Then I’ll take six soldiers.”

”No, you can’t. Also, aren’t you doing something else? What happened to making the cards from Card Summoner work as they do in the show?”

”This will not only help me understand those golems better, but it will also help in creating a system similar to the one in the Card Summoner show. Whatever spell, rune, or ritual they use to control the golems might also be used in taming monsters. So what do you think? Will you lend me a Fenrir now?”

Lucen thought about what Robert was saying. ’Hm, I guess if Robert does learn how those golems work, maybe in this fantasy world we’ll be able to create something similar to an android or even a mecha. There’s also what he said about taming monsters, like in that famous game in my past life.’

Lucen was getting tempted by the idea. He considered it for a moment before finally speaking.

”Fine, but you won’t be the one doing it. I’ll instruct our units to attempt to recover a golem if the opportunity presents itself. They won’t risk their lives merely to keep one intact, so it might take a while.”

”How long will that take?”

”It will take as long as it takes.”

Robert frowned. ”What happened to you? In the past, when you needed something, you would just head out and get it.”

When Lucen heard what Robert said, he paused. ’The crazy b*stard is right. Have I become more timid? Getting a single golem can bring a lot of benefits, and I just want to wait for an opportunity?’

’I can’t participate in every battle, but this isn’t an ordinary battle. Capturing a golem could change the course of the entire war,’ Lucen convinced himself.

Lucen could not help but grin. ’Besides, what kind of gamer would pass up materials this rare? Fine. If an opportunity won’t appear on its own, I’ll create one.’

”Fine, we’ll do it ourselves. But before we do anything, you need to find a way to immobilize a golem. If you want one that’s not broken, that is,” Lucen finally said.

Robert’s frown disappeared as a wide grin appeared on his face, and he started laughing. ”Hahaha! That’s my partner who walks towards the future! I’ll find a way to immobilize a golem.”

”Contact me when you make it.”

”Okay, I’ll start making a way to immobilize the golems.” After saying those things, Robert did not wait for Lucen to reply, as he ended the call.

Lucen stared at the empty space above the communication orb. Once interested, Robert rarely slept before completing or destroying something.

Lucen reopened his notebook and wrote another line beneath his idea.

Capture an Inevirian golem.

He called one of the officers waiting outside his office.

”Gather every report and Video Orb recording involving the golems. I want copies sent to Robert immediately.”

”Yes, sir.”

The officer saluted and left the room. The second he was alone in the room, Lucen once again looked at the map on the wall.

’I wonder which prince is going to make the first move. If it were similar to the game, the first prince would attempt to take command of the army, hoping that victory would give him glory as well as strengthen his claim to the throne. But now that things are different, the second and third princes will act completely differently from before. There was also a possibility that the second princess would do something rather reckless.’

The war against Inevir was dangerous, but enemy movements could be tracked and countered. The royal family was another matter.

In the game, Lucen had known their ambitions and the decisions they would make. Now, his interference had changed all of them.

His eyes settled upon the royal markers. ’I need to prepare for trouble from within as well. Knowing those lunatics, one of them may have already made the first move.’