The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 300: Volume 4: Chaotic World - 20: Nicosia (1)_3

Chapter 300: Volume 4: Chaotic World Chapter 20: Nicosia (1)_3

"Your Majesty,..."

Seeing the Finance Minister hesitate and stand there bewildered, the elder waved his hand impatiently, "Enough, you need not worry about other matters. Attend to your duties with peace of mind, for if you delay them, I won’t spare you."

Only then did the Finance Minister rise tentatively and bow, departing slowly.

There was another spell of oppressive silence in the room. The elder’s face remained impassive as if he was contemplating something, whereas the Minister of Internal Affairs and the dressed military officer exchanged glances, realizing just how dire the kingdom’s financial crisis was, since His Majesty the King even resorted to using the funds from the Royal Treasury.

"Your Majesty, this can only serve as a temporary fix, not a lasting solution," the Minister of Internal Affairs couldn’t help but advise.

"But you both have seen how tense the military situation is in the North. We cannot afford to neglect military development; otherwise, our kingdom’s downfall is imminent. Mathew, how is the Iron Oak Corps’ assembly progressing?" the elder asked tiredly, sighing, "Also, have the beastmen shown any new movements recently?"

"Your Majesty, the Iron Oak Corps has recruited its full complement of troops, but we are still far from having enough weapons and armor. With the finance as strained as it is, we cannot support the costs for weapons and armor. Right now, the soldiers can only train with bare hands and wooden spears, To form a basic combat effectiveness, we would need immediate provisioning of weapons and armor, and at least half a year or more of training," said the dressed military officer, his face clouded with worry. He knew the crux of the problem was financial and understood the King’s predicament, but since His Majesty the King asked, he had to report truthfully. "The beastmen are still ravaging within the territories of Myron Duchy and Meine City-State, but their previous unbridled aggression has abated, possibly due to the cold weather. Their activity has slowed down considerably. However, this hardly matters anymore. Mycenae has been completely destroyed, and nearly all the crucial strongholds within the three regions have been breached. The territories of Myron, Meine, and Susoer have effectively become vast wildernesses at the mercy of the beastmen, and won’t be able to serve any defensive role in the short term. Next year, the Central Region may well face even more ferocious threats from the beastmen."

"How did the beastmen come to possess battering rams? Has this been figured out? How did they obtain such weapons?" the elder sighed deeply, his weathered face tinged with rare worry, "Tez, do you have any clues on this matter?"

"I apologize, Your Majesty, but there’s still little of value concerning how the beastmen came to possess the battering rams. However, one thing is certain, the beastmen did not develop them on their own. According to reports from our informants within the territories of the beastmen of the Fox Clan, it appears that the beastmen have also disassembled several damaged battering rams to study them in detail. If they had manufactured them themselves, I doubt they would need to dismantle them for study," Duke Tez replied, his voice low and his gaze shifting with questions.

"Could it be that the beastmen are studying to improve these battering rams?" the dressed military officer raised his doubts.

"That’s unlikely. The beastmen don’t even seem to grasp the basic principles of how a battering ram works, so how could they talk about improving it? Based on the feedback from our soldiers on the Battlefield, these beastmen still don’t know how to use such advanced siege weapons properly; otherwise, they would have caused us much greater casualties. If they had developed it themselves, for one, there wouldn’t be just these few, barely a dozen of them, and second, their soldiers would have been proficient with this kind of Weapon by now. From both perspectives, the likelihood of them developing it themselves is minuscule," Tez pondered and denied his colleague’s suspicion.

"If the beastmen have more battering rams next year, we’ll be in trouble. Myron Duchy is already finished, and we lack a powerful ally to the West. The beastmen can move in and out of the West at will, and our fortifications there are neither tight nor strong enough. If the beastmen launch an attack from the West, we will be in considerable trouble," the dressed military officer remarked, his worry deepening and his brows furrowed.

"Perhaps the greater trouble will fall upon the kingdoms and city-states of the Central Region? With Myron Duchy, Meine, and Susoer no longer serving as a barrier, the beastmen can use these lands as a springboard to ravage the South next year. The kingdoms and city-states of the Central Region, which have hardly any preparations, are now terrified and unsure of what to do. The envoys from Naples, Netherland, and Medea have already tentatively sought my opinion a few days ago, asking if they can borrow troops from our nation to help defend their northern borders. They fear their armies and mercenaries won’t be able to withstand the ferocity of the beastmen’s soldiers and are willing to pay all expenses for our assistance," said the Minister of Internal Affairs, his silent bitter smile revealing the second infantry corps was not yet assembled and the three allied nations were already setting their sights on them, but who could understand this bitter irony?

"Oh? That could be a fine idea. If these three nations are willing to pay all expenses, including weapons, armor, and all other logistical supplies, I wouldn’t oppose sending the Iron Cross Corps to the Central Region to serve as mercenaries. They need to be tempered and refined through warfare to grow into a real army, and this could be taken as a real combat drill," the dressed military officer’s eyes brightened, seemingly interested in the idea.

"Enough, Mathew. Do you think we don’t need an army to defend the North?" the Minister of Internal Affairs countered.

"No, Tez. The reason we suffered such a set back this year has a cause. At the outset, no one expected the beastmen to possess battering rams, causing panic and unrest amongst the soldiers. In truth, these few battering rams had limited actual impact, but their sudden appearance caused disorder in our troops, something none anticipated. Yet, this couldn’t have the same effect a second time. Additionally, I suggest deploying more magicians and mages to every major castle and fortress in the North. This could greatly hinder the effect of the beastmen’s use of siege instruments, and next year, if the beastmen wish to rampage in the North, they will have to pay a considerable price. My concern is for our Western front. Now that Myron Duchy has fallen, and with the beastmen controlling much of its territory as well as that of Meine and Susoer, they can invade from the West next year. Therefore, I believe we should not wait passively for the beastmen to attack, but rather take the initiative,"

the dressed military officer deliberated his words, articulating his thoughts.