Chapter 33

The next day dawned.

As soon as the first rays of light sliced through the morning haze, I departed from the mansion. My plan was to supervise the preparations for our upcoming defensive clash by making a complete tour of Crossroads.

The city walls were my first stop.

There, I found the laborers glistening with sweat, toiling since the crack of dawn. They were all clearly putting their heart and soul into their work.

"Ah, Your Highness!"

The leader of the stone masons' guild, who was supervising the repair work, acknowledged me with a bow. I reciprocated with a slight nod.

"How is the repair work coming along?"

"We just succeeded in extracting the giant sword that was stuck in the wall."

Following the guild master's direction, I saw fragments of shattered metal strewn around.

The Phantom Knight, the boss from the previous stage, had wedged his immense sword into our wall. At last, we had managed to dislodge it.

"Today, we aim to clear all the debris and kickstart the actual repair work on the wall."

"No need to get rid of the sword remains."

I motioned towards the open field beyond the wall.

"Scatter them in front of the wall. They'll serve as an effective barrier."

The next wave of monsters was anticipated to be a swarm of rats.

The sword fragments would provide a fitting greeting for these tiny pests. Perfect as a rat deterrent.

My eyes traced the part of the wall from where we had removed the sword. The impact zone was dreadfully damaged.

The internal metal structure was bent out of shape, looking akin to a twisted candy cane.

"How long until the wall repairs are complete?"

At my inquiry, the guild master hesitated a bit.

"Your Highness, although you've arranged for extra workers and the soldiers have been aiding the repair work... we've discovered additional damage to the wall post the sword's removal. The situation is grimmer than we initially estimated."

The walls of Crossroads were designed robustly to ward off monstrous threats.

They were built with a skeleton of interwoven iron rods, around which stones were stacked. Metal plates were then layered on top.

This was the height of imperial construction technology. Thanks to that, our walls boasted an impressive level of defense, even against the Phantom Knight's massive sword.

A regular wall would have caved in and crumbled.

However, the complexity of the construction meant repairs weren't as straightforward as stacking a few stones.

"Cut to the chase. What's the projected timeline?"

"Approximately ten days from now."

"Ten days..."

I couldn't help but sigh.

There was just over a week left until the next stage. Time was running short.

"Could we cut it down to a week if we inject more resources and manpower?"

I was ready to invest as much manpower and funding as necessary if it would help us gain more time.

But the guild master decisively shook his head.

"There are limits to what just extra manpower and resources can achieve. It's a tough call."

"Surely, there are some aspects that could be expedited with additional resources?"

"Well, if we can bring in more workers and materials, and work round the clock, we might be able to shave off a day..."

"If we can save a day, that means we could save two days, and if we can save two days, we could save three days."

I knew it was a tall order. But I persisted.

"I'll provide the manpower and materials. No matter what, complete the wall repairs within a week."

The rationale behind my bold demand was straightforward.

[Enemy Information - STAGE 2]

- Lv.? ??? : 3 bodies

- Lv.5 Giant Sewer Rat: 3251 bodies

It wasn't a misinterpretation.

Nor was it a misjudgment of what I saw.

The enemy's data popped up as soon as I concluded the free exploration, offering this bewildering display.

Three thousand.

Those rats, comparable in size to the large dogs I encountered during the free exploration, amounted to a staggering three thousand.

Sure, their level was only five. They were just oversized rats that even the average soldier could dispatch without much trouble.

But there were three thousand of them.

Even run-of-the-mill animals, if gathered in a swarm of three thousand, could reduce a city to ruins. Let alone these beasts, which were far from ordinary.

'The walls must stand.'

The walls had to be fixed at all costs. Without the walls, fending off such a horde of monsters would be an impossible feat.

I gripped the guild master's shoulder, who was sweating bullets due to anxiety. He responded with a heavy nod.

"...Understood. We'll give it our all."

I gave the guild master's back a comforting pat.

"Thank you. Your hard work and everyone's dedication won't be forgotten."

Surveying the laborers, I amplified my voice.

"Come on, we're tasked with protecting the world! Let's throw everything we've got at it!"

***

"I'm heading to the alchemist's workshop now."

After descending from the wall, Lucas and I proceeded towards the city's alchemist workshop. The day was becoming increasingly hectic.

"Oh my, Your Highness?! You graced us with your presence!"

"You're here, Your Majesty!"

Upon reaching the workshop, the alchemist guild master and Lilly came out to welcome me.

As I entered the workshop, I immediately got down to business.

"What types and quantities of artifacts are currently under repair?"

"We're first focusing on five of the simplest artifacts. Also, three artifacts used in the previous battle have been put back for adjustment."

"Halt all ongoing tasks and begin repairing the artifacts I will specify."

The plan had been to fix the easiest artifacts first.

But considering that the upcoming adversaries were over three thousand sewer rats, it seemed more practical to choose and repair the artifacts that would most effectively eradicate the rats.

I received the list of artifacts stored in the storage.

Looking over the list, the items useful for the next battle are....

"Three flame-throwing artifacts. Prioritize the repair of these."

It was a basic R-rank artifact that spews fire. Nothing was more effective against those rat pests than fire.

Since there were three in the warehouse, I instructed for all of them to be repaired.

"After these priority repairs are completed, revert to repairing the artifacts you were working on before."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

As per my command, the workshop commenced the repairs of the flame-throwing artifacts immediately.

While the guild master was directing his subordinates on various tasks, I pulled out the next item.

"And this."

I produced a blue magic scroll from my pocket.

The item I held was the 'Summon Scroll: Automated Defense Turret' that I had found in a dungeon during my last free exploration session.

"Do you recognize this?"

"What is this...?"

The Guild Master of the Alchemist's Guild squinted at the scroll in my hand, his face slowly morphing into a look of awe.

"Could it be... an ancient summoning spell?"

"Yes. Specifically, it's a scroll to summon structures."

Summoning magic.

In the context of the game, it was a skill only players had at their disposal.

This was one of the few aspects where the player, who usually let game characters handle combat, could directly influence the gameplay.

There were two primary categories of summoning.

First, the summoning of 'Defense Towers' that could be placed on structures.

Second, the summoning of 'Boss Monsters' that the player could control directly.

Even though one could only summon one entity at a time, the impact was significant.

With a Defense Tower, a player could set up a network of overwhelming firepower, and Boss Monsters could be used to decimate enemy creatures.

'The conditions are quite stringent, though...'

To use the tower summoning magic, one needed to get their hands on the summoning scroll and then hand it over to the alchemist's workshop for deciphering.

The Tower Summoning Scroll was a guaranteed drop. By rigorously undertaking free exploration, you could accumulate them one by one.

However, the research costs were steep, and the process took quite some time.

At least the initial summon, the Automated Defense Turret, had a lower research complexity, allowing it to be utilized relatively soon.

'The path to summoning Boss Monsters is more daunting.'

Upon their death, Boss Monsters would drop a summoning scroll, but this was an exceedingly rare occurrence.

While you could utilize this without any research, the downside was that it was a one-time use item.

However, the effect was guaranteed. Unlike a Defense Tower, it could be summoned anywhere.

'I was worried that my player abilities wouldn't translate since I've been transported into the game, but luckily they do.'

This summoning magic, strictly speaking, wasn't a part of a character's abilities. It was a power of the game system itself.

It's fortunate that I can use it as is, but it also makes me uneasy.

'Am I a character in this game, or a player?'

Or, could I be both?

As I was lost in my thoughts, the Alchemist's Guild Master, holding the scroll, looked utterly bewildered.

"Where in the world did you find such a treasure...!"

I couldn't exactly tell him, 'It's a guaranteed drop from a dungeon crawl', so I simply shrugged it off.

"That's not important. Can you decipher it?"

"Certainly! Although it's written in an ancient script, it still falls within our magical domain. I can absolutely decipher it!"

"That's encouraging. I request that you do so as promptly as possible. Once the wall repairs are finished, I want to deploy the summon from that scroll."

"Understood, Your Highness! I won't let you down!"

The Alchemist's Guild Master was bowing excessively, clutching the scroll to his chest.

This was a relic housing countless extinct technologies, so his zeal to study it was understandable.

And for me, his diligence was mutually beneficial.

After watching the Guild Master scamper off to his office, clutching the scroll, I flicked my index finger towards Lilly.

"Lilly, come over here."

Lilly moved toward me, her face a mask of fear.

"Why...why are you doing this... Your Highness?"

She seemed jittery, possibly worried that I'd burden her with another perilous task. I offered her a comforting smile.

"No, it's just... thank you for your hard work. I'm counting on you moving forward."

I do have a task for her, just not at the moment.

After proffering Lilly a gratuitous handshake of reassurance, as she stood there immobilized, I exited the alchemist's workshop with Lucas.

"You're scheming to have me undertake another weird task, aren't you?! Something dangerous?! Right? Your Highness! Your Highnesssss!"

Lilly's outcry faintly reverberated behind us.

I'm sorry, Lilly. But that's the reality of being a public servant.

***

Temple.

As soon as I stepped foot into this marble edifice located in the city's northern region, a whiff of disinfectant stung my nostrils.

"..."

I didn't announce my presence, instead, quietly moved further into the temple.

"Patient in bed number 3 is critical!"

"We need more potions! Holy water and bandages too!"

The interior of the temple was lined with beds, with the injured laid out, receiving care.

'Rank R' healer 'Saintess' Margarita, alongside other priests, was tending to the wounded with a hectic pace. Among them was Damien.

I observed Damien from a distance as he sweated profusely while administering healing magic.

Looking more at ease than when he was piercing enemies with a sharp gaze, Damien's tranquil demeanor, now changing the bandages of the injured, seemed fitting.

"...There's nothing more I can do here."

I quietly slipped out of the temple.

In their own ways, everyone was battling for survival.

Everyone in this temple was fighting to preserve lives.

As their leader, I must exert my utmost.

I tightened my grip.

Annihilate the monsters, safeguard the people.

That's my responsibility.

"Let's go. The Mercenary Guild is next."

"Understood."

Lucas and I left the temple and charted our course for the Mercenary Guild.

***

Approaching the Mercenary Guild located in the heart of the city.

I took a deep breath before the entrance.

'May the Mercenary Guild brim with promising talents!'

I whispered a silent prayer and forcefully swung open the door.

"There's a new character!"

However.

"Shit! I already have this one!"

The once vibrant Mercenary Guild was absent of any promising new mercenaries.

Instead, Jupiter, radiating a mesmerizing purple aura, sat alone, nursing a drink.

'I was thrilled, thinking a new SR rank character had surfaced!'

I clutched my aching head. Why was this old lady here again?

Jupiter ambled over to me and offered a salute. I reciprocated with a nod.

"What brings you here, Jupiter?"

"Do I have a home, or any savings? I have no place worth calling home, so I've been living off the Guild."

"Quite the braggart, aren't you? You could build yourself a house with the salary I've given you!"

"Ahh~ What does a mercenary need with a house? We're not meant to settle down."

Jupiter's lips curled into a cunning smile.

"Living where the wind takes us, going where our hearts lead us, splurging on good food and drinks, that's the ideal mercenary life."

"So you've decided to stake out here...?"

"I'm officially discharged, I can't stay in the Empire's barracks, can I? And would I want to share a mercenary dorm with youngsters? The inns are too rundown for their price."

I realized that arguing would only waste my breath. Shaking my head, I scanned the empty guild.

"It seems there are no promising new comrades around."

"It's too soon to be disappointed, Your Highness."

Jupiter merely shrugged. I rolled my eyes. Did this old woman have a hidden trump card?

"Who am I? I spent 30 years in the Empire's army, and I've been in the mercenary game for years. Am I not the Comeback Hero, Jupiter?" (TL Note: Not sure how to translate 역전의 용사님. It basically means someone who is portrayed as a powerful and influential figure capable of changing the course of events or achieving victory against the odds.)

"And so, Comeback Hero? What of it?"

"This old lady has a few, actually, quite a few connections."

Heh.

Wearing a mischievous grin, Jupiter declared with conviction,

"I've been spreading tales all over the continent. That the new ruler of the monster frontier is of royal blood and isn't afraid to splash the cash."