Chapter 17 : Defense of TreeCity

A few weeks later. [Year 58 Month 9].

As indicated, humans began to migrate to TreeCity. Consequently, significant urbanization took place within TreeCity. Houses were built, and outside, a large human mass could be seen, forming a long queue towards the main road leading to TreeCity.

The number of villagers living within the village's enclosure increased, and the number of residences was expanded, thereby changing its designation from a village to a town.

As a result, several buildings were constructed following the previous administrative council. After several discussions, Noah decided to centralize administrative authority and everything related to the village in the town hall.

In other words, a massive building, several meters high, was erected, surrounded by a long, empty, hollow square to accommodate numerous people. Around it, a small economy began to emerge, including businesses that succeeded following the integration of the two races.

At the same time, disputes arose in various parts of the city, along with several physical altercations that resulted in multiple injuries and hidden animosity among the population. To address this issue, the offenders were heavily penalized and no longer appeared in public.

In a remote area, a stone building was constructed on the outskirts of the forest, now named the Holy Forest, where Noah lived. This allowed all the arrests to be sent away from prying eyes, giving rise to various rumors that gradually transformed into myths.

Villagers who had seen the arrested individuals being led to the new prison began to have doubts. As the sun rose, several people emerged from their homes, starting to speculate and form hypotheses, some of which may or may not be true.

"Some thought of corporal punishment leading to death by whipping, while others considered perpetual imprisonment. In any case, this threat proved effective, and the number of disputes drastically decreased.

The fear of the possibility of being imprisoned like criminals in that massive dungeon was decisive. This was a commendable action for Noah, who rejoiced in the low crime rate.

At the same time, he earned a truly unique title: [Title: Leader]

The effects were rather modest but unique. Notably, a +10% persuasion rate towards individuals weaker than him and a more authoritative demeanor than anyone else. At least, he would not kneel before anyone other than someone stronger than him.

After addressing surface-level discrimination issues, Noah was able to finalize his policy of racial integration and dismantle the prejudices that held the present to the past. As a result, the entire population of RootCity was smoothly relocated to TreeCity, and Noah could focus on training the troops.

Noah was seated atop the town hall and could clearly see a long line of soldiers appearing on the horizon.

In the distance, a massive army was slowly advancing towards his position.

...

A large army, consisting of 40,000 men and two Archmages, approached TreeCity. As the invaders cautiously drew nearer, their pace slowed, thus increasing the time before their arrival.

An old elf with a scar over his right eye and drooping ears rode forward on his horse. Simultaneously, he stroked his sweaty beard, gazing calmly at the grand gate, which was a bit distant from their position.

"...Archmage, what do you sense inside the city? Are there any signs of any Archmages within?" inquired the elf who was concealed beneath a hood and a cloth covering his body, appearing as a mysterious figure standing behind the General of the Division of the Army. He calmly scanned in the direction of TreeCity before shaking his head.

"None. I can't detect any aura with the power of an Archmage. The strongest would be at the level of a Mage Initiate, followed by many lesser mages," he replied. A hint of disappointment tinged his tone, but the General didn't pay it much heed.

The Division General nodded, content with the report.

The presence of an Archmage in an army was decisive in battle, especially when facing other Archmages. Without Archmages to protect the troops, advancement could encounter a significant obstacle, and only an opponent of the same caliber could prevent it.

It can be said without hesitation that an Archmage was equivalent to a vast number of human resources to kill even a single one. This mainly applied to overly arrogant Archmages who didn't retreat when the situation was unfavorable.

In any case, Archmages were considered supreme beings in the minds of many. Of course, there are other rankings for lower-level mages.

Mages are divided into different grades, including Apprentice, Novice, Initiate, Adept, Scholar, Master, Arcanist, and Archmage. Generally, these are unofficial rankings within the system, so they may vary depending on the practices of each country.

Thus, an Elven Archmage in the Wood Kingdom generally has power comparable to two Human Archmages according to their selection criteria. Of course, all of this is subjective.

"Hoho. They sent us two Archmages for support, yet our opponents are overrated. They have no Archmages. Have the leaders become too fearful and mad due to the previous magical beast invasion... or the previous revolution?" he laughed sarcastically.

An elf who was nearby stepped forward, his shiny armor rattling. "General, please refrain from holding such words!"

"Yaya... Being too uptight is bad for the body," the General glanced at the knight in armor, then turned his head to look at several soldiers. "Royal Officer, you should take some rest and withdraw to the rear," he said, raising his hand and summoning several soldiers.

Quickly, several elven soldiers approached and held the arms of the Royal Officer, pulling him away from the scene. Although he was physically strong, he couldn't resist the elven soldiers handpicked by the General.

"W-What are you doing?!" The General replied, "We're sending you to the rear! Your safety must be ensured, and not a scratch should be exposed on your body! Let us handle the work while you feast and enjoy!"

The Royal Officer had already withdrawn when he finished speaking. Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer. "Pouahaha...! What hypocrites! They sent us a Royal Officer to monitor us, yet they sent us a newly promoted, low-ranking Royal Officer! A weakling, inconsequential! Have they lost confidence in their subjects?!" he shouted in anger.

An unconscious subordinate stepped forward to calm his fury. "General, it's not that! They must be skeptical because of the previous revolution that nearly toppled the rule of the Royal Family!"

The General's face turned red, and smoke seemed to emanate from his head. Unfortunately, his words had the opposite effect. It was like pouring oil on the fire, further inflaming his anger. Finally, after listening to his subordinate, his anger reached an irreversible point.

"Ah! If only the revolution had gone smoothly! Because of that damned Royal Archmage, our revolution failed! I lost my lands, my wealth, and my title of Count!" The more he thought, the more he clicked his tongue loudly.

"Damn it...!" He began to draw his sword and beheaded his subordinate, then killed another. The soldiers started to become fearful but didn't retaliate. They couldn't do anything, after all.

"Damn it...! Stay in place! If you flee, I'll kill you!" Yet, the General blindly swung his sword at his troops, and several heads continued to roll on the ground as he descended into an unprecedented fury.

The soldiers could do nothing but remain motionless. They lowered their heads, praying to avoid their general's wrath and stay alive.

Finally, after rolling a dozen heads, he stopped when one of the Archmages warned him to prepare for the invasion.

Before them stood circular ramparts that encompassed the entire city, held up by massive wooden pillars with pointed spikes pointing upward, as well as a massive gate that was closed. Above, there were elves watching them cautiously, reporting each of their actions.

The fortress, built in a short time, wasn't particularly challenging for them, trained soldiers for battle. Nevertheless, it was a formidable fortress, with a perfect structure for defending against and fighting enormous magical beasts.

If no one had known that it was a city inside, some might have thought of it as an imposing wall in the middle of nowhere.

However, despite its simplicity, the General was astonished and amazed by the rapid construction of such a structure.

"Hm... So, this is TreeCity, the city that proclaimed itself independent and welcomed humans onto these lands?" He frowned in thought, then smiled.

He glanced at where the Royal Officer had been before turning his gaze to the city.

He raised his arms to the sky and looked with a mad glint in his eye. "Yes... Yes! Bad... Very bad! This gateway could allow me to reclaim my lost lands! If I could turn these traitors into slaves, then the king would return my lands to me...!" He began to smile maliciously and prepare for his invasion.

However, he was greedy and couldn't share the glory. A noble was always a noble by blood.

"Archmages, stay back! I will personally handle this matter! Ha-ha!"

At the same time, the two Archmages at the rear looked at each other and shook their heads. They partially withdrew to the rear and allowed the General to advance toward the city.

They were merely Archmages in the service of the Kingdom, with no loyalty. It was just a partial contract for power wielders like them, who could simply watch as spectators.

That's why the General spoke without restraint. Archmages had a confidentiality clause. No matter the words of betrayal spoken in their presence, they could never utter them elsewhere.

Before withdrawing completely to the rear, the hooded Archmage turned around. "...Just in case, we'll remain vigilant in case of unexpected events."

The General ignored him and continued to advance. Eventually, the Archmage withdrew.

...

Noah was sitting on the tallest branch of his main body, observing the large army standing in front of the gate to his city. He had long since detected the soldiers who had entered his territory. It was a kind of army made up of many poorly trained foot soldiers, as well as two Archmages sitting at the rear of the army.

What was disturbing was the leader standing in front of the army with a fanatical look. It disgusted him to the core of his being. He had previously counted a higher number than he could currently see and began to doubt.

Suspicious, he shifted his gaze and found a long plain, covered with small hills, surrounding a mountain range about a hundred meters high. On the plains, there were elven soldiers on horseback slowly marching toward TreeCity.

An army of over 10,000 men, two Archmages, and equipment that seemed rather formidable for an army, with stable supplies in the rear.

The army was divided into two sections: Infantry and Cavalry at the rear.

He rested his chin on his arm and thought deeply as he watched the approaching black mass near his gates. He could already hear the horses' hooves pounding the ground. He had recently raised a defense force and acquired War Treants, and an opportunity had presented itself. It was time to take advantage of this opportunity to test their capabilities, he thought.

Cracking his joints, he began to rise from his nonchalant position before turning in another direction.

Below his position, through the thick leaves several centimeters in diameter and several meters long, was an entire team equipped with the gear of fallen soldiers and weapons crafted from various collected materials.

In the midst of this mass of about 1,000 men and elves, there was a woman clad in a brilliant armor once possessed by the late captain who had previously invaded his territory. She wore a lightweight suit of armor tailored to her size, allowing her to move gracefully among obstacles. Her armor was made from the hides of magical beasts, enabling various miraculous effects in her movements, combined with her elven physiology, giving her remarkable balance in her motions.

She stood calmly on the ground, awaiting Noah's orders.

Noah descended with his avatar and soon arrived before them. As the two slowly approached each other, Mary rushed in front of him and knelt deeply before Noah. The soldiers did the same, creating a strange scene in the heart of the forest. A thousand men gathered and knelt before their supreme lord.

In response, Noah raised his hand for her to rise.

Shortly after a long silence, Noah spoke up. "Very well. As you are aware, an army has invaded our lands and is heading toward TreeCity. For this reason, you, the defenders and soldiers of TreeCity, have been mobilized. The best-trained and carefully chosen soldiers."

"For this reason, those of you who have family inside the city, those of you who have loved ones, those of you who have wives and children, what will you do?"

After his question, a silence fell. No one dared to answer. Everyone had a burning expression, yet an urge to shout out loud.

"I repeat, what will you do?!" he shouted.

Noah repeated for a second time, and one person stood out from the crowd before firmly responding.

"...F-For my wife!"

"...For my children!"

"My loved ones!"

...

Noah smiled at the emotional cries of the soldiers who raised their weapons high and shouted loudly. "Very well! Now, let us advance toward TreeCity! Let us protect our homeland! Hoorah!"

"Hoorah!" The soldiers shouted, their faces reddening with excitement.

After giving orders to Mary, Noah dematerialized and began to approach the enemy individually. Behind him, the War Treants began to tremble and move, unnoticed by anyone.

Thus, the hour of battle gradually drew near.