As the city gates opened, horses carrying large metal carriages appeared. Each carriage could carry upwards of 50 knights in full armor.
When Edwin thought of what was needed to win the war and improve the military might of Highland, several things popped up in his mind, but he narrowed it down to two fundamentals.
The first was mobility. It would take weeks to move an army a distance of 20 kilometers in this world at a huge cost. There would be the equipment, food, and tents that had to be carried. Even if you had access to a large earth dragon, it would still be an expensive endeavor to take.
Edwin solved this using the spirit crystals. The carriages had a wind spirit crystal that lifted them off the ground and made it lighter for the horses to pull. He then attached spirit crystals to the harness of the horses. The coachman would use this to strengthen the horses as well as restore their fatigue.
All this resulted in the creation of the spirit carriage. Not surprisingly, it was the Fairy Queen Madeline who so named it. She took it upon herself to name all of his inventions.
Edwin didn't object to this, but it was obvious she was going to add spirit to any of his inventions.
Edwin watched the spirit carriages leave the city, and the knights in the plain broke up into 3 groups and boarded the carriages.
Prime Minister Herman Clark and Edwin had concluded that for a perfect victory to happen, they needed to attack in all directions. North, South, and East.
Prime Minister Herman Clark would stay in the city while Edwin would head east to the capital of Highland with Margarita, Viscount Honcho, Hitomi, and Eve.
Edwin was wearing golden armor with a red cape behind him. While Viscount Honcho, Hitomi, and Margarita cold boast to being able to use 2 spirit crystals, Edwin had them all beat with 4 crystals.
When Edwin first showed the armor with the 4 crystals to everyone, they were shocked. They did not understand how someone with weak mana like Edwin could do such a thing.
Edwin played it off as talent, but the truth was that he had made a secrete contact with the Queen of Fairies, Madeline.
***
This contract allowed Edwin to use any spirit crystal with ease. When he asked why she would do such a thing for him, Queen Madeline replied.
"This world will end if nothing is done. I luck the power to fight on the front lines, therefore, I will entrust that to you."
"Why did you not make a contract with the hero?"
"I thought of doing that, but when I met him, something seemed off."
"Something seemed off?"
"Yes. But I can not explain it clearly. He did not seem like a trustworthy person."
"That's all?"
"As I said, I can't explain it properly, but he gives me the creeps."
"Eh...When did you meet him anyway?"
"When was it? I think it was 5 days before I got attacked by the demons. That was just not my week," Queen Madeline sighed as she recalled the events that happened that week.
"Did you tell the allied forces your feelings?"
"Yes, but they all ignored me. The holy kingdom was especially condemning of my 'woman's intuition', as they called it. Who could have thought that the goddesses' believers would be so thick-headed? When they come back I will get them to reprimand them."
"Wait, you have met the goddesses before?"
"Of course, I am like their young sister, you know."
"No, No, No. I did not know anything of the sort,"
"Well, it not like I made it public, but it was the goddess who raised me from a simple spirit to a fairy and then a high spirit before I finally became a fairy Queen."
"Really?"
"Yes. That's why Edwin," she said softly before grasping his hand, "Please, please save them," her eyes were moist. She was truly pleading from the bottom of her heart.
"Leave it to me. I will need first to develop Highland, but that will not take long."
"Are you sure about that?"
"I am. I should be able to get Highland ready to fight the demonic army within 2 years."
"I will leave it to you then."
Edwin nodded at her words.
***
While Edwin, was remembering the past, he saw a small blink light from his right wrist. He moved his arm in a manner that resembles someone trying to read the time on their watch back on earth. He concentrated on the blinking light and channeled some manner into it. In the next instant, a screen appeared in front of his eyes, and there he could see the beautiful Margarita.
The second thing Edwin had created shocked everyone, including Queen Madeline, who made it her mission to name it. She argued with Edwin over what it should be called for a week until bulling him into accepting her proposal to call it a spirit phone.
Edwin had successfully recreated the cellphone in this world. Edwin knew that communication was a huge advantage in war. Up to now, a general would either use wind magic to voice their commands, but the problem with that was that the enemy could, also her your battle plans. Some generals solved this problem by speaking in code.
Another method was to use signal flags to issue an order, but they were very ineffective in wartime.
When Edwin showed this off to Prime Minister Herman Clark, he nearly fainted. To use a spirit phone would require a lot of mana that humans didn't have, but with the aid of the spirit crystals, it was no longer a problem.
Margarita spoke through the spirit phone, "We are all ready to move out, your majesty."
"I understand, I will move out immediately."
"Understood!"
"You truly have made something unbelievable there, your majesty" it was Prime Minister Herman Clark who said those words. His face would turn pale every time he thought of the spirit-phone
Edwin only replied with a wry smile.
"You are leaving?" the one who spoke next was Queen Madeline.
"Yes. I will be starting now."
"Whatever happens, do not die." she had a serious expression on her face
"I won't"
"You promise"
What are you, my mother?
Edwin said those words in his mind
How rude. I am not trying to be your mother, you know, but if you die, it will cause me a lot of problems
Eh...!
Ah...
Queen Madeline....you can read my mind?
No, I can't!
You just did it again, didn't you?
Looks like I have been busted, taehe...
Don't taehe me! Since when?
Ah...since we formed the contract. It's what happens when you form a contract with a spirit
I didn't know that!
Well, you didn't ask
Dam it
Now...now there is no need to panic. It's like I will reveal that you secretly like big boobed women or anything like that
Don't say it!
"Your majesty, is something the matter?" Prime Minister Herman Clark asked
"It's not true," he uttered in a panic before coming back to his senses,
"Edwin-sama is something the matter?" Eve asked next with a concerned look on her face
"Ah, no...nothing is the matter Eve."
Why don't you, just confess your love to see her in cat ears?
Stop it
"We are leaving!" Edwin said before fleeing the scene. Queen Madeline looked on as Edwin fled from her. She should probably tell him that she can read his thought no matter how far he is, but she kept quiet. She wanted to tease him a bit more before telling him anything.
Edwin began his journey to reclaim his kingdom and seek revenge. He looked on as the carriages ahead of him moved at amazing speed. He clenched his hand into a fist.
Count Gunnleifus Varma, Margrave Lance Von Winters, Theodemar Inanala, Jarodor, Everwood, and Vidfamne. You will regret everything
He thought to himself.