Chapter 48: Support
Shadowfall Kingdom
Vincent
Kaijuu Ryu's Laboratory.
06:35
Kaijuu Ryu
"Let's begin."
"""""Yes Sir"""""
"Firstly, commander Shizuku how is the report you gave me from 1 month ago when it takes 3 months to travel by carriage to the East Empire?"
"Sir it takes a single agent a month to travel the same distance, we use rest stops along the way to supply the agent with fresh horses."
"I see."
"Also sir if I may."
"Continue."
She pulls out a map, and has Mary hold it in front of me.
"The most likely place of first enemy contact will be here."
The map shows an empty wasteland where she estimates the battle will be.
"How's the terrain?"
"Mostly flatland Sir"
"How long for our army to get there?"
"About 2 months Sir"
"I see, commander Lindy"
"Sir"
"You have until 5 months before the war starts to gather as many shovels and salt as you can, we will be leaving early toward the war, you will bring all the supplies you can manage and set up a base in.. Let's see here."
I look for the nearest town.
"Mayburry."
"Understood Sir!"
"Also have as many water manipulation boards made as possible as well as hardened magic rods, I'll keep you informed of what else I require before the deadline"
"If I may ask Sir, what are those for?"
"You'll see, can I count on you?"
"Sir, Yes Sir"
I look over the papers on my clipboard again
"Former vice general Richard"
"Sir"
"I'm placing you in command of the cavalry, select a vice commander from you ranks, I will use you and yours as scouts before battle, and the rest will work with the covert corps to send commands to troops on the ground, Understood?"
"Sir, Yes Sir!"
"Dismissed."
"""""Yes, Sir"""""
They leave.
"Shannon, Wilfred send word to the entire army, I am looking for recruits for my personal unit, have a list made of volunteers only. Also let David Karkovsky know he and the 200 that came with him will be the first to receive my training, we'll fill the first class till a maximum of 300, you two will observe me and do what I do, if you have any questions ask me in private, not in front of the troops, the training is 1 month long per class, then those who remain will train the next classes, and you two can get back to overseeing the army, we start in 1 week, Understood"
""Yes Sir""
After that I went to go see king Raymond, he already had some land for the training set aside and some tents set up.
I went to go see it, it can easily house and feed 1000 at a time, good.
I went to a blacksmith to have a bell with a stand made.
And so my elite unit's training began Monday morning 06:00. We weighed everyone and had them mix and make slabs weighing the same as they do.
We attached strong ropes in 2 corners and let it dry.
It was basically the same as basic from 06:00 until 18:00 everyday, but the difference is they slept at the base, we filled the missing 90 or so with the first to sign up. The date and time was recorded with their names and signatures.
I gave them the latter half of Saturday and the whole of Sunday off.
I went home.
"Honeys, I'm home"
""Welcome back""
"Roka, how is it going?"
"Still not stable, but I figured something else out. I'll tell you about it tomorrow."
I look at Roka, she's looking at Felmina sitting in a chair looking a bit off
"Felmina what's wrong?"
"I want to fight, I've never told you about my mom have I.."
I interrupt her.
I take her hand leading her to the bedroom.
I close the door.
"Go on."
"Yes, my mother used to be a slave until she escaped and made her way past the misty mountains. I don't want us to become slaves again, so I want to fight."
"I see."
I think long and hard.
"I can't allow it, I want to keep you safe."
"I understand, but.."
She thinks a bit. she opens her eyes and looks up at me.
"I know I lost the match, but what if I took part in your elite training...
Will you allow me to fight then?"
I think again. This time I'm pacing too.
I stop.
"Okay, but show me that you are serious. You should know that during the training you can't rely on your gravity suit, also you need to cut your hair shorter, it'll just get in the way. You can't join the current class but I'll get you into the next one. I won't be one of the people training you. If you quit that's it. Am I making myself clear."
"Yes!"
She dive tackles me and gives me a kiss while hanging on my neck.
We go back and I start talking to Roka.
I've had David come by before his training started. He showed us the method they used to manufacture the drug.
You take a magic core then soak it in a 1 part SP potion and 1 part MP potion mixture.
Then you dry it and crush it up to create the green powder.
I've asked Roka to try and stabilize it, so the MP Drain effect vanishes, or at least diminishes. What she found instead was almost better. She created a mixture using MP, SP and HP potions and soaked the cores in it, over the past week it never hardened, It's the consistency of a sponge. When she picked it up and some spilled on her arm while she was wearing her gravity suit. She broke her arm in the place it fell. She started running experiments on it and found that it supercharges magic circles, bit then the magic lines you drew fades away, like it's been used up. I told her to enlist some help and make as many of those cores as she can before we leave.
This will make things easier for my plan.
I look at Felmina.
"Come with me"
It's still early afternoon Saturday. we arrive at the beastmen's tents.
"I'm looking for commander Gary."
"I'll go and get him right away Sir."
I hold up my hand stopping him.
"No, just take us to him."
"Understood sir"
We follow him. commander Gary is training his troops. 18 000 troops is a hell of a lot. I see bunny men, cat people, dog people, some look like the monsters I fought during my time as an adventurer. Some have human shapes, some don't.
We arrive.
"Commander Gary, a moment"
He sees me and reverts his form.
"Yes Sir"
We 3 start walking a bit away from the troops.
"Are these all of your troops?"
"No sir, these are only the ones that are pureblood, the ones that can transform for battle."
"How many again?"
"6500 Sir."
Damn. If this is 6500 and the entire beastmen division is 18 000 and I have to command like 90 000 troops.
My head is spinning. I feel a bit overwhelmed.
They stopped and I didn't notice and kept walking.
Felmina grabs my arm snapping me back to reality.
Gary looks at me.
"As for the reason I came here today"
"Sir?"
"I have a request, feel free to say no after you gave it some thought. If my wife Felmina completes training for my elite unit, I'd like her to fight with your men If you'll have her. I have one condition though before you accept or deny. She must absolutely survive the war. If she dies you die. Please consider it carefully before deciding, I'll understand if you say no, I won't hold it against you."
"I understand sir, you'll have my answer by next week."
"Understood. Dismissed."
"Yes Sir."
While Felmina and I are walking back, she asks:
"What if he says no?"
"Then I'll assign you to support. But first focus on getting through the training. It will probably be the hardest thing you've ever done."
She looks a bit dejected.
"Hey I need you to focus... Look, come by Thursday evening to the place where I'm training the my troops, the training for next week is a mental battle more than anything. If that doesn't scare you off. Prove it, by getting your hair cut."
She looks a bit more composed.
"I understand."
"Don't worry, I'll still love you no matter the outcome. Oh yeah, a word of advice, when you get to Wednesday or Thursday of your second week of training, you'll be asking yourself 'What am I doing here, when I can be literally doing anything else'. You'd better have an answer."
She nods.