Chapter 132. Legacy (3)

Even in the wasteland, rain falls.

The red earth turns a deep ocher when wet.

As if to release the grudge held back during the drought, green sprouts shot up from the moisture-laden ocher land.

In a day or two, the red wasteland became a green pasture.

The funeral was held on a drizzling hill.

“…May you rest peacefully in Luark's warm embrace.”

Alina concluded the prayer.

The pit holding the coffin was filled with dirt, and everyone took a moment for silent prayer.

The bodies of the fallen were handled according to their last wills.

Some requested cremation, while others, like now, asked to be buried on the battlefield.

Most wished to be cremated and returned to their families.

For soldiers who had not mentioned anything about their funeral, we decided to cremate them and take them back with us.

There is a place for them in Wolfskrig.

A cemetery section in the northwest of the city, created during the redevelopment, the ‘Hall of Heroes’ where the fallen are buried.

I heard a peculiar trend was circulating among merchants and travelers.

That if you stop by the Hall of Heroes and pay respects to the deceased when traveling the northern road to the imperial heartland, the war heroes will watch over your journey.

It's a superstition, but it raises the army's honor, so it's a welcome thing.

It also somewhat aligns with my purpose for building the cemetery near the main road.

“The soldiers who didn't write anything about their funerals mostly had no family, or if they did, they hadn't seen them in a long time.”

Alina, having finished the funeral proceedings, approached my side.

“We will keep their skulls intact, and the remaining bones will be ground to powder and enshrined in the Hall of Heroes. Along with the other fallen warriors who gave their lives to protect the Empire and the domain.”

“Good.”

“Even estranged families might one day want to see them. If they see their son, their brother, being remembered as a hero… perhaps the lingering resentment between them might be eased a little, however late.”

Alina gave a faint smile.

My principle is not to judge other people's family matters.

I don't know if the estranged families will want to see the deceased soldier, if they will come, or what emotions they will feel.

“May Luark's comfort and blessing be with those who remain.”

“…Let’s pray so, amen.”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing. It was nonsense.”

Alina tilted her head.

Well, she might be right.

When you think about it, the reason I want to go back is also family.

I don't think my previous life was a comedy.

In my teens, my dream was shattered by an accident, and in my twenties, my spirit was broken by an accident.

When I regained consciousness after wandering in a dream for a long time after the second accident, my family was gone.

The first place I went after being discharged from the hospital was the columbarium.

Strangely, no tears came.

Personally, I think tears are shed by those who have a heart.

What remained for me, whose spirit was broken, was a single blood relative, unconscious just like I had been a short while ago.

It's embarrassing to say, but I don't remember feeling much responsibility.

In that place, I didn't have a will of steel like I do in this world.

Fortunately, I had a bit of luck, and I didn't have to worry about my livelihood.

I could even afford the hospital bills that cost hundreds every month.

I went to see my blood relative, who was completely cut off from the world and didn't even stir when I called their name, at most once or twice a month.

The rest of the time, I was cooped up in my room all day, sitting in front of a monitor.

Perhaps the reason I take care of the families of the fallen soldiers is because I'm worried about the one I left behind in reality.

At the very least, I hope they don't have to step on the cold floor of a home like I did after my military discharge.

I felt a presence.

I turned my head.

“People say that when you become a king, you become numb to death.”

I had to look down a little.

The one who had approached and stood beside me was the Dwarf King, Ungol.

In his hands were a beer and a single wildflower.

Standing before the grave, he poured the beer on the ground and stuck the flower on top.

It was a dwarven funeral custom.

“May your souls find rest when this flower turns to dust.”

While he poured the beer, I looked around.

The considerable number of people had all disappeared.

It seemed the funeral had ended while I was lost in thought.

Only Olif and a few Royal Guardsmen were standing at a distance, escorting me.

The Dwarf King, after placing the flower, stood beside me again.

He repeated his earlier words.

“People say kings are numb to death. No. We don't become numb to death. We can never be.”

“Is that so?”

“At least, you are not. And neither am I.”

“……”

“The sadness doesn't overflow. Because we have things to do. Instead, we dig a well. We confine our sorrow like a vast underground water source at the bottom of a deep, deep well.”

Hoo.

Ungol let out a deep sigh.

He clasped his hands and continued to speak, gazing into the empty space above the cemetery.

“I express my gratitude for your and your soldiers' courage and dedication. We will be allies as solid as rock from now on.”

“I feel the same way. I look forward to working with you.”

“Things will get much more difficult from now on. A wind of death is blowing from the east. And from the south and north as well.”

The Dwarf King swallowed dryly.

I racked my brain without answering.

A wind of death.

To the south is the Lumer Legion.

To the north, it's probably the elves or the yetis.

The east is not certain.

That's because there are a few candidates.

The worst case would be the Eastern Empire.

When a problem breaks out there, its aftermath always crosses the 'World's Barrier', the great mountain range dividing the continent's east and west, and reaches here in the western part of the continent.

“This isn't a long conversation to be had in front of a grave. I'll invite you separately soon. For today… please rest.”

“Thank you.”

The Dwarf King withdrew.

I tilted my head back and took a deep breath.

This expedition.

I had crossed several big mountains.

I made the Vampire Archduchy a de facto vassal state, and formed an alliance with the Hold ruled by the King of Dwarven Kings.

I dealt with the Ratmen Technopriest Council, the most bothersome faction among the various Ratmen clans in the later stages, early on.

As for the orcs, having lost their Great Chieftain Uluk, they will never recover in this world.

In the game, this would be around the mid-game, so this could be called an incredibly successful run.

The Dwarf King is right.

I suppose I can rest for a day.

Nevertheless, preparing for the next task must be an old habit of mine, having dedicated most of my twenties to this game.

“Brol.”

I called out to old man Brol, who was standing at a distance.

“How is it? Do you like the dwarven liquor?”

“The beer is amazing. But I have no idea how to eat that stone-bread.”

“That’s good. Let your new drinking buddies have a taste of the bread we brought from our domain. It's for supply, so it's hard, but it'll be better than stone-bread. In fact, being hard bread, it might just hit the spot for the dwarves.”

“Got it. You're planning to export bread later too, right?”

“Of course. And….”

I gestured to the guards who had approached with Brol.

After the guards made space, I whispered so they couldn't hear.

“There's something to look into.”

“Huh?”

“Make some more diverse drinking buddies while we're here.”

* * *

Fifteen days had passed since the victory in battle.

Most of the orc dung and filth that had covered the streets had been cleaned up, and what was left had been washed away by the heavy rain that poured for nearly a week.

I heard there was a commotion in the Hold's sewage system, but despite that, there were no backflows or anything of the sort.

Seeing that, I made a plan to invite dwarven architects to Wolfskrig.

The Wolfskrig sewage system had been maintained once, but it still occasionally burst during the rainy season.

It wasn't for nothing that I established a Blue Magic Tower branch in the city.

“It's a shame, but I must go first. I've left the domain empty for too long. Since the expedition has been prolonged, the mercenaries' wages are no small matter.”

Viscount Pewin decided to leave first.

The man complaining about wages couldn't hide the smile on his face.

He, like me, must have received a hefty expression of gratitude from the dwarves.

I heard the Dwarf King had promised to help him open a land trade route with the Burning Anvil Hold to the north.

He came out to subdue the troublesome orcs and ended up going back with a big profit.

“Thanks to you, I've avoided a deficit. Thank you.”

“I'm the one who has been in your debt all this time.”

“Hahaha! What have I done to help? It was all you, doing well on your own.”

Viscount Pewin burst into pleasant laughter.

That's a relief.

It wasn't just empty words; he had looked out for me a lot since my mercenary days.

In a way, the gold he gave me when he formally hired the Ash Mercenary Band had snowballed into what Wolfskrig is today.

“Take care. I'll see you again at a banquet in the Imperial Capital.”

“I'll come anytime you call.”

“Haha, how can I call someone busier than me to come and go? Rather, I'll go wherever you call me. In the meantime, take good care of my granddaughter.”

“……”

“Just kidding, just kidding! Hahahaha!”

After sending him off, I also said goodbye to Ella Siollus.

I didn't particularly want to exchange words with the mad witch of fire, but our respective statuses and the fact that she had distinguished herself in this battle made it necessary.

Without her, the firepower of the Artillery Corps and the other mages alone would have been difficult to handle the sheer numbers of a hundred thousand orcs.

Her magic wasn't just about projecting firepower; it changed the very terrain of the battlefield by erecting walls of fire and creating obstacles of lava in the midst of the enemy lines.

“You've worked hard.”

“Heehee.”

“?”

“It's nothing. Heeheehee, see you again soon!”

What was that?

This unsettling feeling.

When that witch smiles, it usually means bad luck.

I've extracted enough skills from this battle, so I just hope I don't see her again.

After several more days of receiving the dwarves' lavish hospitality, the expedition finally left the Hold and set off.

We had already completed our resupply during that time.

The soldiers' injuries had also healed.

The exclusive land trade agreement was well concluded, and old man Brol had managed to extract sufficient information from his new drinking buddies.

‘Was the funeral completed successfully?’

‘Yes, thanks to your consideration.’

I also had a meeting with Ungol, the representative of all dwarven holds, the King of Kings.

He told me about the crises approaching from the east and north.

In return, I offered advice on the dwarves' internal affairs.

The reason Everlasting Mountains Hold so easily gave up half of its territory to the orcs wasn't just because of the Ratmen's machinations.

The conflict between the nine holds was also a problem.

If the alliance had been strong, reinforcements would have come quickly, and there would have been no reason to send the unofficial heir to the throne, Balkan, to a distant foreign country.

‘The resumption of land trade will be able to put an end to the long-standing conflict. Until now, with the exception of a few holds, they all relied on domestic demand, didn't they?’

‘Hmm… that’s right.’

‘Water that has been stagnant for a long time is bound to rot. Don't be satisfied with just the resumption of land trade this time; please help the other holds to create trade routes as well. Now that the Orc Great Chieftain is gone, you can begin the orc subjugation.’

‘Create an external enemy to unite the inside, you mean. Using the huge market of the Empire as bait.’

‘That's right. The other holds will also benefit greatly if they start land trade. When people are well-fed, conflicts tend to decrease.’

‘Are you okay with that? If other holds also start exporting, doesn't the meaning of the exclusive trade you just obtained disappear?’

‘Don't worry, I'll suck them dry as much as possible before the other holds resume trade. And what does it matter if there are several trade routes? The goods from Everlasting Mountains Hold that I exclusively supply are of a higher quality than any other hold, aren't they?’

‘Khahaha! That's true. I understand. I'll talk to the other holds.’

The cart filled with gold and armaments gifted by the Hold as a token of gratitude being much heavier than originally promised probably wasn't just my imagination.

Anyway, it's about time to go back.

To Wolfskrig.

A problem has occurred.

‘Master, that….’

‘Hmm?’

‘The Aerial Battleship, you know. It's out of power. It can't fly until it's recharged. What should we do?’

Well, what other choice is there?

As they say from old times, if the head is dumb, the body suffers.

Conversely, that means if the body is strong, you can use your head less.