Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 46: The Brewing Battle

"Check all wheels on all carts! It's rough terrain between here and the Citadel."

"Stock up on feed for the buckrohks and make sure you guard the water tankards. We'll be appetizing targets for beasts and demonkin alike. They're not so different from us. Bandits and raiders on the roads."

Captain Muindis watches as his lieutenants organize and prepare the company for the march on the Citadel. They're currently overnighting at Fort Twilight. Unlike Peony, which is physically closer, Twilight is much easier to navigate, and it can support a larger force than Peony.

And, with the discovery of the Grand Duchy's plan to send a splinter force, many of the generals and colonels looking to find a weakening in the Demon Army's defenses have been looking for their own chances to seek glory. When questioned, the splinter force, known as Wyrmglare, were told to give the answer that the Citadel is believed to house a weapon capable of defeating dragons, which is why the dragons have taken to guarding it. However, this weapon is meant for humans, or human-sized wielders, meaning they just need to sneak in and take it.

This made the other leaders even more excited to become part of the attack, as a weapon that could defeat dragons would be even more desirable, as it could likely also be used to defeat any enemy.

And, as King Rikuto and the others of Mornistae have come to suspect, the strange phenomenon that washed over everyone seemingly at once all across the known world seems to have originated in the far west, following a flash of light that was visible from the mountains. The true source has still not been identified, but if it is a weapon, it's all the more reason to push westward and identify the weapon or spell and eradicate it. It poses too much risk to the world as a whole.

Of course, that is a problem for Rikuto and the other kingdoms and the Empire. Captain Muindis is tasked with leading this force to retrieve Daniel at all costs. The other companies and battalions marching with them will be serving their own desires when attacking the Citadel, and Muindis's orders from the Grand Duchess herself protect him from the authority of those who might otherwise outrank him. When it's time for Wyrmglare to fall back, it's up to the other commandants to choose to retreat or continue the siege.

Muindis states to Lieutenant Elkash, who is nearby, "Lieutenant, make sure everyone gets good rest. We'll be leaving before first light and first bell."

"As you wish, Captain."

"It's a two week march to the Citadel at a fast pace."

"Of course."

Muindis heads up to the outer defensive wall of Fort Twilight. It's much larger and more sturdy than that of the Flower Garden. But, Muindis knows it'll do little to stop dragon fire. He has never seen dragons in battle, as few who do survive. It's rumored that the only reason dragons don't wage war more often is due to their small numbers. Every one of their fallen -even as difficult as that is- is extraordinarily costly to the dragons. Or, so the rumors go. The dragons themselves -what few have been encountered and survived- are said to be extremely proud and arrogant, and they would never divulge such information on their own. It does make sense, since dragons hold enough power to raze castles to the ground, that they would be too few in number to risk grand assaults on every battlefront with the risk that any one castle could prove lethal.

Something that rarely occurs to most people east of the mountains is how beautiful the west is. In many ways, it's not very different. The climates are roughly the same, much of the terrain is similar. But, because the demons are less industrious than humans, dwarves, and gatonines, specifically, there are very few fortresses or large cities marking the landscape. Much of the land has a natural beauty to it.