Fate: I Will Eventually Become the Hero of Justice II

Chapter 222

Vortigern felt frustrated. If only Londinium hadn't fallen, or if the Dead Apostles hadn't taken over the central region, with almost seventy percent of the land under his control and wielding the holy lance, there would be nothing on this island that could stop him!

Despite his position and status as a god, Vortigern had been weakened, and his power had been stripped away. As a result, he was unable to directly destroy the fortress ramparts that Shirou had worked so hard to build. Even though he still held the conceptual and positional power of a god, it was not enough to overcome the strength of the ramparts.

Even with his inability to destroy the fortress ramparts, Vortigern remained confident in his massive army of magical beasts and the support of the Saxons and Picts. In contrast, his opponent only held one region in the south, the poorest Cornwall. Even if they could resist, Vortigern believed they would not be able to hold out for long.

Unbeknownst to Vortigern, Cornwall and several other territories had already been developed and operated by Shirou. With a strong focus on agriculture and commerce, backed by Gaul and connected to Ireland, they had already begun to expand their reach beyond the region.

If it came down to a battle of national strength and resource management, Shirou was not afraid at all, as he had already laid the foundation for a sustainable and thriving economy.

Shirou was so confident in his abilities that he believed he could bring all the kingdoms on the island to their knees, even if they were to unite against him.

Due to their differing perspectives, both sides only focused on the most obvious and direct military forces and didn't see the economy as a military force. However, it wasn't that they couldn't notice this; rather, they lacked the profound understanding that Shirou possessed. Their cognitive abilities were not as systematic and scientific as his.

It was like the harm caused by an economic crisis. Everyone knew about it, even five-year-olds could talk about it. However, the principles, mechanisms, rules, correlations, inevitability, and contingency factors involved in the emergence of an economic crisis - every aspect and detail - were rarely understood by anyone.

In essence, the most significant difference between Shirou and them was that they could only see the surface, while he had the ability to see through the surface and understand the underlying essence.

Despite having a more profound understanding of economics and vision, Shirou didn't have a sense of superiority over the others. After all, there was a difference of over 1,500 years between his wisdom and theirs.

...

The war had been ongoing for seven consecutive days and nights. Fortunately, Shirou now had enough manpower, and his soldiers had undergone extensive training. Thanks to the conscription system in place, almost all of Cornwall's population of 80,000 could become soldiers instantly, except for the elderly and children.

He divided his more than 10,000 regular troops into five groups and positioned them in succession behind the fortifications and mountains, creating an impenetrable defense. Despite continuous attacks from magical beasts for two weeks, they could not break through.

Although the strategy resulted in many Gae Bolg being damaged, it didn't pose a significant problem. The kingdom's arsenal had been continuously producing them for over two years, and they still had over 80,000 magical spears in reserve.

In reality, it was impossible to produce so many Gae Bolg in just two years. However, as the population increased and the rate of magical energy recovery became faster, the output also increased.

Shirou had an advantage over Vortigern, thanks to Merlin's Clairvoyance, which allowed him to monitor Vortigern's every move. If Vortigern attempted to set up an ambush, Shirou would be able to counter it with ease.