Steel advances ceaselessly, and chooses for itself the direction in which it will go.
The steel assemblers of the Metallum Empire, led by Craso, were moving busily around the crystal barracks.
It was because, after fusing crystal cores with the wave cores of the Aqua Empire that had been additionally delivered from the Terra Empire, they were using those crystal cores to remodel the crystal barracks.
The crystal barracks, made of translucent crystal suffused with faint wave patterns, was now being refined into an even deeper and more intricate structure.
Clang, chaaang, sssssk, click, shrrrrr…
The sounds of the assemblers fitting crystal fragments onto the barracks were different from the noises that had always echoed within Metallum.
They were not the dull, heavy sounds of steel colliding with steel, but clear, pure tones that spread evenly through the air.
The outer walls of the barracks slowly began to change.
Between the transparent crystalline layers, a new wave-like sheen took root, and the movement of that sheen flowed like a living organism within a fixed frame.
“Crystal barracks modification complete. Existing structure stabilization complete. Upper reaction circuit expansion complete. No abnormalities.”
When Craso finished his report, Agnon spoke.
“Then let us begin the new production.”
As expected, the new crystal-core troop type was also produced by inputting crystal cores.
Chaaang. Click, click, shrrrrk.
Once again, the sound of something moving busily came from within the barracks, and at last, the first soldier of a new form revealed itself.
The new soldier’s armor was smooth like that of the existing crystal infantry, but attached to its back was a glowing bow-shaped structure.
The bowstring flowed like a stream of water, then solidified in an instant, and the arrow was formed from condensed translucent crystal.
Velkar and Peron were also watching its appearance.
“This one’s name is the Crystallite Archer.”
Agnon named the new soldier.
“It specializes in long-range precision strikes. Its bowstring is wave-based, and its arrows are solid crystal. Its penetrating power is also excellent.”
The first Crystallite Archer lifted a crystal arrow on the spot.
He nocked the arrow to the bow, but did not fire.
“Fire!”
At Agnon’s shout, a single arrow flew and embedded itself in the crystal barracks.
Agnon turned to Velkar and said,
“Of course, crystal composed of steel and water does not damage crystal of the same kind. That is merely an arrow stuck in it, but against Ignis and Silva, it should show considerable effect.”
Velkar and Peron quietly nodded.
Meanwhile, Oruma was also watching the scene from the high ground of the fortress.
“A substance different from steel… truly lethal. Our structure is gradually nearing completion.”
Oruma slowly made his way to the underground laboratory.
The underground laboratory, which had been in the midst of researching the life cores of the Silva Empire, was unusually still today.
“What is the matter?”
“Your Majesty, you have arrived?”
Keldren spotted Oruma and hurriedly bowed his head before him.
“All experiments thus far have ended in failure. Silva’s cores seem to have properties different from those of Terra or Aqua. Nearly all of Silva’s cores have been destroyed, and very few remain.”
Oruma silently looked around.
In another corner, Renma was conducting an experiment.
Inside a tank, a metal core and a life core had been placed together.
“Attempting fusion wave stabilization. Fine-tuning frequency.”
Oruma and Keldren also watched his experiment closely.
And a moment later.
Crackle!
The instant the metal core came into contact with the life core, cracks formed across the life core’s surface, and a sap-like liquid flowed out from within.
“This time, too, is a failure.”
Renma spoke in a low voice.
“Another of Silva’s cores has been annihilated.”
Oruma’s eyes narrowed.
“We succeeded in fusing with Aqua cores, and we managed it with Terra cores as well. Even those Ignis bastards succeeded in fusing our cores with their own. So why does it not work with Silva cores?”
“Unlike Aqua’s or Terra’s cores, they seem weak. Silva’s cores cannot withstand our energy.”
Oruma quietly stared at the damaged Silva core.
Silence settled over the laboratory.
“Are there no Silva cores left now?”
“Yes. Only three remain.”
Oruma turned his head.
“Then it cannot be helped. We will have to bring back their cores again.”
Craso asked him,
“Do you plan to attack Silva again?”
Oruma paused briefly before answering.
“Yes. After all, we are the only ones who can attack Silva effectively.”
Oruma’s plan was put into motion at once.
It had been long since the Metallum Empire and the Terra Empire came to share a border, and Oruma and his vassals were currently moving through Terra’s territory with a portion of their soldiers.
Oruma was recalling the situation when the Ignis Empire had invaded Terra.
“Those Ignis bastards have no order. Even I could not have expected them to invade Terra.”
Velkar answered,
“Indeed. From what I hear, Silva, which is allied with Aqua, also supported Ignis, yet Ignis attacked Terra instead. That does not accord with the laws of the world.”
At present, the empires that had failed to uphold the relationship of mutual generation were Metallum and Ignis.
Even then, Metallum had the pretext that it had attempted dialogue with Aqua, only for Aqua to refuse, and furthermore, it had never directly attacked Aqua.
Ignis, too, of course, had the pretext that Terra had first extracted their cores without permission. But the one that first abused such a relationship of mutual generation was Ignis itself, in what it had done against Silva.
After thinking for a moment, Oruma spoke again.
“In any case, order need only be made anew.”
“Pardon?”
“More importantly, does Terra not owe us yet another debt? Because we were able to produce ironclad infantry at the right time, we were able to stop those bastards. Terra has its share for having given us cores, but in the end, it has once again been confirmed that we were the ones who fought against the invasion from outside.”
Velkar looked at them and asked,
“It is not an important point, but earth neither helps nor harms fire. If we compare strength, could our steel knights not be stronger than the ironclad infantry?”
Oruma replied as if it were nothing.
“You know one thing but not the next. Should we not compare the resources consumed in training or producing those soldiers? Producing ironclad infantry requires iron ore cores, and those cores are made by fusing our cores with Terra’s earth cores. In other words, Terra is bearing half the resources consumed in producing the ironclad infantry.”
Velkar quietly lowered his head.
“My judgment was short-sighted.”
Before long, they crossed Terra’s western border.
Oruma began speaking again.
“But now that I think about it, something is rather strange. Terramont was on that battlefield, was he not?”
Velkar answered,
“Yes, he was.”
“What was Terramont doing then?”
“He appeared to be merely standing still. Aside from arguing with Vulcanus, he made no particular move.”
Agnon also spoke from the side.
“They are scarcely moving to begin with. Even when they do move, they move slowly.”
“For ones that move slowly, causing astonishing incidents now and then must be one of their traits as well.”
They arrived in the southern part of Montera, Terra’s capital.
Oruma said,
“We will have to speak with Terramont about the details. Since we protected them, do we not have the right to know the circumstances at the time?”
Terramont also sensed Oruma’s presence and walked out from the underground fortress.
“What brings you here?”
When Terramont asked, Oruma answered,
“I will first convey the most important matter. We are passing through this place in order to advance into Silva. I hope you do not intend to stop us on the grounds that the balance of the world must be maintained. This is not a request for permission, but a notification.”
Terramont was silent for a moment, then opened his mouth.
“You are correct. In that we currently have no way to stop you.”
Once Oruma received a firm answer from Terramont, he became even more triumphant.
“As expected, we are serving quite well as the counterweight. Now, let us move to the main issue. When those Ignis bastards invaded this place, why did you merely watch? Ignis may have been able to attack this place, but it is not as though you had no way to counterattack, is it?”
Terramont nodded with the same impassive expression.
“That is so. Ignis came leading an army produced with ember cores. Since the embers contained the energy of wood, which is mutually restraining to us, they were able to attack us. However, because we touched Ignis first, we provided them with a pretext for invasion.”
Oruma quietly stared at Terramont.
“You consider balance in truly strange places. I will ask no more. In any case, those Ignis bastards must also have seized earth cores from you. I know your kind are slow to move by nature, but you had best make an effort. It is fine for you to keep supplying us with cores as you are now, but should you not at least know how to protect yourselves?”
“Worry about yourself. We have our own plan.”
“I will wait and see what that plan is.”
Oruma turned and headed east, where Silva was located, together with his party.
“How amusing. It seems Terra is still merely increasing its own bulk and gathering cores, but even if they do that, all they will have is vast land. What matters is not size, but substance. Is that not so?”
At that moment, Peron cautiously spoke to Oruma.
“Your Majesty, there is something I dare to say.”
“What is it?”
Peron explained in detail.
“From what I have considered, I am not certain what we can obtain by fusing our metal cores with their cores. We are already strong against wood, and if we further strengthen our power, we will become able to subdue fire as well. On the other hand, the one threatened by wood is Terra. I wonder whether it is truly a good thing for us to produce a core that might harm Terra.”
Oruma glared at Peron for a moment, then said,
“That is precisely why it is necessary. There is no core in this world that is useless. Each has its own use.”
The army of the Metallum Empire paused for a while near Terra’s eastern border.
They began to summon additional iron ore troops for the invasion of the Silva Empire.
Not long after, the steel knights and ironclad infantry stood side by side in orderly ranks.
Oruma said,
“In truth, Silva is not particularly dangerous. It would be fine to leave them alive until the very end. Whenever roots occasionally stretch out, we need only cut those roots away. We merely want their cores. This operation is not occupation, but collection. We move to collect Silva’s cores.”
Velkar looked around and said,
“Silva recently remodeled their fortress once more. Its defenses may be strong, so we must enter cautiously.”
But Oruma did not listen to him seriously.
“All we need to do is obtain enough cores and return. We will pierce through the forest.”
As soon as Oruma finished speaking, the soldiers followed behind him.
Thus, the ranks of steel and iron ore quietly stepped toward the forest.
After the Metallum Empire’s army left the Terra Empire, Terra grew quiet once more.
However, beneath that land, something was not moving, but accumulating.
Terra’s heart began to beat loudly once again.