Flames grow from within, moving in search of that which will make them blaze even higher.
The news that Montanus, the Yellow Dragon, had appeared in the Terra Empire was also delivered to the Ignis Empire.
“Montanus……?”
Emperor Vulcanus wore an expression as though he were struggling to maintain his composure, but to anyone watching, his dismay was unmistakable.
Barkas began to explain Montanus.
“Its name is Montanus. It is also called the Yellow Dragon. It is a being created in Terra’s barracks, but its level is far beyond that of a mere troop type. It is the highest-grade military force that can emerge from the barracks. Its true power has yet to be confirmed. However, it is said to have moved directly toward its destination without any special orders or command.”
“Destination? Where is that?”
“Toward the border between Aqua and Silva.”
“Hmm.”
For a moment, silence settled inside the fortress.
Vulcanus spoke again.
“Well, from Terra’s perspective, Aqua and Silva would be enemy nations. But you’re saying this Montanus set off alone for their border?”
Barkas answered.
“Yes, that is what they say. It will likely obey Terramont’s orders. In any case, no other commander is leading the Yellow Dragon, Montanus. It moved on its own, alone, to fight them.”
Ragdor asked him,
“Then is it a being with some will of its own, beyond that of a soldier?”
“That is probably how we should see it.”
Vulcanus clenched his fist tightly.
Sparks burst from his hand.
“Yes, when I went to attack Terra, they had taken more land than expected. The reason they survived again despite having nearly lost their fortress to Aqua and Silva was not only because of those Metallum bastards. They used Metallum as a shield, while they themselves silently expanded their fortress.”
Pellos asked carefully,
“Then should we also prepare to expand our fortress now?”
Vulcanus did not answer.
Instead, after quietly drawing in a single hot breath, he rose from his throne and began to walk.
He left behind one sentence.
“Even so, we will move in our own way.”
The fusion facility located in southern Ignis.
Vulcanus entered the fusion facility.
Inside a structure heated to a blazing temperature, a core of a strange hue was fixed in place.
Within the red walls, a heavy yellow-brown light pulsed slowly, flowing like a heartbeat.
“Terra core, basic frequency calculation complete.”
Researcher Lexa spoke as he operated the structure.
“This core also seems less difficult to combine than Metallum’s core. It is even more resistant to our fire than Silva’s core.”
Vulcanus nodded.
“Of course. Wood feeds fire, but earth…… is something created by our fire.”
After saying that, he pressed his lips shut as he recalled the recent battle with Terra.
When Researcher Calteon approached, Lexa asked him,
“How did the bonding attempts go?”
He answered,
“We carried out two. The first produced a backflow reaction, and the second ended with the flame extinguishing without any particular response.”
Lexa said,
“That means we need another method. It isn’t a meaningless result. Only a few of the directions we could try have failed. Each core originally requires a different approach.”
Vulcanus slowly picked up the earth core lying beside him.
The surface of the earth core was cold like a lump of stone, but inside it there was still a resonance, as though it were alive.
“When fire burns, earth is created…….”
He muttered as if speaking to himself.
“But if we breathe our heat into that earth, we will be able to make use of it.”
Vulcanus set the earth core down again and instructed the researchers.
“This experiment is extremely important. With earth, we will be able to keep Aqua in check. As soon as the experiment succeeds, begin producing a new troop type at once.”
“Yes, understood.”
“We will do our utmost.”
Vulcanus turned and left the fusion facility.
He spoke to himself.
“Gold, ashfire, and now another two-attribute core. In effect, we will have forces capable of keeping all the empires in check.”
As he headed toward the fortress, he briefly looked north, where Terra was located.
“But two-attribute cores are not the only thing that matters. I must also make my own fire blaze higher.”
Upon arriving at the fortress, Vulcanus immediately asked Pellos,
“How many flame cores do we have remaining now?”
“We have about one hundred left.”
“Hmm.”
After pondering for a moment, Vulcanus gave him an order.
“Begin the expansion of the fortress.”
Pellos asked carefully,
“Will that be all right? Once the fortress is expanded, we will have almost no cores left.”
“I know. But we have sufficient troop types and manpower. We should be able to endure for a while.”
He bowed his head and said,
“Yes, I will begin at once.”
The area around the fortress of Volcanium, the heart of the Ignis Empire.
The embers that had been quietly burning in place flared up once more with a roar.
“One hundred flame cores prepared.”
Pellos’s voice rose, and a crimson light began to surge from the central reactor.
Rumble……
A tremor rose from beneath the fortress.
And together with the tremor, red smoke burst out in all directions.
The existing red walls were rebuilt, and between their cracks, flames like blood vessels glowed red.
Whoosh……
The flames enveloping the fortress seemed to die down, then surged upward again.
Boom, rumble.
As the dark-red structure of the fortress was reorganized, the flames also merged into one.
Flash!
And at that instant, the flames centered on the fortress spread rapidly into the surroundings.
“It is a success!”
Pellos shouted.
“Our fire has grown even stronger! It is also supplying the surrounding buildings with the energy of fire. Now…… the barracks will be able to train soldiers more quickly!”
“Excellent.”
Vulcanus’s gaze followed the flames stretching out from the fortress.
“We spread. Our nature does not change. Soon, we will advance once again.”
Along with his words, high-temperature smoke rose from the ceiling of the fortress into the sky.
The fortress of Ignis was not merely a stronghold, but a source that maintained and enhanced the speed of fire.
The strategy room inside the fortress.
After the expansion of the fortress was complete, in a space where the heat and waves had stabilized, Vulcanus and his retainers were looking down at the dark-red map on the table.
Vulcanus said,
“The fortress has expanded to Stage Four, but it is not yet time to produce a troop type superior to the Knights of Crimson Flame.”
None of the retainers spoke.
They could guess the intent behind Vulcanus’s words.
Ragdor slowly opened his mouth.
“The greatest issue right now must be Terra’s Yellow Dragon.”
Vulcanus spoke again.
“Let us first examine the surrounding situation in detail.”
At his words, Barkas continued.
“First, if we look at Metallum, they are still continuing to expand their forces. They are said to have created something called an iron ore core from Terra’s core and used it to make armored infantry.”
“Yes, those were the ones we encountered then.”
Barkas’s fingertip pointed to Silva.
“What is more, Metallum is now moving east. As if stationing their army in Terra were not enough, they are even eyeing another empire. It is as though they are already under the delusion that they have conquered the world.”
Ragdor asked him,
“It seems Terra is standing by and watching Metallum’s actions. Is that correct?”
“That appears to be the case. Though I do not know why.”
Barkas continued.
“Aqua has not yet come into contact with us, and fortunately, that is because Terra lies in the middle. Terra appears to be blocking Aqua’s advance, and perhaps because of that, their ally Silva seems to be making moves to keep Terra in check.”
Pellos added,
“Aqua and Silva originally created the slime core together, but recently they created a new core called the amber core. However, that core does not harm us at all; rather, it is a dangerous core for Aqua. In effect, the only core they possess that matters is the slime core.”
Vulcanus remained almost entirely unmoved by his retainers’ words for now.
Most of it was not information he needed to take seriously.
Ragdor opened his mouth again.
“But in this situation, Terra has the Yellow Dragon……”
At those words, everyone fell silent.
Barkas spoke in a low voice.
“Montanus. A being that rewrites all the order of the world with that name alone……”
It was difficult to call it a new troop type, for it needed no orders from retainers or commanders and moved toward its destination on its own—a final-stage being of the Terra Empire.
It could hardly be called a soldier, either.
For Montanus had the form of a dragon.
Pellos said,
“What is fortunate, at least, is that Montanus is not targeting us. As its current destination shows, it is moving to attack Aqua and Silva.”
Vulcanus raised his head.
His eyes glowed red.
“This is not a matter to think of so simply. Terra’s actions are meant to display that they are the center of the world. All of us desire the center. But the fact that Terra has expanded its fortress to the final stage, and even created such a being from its barracks, is a warning not only to Aqua and Silva but even to us—that we should not dare draw near them.”
Silence flowed through the strategy room again.
Vulcanus continued.
“The reason Terra was able to grow to such an extent seems to be those Metallum bastards, after all. The same goes for Aqua and Silva. They form alliances with one another, complement one another, and grow their power. But we……”
Still, none of the retainers could say anything.
Did Vulcanus’s words just now signify regret over the past, or the beginning of another resolve?
Looking down at the map, Vulcanus asked,
“And you said Metallum is now headed for Silva?”
Barkas answered,
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Silva……”
Vulcanus muttered quietly.
“With Montanus having appeared, and now those Metallum bastards as well…… If Silva is attacked, our support will be reduced by that much.”
Ragdor asked him,
“Are you perhaps thinking of supporting Silva?”
Vulcanus did not answer.
His gaze slowly shifted to Metallum in the west.
“The ones who will move the flow of this situation will be us.”
Vulcanus turned and began to walk.
“They are certainly off their guard. We will aim for that opening. It would be best to move quickly. We must step forward, without fail, so that the world does not move according to their will.”
Meanwhile, even in the tranquil depths of the sea, from somewhere beneath the unseen surface, the water was changing direction.
The wind was not strong.
Yet the waves swelled under the influence of some force.
The waves were responding to someone’s footsteps.
Those footsteps slowly—and with growing violence—began to shake the depths of the sea.