Iron finds a way in the end.
They create an order of their own.
The researchers of the Metalum Empire were still lost in thought around the masterless lake.
Researcher Keldren held in his hand the wave core of the Aqua Empire that had yet to be fused, looking back and forth between the lake and the core.
Across the surface of the lake, a distinctive dark-blue light spread faintly, and that light seemed even more concentrated within the wave core, gathering more deeply inside the core in his hand.
Keldren spoke.
“Metal cores are produced so easily in our territory. If that’s the case, then Aqua must be able to produce cores of their own just as well. As expected, since this isn’t Aqua’s region, Aqua cores aren’t being produced here. The energy core and the water energy are acting separately.”
Researcher Renma nodded.
“The materials are overflowing. Now the problem is how to combine the two.”
“Right. Since we can’t control water energy, the materials are useless even if we have them. If this were Aqua, something like this would have been nothing to them.”
“Handling water energy… I’ll give it some thought.”
Keldren paced back and forth, muttering as if to himself.
“No matter how mutually generating the relationship may be, an outsider is still an outsider. No, rather, it’s a one-sided relationship where we only help the water. Then concepts like mutual generation or mutual restraint won’t be of any help…”
After thinking for a moment, Renma looked back at Keldren.
“We can handle steel. To begin with, we are steel itself. The reason Aqua can handle water energy must also be because they are of the water attribute.”
“So?”
Keldren responded indifferently.
Renma continued his explanation.
“We’ve already fused with water, haven’t we? The result was the crystal core. With crystal cores, we became able to construct barracks and produce soldiers as well. Then doesn’t that mean we, too, are effectively using water energy to some extent?”
Keldren, who had been wandering around the lake, came to a halt.
“Then… is that crystal core the key…?”
“Yes… I think so as well.”
Silence flowed between Keldren and Renma.
The key to controlling water energy was something they already possessed.
Meanwhile, the army of the Metalum Empire was slowly moving southeast to investigate the situation in Ignis.
Commander Carden said,
“The flames are gradually rising. Well, it’s only natural for fire to expand its own land.”
Commander Rovik replied,
“There’s no harm in keeping watch in advance. They probably won’t be able to move as quickly as before.”
“In any case, the fact that they’ve drawn closer to us makes it clear that they’ll counterattack us before long.”
The army, composed of the two commanders and the Steel Knights, continued moving toward the detected flames of Ignis.
That direction was fairly close to the center of the world.
Carden said,
“The direction is a little ambiguous. It’s different from the route we advanced along. This direction also brings them closer to Terra. Could they be trying to approach Terra?”
“If they were in a hurry, I don’t think they would approach Terra this slowly. On top of that, they’re currently staying in one place and barely moving at all.”
“Then what on earth… Wait.”
Carden reacted as if something had occurred to him.
“After we advanced beyond the empire and discovered that lake, we stopped exploring any further and began researching the lake. Could those Ignis bastards have found something similar?”
“Indeed…”
Coincidentally, Metalum and Ignis were following similar courses after the war.
Metalum’s army hurried toward Ignis.
“There it is.”
Before long, Ignis’s red sky came into view ahead of them.
And beneath that sky, flames were blazing fiercely.
Rovik spoke, sounding somewhat surprised.
“The fire is quite strong. It seems Ignis has gathered over there.”
“Let’s take a closer look.”
Metalum’s army slowed down and approached cautiously.
Ignis had built a defensive wall around a certain location and was gathering soldiers there.
“What on earth is in that place… No?”
Carden discovered something and shouted.
“That… isn’t that Silva?!”
“Pardon? Silva…?”
“Isn’t that Silva’s forest?”
Rovik also examined Ignis closely.
Behind Ignis’s army, a forest was engulfed in flames.
He replied,
“I don’t think it’s Silva. The location is strange, isn’t it? Then…”
“So that’s it.”
Carden nodded.
“They, too, have occupied some sort of region, just like us. We secured a lake, and they secured a forest. There’s a reason their army is gathered there. Let’s hurry back and report to His Majesty.”
“Yes, understood!”
The army they led immediately returned to Metalum.
Meanwhile, in the capital of Metalum, inside Oruka’s fortress.
Feron delivered other news to Emperor Oruma.
“Your Majesty, recently Silva has shown movements of approaching Ignis.”
“Hmm?”
Oruma looked at Feron.
“Are they trying to form a new alliance? As if protecting those Ignis bastards by summoning a dragon and fighting us wasn’t enough, are they now trying to help rebuild the ruined Ignis?”
“That is the only way I can think of it as well. However, Silva already has Aqua as an ally, so it is difficult to understand why they would attempt to interact with Ignis, which is mutually opposed to them.”
Agnon, who had been listening beside him, also spoke.
“It seems they are supporting Ignis because it is the one force that can at least keep us in check. Do those Silva fellows still fear us? Well, it would be reasonable for them to fear us, but our primary target is Ignis, so they are getting in the way far too much.”
“As expected, this will not proceed easily. From now on, we must pay attention not only to Ignis, but to Silva as well.”
At that moment.
Kwaaang, kuung, kudangtang!
Kururururu…
The army that had finished its reconnaissance returned to Metalum’s territory, noisily shaking the iron-plated floor.
“We report to Your Majesty!”
A short while later, Carden entered the fortress and knelt before Emperor Oruma.
“After observing the border of Ignis, we found that they have occupied a forest. They are currently concentrating their forces there.”
At this news, the retainers looked at Oruma.
Oruma asked again,
“A forest…? Did you say a forest?”
“Yes. It seems there was a forest between us and Ignis. It was not Silva. Like the lake we discovered, that forest must have been ownerless land!”
Oruma narrowed his eyes as he listened to Carden’s report.
“We occupied a lake, while they occupied a forest… Naturally, that forest must be filled with the energy of wood. Are there any other circumstances? Are those Ignis bastards already doing something with it?”
“We were unable to learn that much. However, judging by the fact that the flames are concentrated in that forest, they seem to have recognized its importance as well.”
Oruma looked at his retainers.
“Moreover, wood is an attribute that aids fire. While we are conducting research to extract water energy from the lake and create Aqua cores, it is obvious those Ignis bastards will try to produce Silva cores from the forest. Do you think we must produce Aqua cores first?”
Velkar replied,
“That is important, but I believe defense is equally important. We still do not know how far Ignis’s research has progressed, but if they finally obtain the energy of wood, we will be placed at a severe disadvantage.”
Feron continued after him.
“As it happens, we have newly selected several researcher units. While the existing researchers are investigating the lake, the new researchers are conducting separate research inside the fusion facility. Research on producing troop types with dual-attribute cores has progressed sufficiently, so now it is time to find a way to defend ourselves with those cores.”
Agnon asked Feron,
“What do they say about the current progress of the research?”
“Among the various dual-attribute cores, the one receiving the most attention is the golden core. Gold is the metal we desire, is it not? Although our attempt to occupy Ignis ended in failure, in the process we obtained a large quantity of Ignis cores, and with those cores, we became able to produce many golden cores as well. However, the problem is that those golden cores possess Ignis’s fire attribute, meaning they could potentially harm us. Therefore, the research institute is currently looking for a way to distribute golden cores in a useful manner.”
Oruma looked around once.
“The distribution of golden cores… That is a good thing. If we succeed in distributing them, what can we expect?”
Feron replied again.
“If our Metalum Empire can clad itself in gold, then the fire energy dwelling within the golden cores will no longer be a threat to us.”
After hearing his answer, Oruma thought for a moment, then rose from his throne.
“You say that can truly happen? I will go down and see for myself.”
Oruma took the lead, and behind him followed his retainers and Commander Carden.
In the fusion facility located beneath the fortress, numerous researchers, including the new researchers Kalmorin and Orbian, were moving busily about.
Thanks to them, golden cores made by fusing metal cores with Ignis’s golden cores had already piled up like a mountain atop the table.
When Oruma and his retainers entered the fusion facility, the researchers all bowed their heads toward them at once.
“Your Majesty, you have come!”
Their voices were more vigorous than usual.
Oruma looked at the golden cores piled in one place and asked them,
“I heard you were researching golden cores. Is it going well?”
Kalmorin stepped forward.
“At last, I believe we have succeeded!”
Oruma and his retainers were startled.
Oruma asked again,
“You found a way to use golden cores?”
“Yes, that is correct. Originally, golden cores were dangerous cores because of their fire energy. However, if we use that in reverse, we can strengthen our power.”
Everyone gathered inside the fusion facility moved to the table where the research apparatus had been installed.
Beside the table lay a flame core, a golden core, and two small pieces of iron.
“Now, please pay attention.”
Kalmorin spoke confidently and brought the flame core close to one of the iron pieces.
The iron piece was slowly being scorched by the heat of the flame core.
“This is an ordinary piece of iron. However, this other piece of iron is one to which we have applied a golden core.”
Kalmorin brought the flame core close to the other iron piece as well.
This time, the iron piece showed no noticeable change.
Even when the flame core was brought right up against it, the shape of the iron piece remained unchanged and did not melt.
Oruma said nothing.
However, the retainers were murmuring among themselves.
“The heat does not get through…?”
“The steel has become even stronger…”
“Is this the true power of gold…?!”
Oruma did not show a great reaction.
Instead, he said to the researchers,
“Good. Continue as you are. Apply it first to the high-ranking soldiers. After improving the completion level of the technique, we will distribute it to all our citizens as well.”
“Yes, understood!”
The researchers became elated and moved even faster.
The golden light still filled the inside of the research institute.
That light was a signal heralding Metalum’s next step.