Volume 4 Chapter 17 (1/2)

Ten days had passed since we received the proclamation of war. We were steadily readying for it but there were two other things that we needed to do alongside it.

The first was to explain the situation to the citizens and adventurers staying in Avalon. If we didn't do so properly, it would bite us later for if anyone was to suffer, it would be them. It was because these citizens trusted in me and Avalon that they chose to live here and even invite others to do so as well. To not take care of them meant the end of Avalon's growth.

I had already explained the situation to the heads of the merchant and adventurer guilds but they and their guilds were not the only ones I was beholden to; I, as the city's leader, was also obligated to explain it to the city's other citizens.

The second we needed to do was to determine the rules of this war.

”I didn't expect them to listen to my suggestions.”

After we received the neighboring city's proclamation of war against us, I sent out a letter to them. The letter's content suggested that both sides refrain from indiscriminately harming the civilians. It also suggested that both sides' forces meet in a vast plain near Avalon at an agreed upon time to do clean and straight-forward battle.

This was greatly advantageous to both sides. If both sides did whatever we pleased, we might end up dealing great damage not only to our troops but to our citizens as well, perhaps to the point of annihilation.

”I'm really grateful for this; I don't want to slaughter so many.”

The Avalon-Ritters I had shown might have been a great factor for them to agree to those suggestions, in that they were afraid we were going to let loose these golems within their city. If we did so, even if they managed to defeat the golems, the damage they would have sustained would be tremendous.

If they, for some reason, refused these suggestions, I planned to bombed them and finish it all at once. To the Darkness Dragons who could fly high in the air at the speed of sound, their city's high walls of a few dozen meters meant nothing. The dragons could easily fly over the walls and drop countless napalm bombs, turning the enemy's city into a sea of flames.

There were two reasons I didn't want to go down this route.

The first was that doing so was a waste of DP. I would rather have the enemy soldiers be killed within my dungeon so that I could earn their DP.

The second reason was so that I could lessen the number of Avalon citizen casualties ever so slightly. Golems would be posted within Avalon even during the fighting but reducing the casualties to zero was pretty much impossible.

For those two reasons, I proposed that we do battle on the [Plain] I just made. The enemy agreed but to make certain they didn't have any schemes as to why they easily agreed, I ordered the Ocean Singers to get to the bottom of things.

Through a certain method, the intelligence corps were now able to spy even the inside of the buildings that were protected by barriers. This world was very wary against magic but not so much against science so for someone like me who could use [Creation] to make things, taking advantage of such lack in security was easy.

So, through that method, we had determined something that the neighboring city was hiding. Through their connections, they had been able to gather thirty hero-class adventurers and that fact was most likely the source of their confidence.

However, for them to think they could defeat Avalon with just those 30 A-rank-equivalent soldiers, they were really making light of us. Rather than seeing those 30 individuals as threats, we viewed them as incentives to fight. After we have killed them, Wight could easily turn them into undead units. With his ability, those 30 would be much stronger than when they were alive. When placed under his command, they would be reinforced even more. I imagined the chance to obtain 30 undead units that were as strong as A rank monsters wouldn't come very often.

Anyway, I planned on keeping the Ocean Singers posted on those buildings with high-quality barriers. Hopefully, they'll be able to figure whatever else is happening behind the scenes…

”That's one less thing to worry about. After that is to explain to the residents of Avalon the situation.”

I had already spread that I had something important to announce later on the day at the city's largest open space. I intended to tell the ones gathered there the details of the war.

◇

It was almost the scheduled time so I moved to the designated place and saw that quite a few people had already gathered. Like that, I climbed up to the stage.

Acting as my guards were Kuina who was at my side and Aura who turned herself transparent with her magic as she flew in sky. There was also R'lyeh Diva who hid herself in another dimension; her duty was to look out for other dimension-manipulating monsters.

”Ladies and gentlemen of Avalon, I am Procell, this city's leader. Today, there is something important I must tell you all.”

Everybody's attention was all on me.

And then, in the next moment, a song could be heard from somewhere. Of course, it was R'lyeh Diva's song. Using the water around us as the medium, she had made dimensional windows that allowed only sound to escape from her side to ours.

Like so, as she watched out for any enemy monsters, she also continued to sing her soothing song. Of course, her song wasn't for brainwashing the humans; it was for bringing them into a state of light intoxication and euphoria.

”Some of you might have already heard of it but days ago, Avalon had been advised to come under the rule of the empire! At first, I found no issue with it but the terms given to us were far too unfavorable. It's the same as the neighboring city saying they will be turning this city and the ones that live here into their slaves!”

Due to their state of light intoxication, the citizens listened to me without a hitch; not one of them whispered a word.

”I was convinced of that after I saw the arrogant attitude of the delegation their city had dispatched. To think that even the very delegation that's supposed to build ties with our two cities would act like that! If Avalon ever falls under the command of that city, everybody in this city would become miserable!!”

Avalon's citizens nodded in agreement.

Me acting subservient to the delegation also served as preparation for this.

The delegation acting as they pleased obviously didn't sit well with Avalon's citizens and they directed that ill will toward the neighboring city.

”And so, I have decided. I have decided that I will fight for the happiness of everyone in this city!!”

I strongly declared so.

That said, that didn't mean it was received with applauses.

”Does that mean that we're going to fight as well? Against the neighboring city?”

A man asked so and was followed with agreeing comments from the others.

That was probably what they were concerned with the most: killing and being killed.

”Not at all. Aside from those that were first with me when this city was founded, I have no plans of letting anyone of you fight in this war. Furthermore, it has been agreed upon that the battlefield will be the vast plain outside the city. I would like for everyone to remain here where the city's walls could protect them.”

As I said so, Avalon's first citizens—the Mythological Foxes, Dwarf Smiths, and High Elves—stepped up to the stage as well.

We had explained to everyone else in this city that these girls were demi-humans instead of monsters.

As they saw the girls climb up, the city's citizens made a bitter face. These children were all beautiful girls; had excellent skills that they used to continuously help out the citizens; and had built up bonds with the citizens from talking with each other a number of times. For those reasons, the citizens made those agonized faces at letting only those girls fight.

Another man then spoke up.