Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Fortifications and Foreboding

Roland reclined in his tent, nestled within the makeshift encampment of Rapid City, and accessed the system with a heavy sigh.

“Let’s check the territory page,” he muttered, hoping for some relief. His hopes were dashed when he noticed the state of his castle.

“Damn it, Reynold and Carlos!” Roland fumed. “How could they treat my castle as a storage shed?” His irritation grew as he stared up at the tent’s canvas, resenting the fact that his kingdom’s symbol had been relegated to a mere storeroom, while he was left sleeping in a tent.

Frustration simmered within him. “Time to use the Rune Fortification card,” he thought, retrieving the magical artifact from the system space.

“Please choose the territory where the card will be used!” The system’s cold, clinical voice echoed in his mind as a light curtain projected Rapid City as the sole option.

“Rapid City…” Roland mumbled, feeling as though the system’s voice was mocking him. He couldn't shake the feeling that the system was subtly criticizing his leadership.

“Successful use! Please wait a moment for the host. The magic will take effect soon!” the system announced.

Meanwhile, outside Roland’s tent, the soldiers and workers toiled away, completely unaware of the impending transformation. Suddenly, the city wall they were reinforcing began to glow with a pale white light. Waves of powerful magic emanated from the wall, catching everyone by surprise.

“By the gods! It’s a forbidden spell!” Ladir, who had been happily crafting magic-infused stone bricks, was alarmed. The shock of seeing such a powerful magic forced him to act.

“Everyone, get out of the city! Now!” Ladir shouted, his voice filled with urgency. Without hesitation, he teleported directly into Roland’s tent and grabbed the king, dragging him out of the city as fast as his magic could carry them.

“Mage Ladir! What’s happening?” Roland tried to shout over the wind whipping past his face as Ladir whisked him away from the city.

Back in the city, Marcus, one of the soldiers, noticed something strange. “Is the city wall… growing?” he muttered in disbelief.

The city’s defenders and residents stared in awe as the wall rapidly expanded, climbing higher and higher. Intricate magic patterns appeared on the surface, surpassing even the quality of Ladir’s best work.

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“This can’t be real…”

“The wall’s over ten meters tall now!”

“This wall will protect us from almost anything!”

The crowd marveled at the miraculous transformation. A ten-meter-high wall would make Rapid City nearly impregnable. All they needed now was enough manpower to hold the line.

Minutes later, Ladir returned with Roland, his face still darkened by embarrassment. Without a word, Ladir hurried back to his residence, feeling humiliated. The dignified war mage had just been forced to flee with the king, all because of a magical misunderstanding. This would likely haunt him for years to come.

Roland, still catching his breath, chose not to reprimand Ladir. He knew the mage had acted out of genuine concern for his safety. After all, when a city suddenly erupts with magical energy strong enough to be mistaken for a forbidden spell, any mage worth his salt would do the same—evacuating important individuals is standard protocol.

“This is strong!” Roland muttered as he examined the battlements, slashing at them with the Dragon Slayer Sword. He was pleased to find only a few faint white marks on the wall.

“Of course it’s strong! This wall was created by a forbidden spell, after all,” Ladir said, still catching his breath. “I never thought such magic would still exist within the empire…” There was a wistful note in his voice, a longing for the days when the Lagrand Empire was at its peak.

“Don’t worry, Ladir. I’ll bring back Lagrand’s glory,” Roland said, clenching his fists as he gazed southward, determination burning in his eyes.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over them. A figure descended from the sky, mounted on a dragon. It was Peter Gros, the Star Dragon Knight.

“I bring you greetings from King Novia,” Peter announced as he dismounted, performing a graceful elf noble salute.

“Thank Novia for his concern,” Roland replied. “Where are the others? Shouldn't James and Novia be here too?”

“James and Novia have gone to investigate the Dark Forest,” Peter explained, his expression serious. “Our cavalry was just attacked by orcs again.”

“This is troubling news,” Roland sighed. James, despite his prowess, was in the most precarious position among the three kings. While the star elves had a deep history and Roland had his system, James had to navigate these challenges with much less. One misstep could lead to disaster.

“How bad were the losses?” Roland asked, his voice tinged with concern.

“The knights are fine, but we lost over a dozen cavalrymen,” Peter replied after a moment of thought.

“Damn it!” Roland cursed internally. “James only has 200 cavalry, and now he’s lost a twentieth of them. Azog’s tactics are working. These small, relentless attacks are bleeding us dry.”

“I wonder how things are in the north…” Roland murmured, his gaze shifting toward Lonely Mountain.

“I’m more worried about the Woodland Elves,” Peter added, his voice hesitant.

“No, I’m not concerned about Thranduil. It’s Erebor and the Lonely Mountain that worry me,” Roland said solemnly. “The orcs wouldn’t want to fight the forest rangers in the jungle. They’ll attack where they can use their numbers to full effect—plains and cities. If they hit Lonely Mountain and Thranduil’s forces don’t arrive in time, our southern defenses will be pointless.”

Peter nodded grimly. The situation was dire.

“You know the history between the Woodland Elves and the dwarves,” Peter said, making a gesture of conflict.

“That’s what makes this so complicated,” Roland sighed.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, King,” Reynold interrupted, climbing the newly fortified city wall. “We can barely manage the southern front. Worrying about the north might be a bit much.”

“Reinforcements from Mordor are already pressing us hard,” Peter added, glaring in the direction of Mordor as if his gaze could level the dark land.

“We’re short on soldiers,” Roland lamented as he surveyed the sparse forces within the city.

“A lot of our people are still scattered,” Carlos mused. “It would be great if a wandering army arrived right about now.”

Roland shot a glance at Reynold. The so-called wandering troops were a resource given to him by the system, but for now, they remained an uncertain hope rather than a tangible asset.

As the tension in the city grew, Roland knew the road ahead would be long and fraught with danger. But with the new fortifications in place, at least they were better prepared for what was to come.