CH 71

Chapter 71 – Giants On The Move

As autumn approaches and the forests begin to change color, a report arrives in Casemaian that the Golem troops of the Imperial Army have begun to gather for a march.

For some of us, such as myself and the Dwarves, this was the news we had been waiting for. It’s a credit to the Winged People, who have been guarding the skies over a wide area.

“I’ve never met any of the Winged People before. I’m indebted to them, so I should say hello.”

“We’ll have to meet them at the victory party.”

“I’m looking forward to… my T-55’s first mission.”

I guess I feel numb in many ways when I look forward to the Golem, a symbol of overwhelming destruction and despair that, in some ways, surpasses even the Pterosaur. The inhabitants of Casemaian are accustomed to it, and the Beastman and women, who belong to the (relatively) sensible group, only watch with a warm smile.

“Mmm, Joshua. Let’s scout this place with the Ekusu aru!”

Yes, the XR. It’s a Honda off-road bike. I got it as an essential teaching tool for internal combustion engines, and now all six of them are in working order. Some of the Beastman are able to ride them and are playing with them while giggling. Some of the bikes had deer antlers or something on the front of their bodies, which bothered me, but that was okay.

Before the scouting, we opened the map and had a strategy meeting.

This map seemed to have been made after hearing from a Winged Peoples scouting in the sky, and although it was simple, it was pretty easy to understand.

Looking at it again from a bird’s eye view, I realized that Casemaian was really deadlocked. I knew that, but there would be nowhere to run if we were attacked.

Once the southern plains were finished, I made a mental note to develop the dark forest to the north as soon as possible.

“What is the enemy’s current location?”

“There was a road junction where you fought with the Imperial Army before. This is it.”

Oh, that’s where we rescued Merel and the others, not on the animal path.

“According to the Winged People, an advance party is on patrol 30 miles from the junction on the imperial side, so it should be… here. The main force is still adjusting its lines across the border. It’s going to be a while before they get there, given their equipment.”

“So, Jou-chan. How many are there?”

“From what I’ve heard, the main force is up to sixty or so, and the scouts can see thirty to forty clays, eight to ten trees, and three to six ores.”

“That’s quite a range.”

“It seems that most of them are transported by large wagons. They’re covered with waterproof cloth, so it can’t be seen from the sky.”

“That must be it.”

Listening to Myrril’s story, Heimann-jiichan nodded.

“Even moving a large machine requires a lot of care. And walking is quite a cumbersome movement to have a machine do. The control by the mage, the consumption of magic power, the wear and tear on each part, and the management of the personnel and equipment to operate it, all add up to a dizzying burden. It’s best to carry it to the battlefield in pieces.”

“It’s all well and good to assemble them on-site, but what if they run into the enemy on the way?”

“What if they run into the enemy? What about the advanced team?”

“Golems are not included. Only light cavalry and light infantry.”

They’ll be surveyed beforehand to ensure safety on the way to the main battlefield. It seems that they’ve thought of that, at least. I had an image of the Imperial Army as being incompetent because of the hundreds of troops that were needlessly destroyed.

“What is the percentage of 60 Golems in the Imperial Army as a whole?”

“I don’t know the total number, but according to Merel-dono’s information network, they are mobilizing almost all of them except for the Golems for the defense of the Imperial Capital.”

The Clay Golem, which is inexpensive, simple, relatively easy to create, and the main force in terms of numbers, is about 2.5 to 3 meters tall. There are no large Clay Golems because they are too fragile to support their own weight.

Tree Golems are slightly larger, around 4 to 6 meters tall. They are light and agile but vulnerable to fire.

Only the Ore Golems, which are the real deal, are mostly over eight meters tall. In some cases, there are even super large ones with multiple cores and quadrupeds.

Whether or not the Imperial Army’s mounted Golem troops this time include such substandard Golems is unclear at this point, as they are covered with a wagon cover.

When it comes to the quality of the ore, depending on the amount of time and effort spent and the cores, it is possible to develop something as powerful and high-powered as you want.

“Hey, don’t worry, it takes enough money, manpower, magic, and effort to maintain a battalion of the national army to operate a ‘disaster’ class Golem. It’s not like such monsters appear in unlimited supply.”

Heimann-jiichan laughed, but it was true that we wouldn’t know until the lid was opened.

I’m not sure if it’s the result of ignorance or knowledge, but the Imperial Army has mobilized all of their Golem troops to take control of the kingdom.

“The immediate question is how many of them will come to Casemaian at the junction.”

“The tank shells we have are sixty, and while we won’t know how powerful or how effective they are until we fire them, they are overpowered against all but the most mineralous.”

“Clay and wood are no problem. I’ll take care of it myself.”

The Elven BAR shooters nodded in agreement as the giant Elven man, Kemich, who had been listening in silence, raised his hand lightly. If the surface layer is soil or wood, it can be shot through with 30-06 ammunition or Simonov’s heavy machine guns. Even if they can’t, the Elves will have no problem with hit and run.

“Do you think breaking the core will stop it?”

Heimann-jiichan nodded. I’ve heard before that the operating magic is sent to the extremities as a power source that absorbs and converts magic power.

However, the location of the core is not fixed like a human’s vital points. It depends on the design and form of the Golem.

“How do you determine the location of the core?”

“It should be within reach of the crew’s limbs, as they will be pouring magic into it to control it.”

“You don’t know; you can shoot the crew. It’s less valuable than the Golem itself, but a mage with a certain level of skill can’t be easily replaced. Even more so on the battlefield.”

Even if you don’t destroy the plane, you can kill the pilot, and the plane will fall. Well, that’s reasonable. I’d be happy to capture the first Golem I see.

“We should get to know the enemy first. Let’s do some scouting.”

“That’s all well and good, Yoshua, but you seem quite happy, don’t you?”

That’s right. It’s a giant robot, after all (It’s a Golem, though)!