Chapter 108.1

That House Is in Danger… (2)

The time had come for Renslet’s traditional expedition to the extreme north.

Called by many names—preventive war, pruning, the best defense being offense—this expedition was a time-honored tradition.

The High Tower’s War Office had begun recruiting the expedition forces as early as the previous year.

Elite soldiers, who had been hunting beasts and monsters across Renslet, responded to the call.

For these soldiers, their daily life was already a battlefield, so aligning formations during drills felt more like rest than training.

But war demanded more than exceptional willpower and training.

Victory required supplies, advanced weaponry funded by abundant resources, and hearty meals to sustain the troops.

This year’s extreme northern expedition was on a completely different scale than anything Renslet had ever prepared.

The High Tower was wealthier, wealthier, and wealthier than ever before.

When that wealth met the knowledge of me, Arad, a summoned hero from another world, it became a cheat code, resulting in unprecedented logistical preparation.

“From daggers to armor! The entire army is outfitted with Northern Cold Steel! This… this isn’t a dream, is it?”

“Mary, I think this is the happiest I’ve ever seen you.”

“Is… is that so? Hmph!”

“It’s understandable, of course. It’s not just any material—it’s Northern Cold Steel.”

Before I arrived in this land, Northern Cold Steel was one of the defining symbols of the North, alongside reinforced concrete.

Forged by melting, freezing, and alloying steel infused with the North’s unique cold mana and magic stones through ancient techniques, and then hammering it over an extended period, the result was a steel imbued with a faint blue energy.

That was Northern Cold Steel.

A source of pride for the North, it rivaled or even surpassed Imperial Steel.

But that pride came with a cost—production was notoriously inefficient.

It took a master craftsman nearly two months to craft a single suit of armor from Northern Cold Steel.

As such, only knights could afford to be fully equipped with it.

Soldiers had to settle for one or two primary weapons made from the material, and only the most elite veterans among them might have a breastplate of Northern Cold Steel.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

But not anymore.

Chick! Chick! Chick! Chick!

Steam engines churned tirelessly.

Factory chimneys belched industrial smog.

Inside, Northern Cold Steel was being produced as abundantly as flowing water.

The North, rich in iron ore, magic stones, and other minerals, was like a Middle Eastern oil field of resources.

All I needed was physical energy to process those resources.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The Northern Cold Steel produced was then shaped according to purpose, riding on conveyor belts.

While human hands occasionally touched the steel, most of the forging, hammering, cutting, and bending was done by steam-powered machines.

“I hope the other steel mills are completed soon.”

I licked my lips in anticipation as I looked over the military factories in the High Tower’s industrial district.

Subsidiaries and factories of Arad Steel and Arad Defense were planned for Remm, Cardia, and Narvik, and some had already broken ground.

However, it would be years before they were fully operational and mass-producing steel.

For now, only the steel mills and military factories in the High Tower’s outskirts and the industrial city of Cardia were operational.

“Even so, the steel mills and factories here in the High Tower and Cardia have managed to fully equip the extreme northern expedition with Northern Cold Steel.” 𝐫𝖆ɴǒ𐌱Ês

Despite the limitations, the military revolution unfolding before me was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

“Once the other steel mills are completed, we might even create a Colossus Knight Order.”

The thought of a fully industrialized North naturally swelled my chest with pride.

“You can expect great things from this expedition,” I said with a satisfied smile after inspecting the steel mills and factories in the High Tower industrial district.

“Indeed. To think that every soldier in the expedition could be fully equipped with Northern Cold Steel like knights! The expedition force now has nothing to fear from any battle. Even those extreme northern orcs armed with Imperial Steel are no match.”

Mary passionately agreed with me.

At her waist hung a white magic sword, a gift I had given her, now like an extension of her own body.

The atmosphere in the High Tower was different this time.

Where past expeditions might have been tinged with solemn determination, the soldiers training for deployment and the citizens supporting them exuded a strange confidence.

“How’s the production of Rian fabric coming along?”

“Not a problem at all!”

“Boots! Boots are the most important thing for soldiers! Make sure the quality is top-notch—no more frostbitten toes!”

“Of course! Corruption in defense contracting has no place in quality management at Arad!”

The source of their confidence was none other than the Arad Group.

“But the timing is rather curious.”

As we walked through the industrial district, Mary suddenly spoke.

“I didn’t think the Emperor would stay silent after seeing the magic stone standard and Ren currency. And then, right on cue, this happens. I must admit, it’s surprising.”

“You mean the Mongar Orcs?”

“Yes.”

“There’ve been rumors for years about them gathering in the Eastern Ruins. It’s nothing shocking.”

“Still, the timing and scale of this invasion are oddly precise.”

Mary’s voice still carried a note of excitement.@@novelbin@@

“We had originally planned to feign deployment for the extreme northern expedition to prepare for a possible imperial invasion, didn’t we?”

“Indeed. We were going to station the expedition force two days outside the Extreme Northern Great Wall and adjust the route based on the Empire’s response.”

Feigning ignorance of the original timeline, I played along, feigning interest in Mary’s remarks.

“It seems the fervent ancestors of Renslet are watching over us.”

“It truly feels that way.”

Mary’s eyes grew even more resolute at my words.

I found myself staring at her for a moment before hurriedly looking away.

‘Ahem!’

By now, my feelings for Mary had become clear.

However, my determination was still wavering between Earth and this other world, leaving my heart in turmoil.

“Work. Just focus on work.”

The best way to distract myself from this wandering and inner turmoil was to pour all my energy into work.

That was the best I could do for now.

“Anyway, now I can finally visit my territory with peace of mind.”

The chaos in the Empire had eased my worries about the South.

During my last business trip, I confirmed that the mines, steel mills, and military factories in Cardia were running smoothly.

All that remained was to safely dispatch the extreme northern expedition force.

Then I could visit Jin County with the excitement of going on a proper journey.

“By any chance… aren’t you going to accompany the expedition?”

Mary suddenly asked out of the blue.

“I’m not particularly fond of adventure to that extent.”

“I see…”

Her response, tinged with unusual disappointment, made me click my tongue inwardly.

“She must want to wield the Cry of the Snowfield. Sisters are sisters, after all.”

But I couldn’t afford to dwell on her wistful expression.

If I did, my heart might start racing again like it had earlier.

“Urgent news! Urgent news!”

It was then that Teo, the chief of staff, came rushing in.

“An emergency report just came in through the magic communication orb!”

“What happened?”

“The Wall! The Wall is in danger!”

“Of course, the Mongar Orcs…”

“No, no! Not that wall—our Extreme Northern Great Wall!”

“?!”