Chapter 259

Well, when it comes to Arthur… just watching him should be more than enough.

First things first, let me get on with what I have to do.

The very first order of business: keeping an eye on the royal knights.

In order to counter the advancing forces marching alongside Vivienne, the royal knights have left the safety of Sirius’s walls.

Technically speaking, they didn’t really have a choice but to leave the confines of the city walls.

Generally speaking, in large-scale battles like war, situations can vary, but defense tends to hold an even greater advantage over offense.

Even more so when you’ve got defensive structures like city walls to work with.

But… that’s assuming you’ve got sufficient defensive troops.

In the current situation—a civil war over the imperial succession—especially with all the baggage of past events, long journeys, and rampant rumors causing most of the defensive forces to lose their will to defend properly… holding the city walls is bound to be no easy task.

Particularly for a knightly order that specializes in cavalry charges across wide open plains. It would essentially mean abandoning their strengths and settling for a defensive posture instead.

And another thing: it’s simply impossible for the royal knights to replace the regular defensive troops and adequately guard the walls themselves.

Not to mention, there’s no way to ride horses atop the walls anyway.

Anyway, for all these reasons… the royal knights ventured outside the walls of Sirius to deal with the advancing forces led by Vivienne.

For the sake of securing advantageous terrain for defense, leveraging their cavalry strengths, and repelling any assaults on the capital.

Just as I had anticipated.

Honestly though, it wouldn’t have mattered much if they’d holed up inside Sirius and fortified themselves. But what can you do? Arthur doesn’t want to see bloodshed.

After all, those loyal to the emperor are bound to stand against Arthur’s path, meaning blood would inevitably be spilled.

Personally, I think a little bloodshed wouldn’t be the end of the world… but what can you do? That’s not what Arthur wants.

Thus, the royal knights are set to face off against the advancing forces led by Vivienne, who seemingly have no intention of fighting.

Simply stalling them will fulfill their role sufficiently. Even if the knights somehow catch onto our intentions and quickly retreat back, well… I’ll just stop them myself.

Though I suspect they’re highly unlikely to retreat. After all, I’ve already ordered the forces accompanying Vivienne to set up camp across the river and wait.

Ideally, we’d avoid combat altogether, but if it does come to that, we’ll aim to minimize casualties as much as possible. No unnecessary bloodshed.

Sure, there’s a bridge over the river, but it’s not one the entire royal knight force could cross swiftly. Any sensible person would know better than to let this escalate into battle.

So then, what choice will the royal knights make?

Obviously, they’ll retreat.

Why would they march out alone, only to stalemate with the forces waiting across the river? Who would willingly sit through prolonged standoffs?

Judging from the sight of the knights rushing out of Sirius’s gates after beacon fires were lit… they probably didn’t bring much in the way of supplies. How long do you think they’d last facing off against Vivienne’s forces while starving?

No way. They’ll retreat as soon as possible. Nobody fights effectively on an empty stomach.

That’s why I’m standing at a fair distance from Sirius’s walls.

Let’s see… hmm. This spot should do nicely, right?

A location considerably far from Sirius’s walls. The distance is roughly enough to fit another Sirius with room to spare.

This place might just work.

Alright then, though I don’t know how long this rocky body of mine can withstand my power…

How about I erect some walls here?

With a light kick of my toes against the ground, the rocks began to rise slowly.

Hmm. A crude wall of rock should suffice for now. If it needs refining later, I can always call upon the commoners to stack bricks afterward.

And so, the rising rocks spread outward, one after another, forming a continuous wall. A massive circular wall, sharing the same center as Sirius, yet far larger in scale.

The only flaw might be the absence of walls along the shallow river flowing into Sirius.

Eh, that’s such a minor issue it can probably be ignored.

Though this wall may seem excessive for merely blocking the royal knights, consider it a gift for Arthur, who is destined to become emperor. Hmm. Doesn’t feel excessive at all.

At the sight of the towering walls, the defenders of Sirius began to show signs of unease. Naturally, they’d react this way upon seeing a colossal wall rise in the distance from where they were guarding their own.

Regardless, I gazed into the distance from atop the wall, which lacked gates.

Let’s see. The royal knights are on alert, having spotted the waiting forces.

Their reluctance to charge headfirst suggests either competent leadership or perhaps the setup of the opposing camp discourages rash attacks.

Still, with Vivienne present, reckless charges won’t cut it. Let’s try to keep the bloodshed to a minimum—or ideally, avoid it altogether.

If Vivienne starts firing magical arrows willy-nilly, the royal knights would be wiped out effortlessly. Once combat begins, she won’t hold back, ensuring significant bloodshed.

I had hoped otherwise… ah, but the royal knights have begun their retreat.

It seems they judged the forces stationed with Vivienne too formidable to attack easily.

Some time passed, and as they retreated, they encountered the wall I had built.

“What in the world…?”

Oh, they’re flustered. Of course they would be—walls that didn’t exist before suddenly appearing before their eyes.

“This is madness! Walls that weren’t there when we left are now towering before us…”

“What shall we do? We can’t return to Sirius like this.”

“Tch… We can’t ride horses up a wall made of rock like this. For now, let’s scout around the perimeter. There might be a passage somewhere!”

“We could possibly climb this wall on foot!”

“Abandon your mounts and attempt entry? Find another route first! Scaling this wall should be considered only as a last resort!”

Following the words of what appeared to be their commanding officer, the royal knights quickly regained composure amidst their confusion and began circling the wall in search of a way through.

Hmph. There is a gap… where the shallow river flows. Though the water isn’t deep, it might still allow passage. Hmm… guess I’ll need to build another wall. One that accounts for the river this time.

Between the existing walls of Sirius and the one I constructed, I settle into position midway and kick the ground twice with my feet.

Once again, walls of rock begin to rise. Having done this once before makes it go much faster the second time around.

This new wall differs from the first in that its surface is exceptionally smooth, resembling one crafted from stacked stones.

Additionally, I’ve accounted for the river section. An arched bridge connects the wall above the water, supported below by multiple stone pillars rising from the riverbed.

Or rather, it’s more accurate to say the pillars emerge from the riverbed to support the arches.

Anyway, with this structure in place, crossing via the river should prove difficult.

Thus, the newly completed wall—perhaps I should call it the middle wall since it lies between the two others.

As the royal knights approach the middle wall, they notice the river area lacks barriers and quickly deduce it as a potential crossing point.

Sending a single man to test the waters, they confirm the river isn’t too deep and proceed to cross, bypassing the outer wall. Impressive judgment.

They may be quite capable, but how will they fare against yet another wall?

Given the smooth surface of the middle wall, scaling it won’t be easy. Leaving the royal knights stranded here should suffice for now.

Then… what’s Arthur up to?

I casually shift my gaze to where Arthur stands.

Arthur glares menacingly at someone, while a middle-aged man speaks confidently to him.

Judging by the immortal crown adorning his head, this must be the emperor.

The emperor berates Arthur loudly, pointing fingers at him. Meanwhile, Arthur keeps his eyes locked on the emperor, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword at his waist.

Their conversation didn’t last much longer.

After all, the emperor had no means left to protect himself from Arthur’s blade.

Though the emperor kept a few trusted knights close, they too had fallen under Arthur’s sword.

Arthur, who wished to avoid excessive bloodshed, hadn’t let his thirst for vengeance dull enough to spare those willing to die for the emperor.

Among those who sacrificed themselves for the emperor were several well-trained knights, yet none could match Arthur.

Thus, with no means to protect his own life, the emperor was doomed to fall beneath Arthur’s blade.

A futile death for the man who usurped his nephew’s rightful place and ascended the throne.

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