193: That’s what it means to protect, huh. You need resolve for that.

The Mizoho Shrine Nation is a small country located at the tip of the peninsula.

Thanks to its location, it could concentrate nearly all its defensive forces on land.

And thanks to its rugged terrain, fortified city walls and castle walls made it a remarkably sturdy city-state.

Occasionally, sea monsters do rampage—but never in a stampede.

That’s why, for so long, this region teeming with monsters has managed to preserve its own unique culture.

But on that day, it was finally threatened.

"Unbelievable numbers."

At the highest tower of the main keep in the Wilhelm family’s castle—the watchtower known as the tenshu—Nobuna murmured unconsciously.

Alphard, standing beside her, echoed.

"Even Goldendown sees regular invasions by large monster armies... but this is on a completely different scale."

Yeah. Not exactly ordinary, this.

Nobuna narrowed her eyes at the horde of monsters filling the horizon, saying, “You can relax your tone all you want.”

A fair number, but can you handle it?

Alphard frowned, glancing sideways at Nobuna.

Would’ve been impossible a little while ago.

What the hell does that mean?

I reckon the old stone walls would’ve been breached by now. But the outer city wall and the three main fortress walls encircling the center—those’ve been reinforced with alchemically hardened stone.

The palace where the living god Muten Ingram resides has no defenses.

The imperial palace was surrounded by the three castles of the Three Great Houses. The walls of the three castles were joined together, forming one massive fortress.

Around the castle, a complex maze of streets wound through the city, with multiple city walls stretched out like boundaries dividing the districts.

The houses, at first glance haphazard, were built to serve as defensive walls when needed.

And the outermost city wall, wrapping around all of them, is the first barrier against outside enemies.

Nobuna’s saying is that the connected castle walls surrounding the Three Great Families—and the outermost city wall—have both been reinforced with alchemical hardstone.

“Mizuo was the first to import alchemical hardstone. Already in use, then. Seems the craftsmen here are skilled.”

“Hmph. Mizuo’s craftsmen are all top-tier.”

Nobuna brags with pride. You could feel the affection she has for her people.

“…But since the castle walls came first, we don’t know how the city walls turned out.”

“Have you already decided what to do if the city walls are breached?”

“Of course. The citizens have already begun evacuating to the castles of the Three Great Families.”

"Ah. So the city walls must be defended until evacuation’s complete, at minimum."

"Exactly."

Nobuna added, as if remembering something.

"Right, the transfer gate—Kyle-sama asked, and we moved it inside Wilhelm’s fortress walls."

"Already done?"

Both nations had originally placed their transfer gates outside city walls, for safety and merchant convenience. But thanks to this incident, they’d relocated them to stronger defensive positions.

As the two spoke, a shadow suddenly appeared at Nobuna’s side.

Alphard, who hadn’t sensed a presence, nearly shouted.

"Whoa!?"

"Apologies, my lady."

The apology came from a large-breasted feline youkai in ninja garb—Chiyome, one of Nobuna’s kunoichi.

Nobuna, used to it, spoke casually.

"Something wrong?"

"A horde of monsters’s attached to the outer city wall, that’s a fact."

"Quick, aren’t they?"

"Can’t put it into words, but they feel… organized, somehow."

"Organized?"

"Hard to explain, but there’s a sense of structure to them."

Nobuna wasn’t the only one frowning. Alphard did too.

He crossed his arms, studying the monsters’ movements.

"Come to think of it, there’s a slight flow to them—could it just be coincidence?"

"Possible. But I’d say they’re moving in clusters, not randomly."

"…"

"Chiyome. Are the monsters in a stampede?"

"Doesn’t seem like it. No wild, bloodshot eyes, no frenzied chaos. And the types are all over the place—mixed together."

"…"

Nobuna and Alphard fell silent.

Both were thinking the same thing: someone was controlling the monsters.

"Suppose—"

Alphard murmured, barely audible.

“Even if the monsters are being controlled somehow, the plan stays the same.”

“Right. If they’re enemies, we crush them.”

Doubt’s a road to defeat.

“Chiyome, keep watch on their movements. Especially any leaders—monsters or people.”

“Understood, sir. Though the enemy numbers are overwhelming—”

“Don’t push yourself. Safety first.”

“Got it, sir.”

Chiyome vanished like mist into the shadow of a pillar.

Alphard exhaled.

“Hope it’s just my imagination.”

“Yeah.”

They stared at the horde pressing against the city wall. Alphard muttered, low and sharp.

“That’s bad. A group of Gargant Ogres and Hydras. Moving straight toward the gate—like they’ve coordinated.”

Hydras grow larger and more vicious the more heads they have. Some have over ten—those are the stuff of despair.

The Hydra here, a swamp lord, had eight heads—unusually strong. Probably tied to those black plants, Kyle relayed.

Giant Ogres are the superior form of Ogres.

Several such forms exist, but the Giant Ogre is the largest and strongest in physical attacks.

They're considered less threatening than Cyclopes due to their slow movements—but one swing from that massive body outstrips a Cyclopean strike by far.

A monster that even mid-tier adventurers in Goldendown must deal with. To any adventurer from beyond the Elixirian territory, it's just as hopeless as a Cyclope.

By the way, Raidock’s team’d wipe them out in a heartbeat.

A horde of giant ogres—Giganto-Ogres—and a swarm of hydra beasts, massive in frame, are heading straight for the main gate, as if coordinated.

Sure, the deep moat filled with seawater would naturally keep them away, but it’s odd that even the hydra, which is tough in water, is heading straight for the main gate.

The city wall’s been reinforced with alchemically hardened stone, but the gate itself hasn’t been repaired yet.

It’s probably sturdy to begin with, but crafting a massive gate that can open and close takes time—no small feat.

You could make it all iron, sure, if you just wanted strength, but then it’d be too heavy to move.

So if that bunch focuses their attack on the gate, it’ll be smashed in no time.

Alphard started to feel a bad premonition.

"Everything's gonna be fine."

Nobuna declared, as if to wipe away Alphard's unease.

"Don't underestimate Mizuho's warriors."

Of course Alphard had never underestimated the warriors. He’d seen their drills firsthand during exchanges—tight, disciplined, flawless.

Dozens of strategies came to mind, all based on their strength. But to hold the gate solidly? Every one of them would cost heavy casualties.

"The gate will open."

"What!? You’re not defending—planning to charge out!?"

"Obviously."

It was the most effective strategy Alphard had mentally run through, even as he’d weighed dozens of others.

At the same time, the one with the worst possible cost.