Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 113

Constructing the Human Empire with Summons 115 (115/185)

The Hybrid War (6)

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Immediately after the negotiation broke down, the Imperial Army began building earthworks.

“Idiots. What are they doing?”

There weren’t just one, but four earthworks. Each was 40m to 60m wide and 3m to 5m high. After flattening the top surface, they placed several objects of unknown use on them.

The captains, who were guarding the Imperial Army from the sea, mistook the sight and thought the earthworks were the foundation work for fortresses or watchtowers.

“What are they going to do with a few fortresses?”

“Do they think we can only land there?”

The captains scoffed.

To them, it seemed the Empire was building defenses to prevent the Republic from crossing the sea and landing on the mainland, as they believed the Empire couldn’t cross the sea.

“What are they doing now?”

But their laughter didn’t last long.

The Imperial Army, having deployed soldiers on the earthworks, stopped construction and immediately began another action. They sent workers to the mudflats exposed by the ebb tide to build a dike road with soil and gravel.

“What?”

The length of the road made on the first day was only a few meters.

However, the Republic’s fleet, which was monitoring the Imperial Army, clearly saw the starting point of the dike road on the sea.

“Is the Imperial Army filling the sea?”

The Republic’s Council of Ten was taken aback upon receiving this report.

“They’re insane.”

The city they lived in, Tishireddon, was also a city built by filling the sea. However, Tishireddon’s reclamation was done in peacetime and with the help of the Nagas [a serpentine race known for their wisdom and magic].

On the other hand, the Imperial Army was carrying out the reclamation entirely with human power in a situation where they had lost maritime control during wartime, so it was absurd.

“Is it true?”

The old council member asked Enrico Doge again.

“It’s certain. I saw it myself. It’s only a few meters long, but they are definitely building a dike road. The width appears to be at least 100m.”

“They’re really insane.”

The council member let out a hollow laugh.

“Do they even know how far it is from here to the mainland?”

“Well… wouldn’t they have to think outside the box to establish something like the Human Empire?”

“That’s beyond unconventional; it’s madness. If you think about it logically, they can’t *not* know it’s impossible.”

“Is that so?”

The priest tilted his head and asked the old council member.

“Please explain in more detail, Doge.”

“The area the Imperial Army is filling now is a mudflat. Mudflats are easy to fill. Ships can’t approach during low tide.”

Enrico pointed to a map spread out on the table with his index finger.

The spot his finger pointed to was the sea between Tishireddon and the land.

“But the length of the mudflat here is not that long. At most, about 200m? After that, they have to fill the sea directly, and the water becomes quite deep.”

“If it’s just a matter of the water becoming shallower, it might take some time, but you can’t say it’s impossible, can you?”

“That would be the case if it were *just* a matter of the water becoming shallower. From what I can see, they’re making it quite wide, so it would take months to reach the island even if we did nothing. But there’s no way we’d do nothing, right?”

The Republic, which had seized maritime control, had many ways to interfere with the construction of the dike road.

They could simply shoot arrows from the sea at the workers, or they could use the gills created by mutations to dismantle the dike road underwater.

“Of course, if we fail to drive the Imperial Army out of the mainland, the dike road will eventually be completed. But when will that be? If we try to stop something that would take months even if left alone, it will take an infinitely long time, and the cost will be unbearable.”

The priest nodded.

“I see. The Empire is currently fighting attrition wars on all fronts… If the current trend continues, it will collapse like a dam with holes.”

“Yes. That’s why it’s impossible to build the dike road.”

Because the Empire would collapse before the dike road was completed.

“We can attack the dike road at any time from the point where the mudflat ends. We will inevitably give up the mudflat, but we will not give up an inch after that. Council members, do not worry.”

The distance between the land and the island was considerable.

Even after giving up 200m of mudflat, there was still more than 1km of distance left.

‘How can the Empire, which doesn’t even have ships, cross this distance?’

Enrico smiled as he looked at the map.

And two weeks later, when the mudflat was filled, the Republic moved.

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“Fire!”

A dike road with a width of 120m and a length of 200m.

When the end of the dike road reached the deep sea where ships could pass even at low tide, the Republic launched an attack with about 80 warships.

Most of the warships were sailing ships, and they carried soldiers armed with longbows, crossbows, and other ranged weapons on the deck, who rained arrows down.

Shu shu shuk!

“Hi, hihet!”

“Aaaagh!”

The rain of arrows covered the workers carrying soil and gravel.

The workers screamed and desperately hid behind the arrow shields. The arrow shields made by the Imperial Army were large iron shields placed diagonally at both ends of the dike road, and they were thick enough to easily deflect arrows.

“They’re doing useless things.”

Enrico scoffed as he watched the workers hide behind the arrow shields. At his gesture, 14 galleys [long, narrow ships propelled primarily by oars] moved.

The galleys were paired to be horizontal, with wide planks placed on top, and large ballistae [ancient missile weapon that launches projectiles] or catapults [a military device for hurling stones or other projectiles] were installed on the planks.

Thung!

The ballista shot an arrow larger than a spear.

“Hiek!”

The ballista’s arrow pierced the arrow shield. It didn’t completely penetrate, but it was enough to skewer several workers hiding behind it.

One worker, horrified to see three of his colleagues instantly killed by a single shot, staggered backward and was killed by a stray arrow that pierced his neck.

Enrico smirked at the sight.

“The ballistae are okay, but the catapults aren’t very effective.”

The stones thrown by the catapults struck the dike road floor and shattered. The fragments flew around and hit the workers, causing casualties, but they did not damage the dike road itself.

“Rather, it’s just giving them materials to throw into the sea.”

“That’s right. Pull back the catapults! Tell them to only target the workers with the ballistae!”

Enrico led the charge, focusing on killing the workers.

“Don’t shoot!”

“I’m a citizen too!”

The workers screamed with tears in their eyes, but it was in vain.

“Citizens? These traitors!”

“Show no mercy to the traitors of the Republic!”

To the soldiers made up of Republic citizens, the workers’ cries only provoked anger. They enthusiastically shot arrows, vowing to punish the criminals who dared to betray the Republic.

“Kill them all! Show them the power of the Republic!”

The Imperial Army retreated, leaving only summons [magically created entities bound to serve a summoner].

What good would it do to leave ordinary soldiers behind? They couldn’t take the arrows for the workers, they couldn’t board the warships, and they couldn’t handle bows properly.

The Imperial Army, with too great a difference in individual capabilities, retreated, and only the summons remained to deflect arrows or, conversely, shoot arrows at the sailing ships to inflict damage.

However, the damage they inflicted on the Republic was only a speck of dust compared to the power the Republic had mobilized.

“Easy.”

Enrico smiled brightly.

Although they couldn’t inflict direct damage on the Imperial Army, construction was halted because the workers were frightened. Since the original purpose was to stop the dike road construction, it was a strategic objective achieved.

“Just dragging out time like this is our victory. If we accumulate damage on other fronts while the Imperial Army’s forces are tied up, the Empire will collapse.”

When the Empire collapses, the competition will begin.

Who will occupy how much land first.

The Republic, with its small army, regretted that point.

It would have been good for the Republic if the Empire remained a stable source of humans like Germania or Wallachia [historical regions known for providing manpower] for a long, long time.

“It can’t be helped. Isn’t that what they wanted?”

At the adjutant’s words, Enrico smacked his lips and nodded.

That’s right. This war was something the foolish Empire brought upon itself.

The Republic was in a position to punish the Empire’s arrogance.

“Keep—“

He was about to shout to keep pushing when.

Bang!

An explosion was heard.

“Hmm?”

Did someone use magic?

There were a few mages on board the fleet, but there shouldn’t be a mage who could cause such a large explosion.

Enrico suspiciously examined the dike road.

If an explosion had occurred, there should have been traces, but there were none.

“Just now, didn’t you hear an explosion?”

Wondering if he was hearing things, he asked his adjutant.

“Yes. I heard it too—“

Bang! Thump! Bang! Bang!

Explosions erupted in succession.

Enrico felt a chill and examined the fleet.

The galleys carrying the ballistae were running aground.

One of the two ships connected by planks had a hole in its side.

As seawater filled the hole, the hull tilted rapidly.

“Ah, no… this…?”

The direction from which the explosions were heard was from the Empire’s side?

Why was the damage occurring to their own forces?

‘Is it the Empire’s mages?’

Amidst the confusion, the adjutant shook him, who was standing blankly.

“There! Look at the smoke on the earthworks!”

The adjutant gestured wildly, pointing to the earthworks.

Gray smoke was billowing from the earthworks.

Bang!

Just as Enrico and the adjutant looked at the earthworks together, a projectile shot out from the smoke towards them, with sparks flying.

Thud!

The flagship Enrico was on shook.

A round, black iron lump was embedded in the deck of the flagship.

An iron ball as big as a human head.

That must have been what pierced the side of the galley.

Enrico quickly turned his gaze back to the earthworks.

Bang! Bang! Thump!

The explosions continued from the four earthworks.

“What is this…?”

All the projectiles fired at the earthworks were aimed at the flagship.

However, they did not hit the flagship and fell around it.

Enrico shouted as he watched the spray of water caused by the projectiles.

“Retreat! Retreat! Retreat to a distance where those flying things can’t reach!”

The flagship turned its bow according to the order and raised a signal flag to announce the retreat.

The fleet, upon confirming the signal flag, stopped the attack and followed the flagship.

The Republic’s first check ended in failure.