The Story Of The Second Son Of The Baron Family [EN]: Chapter 117

The situation on the mainland was hectic. They were continuously building up and connecting the defensive walls and attempting to coordinate with other units. Furthermore, they were solidifying supply lines and preparing for winter.

Without proper supplies in this land dominated by cold and snow, surviving the winter would be like heading to the battlefield unarmed. We couldn’t abandon the fortress built with so much hardship and countless sacrifices, or the mine that was finally showing results, and retreat in vain.

As I slowly recovered, I naturally had more to do. With my teacher remaining in the capital, I was in charge of commanding the mages attached to the expeditionary force. Moreover, for any task of significant scale, the efficiency difference with and without me was considerable.

“Ah, can you hear me well?”

[No problem!]

“Good. How is the connection with the other fortresses?”

Among other things, I focused most on establishing communication networks between the fortresses. Even with the Empire’s mobilization of a hundred thousand troops, over a thousand knights, and new weapons, we were still at a disadvantage here.

A hundred thousand was by no means a small number. A thousand knights were a number that even a kingdom would have to scrape together from across its entire territory. However, the defensive line where we had to deploy those troops was vast, and the enemies we had to face were numerous.

We were forced to disperse our forces, yet the enemy had the power to pressure the entire defensive line with a single breakthrough, or given enough time. And the terrain wasn’t helping us either, so organic communication between the fortresses was essential to alleviate the risk of being defeated piecemeal.

Moreover, the Emperor promised full support, as if he had bet everything on this expedition, and he kept his promise. Thanks to that, we could use every method we knew to increase the defense of the fortresses and the defensive line without any hesitation. Some were even using this opportunity to try out various spells that they had only studied in theory due to cost or efficiency.

“At least we can withstand the winter with this much.”

“Winter will be just as busy as summer, especially for the knights. They’ll have to quickly provide support at the slightest sign of danger.”

As we built the walls, placed the crafted scorpions [siege weapons] on top, and installed various traps and spells to prepare for winter, an early winter began to arrive, as expected of the North.

#

With the arrival of winter, the expeditionary force’s movements slowed drastically. They holed up in their respective fortresses to reduce unnecessary energy consumption, and patrols were mainly conducted by knights who could withstand the cold, preventing unnecessary losses. Meanwhile, I was leaving the defensive line and returning to the capital.

‘This place hasn’t even fully transitioned from autumn yet. It makes me realize once again that the North isn’t a place where people can live for long.’

Unlike the North, where it was already snowing, this place in the central part of the continent hadn’t fully entered winter. It was natural given the distance, but it also made me realize the harshness of the North.

‘I hope nothing goes wrong.’

Winter makes monsters violent, but it also makes them docile. As I’ve said many times, monsters are living creatures, and rampaging around in this winter like it’s a relatively warm summer would mean they couldn’t handle the increased energy consumption. So, unless they attack first, the expeditionary force holed up in the fortresses shouldn’t suffer significant damage.

“You’ve worked hard. I’ve been hearing news from the North without fail. Your performance has been remarkable.”

“How could it be my achievement alone? It would have been impossible without the Titans, and without each and every soldier of the expeditionary force doing their best.”

“There’s no need to be modest. That doesn’t mean your performance was lacking. When you think about it, you were the one who developed those Titans.”

The reason I left the defensive line, where a battle could break out at any moment despite the lull due to the approaching winter, and traveled all the way to the capital, changing exhausted horses and riding at full speed for several days, was none other than the smooth production of the Titans.

The Titans.

It was to ensure the smooth production of the new weapon that played the biggest role in this expedition and showed remarkable performance. Before leaving, I had set up the system well, so the production of the exoskeletons was fine even without me, but the production of the core, which was the key, couldn’t even begin without me. In addition, there was someone who could take my place while I was away, so I wasn’t too worried.

“How is the situation here?”

“Thanks to you, your father-in-law, and the other generals, it’s going smoothly. Some nobles are already telling me they want to participate in the expedition, so if things continue like this, it won’t be difficult to conclude the expedition successfully.”

That was fortunate. From the time the expedition began to take shape as a concrete plan, the thing that the Emperor and I worried about the most was withdrawing or being defeated from the expeditionary force for unavoidable reasons after the expedition started. The defensive line was successfully taking hold, and nobles who coveted the resources sleeping inside the monsters’ territory were expressing their willingness to participate, so at least the situation where the expeditionary force had to be withdrawn due to a lack of troops wouldn’t occur.

#

“When did you get back?”

“I came today. I came straight here after having an audience with His Majesty the Emperor.”

Before heading to the lab for work, I stopped by home first. It hadn’t even been a year since I left, but I couldn’t help but worry. A certain great man from the world I lived in my previous life led his soldiers past his house, and worried that the soldiers would be shaken if only he went home, so he checked that the water he drew from the well still tasted the same and passed by the house. I guess I couldn’t do that much.

“Baby. Daddy’s here. Say hello?”

What kind of request was I making to a baby who couldn’t even speak yet? Anyway, she’s really cute. It’s not just because she’s my daughter, but perhaps because she inherited the blood of my wife, who is one of the most beautiful women in the Empire, with her round eyes and distinct features even as a baby, she already showed the potential to become a beauty.

“Awoo, awoo.”

“Louise is asking if you’re really her dad.”

Cough-

She must have said it without any special meaning, but it pricked my conscience. A dad who went on a business trip for nearly a year as soon as his wife gave birth, as soon as his daughter was born, and a dad who had to go on a business trip again for another year soon, and it wouldn’t be just one or two years. Like my wife said, even if Louise looked at me and asked if I was really her dad, I would have nothing to say.

“Awoo!”

I couldn’t help but love my daughter, who was waving her short arms while looking at me. I quickly purified myself, worried that she might fall as she struggled in her arms as if asking to be held. My touch was also careful, as if handling delicate glassware, in case I gave her even a little bit of strength and hurt her.

“Yes. I’m your dad. I’m sorry I can’t be by your side.”

Babies are wary of strangers from the start, but even though she had only seen me when she was just born and couldn’t even open her eyes, she didn’t cry or struggle to get away from the arms of a stranger, as if she knew I was her father.

“If you know, come back as soon as possible.”

“I’ll try. Come to think of it, my father-in-law was also thinking positively about the proposal to return after the expedition.”

“Really?”

“He said we should talk about things after the expedition is over after the expedition, but knowing my father-in-law’s personality, he would have said no on the spot if he didn’t want to. Isn’t postponing the answer a positive sign?”

My wife was very happy at that. My father-in-law was also a father as bad as me, no, even worse, but he was still a father.

‘I have to try too.’

Once this expedition is over, I was planning to put everything else aside and spend time with my family. When Louise grows up a little more, it’ll be okay to go on a trip.

After a short reunion with my family, I headed straight to the lab. The Titans, sleeping in the darkness and waiting to be reborn, waiting to roam the land with their partners and cut down enemies, were waiting in line, and my job was to give them new life.

“You’re going through a lot.”

“What hardship is this? Even now, in the North, they are continuing a difficult fight against the cold and the enemies. It’s a war I started. Others may not, but at least I can’t complain that the expedition is difficult.”

No one could deny that making cores in the capital was several times more comfortable than enduring the biting cold and the battle with monsters that could attack at any time in the front lines. Of course, you have to have the ability to do that.

In some ways, this expedition may have been a meaningless act for them. They cited the threat of monsters as the reason, but now that the Titans had been developed, the Terra Barrier would never be breached, and even if they were dragged into the army, they might be able to return alive if they were lucky. Or maybe they wouldn’t have any connection at all.

However, since they were sacrificing themselves for my wishes and the greed of the nobles, I had a duty to save even one more of them. I had a duty to do my best more than anyone else, and that’s why I didn’t have the right to complain that I had a lot of work to do.

#

While I was in the capital, dozens of Titans were newly born, and along with the support troops carrying supplies, I also moved back to the North. My wife and daughter, whom I had to leave behind again, were still on my mind, but I couldn’t turn back now. I moved my steps calmly.

“Welcome, Count.”

“What’s the news from the defensive line?”

“Don’t worry too much. There have been a few battles, large and small, but no fortresses have collapsed, and the monsters that infiltrated have been quickly eliminated. Rather, the problem was the cold and the snow.”

I nodded slightly at the adjutants’ report. That much was damage within the range I had fully anticipated. From some point on, I had a feeling that things were going smoothly without a hitch, and a good feeling soared.

“Would you like to depart right away?”

“The horses and people are very tired from the long journey. But more than that, the North must be waiting eagerly for supplies, so we can’t rest for a long time.”

The supply unit took a good rest for a day at the Terra Barrier and then moved again. As the adjutant said, the snow was more of a problem than the monsters, and the movement was inevitably disrupted due to the snow piled up to an unimaginable extent, but when the mages came forward and started clearing the snow, it soon became not such a big obstacle. In the past, I would have been afraid of where the monsters would pop out from in this snowfield, but now it wasn’t.

“Just a little more strength. The goal is not far away!”