Chapter 37
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Translator: Xrecker
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: A Few Moments Later
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A week later.
After days of tirelessly churning out bricks, we finally had enough to rebuild the wall.
Realistically, Dorothea and I couldn’t produce enough bricks on our own, so we enlisted the help of the soldiers. We created large quantities of soil with magic, and the soldiers mixed it with straw, shaped it into bricks, and then we dried them en masse with magic.
With a sufficient supply of bricks, rebuilding the southern wall was a swift process.
We had three thousand soldiers at our disposal, after all.
Just as a two-star general’s cough could move mountains, Dorothea, the commander-in-chief, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, and the unit’s mascot, gave the order, and a new wall rose overnight.
The demon soldiers, stronger than humans, worked tirelessly day and night, a truly impressive sight.
Inspecting the completed wall with Dorothea, I admired the sturdy construction.
“Is this finally over?”
Dorothea chided me,
“We haven’t applied the magical enchantments yet.”
“Ah, right.”
I almost forgot.
“Just the basic reinforcement, defense boost, and elemental resistance enchantments should be enough, right?”
Dorothea nodded, running her hand along the wall.
“With you and me enchanting it, it should be able to withstand most magic.”
While it didn’t require meticulous work, we couldn't be careless either.
I had seen enough news reports in my previous life to know the dangers of shoddy construction.
As we returned to Eva, who was waiting for us below, she bowed slightly and reported to Dorothea,
“As you commanded, I’ve prepared the rooster blood and a large quantity of mana stones.”
“Good.”
Dorothea nodded in satisfaction and glanced at me.
“Kaldrash, how much do you know about witches’ rituals?”
“As much as anyone else, I suppose. I know what you’re getting at, but I’m no expert in that area.”
“Really? Even the great Archmage has areas he’s unfamiliar with?”
“I told you, I don’t like reading.”
I grumbled, and Dorothea, smiling smugly, told us to step back.
Eva and I exchanged glances and saluted her.
“Good luck.”
“You too, Eva.”
Eva had learned about my true identity a few days ago.
While I should have kept it a secret, Dorothea had vouched for her trustworthiness, so I decided to tell her.
“Where’s Camilla?”
“She went back to our tent. She said she left something behind.”
“Is that so?”
I chatted idly with Eva while keeping an eye on Dorothea, who was drawing a magic circle. Finally, Dorothea turned around, puffing out her chest proudly.
“Behold! The magic circle containing the essence of ancient witch’s craft!”
Dorothea had drawn a large hexagram on the wall with rooster blood.
The four elements – earth (Terra), water (Aqua), wind (Ventus), and fire (Ignis) – were written in ancient script at the four corners of the hexagram, suggesting it was quite old.
The concept itself had existed for a long time, so it wasn't surprising that witches had incorporated it into their magic.
Anyway, the magic circle itself seemed flawless, so I clapped my hands in approval.
“Hmph! Of course it is!”
Dorothea, her ego inflated, placed a mana stone at each point of the hexagram.
Mana stones were commonly used as magical batteries, but they could also store spells. In this case, it would be the latter.
The transparent crystals turned crimson, the color of Dorothea’s hair, as her mana flowed into them.
I watched and asked,
“We’ll split the work evenly, right?”
Dorothea nodded and pointed at the three lower points of the hexagram.
“Wind fuels the flames.”
According to the four-element theory, just as water and fire were opposing elements, fire and wind amplified each other.
We each infused three mana stones with our respective magical energies and placed them at the designated points of the hexagram. The preparations were complete.
We stepped back and watched as the magic circle on the wall began to glow faintly.
A mixture of our mana spread throughout the entire wall.
The construction was finally complete.
Dorothea, brushing off her hands, turned to Eva.
“Eva, what’s next on the schedule?”
Eva pulled out a notebook and checked the list.
“Thanks to your hard work this morning, there are no further appointments for the afternoon.”
“See?”
Dorothea said, a pleased expression on her face, then glanced at me.
“Now that the wall is finished, how about we celebrate with a drink?”
“Again?”
I knew Dorothea liked to drink, but this was getting excessive.
This would be our third time this week.
I didn’t mind drinking, but the problem was that alcohol seemed to be an aphrodisiac for her. She would become incredibly forward, and before I knew it, we’d be spending the rest of the day in bed.
Dorothea, despite having been a virgin just a week ago, had become surprisingly promiscuous.
…Did that mean I disliked her?
No, quite the opposite.
“What are we having for snacks?”
“Heehee. Toto caught a large deer in the forest yesterday.”
“Then I’m in.”
I followed Dorothea towards the residence, chatting idly.
***
“…We did it again, huh?”
A familiar sense of lethargy washed over me after our passionate romp in bed.
It was different from mana exhaustion, but it had a similar effect of draining all motivation.
I glanced at the messy bed, then got up and started tidying up, gathering our scattered clothes.
I separated the empty bottles from the unopened ones and covered the leftover deer meat with a tray.
I decided to leave the bed as it was, since it would likely get messy again.
As I was cleaning, I noticed a large map of the Eastern Front hanging on the wall.
Having been the Margrave’s bedroom, the map was surprisingly detailed and accurate.
“Hmm.”
While we had captured the strategically important Hamburg fortress, it didn’t mean we had complete control of the Eastern Front.
The human forces were still scattered throughout the region, engaging in skirmishes with the Demon Lord’s army, and their losses must have been substantial.
The current situation could easily reverse.
It would be wise to consider all possibilities.
The best course of action would be to assassinate the Margrave of Hamburg and trigger a succession crisis…
Rachel, whom the Margrave had designated as his heir, was currently missing.
Or rather, imprisoned in the Demon Lord’s dungeon, but the humans didn’t know that.
To those vying for power, the absence of an heir and the sudden death of the Margrave would be an irresistible opportunity.
We could simply wait for the Hamburg family to tear itself apart and then swoop in to claim the spoils.
It seemed like a viable strategy.
The question is, how do I assassinate the Margrave…
He had been too heavily guarded during the last battle, but with careful planning, it might be possible.
I pulled out the letter I always carried with me.
The letter Rachel von Hamburg had written in the dungeon.
While I was annoyed by the hidden message, I had already achieved my true objective.
I didn't need the letter itself; I needed her handwriting.
*“To my dearest father,
(Omitted)
Your loving daughter, Rachel von Hamburg.”*
I had a copy of the letter in my hand, identical to the original, except for the hidden message.
Depending on how I used it, it could be a powerful weapon, capable of turning the tide of the war.
I didn’t know what Dorothea would decide.
But if the time came when this letter was needed, I would use it without hesitation.
I covered the sleeping Dorothea, her stomach exposed, with a blanket and gently kissed her forehead.
I used to think she was just an arrogant brat, but now, seeing her sleeping so peacefully, she looked almost cute. The power of sex was truly frightening.
“Sleep well.”
I muttered, turning off the lights and leaving the room.
***
“…”
Dorothea’s eyes fluttered open in the darkness. She covered her burning face with her hands, her body writhing in embarrassment.