The Green Tide Approaches
The fishermen were the first to notice the anomaly.
As usual, they had their feet sunk into the muddy tidal flats, catching three-legged octopuses and razor clams, when they spotted the distant sea glowing an eerie green.
“...Everyone! Run for it right now!”
Whose mouth spat out the shout first? It didn’t matter.
What mattered was that even as the fishermen scrambled desperately across the mudflats, the sea continued to stain itself deeper and deeper with that sickly emerald hue.
The sky, thick with seagulls, filled with strange, haunting cries as the entire flock wheeled toward land.
The enemy had reached their doorstep.
“How long has it been?”
Baron Vardel Pin of Sinal heard the fisherman’s voice but never lifted his eyes from the table. For hours now he had been glued to the battle plans, absorbing every detail of the outlandish equipment delivered by the armor artisan named Jung from Adel. Even reading them a hundred times barely felt sufficient.
The reporting fisherman, long accustomed to the baron’s intensity, offered no complaint. Everyone knew the only reason Baron Pin hadn’t yet died from overwork was the red Office Worker Stamina Potion he kept slamming back like water.
As a loyal subject of the Emperor, the fisherman actually found the sight rather pleasing. So he delivered his report in good spirits.
“About fifteen minutes, I’d say.”
The fisherman was vigorously chewing on a live mountain octopus.
“I see. So it’s finally here. Fisherman, if it really has been fifteen minutes, the enemy should appear any—”
Baron Pin casually turned his head and froze in pure horror.
“Guards! Monster! It’s a monster!”
“What? Monster? Where?”
Slap.
The fisherman crushed the octopus’s stubborn suckers against his philtrum with a decisive bite.
Only then did he register what the baron had actually said.
“Puhaha, this is just a mountain octopus, Baron. You nobles really are pitiful—completely ignorant of the joys of eating things raw.”
“Damn it, don’t you dare stroll into a strategy meeting chewing on food at a moment like this!”
The baron let out a long sigh.
The tension had eased slightly, but the sight of the fisherman clutching his belly and cackling was irritating.
Instead, Baron Pin turned to the knight standing rigidly at attention beside him.
“Vice-Commander Jor. Am I the strange one here?”
“Not at all, my lord. Allow me to state clearly: what is strange is a man covered head to toe in mud, carrying a back-basket full of oysters, clams, and live octopus, who then proceeds to eat them raw during an operational briefing.”
When Baron Pin glanced around, every knight in the room nodded in agreement.
Most of the knights had already gathered in front of Pin’s table, drawn by the running fisherman.
The fisherman immediately protested.
“You people are too much. This basket was a gift from the fishermen I rescued. I saved every last one of them in the area. There are no more fishermen left. Do whatever you want now. But I’m not sharing any of this with you!”
“...Well done. The water has turned green and the seagulls are fleeing the sea, so the enemy will arrive soon. At last, we will show His Imperial Majesty and His Royal Majesty the fruits of our preparations.”
Baron Pin clenched his fist tightly.
When he had first volunteered to take the post of Baron of Sinal, many nobles had whispered that he was insane. They had been right.
Pin was mad with a desire for revenge.
Even defending against mere Waves was difficult for the Kingdom of Adel. How could they possibly stand against the armies of Demon King Izkaya?
The nobles had all shrunk back in fear, ashamed even to speak the name. Thinking it was easier to die comfortably in Adel, none of them had dared come to Sinal.
But the young Baron Pin was different.
He had seen His Imperial Majesty’s galaxy.
When the Emperor, with that dazzling constellation of stars wrapped around his waist, had radiated that brilliant light, Pin had become certain that His Majesty would undoubtedly win this war.
To stand at the side of Emperor Kim Hwang-je, one had to prove loyalty in moments of mortal danger. He would accomplish what those other pathetic nobles couldn’t even dream of and earn the Emperor’s favor.
To do that, he needed achievements.
And the only battlefield where he could realistically seize victory was Sinal Port.
Because no one else wanted to come, the path had opened for him instead.
And now that he had arrived at this port, he could see that possibility with his own eyes.
The absurdly massive barrier rising between the colonnade and the castle walls created a space as wide as a sports field. Towers packed so densely with rebar that one wondered how they could even be built were being filled with staggering quantities of concrete. Crane towers far taller than those structures soared everywhere.
The strategy of defense had always been simple.
Money. And then even more money.
The kind of ridiculous sums required to purchase crane towers, install them, bury them in concrete, and call it a defensive wall. That was the ultimate preparation for defense.
On top of that, every kind of bizarre object imaginable had been delivered in droves. Pin had spent days and nights without sleep just memorizing their names.
But every sleepless night had been for this very moment.
Baron Pin rose from his seat.
“When I said I would come here, the foolish nobles of Adel laughed at both you and me.”
“......”
“But even if we die, as long as we can demonstrate our loyalty, that is enough. Isn’t that how you all feel? It’s time to land a blow on those damned monsters!”
“Yes, sir!”
“This is the hour of vengeance!”
“Freedom for Sinal! Glory for His Majesty and Adel!”
Pin nodded.
There was no time for a long speech.
As baron, he picked up the visor lying beside him and placed it over his head.
Combat Control Terminal Connection Complete
Knights: 318. Soldiers: 3,870
All personnel normal. Command transmission possible.
“Everyone, put on your visors. Through this ‘divine instrument’ bestowed by His Majesty, I will command you all.”
“Yes, sir!”
The knights stood and pressed the visors to their faces.
Immediately, commands poured into their ears like a waterfall, as clear as if Baron Pin were speaking directly beside them.
“Good. All forces, enter combat stance.”
Inside his visor, Pin watched the large map of Sinal where the icons representing [318 Knights] and [3,870 Soldiers] shifted from gray to green.
They had all checked in as ‘combat ready.’
Truly astonishing. It’s overhauling every principle of military science from the ground up.
Pin had realized long ago just how incredible this equipment was. The visor inside the power armor provided radar, ally positions, fields of vision, and all other battlefield data. Its emergency medical functions, along with its magical and physical defense capabilities, were outstanding.
Thanks to it, most of a commander’s misunderstandings and errors could be eliminated.
It was cutting-edge powered infantry tactical equipment even on Earth—what more needed to be said?
And as I feel every time I wear it, this armor is amplifying the strength of my entire body.
His impression was correct. The equipment had the ability to strengthen the wearer’s magic power, muscle strength, and mental fortitude.
Was it due to technological prowess?
Not at all.
At first, Jeong Han-taek had given up on calling it a “power suit” and had named it “armor suit” instead. The experimental results showed it could not be used to “enhance” people who were already strong.
Absurdly, the magic-infused muscles of Adel’s native inhabitants proved stronger than the artificial muscles and hydraulic cylinders installed for Earth humans.
Shocked, Jeong Han-taek had thrown himself into developing muscle structures as powerful as monsters. But that would take a long time to complete and could not be used in this war.
The secret lay in Bestow.
“As expected, His Majesty is magnificent! He has bestowed magic armor upon every one of us!”
“Long live His Majesty!”
“These are items received through His Majesty’s grace. Even if we die, protect the armor with your lives.”
At those absurd words, every knight nodded with deadly seriousness.
What Kim Hwang-je Bestowed became stronger.
The power armor manufacturing company in Adel Castle produced the suits, delivered the stock from Earth to Kim Hwang-je, and he Bestowed them back to Adel Castle.
Thanks to that process, these suits could now withstand a direct hit from a tank cannon and had become treasures of the Emperor that amplified the wearer’s strength and magic power.
After confirming everyone had equipped their items, Pin issued orders.
“Contact the barbed wire managers and have them activate the power.”
“Bring all lighthouse keepers into the castle.”
“Azif. Have your knights deploy the naval mines and drench the tidal flats with oil.”
“The Moray Eel Battalion is to move to the mountain and prepare for firing. Open fire once the enemy has advanced sufficiently. After that, command is left to your discretion.”
“Nitkah. You are responsible for guarding the First Gate.”
“Mages, report this to Adel. We require the assistance of the ‘bombers.’”
“Where is Count Bahu?”
After Pin had fired off commands at blinding speed, Count Bahu’s voice answered from beyond the door.
“I am right outside...”
A spine-chilling voice accompanied a golden mask visible beyond the conference room.
Most of the subordinates had already rushed out after receiving orders, leaving only Bahu and the fisherman in the room.
Pin looked at Bahu and gave a fierce grin.
A terrifying face became a source of hope when it was on their side.
“Count Bahu. We all know your betrayal was caused by Izkaya. His benevolent Majesty has chosen to employ you, so I would not dare criticize that decision. However, I hope this battle becomes an opportunity to... revise our assessment of you.”
In other words, if he did not fight properly, he would never shake off the label of traitor.
“Khh khh... Spare me the flattery. I no longer have any shame left to speak of. All that remains to me is... a debt I must repay for the rest of my life. I only hope this battlefield becomes the place where that debt is settled...”
“A debt, you say... I hear the Third Legion Commander Felix is made entirely of diamonds. I hope you loot him thoroughly to repay what you owe.”
“...That is what I hope for as well... May I return to my ships now?”
“Wait just a little longer. From what I’ve confirmed, the installation does not appear to be finished yet.”
“I heard you attached something ridiculous... Khh khh...”
“While you wait, put on the armor beside you.”
Bahu let out a low groan as he looked at the massive helmet that would cover his mask. If he put that on, the terrifying mask would be replaced by the face of a chibi doll with an oversized head.
Still, equipment was better than none, so Bahu put on the helmet without much hesitation.
By the time Bahu had finished equipping himself and the entire port of Sinal was frantically spinning in preparation for war, a massive fleet finally appeared beyond the horizon.
“Incredible...”
Thanks to the powered infantry tactical equipment, Baron Pin could view the enormous fleet through his visor as clearly as if it were right in front of him.
Kim Hwang-je was watching the exact same sight.
“...Just how many of them are there?”
The hunter beside him quickly scanned the enemy forces with sharp eyes.
“Assuming roughly a hundred men per ship, the number of visible vessels already exceeds four hundred...”
Kim Hwang-je multiplied four hundred by one hundred and stuck his tongue out in disbelief.
“Forty thousand? There are really forty thousand of them?”
The Third Legion of Izkaya, blackening the sea with their numbers, totaled a staggering forty thousand.
And the green waves of their curse surged forward, rolling toward the shores of Sinal.
If the Third Legion alone numbered forty thousand, just how large was Izkaya’s total army?
Kim Hwang-je felt his head spinning.
“Genius, you’re not going to tell me I can’t go in, are you?”
Your Majesty... If you can endure Felix’s weapon... it should be possible...
“That thing is being made right now, but...”
Kim Hwang-je sighed as he looked at the colossal armor being constructed in one corner of Adel Castle.
There was no way it would be finished before the war ended.
For now, the only answer was the Emperor’s Iron Fist.
“Sinal, please hold strong...!”
Kim Hwang-je clenched both fists tightly and popped open the lids of the potions beside him, pouring them into an ice bucket until it was full.
The war had begun.
It was a battle of 4,200 against 40,000.