Very Wrong Reincarnation: Isekai with Game Nation

Chapter 21

A few days ago

In urgent steps, Tyum looked at the situation in the old Medan fortress, or what was left of it. The eroding walls had been left untouched and unmaintained, slowly chipping away to make room for the expanding settlements of the city. For the last few decades, peace had engulfed the region. With the ever-expanding empire, their location was far from the frontline or any war hotspots.

The male population of the city, about ten thousand, had been drafted for war. The rest, too old or too young to fight, were forced to march in an exodus along with the women. Meanwhile, those women who were unable or unwilling to leave stayed behind to support the defenders by doing laundry and cooking.

Beyond the sea of settlements and civilization lay the anarchy of war machinations: long, deep trenches, an odd mixture of cannons, siege engines, and carts scattered around the city. Towering wooden walls, pikes, and obstacles could be seen too, not to mention the soldiers walking around like ants from a distance. It was a frenzied situation. Then, something fell from the sky.

Due to stress and anxiety, Tyum couldn't see clearly. The sky was filled with clouds, and it started to rain lightly. The rain, which would persist for half an hour, drenched the soldiers and people outside, lightly filling the defensive trenches with water, making the terrain muddy and difficult. It felt like a bad omen for the defenders.

"Sire Tyum," greeted Yudric, the general of the defending army and the second son of the Palus Earldom, with his escorts. "The situation was worsening even before the war began," he said, unamused by the increasing difficulties caused by the light rain.

"It's becoming difficult for our soldiers to walk."

"The same goes for the undead army of Vokaltia. I wonder how those undead will manage. Will they crawl because it's muddy?" Yudric mused, trying to lighten the grim war forecast. They had not anticipated rain on the day they discovered that Vokaltia's army was slowly creeping towards them, expected to collide with them today.

Then, a light knock. Someone entered the room. An unfamiliar face, an unfamiliar group of people, in unfamiliar clothes. They were different from the vassal uniform of Tyum or the ornate clothing of Yudric. The newcomers wore plain black fatigues, giving a sense of plain yet elegant attire without any excessive decorations.

"I'm Rile Notterdam, representative of Cignus, and these are my escorts," he introduced himself. Then, followed by Kashim's representative, military attaché Geran, he said, "It's been a while, Sire Tyum. We're here to observe the situation."

Their manner was so brazen, so insulting, to have foreigners see their armies, let alone witness how they fought wars. But none of the Valur side reacted. Their faces remained calm, leaving those thoughts unspoken, buried deep inside.

"Monsieur Geran, truly, it's been a while. And we're grateful for your presence. And I'd like to ask, what's the gentlemen from Cignus doing?" Tyum asked, watching the Cignus representatives setting up an unknown, portable piece of equipment. Though silent, he was obviously vigilant, and Yudric showed a certain degree of interest in what the Cignus were doing.

"We're setting up a communication device, Sire. It's intended for long-range communication," Rile replied.

"Hoh," Tyum said, but deep inside he was shaken. Only a few countries in this world could create machines capable of long-distance communication, and yet Cignus, an unknown entity, was parading them right before their eyes. He felt an awkward silence, unable to reply properly.

"So, that's a Mana Comm like Callusia?" he asked, referring to an empire that had fallen years ago. The reason for its destruction was unknown, but its surrounding neighbors and the entire continent it had controlled were subjugated and incorporated into a new, unknown empire simply called the Holy Empire. In stark contrast to their name, their actions in Callusia were straight-out genocide. No one knew how many remained in their territory, and many speculated they had been completely eradicated. Could it be? Was Cignus the same as the Holy Empire? A powerful country appearing out of nowhere? No, that's impossible, Yudric thought, shrugging off the idea.