Chapter 397: Antigone (2)

When departing for Antigone, Eugene had hired a large number of adventurers. This was to receive detailed reports on the clash between the Trokiya Kingdom and the nomadic tribes.

Unlike mercenaries who live by spilling blood whether fighting people or monsters, adventurers primarily handle non-combat tasks like deliveries, searches, and patrols.

It was an occupation easily undervalued in an age that worshipped courage and sacrifice, but the picture changed entirely for those in the upper ranks.

“Your Majesty. I will send the gathered intelligence to Antigone via ship.”

“I’ll leave the remaining balance, minus the deposit, with the city council. You can collect it later. Take care of yourselves.”

“Hahaha! I might be afraid if it were a cavalry battle, but when it comes to escaping, a thousand nomads chasing after me wouldn’t scare me.”

These elite adventurers who owned racehorses were hexagonal all-rounders. They could infiltrate within one kilometer of where a battle erupted and sketch and record the formations and situations before, during, and after the clash.

Their fees were dozens of times higher than ordinary adventurers, but they were worth every coin. Even the best mercenary companies couldn’t investigate as discreetly and thoroughly as these people.

Homi waved farewell to the adventurers departing atop their horses. She seemed terribly curious about how the battle would unfold.

The largest battlefield Homi had ever witnessed was the Battle of the Rhine River. A massive engagement involving the Roman Emperor’s forces and the southern and western aristocratic alliance, mobilizing a staggering one hundred thousand troops.

This battle had become her benchmark for distinguishing major wars.

“They say the cavalry numbers nearly twenty thousand, and the horses multiply that several times over. I can’t even imagine. Just the march alone would shake heaven and earth.”

“If we’re talking body weight alone, this fight is five times heavier. And the legs would be two to three times as many.”

The vibration created by two human legs and the vibration created by four horse legs were on entirely different levels. The numbers might be about half those of the Rhine River battle, but the noise would be several times louder.

“I’ve heard Trokiya has a long history and expertise in fortification and siege defense. Even if Nerva Khan’s warriors are numerous, if they hold out behind the city walls, wouldn’t the nomads eventually retreat?”

Homi considered the eighteen thousand cavalry to be a double-edged sword. It was certainly an impressive force, but on the other hand, that very scale could become a weakness that gnawed at itself.

She remembered how Eugene had been troubled by horse feed problems during his tour of performances in the Britainia civil war. And now they were dealing with a cavalry force incomparably larger than back then.

“The ones coming down now are the opposite of what I was dealing with back then. I tried not to cause even a speck of damage to the civilians, but these guys think differently.”

Currently, Eugene was revered as a sage king in Britainia’s history. But during the civil war, he was treated as a foreign warlord. To quickly establish himself as a great noble, he had to be mindful of local sentiments in various ways.

“If they hide behind the city walls, the nomads won’t bother attempting a siege. Instead, they’ll sweep through the entire territory like a swarm of locusts. The difference is these guys strip even the flesh off people.”

“They… they eat human flesh too?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s a figurative expression. The nomads coming down now are savages beyond what you’re imagining.”

Homi had experienced her fair share of nomads. The Blackhand Tribe she encountered daily went without saying, and there were also the centaur tribes she met occasionally on her journey, and the Nest (Nest)-type nomads operating on the fringes of Roman territory.

But the savagery of the nomads who dominated the Great Steppe was on another level entirely.

“In their society, murder and rape aren’t crimes. The former is considered the fault of someone who dares not submit to the strong, and the latter is seen as the honor of having bore the seed of the strong.”

There was certainly some exaggeration involved, but such words didn’t come from nowhere.

“They’re worse than the Vikings of Midgard.”

“The faster ones are always better at plundering. They each have four to five spare horses per person.”

“The villages that couldn’t hide behind the walls will all burn. Those who can’t escape will die or become slaves.”

“Not a single one left behind. The Spardia market said that with ropes tied behind the spare horses, each warrior can drag along ten prisoners.”

With eighteen thousand charging in, a simple calculation suggested nearly two hundred thousand civilians would be dragged away. Of course, the actual damage would be far greater.

“Babies, children, the elderly, the disabled, pregnant women too troublesome to care for through childbirth, defiant young men, and those to make examples of—all would be slaughtered. The nation would be left empty.”

In the West too, massacres and rapes occurred during wars. After fierce sieges, captured cities often became hells on earth.

But the Warband nomads’ plundering was on a different level even compared to those.

“Since ancient times, humans have developed the plow. Meanwhile, they’ve been researching how to harvest people on horseback.”

“The king of Trokiya will have no choice but to gather his forces and engage in battle, whether he likes it or not.”

“We can only hope they fight well.”

Currently, Eugene had only his direct royal forces without any mobilized Britainian troops.

This alone should be enough to defeat Nerva Khan’s army, but the casualties would exceed all their previous battles combined.

Now was the time to observe how the Warband nomads fought and assess their strength. From the start, he had no desire to spill his subordinates’ blood excessively.

* * *

“As you know, our Antigone was the birthplace of the first democracy and has preserved it through any form of tyranny.”

“I know. Thanks to that, you’re called the mother of all free cities, aren’t you? A crossroads encompassing the Eastern Empire, Samur, and the Apen Peninsula as well.”

When the envoys saw that Eugene knew of Antigone’s proud title, their faces brightened.

Antigone wasn’t famous merely as the source of democracy. It had a perfect geographical position, the largest population, and a political system pruned so that the incompetent could not take power.

Thanks to these foundations, Antigone had produced great philosophers, writers, and engineers like fish spawning, and artists gathered from all over.

When the whole world believed in geocentrism alone, it advocated heliocentrism, held jury trials with citizen participation, and operated a three-tiered system that prevented inefficiency.

“This is boring, boring! Bring Antigone’s theater troupe!”

The previous Caliph, who loved theater, had made an exception of Antigone from his expansion policies. He also made efforts to invite local musicians.

“Offer sacrifices diligently for your ancestors instead of the gods. The city not burning and you surviving wasn’t thanks to divine blessing but to the great deeds of your forebears.”

This was why even when the city was captured several times, they came through unscathed.

Conquerors powerful enough to occupy Antigone were necessarily men of both strength and intellect, and without exception, they became fans of Antigone.

Thanks to these foundations, the city’s citizens had tremendous pride. They were even haughty toward Eugene, who was now visiting.

“Of course, the city council’s decision is to exterminate the ghost ship with His Majesty the King’s help. However, it was not a unanimous opinion.”

“That’s the identity of your system, isn’t it? In the process of conflicting and pushing in different directions, sometimes a better shortcut is discovered.”

The envoys were moved by his sincerely respectful words and bowed their heads. Traditionally, aristocrats and kings had belittled this method of free cities as inefficient and unstable.

“The vote on serving Your Majesty was six to four.”

“Tighter than I expected? That forty percent opposed.”

This was somewhat unexpected. Even accounting for the change in region and his inability to fully leverage his accumulated recognition and reputation…

“They all argue fiercely before a decision but accept the result once it’s made. Now that they’ve agreed to serve Your Majesty, no one will cause trouble. However…”

“You mean among those who were originally opposed, someone might try to cause trouble?”

The envoys waved their hands dismissively.

“Trouble is too strong a word. It’s closer to a bit of fun. Challenges through sports to test strength or skill…”

The southern part of the Three Sisters Peninsula was also a region where sports thrived. They functioned to reduce disputes and foster harmony among the various free cities.

“Don’t worry too much, I won’t be offended. You all worked hard to bring me here in such a close six-to-four situation.”

To smoothly command the ghost ship extermination, it seemed he would need to show something to the city’s people.

* * *

Eugene selected one from the landscape paintings collected during his rest period. It was slightly distant from the destination of Antigone but a good location for venturing out to surrounding cities.

“I’m worried we’ll arrive too early and surprise people.”

“A bolt of lightning struck at this distance, so they must have noticed in the city. We’ve already made preparations, so there’s no problem.”

The Antigone envoys looked around blankly at the drastically changed surroundings.

“The castle moves through the sky! What is this?!”

Even they, who had been skeptical about everything except the Moving Castle to the very end, raised both hands in surrender.

“Living in a castle like this, it’s no wonder ghost ships don’t frighten you at all.”

In truth, the city of Antigone had wanted to entrust the job to a different mercenary company instead of Eugene. So strong was their pride in democracy that they felt reluctant about bringing a king into the city for help.

But even renowned mercenary companies shied away when it came to a ghost ship, a crystallization of superstition.

Eugene and his warriors, who lived in the belly of something even worse than a ghost ship, accepted it with a snort of derision.

“Hmm?!”

“That’s…!”

At a crossroads encountered mid-march, the dark elves stared wide-eyed at the road sign. It was a road leading to a free city in the southwest.

“That’s not where we’re going. We need to head east.”

Despite Eugene’s words, no one could avert their gazes from the southwest. Following that road would lead to the rival city that had competed with Antigone for hegemony in the southern peninsula.

“We’ll pass by later too, so stop staring at it like puppies.”

“We’ll definitely go?!”

“After coming all this way, we should take a look at least once, right? I’m curious too.”

The dark elves’ faces lit up. It was the only city that the Blackhand Tribe, who looked down on settled folk, genuinely respected.

“I’ve always wanted to see the origin of the Agoge.”

“They say they still do the stone-skin training there.”

This was because the Blackhand Tribe’s training system was modeled after this military city’s methods.

The stone-skin training that made Eugene shudder. The cruel practice of whipping boys based on the belief that they would grow tougher the more they were hit originated from that evil custom.

Despite the vast distance, the culture had spread thanks to the Ancient Kingdom. The ancients of the Second Era, who conquered as far as the Three Sisters Peninsula, reported this curious training culture to the West.

Naturally, the Agoge was never officially adopted among Western powers. It was dismissed as an “impressive but insane training method” and became nothing more than a topic of conversation at banquets.

Only the Blackhand Tribe had been truly moved and accepted it as part of their identity.

* * *

“Lightning really strikes in broad daylight?”

As the envoys had said, the citizens of Antigone detected Eugene’s arrival.

“Let’s hire more mercenaries. We need to prepare for the unexpected.”

“Surely he wouldn’t cause trouble while offering to help in the name of the king?”

“I hear the main force of the army he’s bringing consists of nomads. Where will those plunderers’ instincts lead them?”

“Don’t compare them to those beasts of the north! They are fairy warriors. Never speak to them face to face. It would be disastrous.”

The forty percent who had opposed Eugene’s hiring in the council had claimed that much of his track record was mere rumor. Naturally, they had denied the Moving Castle’s magic as well.

But when they saw those unrealistic lightning strikes, reality hit them hard.

“We’ve prepared the reception. The finest bands and circuses, strongmen and wrestlers are on standby. They’ll perfectly cater to our guests’ tastes.”

Meanwhile, the sixty percent who had supported him faithfully reflected Eugene’s reputation as a conquering monarch. They had prepared entertainment that was rough to the point of being considered somewhat uncultured.

“Clear all the carum from the banquet table.”

“Huh? Why remove something that’s both healthy and delicious…”

“I said clear it.”

They had even figured out what Eugene’s subordinates ate and what they found distasteful in Spardia. Originally, these were spies planted by the forty percent opposition in Spardia to find Eugene’s weaknesses.

But now that Eugene had arrived, the opposition joined hands with the supporters. They shared what they knew and worked together to prepare a reception more generous than usual.

* * *

“That’s it. The oldest cradle of civilization! We wholeheartedly welcome Your Majesty’s visit.”

After cresting the final hill, Eugene marveled at Antigone, the jewel of the peninsula, and the magnificent Mediterranean seascape beyond.

“Is that the Goddess of War?”

“We prefer calling her the Goddess of Wisdom.”

At the center of Antigone stood twin hills. On the smaller of the two stood the most enormous stone statue Eugene had ever seen. It was the guardian deity that the citizens of Antigone had worshipped since the city’s founding.

Unusually for a goddess statue, she held a spear and shield and even wore a helmet on her head.

“Two thousand workers and technicians built it over seven years.”

The envoys’ voices were filled with pride.

‘Hmm?’

Through the countless lavish feasts he had consumed, Eugene sensed the divinity of Vanas that had dissolved within his body. This subtle resonance…

‘Is it… jealous?’

If it wasn’t a misconception, it was that kind of feeling.

“Should we build one too?”

“I think having something like that wouldn’t be so bad.”

The warriors who had looked insulted at his words immediately responded in agreement. Each wore a clerical pendant around their neck. They were devout followers of Vanas.

Large-scale construction wasn’t necessarily just a monarch’s luxury.

As the saying goes, you must become corrupt to associate with the corrupt. If many outsiders were overwhelmed by such things, building one for prestige wasn’t a bad idea.

Since Eugene was paying for the labor rather than conscripting it, the surrounding economy would also be revitalized.

But when he was seriously considering it, he immediately received a strong wave of disapproval. The modest Vanas, who didn’t love luxury, wasn’t jealous of the goddess statue’s size.

‘Ah, she wasn’t jealous of the statue’s scale but its design?’

Eugene suppressed a smile that threatened to escape.

He understood Vanas’s feelings, but it was too late to change now. The image had been completely ingrained in over a hundred thousand believers and millions of non-believers alike.

If he had changed the symbol right after seizing it from the slave traders, things would have been different. But at the time, Eugene hadn’t thought that far ahead.

“Is that the Parthenos Temple? I’ve always wanted to see it. It’s as beautiful as its reputation suggests.”

“Even conquerors who entered to plunder changed their ways and offered worship after seeing that white temple.”

The envoys had lectured their guests dozens of times on this tour. That’s how polished their delivery and remarks both were.

On the larger of the twin hills sat a beautiful temple. It was an architectural style unique to the Three Sisters Peninsula, with countless fluted columns lined up.

Eugene and his subordinates had traveled to many regions, but it seemed they had never felt so much the sensation of “sightseeing” as they did now.

“Isn’t that not a horse but a monster?”

“The fuss Spardia made about the return of the Steel King wasn’t exaggerated.”

The city guard, reinforced mercenaries, and citizens all watched Eugene with tense expressions. Meanwhile, friendly nobles and major merchants greeted Eugene.

Most were respectful, but不少 sent wary or challenging glances. Eugene’s subordinates didn’t show reactions like “Impudent curs!”

“Please attack us. Please attack us.”

They were actually hoping for trouble to break out. Not just because they wanted to properly educate the arrogant ones, but because in a foreign land where both friendly and hostile factions coexisted, establishing dominance early was convenient.

“Javelin throw? Or arm wrestling?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. If you arm-wrestle with the Lord, your arm might get ripped off. If the arm-wrestling table gets coated in blood, how would we clean up the mood?”

“We can hear everything, you idiots.”

Only after Cassandra gave them a look did they quiet down. But before long, as the warriors had wished, a challenger appeared.

“You want to challenge me?”

“It’s a small event for the citizens anxious about the ghost ship, Your Majesty.”

The city noble who introduced himself as Tulmar was nearly two meters tall. Eugene, who rarely had to look up at anyone, found himself unusually raising his gaze.

“It’s a long tradition for visitors to our city to bond through sports. The envoys sent by the Ancient Kingdom when they first arrived on the peninsula were no exception. Are you not the one who inherited the Ancient Kingdom’s greatest legacy?”

“Who won back then?”

Tulmar grinned.

“We did. If I may be so bold, I believe today is Your Majesty’s opportunity for their redemption.”

His tone was polite, but his expression burned with exclusionary competitiveness. He seemed to belong to the forty percent opposition.

“Tulmar. His Majesty hasn’t even unpacked yet, and this is…”

“It’s fine. It’s fine. It’s a rare bit of entertainment, isn’t it?”

Eugene reassured the flustered envoys.

‘If His Majesty wins, it won’t be a bad thing.’

The pro-Eugene envoys quickly ran the numbers in their heads. They loved Antigone just as much as the opposition. If Eugene won here, it would be the city’s glory and boost the morale of Antigone’s warriors.

‘Even if His Majesty loses, he doesn’t seem like the type to hold a grudge over it.’

They had figured out Eugene’s disposition from the short time they’d spent together.

“Fine. I accept the challenge.”

“Designate a champion.”

Tulmar clenched his fist.

“I have always been someone’s champion. I have never hired a champion.”

“…Truly honorable.”

Tulmar changed his stance. Even the rebellious citizens, along with him, showed genuine respect to Eugene at this moment.

“So, what’s the event?”

“Anything is fine.”

Naturally, Tulmar wasn’t challenging a guest to a duel. He merely wanted to compete in strength and skill as a sport.

They were currently near a sports arena. Javelin throw, discus, archery, running, wrestling—all kinds of competitions were possible.

“Hyaah!”

“Graaah!”

Eugene fixed his gaze on two men sweating and competing on the sand arena across the way.

“How about wrestling?”

“Gladly!”

Tulmar cheered inwardly. In fact, he was a former farmhand who had won the Olympic wrestling championship an incredible six years in a row, rising to the position of council member.

If it were a weapon fight, that was one thing, but in wrestling, he was confident he would never lose.

“Tulmar and the King of Britainia are going to wrestle?!”

Immediately, a massive number of spectators gathered at the wrestling arena.

The West’s strongest knight versus the peninsula’s greatest strongman.

Champion versus champion.

This captured the hearts of citizens who had suffered economic damage from the ghost ship in an instant.

“No matter how outstanding a knight he is, beating Tulmar won’t be easy.”

“Didn’t he once grab a bull’s horn bare-handed and break it?”

Betting sprung up everywhere, and the populace mostly bet on Tulmar’s victory. His reputation as Antigone’s greatest strongman was that formidable.

“Let the match begin!”

The envoys serving as referee raised a flag.

‘I won’t win easily!’

Tulmar lowered his stance and charged. He intended to show off all the wrestling techniques he had trained his entire life for.

In a free city where power was determined by popular vote, such a performance was a shortcut to advancement. He had already achieved great success, but Tulmar was still hungry.

Three seconds later.

The citizens of Antigone witnessed for the first time a new technique called the Giant Swing.