Sunlight bathed the dining hall in Count Wayland's castle in gold.
Count Wayland twirled a slender crystal goblet between his fingers. Before him, bent in a deep bow, stood the very officials who had returned from Dornheim.
"So, a 'free territory'?" the count finally broke the silence.
"My lord... they are not just ordinary people," the chief steward began, stammering. "They... they have created something impossible. Erected walls in a matter of weeks. Instead of magic, they use something incomprehensible. With a single blow, they turned solid rock into dust! We saw it with our own eyes! Perhaps we should gather all our forces? If we strike with the full might of our region..."
Count Wayland laughed aloud, leaning back against the back of his carved chair.
"All our forces? Under my command are two hundred thousand swords, ready to burn this world to the ground. And you suggest I raise an entire army just to crush some backwater village?"
"But, my lord, their weapons..."
"Enough," the count's face instantly turned cold. "Your cowardice tires me. We will not send noble knights to fight plebeians. But so be it—five hundred infantrymen and a couple hundred mercenaries will be more than enough. They are not even worth me personally witnessing their demise. Go. Prepare the orders to advance. Within a month, their leader must be brought to me in a cage. Or his head. I don't care."
The officials backed away toward the exit, not daring to object. The count refilled his goblet with wine, looking out at the sun-drenched gardens.
At that very same time in Dornheim, the sun looked like a dull spot through a veil of dust.
I couldn't remember the last time I slept. Time had turned into an endless stream of numbers, blueprints, and chemical equations. My mind resembled an overloaded engine that had long been running without oil, on pure friction.
I stood by the new cannon battery, checking the elevation angle of the carriage. My hands moved mechanically. My eyes scanned every bolt, every rivet. I felt neither hunger nor thirst. Only a burning need to make it in time.
"Iron, you... look terrible," Noah's voice came from behind me.
I didn't turn around. My gaze was locked onto Lumon, who was projecting a blast wave distribution diagram before my eyes.
"We still haven't finished the calculations for the eastern sector's minefields," my voice sounded flat.
"To hell with the calculations," Noah stepped closer, his face grave. "You haven't eaten in two days. You haven't even sat down."
"Lumon is monitoring my vitals," I cut him off. "Go train, Noah. Your speed is the only thing that will save us when they burst through the breach."
"What Lumon? You're losing your mind."
Spirit materialized in the air above us. Her usually cheerful little face was contorted with anxiety. She circled slowly around me, and I could see her small palms glowing with a soft green light.
"Tin Man, you're dying," she said softly. "Your soul... it's becoming so thin that I can see the void right through it."
"Enough with the poetry," I reached for the toolbox, but my fingers suddenly refused to cooperate. My palm convulsively clenched and unclenched.
"We had an agreement, Iron. If you won't stop yourself, we will stop you."
"Try it."
I expected Noah to attack. But the spirit simply flew straight to my face, and her eyes grew deep for a moment.
"The slumber of a lazy summer afternoon," she whispered.
The sweet scent of pine needles and sun-warmed grass hit my nose. My entire world tilted instantly.
Lumon! I screamed internally, feeling my consciousness begin to slip away. Block the magical influence! Now!
Silence.
Lumon, that's an order!
[Order received. Analyzing the advisability of execution...]
What analysis?! Block it!
[Denied. Intervention by subject 'Spirit' is classified as critically necessary maintenance of the host platform.]
"What?.." I tried to take a step, but my legs turned to lead. "You..."
I opened my eyes and instantly sat up in bed. My head wasn't spinning. On the contrary, my thoughts were perfectly clear, and my vision was sharp. I was in my room in the village elder's house. Dusk reigned outside the window.
"Lumon, explain yourself. Right now. Why did you ignore a direct order?"
[I have analyzed the situation. Your nervous system was unstable. Had I activated stimulants at your request, an irreversible decay of neural connections would have occurred.]
"I am the host! It's up to me to decide when to take risks!"
I exhaled, feeling my anger slowly give way to the realization of my own foolishness. My body felt extraordinarily light. The pain in my joints had subsided, and my hands no longer trembled.
I went outside. The air was fresh and cool. Noah and Spirit were sitting by the campfire in front of the house. They were quietly arguing about something, but at my appearance, both instantly fell silent.
"Oh, you're awake," Spirit flew closer, peering into my eyes. "Look, Noah! His pupils are back! He looks like a human again."
"You crossed the line," I said, looking at her. "Never use your magic on me without warning again."
"Or what?" She crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. "You'd better say 'thank you' and go eat. Noah caught some kind of mountain goat; the meat is quite edible."
Noah stood up, brushing off his pants.
"She's right, Iron. We couldn't just watch. You needed to recover."
"Fine," I sat by the fire. "What was done while I was out?"
"Everything according to your blueprints," Noah handed me a piece of roasted meat. "Garrat oversaw the installation of the barricades, and I finished casting the last of the cannonballs."
I nodded slowly, tasting the food. The flavor of the meat was incredible.
"Good."
At that moment, the thundering of hooves echoed from the main gates. One of our scouts flew into the village on a lathered horse. He nearly fell from the saddle, gasping for breath.
"They're here!" he shouted, rousing the entire village. "I saw them from the southern slope!"
I stood up instantly. Lumon immediately brought up the tactical interface.
"How many?"
"About a thousand, my lord. Infantry, mercenaries, heavy supply wagons... They are marching in a tight formation. The sky on the horizon is black with their banners. In a day, they will be at the edge of the forest."
I looked at Noah and Spirit. Readiness was written in their eyes.
I activated the Skill.
"Lumon, switch to 'Siege' mode."
[Acknowledged.]
"Dornheim! To arms!" My cry rang out across the village.
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