Chapter 103: Fortress of Humanity

"The royal capital is not your average capital. Because of the positioning of the royal capital on the edges of human territory, a string of fortresses exists around the kingdom to prevent encroachment from the other races."

"However, even if all else fails, the royal capital of Bark remains the ultimate defense of free humanity in perpetuity."

Kang’s voice carried calmly across the deck of the battleship as the enormous vessel continued soaring through the clouds.

Everyone present instinctively turned their eyes toward the distant horizon. At first, all they could see was an endless wall of mountains.

Then, the closer they flew, the more they realized those were not ordinary mountains.

They were colossal.

Each peak towered into the heavens like pillars supporting the sky itself, their snowy summits hidden behind dense layers of clouds. The mountains stretched as far as the eye could see, creating a seemingly endless natural barrier that surrounded the heart of humanity.

Bark itself had always been known as a mountainous kingdom.

Yet the terrain surrounding the royal capital surpassed even the descriptions found in history books.

From the western side of the capital, the mountain range extended uninterrupted until it finally met the Endless Sea. Sheer cliffs hundreds of meters high plunged directly into violent waters, making any attempt at a naval invasion impossible. Even dragons would struggle to navigate the powerful winds produced where the sea crashed endlessly against the towering rock face.

To the east, the mountain range continued just as relentlessly.

Its final destination was the Great Fall.

Unlike ordinary cliffs, the Great Fall was less of a geographical feature and more of a scar left upon the world itself. The earth simply... ended.

An unimaginably deep abyss stretched beyond the horizon, swallowing light and sound alike. Countless explorers had attempted to descend into it throughout history.

None had ever returned.

Some claimed monsters inhabited the darkness.

Others believed it connected directly to the Underworld.

Whatever the truth was, no sane commander had ever considered launching an army through it.

These two natural defenses alone transformed Bark into an unconquerable fortress.

There were only two practical routes into the capital.

Both had long since ceased to resemble roads.

Instead, they had become death traps.

Massive military fortresses had been erected at every strategic pass through the mountains. Each fortress overlooked the next, ensuring that no invading force could advance without exposing its flanks. Hidden artillery positions rested within the cliffs themselves, while gigantic ballistae enchanted with anti-dragon magic lined the mountain ridges.

Should one fortress fall...

The next would already be waiting.

Even if an enemy somehow conquered every defensive position surrounding the capital...

They would still have to face the capital itself.

It was for this reason that the royal capital of Bark possessed another title.

The Fortress of Humanity.

Not because its walls were thick.

Not because its army was the strongest.

But because every single inch of land leading toward it had been transformed into a battlefield designed to bleed invading armies dry before they ever reached the gates.

Ethan silently watched the distant mountains.

Even after everything he had experienced since arriving in this world, he couldn’t help feeling small.

Back on Earth, humanity had built skyscrapers that scraped the heavens.

Yet compared to those mountains...

Even they seemed insignificant.

"To enter," Kang continued, "you either need a residency token backed by one of the Great Noble Families, or direct permission from His Majesty."

His tone remained casual.

The reality behind those words, however, was anything but, The royal capital was not merely the political center of humanity.

It was its first true defense.

Should every frontier collapse...

Should the kingdom fall...

The royal capital was expected to remain standing.

As a result, entry into the city was among the most heavily regulated processes on the continent.

Every resident possessed a magically engraved identity token.

Visitors required temporary authorization.

Even nobles were subject to inspection.

Kang reached into his coat before pulling out several silver-colored permission tokens.

"These are mine."

Each carried the insignia of the Punishment Hall.

Every member of that organization received specialized authorization allowing them unrestricted movement for official duties.

Unfortunately...

They were completely useless.

"These permissions are personalized."

He flipped one over.

The back immediately revealed a magically engraved name alongside a unique mana signature.

"If someone else uses one... the city’s defensive formations will recognize the mismatch immediately."

"And then?" Ethan asked.

Kang smiled bitterly.

"They’ll assume someone murdered the original owner and stole their credentials."

Silence.

"Which is considered high treason."

No one spoke after hearing that.

The capital truly trusted no one.

Not even those already authorized to enter.

"As for Lady Arian..."

Kang’s gaze unconsciously shifted toward the woman standing quietly near the railing.

She hadn’t spoken much throughout the journey.

The cold mountain wind gently stirred her crimson hair as she continued staring toward the distant capital.

Her expression betrayed nothing.

"She no longer possesses residency rights."

No one looked surprised.

Everyone already knew.

After her falling out with the Dracontis Family years ago, nearly every privilege connected to her bloodline had been stripped away.

Access to the family estate.

Political protection.

Financial support.

And eventually...

Permission to enter the royal capital itself.

Few punishments carried greater humiliation for a member of the Great Noble Families.

To be denied entry into the very city your ancestors had helped build...

Was the same as being erased from history.

Even Ethan found himself glancing toward her.

Yet she remained completely indifferent.

Or perhaps...

She had simply grown used to it.

"I’ve already sent word to one of our superiors," Kang said after breaking the silence.

"He’s currently trying to obtain permission directly from His Majesty."

Several members of the crew exchanged strange looks.

Requesting the king’s authorization personally...

That was excessive.

Normally, obtaining temporary access was simple.

One merely contacted a Great Noble Family.

A recommendation.

A signature.

A royal seal.

The matter would be resolved within minutes.

Yet this situation wasn’t normal.

Everyone in the capital knew exactly how troublesome the Dracontis Family could be.

More specifically...

Everyone knew Liana Dracontis.

Even among the Great Families, her reputation was infamous.

She was brilliant.

Influential.

Uncompromising.

And terrifyingly vindictive.

Offending her was one thing.

Helping someone she despised...

Was another matter entirely.

Few noble houses wished to risk becoming targets of her displeasure over something as insignificant as granting temporary entry to a disgraced daughter.

One favor today...

Could become ten years of political headaches tomorrow.

No family considered that exchange worthwhile.

Thus, the request had bypassed every noble house entirely.

Straight to the Crown.

Even Kang found the situation absurd.

Hours continued passing as the battleships maintained full speed.

Gradually...

The mountains gave way.

Something far greater appeared beyond them.

Ethan’s pupils contracted.

An enormous wall stretched across the horizon.

It didn’t merely surround the city.

It divided the world.

The wall was so unimaginably tall that its upper sections disappeared into the clouds. Countless watchtowers protruded from its surface while thousands of enchanted cannons rested between them, each one larger than entire buildings back in Windgrave.

Above the walls floated magical observation platforms.

Patrols of flying knights constantly circled overhead atop wyverns, griffins, giant falcons, and creatures Ethan couldn’t even identify.

Powerful defensive formations shimmered faintly across the sky like transparent curtains.

Everywhere he looked...

Weapons.

Soldiers.

Magic.

Preparation.

Windgrave had impressed him before.

Compared to this...

Windgrave resembled little more than a rural settlement.

The difference was akin to comparing an ant to a python.

No...

Even that comparison failed to capture the overwhelming disparity.

From inside the command cabin, Kang’s voice suddenly echoed throughout the ship.

"We’ve received a single-ship access permit."

The bridge fell silent.

One ship.

Not three.

Only one.

Kang lowered the communication crystal before slowly turning around.

His eyes swept across everyone gathered onboard.

Eventually...

They stopped on Arian.

She still stood near the edge of the deck.

Looking toward the city she had once called home.

For just a brief second, guilt flashed across Kang’s face.

"We’ll get them back..."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

So quiet...

That even those standing beside him failed to hear it.

Only the wind carried those words away as the battleship slowly approached the impossible walls of humanity’s greatest fortress.