Chapter 136: An Order For Conquest

Nobody lingered. Everyone started to assess the damage to Ironstone Fortress.

Given that it was one of the major outposts that supplied Eternia with precious ores, it was vital that it remained in operational condition.

Fortunately, the damage caused by the battles was limited mostly to the fortified gates and the structures clustered at the outer regions.

The processing factories had been largely untouched.

Without a doubt, the biggest struggle was dealing with the dead.

Many Sandromia soldiers had died, some reduced to hollow husks with only their skeletons remaining, while others cluttered the ground before the fortress.

In order to prevent disease, they were burned. The only ones spared from that fate were the dead scholars whose bodies were still intact, like William.

They were to be sent back to the main city, where their families would hold an official burial for them.

After Professor Albert sent the report requesting reinforcements, scholars from the Intermediate and Advanced grades joined them.

While the Elite grade had claimed the outpost as theirs, they had gone around the region to ensure that the mines were free of enemies.

Once all the first-year scholars had gathered in one place, the mission was deemed a success. When the news reached Eternia, they didn’t hesitate to send a massive convoy of several thousand soldiers.

Despite being older, the soldiers were much weaker than the average scholar attending the academy. They lacked basic education on how magic operated, and few of them had ever ventured into a dungeon, so most of them were low level.

At first glance, their numbers seemed excessive. In fact, Ironstone Fortress hadn’t been built to house so many people at once.

However, that was intentional. Now that Eternia was at war, they wanted to send a message to Sandromia that trying to take the outpost by force would be so costly that it wouldn’t make any logical sense to do so.

The arrival of the reinforcements was great news for Leonard, given his need to visit an experienced Healer. Considering his accomplishments in the last battle, he was deemed a priority and the first one to be granted a visit.

He was now inside the medical office, where an old man with a wrinkled smile was examining the spot where his arm had been severed.

“Fret not. A missing arm is a somewhat common occurrence.” The Healer reassured him. “By using your healthy arm as a reference, I should be able to fix it right up.”

“Is that so…” Leonard heaved a sigh of relief, having one arm missing limited him for quite a while.

The procedure was quite complex, even for him, who had started to delve into runes.

The Healer chanted with staggering speed. Whether it was multiple spells working together or simply one incredibly complex spell, Leonard wasn’t able to tell.

First, a faint, glowing outline of his bones emerged, then veins slowly formed around them before muscles and skin covered them all. While the regeneration of his limb was surprisingly painless, Leonard realized that a vast amount of his mana had been depleted.

Eventually, his whole arm was back. Leonard clenched his palm into a fist, ensuring that a stable connection between it and his brain had been established.

“It’s perfect. It’s like I never lost my arm to begin with.”

The Healer grinned.

“Of course, of course. I am a professional, after all.”

He thanked him for the treatment and headed toward the fort, which had been transformed into a gathering hub. Leonard, along with the rest of the scholars, was being called.

Inside the gathering hall stood Albert at the front. Beside him were Hartman and Cassandra, the two professors who had been in charge of the other two grades, had now been reunited as one unit.

Leonard was especially glad to see Cassandra again, eager to learn as many runes as possible.

“Thank you for coming.” Albert’s voice echoed across the hall, silencing all chatter.

Using his wand, he pointed toward a large map that had been displayed for all to see.

“We have successfully recaptured Ironstone Fortress. The second, third, and fourth-year students have also succeeded in their operations. As such, we can conclude that a large portion of the territory Sandromia had stolen from us is now back under our rightful rule.”

He paused briefly, letting the words settle.

“However, that doesn’t mean the war is over. Quite the opposite, in fact. From now on, we can expect much greater challenges ahead. I will let Hartman brief you on the details.”

Hartman stepped forward, his expression devoid of emotion. Out of everyone present, he possessed the most military experience.

“I will be frank with you.” He declared in a somber tone.

“Sandromia attacked us first. Not out of greed, but out of necessity. They need resources not to thrive, but to live. That means they aren’t an enemy that can be reasoned with. Giving up would be the same as letting a large portion of their population perish. Therefore, until we deal them a serious blow, they will not halt their conquest.”

Using a pen, Hartman circled a large stronghold positioned inside Sandromia’s territory.

“That leaves us with no choice. We have to push deep into their territory and take over the bases they have built up next to the border. The Greatfall Stronghold in particular is of great importance. Our enemy uses it to launch the majority of attacks toward our territory. Conquering it would limit their capabilities and make it more difficult for them to challenge our territory.”

The scholars began to murmur among themselves.

Most of them had agreed on contributing to the war effort because they sought to protect what was theirs. However, it was now expected that they not only defend but also attack into enemy territory?

Even if they weren’t the aggressors, was this truly the moral thing to do?

“I see that you are all hesitant, and it’s understandable… But sometimes, the best defense is offense.”

Hartman’s eyes hardened.

“Remember, they are the ones who challenged us first! Backing up now would not only be an insult for those we have already lost, but it would send the wrong message to our neighbors. They would start to view us as pushovers! That leaves us no choice. We have to make them regret going against us!”

Hartman yelled at the top of his lungs, sending chills down the spines of the scholars.

“We are ordered to bring victory! King Owen wills it so!”