บท 222: C222
Vortigern felt frustrated. If only Londinium hadn't fallen, or if the Dead Apostles hadn't taken over the central region, with almost seventy percent of the land under his control and wielding the holy lance, there would be nothing on this island that could stop him!
Despite his position and status as a god, Vortigern had been weakened, and his power had been stripped away. As a result, he was unable to directly destroy the fortress ramparts that Shirou had worked so hard to build. Even though he still held the conceptual and positional power of a god, it was not enough to overcome the strength of the ramparts.
Even with his inability to destroy the fortress ramparts, Vortigern remained confident in his massive army of magical beasts and the support of the Saxons and Picts. In contrast, his opponent only held one region in the south, the poorest Cornwall. Even if they could resist, Vortigern believed they would not be able to hold out for long.
Unbeknownst to Vortigern, Cornwall and several other territories had already been developed and operated by Shirou. With a strong focus on agriculture and commerce, backed by Gaul and connected to Ireland, they had already begun to expand their reach beyond the region.
If it came down to a battle of national strength and resource management, Shirou was not afraid at all, as he had already laid the foundation for a sustainable and thriving economy.
Shirou was so confident in his abilities that he believed he could bring all the kingdoms on the island to their knees, even if they were to unite against him.
Due to their differing perspectives, both sides only focused on the most obvious and direct military forces and didn't see the economy as a military force. However, it wasn't that they couldn't notice this; rather, they lacked the profound understanding that Shirou possessed. Their cognitive abilities were not as systematic and scientific as his.
It was like the harm caused by an economic crisis. Everyone knew about it, even five-year-olds could talk about it. However, the principles, mechanisms, rules, correlations, inevitability, and contingency factors involved in the emergence of an economic crisis - every aspect and detail - were rarely understood by anyone.
In essence, the most significant difference between Shirou and them was that they could only see the surface, while he had the ability to see through the surface and understand the underlying essence.
Despite having a more profound understanding of economics and vision, Shirou didn't have a sense of superiority over the others. After all, there was a difference of over 1,500 years between his wisdom and theirs.
...
The war had been ongoing for seven consecutive days and nights. Fortunately, Shirou now had enough manpower, and his soldiers had undergone extensive training. Thanks to the conscription system in place, almost all of Cornwall's population of 80,000 could become soldiers instantly, except for the elderly and children.
He divided his more than 10,000 regular troops into five groups and positioned them in succession behind the fortifications and mountains, creating an impenetrable defense. Despite continuous attacks from magical beasts for two weeks, they could not break through.
Although the strategy resulted in many Gae Bolg being damaged, it didn't pose a significant problem. The kingdom's arsenal had been continuously producing them for over two years, and they still had over 80,000 magical spears in reserve.
In reality, it was impossible to produce so many Gae Bolg in just two years. However, as the population increased and the rate of magical energy recovery became faster, the output also increased.
Shirou had an advantage over Vortigern, thanks to Merlin's Clairvoyance, which allowed him to monitor Vortigern's every move. If Vortigern attempted to set up an ambush, Shirou would be able to counter it with ease.
Vortigern tried to set up several ambushes, but Merlin's Clairvoyance always foiled his attempts. As a result, Shirou was never caught off guard during the battle.
Meanwhile, Altrouge had already taken action. As most of her followers were Dead Apostles, they could only move at night. Shirou assigned her the task of cutting off Vortigern's connection to the north and trapping him in Camelot.
Vortigern soon realized what was happening and attempted to establish a path through Altrouge. However, although Vortigern was undoubtedly the strongest in Britain at the moment, his subordinates were not reliable, and he lacked anyone of great use.
He was like a lone tiger, while Shirou, Altrouge, the kings, and the lords were akin to various hyenas, leopards, and wild dogs. No one dared provoke the mighty tiger, knowing that the only outcome would be to be hunted down.
But one day, this tiger took some divine medicine and felt invincible. It started a war against everyone at once. As a result, everyone put aside their differences and agreed to take down the big tiger first.
This vividly portrays Vortigern's current situation.
Vortigern seized control of Camelot and liberated the Tower of Light, but his ambition got the best of him. He aimed to defeat all his enemies at once, and in doing so, he made himself everyone's target.
Realizing he couldn't conquer Cornwall quickly and with Altrouge closing in, Vortigern faced imminent danger once his north-south connection was severed. To buy himself time, he left behind a group of monsters and launched an attack on Altrouge.
Having witnessed this turn of events, Shirou issued an order to Scathach, instructing her to lead the vanguard in an attack on Caerleon from the mountain forest road. This would compel Vortigern to redirect his focus and address Scathach's forces before he could proceed with his plan.
At this point in time, Vortigern was exceedingly powerful, such that even Scathach was unable to match his strength. However, it was not Vortigern alone who was responsible for his overpowering ability. Rather, it was the holy lance in his possession that made him nearly unbeatable.
Although Scathach was an exceptionally skilled martial artist, outclassing Vortigern by a wide margin, the holy lance compensated for any deficiencies in his technique, far surpassing Scathach in terms of raw combat power.
This outcome was to be expected, as the holy lance was none other than Rhongomyniad, an exceptional and legendary weapon. In comparison, the two red spears wielded by Scathach were fashioned merely from the bones of sea monsters, and while Scathach's spear technique had reached the godly realm, this was not enough to overcome the vast power gap between their weapons.
Under normal circumstances, Scathach could hold her own against ordinary divine weapons or magical swords, thanks to her mastery of spear technique. However, when facing the Rhongomyniad, her weapon was no match and almost shattered upon impact, leaving her defenseless.
Even if she resorted to using Primordial Runes or even summoned the Gate of Skye, they would prove useless against the overwhelming power of Rhongomyniad.
This realization left Scathach feeling somewhat frustrated. She had never placed much importance on weapons, instead relying on her mastery of martial arts to vanquish her foes. However, in this moment, she couldn't help but wish she had a superior spear to combat Vortigern's Rhongomyniad.
Perhaps this was simply the balance of the world. Even the Queen of the Dead, who had attained godly status in human form, was not exempt from this reality. Though her martial arts were potent enough to slay gods, she lacked a formidable weapon to complement her abilities. As someone who relished battles against strong opponents, she could do nothing but comply with the king's orders and engage in guerrilla warfare and harassment.
Her tactics were simple: while Vortigern focused on attacking Altrouge, she would harass Caerleon. And when Vortigern turned his attention back to Caerleon, she would quickly retreat.
Vortigern relied heavily on the power of the holy lance to overpower Scathach, but even so, he was unable to prevent her from slipping away. This left him feeling extremely frustrated. If it had been another general facing Scathach in combat, she would have gracefully dispatched them with a swift strike to the head, amidst the chaos of the beasts and left elegantly.
In that moment, the god who had turned his back on humanity finally took notice of the power wielded by humans. However, rather than reflecting on his actions, he grew increasingly enraged. He viewed the actions of these mere mortals as a challenge to the authority of the gods, likening them to nothing more than insignificant ants.
Meksis let out a deep sigh. The king had forsaken humanity, acquiring godly power that should have made him unstoppable. Yet, he had been dethroned by Arthur, losing not only the ultimate power of the gods but also the innate resilience and adaptability of humans, as well as the invaluable virtues of humility and human wisdom.
Feeling helpless, Meksis hesitated before reminding the king, "My king, the Arthur you are facing is not the true Arthur. He is merely an imposter, someone whom you once supported with your own hand."
"What do you mean, Meksis?" The god questioned, his mind focused solely on his newfound disdain for humanity. Despite this, he still felt a hint of warmth for his friend, who had been by his side from the beginning until the end.
As a god, he could not have friends in the way humans did, but Vortigern had managed to form such a bond nonetheless.
"We can leverage this to crush Cornwall!" Meksis suggested eagerly.
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