Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World C.131 We will bring destruction to their lands.

Henry was awake, but his eyelids felt as heavy as a cart fully loaded with Cold Iron. Pain pulsed through his body, every attempt to move sending tingles through his nerves. His limbs felt like a mountain, refusing to obey the commands of his mind, as if shackled by invisible chains.

"MOVE!" - Henry shouted in his mind, fighting against the pain and commanding his body to respond.

Summoning every ounce of strength, he forced his eyes open and lifted his head slightly, only to be greeted by a surge of dizziness threatening to drag him back into darkness. Colors blurred and swirled before him, but amidst the haze, he discerned the outline of a slender figure. "You shouldn't exert yourself. Your injuries are quite severe" - a familiar voice, though muffled by his disorientation, reached him. It was difficult to know who the owner really was - "I have given you some healing medicine, even though I know almost nothing about this type of magic. Recovery will take time. You just need to be patient, and you'll regain your strength in a month or two. Fortunately, you will be able to keep training your barbaric warrior techniques."

"Now, rest…" - The figure said as the scent of medicinal herbs invaded Henry's senses. It reminded him of hospitals of his past life and even a large plot of sunflowers in the soft wind.

Suddenly, Henry felt himself losing the fight against the drowsiness, his head and eyelids feeling heavier than ever, forcing him to rest against the soft texture under him.

"Rest" - The voice urged again as Henry began to be swallowed by darkness - "And remember, you owe me more than a few books."

As consciousness slipped away, a vision of Luna, the mage who had saved him, lingered in his fading thoughts - "This mercenary woman…" - Through his drowsy conscious, Henry could see those beautiful emerald green eyes gleaming at him, like an innocent but canny fox. Luke, holding a brown parchment in his hands, glanced back at Henry with eyes filled with concern - "It's hard to say" - he replied softly, afraid that his voice would also spread - "The city has sustained significant damage. Several buildings were destroyed, and many more were damaged in the attack."

-x-

Two weeks passed since Henry's battle with the mage, allowing him to explore the castle beyond his bed for the first time in a while.

Accompanied by a small figure, Henry was climbing the stairs that gave access to one of the towers of the castle, where he could see the whole city. Henry's steps were slow, his legs trembled as his muscles made it difficult to sustain him, but he kept on, pausing sometimes before resuming the climbing.

"Now…What's the extent of the damage?" - Henry's inquiry reverberated through the narrow stairwell, the walls seemed to carry that question up and down.

Luke, holding a brown parchment in his hands, glanced back at Henry with eyes filled with concern - "It's hard to say" - he replied softly, afraid that his voice would also spread - "The city has sustained significant damage. Several buildings were destroyed, and many more were damaged in the attack."

He unrolled the parchment, scanning its contents before continuing - "The defense walls on the western side need to be completely rebuilt. Twenty-six stores were damaged, and the entrance to West Avenue is destroyed. The West Gates of the City Walls were also completely burned by those magic flames."

Henry continued to ascend the steps slowly, listening to every word voiced by Luke, his brows furrowed in concentration. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

"There's nothing to regret. These are all just material things, and we can always rebuild it as many times as necessary. It could have been worse if their troops breached our walls." - Henry's tone seemed relieved.

"And…how many casualties?' - The king asked, his voice slightly quivering, his steps even slowing down.

Luke hesitated, his gaze briefly flickering as he glanced worriedly at the king, his attention drawn to his liege's frail body. Henry halted his ascent and glanced down at Luke, breathing with some difficulty due to the pain spreading through his body - "How many?" - he inquired again, his voice firmer and more demanding this time, seeking answers.

Luke's eyes trailed to the parchment, his fingers trembling and almost dropping it to the ground - "The civilian losses is minimal, my king… The army, however, has suffered over seven hundred casualties. Most died on the walls, from the attack or flames…and…" -He stopped for a brief second, his voice trying to sound as sooth as possible - "And, General Iosif lost both legs while protecting himself and another soldiers."

A sense of guilt briefly appeared in Henry's eyes as he blamed himself for failing to foresee and for underestimating the strength of the enemy's army. Because of him, the General who had followed him since the conquest of the barbarians had been disabled. His decisions had placed him and the other soldiers who trusted their lives under his leadership in harm's way.

Henry took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, attempting to push aside the image of Iosif and the others - "We must do everything in our power to aid the survivors and rebuild what has been destroyed. Provide food, wood, and gold to the families of the fallen" - he declared, trying to veil his emotions.

However, Luke sensed a slight tremor in the king's voice but refrained from voicing any word. Instead, he withdrew a feather pen from the pocket of his robe, swiftly writing down some words on the parchment. When he finished and glanced back at the king, he could only see a young and weary figure, silently ascending the stairs. Luke could only follow behind in silence, not uttering a single word until they reached the balcony of the tower.

Henry's gaze swept over the city spread out before him. The once bustling West Avenue now lay in ruins, its charred stores and ground served as a reminder to him of his lack of strategy and leadership. Smoke still billowed from the smoldering ruins, mingling with the acrid scent of burning debris. "We will rebuild" - Henry vowed, his voice filled with a subtle sense of revenge and a tinge of craziness - "And then... we will bring destruction to their lands. I want their heads...I want their lands...I want their souls. I will make them pay."