ALL NOVEL Chapter 49 The messengers
49 The messengers
Henry hurried back to his castle, his mind drifting to memories of Earth, where a single grenade had the potential to cause death within a radius of 10 meters and serious injuries to anyone within 20 meters. It was a simple but effective area effect weapon that now could be replicated with the seeds.
Of course, in this magical world it would be much harder to achieve the same level of damage since peoples' bodies were strengthened by Mana. Nonetheless, it would still be useful to have a weapon that could at least cause injuries to enemies, providing enough breath for him to retreat or launch a devastating attack.
"I may not possess a huge number of them, but it should suffice to employ them in certain battlefronts. It will make the battles much easier." – Henry thought as he absentmindedly guided his horse towards the capital.
The roads reaching to the capital had all been paved with small stones, making the path much easier to travel. It didn't take long for Henry to see the city's walls rising on the horizon, like a huge mountain range.
There, the king spotted two soldiers faithfully guarding the new installed iron gates, which had cost a pretty penny, nearly a fifth of the Royal Treasury. It was extremely expensive to bring the required amount of cold iron from all over from the west of the kingdom and pay the blacksmiths of the capital to work on it for over a month.
However, it was a well spent money. In a world where some individuals could tear down boulders with their bare hands, the city's defenses needed to be strong enough to withstand even the most powerful attacks. Therefore, Henry spared no expenses in constructing his first line of defense.
It was designed to withstand the full force of Luther's sword without breaking down, which required tons of cold iron. Furthermore, to ensure the safety of his throne and people, Henry had also asked Luna to reinforce it with multiple spells, with the promise of providing her enough seeds until she concluded her project.
Henry neared the gates under the guards' worshipping and feverous gazes, who saluted him with crisp and precise movements. They didn't even dare to breath.
"Keep up the good work!" – Henry praised with a nod as he entered the city on his Snowfire Horse.
Unconsciously, the guards tightened their fists and flashed a victorious smile. They had been noticed by their king. Right now, they just wanted to get home and share this news with their families over some hot stew.
As he made his way into the city, Henry had to slow down his horse. He didn't want to accidentally trample someone in the bustling streets. The energy of the construction workers was palpable as they bustled about, shouting while carrying heavy materials from one place to another.
Henry's ambitious project to revamp the entire capital was well underway, and it was all hands on deck. Everywhere he looked, new houses were sprouting up like mushrooms after the rain, and roads and avenues were being paved away like roots growing through the earth.
The merchants under the banner of Sun God Company were also filling the streets with their shouts and goods, selling wood and clothes to the working force. It was rewarding to see that every single sale meant a revenue coming into his pockets.
The most peaceful place in all capital would be the surroundings of his castle. All because Henry had decided to postpone its reconstruction, preferring to use his resources to expand his army and rebuild the city. He had no interest in flaunting his power and believed that investing in his military and people was the best course of action.
Unfortunately, the peaceful sightseeing that Henry was enjoying ended abruptly when a loud shout caught everyone's attention. Thousands of eyes turned to him, including some masons who even stopped their work to salute him from a distance, their gazes filled with admiration and respect.
"My King!!!! Where were you? They are here!" – Luke's desperate voice sounded – "The messengers!"
Looking around, Henry finally spotted Luke's small figure in the distance. He was coming out of the castle and running towards him with small, rapid steps. Even though it was only a distance of twenty meters, Luke was already out of breath by the time he reached Henry.
"T-T-T" – Luke stuttered.
"Calm down! Breath!" – Henry said and waited for Luke to recover his breath. – "Now tell me…who is here?"
"The messengers!"