Raising the Northern Grand Duchy as a Max-Level All-Master

Chapter 108.1

That House Is in Danger... (2)

The time had come for Renslet’s traditional expedition to the extreme north.

Called by many names—preventive war, pruning, the best defense being offense—this expedition was a time-honored tradition.

The High Tower’s War Office had begun recruiting the expedition forces as early as the previous year.

Elite soldiers, who had been hunting beasts and monsters across Renslet, responded to the call.

For these soldiers, their daily life was already a battlefield, so aligning formations during drills felt more like rest than training.

But war demanded more than exceptional willpower and training.

Victory required supplies, advanced weaponry funded by abundant resources, and hearty meals to sustain the troops.

This year’s extreme northern expedition was on a completely different scale than anything Renslet had ever prepared.

The High Tower was wealthier, wealthier, and wealthier than ever before.

When that wealth met the knowledge of me, Arad, a summoned hero from another world, it became a cheat code, resulting in unprecedented logistical preparation.

“From daggers to armor! The entire army is outfitted with Northern Cold Steel! This... this isn’t a dream, is it?”

“Mary, I think this is the happiest I’ve ever seen you.”

“Is... is that so? Hmph!”

“It’s understandable, of course. It’s not just any material—it’s Northern Cold Steel.”

Before I arrived in this land, Northern Cold Steel was one of the defining symbols of the North, alongside reinforced concrete.

Forged by melting, freezing, and alloying steel infused with the North’s unique cold mana and magic stones through ancient techniques, and then hammering it over an extended period, the result was a steel imbued with a faint blue energy.

That was Northern Cold Steel.

A source of pride for the North, it rivaled or even surpassed Imperial Steel.

But that pride came with a cost—production was notoriously inefficient.

It took a master craftsman nearly two months to craft a single suit of armor from Northern Cold Steel.

As such, only knights could afford to be fully equipped with it.

Soldiers had to settle for one or two primary weapons made from the material, and only the most elite veterans among them might have a breastplate of Northern Cold Steel.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

But not anymore.

Chick! Chick! Chick! Chick!

Steam engines churned tirelessly.

Factory chimneys belched industrial smog.

Inside, Northern Cold Steel was being produced as abundantly as flowing water.

The North, rich in iron ore, magic stones, and other minerals, was like a Middle Eastern oil field of resources.

All I needed was physical energy to process those resources.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Feigning ignorance of the original timeline, I played along, feigning interest in Mary’s remarks.

“It seems the fervent ancestors of Renslet are watching over us.”

“It truly feels that way.”

Mary’s eyes grew even more resolute at my words.

I found myself staring at her for a moment before hurriedly looking away.

‘Ahem!’

By now, my feelings for Mary had become clear.

However, my determination was still wavering between Earth and this other world, leaving my heart in turmoil.

“Work. Just focus on work.”

The best way to distract myself from this wandering and inner turmoil was to pour all my energy into work.

That was the best I could do for now.

“Anyway, now I can finally visit my territory with peace of mind.”

The chaos in the Empire had eased my worries about the South.

During my last business trip, I confirmed that the mines, steel mills, and military factories in Cardia were running smoothly.

All that remained was to safely dispatch the extreme northern expedition force.

Then I could visit Jin County with the excitement of going on a proper journey.

“By any chance... aren’t you going to accompany the expedition?”

Mary suddenly asked out of the blue.

“I’m not particularly fond of adventure to that extent.”

“I see...”

Her response, tinged with unusual disappointment, made me click my tongue inwardly.

“She must want to wield the Cry of the Snowfield. Sisters are sisters, after all.”

But I couldn’t afford to dwell on her wistful expression.

If I did, my heart might start racing again like it had earlier.

“Urgent news! Urgent news!”

It was then that Teo, the chief of staff, came rushing in.

“An emergency report just came in through the magic communication orb!”

“What happened?”

“The Wall! The Wall is in danger!”

“Of course, the Mongar Orcs...”

“No, no! Not that wall—our Extreme Northern Great Wall!”

“?!”