Build a Human Empire by Creating Clans - Build a Human Empire by Creating Clans chapter 85

Because there was only one arsenal, Olymus.

However, the Republic’s navy had to stay within effective range of the coastal guns long enough to block the causeway construction while being unable to attack the shore batteries. Not a day or two, but several months.

“But even now, if you admit your sins and surrender, I will accept them. condition is one. Throw away the Tishreddon and get out.”

The win or loss was decided.

The Republic has only two options, whether to surrender today and end the war, or to use up its remaining capabilities while resisting for a few weeks at the most.

It was the same as the offer Lucio gave me before, when he asked me to surrender.

“Also, if there are any humans who wish to remain in the city, I will forgive their sins and accept them as imperial citizens.”

After he finished speaking, the place was silent.

Only the cries of the seabirds roaming the sky could be heard.

However, the Republic side, who soon regained his composure, fired an arrow.

“go away!”

“The Republic does not surrender!”

Calliope stepped forward and struck an arrow at me.

I sneered, raising the corners of my mouth slightly.

“If that is your wish.”

I raised my right hand.

“Keep attacking.”

Kwakwang!

As if waiting, the siege cannon spewed out flames.

The distance between the rampart and the causeway was less than half of the effective range of the siege guns, and the batteries directly commanded by Admiral Horatio, who was the Vice-Chancellor, had a high level of proficiency after months of actual fighting.

“Don’t be offended that the enemy is a target that doesn’t move.”

bang! bang! bang!

On the other hand, Tishreddon’s walls are classic, so they are only high, but they do not respond to cannons at all. It was perfect as a target.

The shells hit the walls without missing a single shot.

“Fight back!”

“You can’t let them come any closer!”

Of course, we weren’t the only ones who benefited from the close distance.

Now, the Republic didn’t even need to launch a ship.

Even if you shoot from the wall, it hits the causeway.

“Only target the workers! Stop the construction!”

“Shoot the ballista!”

Tung!

Calliope, Gehard, and the Royal Guards went around throwing arrows and stones.

It looked like something you would see in a movie, but it was real.

At their level, it was no different than slashing mosquitoes with arrows or stones.

Ting—

Although not all attacks were blocked, a significant number of projectiles fell into the sea without reaching the workers.

Among them were ballista’s large arrows.

“You’re going to knock that off…?

“You monsters!”

Tishreddon’s defenders were alarmed, but they did not give up.

The resistance became desperate as the causeway drew closer to the city, sending fireships, lifting dikes from the seabed, and attempting shore landings. The fighting continued through the night.

But to no avail.

If there’s a fire, just put it out, and if the causeway collapses, just build it again, and the landing didn’t tickle.

“Put up bridges on the remaining streets. There is no need to fill in more.”

With only 4m left, I said goodbye.

The Imperials placed several iron plates between Tishreddon and the causeway. With it, Tisyredon, which was an island, was connected to the mainland. It was only four months and a half since the construction began.

###

Tishreddon was confused.

There must have been confusion from the time the walls were within range of the siege guns, but when the causeway construction came to an end, the confusion grew to the point where it was noticeable even outside the city.

“I wonder how far I will escape if I run away now.”

Horatio yawned, looking at the sea with half-open eyes.

I followed that line of sight and saw a ship leaving the city.

Transport ships have been in and out of the city since a few days ago.

To transport citizens to a nearby island.

“late. If you want to run away, you should have run away.”

Gerhard laughed and snorted.

“Even if you try to run away now, there won’t be a few boats that can carry people. We lost most of our large ships in a war of attrition with us, and the few ships we had were crappy ones that couldn’t get out of the nearby sea. I don’t know why you foolishly forced yourself to hold on.”

“Well, he must have believed that he would go out to the end and help.”

Horatio scratched his head.

That’s true, but Tishredon was also very important.

The Republic of Cesena was like a city-state, so the island had no foundation except for the capital Tishredon. Therefore, the loss of Tishreddon was virtually doomed.

What will happen to the citizens of the Republic if the Republic is destroyed?

“If the Republic perishes, the hosts of the parasitic plants, that is, the hybrids, will go out and take care of themselves. It’s because it’s practically treated as a kinsman. However, citizens who are not hosts are just humans, so would you care?”

“okay. All they have left is to flee to an island where there is no foundation, offer themselves as tribute to the naga, or seek my mercy.”

Horatio scratched his head and looked at the castle walls.

The walls leading to the causeway had collapsed. It was because they had been hitting me since I entered the range of the siege cannon. Can a wall built high be able to withstand an attack that lasted nearly two months?

The collapsed walls formed a hill, and the heads of the defenders could be seen hiding on the hill as cover.

“Shall we rush in?”

I nodded.

“Forward the musketeers.”

At Horatio’s direction, two regiments of musketeers came forward in the leading ranks.

About 3,000 muskets were produced in the arsenal of Olymus during the half-year war. Excluding losses from causeway construction and supply escorts, there were just under 2,000 left.

“Advance!”

From noble mtl dot com

The causeway is 120m wide.

Usually, the ranks of the musketeers were in three rows, but due to the narrow width, they moved slowly in six rows.

“Stop it!”

“Don’t let it fall over!”

“Waaa!”

As the musketeers set foot on the hill, the hidden defenders burst out.

Ride on and on!

However, volleys of fire poured in immediately.

The distance between the defenders and the musketeers was only a few steps.

Thousands of people even rushed at it, so the effect of the volley was enormous.

“Sit down in front row!”

The terrible fact for the enemy was that a salvo was not a salvo. It was the front three rows that fired a salvo, and the rear three rows were only standing.

“After fever! shooting!”

Thus, enemies who survived the first shot were hit by the second volley.

Tadadadadang!

It was invisible to the naked eye how much damage the defenders suffered from the thick smoke caused by the black powder.

But if 2,000 gunmen fired a volley at thousands of people a few steps ahead, wouldn’t the result be obvious?

“charge!”

“Long live the Emperor!”

The musketeers withdrew, and the subordinates and imperial troops rushed into the smoke.

“Ugh, aaagh!”

The defenders, who had been hit twice by volleys at close range, offered no resistance. I had no will, no ability.

“surrender! I surrender!”

“Do not shoot!”

The remaining defenders were only pure humans.

“As expected, they all ran away.”

Horatio frowned.

The hosts of parasitic plants, hybrids or heterogeneous species, who were supposed to lead the defense forces, were not present here. As Horatio said, he ran away.

Since the causeway was not visible from the time it was about to be completed, it must have started escaping the city from then on.

“It won’t be all.”

I saw a fleet passing through the city.

It is embarrassing to even call it a fleet in reality.

As for the types of ships that make up the fleet, there are no combat ships, only small and medium-sized auxiliary ships. It was not a scale that could be transported on a scale of that size, even after several days of coming and going.

From my memory, there must have been thousands of hybrids and heterogeneous races in Tisyreddon.

Clearly, there were people in the city who hadn’t left the city yet.

“Horatio, put the batteries in Tosan up the walls to keep enemy ships from approaching the city.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Gehard, go to the marina. Catch all the people waiting for the boat there.”

“When you say catch, do you mean take captive?”

captive.

I don’t know if it’s human.

What do you do by catching a heterogeneous or hybrid?

I shook my head and replied.

“My empire has no need for heterogeneous people. Kill them without leaving a single one.”

Hybrid Wars (8)

###

flutter

The imperial banner hung from the city’s tallest spire.

Tishredon, the capital of the Cesena Republic, was captured less than half a year after the war began. Since the republic was nothing more than a city-state, the loss of the capital was effectively the end of the republic.

bang! Tadadang!

bang!

“Kyaaah!”

However, fighting continued in the city center.

Gunshots, gunfire and screams continued everywhere.

Because there were many heterogeneous species, parasitic hosts, and hybrids left in the city, there was a battle between the imperial army hunting them and those resisting the imperial army.

There was no surrender.

The different races chose death when they were humiliated by humans, and the empire swung their swords once more to encourage them to surrender.

“Cleaning up is smooth. It will be over before the sun goes down.”

In the midst of the street fighting, I rode towards Tisyreddon’s office with Calliope, Gerhard, and Horatio.

“Even if the different races and hybrids are stronger than humans, those who still remain are of a lower rank. If you don’t want to commit suicide, why stay in a place where defeat is certain?”

Even if I wanted to run away, I couldn’t.

It must have been pushed out of priority because there was no ship to ride.

“They’re just making noise and it doesn’t matter.”

I nodded at Gerhard’s assertion.

“okay. Is there any damage to the facility? I heard there was a fire a while ago.”

“yes. Shortly after we entered the city, some impure elements set fire to the shipyard and carried out sabotage. However, we quell it before it escalates, so there is little damage.”

“Good thing. Facility security must be established unconditionally. You never know what will happen until the city settles down.”

The capture of Tishreddon was not the end.

The Republic suffered damage close to destruction due to the loss of Tishreddon, but from the point of view of the Empire, it was only defeating one enemy at sea.

That’s all I’ve seen before.

The objectives of this war could be said to have been fully achieved only when the Empire fully absorbed Tisyreddon’s industrial facilities and technicians.

“Among the surrendered citizens, separate the engineers. Even if we secure the facility, it is meaningless if there is no manpower to operate it, so we must recruit them.”

Especially shipbuilders.

They needed people who had learned shipbuilding from the Naga.

“Would you like to leave the adoption to the priests of the Catholic Church as before?”

That’s why I called the priest of the Catholic Church.

To the citizens of the Republic, I was an aggressor, an apostate, and even a tyrant who deprived me of the opportunity to be treated as a kinsman in favor of the naga.

If they didn’t reform them and make them imperial people, it was obvious that it would become a problem later.

The role of Catholic Church priests is to reform them into imperial people.

“Even Catholic priests seem to have a hard time dealing with people from the Republic… but what about those who have not been reformed?”

Those who are not edified?

I smiled.

“Didn’t you already show it?”

Gerhard understood the meaning of my words and nodded.

Who built the causeway?

An unreformed citizen of the Republic did.

A citizen who refused to become an imperial citizen.

“If you refuse to become an imperial citizen, you will be called to a place where the empire needs a hand. There is a shortage of workers throughout the empire, so they are seeking help. Restoring coastal cities, building forts on the borders, digging canals, this is more than one.”

Rather, don’t you think it just happened right?

There must be well over 100,000 prisoners in Tishreddon.

Because the people on the boat would only be of different races or hybrids.

Even the different races were pushed out of priority and could not get on the boat, and remained and were captured by the Imperial Army. How could humans escape?

In other words, there was a surplus manpower close to 100,000.

“If you mobilize the imperial people, you have to pay wages, but you don’t have to pay wages to prisoners. It is an existence that can be freely manipulated without cost problems.”

“It’s like a slave.”

Horatio scratched his head beside him.

“There is a fundamental difference between a slave and a slave.”

“What if it’s different?”

“I will give it a chance. He said that if he wanted to become an imperial citizen at any time, he would accept it. If only we let go of the insignificant consciousness of wanting to be of a different race.”

I think this is a generous suggestion.

Wouldn’t you be liberated if you agreed to accept the notion that you should have as an imperial citizen without being bought and sold like slaves, not offered as a tribute, and not used as a test subject?

However, it was difficult to change the way of thinking that had been cherished throughout life.

As you can see from the manpower mobilized on the causeway, there were many people who could not accept it.

“Still, I want to be edified as much as possible. There is a saying that all citizens of the Republic are sailors. If they become imperial citizens, there will be no worries about recruiting crew members.”

“hmm.”

I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten.

“Come to think of it, Horatio, you were the person in charge of the Navy Department.”

“Well… I’m in charge of the Navy without the Navy.”

I smiled bitterly.

“I’m sorry. I can’t help it, that’s all I can say.”

“no. I would have too.”

Horatio smiled shyly.

“How much resources and time would have been spent if a country that could only build fishing boats wanted to build a proper warship.”

“Well, in terms of time, Pasimea takes at least three years.”

“Three years? Aren’t you too short?”

so it’s minimal

The time consumed when the empire’s capabilities were fully poured.

Even that meant that the shipyard would start building the first ship at least three years later. Until then, they said that training shipwrights and drying lumber would not have enough time just for preparation work.

“Yes, it was practically impossible.”

Even if there were blueprints in Pasimea’s head, the ability of the empire was a problem. Since there were not one or two open boards, I couldn’t even pay attention to the navy.

From securing land to use as a base to nurture the navy, to construction and crew.

“When we think of the enemies we will face, even Tishreddon is not enough. But how long will it take to train a navy with a shipwright who has no shipyard and only knows how to make fishing boats?”

“yes. It would be more convenient to take away infrastructure and manpower. Tishredon was the most appropriate target for that. It was just a matter of how to occupy it.”

I was assured of success because I had already done that how-to.

Because it was the second time, the situation was better than that time and it was easier.

“I’m sorry to say that, but I won’t leave this place to you.”

I stopped in front of Tishreddon’s government building.

The government office was a large rectangular building.

In terms of size, it is close to the royal palace.

The Republic was a country with wealth comparable to Germania and Wallochia. The government building was a place where 10 members, including the apprentice who led the republic for life, resided, so it was no different from a royal palace.

“Is it the same concept as a lord or governor?”

“no. The city magistrate will be sent separately. Your role is to make this place, Tishreddon, the center of the Navy Department, and nurture and lead the Navy.”

All Imperial government departments were located in Olymus. The Office of the Navy under the Ministry of Military Affairs was also formally located in Olymouth. In reality, the Office of the Admiralty itself had nothing but its name.

In any case, Olymus’ position was closer to the northern tip of the empire, and Tisyreddon was to the southern tip of the empire.

In an era where there are no telephones, if the Office of the Navy is located in Olymouth, will the command be properly achieved? It should be after there is room to deploy a naval staff, deputy chief, or operational commander.

For now, Horatio had to work hard while holding all the positions.

Just like Gehard, the Minister of Military Affairs, has operational authority and serves as the military commander in the field.

“The Republic is as good as destroyed, but the war at sea is not over. If Vlad’s vampiric empire collapses and the Great Emperor confronts us directly, he will do the same as the Republic did.”

It is a scorched earth tactic called march to the sea.

A simple method of destroying military and civilian facilities close to the coast and hunting all humans, but definitely reducing combat capability.

Its effectiveness has already been proven.

Although the Republic had only been implementing scorched earth tactics for a little over two months, the damage suffered by the Empire was substantial. It was to the extent that evacuation orders had to be issued to the coasts throughout the empire.

I wouldn’t have been able to handle it if it had been a long-term battle.

“When the other person repeats the same thing, what they suffer should not be the same. To do that, we need a navy to protect the seas.”

One of the reasons for the heavy damage caused by the scorched earth tactics was that the coast was poorly defended.

However, the fundamental reason was that the Empire had no navy. Even if the Republic roamed the coasts of the Empire at will, it would not suffer any damage.

There must have been a report that four human hunters were loaded onto an empty merchant ship, not a warship, to rob the village and hunt the villagers.

“Now that we have acquired the facilities and manpower for training the navy, here you prioritize fostering the navy and conquering the remaining islands of the Republic. Whatever you need, I will support you.”

Tishreddon’s port facilities, shipyards, shipwrights, sailors, and everything needed to nurture the navy were gathered. What can I support here?

The future depended on Horatio’s momentum.

“They say impatience causes anger. But we don’t have time. Cultivate the Navy by any means necessary. If there is a clan you want among the clans that will be created later, tell us. I will be assigned to the Navy first.”

“thank you. your majesty.”

After dealing with the remnants of the Republic, you must fight all the enemies threatening the waters of the Empire, from the Naga to the Great Emperor, if you have finished the small country of southern Wallachia.

It’s a harsh target for the Imperial Navy, which is only just gaining ground, but it must be.

“Is there anything else you want to say?”

Horatio thought for a moment, then scratched his eyepatch.

“Can I ask you right now?”

“Let me tell you.”

“Please prioritize the deployment of cannons produced in the arsenal of Olymus to the Navy.”

“hmm.”

“We need to put cannons on top of the ship. Considering the size of the ship and the durability of the wood, it is necessary to raise at least a dozen doors per ship to be able to fire a volley in order to give a valid hit. So you need a cannon. A lot.”

It was a difficult request to grant.

The cannons made so far were bronze cannons. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, and copper was a metal with low reserves.

Copper mines in Germania and Wallochia have good reserves, but not enough to meet the growing demand.

In particular, assuming that demand for cannons surges due to the development of the Navy and all cannons are made of bronze, the current amount of copper mining will not be able to handle it.

I wonder if it occupies all of the gray mountains of the Oroko Great Plain.

“I have been talking with Pasimea about the matter. If the navy is fostered, the demand for cannons will inevitably increase. I thought about ways to increase cannon production accordingly.”

Pasimea replied that the decrease in supply due to the lack of raw materials could be solved by making cannons out of iron, not copper.

This was said to be a cast iron cannon, but the problem was that cast iron was more difficult to manufacture than bronze, and even after it was made, it was more difficult to operate, such as a greater risk of explosion than a bronze cannon due to brittleness.

However, iron has overcome all the disadvantages with one point that it is an abundant resource compared to copper.

Despite the poor performance of the artillery in Germania, the reason for its performance came from the number of cannons.

“I think the difficulties in operation are tolerable if you can somehow equip them with cast-iron cannons… in quantity. Better not to write.”

Horatio handed over a piece of folded paper from his bosom.

When I received it from the saddle and unfolded it, it was a sketch of a ship.

It was sloppy because it had been drawn in a flurry, but I recognized what he was trying to express. Because it was similar to a ship that existed on Earth.

‘The Battleship’

It was a sketch similar to a battleship.

Although the number of guns was small and the layout was different to say they were the same, what he envisioned was the same as that of a battleship.

“The ships of the Republic are divided into coastal galleys and ocean-going sailboats. However, I will introduce a method of unifying the ships into one sailboat and attaching gun barrels to the side as much as possible. Imagine a fleet of these warships advancing in line and pouring out flanking fire.”

The navy of this race is overwhelming.

Each country must have hundreds of warships alone.

Now, even if the Empire raised its navy with all its might, it would be impossible to catch up with or overwhelm the navy of the different races in quantity.

However, there was one blind spot, and the Empire was the only country in the world that actually deployed gunpowder weapons. On the other hand, the heterogeneous people knew about the existence of gunpowder, but had just encountered its practicality.

In other words, it meant that the ships of the different races were made without even knowing the concept of attaching cannons.

“If the Empire starts building battleships with dozens of guns from now on, it will qualitatively outperform in naval power. In fact, the battleships made before have no meaning.”

It was similar to when the British built dreadnought-class battleships on Earth.

Right after the new concept battleship appeared, all the battleships that had been active before became obsolete.

Horatio’s insistence on the existence of battleships will make all battleships of different races obsolete.

Line ships cannot surpass previous battleships in terms of armor and speed like the Dreadnought, but the existence of line ships, which appeared after hundreds of years of improvement after cannons were developed on Earth, appears overnight, so it is a shock to different races. will be no less

Horatio cleared his usual drowsy voice and spoke firmly.