As Panamera had predicted, we encountered little resistance on the way to Centena. It wasn’t so much that the enemy was trying to stop reinforcements, but rather that a few stray black bombs, casually dropped by wyverns, happened to land nearby.
Explosions flared two or three times off in the distance, the shock rattling up through the ground beneath our boots. Everyone already knew how dangerous those black bombs were, but hearing the blasts echo and feeling the tremors firsthand was enough to make even veterans blanch.
I could see some of Panamera’s knights marching with pale faces. The fact that none of them panicked was, honestly, impressive.
With those thoughts, we finally reached the fortress.
The walls groaned with every blast, trembling as chunks of rubble rained down. One look was enough to tell me Centena was on the verge of collapse.
“…Honestly, who wants to go inside a building in this state? If the rubble comes down, I’ll die. And I’m still young.”
Muttering my complaint under my breath, I noticed Arte nodding gravely.
“At a time like this, my twin silver knights, Aventador… if only they were here…”
Her voice was quiet, but her tone was brimming with confidence. Even Panamera blinked at her conviction. I couldn’t help but grin at the contrast before glancing up toward the gatehouse. Surely there was no one left to man the walls on the Scuderia side.
“…Excuse us~.”
I gave a token greeting as I reached for the small side door built into the main gate. To me, it was nothing more than raw material. Time for Van the Builder to make a proper door out of it. With that thought, I invoked my craft.
“Alright, it’s open.”
In barely ten seconds, I’d reshaped the door into a simple, unlocked double door. Pushing against it with both hands, it swung wide without effort.
“Let’s head in.”
When I turned back, Panamera was giving me a distinctly suspicious look.
“…Boy. Tell me you haven’t dabbled in… unsavory crimes.”
“I have not!”
She’d clearly gotten the wrong idea. Flustered, I waved my hands in protest. Even so, she kept eyeing me with half-lidded suspicion—at least until another bomb blast shook the fortress, prompting her to sigh and turn to her knights.
“Less than honorable methods, but the way is open. Infantry, shields up and forward! If the fortress is on the brink, enemy troops may already be inside. Keep that in mind as you advance.”
“Yes, my lady! Cavalry, dismount! Infantry, forward!”
The orders were repeated instantly by her captain, echoing through the ranks.
“‘Less than honorable’? Come on, I wasn’t doing anything bad!”
“The fact that it can be used that way is the problem. Were you a bit older, I daresay you’d even use it for a midnight tryst.”
“I would not!”
I yelped at her outrageous accusation. Honestly, that was harassment.
We trailed Panamera’s knights into the fortress. Cracks spiderwebbed across the walls, sections of roof had collapsed, and the deeper we went, the more the place resembled a ruin.
“…Hardly anyone left inside.”
“What if they’re all on the rooftop, shooting arrows and casting spells…?”
“Don’t be absurd. Any commander with sense would coordinate defenses from somewhere safe.”
We exchanged those quick remarks as we advanced, finally spilling into the central courtyard. The sight made everyone gasp.
Scorched earth marred the ground in patches. A great tower had toppled, lying in shattered ruin. Bodies—charred and broken—were scattered among the wreckage. Behind me, Arte and Till both inhaled sharply. Kamshin and Lou stepped forward instead, blades drawn, shielding me.
“Lord Van, stay alert.”
Kamshin's voice was steady as his eyes swept over the rubble’s shadows. I gave a strained smile and dipped my head.
“Thanks. But… I’m pretty sure these people died to cannons or bombs, not ambushers. Either way, we should move on quickly. If I had to guess, the garrison’s all gathered along the Shelvia-facing walls.”
That drew a sharp look from Kamshin, then a curt nod.
“You’re right. We mustn’t linger here. Let’s move, my lord.”
He shifted to watching the skies as well. His earnest devotion was almost embarrassing—though, secretly, it felt good to be cared for like this.
“Ordinarily, you wouldn’t place too many on the roof against aerial attacks. But they’ll need eyes on the enemy. My guess is second or third floor—shall we check?”
Panamera agreed immediately, relaying orders to her knights.
We pressed on at a brisk pace, up the stairs and deeper in. Still no one. The emptiness was unsettling.
“…Don’t tell me, we’ve arrived just as they abandoned Centena?”
I muttered half-jokingly, only to earn a dark scowl from Panamera.
“Even Marquis Fertio wouldn’t disgrace himself like that… Unless—are you suggesting he might?”
“A-ah, no, just a joke! It just crossed my mind because this place feels too empty, haha…”
My laugh came out hollow as we climbed to the third and top floor. Finally, voices. A long corridor hugged the wall, noise spilling faintly from its far end.
The space was divided into smaller rooms, each walled off for strength instead of a single hall. That might make the structure sturdier, but for heavily armored knights defending en masse, it was hardly practical.
Perhaps they’d assumed arrows and magic would be enough against Shelvia.
As I mused, one of Panamera’s knights pushed open a door.
“W-who goes there!?”
A man’s voice barked from inside.
“This is the Order of Viscount Panamera Carrera Cayenne! We came at speed when we heard Centena was under siege! The permanent garrison here, if memory serves, is commanded by Targa of Brescia. Is that correct!?”
“Reinforcements! Our thanks! Yes, Sir Targa commands us—but Marquis Jarlpa now leads the defense in full!”
Quick words traded, we entered. The room wasn’t large, so only Panamera, her captain, myself, Arte, Kamshin, Lou, and Till stepped inside—well, plus Arte’s two puppets standing guard beside her, which made seven and two.
“O-oh… that tall knight, who—?”
The garrison knights gawked at Arte’s puppets as Panamera swept forward without pause. About ten knights had been huddled within, and they parted at once for her, lining the walls as she strode to the far side.
She leaned near a palm-sized window slit, peering outside.
“…So. They’ve gone on the offensive. They must be desperate indeed.”
At her words, I hurried to see for myself. Unfortunately, the window was just a bit too high. Standing on tiptoe got me nowhere.
“Here, my lord.”
Kamshin, quick as ever, slid a chair behind me. I climbed up, finally catching a glimpse outside—
“…Whoa.”
The sight beyond the walls stole the words right out of my mouth.
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