On the way up, Liseti explained to me in detail why I'm the one who has to make use of this strange orb to talk to all the enemies.
Basically, it can be summed up with "this was all your idea, so take responsibility for your stuff".
For this reason, we're right now heading to the highest platform this portion of our wall has to offer.
Of course, I won't expose myself to the hail of ballista spears, but this doesn't mean we can't deliver a message from up there.
To be precise, we got, right below the top, a room with a small cubicle that has a tiny window from where one can see at least a bit of what is happening on the other side of the wall.
After all, it would be quite problematic not even being able to get a glimpse of what the enemy is doing without a risk of personal harm.
Which is the exact purpose of this place.
Yet it's basically only a hole in the wall.
One where a person can also speak right through.
Before I can approach, Miru jumps before me, right at the window hole, to take a glance through it.
The intention is clear as the pheromones tell me about it.
Namely, to check for any possible threats.
Overprotective as they always are, they probably assume someone might level their weapon just at that thing.
However, apparently, the hole can stand up to Miru's scrutiny.
It may also help that some members of my royal guard are heading on the platform as some form of decoy.
So I get ready to make my presence known to all of the enemy with that tool.
A moment that seems to be anticipated by everyone present.
Which are only Liseti and Aaron, as well as their entourage and the messengers set up to deliver any news from and to our position.
Lord Stormheart is apparently located somewhere in the center, so he can react more flexibly to any occurring changes.
As Liseti supervises almost all processes of our defense that aren't falling under Lord Stormheart's direct duties, she wants to be present at this crucial moment.
Meanwhile, Aaron holds the magitech artifact.
Something I'm incredibly glad about, as I don't even want to imagine losing my grip on it so it shatters on the ground.
That would be a real catastrophe.
Speaking of catastrophes...
Right when I start to wonder about the other princesses' whereabouts, who still make up major factors, Chera arrives as well.
Without delay, she turns to Liseti.
Sigh.
Wording.
I'm not even sure if this wasn't intentional.
Yet now even Chera seems intent on staying here.
This leaves one.
Maybe the most problematic of the whole bunch.
Someone I have no idea how anyone could be fine with leaving her unsupervised.
At this, both of the princesses look at each other and then at me.
In other words, she may head out to engage the enemy if anything goes wrong.
This would mean severe bloodshed between both parties.
As it is, the only thing that may prevent a too-great death toll would be if I can now hold a convincing speech.
Hopefully, I'll be able to.
I incredibly carefully take hold of the orb.
The moment I grasp it, there's this weird hum I experience resonating throughout my whole body.
I turn to Aaron.
"HOW DO I USE THIS?!" (E)
The fuck!?
What just happened there?
Everyone is now holding their ears, as my voice resonated from the walls of the room so loudly that it was certainly not healthy.
Impressive as always, Aaron is one of the first to gather himself and reacts immediately.
"That was about right, but I would suggest you don't speak while holding on to the vocal magnifier." (Aaron)
Then what should I do with-
Ah, forget about it.
Miru is already staying in attendance to hold it for me.
She may not have all her arms anymore, but the remaining ones are certainly up to the task.
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Once I drop it into her capable claws, I can readdress Aaron.
"Why didn't you warn me? I doubt you planned for some of us to go out of here with impaired hearing." (E)
At least I hope so.
"A misconception of mine, which I'm sorry for. The usage of this artifact is rather straightforward. You simply need to hold on to it and speak. You should have felt a certain kind of drain from it during your contact." (A)
Yeah, there's little as intimidating as a princess with all her weapons out and her stinger threateningly hovering above her head, twitching ever so slightly in the direction of her presumed target.
Even my royal guards are holding back in comparison, focusing more on my defense than eradicating this unarmed human.
Also, that sheen on Liseti's blades...
Do I smell terror there?
I seriously hope she isn't going to go through with this.
Yet before I can speak, Aaron beats me to it.
"Magical energy. This is what it takes." (A)
Well, at least Liseti stopped being about to murder him.
Okay, if nothing else, her stinger retracts.
This is at least something, right?
"To be precise, it draws in generic life energy and transforms it into wind-attuned. However, this isn't of any concern at all, as it only requires a shallow amount. More so, it won't drain below a certain threshold which the wearer can provide without any concern to their health. I'm sorry for any inconvenience. I didn't think it would activate like this." (A)
So any person who feeds into it can make use of the effect?
Huh?
But when he touched it before and talked, it was just fine!
"How did it not activate in your hands?" (E)
"Because I'm neither a mage nor particularly trained in magic channeling. This is why we also brought a special potion that contains wind mana, which was supposed to charge the artifact and enable even non-mages to make use of it." (A)
Is he saying that I am?!
"Well, I believe I would know if I'd be a mage." (E)
"Uh, well, although it depends on the kind, in general, monsters possess greater magic at least equal to that of a seasoned mage, if not more. With all due respect, but..." (A)
Right.
I grow a stinger, have weapons in my appendages, and am on a daily basis squeezing out so many eggs it would put any chicken to shame.
I'm definitely not normal anymore.
Though there might be reason for concern if the greater magic I possess is linked to my ability to spawn drones, I surmise that just now it didn't feel like I lost a significant amount of magic in any way.
To be honest, there was very little drain at all.
"As I said, we'd also have a potion with us. You only need to pour it over the surface." (A)
Seems unnecessary to me.
Also, I don't like making things more complicated than they need to be.
"I can just do it like this. Seems simpler this way." (E)
His look now says "Suit yourself".
The orb remains placed in front of me, aligned with the hole, so my voice, or rather its corresponding emittance through the device, will travel unimpeded to the other side.
Meanwhile, I'm thinking very hard about what exactly I'm going to say.
All the time, messengers come and go to and from Liseti, helping her keep track of developments.
How the enemy army is gathering closer, how they prepare material.
They are even bringing prebuilt ferries to cross the river and build impromptu bridges to connect both sides.
There are even visible arrangements to rebuild the old bridge that we destroyed after we took this side of the river.
To me, the reports are too distracting to listen to them all while simultaneously doing my thing.
When once again a messenger reports how the enemy is further advancing on us, Liseti suddenly turns towards me.
Damn.
Let's hope I can pull this off.
I place my hands on the tool, once again feeling the humming vibration that apparently signals the drain from me to it.
Having thought hard about my words before, I start speaking, intent on getting it all out right without stuttering.
As unlikely as it might be, if I can convince even one, that's one life saved.
"Soldiers of Koreso! You shouldn't be here! Leave now or you will all face your demise! Claim this last chance! End this madness! This is the last warning! You have five minutes! After this, no one who remains within the vicinity of the wall will survive." (Erys)
My voice was clear and steady.
As loud as it was here, the way the artifact was aligned, it must have resounded much more loudly outside the wall.
They must have heard it.
If they retreat now there might still be a chance to stop this.
So I wait.
One minute.
Two.
By the third, a messenger informs us that the legionaries started crossing over the water.
After another one, they begin climbing the dirt walls.
The wall might be high, but not steep or even enough to prevent this.
The enemy advance might be correspondingly slow, but in combination with the ladders they brought there's no way they couldn't ultimately climb all the way up.
So the last seconds tick by and the enemy army shows not the slightest sign of intent to leave.
So much for this.
The moment the agreed-upon time has passed, Chera and Liseti both give out a single shout in unison.
A wave of strong pheromones only carrying one single meaning:
The message carries.
Running through the posts of messengers, each of them receiving it and shouting out the same signal, making the order move faster than any living being could deliver it by itself.
I know exactly where it's heading.
It's no longer stoppable.
So it begins.
"WHOM"
The whole wall shakes, while the echoes travel through the air.
"WHOM"
All over on the other side of the wall, cracks form in the ground.
"WHOM"
Fissures open up, widening ever more.
The water of the river drains, while people fall into an uncaring abyss.
"CRACK"
"RUMBLE"
The world goes down.
Everything over there just drops down.
This is the execution of our plan.
The conclusion of the Formicean-Tarsonan strategy to victory.
Operation: Fallen Ascent!