The war was fierce. Mounted charges, arrows fired from city walls—within moments, castles fell. The great fief nobles had long since been relocated by the Eagle Royal Family; those left behind were minor nobles unwilling to abandon their fiefs, utterly incapable of mounting any large-scale resistance.
Thus, the Flame Kingdom gained the chance to drive straight in. The knight orders swept through everything in their path. Whenever they passed a castle, they either smashed it open or accepted the nobles' surrender.
Then—
The logistical units responsible for receiving prisoners and serfs began packing everything up, loading all supplies onto carriages and wheelbarrows, and sending them in an unbroken stream toward the coast.
From there, Fire Dragon Merchant Ships and Iron Dragon Warships carried them onward.
Of the seven mermaids, only Duchess Bluposi of the Saltwater Sea remained behind in the waters around Flame Island, driving the Fish Ugly serfs to work. The other six mermaids had all come to assist with transportation. Three-masted ships, one after another, carried holds full of supplies or people back to Mind Island.
On a hill at the front lines, Liszt stood side by side with Emily.
Behind them, two dragons slept soundly—Isen, the Light Green Gem Dragon, and Bard, the Invisible Dragon.
"Your Majesty, this year's Punishment Order is over. There will be no more resources left to plunder along the Eagle Kingdom's coastal heartlands. Where should next year's Punishment Order go to plunder?" Emily asked.
"Following several great rivers upstream, we can still plunder some rich regions, though the journey back and forth will waste some time. Fortunately, the kingdom's shipbuilding industry is flourishing, and we have ample reserves of sailors. We can support the knight orders on such long expeditions." Liszt narrowed his eyes. "But whether there is a need to do