The wind whipped his skin frozen. Even through the heavy woolen cloak and clothes under it he felt it freeze him. So high up, even on a decent day and the sun out, it was still cold.

It just proved how monsterous the city walls were from so high up. He could only imagine how it looked from afar. It would be awe-inspiring to stare at the hundred yards of nothing but cold stone as thick as four entire wagons.

The sheer improbability of scaling them was beyond his imagination, at least it was now. He would need to think deeply about how he would challenge something so imposing. Especially if he was planning to conquer the nearby archipelago.

For all he knew at the moment, their walls could be as high as what the colony had. Maybe even higher and more impossible to conquer. Not to mention the hundreds of ways they could defend such walls and with the addition of mages and overpowered knights to the equation, it boggled his mind how the orcs planned to attack one.

Starve it out looked like the only possibility, but that was an easy fix...err was it? Hydroponics? Maybe large, multilayered greenhouses, the city was simple enormous they had more than enough space they could repurpose. They had far too large of a slums and even areas unused by a number of people. Just wasted as ‘extra noble property’ requisitioned for ‘future business opportunities’.

He’d have to sit on it and let it incubate. His honor guards should have a few good ideas of their own.

It all kind of made him feel better about how bad the soldiers of PennyHarbor actually were. With even semi-decent defenders, this city would be a nightmare for attackers, but they were so obviously outclassed by the orcish hordes.

And even then, nobody had thought up of a way to farm within the city borders, so they had hundreds of tiny villages that were surrounded by acres of crops.

Which the orcs could leisurely take their time and either burn completely or simply take them for their own use.

He couldn’t help but sigh.

“Tell me again how you haven’t been overrun by now? Just seems unlikely you guys can still exist without ever taking the offensive. Especially with how your farming system is set.” Joans said as he stared at over ten thousand men in ten big formations standing ready for his commands.

At the moment, they stood in front of the city of PennyHarbor right outside the southeastern gate towards inland. For the past hour they had not moved a single inch, afraid of punishment or consequences after rumors about Jonas had spread like wild fire.

That was something he flew into a rage after. If his own throne room was not safe from the gossip mill, then how could he trust any single noble between them. For all he knew, they could—mistakenly or even deliberately—give the enemy vital knowledge. Then again with how incompetent these men were, it should have already reached the opposite party.

Still, that didn’t give them the right to spread such vindictive rumors. Or at least to him they were.

The hot blooded king ready to dish out the most severe punishments for the most minor mistakes. All in the name of ‘professionalism’. Lacking of mercy after disregarding the empire’s colony for so long. Where had he been the years prior? Why come now? They had nothing to give after how much the royal tax collectors drained out of them.

All Jonas could do was ignore them and hope they had a change of heart. He wanted to be known as the merciful and wise ruler, not the unnecessarily iron handed. Thought that had its merits too. He’d have to decide later on which was better for him.

“Err...we do, your majesty-” Mefendous grunted in pain before he could finish.

Jonas raised an eyebrow. They were at it again. So many antics and attempts to one up the other, it was beyond exhausting. What were they hoping for? His favor? That was long gone the day he had arrived. It did not look good when he tried to show off his army to Raneria only to be laughed at. His noble dignity had been wounded.

...that was also with how incompetent they were. Yep. They were hand in hand.

Keba had elbowed his partner. “W-we don’t! The kingdom’s colony attempts to refrain from all direct confrontations at all costs, your majesty! Right?” He elbowed Mefendous again.

“Y-yea.” Mefendous elbowed him back.

Jonas rubbed the bridge of his nose. This was going to be difficult, but for the existence of his new home, they had to have some sort of offensive against the orcish incursions. Otherwise, they were sitting prey. Their crops could be burned and villages destroyed without the enemy ever facing the same situation.

Jonas pointed at the men arrayed in front of him. The first of many to come. “About-face!”

The orders were slowly carried through the upper reaches of the walls. It reminded him of a chain to experiment how word of mouth changes so quickly into things unrecognizable to the first words said. With all his hope he wished that never happened as he gave his orders.

For a good five minutes, the commotion after his orders continued. Only when he was ready to explode into another rage did the drums begin to beat in an odd rhythmic sound. They would pause after the set wait for three seconds then repeat it right after. They did that for another five minutes of time.

Ten entire minutes just to get his orders out. He couldn’t even rely on them in any serious situation. What if they had minutes only to defend against a flanking enemy charge to their most vulnerable side—the left? Was he supposed to hope that the commanders closes to the situation were actually competent enough to do something about it.

No way in hell!

Not after the last incident of incompetence proved how inadequate these barbarians are.

Then it took almost half an hour or so to get the soldiers to actually change direction. His frown was so great, he found himself in a veritable island of isolation by himself. Everyone was about ten feet away from him in a perfect circle.

The two generals each chose a side to hang out. Mefendous to the right and Keda to the left. They both were surrounded by their own followers and bootlickers working extra hard to make their shoes extra shiny. Got to keep appearances and all that mumbo jumbo. It would never be right to be left alone and not someone working overtime licking.

Jonas glared at the surrounding soldiers. “Mefendous! Kedo!”

They hesitantly walked over wondering what he would say next. They even paused to look at each other before they reached behind him. Each giving their platitudes and honorifics of him hoping it would lead to some form of return.

But he ignored them and continued to studiously observe the slowly turning formation. Thank all heavens they looked somewhat coordinated if extremely slow. It did well to sooth his anger.

He pointed at the soldiers below. “Look.” He said, waiting for each man to get closer to the battlements and peer over at was arrayed below them. “What do you see?”

Kedo took the initiative to speak first. Jonas knew he was trying to up his opponent with the first good response—to earn the first merit. “Soldiers of the empire, your majesty. Your most loyal and staunch supporters! They will die for you if you commanded it. I would die for you.”

He ended it with what was supposed to be a sincere look, but Jonas had seen it far more than he liked in the corporate world. They were filled with with fake smiles and insincere sincere looks to fool and get ahead.

Jonas shut his eyes and fists balled up. America didn’t exist! There was no corporate world, no experience of fake smiles! Nothing!

It was all a nightmare.

Too Kedo, all he saw was a wrath stricken ruler doing his best not to throw him off the battlements. He had said the wrong thing, his attempt to get ahead had failed spectacularly. Jonas had the bulging vein on his forehead too.

Mefendous smirked instead. He felt ecstasy at his opponents misery.

Jonas let out a deep sigh. “And you Mefendous? What do you see?”

“Inadequacy!” He began, only when he saw Jonas not shaking in anger but rather surprised at his answer for a moment did he continue. “Soldiers, even as well trained as they are, must always seek perfection! For anything otherwise is inadequacy! As your majesty has instilled in us from the moment you have arrived, excellence and perfection at virtues we can never forget. They are a way of life we should strive towards-”