Reincarnation into the Barrier Master

A huge dome had appeared on the snow-covered plain of Agartha. It is so similar to the exterior that it is difficult to recognize at first glance. Inside the dome, 5,000 elite soldiers of the Agartha army were conducting secret exercises.

The soldiers were divided into two groups, with Knogen and Matkal in command of the two groups, respectively, as they engaged in mock battles. Watching from a hilltop were Linos and Lafayence, and May and Sidi and a few dwarves.

It is rare for May and Siddee to show up at a battle drill like this. In fact, it was the first time for them to do so. May, in particular, seemed to be surprised to see the training unfold as it would in a real battle, and she stood back behind Linos, looking over his shoulder in horror. Rinos smiled at her and gently called out to her.

"Stay there, can you see it?　It's a weapon that May made. Take a good look at it, will you?"

May nodded her head in a timid manner. Linos smiles and turns his attention to the training again. This time, the troops led by Matkal are attacking the forces led by Knogen.

"I surrender!　I surrender!"

Knogen's voice rings out. His voice was the signal for the two units to slowly separate once again and close the distance between them.

"...... They beat us one-sidedly, didn't they? My hat's off to you."

With a smiling face, Knogen opens his mouth in front of Linos and the others. The old general, who was watching them, does not try to hide his surprise and opens his mouth to Knogen and Matkal, who are standing in front of them.

"I'm honestly surprised that Knogen can't do anything ....... No, Knogen, you're just getting old, aren't you?"

Knogen smiles bitterly at these words.

"I do not deny it. I will be 50 years old soon.

"What do you mean!　Fifty is the prime of manhood!　I still have to be strong!"

"You may say so, General, but I must tell you that Matkal-sama's leadership ability, as well as the power of this weapon, is tremendous."

"You are a big fool!　It is the role of the commander to manage such a situation."

"Well, well, well, General."

I look at Matkal, holding Lafayence's hand in control.

"Mat, that was brilliant. Seeing it in person was the first time I understood what you meant. I see. This will certainly allow us to fight more efficiently. On the other hand, Mato, is there anything you noticed?　Let me know if you have any requests."

She looks up quickly, is silent for a moment, and then slowly opens her mouth.

"If possible, the weapon should be a little smaller. If possible, a sword at the waist would be about right.

The dwarves are taking notes as he speaks. Glancing at them, Matkal continues to speak.

"Also, it might be a good idea to reduce the weight of the armor. Especially for infantry, it is a matter of how fast they can move. The armor they are wearing now is too heavy. It is a great drain on their physical strength. This is not a problem since it is a one-time battle, but if they have to fight many times and over a long period of time, it will be a very heavy burden."

As I listen to his words, Sidi looks up to the heavens with his index finger under his chin. This is a pose of guessing something, but in the middle of it, one of the dwarves speaks up.

"They say that the armor can be lighter than this, but the lighter it is, the less strength it has. They can make lighter armor, but it will not protect them from bows and arrows, nor from magic. Naturally, it cannot protect against sword and spear attacks. The armor we have now is just barely strong enough."

The dwarves nodded in unison.

"I don't think we need it, do we?

Suddenly Sidhi opens his mouth. Unable to grasp the meaning of her words, we wait silently for her next words.

"If you value mobility, you are better off without armor. Even if they are half-equipped with armor, they will still be hit in the vital points by bow and arrow attacks, and the commander should be able to assess the battle situation to avoid such attacks. As for the magic attack, we can make use of Rinos-sama's warding stone."

"No, I don't think that's a good idea. ......"

"Considering the burden on the soldiers, that might be a good idea."

Lafayence was about to open his mouth when Matkal interrupted him. The old general looked surprised for a moment, but then smiled and nodded slowly.

"Well, Mat, I appreciate your efforts, but please think once about how the infantrymen should operate without armor. May, Sidi, and everyone else, if you have any good ideas, please keep them coming. Today's exercise was a great success. Thank you, Knogen and Mato, for your hard work!

At the sound of my voice, everyone bowed their heads.

Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Tana, a military drill similar to the one in Agartha was being conducted on the snowy plains.

Thousands of soldiers were gathered in one place in the middle of the plain, surrounded by an army. The king, Ville, sat on his luxurious throne and watched from the top of a mountain, accompanied by a large number of his men.

Soon, the surrounding soldiers began to charge toward the group in the middle. All of them were charging with their spears held straight. However, the unit in the center used their shields to create a huge wall in an instant. At that moment, a sound like metal bursting through the air.

The attackers, though equipped with true spears, were not able to break the defender's posture at all. This was repeated several times, but the defenders were undaunted, and only the sound of clashing iron echoed through the air.

Just after the attackers retreated to their original positions, the troops stationed on the hill moved in to attack. These units were mainly wizards, including mages, from whom fire, water, wind, and lightning attacks were made. But the garrison was also gathered shoulder-to-shoulder. It was as if they were playing a game of "bunny", but then their shields were suddenly set up and they looked like a single giant rock. Then, magic of all kinds of attributes rained down on it. The rock, however, was undaunted and continued to withstand the rain-like magical attacks.

Several coordinated attacks between the ground troops and the wizards followed, but the garrison did not collapse, and the two-hour battle drill came to a halt.

After a while, three men appeared in front of Ville, kneeling on one knee and bowing reverently. He looks at each of them with satisfaction.

"It seems that you have had a hard time attacking us," he said.

The king's words, to which no one responded. Still smiling, he turned his attention to the robed man and continued.

"Geranius, what do you think?"

The man slowly raises his head when his name is called. A smile appeared on his face.

"Well done, sir. The equipment of the soldiers and the leadership of Jonik are excellent, but I must take my hat off to your Majesty for thinking of this tactic.

"How about you, Honsch?"

"Ha, Sir Geranius is right, our infantry and cavalry were no match for them. I think you are very good."

The king nodded broadly at these words. Then he slowly turns his attention to the man who continues to bow his head.

"Jonique, you have done well.

The man slowly looks up and bows his head again.

"You have great skill, Klimiana. I am amazed that she has been able to draw so much power out of the almost useless Zwankuld from Agartha. I did not expect them to be able to defend so well against the full power of the mages led by Geranius. A shield that can withstand both material and magical attacks will not allow any attack to pass through it. Jonik, you are to further study the use of this shield. Next time you must try the attack of the archers as well. ...... be sure to be careful. And now I hereby order you to distribute these magnificent shields to all your soldiers. Prepare them at once!

At the king's words, all who stood by bowed their heads.

"Jonik!"

"Ha."

"How much damage did the soldiers suffer in the attack just now?"

"Ha, about ......"

"No, let me guess. ...... about 300 in the northern sector, of which 100 died. What do you think?"

"You ...... guessed right, sir."

"Only on the north side, there was a wide gap between the shields. Make sure that there are no gaps between the shields and that the height of the shields is even. Next time ...... I will go inside and take a look!　These are the troops that protect the God of War, and there can be not a single mistake in their workmanship!"

Jonik bowed his head slowly, a look of surprise on his face at the king's words.

The king's laughter echoed across the snowfields of the Kingdom of Tana. .......