Chapter 51: International Law

The gates of Warmir—opened under the cover of night.

“Looks like our forces have started moving in safely.”

From atop the towering gate mechanism, I gazed down at the advancing army of the Kingdom of Lunoa as they marched toward the city.

Their formation flowed steadily forward, torches flickering like a river of fire in the darkness.

“Yes… with this, the mission is complete.”

“Yeah… we’ve done everything we needed to do. From here on, all that’s left is to hope our army handles the rest…”

Leaning slightly against the cold stone, I let my eyes wander across the city below.

A city caught in that fragile moment—

Between sleep and chaos.

“…A night raid, huh. But the enemy’s going to move too.”

The anti-magic barrier had not yet been extended to cover the entire city.

At present, it only ran along the outer walls, forming a defensive perimeter around Warmir. The central districts—where life still lingered, unaware or half-aware of the unfolding invasion—remained exposed.

“…Should we burn down the barracks with magic? We might as well do what we can. The central area still isn’t protected by the barrier.”

“…What!? Wouldn’t that violate international law!?”

Over a hundred years ago, during the great war between powerful nations—

Before anti-magic barriers existed—

War had been nothing short of apocalyptic.

There had been hundreds of individuals capable of incinerating entire cities single-handedly. And those individuals had fought each other without restraint.

The result?

Most cities across the world were reduced to ash.

The global population plummeted to less than a tenth of what it had once been.

It was a war without victors.

Only devastation.

In its aftermath, every nation unanimously agreed upon a set of international laws prohibiting magical attacks on civilian facilities. And for over a century thereafter, large-scale war had been avoided.

In a way, it mirrored the nuclear deterrence of another world.

Magic was just as terrifying as nuclear weapons.

That was precisely why war had not occurred for so long.

But now—

With no one left who remembered that catastrophe firsthand—

Humanity had once again opened the gates to war.

“What’s prohibited is attacking civilian facilities,” I replied calmly. “If we strike only the military barracks with precision, there’s no issue.”

Even now, amid the flames of war, every nation still clung to those laws.

And for the moment—

They still mattered.

“I don’t even intend to let it fall into a gray area,” I added, my gaze fixed on the city below. “The enemy has already begun preparing for urban combat.”

At the sight of flames rising from the gate, soldiers within the city’s barracks were scrambling into motion, rushing out in confusion and urgency.

War had already entered the city.

And once it had—

Even within urban bounds, military targets were fair game.

“…I mean, yes… that may be true, but…”

The soldier I had ordered hesitated, his voice uncertain.

“Do we really need to go that far?”

“Am I being overly cautious?” I murmured. “I just… don’t want this to turn into urban warfare. How long do you think the fighting will drag on if it does?”

I wanted to preserve the city, at least in broad strokes.

A drawn-out, blood-soaked battle through the streets—

I wanted no part of that.

“…Urban combat… do you really think it’ll happen?”

It was a fair question.

There was still a possibility that resistance would collapse quickly, ending with only minor skirmishes.

Even now, the soldiers in the barracks were likely just following emergency procedures drilled into them—not yet acting out of true fighting spirit.

After all, the city had already been under siege for over half a month.

It wouldn’t be strange if the higher command surrendered before things escalated further.

“…Maybe I’m overthinking it. If that’s the case, all the better.”

“…With all due respect, sir… it’s a bit unusual for a brigadier general to ask for the opinions of ordinary soldiers like us.”

“Isn’t it a bit late to point that out now?” I let out a small chuckle. “Well then—this is an order. Burn the barracks. Better safe than sorry. We don’t have the luxury to fight an urban war. We’ll take Warmir with overwhelming despair.”

We didn’t have enough troops.

There were still more than ten cities under siege—yet to fall.

Enemy forces from the Rosha Empire continued guerrilla operations across various regions.

We couldn’t afford to get bogged down here.

Any possibility of prolonged urban combat had to be eliminated.

“Only target the soldiers, alright?”

“Understood.”

At my command, one soldier stepped forward and activated his magic.

A bow of flame materialized in his hand, its form flickering with intense heat. He drew back an arrow—also made of fire—and released it.

“…Flashy, as always.”

The moment the flaming arrow struck the barracks—

A towering inferno erupted, flames roaring skyward as if trying to pierce the heavens themselves.

“…Looks like they’re not helpless either.”

Inside the burning structure, the enemy soldiers reacted in panic.

Water magic surged forth, dousing parts of the blaze. Then, as if suddenly recalling protocol, they deployed anti-magic measures to suppress the flames entirely.

“That’s more than enough. Good work.”

“Thank you, sir…”

But even in that brief window—

The barracks had already been half-consumed.

Some soldiers had surely still been asleep inside.

Which meant…

There were casualties.

Many.

“Even if it turns into urban combat, this should tip the scales in our favor. The rest… we’ll leave to them.”

From above, I watched as the army of the Kingdom of Lunoa poured through the opened gates, flooding into Warmir like an unstoppable tide.

And at last—

I let the tension drain from my body.