Great Wall (城壁) is a man-made barrier that protects the eastern borders of the Roble Holy Kingdom.
Background
It was built to withstand invasions from the massed demi-human tribes which occupied the Abelion Hills to the east of the Holy Kingdom, between them and the Slane Theocracy. In order to keep it operating at full capacity, they had to keep a great deal of manpower permanently on-site.
However, despite all of these defensive measures, the Holy Kingdom still remains vigilant of the constant danger and it still suffers from attacks from time to time. The gravest of these invasions came during the period known as the "Long Rain." It was a type of night attack instigated by a race called the Srasch were able to climb their way up to the wall and penetrate deep inside the Holy Kingdom's territory. In the end, these demi-humans were driven back, though at the loss of several of the Holy Kingdom's villages.
While the wall may be massive to humans, it is not an obstacle to races who are several times larger than their size, can fly or possess some sort of special ability. This caused the Holy Kingdom's nobles to grow paranoid, even resulted into passing a law requiring conscription to all citizens. Once an individual of the Holy Kingdom comes at the right age, they will undergo military training with the purpose of protecting their nation should it ever become necessary.
Chronology
The Paladin of the Holy Kingdom Arc
- Main article: The Paladin of the Holy Kingdom Arc
Demiurge, under his Jaldabaoth guise, conquered and enslaved the entire demi-human population of the Abelion Hills. He then forced all those who were combat-ready into a huge allied army and attacked one of the fortresses at the Holy Kingdom's Great Wall. Once the [Meteor Fall] spell was used by Jaldabaoth to single-handedly destroyed the fortress along with a section of the wall, he ordered his army to finish off any human soldiers who survived the blast. Afterwards, the demi-humans marched through the opening in the wall into the Holy Kingdom. Learning of this, Kelart Custodio figured that the Roble Holy Kingdom ought to avoid strengthening other countries’ arsenals with the demi-human armors they have acquired during the war until the destroyed Great Wall is rebuilt from scratch.
While so, the nation have received reports from adjutants, saying that Jaldabaoth used some sort of mysterious power to destroy the wall in a single blow. What concerns Kelart, Remedios, and Queen Calca about the report is whether Jaldabaoth can repeatedly use that power which brought down the wall. On that note, the adjutants feel that given the wall was only struck once, this demon ought to have problems using the area-attack ability in succession. The three believed that if the demon could use such power repeatedly, then he could have just done so already yet he didn’t because he could only attack once with it. Incidentally, the remaining three hundred-odd paladins were currently standing watch on the city walls against the advancing demi-humans. Vice-Captain of the Paladin Order, Gustav Montagnés was said to be managing those paladins there.[1]
In the end, they left the Holy Kingdom right after Jaldabaoth used another [Meteor Fall] spell. They did so stealthily without getting caught by the demi-humans who were patrolling near the broken Great Wall.[2] While the Sorcerer King was lending military aid, the Holy Kingdom Liberation Army was able to pass safely through the ruins of the wall without a problem thanks to the undead's power. According to the information, Neia Baraja learned, her father Pabel Baraja died fighting Jaldabaoth's demi-human army at the wall.[3]
Layout
The Great Wall is a 100-kilometer long barrier that safeguards the human kingdom from the dangers of the Wilderness and the vicious demi-human tribes.
Structurally, the Holy Kingdom's defensive lines are made up of three walls linked altogether. There were only three fortified gates along the full length of the wall, which was in excess of one hundred kilometers long, and they also functioned as garrisons to dispatch troops to the surrounding strong points. If the demi-humans invaded and an overall mobilization order was given, they would become staging areas where the troops would gather in order to attack the enemy.
Although they wanted to fully man the wall in order to prevent an event like the Long Rain from ever happening again, stationing troops at every single point along its length would strain the nation. Instead, they came up with a viable solution which was to build outposts at fixed intervals along the walls. These strong-points would then be overseen by gigantic fortresses. They stationed a small number of troops in these bases, their purpose being to fight for extended periods, to the last man, in order to buy time until reinforcements can arrive.
If they managed to encounter an enemy attack, however, they would first launch flares to request reinforcements. In addition, there were companies of soldiers who would staff and patrol the fortresses, serving as reserve troops during emergencies, to be deployed as the situation required. After putting these measures into practice, the demi-humans weren't able to penetrate the wall again for now.
Trivia
- The Great Wall here could be a reference to the Great Wall of China, built to keep out the Huns.
- The Great Wall was supposedly built by the Holy Kingdom financially and through labor by their citizens.
- According to the Holy Kingdom's history, upon the construction of the Great Wall finally being completed, an invasion by demi-humans ensued right afterwards.
- During the Holy Kingdom's war with Jaldabaoth, the fortress city of Kalinsha, which was the closest to the wall was the first to be attacked by the demi-humans.
- In Mass for the Dead, the Great Wall was overrun by Chaos Beasts as it attracted the monsters' attention rather than repel them leading to the downfall of the Holy Kingdom. Momonga used his magic to wipe out the Chaos Beasts using Iä Shub-Niggurath to instantly kill the creatures and summon several Dark Young to mop up the rest.[4]
References
- ↑ Overlord Volume 12 Chapter 1: The Demon Emperor Jaldabaoth
- ↑ Overlord Volume 12 Chapter 2: Seeking Salvation
- ↑ Overlord Volume 12 Chapter 3: Beginning the Counterattack
- ↑ Mass for the Dead Special Event: Nazarick Revitalization Plan -Holy War-
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