episode_0020

The Hispana Empire is a powerful nation.

It possesses vast colonial territories in the New World, sending out expeditions and exploration teams all over the world to capture slaves and mine resources.

It has no less than five viceroyalties governed by royal family members. The overseas population spread through colonial expansion amounts to hundreds of thousands.

Thanks to the capabilities and output from that vast territory.

Until a few decades ago, the Hispana Empire was known as the strongest country in the world.

Although it experienced a crisis when its two main silver mines, the lifeblood of the nation, were depleted, the legacy of the past does not disappear so easily.

They were still a force to be reckoned with on the continent.

However, despite such a history, the current Hispana was in a position where any external intervention was impossible.

Why?

Because accidents caused by natural disasters and human errors occurred one after another.

‘It’s raining too much.’

‘Normally, the weather should be dry and the vegetation withered at this time.’

It started with abnormal weather.

Heavy rain poured down during the season when rainfall should decrease and be dry.

Moreover, an enormous amount of rainfall, enough to submerge water from the knees to the waist, continued for days.

This caused the water and sewage systems in various places to break down, and farmhouses ruined by agriculture surged.

The wood being dried in the warehouse rotted with moisture, and the keel of the ship being dried was damaged.

Even this alone is a serious disaster recorded in history, but the real problem is next.

The rainwater that poured everywhere gathered and flowed into rivers or streams.

In other words, the rainwater caused the water level of the river to surge.

‘M-Madness! The river is overflowing! Evacuate everyone!! Introduce the residents nearby!!’

‘Where do you want us to send them?! There’s flooding everywhere! This neighborhood is a plain where it’s hard to find hills!’

‘Then send them to the church steeple or the roof! Save people first, no matter what it takes!!’

‘I-It’s already too late! The muddy water has already reached the entrance of the village…’

Areas located in low-lying areas were devastated one after another.

As if swept away by the great forces of the nomadic empire.

The plaza is covered with muddy water, houses and mills collapse.

Only the remains of a church made of stone remain as traces of where people once lived.

‘Report the damage figures.’

‘Approximately hundreds of houses have collapsed near the capital alone. Nationwide, at least thousands have been destroyed and hundreds of thousands of people have been affected by the floods…’

‘Are there any measures? I hope you are preparing relief measures for the flood victims?’

‘We are doing our best within the limits of the budget. But I wonder if this will really cover all the damage…’

Still, it would have been fine if it had ended here.

Even though it was a very rare disaster that happened only once every few decades, it was still just that.

Hispana’s potential was strong, and with time, such damage could be restored as much as possible.

By exploiting the colonies, scraping together new slaves, and throwing them into reconstruction work, they would have somehow solved it.

If they endured for at most a few years, the empire might have regained its original appearance.

But.

Here, an incident occurred that poured salt, no, hydrochloric acid, on the empire’s wounds.

‘Hey, get ready to open the lock. Two cargo ships are passing through.’

‘In this weather? The wind is strong…’

‘We’ve worked in worse weather. Don’t complain and go get the workers.’

In the west of the Hispana Empire, there was a canal with a huge lock (a water gate that controls the water level).

To transport goods produced from large-scale factory complexes located near mines in the inland highlands.

To supply goods to colonies and viceroyalties, and to be responsible for a significant portion of overseas exports.

It was no exaggeration to say that it was the core facility of the country.

A few days after the heavy rain stopped.

The person in charge of the lock tried to operate the facility as usual–

‘Huh?’

He overlooked the fact that the water level had risen higher than usual due to the rain, and the pressure on the lock had increased significantly.

‘Huh? Why doesn’t that close?’

‘The lock won’t lock. Water keeps flowing out!!’

‘Evacuate all personnel on the lower floor!! We’re going to get swept away by the water!’

The lock, designed to be opened and closed by human power, could not withstand the enormous weight of the water and was forcibly opened.

Like dominoes falling one after another.

Once broken, the lock spread the aftermath to the surrounding area.

As water poured out, the nearby reservoirs and other locks that had been submerged were damaged in a chain reaction. Eventually, it formed a wave of fresh water larger than during the flood.

From the factory complex in the highlands, towards the coast in the lowlands.

Now, here’s a quick quiz.

What happened to the areas that were hit by a water bomb without any preparation or warning?

‘…..We’re doomed.’

‘It seems that the Goddess is giving the empire a trial.’

‘This is not a trial, but a punishment to destroy us. If it’s a trial, we should be able to overcome it.’

Simple. We’re screwed.

The villages and cities that had barely survived the flood did not have the stamina to withstand the successive disasters.

A dozen small and medium-sized villages were swept away by the waves, and two or so ranches disappeared. Two cities that passed through the river internally were almost completely annihilated.

Even the empire’s largest port in the lower reaches almost lost its function.

At least thousands of people have certainly died, and the property damage is so great that it is impossible to even estimate it.

‘Someday, the empire will be able to rise again, right?’

‘…..We have to hope so.’

Terrible abnormal weather and a careless worker’s misjudgment.

That alone was enough to turn one of the leading powers on the continent into a cripple.

* * * * *

“Wow, they barely survived.”

I sighed like this after learning the truth.

No wonder, several cities were destroyed and nearly 10% of the population was reduced to flood victims.

It’s amazing that the country’s system and administration are still functioning normally in this situation.

Usually, wouldn’t there be a mass beheading ceremony for those responsible, and politicians would be going crazy blaming each other?

I guess the world empire is different for a reason.

It wasn’t just for show that they were operating a large-scale colony.

“At this point, I wouldn’t be able to participate in the war even if I wanted to. I wouldn’t even have enough money to raise an army.”

“What army? It’s hard to secure the royal family’s maintenance expenses. We’re still recycling outdated dresses and old tableware.”

It would be fortunate if it could be resolved with just becoming beggars.

If the country collapsed, the problem is not poverty, but worrying about the survival of the family.

“Tsk, this is troublesome…”

I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

I didn’t expect them to drop out like this.

Isn’t the power structure of the war now 3 vs 2?

Artiom-Ilaine-Helvetia / Krum-Navre.

Even though the Artiom Empire is weak in expeditions and Helvetia is small in size, the numbers cannot be ignored.

In the mid- to long-term, the former will definitely gain a slight advantage.

So it was troublesome that a powerful country like Hispana was excluded from the war.

Everyone should be happily investing in war expenses and lives, driving the national destiny to destruction.

How dare they try to be an exception?

‘Isn’t there a way to change their minds?’

I don’t even expect them to participate on a large scale.

Rather, that would cause problems for us.

Still, it would be nice if they could indirectly intervene, even if only slightly, and waste their national power.

Is there a good way?

‘Ah, there is.’

There was one measure that seemed quite effective. It would probably have an immediate effect.

The reason why Hispana is currently sitting down is to take care of its own people who are in trouble.

They are taking care of the hungry and naked, and they have no room to put their efforts elsewhere because they are rebuilding their lost lands.

Is it because the ruling class is full of compassion?

No way. That’s just a sense of duty.

The Goddess Church emphasizes charity for the poor, and if flood victims are neglected, they will turn into bandits, so they have no choice but to feed them.

‘Provide a rationale for abandoning the sense of duty.’

Then, shouldn’t we induce them to stop relief and welfare and project the country’s power outward?

Abandon the weak and sacrifice the people for the sake of the country.

Honestly, it wasn’t difficult at all. If I sat at my desk and scribbled a few letters and spread them to the world, it would be done.

The only problem is my personal conscience.

“Is it really okay to release this?”

In a way, this is the most dangerous idea I’ve spread so far. On par with nationalism or more.

Once released, it will last for decades or hundreds of years and produce followers.

It will be used to support the radical logic of many dictators and extremists.

Is it really right to commit such acts knowing the aftermath?

‘…No, it’s hypocrisy to worry about it now.’

I hesitated for a moment.

I quickly shook off my hesitation.

After all, this is not my world. It’s not where I was born, where I grew up, or where I belong.

What’s wrong with causing chaos in a place where there are a lot of rotten people and a bitch is reigning as a goddess?

For me, this place is hell and a nightmare itself.

I was suddenly kidnapped and suffered so much hardship that I was begging on the streets and dying, so I have the right to take revenge as much as I want.

Let’s not fall into ridiculous guilt.

I’m the one who loses if I’m swayed by compassion.

“Kalia, please prepare for publication. If possible, please find a printing house located in the western part of the continent.”

“I’ll prepare it soon. What’s the name of this book?”

After a moment of silence, I gave her a simple answer to her question.

“An Essay on the Principle of Population.”