Ch.261To the Edge of the Cliff (1)

“What the hell are those bastards! Didn’t they say they were peasant soldiers!”

The baron screams from atop the wall as he looks down at the Lotharing peasant army.

How could peasant soldiers maintain such an unwavering shield and spear formation while marching on the battlefield? Where in the world would you find such disciplined peasant soldiers?

Even when cavalry charge at them, they maintain their spear formation without showing any fear, making it impossible for the cavalry to properly break through.

‘And what are those spears?’

While the shields clearly appear hastily made from wood, the spears in their hands are anything but.

The spearheads are made of iron, sharply forged, and the shafts are clearly well-dried and finished with a high-quality varnish—all visible even from a distance.

These people, no matter how you look at them, are not peasant soldiers. Their equipment and training formation suggest they’re just regular soldiers.

Damn it, if I still had my pre-war forces, we could have put up a fight… Well, at least they don’t seem to have siege weapons, so if we lock the gates and properly defend—

BOOM!

“Ugh…?!”

What now?

Suddenly, the sky roared and the ground seemed to shake with a tremendous sound, and what had been flat ground just moments ago had vanished as if it had never existed.

This is… clearly Lotharing’s…

“Y-Your Lordship, the gate has been breached! You must escape quickly!”

“…It’s the Bastard King’s lightning.”

Haha… damn it all.

I thought you needed those metal containers to use the Bastard King’s lightning. Did they deliberately hide them until now?

Well, that’s not important right now.

“How long has it been since we found peace… bloodthirsty devils.”

This confirms it.

Those peasant soldiers aren’t mere rioters; they’re the vanguard of devils sent by the Bastard King.

I hear the Lotharing people these days revere the Bastard King as a saint. When judgment day comes, I hope he burns in hell for eternity along with all those subjects who praise him.

“Your Lordship, we must move now!”

“Yes… I should save my life first. This outfit is too conspicuous, so I should discard it and—GAHK?!”

What… an arrow?

How could an arrow come at this angle—

“Cough!”

“Your Lordship! Your Lordship!”

“There’s a vampire on the wall sucking the blood of innocent Imperial citizens! Capture him and put him on the sacrificial altar!!”

“WAAAH!!”

Damn it… my vision…

……….

[S-Saint! Who dares to—oh?]

[…You look perfectly fine.]

[Your Majesty, I heard you were ill so I canceled my lecture and rushed here… What is this about?]

[Ah, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you beforehand. This was an urgent announcement to deceive people… Kids?! Wait, stop, STO—AAAAGH!!]

My fake illness was immediately exposed.

Jeanne, Ines, and Ellen, who always watched me carefully, realized I was feigning illness the moment they saw me. The extremely worried expressions and atmosphere they had just moments ago vanished instantly as if they had never existed.

What happened next, well… ugh, I don’t want to think about it.

“Your Majesty?”

“I apologize, I was lost in thought. Could you repeat what you said?”

“A-Apologize?! Such words are far too generous for someone like me…”

“I understand, now please continue your report.”

These days, officials are too… how should I put it? Too afraid of me?

In the early days of my reign, there were many people who maintained a cynical attitude like Leclerc, or Aras who would sharply criticize my unrealistic strategies—people who, despite being subjects, would act straightforwardly without bowing only to me. But that’s no longer the case.

All ministers and officials fear me, and at the same time, they treat whatever I say as if my words are law and truth.

…It’s not good when there isn’t a single person around who speaks critically. It means no one will point out my mistakes when I make them.

True loyalty isn’t about blindly nodding and agreeing with your superior’s orders, but about guiding them in the right direction… I wish they understood that. Sigh.

“—Thus, following the defeat in the war and the outbreak of plague, the military situation of the Imperial lords deteriorated to the point where even militia couldn’t properly respond. The situation on all fronts is proceeding smoothly.”

“I see… Very well. Are there any letters from other monarchs?”

“No letters have arrived yet. It seems to be due to the rapid and swift progression of events causing delays in communication.”

“They must all be furious… Albion, separated by the sea, should be fine without a full-scale attack, but the Holy Empire must be in absolute chaos.”

By this point, I feel quite sorry for the Emperor. The previous war already happened because I assassinated the former Emperor, and now this war has broken out because I failed to properly manage my people.

A monarch who can’t properly manage his own people—I deserve to be pointed at and cursed.

…Perhaps I should have used the army by any means necessary to prevent the people’s aspirations from erupting.

‘To think that training spears would be distributed without authorization and the spear factories would operate on their own…’

No wonder the militia fought so well.

The core of the militia consisted of those who had been conscripted before and possessed knowledge as soldiers, and the spears they used were rapidly produced in factories that had already prepared massive amounts of materials.

While that was understandable enough, the problem is the bombs.

“Have the technicians who joined the peasant army to make bombs and the administrators who handed bombs over to the peasant army been arrested?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“…For now, they should be tried according to the law, so keep them well detained without causing them harm. Make sure to tell the judge that loyalty is no reason to reduce the severity of their crimes.”

“I will do so.”

These bastards—the one responsible for managing bombs handed them over to the peasant army because he was impressed by their cause, and the bomb technician joined the peasant army with just potassium nitrate to make gunpowder… Ugh, what kind of loyalty drives people to break the law?

The technician will likely serve a prison sentence since he didn’t actually take weapons with him, but the one who gave bombs to the peasant army will surely be executed… It’s sad to die from excessive loyalty, but the severity of the crime is too great to overlook.

“So the bomb issue is settled… Now, you said there’s virtually no resistance from the enemy?”

“Yes, seeing how the Imperial lords are helplessly defeated by militia to the point of losing their castles, we estimate that if regular troops were to march, the speed of advance would equal the speed of occupation.”

“Then it would be best to deploy troops focused on stabilizing the area. The authority to punish enemy commanders belongs only to me as the monarch—how dare mere armed peasants, not even formal soldiers, slaughter noble commanders of the enemy? Also, tell Simon to bring the militia under control, halt their advance, and focus solely on securing occupied territories.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. We’ve already dispatched troops to stabilize the occupied territories, but following your orders, we will increase both the quantity and intensity.”

“Good… I understand. I’ll retire to rest now, but if there’s anything important, make sure to report it regardless of whether it’s during sleeping hours.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

How did it come to this…?

While I may not have made the best or perfect choices, I pride myself on having made at least second-best choices, but I can’t imagine how people could become so extreme just out of loyalty.

Was allowing Rudolf to speak the problem?

No, it’s nonsense to think a normal country would suddenly be engulfed in madness from such brief instigation. Clearly, most people must have already lost their minds before that.

…I really don’t know where things went wrong.

For now, I need to focus on containing this war as much as possible and preventing it from escalating.

……….

“I know you are His Majesty’s loyal subjects! But I have received orders from His Majesty to strictly control those passing through here, so I cannot let you through!”

“What nonsense! His Majesty the Emperor is rightfully the monarch of all Canaanites, so are you saying you would abandon His Majesty’s subjects?!”

“You must return the poor Canaanite believers to the embrace of His Holiness the Emperor! Please open the way!”

These… these people…!

What on earth is happening at the central government?

They’re allowing such madmen to roam freely? If it were me, I would have raised an army and swept them all away…!

And what’s with “His Holiness the Emperor”? The tone sounds fine, but it’s so grandiose that it actually diminishes His Majesty’s solemnity.

“As His Majesty’s son-in-law, I have a duty not only to follow His Majesty’s orders but to obey them without question! The order I received from His Majesty was to control those who enter or leave the borders of the Kingdom of Andalusia without His Majesty’s permission, and you fit this criterion, so I cannot let you pass. Stand back!”

“His Majesty is now fighting for his life, so we cannot get permission! What are you saying?!”

“Y-You…! His Majesty is fighting for his life, and you want to start a war now?! Are you truly His Majesty’s loyal subjects?!”

This won’t work; they simply won’t listen to reason. They all seem to have gone completely mad.

I’ve been entrusted with the command of the southern army by His Majesty, and given their poor armament and training, I could certainly stop them, but if bloodshed occurs, that would be problematic in itself. Most of them are citizens from His Majesty’s direct territories, so bloodshed would certainly cause significant trouble.

“This won’t do! Everyone, let’s force our way through!”

“That’s right! The people of Andalusia must be struggling on the frontlines against the infidels, and he wants us to ignore them? He’s truly a bad person! Wait… could he be an infidel himself?!”

“An infidel? The Duke of Aquitaine an infidel?”

“I knew it… I suspected as much!”

“What kind of absurd slander are these people spouting?!”

What… what have you done, Your Majesty?

Damn these lunatics…! I should use my sword just a little to make them see blood and run away—

“Father, there’s no need for that. Let me try to persuade them and stop them.”

At that moment, a lovely and beautiful voice flows from behind me.

I’ve heard it dozens of times, but it still feels new and unfamiliar every time I hear it.

“…My lady.”

It certainly seems to have an effect.

The mob, who just moments ago looked ready to charge with weapons drawn, stops in their tracks as soon as they spot the princess, as if they had never been agitated.

These bastards, showing me no respect whatsoever, yet they immediately stand at attention just at the sight of the princess… This makes me quite upset.