Ch.280So What Is This Supposed to Be?

I half-raised my slumped body and received the letter Leonore was holding.

Indeed, it was a damage claim.

On the pristine white paper, an extremely elegant handwriting meticulously listed the compensation amounts I needed to pay.

The reconstruction costs for the collapsed waterway. Labor costs for priests mobilized for purification work.

Even compensation for damages suffered by island citizens due to three days without water.

…Just how many zeros are there?

It was nearly two hundred times the amount I had earned so far.

“…Why are they billing me for this?”

Isn’t this something the Empire should handle?

What lunatic sent me such a ridiculous bill? I’d like to meet them face to face.

“Well, Miss Haschal is the one who planned the operation and sent Isabella into the waterway, after all.”

“…Tell them to collect it from Leopold.”

He’ll take care of it.

Let’s see if the brave soul who sent me this bill would dare send one to the crown prince as well.

Leonore snickered as if she had expected this reaction.

“They probably never intended to collect money from you anyway. If they were serious, they wouldn’t have simply sent a single document. In reality, they’ll probably resolve this by seizing Isabella’s personal assets. Thanks to me throwing away my rights as royalty and the castle of Benes, all those assets are now floating without an heir.”

…Is that how it works?

Come to think of it, Isabella must have left behind quite a fortune.

Just looking at all those gold statues scattered throughout her palace, she clearly lived quite luxuriously.

“Then why bother sending this bill at all?”

“Because this way, on paper, you’ll be the one who paid the compensation. Even though you won’t actually pay a single gold, as far as the island citizens know, you’ll be seen as a benefactor who willingly paid an enormous amount in damages.”

Leonore shrugged and explained the true nature of the bill.

So it’s not a threat demanding money, but rather… a kind of gift, using someone else’s money to gild my reputation?

A roundabout way of showing goodwill. It might be a typical noble approach, but… they could have at least given me some advance notice. I almost misunderstood.

Did they assume Leonore would explain it to me?

[I cannot understand. Since you defeated that witch, shouldn’t everything she owned rightfully belong to you?]

Hersella, who had been listening, expressed her confusion.

…That’s the logic of a robber. Then again, as a princess from a plundering civilization, maybe she’s not so different from a robber?

The principles of civilized nations with laws and order are somewhat different.

I might receive substantial rewards for defeating the witch, but the assets of a witch whose heirs have all disappeared would first revert to the imperial family.

After that, they would distribute portions as rewards according to individual contributions.

“This is good news. It will further enhance the reputation of the lady I serve.”

Leonore grinned.

======[ Five days ago, Benes Territory ]======

After Haschal’s group departed for the island to stop Isabella, the others marched toward Benes territory as originally planned.

This was only natural.

They couldn’t be certain Isabella had truly headed for the island, and even if they managed to defeat her there, the monsters filling Benes territory wouldn’t simply disappear on their own.

Perhaps thanks to preserving much of their forces due to a single person’s remarkable performance at the expected fierce battle of Zeren Plains, the army’s morale was sky-high.

That is, until they reached Benes territory.

“This is… truly the heart of hell.”

Margrave Ludwig muttered quietly while exhaling smoke.

No one responded, but everyone shared similar feelings.

Though they had heard reports from messengers, the actual sight of Benes territory far exceeded anything they had vaguely anticipated.

An uncountable, overwhelming number of insects covered the entire city, rustling and crawling.

As if every insect in the world had been gathered in one place.

The whole world seemed to writhe like a river. A black current mixed with brown, yellow, and green.

It was a sight that made one realize how revulsion beyond its limit transforms into terror.

“The casualties among our soldiers… might be worse than expected…”

Even Duke Wien was barely holding back his rising nausea.

His pride and dignity as a high noble wouldn’t allow him to show such an unseemly display.

However, while he could suppress his nausea, he couldn’t quell his anxiety.

Could they really win? The certainty he had clearly possessed was now growing dim.

Just like when he had witnessed Valenstein’s prowess, which he had secretly underestimated.

—-

“Keeeeek-!”

The insects that spotted the enemy shrieked fiercely.

A giant mantis raised its forelegs, and thousands of flying insects swirled in a vortex-like assault.

“Oh Elpinel…”

“Good heavens…this is…!”

Even those who weren’t devout believers found themselves unconsciously muttering divine names at the sight of such an overwhelming force.

Intimidated soldiers stepped backward.

The forces gathered here represented the most elite troops the Empire could realistically field.

The combined forces of Duke Wien and the First Prince faction’s lords, along with the northern army of Duke Faelrun and the Landenburg border forces.

The number of Master-level fighters alone reached eighteen, with hundreds of knights.

Yet the sheer volume was enough to overwhelm them with fear and disgust, causing their morale to crumble.

“What are you afraid of! They are merely swarms of insects! Did you come all this way just to cower before bugs?!”

Seeing the commotion, Leopold stepped forward and shouted. The mages who had joined the army amplified the prince’s voice so all soldiers could hear.

The soldiers’ gazes focused on their sovereign.

Beyond his confident expression, showing not a trace of fear, golden threads scattered like sparks.

“Surely not. We came here to burn the witch, to exterminate the vermin that has been gnawing at our Empire! The same goes for these hideous insects spawned by the witch! No matter how numerous they may be, they’re still just insects. Nothing but weak maggots that will perish in the flames! Brave soldiers of the Empire, were you truly such cowards to fear these mere flies?!”

Leopold sat atop a white horse, his purple cape fluttering.

Perhaps due to his dazzling golden hair and dignified appearance, or perhaps because of the holy light emanating from the priests behind the prince, he presented a truly majestic sight.

“No, Your Highness!”

The soldiers raised their weapons and shouted loudly.

Crowds are easily swayed by atmosphere. Hearts that had been stained with fear were now covered with determination and pride.

“Then it’s time to prove it! Let’s go! Burn them all! Let us ignite a flame that will be etched in history and passed down eternally, so that even children just growing up and descendants not yet born will remember your courage!”

Drawing his sword and pointing it toward the enemy lines, Leopold charged forward.

Tens of thousands of imperial soldiers responded, rushing toward Benes territory with the force of a typhoon.

‘…He certainly has a way with words. Though that alone won’t win a war…’

Duke Faelrun, Valdemar, quietly admired as he mounted his horse.

No war can be won by momentum alone.

Momentum without strength and strategy is ultimately just a momentary passion.

However, the ability to boost morale with just an impressive appearance and a few words of speech was undeniably a valuable quality for a leader.

‘Not bad.’

A man who was competent just enough to be useful, yet not so outstanding as to overwhelm the prince-electors and require caution.

From the perspective of a prince-elector, there couldn’t be a better candidate for emperor.

After all, they wanted an emperor who was neither too competent nor too incompetent.

With a hint of satisfaction showing on his rigid expression, Valdemar spurred his horse forward toward the soldiers who were charging ahead.

He needed to control these fools who seemed to have forgotten the original plan and were blindly rushing forward.

“Northern Army! Where do you think you’re heading? Our hunting ground is not the center but the left flank!”

Hearing Valdemar’s command, the soldiers of Faelrun seemed to come to their senses and diverted to the left.

Following this, Duke Wien and Margrave Landenburg also began commanding their respective forces.

“Central forces, protect His Highness the Prince! The rest, make a wide detour and target the enemy’s rear!”

“Knights of Landenburg! Move to the right! Surround Benes territory!”

The forces that received their commanders’ orders slowed down and dispersed in all directions.

This was the battle plan they had formulated before arriving at Benes territory.

Yes, they had never intended to enter Benes territory, which had become a monster den.

Their plan was simply to surround the entire territory, burn it all, and only engage the monsters that charged through the flames.

“Prepare to attack!”

Confirming that the encirclement was somewhat in place, Leopold raised his sword high into the sky.

Barrels of oil were placed on ballistas brought from various territories.

Mages gathered mana and implemented their formulas in the air, while soldiers lit their arrowheads.

“Fire!”

The sword tip pointed toward the monsters.

Following Leopold’s command, each unit commander swiftly and precisely carried out their assigned roles.

“Begin ballista bombardment!”

The heavy, massive catapults launched oil barrels instead of boulders.

Hundreds of wooden barrels flew in parabolic arcs toward the swarm of insects.

“Archers! Draw your bows! Fire all at once as soon as you confirm impact! Give these insect bastards a gift of hellfire!”

“Magic corps standby! Not yet, wait for the flames to rise!”

Soon, the falling oil barrels crashed onto the insect-covered ground and shattered.

– Crack.

Unfortunate insects were flattened, and the spilled oil soaked the surroundings, forming pools.

Monsters drenched in oil let out confused groans at the pungent smell.

“Now! Begin firing!”

Thousands of fire arrows decorated the sky.

Unlike the ballistas that were positioned on one side, the archers had already surrounded all sides of the territory.

Flames began to spread from the arrows stuck in the oil pools.

“Magic corps! Fire!”

The flames and winds conjured by the mages swirled, further intensifying the blaze.

The witch’s lair, Benes territory, began to burn.

“Keeeeeek!”

“Kaaak! Kaaaaaaak!”

Insects that instantly became balls of fire screamed and twisted their bodies.

The nobles who witnessed this smiled triumphantly.

As they had predicted, the small insects were helplessly burning, unable to resist the flames.

“Keeeeeeee!”

The larger insects, perhaps thanks to their thick carapaces, managed to endure and emerge while wrapped in flames, but waiting for them was an encirclement of hundreds of knights, eighteen masters, paladins, and priests.

“Block them!”

“Oh Elpinel! Grant me unwavering courage!”

The insect monsters that collided with the encirclement fell one by one after fierce combat.

“More coming! Defensive formation!”

The number of insects breaking through the flames was gradually increasing, but… the imperial soldiers fought back without retreat, wielding their spears and swords.

Fierce battle cries filled the air, and blood and screams flowed like rivers.

The air, boiling with heat, distorted like a mirage.

—-

The final battle that determined the course of the civil war.

When the soldiers’ shouts subsided, all that remained were mountains of monster corpses and ashes.

‘…We’ve won.’

Leopold, drenched in sweat, lowered his sword and smiled.

It was a victory so dazzling it was almost blinding.