Ch.355Chapter 355. Navidos Ohana (1)

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Let’s turn the clock forward a bit, to when rebellion was about to break out in the north.

The southern continent, its balance already broken, was being drawn deeper into a whirlpool of chaos due to the alliance between the Brans Army and the Hesna Army.

In this situation, there was only one nation that did nothing but cower—the Ohana Army.

In the capital city of the Ohana Army, Iekhaida Royal Castle.

Sovereign Nabidos Ohana sat on his throne, nervously biting his fingernails.

“Damn it, that cursed fox-like woman! Joining hands with that Brans girl?!”

“Please calm yourself, my lord…!”

“Do I look calm to you?! Think before you give advice!”

BANG!

Rupio, the national strategist of the Ohana Army, couldn’t say anything to his irritable sovereign.

He couldn’t help but be irritated. It was impossible to maintain composure.

Intelligence had come in that the Red-Eyed Dragon of the South—Lunarian Ineanne, who had sent Seta Rolland to the afterlife in a single battle—was concentrating her forces at Tepelo Castle.

‘The Rolland Army fell too easily, and the Hesna Army, having joined hands with the Brans Army, will likely not concern themselves with us…!’

Surrounded on all sides.

Anyone could tell that this moment was a life-or-death crisis for the Ohana Army, even without doing anything.

The reason they had placed Nabidos Ohana, a mere bandit leader, on the throne was because of his extremely sensitive instinct for safety.

He never walked a dangerous path. He focused on defense rather than offense and always gave up when adventure was required. He chose the safe path even if the gains were small.

The amount that fell into his hands was naturally limited. But he saved and cherished what he had. Gathering and accumulating, he finally formed a nation.

That was Ohana’s way of survival in these chaotic times!

“But my lord, even if the Lunarian Army declares war, our forces still have the advantage in numbers. We won’t simply collapse, will we?”

“Have you already forgotten about the existence of mages?!”

“No, but—”

“It’s not just the mages! Their sovereign! Their sovereign is… practically a killing machine! You know how strong that damned Seta Rolland was!”

Rupio sighed at those words.

Yes.

No matter what they did, they couldn’t win.

They would be destroyed by the Lunarian Army.

‘Is this where our army’s role ends?’

Ohana was a petty man. But because of that, his territory’s people were able to live in peace.

He conscripted soldiers to the maximum extent without lowering the morale of his people, while simultaneously sparing no expense for combat effectiveness.

In order to avoid war at all costs, he trained them extensively, which meant he spent money freely to maintain morale.

It would be accurate to say that he spent all the money he had saved from various sources on military power.

This was his only excessive investment, seeking absolute efficiency with minimal funds.

Perhaps because of this.

Although Ohana himself wouldn’t admit it, the Ohana Army was quite strong among the militaries of the southern continent, which had little combat experience. At least before Lunarian appeared.

What Ohana valued most was his own life. Because of this, the people living in his territory automatically received Ohana’s strong protection.

He certainly wasn’t someone to emulate or take as a role model.

However, paradoxically, he was an excellent sovereign for his people. It was hard to believe he had risen from the position of a bandit leader.

‘Lunarian Ineanne…’

“The best approach would have been to form an alliance with both the Hesna Army and the Rolland Army to eliminate the Lunarian Army in advance…”

“That’s just hindsight, my lord. Neither Hesna nor Rolland would have formed alliances, being too busy looking after their own interests. Especially Rolland.”

“I know that without you telling me, Rupio!”

Knowing this, Rupio simply let it slide when Ohana verbally lashed out at him.

After all, Ohana wasn’t the type of person who was particularly hung up on hierarchy.

“…We need to… prepare for battle.”

“Yes. We must.”

“Many will die, Rupio.”

“These are chaotic times. If anything, we’ve been living in too much peace. Don’t you think the inevitable moment has finally arrived?”

“I know! I know, but… people dying, families dying—it’s miserable and wretched! Damn it!”

BANG!

“It would be most ideal if we could all just live separately as small nations, but everyone’s got these delusions about unified empires and whatnot…!!”

“My lord…”

“…”

If they could somehow hold off the Lunarian Army using their numerical advantage, perhaps a miracle might occur in the meantime.

A miracle like a mage appearing in their army.

But it was too far-fetched. They had only one option left: to be gradually destroyed by the Lunarian Army.

“…Rupio.”

“Yes, my lord?”

“If we gather all our forces in one place, how many would that be?”

“About 310,000 men.”

This was the maximum strength of the Ohana Army, which had slowly accumulated resources solely for defense, not for fighting.

“With 310,000 men… if we could occupy Tepelo Castle and successfully block the Lunarian Army.”

“…!”

“Don’t you think we might be able to hold them off somehow?”

“That’s…”

Tepelo Castle.

A strategic point located at the only bridge connecting the Ohana Army and the Lunarian Army.

Currently, it had fallen to the Lunarian Army, and naturally, this was where they were concentrating their forces.

“We would somehow take that castle and fortify it thoroughly. After blocking Tepelo Castle for several years and buying time, we could create confusion to make the Brans Army and Hesna Army fight with the Lunarian Army… I think that would be best.”

“You’re suggesting we declare war before the enemy does?”

“Didn’t you say it was an inevitable fate anyway?”

“This is quite a gamble, unlike you, my lord.”

“We have several territories along our border. It would be difficult to prevent breaches, and many would die. Don’t you think it’s better to move first rather than suffer losses?”

“…”

Rupio couldn’t give a definitive answer.

Honestly.

He felt they would lose even with 310,000 men.

The quality of their troops was certainly good. But the other side had two irregulars.

The mage Tifa. The Red-Eyed Dragon Lunarian.

Considering how they had utterly slaughtered the Rolland Army, whether things would go as planned was the first reason he couldn’t answer—

The second reason was that he knew this battle would be their death knell if they lost.

He had heard that the exchange ratio of soldiers was close to 1:10. It meant that 3,000 Lunarian troops had defeated 30,000 Rolland troops.

The estimated strength of the Lunarian Army was about 140,000. Considering it would be a siege… it would by no means be an easy battle.

If they lost, they would never get another chance, and even that possibility wasn’t high—

Naturally, he couldn’t boldly say, “I will fight until death.”

Besides, Ohana hated such talk. He was a man who routinely said to just run away or surrender if death seemed likely.

“I don’t want to gamble either! But… there’s no other way! We can only lose with conventional methods! I know that much!”

It was truly a precarious situation.

Even after several more days of worry and deliberation, no answer emerged.

Then, after a week had passed.

“My lord. An envoy has arrived.”

“An envoy?”

Rupio wiped away cold sweat with his hand and said:

“It’s… an envoy from the Lunarian Army.”

“!!!”

Ohana jumped up from his throne in surprise.

Instead of declaring war… they sent an envoy?

He wondered what their scheme might be, but that was something he could find out by meeting them.

“…Let them in!”

Ohana tried to regain his composure as much as possible, then sat back on his throne in a deliberately dignified posture.

No matter how much our army might be in the position of a cornered rat, I will not show weakness in diplomatic settings—he made such a resolution.

As calmly as possible, as if nothing was wrong, appearing relaxed. Ohana whispered repeatedly to himself, almost like self-hypnosis, while sweating profusely.

…But despite such efforts—

“…!!!”

Ohana’s expression crumbled ridiculously at the sight of the envoy walking in from the Lunarian Army.

Well, the one who had come as an envoy to the enemy’s capital with such confidence was—

“Pleased to meet you, Lord Ohana.”

An envoy does not kneel. It signified they were equals.

Even if they were the sovereign of an enemy nation, it would have been a considerable breach of etiquette for a subject not to kneel before a monarch.

But Ohana wasn’t particularly offended. No, it wasn’t something that should offend him.

The one who had come as an envoy, as his equal—

“I am Lunarian Ineanne, sovereign of the Lunarian Army.”

—was the Red-Eyed Dragon of the South, Lunarian herself.

Eyes as red as melted rubies.

A gaze that somehow both captivated people and instilled a chilling fear.

Though she appeared to be an ordinary maiden on the surface… Ohana, with his excellent survival instinct, could sense it.

——The smell of blood emanating from this woman!

“Today, I’ve taken the liberty of coming here personally because I have a proposition for you, Lord Ohana.”

“…Speak.”

Luna nodded lightly, then looked at Ohana, who was barely maintaining eye contact, and said:

“Lord Ohana. Please make a decision for the greater good. I believe you understand that there is blood that need not be spilled.”

“…What?”

As soon as he heard the words “blood that need not be spilled,” Ohana’s eyes widened in shock.

This woman had come directly to the capital of an enemy nation with troops deployed along the border, and what she was saying was—!

“Surrender.”