Ch.668So You’re Asking Me to Help?

“So… you’re asking us to die protecting those Danes? Your country’s people that your own country abandoned?”

I asked, extinguishing my finished cigarette by pressing it with my fingertip.

I understood why he had come to find me.

The Dane army wouldn’t disobey royal orders, and opposition factions like his would have been suppressed. So he wanted me and the Imperial army to do what the Dane army should have done.

To risk our lives fighting to protect the Kingdom of Dane’s citizens.

…It was an absurd request.

To protect the citizens of the Kingdom of Dane, we would have to abandon the border fortress—which was being expanded with all kinds of facilities to counter the Ka’har—and advance at full speed toward an unfavorable battlefield.

That alone would cause enormous losses, but then we’d have to wage all-out war against the Ka’har who had preserved their full strength by avoiding conflict with the Dane army. And even if we were lucky enough to win, we’d still have to face the Dane army that would attack immediately afterward.

The only benefit we could gain from such a reckless battle would be that tens of thousands of Danes would survive safely.

Unless they all naturalized to the Empire, it meant there was essentially no benefit at all.

“It’s a request I can’t accept, and even if I did, it would obviously fail, and even if it succeeded, there would only be losses. Isn’t that right?”

Even before considering my beliefs, it was a request I couldn’t possibly accept as a military commander.

“…I know it’s an unreasonable request. But I can’t just stand by and watch so many people be sacrificed like offerings…!”

“It’s pointless to appeal to my emotions. The one who moves the army isn’t me but Margrave Ludwig von Landenburg, and he’s not the type of person who would be persuaded by petty emotional arguments to lead his entire force into certain death.”

I cut off Knut’s objection with a shake of my head.

The Ludwig I knew wasn’t someone who would sacrifice Imperial troops to protect citizens of the Kingdom of Dane. Rather, he would use the time while the Ka’har were plundering the Danes to build up the border fortress’s defenses as much as possible.

I couldn’t criticize him for being cold-hearted. The duty given to the Empire’s Margrave was to protect the Empire by any means necessary, not to sacrifice Imperial troops to protect civilians who had nothing to do with the Empire.

You ask if I don’t feel sorry for the innocent Danes who will be plundered? Don’t make me laugh.

Then, aren’t the Imperial soldiers who would be dragged to their deaths and slaughtered because of a commander’s sympathy also pitiful?

No, it’s not just the Imperial army.

If the Imperial army were annihilated after a reckless battle, the Ka’har legions would sweep through the Empire’s mainland, and in the end, innocent Imperial citizens would be plundered instead of innocent Danes.

“……”

Seeming to understand my meaning, Knut bowed his head with a disappointed face.

Now he too must have realized that his request was something we could never grant from the beginning—worthless nonsense not worth listening to.

So—

“So, if you want to persuade Ludwig, you should present benefits worth the Imperial army taking on an unfavorable battle, rather than emotional arguments about ‘innocent citizens.’ Though I don’t know if such benefits exist.”

I took out a new cigarette, put it in my mouth, and rose from my chair, offering something like advice to the bowing Knut.

“…If there were benefits, would you help?”

“Well, that’s for Ludwig to decide.”

If it were a problem I could solve perfectly by myself, I would have gladly helped, but the one who decides the Imperial army’s movements isn’t me but Ludwig.

—-

After asking Lena to treat the two of them, I took them to Ludwig’s command tent after their emergency treatment.

To deliver the bad news to Ludwig, who had been up all night contemplating strategies against the Ka’har, that all the strategies he had established might have to be scrapped.

“Good heavens…!”

As I expected, Ludwig was shocked by the information that Dane had avoided battle with the Ka’har.

It must have been unexpected for him too. The strategy chosen by the Dane royal family was simply an insane act that made no sense.

Handing over tens of thousands of their own citizens to the enemy. For any normal country, that alone would be a massive loss that would shake the foundations of the nation.

But the world had already changed too much to be measured by conventional common sense.

“Ancient magic strengthened through human sacrifice… I never imagined such a variable existed…!”

Ludwig leaned back in his chair with a long sigh. His shock and disappointment were palpable.

Rune magic. The magic of the ancients that grows stronger by sacrificing people had turned an irrational judgment into an efficient strategy.

The premise of a clash between Dane and Ka’har had completely collapsed due to a single variable that had emerged from ancient ruins.

“…So, what do you think? At this rate, we’ll have to face the Ka’har with their full strength preserved, and then Dane, who will have gained tremendous power by sacrificing tens of thousands.”

“Just… just let me think for a moment….”

Ludwig lit a Mana Herb with trembling hands and let out a deep sigh.

I continued smoking my cigarette while waiting for him to gather his thoughts, and Knut, looking anxious, stared at Ludwig before quietly beginning to whisper with Frigg.

They were probably discussing ways to persuade him in case Ludwig refused their request.

When Knut muttered something, Frigg shook her head, and then when Frigg quietly whispered something, Knut frowned with a troubled expression.

Judging by the occasional words like “rebellion” and “assassination” that I could hear, they seemed to be discussing rather extreme measures.

Well, I suppose they’re not in a position to be picky.

—-

It was about five minutes later when Ludwig spoke again.

“Before I reach a conclusion, I’d like to ask you a few questions. Can you answer truthfully?”

“Yes. I will tell you everything I know.”

Knut bowed his head as he answered.

This bastard was confrontational with me, but now he’s being respectful and polite in front of Ludwig—honestly, it was ridiculous.

“First, about this rune magic. If tens of thousands are sacrificed as planned by the Dane royal family, how powerful would it be?”

“Power…”

Knut glanced briefly in my direction.

What, why?

“I’ve heard that Aishan-Gioro Haschal—”

“Refer to him as Lord Median. Unless you intend to disrespect my successor in front of me.”

“…I apologize. Lord Median… reportedly destroyed part of a wall with a gesture. I cannot verify the truth of this rumor, but if the Dane royal family’s plan succeeds, such feats would become possible.”

I glanced at the rune of destruction engraved on the inside of my left wrist.

So sacrificing over a hundred thousand people to create a rune would produce output similar to this mark? In other words, the mark engraved on my wrist also contained at least tens of thousands of lives.

[Even sacrificing tens of thousands only achieves that much? What an astonishingly inefficient magic. If I were to cut them all down with my own hands, I could level the wall and have power to spare.]

Hersella sneered contemptuously. She claimed that by slaughtering over a hundred thousand lives and accumulating the Karma of Murder, one would gain power incomparably greater than any rune.

‘I’m not so sure. Unless Heaven’s Wall is completely destroyed, it would probably be stopped midway like the ghost sword.’

[Ah, I had forgotten about that…]

As long as the Heaven’s Wall created by Carlos remained, it was impossible to become stronger beyond the limit that the wall blocked.

In gaming terms, it was like a level cap blocking further growth.

Like Valenstein, after reaching the level cap limit, it would be meaningless to kill more people until another layer of Heaven’s Wall was destroyed.

It’s just my intuition, but I feel like I’m precariously balanced on that limit right now.

In other words, rather than focusing on accumulating my own Karma, this is the time to nurture other strong individuals similar to my level. Though that would only be possible after defeating Orhan’s army.

“A mage who can destroy walls… that would certainly be threatening….”

Ludwig murmured. If it were a one-time magic that could only be used once, it wouldn’t be a big problem, but unfortunately, rune inscriptions were semi-permanent magic that could be used repeatedly by consuming mana from the atmosphere.

If the Dane royal family were left alone, a mage who surpasses even high-level mages would be born, freely wielding powerful magic.

If such a being were to hide their identity, fire magic and escape repeatedly, it was clear they could cause tremendous damage to the Empire.

Well, that was a concern for after defeating the Ka’har anyway.