Ch.838War Preparations

The ornate audience hall, draped with magnificent banners on all sides, was the first space completed within the palace that had been expanded to match the queen’s dignity.

The large arched windows installed between the reliefs carved in rows on the left and right walls transmitted sunlight, sparkling like a summer river, and a dark red carpet, as if dyed with blood, stretched from the main entrance of the audience hall to the dais where the throne was placed on the pure white marble floor.

Behind the throne, two massive banners embroidered with the crests of Landenburg and Baron of Median hung on the wall, and in the center of the wall was carved a relief in the shape of a scale symbolizing Astraea.

Whether the marble had been carved away and filled with gold, whenever sunlight flowing through the windows grazed the relief behind the throne, the engraved scale gleamed brilliantly.

As if a goddess’s halo was cast upon whoever sat on the throne.

It was a space that was both magnificent and solemn, with an inexplicable sense of divinity. It was hard to believe it had been completed in just a month.

Honestly, until I came here in person, I wondered why they were pouring so much money into a space that wouldn’t be used often, but now that I was here, I found it more satisfying than expected.

The authority of a monarch, which I hadn’t been conscious of while holed up in my private office, seemed to be transmitted clearly through my skin.

“Hear me.”

Sitting askew on the rocky throne adorned with gold and leather, I looked down at all the officials, great and small, lined up on either side below the dais.

From Regent Elnora-Eleonora leading the civil officials, to Joshua and the military officials—all the ministers who formed the backbone of Hestella had gathered in the audience hall at my summons.

Is this how a division commander feels when reviewing troops?

It was strangely pleasing to see so many people looking up at me in submission. So much so that instead of my usual informal tone, a dignified manner of speech befitting a queen naturally emerged.

Inwardly chuckling at my own tone, I revealed to the ministers—who seemed to be asking with their eyes why I had summoned them—the reason I had called them to the audience hall.

“Prepare for war. As soon as the forces we left in Extrashafel return to this castle, Hestella will attack Ordos, the capital of Aishan.”

It was time to set aside the peace we had briefly enjoyed.

—-

Naturally, all the ministers, including Eleonora, were not pleased with the sudden declaration of war.

Well, even when the Imperial Army was intact, they could only manage defensive battles against the Ka’har, so in the current situation where Imperial support was difficult to expect, attacking the Aishan capital with only Hestella’s forces seemed like the perfect way to ruin the country they had just established.

Even the knights of Landenburg, whose hatred for the Ka’har reached the heavens and beyond, expressed reluctance, saying this was not the right time.

Most of the budget was tied up in the capital’s expansion, so there were no resources to recruit and maintain an expeditionary force.

More time was needed to train medium cavalry.

How would they camp in the middle of plains filled with enemy cavalry, and how would they manage supplies?

Why attack those who would start a civil war on their own if left alone?

Though they maintained formal speech, numerous questions meaning “this is madness” were showered upon me, carrying the implicit plea to withdraw the plan to attack Ordos.

Of course, I had no intention of listening to their opinions. They were simply worrying unnecessarily.

“Everyone, please calm down. Who said we would fight the entire Aishan Golden Kingdom? Our target is only Ordos, so there’s no need to organize a large army.”

Budget issues and supply problems were only considerations when waging war with thousands of troops.

Unless we intended to completely exterminate all the Ka’har of Aishan by mobilizing all of Hestella’s forces, there was no need to lead a large army across the wall just to raid Ordos and eliminate Meiharin and the other sorcerers.

That would only hinder the subjugation of Meiharin.

Leading a large army would not only slow our march speed excessively but would also draw too much attention from the easterners, resulting in unnecessary battles.

Since our strategic objective was to raid the enemy capital and assassinate their commander, it was more efficient to conduct an infiltration operation with a small number of elites rather than a large-scale legion.

Just like in common RPG games, where instead of advancing to the Demon King’s castle with an army, the hero party infiltrates with just three or four members to take the Demon King’s head.

“Therefore, forces below Master level will continue to focus on maintaining order, subjugating monsters, and protecting the wall, while only Landenburg’s Sword and Épée de Ciel will cross the wall with me. This way, there’s no need to worry about war expenses or supplies.”

An infiltration raid using only Master-level forces and above. That was the only way to take Meiharin’s head at this point.

“To raid Ordos with just over ten people…”

…but the ministers didn’t seem willing to agree.

Even though there were five Hero-class fighters including myself, and over twelve when counting the Masters, those gathered in the audience hall didn’t brighten up but instead sighed lightly with faces as dark as Hush’s skin.

As if it seemed impossible to capture Ordos with those forces.

Well, I couldn’t blame them. Although Heroes and even Masters could exert power on a different dimension from ordinary people, that power was never infinite.

When the power of Karma is depleted, they become no different from ordinary knights, and even if their power isn’t depleted, they can die pathetically easily if a blind spear pierces their head or heart.

Even if they could shatter rocks and cut through steel with their strikes, the flesh wielding that power was still merely human fabric.

That’s why the Empire had regulations requiring Masters to be accompanied by escort forces when sent into battle.

Adding one Master to a hundred knights might allow them to slaughter two hundred knights, but a Master left alone without subordinate forces couldn’t even defeat fifty knights.

Hero-class knights, those who had crossed the wall, could face hundreds of knights alone unlike Masters thanks to the variable called “Tale of Heros,” but even they had no option but to flee when facing more than a thousand enemies.

Since Tale of Heros consumed as much Karma as its power, using it repeatedly against forces numbering over a thousand would quickly deplete one’s Karma.

In other words, capturing Ordos, where thousands of Ka’har would be lurking, with just five Heroes and seven Masters was close to being an armchair theory.

At least, that’s how it seemed to the knights and officials lined up below the throne.

Of course, from my perspective, it was a raid worth attempting.

The opinion that five Heroes and seven Masters weren’t enough was based on the standard of ordinary Heroes.

But was I an ordinary Hero?

In the lengthy explanation I gave earlier about Heroes having difficulty facing more than a thousand enemy soldiers, there was one exception.

“Ten or so is enough. Don’t I count for something?”

That exception was me.

—-

In truth, I too would eventually deplete my Karma power when fighting thousands.

My techniques and Hersella’s, while boasting overwhelming power even compared to other Heroes, all consumed massive amounts of Karma power, making them unsuitable for prolonged battles.

Of course, depleting my Karma power didn’t mean I would die immediately like other Heroes.

Unlike the original Hersella who relied solely on Murder Karma, I had much more than just Karma power.

Rune engravings that used atmospheric mana, vitality supplied by Durandal, Invulnerable’s protection that could withstand ordinary slashes without a scratch, and my physical abilities that were growing stronger by the day.

While that might not be enough to defeat Hero-class forces, I was confident I could handle hundreds or thousands of ordinary knights or warriors without breaking a sweat.

Blind blades couldn’t hurt me, and even if my Karma power was depleted, I could still tear apart ordinary knights with my bare hands.

Unless I lost Durandal and couldn’t replenish my vitality, it was nearly impossible to defeat me with human wave tactics as long as my vitality continued to be replenished through that sword.

Of course, since I wasn’t the type to broadcast my capabilities to everyone, the ministers couldn’t know that I could continue fighting without problems even after my Karma power was depleted.

“However…”

That’s why, despite my declaration that I would take the field personally so there would be no problem, they still couldn’t hide their anxiety.

“However? It seems my statement that I’ll personally take the field wasn’t enough to convince you? I’m a bit disappointed. I didn’t realize my ministers had so little faith in me.”

“We don’t doubt Your Majesty’s prowess, but… even so, isn’t this strategy too reckless…?”

The only reckless thing here is Leopold’s head.

“That is what I call doubt. Do not doubt me. Have I ever been defeated?”

I pulled up the corner of my mouth crookedly, displaying firm confidence. As if showing off the dignity of a Hero who had never been defeated.

[You have. Didn’t you suffer a crushing defeat to that incompetent old man, the Ghost Blade? How shameless. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have escaped death.]

‘…Don’t ruin the mood.’

[And that’s not the only time. When you faced the Blue Banner Army and Orhan alone, if it weren’t for Ludwig’s reinforcements, you would have been captured without a chance.]

…Well, to be honest, there had been such occasions.

When I was beaten by the Ghost Blade, it was thanks to Hersella emerging to fight that it appeared to others as if I had won, and when I fought Orhan until my strength gave out, it ended in a draw because the Blue Banner Army retreated upon seeing Ludwig’s reinforcements.

Still.

‘Isn’t the result what matters? Whether it was the Incompetent Blade or Orhan, they both died by my hand in the end. So I won.’

The true victor is always the one who survives until the end.

Even if Ghost Blade or Orhan had put me in danger, they ultimately failed to kill me and instead died by my hand, so the losers were them, not me.

Yes, that’s right. So I’ve never lost. I can truly be called the undefeated Haschal.

[Have some conscience.]

Hersella, lacking in logical reasoning, refused to acknowledge this.