chapter_0073

73 – Human Nature

73 – Human Nature

The arrival of the Crones Family’s army at the Dreygon Plains, where a catastrophic underground collapse had occurred, came a few hours later.

For the allied forces of the six families, who were still reeling from the shock of the disaster, the arrival of the Crones was akin to despair.

“It’s over now…”

“We’re all going to die.”

Approximately 3,000 people had been buried in the disaster, leaving around 7,000 soldiers remaining.

However, due to the natural disaster of the underground collapse and the breakdown of the command structure, they had lost the ability to fight.

Some high-ranking officers, realizing the situation, thought it certain they would die at the hands of the Crones if they stayed, and had already fled the battlefield. The abandoned soldiers were left in a state of confusion, pondering what they should do.

And it was then that Ricain, leading the troops, shouted.

“Put down your swords and surrender! We have not come to fight you. We have come to save you!”

“You’ve come to save us?”

The allied soldiers could not comprehend Ricain’s words.

Surrendering didn’t guarantee survival, and yet he claimed they had come to save them? What did that even mean?

As they were lost in confusion, Ricain immediately took action.

“Krone Knights, begin the rescue!”

“Yes!”

In response to Ricain’s command, the Krone Knights, armed with shovels instead of spears and swords, began their operations.

They split into teams to manage the rescue and to care for the surrendered soldiers, with the latter group essentially retrieving weapons and providing medical treatment before sending those who could move into rescue operations.

There was no oppression involved.

“Why are you helping us like this?”

“…Is a reason needed to help those in need?”

The allied forces thought this disaster was a trap set by the Crones.

However, only a few in the Crones’ high command were aware of this operation; the regular soldiers genuinely believed that a natural disaster had occurred.

Although the Crones soldiers were initially reluctant to help their enemies affected by the natural disaster, seeing the devastation stirred their compassion, and they actively began to rescue and treat the victims.

This action was enough to sway the hearts of the allied soldiers.

“It really seems like this was a natural disaster.”

“Indeed, it seems the lord’s sins were so great that the earth’s deity was angered.”

In fact, most of the captured soldiers had a better opinion of the Crones Family than their own.

Given the chance, they wanted to escape and live under the Crones’ protection.

The reason they couldn’t was that they were being monitored, and for now, they could at least eat and survive.

In such a situation, their lords had been buried overnight.

The Crones, whom they had thought were their enemies, were instead helping them and providing food.

Thus, most of the allied soldiers no longer viewed the Crones as enemies.

Instead, they cautiously approached the Krone Knights and said, “I want to migrate to the Crones. Is there any way?”

“There is a way, but…”

The number of soldiers wishing to migrate to the Crones increased, and the Crones knights informed them of the migration process.

It was simply…

“I wish to seek asylum in the Crones! Please accept us!”

“We accept you. Welcome to the Crones Family.”

This was a formal request for asylum.

If they surrendered or became prisoners, they would ultimately have to be returned to their respective territories as soldiers and subjects of another domain. But the moment they sought asylum, they became part of the Crones.

Since this was not through coercion but rather a personal desire, there were no procedural issues.

As one or two began to seek asylum, the allied soldiers quickly followed suit, and ultimately over 5,000 soldiers defected to the Crones.

Only about 2,000 survivors and soldiers remained loyal to their lords, able to return to their territory with the lord’s remains.

The increase of 5,000 trained knights and soldiers was a tremendous gain.

The prince, who had the largest army in the empire with 15,000 troops, and the northern duke with 13,000 troops, were now faced with a Crones force of 10,000, combining the existing 5,000 with the newly added 5,000.

Without a single battle, Leo’s strategy had decimated the allied forces of the six families and converted half of their soldiers to allies, bringing significant benefits to the Crones.

Watching the soldiers engaged in rescue operations from a hill, Calix said to Leo.

“Excellent strategy, Leo.”

“It’s not my strategy.”

As always, Leo replied lightly while playing an instrument.

“This strategy is that of our lord’s ancestor, Draigon Crone.”

“An ancestor’s strategy?”

“Yes, he is said to have annihilated the enemy’s great army using this method when the empire was still a kingdom.”

Leo recounted what he had read in the Academy’s records.

In that great war over dominance in the southern region, Draigon Crone, the ancestor of the Crones Family and a great general, had used this method to wipe out the enemy’s forces.

Thus, Leo was confident in his strategy.

It wasn’t an untested tactic; it had already been validated once.

However, even so, Calix praised Leo.

“Even so, it is your merit to have recalled and applied it appropriately. Excellent work, Leo.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

Leo stopped playing and humbly acknowledged Calix’s words.

Then Calix asked.

“I wish to reward you. Is there anything you desire?”

“What I desire… is nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Yes, if there is something special I want, it is to know what you wish to achieve with this power, my lord.”

With this war, the Crones had become the perfect rulers of the south, just like the northern duke.

Depending on his actions, the scales would shift, and he himself could become the fourth power after the prince, princess, and northern duke.

And because of this, Leo thought that now was the time to see Calix’s true self.

Leo was a bastard of the Arse family.

His mother was a former slave, and because of that, he possessed the most brilliant mind in the family but was ignored and bullied.

What tormented him the most was seeing his mother suffer.

His modest dream of succeeding and taking care of his mother comfortably vanished when she fell ill and died.

From that moment on, Leo dreamed anew.

He envisioned a future where there were no slaves in the empire, a world of equality, and he roamed the empire to become a force capable of realizing that dream.

However, there was a problem with his dream.

When he simulated with his genius mind, the emperor capable of changing the empire ironically had to be someone who ‘despised’ the throne more than anyone else.

Only a superhuman with the power and ability to become emperor, yet the character to step down from the throne and be free of desire could create the new era he envisioned.

From what he had heard and observed, Calix was a lord capable of opening such a new era.

But would Calix still be Calix after gaining power?

Historically, there had been countless rulers who had fallen into corruption after gaining power.

Leo cautiously stepped into the unknown territory he could not calculate, sweating for the first time in his life.

And in response to Leo’s desire to know what he wanted, Calix answered.

“Nothing.”

“…What?”

“Ah! To be precise, there is one thing. I want to protect the peaceful lives of the people in our territory.”

Leo felt drained by Calix’s overly light response.

With a look of disbelief, Leo asked Calix.

“Usually… when asked this question, one speaks of wanting to become emperor. Do you not wish to become emperor, my lord?”

“Why would I want such a headache of a position?”

In response to Leo’s words, Calix replied incredulously.

Managing a territory was already a headache in itself.

But what if it became an empire-wide issue?

His head would explode.

“It’s already this much of a headache managing a territory; just imagining it becoming an empire makes me dizzy.”

“I… I see.”

Leo felt drained by Calix’s unexpectedly light response.

As he pondered whether he had asked the wrong question, Calix spoke.

“Leo, I already enjoy enough. What I desire is simply to protect my family and the people of my territory.”

“Still, becoming emperor would allow you to enjoy even more. Do you not covet the glory that comes with the emperor’s position, my lord?”

Power is sweet.

You can do what you couldn’t do before and have what you desire.

But to Calix, it meant nothing.

What was the point of living greedily outside the path of humanity for power that would vanish so emptily?

To Calix, whose only regret in his previous life was not living happily before dying from overwork, power held no meaning.

“I believe that a world where everyone lives with happy smiles is more precious than the position of emperor.”

“…………”

In that moment, Leo felt like he might cry.

He sensed that his long-held dream could finally be realized.

Yes, indeed, he was a lord worth serving, no, a master.

Reflecting on how he had tested Calix, Leo set down his instrument and knelt on one knee.

“I have dreamed of this for a long time.”

“Leo? Why are you doing this?”

Calix was taken aback by Leo’s sudden action.

Leo continued, his heart swelling with emotion.

“Someone who possesses the ability to become emperor more than anyone else, yet fears the throne; thus, a being capable of opening a new era. I have… been waiting for you all along.”

Leo looked at Calix with sparkling eyes.

And Calix felt even more burdened.

Is this advisor mad? Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?

“And today, my dream has come true.”

As he said this, Leo bowed his head.

It was a salute offered to an emperor.

“Please forgive my rudeness until now, my lord.”

“Get up, Leo!”

That day, Leo vowed once more to make Calix an emperor.

And Calix thought, if he became emperor, such things would happen every day, making him even more reluctant to take the throne.

A word from the author (Author’s note)

Thank you for reading today as well!

(๑’ᵕ’๑)⸝*