episode_0061

Two corps from the East were coming down. This was clearly good news for the South.

If they take charge of the border instead, the legions here can focus solely on the offensive.

‘Of course, anything more than that would be difficult. The Eastern Legion is trained to suit the Eastern situation and environment.’

So the Emperor might have decided to move only two legions.

It is not for nothing that the Empire separates and distinguishes the legions in charge of each region.

These are weapons that have been honed to be able to display the best fighting power in their respective areas.

“How is the battle going, Commander?”

“Not good. The Holy Nation has been defeated again.”

The two people talking are Marquis Lylas and the 6th Corps Commander.

I don’t know the details, but I can tell that the situation is serious just by looking at their expressions and voices.

The occasional words, “Benito, you crazy guys!” were evidence of this.

The situation in the South was not very good. First of all, maritime trade was immediately hit.

The war broke out, and the anxiety was too great to buy and sell things casually.

Especially those who traded with the Holy Nation were almost completely ruined by the coastal blockade.

I was concerned about the occasional reports of trade damage and a surge in complaints.

“I tried to pressure Benito to at least lift the coastal blockade.”

“That’s right, Commander. If you do that, you’ll only be giving yourself the excuse of interfering in state affairs.”

“Yes, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also said the same thing. Your Excellency the Marquis.”

In the midst of all this, the Holy Church also became desperate and eventually pulled out a hidden card.

[ The holy land where Runen performed his miracles is under attack! ]

[ Holy war! In the name of the Pope, I declare a holy war! ]

[He who destroys that wicked and treacherous Benito will receive the love of Rune!]

[ Holy war, advance to Benito! ]

Following the excommunication, the declaration of a holy war. The best card the Holy Nation can play.

If the excommunication was a ‘legal excuse to beat that bastard up’, then the holy war is a kind of semi-threat that says ‘if you don’t kill that bastard, you’re just as bad as that bastard’.

For those who follow the doctrine of light, this should be seen as a cry that cannot be ignored.

The problem is, even if that had been just a few decades ago, it would have been something I wouldn’t have known about.

The problem now is that the position and status of the Holy See has fallen significantly compared to that time.

“There is not yet a single southern kingdom that has responded to the temple.”

“Wow, that’s amazing. I never would have imagined you’d turn your back on me like this.”

“Since there is a Holy Nation in the South, don’t the people of the Kingdom there follow the doctrine of light very much, Your Majesty? I wonder how this can be.”

“I wonder that too. How could they suppress the backlash?”

Then suddenly, two people turn their heads towards me.

… What is it? Why does it always feel like I hear the question, ‘What do you think?’

“Kael.”

The princess taps my side with her elbow.

It was so obvious that he wanted me to tell him what I thought.

But! I really don’t know. Right? I can’t know!

It’s not like I have any spies planted in the Southern Kingdoms!

What on earth should I say in answer? Should I just confidently say, “I don’t know.”

But wouldn’t it be difficult to do so because of the reputation I’ve built up?

“Ahem. Well… I think so.”

I don’t know. I’ll just say whatever comes to mind.

Anyway, no one knows the answer right now, right?

No matter what I say, I can’t at least say for sure that I’m ‘wrong.’

“I wonder if each kingdom has not completely suppressed internal opposition.”

“What do you mean, Confucius?”

“I’m curious too. You’re not just suppressing the opposition, but you’re blatantly ignoring the will of the church?”

“That may be why the church’s demands for a temple are being ignored even more directly.”

Apart from Benito, all the other kingdoms in the south would want a more powerful monarchy.

This is such a natural desire and wish. It is the instinct of a ruler.

The Holy See is a constant, annoying and irritating obstacle that keeps getting in the way.

You have to get that out of the way. Only then can you move forward toward your goal.

But there is no rule that says the order has to be that way.

First, go forward and clear the path, then you can clear it.

If you think that the situation in the Southern Kingdoms is similar to that now, then it is possible.

Regardless of whether the people of the kingdom oppose or not, we will suppress them with force. The kingdom will be defeated anyway.

Then, when the situation is almost over, he shows them the truth.

Look, the holy land where God’s miracles were performed is just one country.

Isn’t the church on its knees? Isn’t that what they are saying, that they are conveying the voice of God?

Have we been punished by heaven? No, that is not true. So the church is nothing.

God is just God. We are free to believe in it, but he cannot force us to believe in it!

“… If you give a reason, it is not entirely impossible.”

As I was talking, the story got a bit long and rambling.

I was just about to worry if this would work because I was talking so chaotically and incoherently.

“Hmm.”

“Your Majesty the Marquis. If what Prince Kael said is true… .”

“The commander’s thoughts are probably right. The entire Southern Kingdoms really did surrender to Benito. It may not have been completely taken over. Isn’t that right, Prince Kael?”

…yes?

“You don’t think Benito is the representative of all the southern kingdoms.”

“I am… .”

“Yeah. That’s right. How could I have forgotten that? The situation was so dire that I was only expecting the worst. The Southern Kingdoms aren’t on good terms with each other.”

“Your Majesty… ?

”They only reject the order of the Holy Nation, but it is difficult to see them as completely joining hands with Benito. I think we can use this to create some gap.”

“… .”

I don’t know. Suddenly, the Marquis is acting like this alone, so it’s embarrassing to interfere.

But since things seemed to be going well, I decided to just keep quiet.

“Your Highness, Princess. I will relay this to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Perhaps it will provide an excuse to disrupt the Southern Order that Benito is trying to lead, while at the same time allowing the Empire to project its power.”

“Yes, Marquis. Have a nice day.”

I was just rambling randomly, but did something come of it?

I wanted to ask what he was thinking, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

From the Marquis’ point of view, it seems like something came to mind after hearing what I said.

If I were to ask, ‘Do you have any good ideas?’, things would start to look a bit strange.

“As expected. It’s Kael.”

“Yes?”

“What kind of plan have you come up with? Please tell me too.”

“No. I, that is.”

There’s really no plan or anything?

I’m not pretending to be a genius, or a bookworm. I’m not like that. I really am not!

As I was rolling my eyes in confusion, the princess opened her eyes wide.

“Again, again. Again!”

“Your Majesty?”

“Again, you’re going to say things like ‘Oh, this isn’t a plan or anything’ or ‘I really didn’t do anything’?!”

“It really had to be that way… .”

“I told you!? Now you can show modesty in moderation!”

It’s so unfair!! … To shout that, my criminal record was actually too long.

So I had no choice but to listen to the princess’s nagging, which wasn’t really nagging.

*

The Secretary of War was not the only one who lamented why he was being subjected to such an ordeal.

The Imperial Foreign Minister was also groaning today, holding his head.

The Secretary of War is better off. He wasn’t in charge of four fronts at the same time.

(If the Secretary of War had heard these words, he would have vomited out a word and asked what was going on.)

On the other hand, the Minister of Foreign Affairs himself was in a state of utter chaos throughout the Empire and was in a state of absolute despair.

Novogord in the north. Three Kingdoms in the east. Dedorant in the west. And now Benito in the south.

‘At this point, it would be right to leave out Novogord.’

At least they recognized the empire’s superiority early on and began to sort things out internally.

The three eastern kingdoms declared war, believing in the name of a fragile alliance.

Dedorant, who outwardly continues to bow down to the empire, but in reality has a very tyrannical disposition.

Even Benito, whose actions are so incomprehensible that it is impossible to know what he is thinking.

Compared to those three, Novogord’s level was rather to my liking.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs was informed of one possibility from the southern part of the Empire.

At first I tilted my head, but soon I saw the potential and started to create a new board.

And the conclusion reached by the Foreign Ministry’s working-level staff was quite plausible.

“At first glance, the situation in the South seems like the Holy See, a model of the old order, and Benito, who wants to destroy it. But there are certainly more complicated circumstances inside.”

“The kingdoms near Benito will have a hard time withstanding the pressure of the fairly grown Benito, but the other kingdoms will not.”

“History tells us why the Holy Nation gained social status? It wasn’t just because of religion. It was because it restrained the southern kingdoms that had been fighting each other tirelessly.”

The first target of the Southern Kingdoms’ overthrow is not the Holy Nation itself.

However, it is the supremacy of religion that is strongly rooted in the country.

From their point of view, it is uncomfortable that religious beliefs are placed above the power of the rulers of the country.

So what is their number 2 overthrow?

It’s obvious. It’s a neighboring country that has the potential to swallow them up.

They know now that they have fought too much to be united.

Just being moderately wary of each other. Thinking that I’m better than you.

What I’m saying is that living like that is the most advantageous way to survive.

‘The pretext has already been established. King Benito of the Holy See is excommunicated and a holy war is declared.’

‘What remains is the reaction of the Southern Kingdoms along the path of our Imperial Legion… Perhaps things will work out easier than we expected.’

‘It’s right to move before Benito’s power grows any further. Although it’s a bit awkward for our empire to strike first, if we use the holy war as an excuse, things will work out somehow…’

But the Foreign Ministry’s strategy was completely reversed the next day.

[ Dedorant. Dagale full-scale attack ]

[ Large-scale rotation occurs. DeGalley is defeated, and the western territory is completely lost ]

The western part of Degalé fell completely into Dedorant’s grasp.

That meant that Dedorant and Benito were directly connected.