Her Majesty’s Swarm - Volume 2 - Chapter 4

The International Council 

One month after Grevillea met with Caesar de Sharon, the International Council was held in the Popedom of Frantz’s capital, Saania. The fate of the continent would be decided during this important meeting. 

The ambassadors of each country gathered in Saania’s meeting hall. The Nyrnal Empire’s ambassador stood out among the rest, but everyone was dressed handsomely and the hall was buzzing with activity. 

“Now we will introduce the representatives of each country.” 

After the Pope of Frantz, Benedictus III, concluded his opening remarks, the council’s presenter rose to his feet and began reading out the names of the attendees. They were called one by one; the Popedom of Frantz’s representative, the Dukedom of Schtraut’s representative, the Empire of Nyrnal’s representative, and so on, until eventually... 

“From the Kingdom of Maluk we have... Her Highness, Princess Elizabeta.” 

“The Kingdom of Maluk? Is this some kind of joke?” someone muttered. 

“From what I hear, it’s been destroyed,” whispered another. 

The attendees were immediately suspicious. 

“A good day to you, gentlemen. I am the second princess of the Kingdom of Maluk, Elizabeta,” she said, rising to her feet. 

It was indeed the Elizabeta. What the Council didn’t know was that she was being controlled by a Parasite Swarm. 

“There’s no doubting that this is Princess Elizabeta in the flesh. I can’t believe she survived...” 

“But where was she all this time?” 

Those in attendance confirmed it was her, but they still had their doubts. 

“The Dukedom of Schtraut can guarantee that she’s been under our protection,” said the ambassador of Schtraut. “We rescued her and confirmed her well-being and identity. I swear on the name of the Dukedom that this is Princess Elizabeta, and not an imposter assuming her name.” 

“We did not suspect anything of the sort, but...” 

The other councilmen exchanged glances of disbelief. Sitting before them was, without a doubt, Elizabeta. She was clad in a gorgeous dress, and her gestures—though a bit wooden and stiff—had a princess’ dignified air to them. 

But how could the princess have fled if her country had been destroyed? Had the royalty abandoned their people, leaving them to die? 

“I understand your apprehension, gentlemen, but Princess Elizabeta was in Maluk’s territories until just recently. I assure you she did not run off to the Dukedom to save herself during the conflict; rather, she’s been fighting for her life in her monster-infested homeland this whole time.” 

“So you say, but is there any proof of that?” the presenter asked. 

“We have only our testimony.” 

Brows furrowed, the other ambassadors struggled to believe him, and all their gazes fixed on Elizabeta. 

“Ahem.” The presenter cleared his throat. “The topic right now is how to exterminate the monsters occupying the Kingdom. We believe our friendly neighbor, the Kingdom of Maluk, must be liberated.” 

“The Popedom of Frantz seeks to form a unified, allied army,” declared the Popedom’s representative. “This would require the nations of the continent join hands and form an alliance. We must unite. The enemy is a horde of monsters that leveled the Kingdom of Maluk in but a few short months.” He scanned the council, meeting the eyes of each other person in the room. “They’re more fearsome than any beast. We must steel our resolves and fight back. Such is the will of the God of Light.” 

“Our nation does not object to this proposal,” Nyrnal’s ambassador replied. “But who will bear the burden of paying the war expenses?” 

“Naturally, each country should fund its own portion of the war effort,” the Popedom’s ambassador retorted. “This operation will only be possible if we join forces. There should be no question as to who should shoulder what burden.” 

“Spare me your talk of alliance,” Nyrnal’s ambassador scoffed. “This would force the Empire of Nyrnal to dedicate numerous men and resources, while the other countries would only send a scant few troops. This is no way an equal effort. If we are truly joining forces here, every nation should pull equal weight.” 

“Then what do you propose?” 

“Well, we should each deploy the same number of troops. That, or any country which cannot send as many men must instead compensate with adequate funds. Of course, we can loan soldiers to any country unable to afford these expenses. We are willing to lend our aid to any nation on the continent... even the poorest of countries.” 

Nyrnal’s ambassador looked around at everyone present. The only country capable of sending out a force that might match the Empire’s was the Popedom of Frantz, and none of the smaller countries could afford the war funds. 

That said, receiving a loan from Nyrnal now would make any country that did so the Empire’s financial slave. The borrowing nation would be conquered financially and politically. After all, the Empire of Nyrnal had consolidated the southern countries under their rule with far more words than weapons. 

It was clear that the Empire cared nothing for the Kingdom of Maluk and hoped only to conquer what few free countries remained in the south, hence why everyone else despised it. 

“This is oppression! We refuse to be a part of an alliance with the Empire.” 

“Our country is opposed to such an alliance as well.” 

The purpose of assembling the Council had been to figure out how to handle the monstrous threat endangering the continent, but now the largest threat seemed to have become the Empire of Nyrnal. 

“Everyone, everyone, please calm down,” Frantz’s ambassador said. “Remember, the Empire of Nyrnal’s proposal has not been accepted. If we choose to reject it, it won’t be relevant.” 

“In that case, the Empire will not take part in the alliance. We will look forward to seeing you flounder around without our backing,” Nyrnal’s representative snorted. 

“The Empire is being too high-handed. There is a great common threat before us, and we must unite to defeat it,” piped one small country’s envoy. 

“Who claimed this threat affects us all equally? The Duke? The Pope? Our country does not recognize these so-called monsters as a threat. We are ready to fight them on our own, if need be. Given the right preparations, we will free the Kingdom without any need for allies.” 

“Preparations?” someone asked. 

“That is, the Dukedom of Schtraut allowing us to garrison our army within their country. Currently, the Themel River and the elven forest stand in the way of our march. In that case, should the Dukedom of Schtraut accept, we would be able to swiftly cross their border with the Kingdom and begin military operations from the inside.” 

True, the Empire’s path into the Kingdom was closed off by the Themel River and the elven forest. If they were to invade Maluk, they would have to go through the Dukedom. 

“How does the Dukedom feel about this proposition?” Nyrnal’s ambassador asked, stroking his beard. 

“Our country is not prepared to accept an occupation by the Nyrnal military,” Schtraut’s ambassador replied, shaking his head. “The Dukedom would have to make a great many preparations if you were to garrison troops in our lands. Beyond that, we have never hosted a force that large before.” 

“I, too, am against it,” Elizabeta added. 

“My... What could the princess of a ruined country have to say in opposition?” 

“The Empire of Nyrnal intends to invade my country under the pretense of liberation,” Elizabeta said flatly, her eyes devoid of emotion. “The Empire has shown interest in our land for some time now. If your country is allowed free passage, I have no doubt you will attempt to greedily devour our territories. Thus, I absolutely cannot consent to this.” 

“Are you implying my country is trying to take advantage of this crisis?” Nyrnal’s ambassador asked, his irritation evident. 

“Precisely. You intend to use the liberation of my country as a stepping stone to conquer it. Can we not draw similarities between this ‘proposal’ and your manner of conquest in the southern countries? We are not so foolish as to trust your words.” 

“This is unacceptable! We came here out of a sense of duty to save the Kingdom of Maluk from its plight, and you choose to slander us as invaders?! Even if you do form an alliance, we refuse to take any part in it!” 

“We are all well aware the Kingdom is in a state of crisis and that it must be saved,” Frantz’s ambassador interjected before turning to look at Elizabeta. “Those monsters crushed Maluk and could march on any one of our own countries next. We are all equally vulnerable.” 

“I am opposed to the Empire of Nyrnal’s participation in the war,” the princess said sternly. 

“But without their strength, we—” 

“Maluk has a resistance movement numbering twenty thousand men,” Elizabeta said before he could finish. “If our resistance could rise to action, we would be able to free the Kingdom unaided. For those of you who are concerned the monsters might attack you next, I suggest you work on bolstering your defenses.” 

Elizabeta’s consistently flat, robotic tone and neutral expression made her declaration rather eerie to behold. 

“It seems the Maluk leftovers want neither our help nor that of the alliance,” muttered Nyrnal’s ambassador, looking a bit baffled. 

“Are you sure of this, Your Highness?” Frantz’s ambassador asked. 

“I am.” 

“But the monsters are still at large. If they invade another country, it would be a catastrophe,” said another council member in a quivering voice. 

“What even are these monsters?” inquired another. 

“Based on the Adventurers’ Guild reports, these monsters have never been seen before anywhere on the continent,” said the presenter. “They look much like insects, but they’re as tall as a human being. These beasts have been seen feeding off human corpses, so we can conclude that they’re also man-eaters. Please look at this for an approximation of their overall appearance.” 

He motioned toward a large board, upon which was plastered a sketch of a monster drawn by one of the adventurers dispatched to scout out Maluk. 

It was a drawing of a Ripper Swarm. It had giant scythes, sharp fangs, a venomous stinger, and slender limbs. The ambassadors swallowed nervously, discomforted by the sight. 

None of them had ever seen anything like these creatures before. Even the adventurers had likely run into them there for the first time. No one had any idea what weapons were effective against them or how the monsters behaved, let alone how to begin approaching the issues of their advance or defeat. Instead, the men in the room could only groan at the grotesque sketch as they racked their brains for a solution. At worst, these creatures could be marching into their own lands next. 

“How many of these monsters are there?” someone asked after some time. 

“According to the guild’s investigation, there are over two hundred thousand of them,” the presenter replied. “They seem to come in different forms and varieties, but those are our best estimation of their overall numbers.” 

“Two hundred thousand? Unbelievable... What a nightmare.” 

“Where in the world have they been hiding all this time? With that many, there should have been more eyewitness testimonies.” 

The immense number left the councilmen aghast. 

“Where were they originally sighted?” 

“We do not know. There were no survivors in Maluk...” The presenter stopped himself and looked at Elizabeta. “Though perhaps you would know, Your Highness?” 

“Princess Elizabeta, do you know where the monsters came from?” 

“We don’t know either,” said the princess. “They appeared suddenly from the south before destroying every village and town in order to take the whole country.” 

The Swarm had actually appeared from the east, but Elizabeta told the International Council they had come from the south. 

“The south? Could it be that the Empire of Nyrnal produced those creatures?” 

“That’s extremely suspicious. The Nyrnal Empire has skilled sorcerers... Perhaps they asked them to create some new type of chimera!” 

Elizabeta’s words exacerbated the discord and mistrust among the ambassadors, who turned at once to question the Empire’s representative. 

“That’s absurd! Do you all lack sensibility?” he shouted, enraged. “Do you truly think we’d create an army of monsters strong enough to threaten the continent and then unleash them on Maluk unchecked? Remember, the great Themel River stands between us and the Kingdom!” 

“You could have loaded the monsters’ eggs on a boat and sent it across.” 

“That’s true. And the monsters might be able to cross water, too.” 

The voices doubting Nyrnal wouldn’t stop. The Empire had been so overbearing that it was universally hated by other nations. There was some prejudice to the ambassadors’ behavior, of course, but there was no denying that the Empire of Nyrnal was merely receiving its just desserts. 

“Your Empire has a means of producing wyverns. If you can create wyverns, who’s to say you can’t create other monsters?” 

“True, true. The Nyrnal Empire’s wyverns are strange to begin with. What magic do they use to create creatures that don’t exist in the natural world?” 

“If they can create wyverns, I’m sure creating monsters like this is perfectly possible. So long as the Empire can’t prove its innocence, we cannot and will not trust it. These monsters are a very real threat to our country.” 

Wyverns were flying beasts that only the Empire of Nyrnal could employ. It was this airborne threat that had earned the Empire many victories in battle. There were a number of theories as to where the creatures had come from; some said Nyrnal had entered a pact with the devil, who produced the wyverns, while others insisted they were chimeras the Empire had developed on its own. 

None of those theories had solid proof, but they were more than enough to arouse fear and suspicion among other nations. The Empire had trampled far too many underfoot to gain anyone’s trust. 

“This is a travesty! That’s it! The Empire refuses to take part in this farce any longer!” Nyrnal’s ambassador had finally lost his temper. “If you want to be snapped up and killed by those monsters, do so on your own! We’ll handle them ourselves! And we won’t participate in your alliance, either, you damnable prejudiced fools!” 

With that, he stormed out of the room. 

The Popedom’s ambassador sighed wearily. “Now that that’s over... I propose that the rest of us form an alliance to combat this threat. What say you?” 

“I agree. And by God, I’ve had enough of the Empire’s oppression.” 

“So long as the Empire isn’t part of this alliance, we are willing to join.” 

With Nyrnal’s representative gone, the rest of the meeting went smoothly. The International Council agreed that each country in the alliance would send as many soldiers as possible, with the Popedom volunteering to shoulder a large portion of the war funds. The Dukedom of Schtraut was to allow military passage when possible. Now that the Empire of Nyrnal was out of the picture, the only question that remained was whether the Dukedom would allow the allied forces to pass through its borders. 

“At this point in time, Schtraut will have to decline any passage of military forces through our territory,” the Dukedom’s ambassador declared. 

“Then when will you allow it?” Frantz’s ambassador asked. 

“When the threat is in sight and we judge that crisis is unavoidable. Our country is not merely a road to Maluk.” 

Letting a foreign army walk into one’s territory was a risk. There was no telling when the liberation army would turn traitor and invade the Dukedom. They would have to be wary. 

“But if the monsters in Maluk were going to bare their fangs at another country, you would be first in line,” Frantz’s ambassador pointed out. “Do you still intend to wait until the threat surfaces? It might end up being too late.” 

“We have an army of our own. If need be, we could buy time until aid arrived.” 

“I still believe you should join the alliance. If you don’t, the Dukedom might be destroyed. Can you not rethink your decision?” 

“I’m afraid I must decline. The Dukedom is an independent country that’s perfectly capable of defending itself. If the monsters attack, we’ll fend them off until you arrive. It is not without reason that we’re considered a major power on this continent.” 

“My word. This group simply cannot make any decisions, can it? We’re sorely lacking when it comes to cooperation. The entire continent is in danger, but each country is too preoccupied with defending itself. 

“The Nyrnal Empire withdrew, and the Dukedom of Schtraut is declining our offer. At this rate, it’ll be centuries before the Kingdom of Maluk is liberated.” 

In the end, the outcome of the International Council was thus: every nation in the Council except the Empire and the Dukedom formed a military alliance, and this alliance would supply aid to the Dukedom if the need arose. In other words, very little had actually been determined or achieved. 

“Are you sure that was wise?” 

As Nyrnal’s ambassador stormed out of the conference room, his aide couldn’t help but express some concern. 

“It’s fine. The Emperor himself ordered this.” 

“His Imperial Majesty ordered you to leave the Council before it concluded...?” 

“Yes. He ordered me to manipulate the flow of the discussion and nothing else. We never had any intention of joining an alliance in the first place, and so I was to make those absurd demands. If we truly did want to join the alliance, we would’ve used far more clever means. But His Imperial Majesty only wants to see direct results.” 

The Empire of Nyrnal had no intent of joining the alliance led by the Popedom to begin with—such was Maximillian’s will. In that case, what did the Emperor intend to do? If he hadn’t believed the Council would be effective, how did he intend to oppose the Arachnea? 

“I must give my report to His Imperial Majesty,” the ambassador said. “But remember: he is always thinking of the future, and no matter what, he does not wish to see the continent overrun by monsters.” 

“Yes, sir. Understood.” 

“In the name of the Empire. May we be victorious.” 

“In the name of the Empire. May we be victorious.” 

The two Nyrnal diplomats entered a carriage that whisked them away from Saania to the Empire’s capital of Vejya. Meanwhile, the Arachnea writhed in the shadows, and the other nations on the continent began working together to maneuver against this common enemy. 

Having sided with neither the Popedom of Frantz nor the Empire of Nyrnal, the Dukedom of Schtraut was under immediate threat. Despite these circumstances, however, Schtraut continued leisurely devoting itself to trade. Normally, the Dukedom would have been able to play the card of economic sanctions to force other countries to concede to its whims... yet it chose not to. 

Why was the Dukedom so complacent? Did its ruler have some other objective in mind? Now that the International Council had drawn to a close, these questions—and other concerns—hung heavily in the minds of its participants. 

What sort of move would the Empire and the Popedom, the two leading powers of the continent, make next?