Her Majesty’s Swarm - Volume 4 - Chapter 14

The Nyrnal Empire’s Internal Affairs

“We actually lost to the Eastern Trade Union?” Emperor Maximillian laughed scornfully as he read the report. “I really do have an army of cowards. Normally, I’d have expected you to not just take the Phros, but conquer the Union altogether so we can seize their war funds. Well, now we can forget their war funds. They might even demand reparations from us.”

“It’s quite unfortunate, Your Majesty,” said Bertholdt, Chief Cabinet Secretary. “Perhaps the soldiers are simply too used to fighting against the weak.”

“So it seems. Our wars up until now were easy ones. With flying wyverns, even a child could win a war. But our generals simply don’t seem to understand that we’re facing an opponent that’s unlike anyone we’ve fought before.”

Nyrnal had heavily relied on the wyverns when unifying the south. They’d won by burning the enemies’ ground forces to a crisp. The wyverns were seen as the symbol of Nyrnal’s might, and the generals believed them to be infallible.

But this time, things were different. The Arachnea had means to deal with the wyverns, and they couldn’t just win by just flying around and breathing fire.

“The enemy won even after we brought the lindwyrms to the battlefield. Honestly, I’m curious as to how they defeated them. I thought no number of people could stop those monsters.”

The lindwyrms were the Empire’s secret weapon. Maximillian had hoped that their grand arrival on the battlefield would allow his Empire to grasp victory, but the Arachnea had dashed those hopes yet again. Not only could they slay the wyverns, but they were even capable of felling the lindwyrms.

“What will we do about the war, Your Majesty?”

“Have the army we sent to the Popedom of Frantz retreat. We’ll need to reconsider our strategies from scratch. Our first priority must be defending the home front, and only then can we consider unifying the continent. It won’t be long before the dead come from the south. We must unify the continent before they do.”

Dead from the south, was it?

“Have the forces we sent to Frantz guard the homeland. Set the defensive line along the Phros, and don’t forget to station ground formations, siege weapons, and dragons. We might be using monsters, but the same holds true for the enemy.”

Maximillian ordered the retreat from the Popedom rather easily. Since the only places connecting the Popedom with Nyrnal were the Hapul Wetlands and the elven forest, this was a reasonable decision.

“Send our main offensive force over to Schtraut, but don’t cross that irritating mountain road. Understood?”

Bertholdt nodded. “Yes, perfectly, Your Majesty.”

“Also...I’ve heard there is a child leading the Arachnea, a so-called queen. A girl of about fourteen, yes?”

“That’s what the Third Secretariat Division reports, but we don’t know if that’s true. It could be some manner of disguise, perhaps?” Bertholdt replied, his expression bitter.

“We’re both big players on this continent. I have matters to discuss with her. Bring her to me,” Maximillian ordered.

Hearing this absurd demand, Bertholdt broke into a cold sweat.

“Your Majesty, she is protected by an army of monsters. It is practically impossible for us to abduct or assassinate her.”

“Well, we have a monster that can kill hers. Use it. This is the perfect time to do so.”

“You don’t mean Georgius?” Bertholdt asked, the color draining from his face. “We’re going to awaken that?”

Georgius. A name unlike any mentioned before.

“We certainly are.” Maximillian smirked with twisted glee. “It’s about time we woke that thing up and put it to work, I think. That’s what we have it for, after all—killing monsters. It’s the hero of the Nyrnal Empire and the Gregoria, and it must prove its worth. Here are your orders: Withdraw our army from Frantz and have them defend the Phros River. Move our offensive army to Schtraut. Awaken Georgius so he can bring the Arachnea’s queen to me.”

“Understood, Your Majesty...” Bertholdt bowed his head low. “By your will.”

It was his role as retainer to obey his sovereign’s orders, whatever they might be. Bertholdt left the room to relay those orders, leaving Maximillian alone in his office.

“Now then, Queen of the Arachnea. It’s time we come face-to-face. Tell me what ambition inspired you to attack this continent. Once I know that, the Empire will be able to fix its gaze on the threat coming from the south.”

Maximillian spread out a map—a map of two continents.

“The threat from the south will eventually advance north. Both the Holy August Empire and the Portario Republic are but weak walls. The dead will easily surmount them and keep heading north. Once they do, they will become a pertinent issue for this continent.”

The south. South of this continent, past the Nabreej archipelago, was another continent. It wasn’t terribly far from this one.

“I can only pray—not to the God of Light, but to the God of Dragons—that this continent is united before they come.”

As those words left his lips, Maximillian put away the map and returned to his duties, dreaming of his meeting with the Arachnea’s queen.

♱

“His Imperial Majesty the emperor has given his orders. We will consolidate our main force in the north. And when we launch our next attack on Schtraut, we are to avoid using the mountain road.”

Bertholdt relayed the orders to the military staff headquarters.

One of the younger officers pressed Bertholdt for an explanation. “But, sir, if we don’t cross the mountain road, our path to Schtraut is essentially blocked. Just what were His Majesty’s orders, exactly?”

“Now listen here,” Bertholdt said, his expression darkening. “His Majesty has ordered us to find another way. Do you intend to oppose him? Should I report your insubordination to the emperor?”

“N-No, that wasn’t my intention at all...” the young officer stammered, recoiling from his glare. “I simply meant that if we can’t pass through the mountain road, how are we to—”

“Simple enough. He wanted us to use this spot, I believe,” a man bearing a general’s insignia said, drawing a line across the map.

“Far be it from me to say if that was his intent. But it should allow us to attack Schtraut without having to cross the mountains.” Bertholdt nodded. “This way, we will keep working in accordance with his orders.”

“The way His Majesty gives his orders can be quite evasive at times.” The general shrugged. “He could have simply ordered us to go through here. Doing so would’ve saved us some time.”

“Are you questioning His Majesty’s orders, General Hassel?”

“Not at all. I’m a loyal subject to my liege.”

General Hassel—full name Helmut von Hassel—was one of HQ’s most skilled commanders and, at the same time, one of its most hated officers. He had a tendency to speak improperly when it came to his opinion of Emperor Maximillian.

“Then organize our army to act as such,” Bertholdt said, concluding the talks.

“Did His Majesty say how many lindwyrms we are allowed to deploy?” General Hassel asked.

“As many as you need; there’s no limit. Think of this as the emperor’s kindness toward an army that cannot seem to win a battle no matter what aid it’s given. If you were capable of winning this war conventionally, we wouldn’t need to rely on these monsters.”

“Oh, come off it.” General Hassel scoffed at him. “The only reason we need to bring monsters to the fold is because the enemy employs monsters. I ask you not to forget that. We’ve followed orders to the best of our ability. But we’re not used to dealing with monsters that can bite through thick armor and melt human beings in seconds. At that point, humans have no place in such a war.”

“Again, are you questioning our sovereign’s orders, General Hassel?” Bertholdt asked, glaring at him.

“Oh, perish the thought.” Hassel shrugged. “I’m merely bemoaning the absurdity of this world, is all.”

“Then do as His Majesty says.”

“About that—aren’t we going to withdraw the soldiers from the northeast and use them to cross the Phros? If we’re going to march through the Hapul Wetlands, we won’t be able to avoid losing soldiers along the way.”

The Hapul Wetlands were a natural fortress. The heavy infantry struggled to wade through the boggy ground, and the terrain affected the lindwyrms’ speed too. The generals all agreed they would rather not traverse them if possible.

“We can’t use the Phros. But if you have a better plan, I’ll listen,” Bertholdt said.

“Well, the upper reaches of the Phros River are in the Hapul Wetlands, so if we go a bit under the wetlands, we should be able to cross. The current is fast, but the lindwyrms should be able to make it, and we can have our engineers set up a small bridge for that.”

The Phros was one of the Hapul Wetlands’ water sources. The area near the mouth of the river, just below the wetlands, would likely be traversable. As the general had mentioned, the lindwyrms could cross on their own, and the heavy infantry could use a bridge.

“Very well. Do so if you see fit. But you’re aware of what happens if you fail, yes?” Bertholdt warned him.

“Maybe it’s not my place to say this, but doubting your officers like that will only make them fail in the long run.” General Hassel shook his head solemnly.

“Just don’t defy your emperor too much, General. Unless you want to chip away at your own lifespan.”

“So that’s how you feel, eh?”

Bertholdt had ignored Hassel’s warning, instead doubling down on the emperor’s infallibility.

“Now, the generals in HQ are to draft an operation and ensure you bring victory to your emperor. Do not betray his expectations.”

With that said, Bertholdt turned on his heel and left the headquarters.

Confirming Bertholdt was gone, Hassel asked, “What do you think, Marshal Hammerstein? Do you also believe we should march our army there? Changing our plan at this point is too sudden. After all, we still have our invasion army along the Phros, near the Eastern Trade Union.”

His companion, Marshal Horace von Hammerstein, was a senior soldier of the imperial army. “We have no choice. The emperor has spoken,” Hammerstein said. “We’ll need to mobilize our army quickly and attack Schtraut. But we must make sure the enemy doesn’t notice. The northeastern troops will have to retreat as slowly as possible without giving away that they’re reinforcements. That way, we’ll organize our invasion on Schtraut without the enemy realizing it.”

“Either way, we need to do what we can. The imperial army abides by the Emperor’s orders.”

“I just hope it leads to our victory...” Hassel said.

The war council continued, and they gradually began moving toward their next battlefield. It was the beginning of new bloodshed and tragedy...