Wortenia Senki (LN) - Volume 23 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Fog of War

A few days had passed since Ryoma’s chat with Helena and Viscount McMaster. Not a single cloud appeared in the sky that day. The temperature was at a comfortable twenty to twenty-seven degrees Celsius. Many flowers bloomed and basked in the sunlight in a corner of the royal castle at the center of Pireas. Soldiers led Ryoma Mikoshiba along a stone path that passed through the gardens. Their destination was a pavilion at the end of the path, a structure with white walls that looked even more expensive than the ground it stood on. It was the perfect spot to enjoy tea among the flowers.

“This way,” said a guard as he nodded toward his coworkers, who stood at both sides of the staircase leading to the entrance of the pavilion. “His Excellency Baron Ryoma Mikoshiba has arrived.”

Silhouettes appeared in the entryway of the pavilion. They included Helena, Viscount McMaster, and the new leader of the kingdom, Radine Rhoadserians.

“Thank you. Please, if we may have the room. I will ring the bell if I need anything.”

The soldiers all bowed before leaving the area. Ryoma wondered if they had chosen to meet in the pavilion to avoid the guards overhearing anything.

“Long time no see, Your Majesty Radine,” said Ryoma, starting with the appropriate greeting. Although she was the youngest here by far, she outranked everyone. Ryoma remembered to show respect to the queen, to which Radine responded in kind and greeted him back. Usually, she would give her hand and Ryoma would kiss it. But she had no intention of doing so because she wasn’t fond of such gestures, which emphasized their hierarchy.

“Thank you for making some time to meet me today, Baron Mikoshiba,” remarked Radine, lowering her head. It was unusual for the ruler of a country to call a noble, a baron no less, “lord.” Though, it felt natural considering their power dynamic. If anything, Radine did not want to speak to him as a ruler. Behavior like this would have been unthinkable for Lupis, who had received royal training and held great pride in her status as queen.

It’s not a bad thing, though, thought Ryoma.

Ryoma was having an unofficial meeting with the queen, after all. If it were official, he would have come dressed in clothes appropriate for a noble. However, he had purposely come dressed in everyday clothes. He wasn’t unkempt, but he did not wear the attire one would expect of a noble. Although he understood that outlook, he had come dressed that way for a reason—it was to measure Radine Rhoadserians’s ability. Due to their power dynamic, he had assumed she wouldn’t have any comments to make about it. But he had prepared for even a slight look of disapproval.

In any case, it seems she’s better than I expected.

As Radine, a woman of a higher status, had been courteous with Ryoma, a man who didn’t care much for hierarchies and status, he couldn’t help but recognize her sincerity. They weren’t in a public area, so her authority as queen would not be damaged. But would she be able to behave modestly in front of a man with the rank of baron? In other words, it was a matter of her honor and pride as a ruler of the country. The only way to answer that depended on how Radine responded to the negotiations that were about to begin. If Ryoma were to take it at face value, she would end up seeing him as an “easy” man.

She referred to me as a “lord” so easily. Impressive for such a young queen. 

Although no one was around to see, she could have easily treated Ryoma as a lowly vassal.

“Your Majesty, please do not be so polite,” answered Ryoma. Radine cocked her head in confusion.

“Okay... Then may I call you Sir Mikoshiba?”

That response was from a person who had quickly understood her place. Or rather, she was aware of that all along and had intentionally referred to Ryoma as “sir.” Ryoma’s proof of that was Helena and Viscount McMaster showing no reaction, and he suspected they had implanted that idea into her head. But judging from their proud looks, Radine had thought of it herself.

I see now... This is what Helena meant the other day. 

While Ryoma didn’t think Radine was that foolish, she had surpassed his expectations. He was glad to have made that mistake.

Not only is she young, but unlike Lupis, she hasn’t had any royal training.

A ruler’s pride and self-respect were paramount. Due to that, a ruler was aware of their duties and the role they played. But that kind of education sometimes did more harm than good.

Even the combination of holding authority and desiring to be the center of attention was enough to corrupt a person’s heart. Radine, for either good or bad, hadn’t received such education. Her commoner upbringing had given her street smarts. She also had an unusual sense of modesty and politeness for a ruler. That could have been interpreted as her being subservient, but it also protected her from any unnecessary strife or backlash.

“Please, take a seat. We don’t need to stay standing,” Radine told Ryoma.

“Excuse me,” said Ryoma, nodding and sitting on one of the four chairs surrounding a round table. “Your Majesty. What is it you would like to talk about?”

“I would like to discuss your reward and what will happen from here on out.”

“A reward...?” Ryoma tilted his head a little.

Only those who had achieved something received a reward. While Ryoma had won in the previous war, he wasn’t entirely satisfied with getting an award from Radine. As the victor, he could take the throne from Radine if he so wanted. But Ryoma put his doubts to one side as Radine continued.

“Yes. You rescued this nation from the claws of the tyrant, former Queen Lupis Rhoadserians, and created an opportunity for a new ruler of this land. As Queen of Rhoadseria, I wish to bestow upon you a new title.”

Ryoma smiled wryly, realizing the real intention behind this gesture.

“I see... I saved you from her tyranny, huh?” It wasn’t a question of whether that was the appropriate phrasing at this point in time. What mattered was Radine Rhoadserians’s position and how she would treat Ryoma Mikoshiba.

Realistically, everything began with a feud between Lupis and me. And Lupis viewed me as an enemy. Plenty of people living here should be well aware of that fact. If that became public, the Kingdom of Rhoadseria would lose power.

Had Lupis won in the end, they would have still had something to show off, at least. But she and her nobles had faced a crushing defeat and could not keep up a good front.

In order to twist a truth that everyone was already aware of, they would need an overwhelming amount of power—one that the loser of a war didn’t have.

Which means, there’s only one option. Accept the truth and dismiss Lupis as something evil. 

It might not have been entirely true that Lupis Rhoadserians was a tyrant, but it wasn’t also a baseless rumor. Ryoma couldn’t deny that Lupis’s actions were born out of love for her people and the country. The extreme taxation resulted from the royals before her drying up the national treasury, spending the funds on pleasure. It was an unavoidable, yet temporary, measure. A last resort.

However, Lupis’s good intentions weren’t clear to the civilians, who had to pay the tax. Results were everything in politics. No matter how much one had good intentions, it meant nothing if they didn’t produce results.

The higher the ideals someone held, the more guilty they would feel when they couldn’t make them a reality. Lupis showed them dreams that, even though they couldn’t come true, nonetheless incited the people to sacrifice for them.

That’s why if the truth about Lupis had been made public, it would have interfered with our plans.

It wasn’t a lie—simply a difference in interpretation—for which the outcome could be good or evil. Good examples have been present throughout history. Something that had been legal in the past could change with the times and people, and those who were once heroes could get denounced as butchers and criminals.

Well, it was a realistic point of compromise. 

As long as that was the case, Ryoma had no other choice but to go along with the plan.

“In that case, then I would be willing to accept your reward. What kind of reward did you have in mind?”

“I am considering giving you the fortress territory of Epirus and promoting you to the rank of archduke.”

Ryoma went pale.

“A promotion...to archduke? That’s too much,” he said, covering his face as he dived deep into his thoughts. I see... Archduke...

Archduke was a title often given to influential members of the royal family, excluding the king. The same went for the role of duke, which was a level below archduke.

As the highest title a noble could receive, being an archduke was almost like having one’s own independent country. It certainly wasn’t a role that one would give to a baron of questionable origin.

Lupis would be furious if she heard about this.

Not only that, there would be a lot of furious nobles. In essence, the upstart they had all looked down upon with disdain was receiving the highest title a noble could want.

That was a surprising turn of events. The decision itself wasn’t so gratuitous that it would burden the Kingdom of Rhoadseria. As for the territory, it was an area Ryoma already controlled. It was only natural that the losers of a war lost territory. Any nobles who might have complained about that had already died in said war, and Ryoma couldn’t imagine much pushback. Becoming an archduke wouldn’t actually change Ryoma’s level of political influence.

Ryoma didn’t want to get any more involved in Rhoadserian politics—the title of archduke was closer to an honorary court rank. As he didn’t seek an official position within the kingdom, giving him the role of archduke was easier.

Even though his duchy would practically be an independent country, it was technically still a part of the Kingdom of Rhoadseria. The boundaries between them were somewhat blurry. Basically, it varied based on the situation. Ryoma would get his independence, and Rhoadseria could keep some of their dignity.

She really put some thought into this. I assume her giving me the title of archduke is also giving her more options for the future. 

Archduke was a title given to those in the royal family, apart from the monarch. They were also considered as potential marriage partners for royalty.

He could have been making huge logical leaps, but Radine Rhoadserians was a young unmarried woman, and with Lupis out of the picture, she was also the only remaining Rhoadserian royal.

But that did not mean the Rhoadserians line was in danger of getting wiped out. Some high-ranking nobles would be next in line, and there were numerous alternatives. It would make sense that if they wished to protect the bloodline, someone from the country would have preference.

That would mean she couldn’t be single all her life. She would need to take a high-ranking noble or a ruler of a nearby country as a husband. 

The problem was that Ryoma was one of those possible candidates.

Regardless of the truth of the situation, it was still unknown how the people of the country would react to a bachelor hailed as the savior of the kingdom. He had also become one of the highest-ranking figures within the Kingdom of Rhoadseria. But there was a huge difference between the possibility of being picked as a candidate versus actually being a candidate.

People could consider themselves self-conscious when thinking about such things. However, Ryoma couldn’t help but think about that possibility. It felt almost as if she was trying to remove any obstacles. That said, Ryoma found it frustrating he had no grounds to reject the proposal.

I wonder who put this into her head, though.

Ryoma looked over at Radine again. She wore a pleasant smile.

He stared at her intently as if he was looking right through her. But Radine didn’t flinch in response to his sharp gaze. The two of them spent some time looking at one another. Eventually, Ryoma looked away, sighing deeply.

“All right... I accept.”

Radine laughed cheerfully and replied, “Thank you. Now everything can go ahead smoothly.”

“Oh?”

“Now that Mario Romaine was in fact rude to an archduke, he has no defense for his actions. If Viscount Romaine and his close relatives try to protest your actions, they will be liable for punishment. The timeline is a little off, so we might have to make some corrections. But I feel if we both get our statements right, we can pull it off.”

Ryoma laughed loudly, noting it was a brilliant move that would solve a lot of their problems. It wasn’t unheard of for nobles to pay for being rude with their lives. If Ryoma became an archduke, a viscount family wasn’t comparable to that title. Viscount Romaine and his associates would not get away with ignoring what his son had done to such a high-ranking noble. Because of the many risks, the House of Lords wouldn’t side with Viscount Romaine either.

It would be different if the House of Lords were to put their status and lives on the line, but... They wouldn’t go that far. It also means that Viscount McMaster has one less thing to worry about. Two birds with one stone.

Radine’s ability to solve domestic problems in one fell swoop by granting Ryoma Mikoshiba the role of archduke was nothing short of brilliant.

“I see. Never knew that you were such a skilled tactician, Your Majesty,” stated Ryoma honestly. If this young, delicate lady had come up with this plan, she was either a rare, cunning vixen, or an incredibly talented tactician.

Or maybe she was a talented strategist like Mori Motonari or Amago Tsunehisa?

Both were famous names from the Warring States period in Japan, known for their resourcefulness. However, Radine shook her head.

“No, I didn’t think of it. Charlotte and her friend understood your intentions and devised the plan.”

“Oh, the famous, talented Charlotte Halcyon and a friend of hers? I see now. Are the two of them close with you, Your Majesty?” asked Ryoma.

“Yes. They’ve been supporting me along with Helena and Viscount McMaster.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. I’m happy that you have people around you whom you can trust.”

“Yes, thank you. I also think I’m very blessed to be in such a situation,” said Radine, looking at Helena and Viscount McMaster.

“That’s very gracious of you, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you.”

Helena and Viscount McMaster shared words of gratitude. Radine lightly nodded in response.

“Well, now that we’ve dealt with Viscount Romaine, there is one more thing I would like to ask of you, Baron Mikoshiba. May I?” inquired Radine, hesitating.

“If it’s something I can answer, then by all means.” replied Ryoma, choosing his words carefully. The queen was asking something from him. He had to say something, so that was the best response he could come up with. He also didn’t want to promise anything, especially as he was unaware of the question she was about to ask.

Either knowingly or unknowingly, Radine nodded deeply before suddenly beginning her question.

“It’s regarding the life or death of the escapee, Lupis Rhoadserians. I understand she escaped the royal capital heading south, but I could not track her movements. Aside from her personal retainer, the knight Meltina Lecter, every one of her escorts fled in different directions. Do you happen to have any additional information on her whereabouts?”

Such was a natural suspicion to have, followed by a logical question. Radine believed she had stolen the throne from Lupis. Moreover, Lupis viewed Radine as an enemy on the same level as Ryoma Mikoshiba. If he was a traitor who rebelled against the throne, Radine was a usurper. Lupis held an unmovable grudge; from her point of view, Radine would carry this sin for the rest of her life.

It made sense that Lupis’s life or death was more important than all else to Radine. That applied to Helena and Viscount McMaster too. Lupis held a considerable amount of disdain for both, yet not as much as she did toward Ryoma Mikoshiba.

Radine, Helena, and Viscount McMaster all shot anxious and nervous looks toward Ryoma. The three of them already knew what his answer would be.

So, Ryoma decided to tell them the truth.

“Unfortunately, Lupis’s status has yet to be confirmed. Her retainer, Meltina Lecter, was slain, however...”

“Yet to be confirmed?” Helena tilted her head in confusion at Ryoma’s indecisive response.

“Yes. Meltina gave her life so that Lupis could escape. The Igasaki clan shot several poison-coated shurikens at Lupis. I doubt she is still alive, but it seems she fell into the River Thebes. There is no more information,” elaborated Ryoma.

By all means, Lupis Rhoadserians’s chances of survival were close to zero, all things considered. According to the report from the Igasaki clan, poison-coated shurikens had cut her several times, then she was exposed to the chilly waters of the River Thebes. Considering how many smaller rivers branched off the main river, it wasn’t strange that the Igasaki clan couldn’t find her remains.

“I see, they weren’t able to find the body... That’s understandable. If it ended up in the River Thebes, it’d be difficult to look for it,” responded Helena, frowning. It was hard to work out what she really thought about the matter. Judging from their expressions, Viscount McMaster and Queen Radine felt similarly to Helena.

Lupis was once a person they had sworn loyalty to, after all.

Nevertheless, the three had decided against blaming Ryoma because they understood the necessity of the situation. They knew it would only become a source of trouble for them if she were still alive. But that didn’t mean they wished her dead.

It could have been said they were all rather equivocal about the situation, but that was just how the human psyche worked.

The same goes for me, I guess.

Ryoma didn’t care if Lupis was dead or alive. If she were dead, he wouldn’t have to worry about the future. Based on her personality, if enemies had rescued her, it wouldn’t be long before she planned her revenge against Ryoma. She’d then run right into it, disregarding the consequences. Her actions would eventually reveal their unknown enemy, thus helping him.

Though I don’t think I should mention that she was used as live bait to coax out my enemies.

There were a lot of truths in the world that were better left unsaid. Politics, after all, felt like walking a tightrope, balancing the small gap between reality and a more idealistic possibility. No real reason existed to destroy someone’s fantasy and thrust an unnecessary truth at them. That would only serve to make more enemies.

As long as Radine and the others don’t know the truth, it’ll make it a lot easier for us to anticipate and outsmart our enemies when Sudou finally makes his move. 

The Igasaki clan had in fact confirmed that Akitate Sudou had retrieved Lupis’s body from the river. While that wasn’t proof that she was alive, it meant a better chance for her survival because the river hadn’t swept her away and she hadn’t been left untreated for a long time.

But there was no reason to tell Helena that. It was best not to create any more unease when the situation wasn’t one hundred percent clear.

“Well, I suppose there is no way to confirm her status... However, I assume Meltina was dealt with?” Helena asked further.

“Correct. The Igasaki clan brought back her head.”

“I see...” mumbled Helena. Ryoma noticed something about her response.

“Is there a problem with that?”

Meltina’s death went as exactly as planned. She was a faithful, loyal knight, who would not leave Lupis’s side or surrender. Obviously, she would act as a shield when the former queen’s life was in danger. There was no way they would have caught her alive.

“No, it’s just that... House Vanash and House Lecter are now extinct due to this,” said Viscount McMaster. Ryoma realized that something was bothering them.

“I see now... There is no one left to mourn them.”

It would be simple enough to hold a burial. Workers would dig a grave in the cemetery and erect a tombstone. But Mikhail and Meltina were Lupis’s retainers, and had played a major part in many political measures. One could say that they were the true masterminds behind the Kingdom of Rhoadseria these past few years. When Queen Lupis rule was said to be evil, Mikhail and Meltina received the blame. Tyranny caused by her aides failing her. No matter the reality of the situation, that was how her reign would be known.

Especially with no family to tend their graves, it was easy to imagine how they would end up.

People would destroy their graves, leaving their bodies to the elements, or as dog food. Something like that, at least.

It was cruel.

Mikhail and Meltina would be the target of citizens who suffered through Lupis’s tyranny. They had been untouchable when strong; those with power were oppressive, self-righteous, and domineering over those weaker than them. Both could use their power to manipulate. That was just how the world worked.

Should those in power fall even once, then the people will come to collect the debts of their sins. It didn’t only apply to the living—even in death, they would seek their payment.

Too bad people can’t make themselves bankrupt on grudges. 

That said, Mikhail and Meltina weren’t inherently bad people. They might have been foolish, but they were loyal retainers who had given their all to Lupis Rhoadserians during her reign. It wouldn’t be strange to wish them a peaceful death. The same went for Ryoma Mikoshiba, who had taken their lives with his own hands.

If asked if I liked or disliked them, I’d say I disliked them. Make no mistake. I didn’t get along with them. But that doesn’t mean I feel bitter toward them.

It was a given that they would come to blows, unable to give up their pride or ideals. If they hadn’t gotten off on the wrong foot, there might have been a future where they worked together for the sake of the Kingdom of Rhoadseria. At the very least, Ryoma had no desire to desecrate their corpses.

“It’s fine. Could you please hand over Meltina’s body so that I can bury them together?” asked Ryoma.

“Are you sure?” replied Helena with a look of relief and guilt. Ryoma had pulled the short stick, first with what happened with Viscount Romaine’s family, and now this. Viscount McMaster and Radine wore the same expressions.

That’s very charitable of them. I’d say they’re a little too soft for politicians.

Any other politician wouldn’t have cared what became of Mikhail and Meltina’s remains. They would have probably taken the initiative and thrown their remains to the masses. Doing so meant the civilians would vent their ire out that way. In the end, the kingdom was in a transition period. Soothing civil complaints would give them some time to solidify the new system.

Looking at the topic from that angle, it made sense. Mikhail Vanash and Meltina Lecter played a significant role in politics before, and their negative reputation made them the perfect scapegoats. They were the perfect people to push all the responsibility onto, especially since the dead couldn’t defend themselves.

But Helena and the others hadn’t opted for the easy way out.

Well, it’s not all bad. It all went according to plan for Helena and is a happy mistake for the other two.

That might have been where they failed as politicians but were successful as human beings. Ryoma felt that was more important than anything else. Nothing was more dangerous than leaving a country under the rule of someone he couldn’t trust.

“We’ll have to pick a place for the burial, but we’ll make it somewhere with a good view. It’ll be a proper ceremony, so please don’t worry,” said Ryoma, showing he would take on the responsibility of the burial. He was thankful that the three people undertaking control of the kingdom had far exceeded his expectations. He believed that together they could make the Kingdom of Rhoadseria’s future bright, and his friends and followers alike could enjoy a life of peace and safety.

Ryoma’s wish would soon face destruction at the hands of O’ltormea, who had once more begun their invasion of the Kingdom of Xarooda.

The military state of the O’ltormea Empire was the dominant power in the central part of the western continent. It aspired to conquer the whole continent under the leadership of the Lion Emperor, Lionel Eisenheit. They had gathered their forces on the disgraced Notis Plain, near the border, to achieve their long-standing wish of fighting the Kingdom of Xarooda. Not only did they have forces from the eastern part of O’ltormea, but they also had soldiers from every part of the nation, boasting elite forces. The empire’s army was around one hundred thousand men strong.

The army was nearly four times larger than the one they had the last time they invaded Xarooda. Not to mention, this was just the advance guard for the invasion. A secret spy, working behind the O’ltormean lines, had brought information to Xarooda that they were gathering an even bigger main army to follow this.

That puts their numbers at around two hundred to three hundred thousand when considering the main force.

Joshua Belares sighed as he perused the report the spy had handed him in a room in the castle in the royal capital of Xarooda, Peripheria. Anguish filled his face.

Such behavior was unexpected of the man who followed in his father’s footsteps, taking on the role of commanding officer. His father, Xarooda’s Guardian Deity, had perished in the previous war. Hesitation would spread through the ranks if the commanding officer showed an inch of it. For all that he was a commander, he was also human. Anyone else reading that report would no doubt want to sigh too.

This isn’t good. I’ll try to cheer myself up. 

Joshua opened his desk’s drawer, taking out a tobacco container that he regularly used. He opened it up, took a cigar from it, bit off the end, and made a filter for the cigar. Then, he lit the end of the cigar using verbal thaumaturgy.

The characteristic smell and taste of the cigar filled both his mouth and nostrils. Purple smoke eventually left his mouth, rising through the air. He felt more relaxed. His anxiety and hesitation had disappeared as he returned to his usual confident expression. That wasn’t to say he was entirely free of his unease. The O’ltormea Empire’s movements documented in the report still occupied his mind.

Being able to deploy an army of this size while being surrounded by enemies in all directions... The empire is living up to their reputation.

It was the largest army the war-torn western continent had seen. Plus, it wasn’t an army put together by conscripting citizens. The entire force comprised real troops—soldiers and knights with experience in war. They had seen many battlefields and were highly trained. Even the soldiers who were not well-versed in martial thaumaturgy were still an immeasurable threat.

Xarooda, not as powerful as the Holy Qwiltantia Empire of the Kingdom of Helnesgoula, would find it difficult to avoid being invaded by such an army. But the Kingdom of Xarooda had anticipated the arrival of this day. The ceasefire from the last war was still in effect. Although the O’ltormea Empire was gathering troops on the Notis Plains, they had yet to cross the border or declare war.

Well, there’s no way anyone would gather an army of that size for a simple military exercise.

The army consumed large amounts of rations daily, making it hard to imagine they would use up so many supplies just for a military exercise. Joshua believed that O’ltormea would end the ceasefire and invade once they had finished gathering their armies. That would bring a wave of war, and the empire’s significant military force would sweep away everything.

It’s not like we’ve been idly standing by, though. We have prepared ourselves ahead of this second invasion.

They had entered into a four-country alliance, spearheaded by the Kingdom of Helnesgoula, all to prepare for this day. Even so, thinking about the difference in military strength, it wouldn’t be an easy battle. Despite being in an alliance, the allies wouldn’t dispatch reinforcements to Xarooda in a timely manner. If they were to send out requests for reinforcement to the other countries, it would take a few months before they arrived. Xarooda had to take on O’ltormea with what they had.

The enemy has more forces than last time. Besides, elite forces from the west, north, and south accompany them this time. I heard a story that Lady Helena and Lady Ecclesia had exploited the lack of coordination among the enemy forces, setting a trap that led to their annihilation. It’d be hard to use the same strategy, seeing that the enemy doesn’t expect this to be quick.

It made sense that he’d use the same method if possible. But the opponent had also been plotting their way to victory. It wouldn’t work. While Joshua hoped to win by the same means, the opponent would aim to avoid the same mistakes.

At least, there’s no way she’d make that same mistake again.

What Joshua found troubling was how slow the O’ltormea forces were. In terms of utilizing the army, it was a lousy move.

War valued speed—a notion mentioned in Sun Tzu’s Art of War. It was common knowledge that advancing faster than your enemy was advantageous.

Of course, Joshua was from Earth. There was no way he would know about Rearth’s Art of War. Instead, he had learned from his experiences in actual war. It made sense that he had reached the same conclusion from his own experiences. However, taking one’s time wasn’t always a bad thing in war, which was interesting. The reverse of that was true.

Last time O’ltormea invaded, they focused too much on speed. Even though it is important to mobilize soldiers quickly, there is no denying they were not fully prepared.

There was meaning in striking when the iron was hot and attacking the enemy when they were defenseless, making quick work of them. On the contrary, one couldn’t win a battle if they only focused on speed and lacked the strength to break through the enemy’s defenses.

In that sense, their last defeat was because the O’ltormea Empire could not keep up its momentum after defeating Joshua’s father, Arios Belares. Thus, they couldn’t take over the capital of Xarooda, Peripheria.

Their focus on speed was fatal. They neglected to prepare siege weapons, as doing so would have taken too much time.

This is just my opinion looking back, of course. 

In reality, he could imagine Peripheria falling according to Shardina Eisenheit’s plans if Xarooda hadn’t had a few lucky breaks. But the O’ltormeans had changed their plans this time and had made different choices based on their past mistakes.

“If we were to be invaded by such a huge power, there would be nothing we can do. Does that mean we’re readying ourselves for all-out war?”

The O’ltormea Empire should have understood that the Kingdom of Xarooda was in an alliance with four other nations headed by the Kingdom of Helnesgoula. Simply put, reinforcements from Myest, Rhoadseria, and Helnesgoula would arrive as time passed. They appeared ready to take on the whole alliance and anticipated doing so.

However, would she pick such tactics? An image of Shardina Eisenheit appeared in the back of his mind.

It was understandable that Shardina would want to reduce the damage done to the invading forces in Xarooda.

If they conquer us and we’re left defenseless, they could very well face an attack from the Holy Qwiltantia Empire to the west or from Helnesgoula to the north, mused Joshua, confronting issues he had no answer to. Am I missing something?

Naturally, there was no clear reason for any of it. An irritation consumed Joshua, which he couldn’t shake off. It was a hunch he couldn’t get rid of. His hunch would, unfortunately, become true.

A few days later, when Joshua was in a locked room in Fort Ushas working hard on a plan to repel the invading forces, he received an urgent report from Peripheria.

“His Majesty collapsed?!” Joshua’s enraged voice echoed around the room. Although intimidated by Joshua’s furious look, the messenger continued to fulfill his duty.

“Yes. Last night, while having his evening meal, His Majesty suddenly began to cough violently, subsequently losing consciousness. According to the court physician, this past week has taken its toll on him.”

“That’s ridiculous... How could this happen... Why?! Why now?!”

The messenger continued his report, “As a result, commander of the Imperial Guard, Lord Henschel, has taken charge of containing the nobles’ unrest. However, he requests that you return to the royal capital at once.”

Joshua clicked his tongue in response.

Unrest among the nobles? Just who... Just who started that? Is it that bastard, Count Schwarzheim? Or was it Duke Lautringde? 

The faces of the traitorous nobles rose in the back of his head before disappearing. Although he had no conclusive evidence, those were the kind of scumbags who would sell out their own country to the enemy if it meant they could benefit from it. They felt absolutely zero guilt about doing so and were treacherous beasts who deserved to be put down.

Shit! O’ltormea is about to act, and now we’re faced with this! Just as I thought. No matter what His Majesty said, they should have been put to death, even if they trumped the charges!

He had regrets he could no longer repent of. Joshua couldn’t do anything about it, especially if King Julianus I did not approve. Joshua had served the king for that reason. Yet he still found it incredibly irritating, no matter how sound an argument it was.

Joshua had already begun to think about how to act next.

What should I do? I’m still in the middle of preparing the defenses. If O’ltormea were to attack now... But if I stay here at Fort Ushas, the royal capital will fall into the hands of the nobles. This country may very well perish before the reinforcements even arrive. I hope Lord Grahart and Lord Ausan can keep the nobles at bay. Otherwise, they won’t ask me to come back. But I have to go back... I wonder if O’ltormea will do us the favor of not attacking?

It was a gamble. A disadvantageous one, at that.

With Julianus I becoming ill and the nobles causing issues in the royal capital, it was natural for Joshua to think these problems were connected to the looming O’ltormean invasion.

If Joshua was to return, then the troops from O’ltormea would march on Xarooda, as if they had been waiting for him to leave. Even though he was well aware of that, he could only do one thing.

“All right... I’ll head back immediately,” said Joshua, raising both fists above his head and slamming them down on the desk. As a result of the blow, the sturdy desk collapsed. Blood dripped from his fists, and his mouth filled with the taste of iron as he bit down hard.

Around the same time, in a pavilion erected on the Notis Plains, Shardina Eisenheit poured alcohol into a long, thin champagne glass. Light golden sparkling wine filled the glass, with bubbles rising to the top before disappearing. Shardina smiled at the special wine she had kept for this day.

“I guess now is a good time for it?”

Seria Norberg silently nodded in response to Shardina’s question and responded, “Yes. Everything is proceeding as planned. I believe Joshua, who is currently at Fort Ushas, just received the report.”

“I see... Not long now,” added Shardina, lifting her glass high and drinking it all in one gulp. It was as if she was trying to drink the entire Kingdom of Xarooda at once. Seria then finished her drink too. They vowed to take the heads of their enemies who had killed their beloved and respected grandfathers.

When the morning sun shone down on the land, the one hundred thousand soldiers gathered on the plains began a thunderous march toward the Kingdom of Xarooda. They headed toward the Lion Emperor’s dream of continental domination.