Two legions from the eastern front are making their way down, which is undoubtedly good news for the southern front. If they can take over the border defense, our local legions here can focus entirely on the offense. Of course, expecting them to do much more than that would be a stretch. These eastern legions are specifically trained for the situations and environments of the east.
That’s why the Emperor likely decided to only relocate these two legions. The Empire didn’t distinguish between regional legions for no good reason. Each legion is meticulously honed for maximum battlefield efficiency in their respective territories.
As one of them quipped, “How is the battle situation turning out, Commander?”
“Not good. It seems the Holy Kingdom has suffered yet another defeat.”
The two conversing were none other than the Marquis Rylas and the Commander of the 6th Legion. Without knowing the details, it was clear from their expressions and tone that the situation was dire. The occasional mutterings of “Benito’s crazy bunch!” were clear evidence of this.
The southern front wasn’t looking too sunny. First and foremost, the maritime trade took a direct hit. It was simply too uncertain to conduct business as usual amidst a war. Those who traded with the Holy Kingdom especially got slammed due to the coastline blockade. The occasional mention of trade losses and public outrage weighed heavily.
“We considered exerting pressure on Benito to lift the coastal blockade, at the very least.”
“Halt. Commander, doing so would merely provide them with an excuse of political interference.”
“True. The Foreign Ministry conveyed the same.”
Meanwhile, the Holy Kingdom, sensing their urgency, played their trump card.
[The Holy Ground consecrated by Lunen’s miracle is under attack!]
[The Holy Army! In the name of the Pope, I declare Holy War!]
[Whosoever shall destroy the wicked of Benito shall receive the love of Lunen!]
[Soldiers of the Holy Army, march on Benito!]
Following the shockwaves, they declared a Holy War. The ultimate card the Holy Kingdom could play. If the shockwaves offered a legal justification for a beating, the Holy War was essentially a half-coercive challenge that stated, “If you don’t destroy this guy, you’re just as bad.”
For those who follow the Light Doctrine, this was a cry they couldn’t ignore. However, had this been a few decades ago, things might have been different. Today, the status and influence of the Holy Kingdom had significantly declined.
“No southern kingdom has responded to the call of the Holy War yet.”
“Remarkable. I never imagined they would turn their backs to this extent.”
“With the Holy Kingdom present in the south, aren’t the southern kingdoms’ populations known to follow the Light Doctrine closely? How could this happen, Your Grace?”
“I find it puzzling as well. How did they suppress the resistance?”
It was then that the two suddenly turned their heads towards me.
…What? Why does it feel like I’m about to get asked “What do you think?”
“Kael.”
The Princess nudged my ribs with her elbow next to me.
It was blatantly obvious she wanted me to voice my thoughts.
But… I truly don’t know. Right? It’s impossible to say!
I don’t have spies planted in the southern kingdoms or anything!
What am I supposed to say? Should I just boldly declare, “I don’t know.”?
But even suggesting that felt wrong due to my hard-earned reputation.
“Hmm… Well… In my view… Perhaps…”
Screw it. Let’s just ramble whatever comes to mind.
After all, no one knows the actual answer right now. No matter what I say, no one can confidently declare it wrong.
“Perhaps not all the kingdoms have completely suppressed internal opposition.”
“What do you mean by that, young master?”
“I’m curious myself. If they haven’t suppressed the resistance, how are they outright ignoring the church’s decree?”
“Perhaps precisely because of that, they are even more boldly ignoring the Holy Kingdom’s demand for a Holy War.”
With Benito excluded, the southern kingdoms probably desire stronger royal authority. This is a natural drive, a normal ambition and instinct of any ruler. All the Holy Kingdom does is incessantly get in the way. A bothersome and aggravating obstacle.
It must be removed. Only then can they move forward toward their goals. But there’s no rule saying the order must be strict.
First, move forward, and only then clear the path.
The situation in the southern kingdoms could look similar to this, I think. Whether the people protest or not, they’ll just be steamrolled for now. The church is bound to lose anyway. Once the situation is nearing its end, they’ll reveal the truth to them. Look. The holy land where miracles of the gods are performed is just another nation. Aren’t they kneeling now? And those who claim to speak for the gods, aren’t they like that too? Has divine punishment befallen us? No, it hasn’t. Thus, the church is nothing. God is just God. Believing is a choice, not an enforced reason!
“If such a rationale were given, it seems not entirely impossible.”
Before I knew it, my story got a bit long-winded.
It was so disjointed and disorganized that I began to worry if it would stick. Just as this thought crossed my mind,
“Hmm.”
“Lord Marquis, if what young Kael said is true…”
“The Commander is right. Perhaps not all southern kingdoms have fully submitted to or merged with Benito as I initially assumed. Isn’t that right, master Kael?”
“…Yes?”
“You seem to believe that Benito hasn’t become the sole representative of all southern kingdoms.”
“I….”
“Yes, that’s it. How could I have forgotten! The situation is too urgent and I was only looking at the worst case, overlooking the reality that relations among the southern kingdoms are by no means good.”
“My lord…?”
“They’re just rejecting the Holy Kingdom’s order, not fully allying with Benito. Perhaps this gives us an opening to create some leverage.”
“…”
I had no idea. It was awkward to interrupt since the Marquis was on his own track.
But as things seemed to be shaping up well, I decided to stay quiet.
“Your Highness. I’ll convey this to the Foreign Ministry. Perhaps we may disrupt the order Benito’s trying to impose in the south, while also finding a reason to deploy our imperial forces.”
“Understood, Lord Marquis. Safe travels.”
Did something work out just because I rambled aimlessly?
I wanted to ask what they were thinking, but I couldn’t bear to.
The Marquis seemed to have some idea from my words, but if I were to ask, “Do you have a good plan?” it’d just look awkward.
“Indeed, Kael.”
“Excuse me?”
“Have you thought of another strategy?”
“Um, that is…”
There is absolutely no strategy or anything! I’m just some ordinary guy!
Pretending not to be a genius strategist, I fidgeted, causing the Princess to glare at me.
“Again? Again, you’re trying to say, ‘Oh, this isn’t a strategy or anything,’ or ‘I really haven’t done anything,’ right?”
“But that’s how it truly happened…”
“Didn’t I tell you already? Your excessive humility is getting old!”
It was hard to argue against her accusations while thinking, “But it’s the truth!”
The war minister wasn’t the only one lamenting their plight. The foreign minister was also clutching his head in frustration today.
At least the war minister had it easier. After all, he didn’t have to handle four-front warfare.
(If the war minister ever heard this, he’d probably scream about how absurd it was.)
Meanwhile, the foreign minister was in a much worse spot. North—Nobogorod. East—the three kingdoms. West—Dedolant. And now the south—Benito.
‘At this point, maybe we should just exclude Nobogorod.’
At least they recognized the Empire’s superiority early on and entered internal consolidation.
Unlike the fragile coalition of the three eastern kingdoms, which declared war on the Empire unwisely, or Dedolant, which paid lip service to the Empire while behaving aggressively, or the unpredictable Benito.
Compared to these, Nobogorod’s situation was almost welcome.
Amidst this chaos, the foreign minister received a new development from the southern front.
At first, he was puzzled, but soon recognized the possibility and began to devise a new plan. His aides’ conclusions seemed quite plausible.
“The situation in the south may appear to be the old order of the Holy Kingdom against the rising Benito, but there are certainly more intricate circumstances beneath.”
“The nearby kingdoms of Benito may face difficulty resisting its growing influence, but those further out might not.”
“History tells us why the Holy Kingdom gained its social standing. It wasn’t purely for religious reasons. It was due to their role in restraining the constant infighting among the southern kingdoms.”
The downfall 1 target for the southern kingdoms isn’t the Holy Kingdom itself.
It’s simply the entrenched religious supremacy due to the church.
From their perspective, it’s troublesome for religious piety to outrank the authority of their rulers.
Then what’s their downfall target 2?
Obvious. The neighboring countries threatening to engulf them.
They’ve realized by now. They simply can’t unite.
Living by maintaining a fine balance, thinking oneself is somehow better than others, and continuing in peace, is ironically the most advantageous way for their survival.
“Already a pretext has been established. The Holy Kingdom’s excommunication and Holy War declaration against King Benito.”
“The remaining factor is how the southern kingdoms react as our imperial legions make their way through. Perhaps everything might go smoother than we anticipated.”
“We should move before Benito’s power grows too much. Though the Empire initiating first may feel odd, using the Holy War as a reason, we should be able to manage…”
However, the following day, the foreign ministry’s strategy completely unraveled.
[Dedolant launches an all-out attack against Dugal.]
[Massive battle ensues. Dugal suffers a crushing defeat, loses all of its western territories.]
Dugal’s west completely fell into the hands of Dedolant.
Meaning, Dedolant and Benito were now directly connected.
