The Imperial Southern Legions: 4th, 6th, 13th, and 15th Legions.
Four legions departed their encampments one after another, beginning their march. Even the 18th Legion, which carried a reserve unit feel, followed behind.
An overwhelming force of nearly 100,000—an imposing number that only counted pure combat troops, leaving out the concentrated units entirely.
This massive army began to march south, brimming with grandeur.
After all, just a short while ago, the Empire was dead set against mobilizing its legions.
It cost far too much in military expenses—costs that could destabilize the Empire itself if not handled properly. How much bl**d money had been poured into the Eastern Front just over the past two months?
The situation now was different from the Western border disputes with Dedolant. The established order of the Empire didn’t need to be compensated with the spoils of war. Time, a little breathing room, was all they needed to recover their losses.
But, as luck would have it, circumstances weren’t on their side. Flames were rising everywhere, and there was a very real threat of them spreading to the Empire.
This was now considered a serious crisis situation.
First, the royal family took the lead, declaring the imperial treasury would be supplemented with the private funds of the royal family. The Marquises, Dukes of the Empire, and countless nobles followed suit. If that still wasn’t enough, there was always the option of revising the laws, however regrettable. The citizens would have to tighten their belts too.
“Should the worst happen, we might have to open both the Western and Southern fronts simultaneously.”
These were the chilling conclusions reached by the War Ministry and Foreign Affairs Ministry.
“Your Highness Princess.”
“…”
“Your Highness Princess?”
“…”
Something felt off. Normally, it’s the princess calling me, and I’d perk up suddenly with an ‘Eh?!’. But now, she seems completely out of it.
She has her reasons, though. I’m barely keeping it together myself. News over the last few weeks has been utterly absurd.
“First, Benito went ballistic, declaring an excommunication and razing the Holy Kingdom. Then Dedolant went and smashed Dugal, seizing all of the Western territories. And then… they formed an alliance.”
Even the Foreign Ministry didn’t anticipate such a clandestine pact. The Ministry went into shock when the news broke.
Dedolant, a true powerhouse when it came to military might. Benito, now a formidable southern presence, at least based on recent standards.
Their alliance was not good news at all.
And the cherry on this disaster sundae? The most recent event, obviously.
“Prince Kael.”
The 6th Legion Commander cautiously approached and asked, “How could Benito possibly declare war on the Empire?”
“Benito’s king must’ve gone insane after being excommunicated.”
“Hahaha. Your jokes are helping to ease some of the tension. Haha!”
They’re not jokes. This is me seriously wondering what kind of lunatic starts a war with the Holy Kingdom and then immediately declares war on the Empire.
It’s more believable to hear someone say, “I’m suicidal,” than this ridiculousness.
There’s no way someone in their right mind would pull this off, and even if they tried, their advisors should be biting their tongues to stop them.
It’s like Japan suddenly launching a preemptive strike on Pearl Harbor or Italy randomly attacking Greece while shouting about “Duce.” Madness.
“What could possibly be running through their minds? Is there some hidden ace up their sleeves?”
I kept thinking of every possible scenario Benito might be plotting, but the same conclusion kept rearing its head: Benito’s Andrea II is riding a blissful feedback loop of madness.
“Let’s assume the most probable scenario. Their goal is to lure our empire as far south as possible and bleed our resources dry.”
“You mean by luring us?”
“Yes. They must realize that within the past year, the Empire has spent an astronomical amount on military expenses.”
“By declaring war, they aim to force even more expenditures on the Empire. Once our legions cross the border and march south, the costs will be astronomical compared to just staying in camp.”
At my explanation, the 6th Legion Commander nodded in agreement. It’s clear that expanding the frontlines increases the burden. Even the Empire, supposedly the strongest, has its limits—especially when we’re entering enemy territory and have to worry about supply lines.
And yet, for all the logical assumptions we can make, declaring war is still absurd. For this strategy to succeed, Benito would have to somehow hold out against the empire’s legions, and the southern kingdoms’ forces would need to do at least half as well.
Without this baseline of success, their grand strategy collapses immediately.
‘How could they possibly think this through when the gap between the Imperial Legions and the southern armies is so vast? What are they planning to do if the southern kingdoms suddenly turn their backs? They’ll be isolated and crushed before they even have a chance to fight back.’
It’s hard to imagine the southern kingdoms being unaware of what happened in the east. They know full well how the grand coalition they started only two months ago disintegrated into chaos.
As a rule, no operation ever lasts longer than three minutes without chaos. All the talk of trust and non-betrayal agreements means very little when humans are so treacherous and selfish that their minds can change at any moment.
And yet, I came to realize that I had underestimated the south.
“…Still, no kingdom has responded positively, you say?”
A week after crossing into the southern continent from the border, this news from the Legion Commander drew a sigh of exasperation.
“Yes, Prince Kael. Kingdoms near Benito, as well as those far away, are all wary of our legions. This situation makes it dangerous for us to advance too deeply because our supply lines are precarious.”
“But if we press forward by force through each southern kingdom, our legions will inevitably suffer losses in some form or another.”
The Imperial Southern Legions had two main goals: overthrowing Benito and rescuing the Holy Kingdom. Battles with other southern kingdoms were only expected as a part of the process.
Initially, they sought to use intimidation over outright force, considering the supply lines in the short term and the future southern trade in the long term.
Yet, here we were—neither the enticements nor the sight of four imperial legions were intimidating the southern kingdoms into submission. In fact, the news was that the atmosphere was growing even more hostile.
“They claim that while Benito declared war, their hostility towards us suggests that they believe they stand alongside Benito.”
“There are southern armies waiting for us to advance. What should we do?”
“They’re asking us to clarify—if the Empire is truly here for the sake of the crusade, or are we here to conquer the south during this opportunity. They demand a response.”
This is bad. The situation is deteriorating quickly. The east was bad, but it wasn’t this bad.
“Looks like this is the southern kingdoms venting their resentment towards the empire.”
The explanation eventually came from the princess, who had returned to her normal self a few days ago, it seemed. She had connections with the Marquis of Rylas from the south and had likely heard something noteworthy.
“The south hasn’t had a strong unifying center for a long time. It has been under the religious control of the Holy Kingdom and economically and culturally tied down by the Empire.”
“But surely, with legions at their doorstep, they wouldn’t side with Benito? It’s not rational, Your Highness.”
“I understand the legion commanders’ concerns, but sometimes the world does irrational things. Isn’t that right, Kael?”
As the princess’s question hung in the air, I slowly nodded in agreement.
You’re right. When has the world ever run on pure rationality? If it did, those major victories in the east wouldn’t have been possible. Rather, it’s precisely because this is the world that emotions often outweigh logical thinking.
“So, we can’t have this. We’ll end up dealing with all the southern kingdoms before we can even confront Benito. Isn’t that right, Kael?”
In response to the princess’s question, I summed up the situation up to this point:
“Yes, Your Highness. If things go like this, tactically the legions may win, but strategically it will be the south—specifically Benito—who will win.”
The reason we crossed the border in the first place was due to the Holy Kingdom’s excommunication of Benito. We moved to proclaim a crusade, not to conquer the southern kingdoms—it simply wouldn’t be worth it.
But if the southern kingdoms won’t back down and continue to support Benito… using force to suppress them would mean losing the hearts of the southern people. Worse still, the news would spread, destabilizing not just the south but even the west, east, and north, tarnishing the Empire’s reputation even further as a dark and treacherous power.
If we stall here, Benito will eliminate the last resistance of the Holy Kingdom—force out the pope and replace him with a puppet, then revoke the excommunication and crusade. The Empire would lose both its just cause and its gains. Our dignity would be shattered.
“…Perhaps we should just break through the southern kingdoms outright.”
“That cannot be done. If we label ourselves as invaders of the south, the situation will spiral out of control.”
I quickly cut off the legion commander’s suggestion, emphasizing the importance of just cause.
Why do I keep harping on this? Because it’s crucial. This just cause is the mechanism by which we can sway the local populace. There’s a reason I can’t stress the importance of public sentiment enough—it’s that critical.
“So, there’s but one solution. We need to peel the southern kingdoms away from Benito.”
“But, Your Highness, these are kingdoms that have resisted us even with four legions bearing down on them. If we step back, they’ll surely disrespect us further.”
“I think we need to respect their pride. Think about it. Could any ruler truly tolerate foreign forces moving through their territory?”
Just cause, utility, and pride—three headache-inducing problems. We need to find a compromise. There must be something where both sides can yield a little.
What could it be? How can we coax the southern kingdoms into turning their backs on Benito and supporting the empire—something they can do proudly despite being branded traitors?
Then…
“Hmm.”
It’s the best option we have at the moment.
“Your Highness.”
“Yes, Kael.”
“Are there any southern kingdoms hostile towards Benito?”
“I’ve heard some things from the Marquis.”
“Then send envoys there. Propose talks. And, Commander?”
“Yes, Prince Kael?”
“Looks like we’re going to have to throw down. There’s the Gori Kingdom blocking our path to Benito, correct?”
“Yes, and they’re close allies with Benito.”
“Perfect.”
My chosen card is simple: carrots in one hand, sticks in the other. Come on, you bastards!
