How long had I been guarding this seat? Pretty long, if I’m not mistaken.
The emperor sat there, fiddling with the armrest of his throne, lost in thought.
But why was he suddenly so reflective? It was because of a report that had just been submitted moments ago.
[ … Thus, we are currently in the process of urgently accepting Dedolant refugees, Your Majesty.]
When Kael first delivered this report, the emperor thought his ears were playing tricks on him.
Ruthlessly plundering the conquered kingdom of Dugal? Yeah, that he could understand.
But plundering their own citizens? Was this some strange new twist? Even the emperor, who had been on the throne for many years, had never heard of such a thing.
Sure, times were tough, and maybe the troops were starving, but come on—messing with the kingdom’s people? The very foundation that supports the army?
“Uh… Chief of Staff, is this absolutely certain? Could Dedolant possibly be tricking us into falling into some elaborate scheme?”
Not only was the emperor baffled, but the crown princess—who was seated nearby—also chimed in with a quick question, equally flustered. Even the First Prince Gnaius and the rest of the ministers, who were present, nodded their heads slowly, thinking, Yeah, Dedolant is a nasty bunch. They could totally be pulling something like this.
[ As Her Highness the Crown Princess pointed out, we’ve thoroughly investigated the refugees and defectors. There is absolutely no connection to Dedolant’s military plans. They are, without doubt, innocent civilians of Dedolant, suffering under these unfortunate circumstances.]
“Whaaaat?” Sighs of disbelief and bewilderment echoed throughout the hall.
Had anything like this ever happened before? Taking food from one’s own citizens and driving them out? Armies are supposed to protect the kingdom and its people, not sacrifice them for their own needs!
Are we saying the empire is now expected to feed these starving citizens after their own army turned on them? Madness!
“Chief of Staff, how many of these refugees are there currently?”
[ As of this morning, the number has already exceeded a thousand, and with each passing day, more are arriving. At this rate, we could easily see tens of thousands before long.]
With this revelation, the room became a buzz of worried calculations, especially among the Minister of War and the Minister of Finance.
On the bright side, these aren’t soldiers sent by Dedolant to trick them. Just regular folks caught in the crossfire. In a way, if handled correctly, this could provide the empire with a strong moral platform post-war.
But on the flip side, the influx of refugees could stretch the already strained supply lines further than they can bear. The Imperial Army has already pushed deep into Dedolant, and their supply routes are stretched out ridiculously far—longer than the distance from the empire’s mainland to its western borders. How will they handle this?
“Chief of Staff, if we add them into our current supply chain, wouldn’t it put us at risk?”
“That’s true, Your Excellency. Reports say these refugees are severely malnourished. Feeding them will definitely require diverting some of our resources.”
“And it’s not just that. Even if Dedolant’s people are weakened, we can’t neglect the need to monitor them. This means we’ll have to divert a certain number of troops as well, just in case.”
The urge to pass up this golden opportunity for noble propaganda was almost unbearable. The refugees practically handed it to them—the perfect chance to position the empire as the true rescuers of Dedolant’s citizens. After all, who would resist such a narrative: the people abandoned by their own government, now finding solace in the very army they once feared?
What better propaganda could there possibly be? Just thinking about it gives you shivers of delight!
But as tempting as this moral high ground may be, it comes with its own set of serious complications. Already, the numbers are climbing into the thousands, and projections estimate they could reach tens of thousands. What if the total skyrockets? What if it’s not just tens but hundreds of thousands?
Where would they find enough food, clothing, and shelter for all of them? Not just money, but manpower to watch over them too. Even if everything seems fine now, Dedolant might still have some nasty surprises up their sleeve. And during an ongoing offensive, pulling troops away is far from ideal.
“At this point, I’m wondering—could Dedolant possibly be counting on this?”
After Gnaius voiced his concerns, the rest of the ministers solemnly agreed.
“Chief of Staff!”
“[Yes, Your Majesty.]”
“Continue accepting the refugees. We will ensure they receive the necessary supplies, even if it means redirecting a portion of our resources away from combat. The Imperial Army must remain fully equipped.”
“[Understood, Your Majesty.]”
“And one more thing…”
The emperor tapped his fingers on the armrest, then continued.
“I want Paelus Gusthagen—the Dedolant commander who surrendered earlier—to oversee the management of these refugees.”
At this proposal, the crown princess sitting nearby lit up with approval. Smart move.
Although the current situation—with Dedolant citizens starving and turning to the empire for aid—is absurd, deep down, they will still see the empire as invaders. Whether this is true or not is irrelevant because, ultimately, they’ll believe it anyway.
However, if Paelus Gusthagen—a former commander of Dedolant who officially surrendered—takes the lead in managing his own people, the other Dedolant soldiers who also surrendered might feel reassured. Additionally, this could help Dedolant’s citizens, who are leaning towards the empire, feel more comfortable and trust their situation.
‘Not to mention, this is a great way to start shedding their false notions about us. Your Majesty has truly chosen the optimal strategy.’
[As per the emperor’s wish, I’ll assign Paelus Gusthagen to this task immediately. Should we avoid stationing Imperial Army troops nearby to supervise?]
“If we’re going to build trust, we need to show we believe in them completely. This way, it’ll discourage any dissenters while giving us a clear reason to deal harshly with those who betray that trust. Chief of Staff, ensure that no weapons are provided to them, but also that the empire refrains from separate monitoring.”
With this settled, the emperor moved onto the next agenda.
“How’s the progress on the ‘Manhattan Project’ you recommended earlier, Minister of Magic?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. We’re close to achieving the desired power levels. However, stabilization remains an issue. The calculations are complicated, and the materials required are not easy to procure.”
“Materials… silver, perhaps?”
“…Yes, Your Majesty. And in large quantities.”
Gold might be more valuable, but silver, due to its abundance, is the more widely used material. In the empire, all regular currency is made from silver. While gold is too precious to waste, silver has many more applications. Even so, mining vast amounts doesn’t mean we can afford to use it without restraint.
And now, they’re asking to burn through tons of silver as mere “materials.” No wonder the Minister of Magic hesitated before answering.
“Hmm.”
The other ministers exchanged awkward glances, clearly uncomfortable with this news. Even Gnaius, seated beside the emperor, wasn’t hiding his unease.
”So much silver. Is this project really necessary?”
The Imperial Army had already defeated Benito and crushed Artria. They’ve honed their tactics, brought new weapons into play. Dedolant may resist, but their downfall is imminent. Why invest so much now when the end seems so near?
“First Prince.”
As if reading his son’s thoughts, the emperor turned to address him directly.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“In life, some battles can’t be avoided, and some truths must be demonstrated, no matter the immediate cost. Sometimes, not pursuing something creates greater problems down the line.”
“…Your wisdom exceeds mine, Father.”
This wasn’t just a message for Gnaius but for all the ministers present. Perhaps even all of the empire.
“The Ministry of Finance must do everything in its power to support the Ministry of Magic. Should the need arise, the royal family will contribute its last reserves of silver. You, on the other hand, must focus entirely on stabilizing this project.”
“Yes, Your Majesty! I will give it my all!”
The next day, the Minister of Finance met with the Minister of Magic for an in-depth discussion.
“This magic has the power to destroy an entire fortress or even demolish half a city. However, it requires at least a hundred mages, consumes vast resources, and needs several steps for stabilization.”
“If the results are satisfactory, any price is worth paying. Speaking of which, I hear we need silver…”
“Yes. As I mentioned yesterday, we need amounts that exceed anything we’ve used thus far.”
Just how much are we talking about here?*
The Minister of Finance took a deep breath before asking.
“So… exactly how much silver do we need?”
“Let’s see… approximately ten thousand tons.”
The Minister of Finance stared blankly at the Minister of Magic for a moment.
“Excuse me, Minister. We measure silver in troy ounces in the Ministry of Finance.”
