Imperial Calendar Year 178. A sudden announcement washed ashore into the empire’s knowledge.
[Burkhai, Caden, and Porland. The aforementioned three kingdoms hereby swear before the Almighty God to weather all obstacles united under the name of alliance.]
The eastern trio of kingdoms, once notorious for bickering more than ruling, had finally joined hands.
Anyone could guess what these “obstacles” truly implied.
The Empire. Yep. Their “obstacles” clearly pointed to the Empire and nothing else.
Some people assumed they’d assemble like this, only to break apart soon enough, as if they couldn’t maintain the pact even a month. After all, if it were possible for those three kingdoms to cooperate so easily, they would’ve done it ages ago, right?
But even the skeptics soon detected something… off.
[For the sake of the united alliance, we shall undertake any action necessary. Should this challenge our foundations, everything except the divine shall be considered hostile.]
This wasn’t the usual diplomatic mumbo-jumbo—it was different. Things were starting to spiral in a peculiar direction. The word “hostile” didn’t usually belong in diplomatic announcements, but here it gloriously stood.
Soon, word spread that the Foreign Affairs Department was in overdrive.
Before long, the atmosphere was as tense as a thin sheet of ice on a winter pond. Every day, the Three Kingdom Alliance kept firing verbal assaults against the Empire—angrier and shriller with each passing moment.
It was natural to conclude what everyone feared: “War. This is going to be a war.”
The calm on the eastern front that had held for nearly a decade seemed destined to burst into flames once more. The speculation turned to who would declare war first. All bets were on the Empire; surely, such a massive nation wouldn’t let others take the first step, right?
But the Empire… said nothing. It merely expressed regret over the Three Kingdom Alliance’s rhetoric while keeping its own mouth firmly shut.
People unfamiliar with political games raised an eyebrow at this bizarre behavior. Meanwhile, the wiser ones had a hunch about what was really going on.
“Ah, the Empire doesn’t want to sweep the pro-Empire factions under the rug.”
“Phew! I thought I’d be branded a traitor next. Looks like this is gonna hold up for now.”
“The Anti-Empire factions need some kind of safeguard so they don’t run too wild.”
With that, the voices advocating an immediate war declaration started to quiet down instead, focusing instead on lambasting the Three Kingdom Alliance for disturbing the peace.
In the midst of this, the side that finally lost its cool wasn’t the Empire—it was the Three Kingdom Alliance.
Of course. Their situation wasn’t exactly peachy either.
“If we don’t flatten those pro-Empire factions soon…”
“If the Empire doesn’t declare war soon, our moral stance will lose steam, and the pro-Empire factions will gain ground again!”
“Frankly, if we fight, we’ll solidify our position. But if we don’t, this whole alliance might crumble.”
Indeed, the factions opposing the Empire that existed within each kingdom depended on this momentum. War was their only ally here. A declaration of war from the Empire would give them perfect justification, but why would the Empire hand it over willingly?
Thus, the Three Kingdom Alliance declared war against the Empire in the name of unity:
[We deeply regret the current state of affairs. But in the name of East’s lasting peace, we have reached a solemn resolution…]
Sure, they padded their official statement with pompous phrases—but boiled down, it was this:
”Hey, you Empire bastards! Let’s settle this! The East will crown us as victors!”
Their confidence wasn’t unfounded. While immense, the Empire’s territory bordered countless nations, making it nearly impossible for them to focus their full might on a single front.
Conversely, the Three Kingdom Alliance only had to deal with the Empire’s limited resources—worth a shot.
After their declaration, the Empire finally responded through its own Foreign Affairs Department:
We tried to maintain peace, but alas… these three kingdoms…
But in layman’s terms?
”Bring it on.”
And thus, war erupted between the Empire and the Three Eastern Kingdoms.
—
“Haa…”
Isabel sat in her private garden within the palace, lost in thought. The echo of recent conversations still lingered in her mind.
”Not at all, Your Highness Crown Princess. In such times, I believe it’s all the more crucial to not alienate the pro-Empire factions.”
“The pro-Empire faction within the Empire hasn’t completely failed.”
“For the future, it must remain undisturbed.”
Isabel knew Kael as someone who clearly aligned himself with the Anti-Empire faction. Otherwise, why would he confront the pro-Empire factions at social gatherings?
Which was why, when news broke of the Eastern Alliance’s formation and the three kingdoms opting for war over dialogue against the Empire, Isabel was curious: how would Kael choose to suppress the pro-Empire factions?
But Kael’s response, calm and concise, had been a shocking deviation: “We mustn’t do that.”
According to him, the Eastern Alliance’s decision to confront the Empire wasn’t proof against dialogue but an opportunity to apply pressure in a different manner—one Isabel had never considered.
Kael’s words struck a chord deep in Isabel’s chest.
”Those in power fear losing their influence more than their nations. Even when the future is clear as day, they can’t ignore public sentiment shifting in the present.”
While this referred to the factions opposing the Empire in the three kingdoms, Isabel couldn’t help but feel it applied to her as well.
She realized, at some point, she had subconsciously equated the Anti-Empire faction with righteousness and viewed the pro-Empire faction as nothing more than foes.
Yet the truth was, both factions were working for the Empire—just using different methods. She had merely feared losing ground if their ideals were adopted.
—
Knock knock*
“Hii?! Oh!”
“…You looked startled.”
Isabel almost jumped out of her skin when the figure approached her, startling her visitor too.
It was none other than His Highness Gnaius, the First Prince.
“No way! When did you get here?!”
“Just now. Or rather, why didn’t you answer after I called you three times? For a moment there, I thought you were avoiding me.”
“Three times? Huh?” Isabel squinted at him in disbelief. “Seriously? Did you even call?”
But she soon shook her head and smiled, despite the incredulous look now plastered on the Prince’s face.
“I didn’t expect you to react so casually.”
“What?”
“I thought you’d yell at me to go away the moment you saw me. I figured you’d say the Three Kingdoms betrayal was all my fault since I advocated dialogue.”
“Ah…” Isabel gave a slight nod.
The response didn’t sit well with the Prince.
“Bell?”
“Yeah?”
“…Your reaction’s too calm. It’s weird.”
“Too calm? What are you talking about?”
“That your views are wrong. That the pro-Empire faction is mistaken. I expected you to shout that. And I thought I wouldn’t even know how to respond.”
Prince Gnaius’s words made Isabel smile gently before replying.
She shared how she had a profound realization while listening to a pair of wise voices, learning what she had never considered before.
“Hmm…”
The First Prince stood there quietly, listening to his sister’s thoughts.
Then, he decided to sit beside her and ask a question.
“One of these two voices is yours, Sister. And judging by your reaction, the other is likely Kael.”
“Are you spying on me, brother?”
“An Empire Prince doesn’t snoop on princesses. Not unless he has a good reason.”
As he teased Isabel, he explained how obvious it was. She’d met the Crown Princess recently, with Kael in attendance. And the convergence of these factors painted an evident picture.
She must’ve undergone some great revelation during that meeting. Gnaius would too under similar circumstances.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Her straightforward answer amused him.
“Feels like a breakthrough, doesn’t it? Like the saying goes: it’s good to stay close to people better than yourself. You always learn something new.”
“Great to hear.”
“That reminds me, Kael told Sister to keep the pro-Empire factions intact. Did you know?”
“That’s… new information.”
As Isabel started enthusiastically describing Kael’s virtues, Gnaius found himself increasingly impressed.
Kael, how far ahead can you see?
Is a man our age truly capable of such foresight?
“Sister recently ordered Kael to join the military.”
“That’s her way of testing him then?”
“I’ve never seen her laugh so warmly.”
“…Hmm…”
“Big brother?”
“This isn’t good… Not for Kael, at least.”
But Gnaius couldn’t voice his concerns, so he simply shrugged and let it rest.
