254. The Method of Distinguishing Good and Evil (2)
If you were to pick the most famous person in the northern part of the empire right now, you could point to the ‘scoundrel’ Robert. In just a few months, he had become the most notorious troublemaker in noble society.
Known as the emperor’s second son and a skilled administrative noble, he had quickly gained control of Gur’s military authority and was pressuring pro-emperor dukes from all sides, inciting war.
The rumors about him were as follows:
Scoundrel, warmonger, privateer pirate, godless man, disgrace to the Tremule court…
“Do you know what these people have in common?”
Robert put down the report and took off his glasses.
He held a cup of coffee with steam gently rising and took a sip.
“What is it?”
“They’ve all been attacked by me at least once. In other words, it’s what the pro-emperor dukes are saying now.”
As Robert chuckled and said this, Rene laughed along.
The two were currently sailing on the naval fleet, known as the ‘Tremule Privateer Ship.’
Looking down at the sea map, Robert counted the cities marked in red. Already five. If they had any brains, they should have noticed by now.
Robert’s fleet was indiscriminately plundering pro-emperor coastal cities, especially those suspected of being corrupted by vampires.
Officially, the Tremule privateer fleet had become a rogue pirate group after their contract with the family ended. The Tremule count had issued a formal statement: ‘Those pirates are not our responsibility, but it is deeply regrettable.’
The other families who had been plundered had this to say:
‘Don’t talk nonsense.’
‘Then why is Robert Tremule leading the privateer ship?’
The Tremule count’s response to the noble society’s opinion was simple and stubborn.
‘We will not respond to fabricated falsehoods and political schemes, and Sir Robert Benitier Tremule is currently recuperating from an illness.’
That was the claim. Robert, who had fallen ill during his envoy mission to Ribue, was now focusing on recovering in Gur.
And without fail, the Tremule privateer fleet appeared in the territories of nobles, especially those of the pro-emperor faction, who doubted this claim and began looting.
As the saying goes, laws and rumors start from afar, but a pirate’s spear and sword are right in front of you.
“Let’s talk more about that. I really couldn’t believe it. The story of Duke Sephor’s downfall.”
“Ah, it’s a very hot topic right now.”
In response to Rene’s question, Robert spoke nonchalantly and clasped his hands. Seeing his demeanor, Rene chuckled. He looked more like a pirate than a noble.
“You’ve heard the story of Duke Sephor’s legion being defeated by bandits and disbanded, right?”
“Everyone’s heard that. Even my deputy was making a fuss about it. Is it true?”
It had been over a month since the rumors from the western region had swept across the empire. It was a sensational story that the powerful Duke Sephor’s domain had fallen to mere bandits.
There was no one in the empire, regardless of status, who hadn’t heard the rumor. The once-great Duke Sephor’s family had become a laughingstock overnight.
The story was that an army of ten thousand had been disbanded by a mere few hundred bandits in a surprise attack, and Duke Antoine de Sephor had died miserably in battle while fleeing.
And one of the few people who knew the truth of this rumor was the man before them.
The head of Iron Side, the man who held the empire’s top intelligence group, Robert.
“Not all rumors are false.”
“…Are you saying that ten thousand regular troops were really defeated by bandits?”
“The story of a few hundred soldiers defeating a legion of ten thousand is true.”
“Soldiers?”
“They weren’t bandits, Lady Carvelier. They were elite soldiers. The ‘Heartseekers,’ following Chieftain Kirhas Hearttaker. There are few knight orders on this continent that surpass them.”
At Robert’s words, Rene’s eyes widened.
Since Duke Sephor had been hostile to the Carvelier duchy, it was expected that Kirhas would move, and indeed, Kirhas was now in control of Bülrang city… so it was possible.
But Kirhas’s main force was in the west. That meant he couldn’t have directly deployed his main force in the battle that took place in the central part of the empire…
“Are you saying that a beastman legion secretly infiltrated the empire?”
“If ten thousand troops had engaged in battle, the rumor wouldn’t have spread like that. It wasn’t a battle, Lady Duke. It was literally a night raid. According to informants, it was a fire attack in the mountains.”
Robert pointed to a mountainous area near the capital.
It was a mountain range located at the western end of Paltennoia.
“They say a fire broke out so large that all the forests in this area were completely burned. It was big enough to be seen from all nearby villages. And in that forest…”
“Duke Sephor was there, I suppose.”
“Exactly. It was a fire attack. One of the few truths in the rumor is that three hundred cavalrymen defeated ten thousand troops. Can you guess who led them?”
“Don’t tell me…”
“Correct. It was Sir Sernerd.”
Robert burst out laughing as he said this.
Originally, no matter how much of an ally someone is, if they show such excessive ability, they are usually kept in check.
But when achievements go beyond reason. For example, when someone actually achieves the impossible, like defeating an army of ten thousand with three hundred cavalry.
From then on, they are no longer an object of caution.
They are an object of awe.
Fire attacks may seem simple, but they are actually very tricky tactics. Fire is unpredictable and doesn’t distinguish between friend and foe, especially in mountainous areas where it doesn’t always flow in favor of the allies.
Also, fire is more visible at night. If you set a fire near a camp of ten thousand, you have to be prepared to be discovered before the fire spreads.
From that moment on, the hunt begins.
No matter how skilled you are, if ten thousand people are determined to search, you can’t escape in the mountains. That’s the end.
You have to face the great army with three hundred men.
But look at what this man did.
He set a fire so large that it couldn’t be extinguished, unnoticed by ten thousand men, in the middle of the night, and wiped them out overnight, cutting off the duke’s head.
Is this possible? Robert shook his head.
Without magic, it’s impossible. But even with magic, it’s still impossible. The duke’s army surely had high-level combat mages stationed in large numbers.
Even if all three hundred men led by Fernandez were combat mages, it would still be a difficult feat to pull off while leading cavalry.
A monster. That’s how Robert judged him. An incomprehensible and unpredictable monster.
At least, it’s not wise to oppose him on the battlefield.
Judging from the results of the last western expedition, he was a ‘man not to be messed with.’
“Anyway, thanks to that, the western region is now sorted out.”
“Finally, the emperor is surrounded.”
“He might think it’s a civil war.”
The eastern region is at war with the forces led by King Vicente, the west has completely fallen into the hands of Duke Carvelier, and the northern coastline is practically under the control of Count Tremule.
The emperor and the pro-emperor faction dukes are practically surrounded on all sides. A perfect multi-front formation.
But outwardly, this series of events would seem completely independent.
Carvelier in the west is flying the banner of protecting the imperial family, Vicente in the east is just a simple disturbance, and the north is just sporadic raids by uncontrollable pirates.
But the fact that they are all secretly working together. At least, it won’t reach the emperor’s ears. As long as Iron Side is in Robert’s hands. Never.
“So where are we heading now? Back to Gur to prepare for an all-out war?”
“Not yet. There’s somewhere we need to stop by before Gur.”
As Robert pointed to a corner of the map,
Rene tilted her head. The northern port city of Tnel. It was the territory of the Count of Montfoa.
“Are we attacking this port? The Montfoa family is a vassal of Marquis Grimor.”
“And Marquis Grimor is part of the anti-Emperor faction?”
“He’s one of the most prominent figures in the anti-Emperor faction. Wasn’t his family the one that most vehemently opposed the Tremule family during the last Elector’s Council?”
“That’s right. They’ve been consistent since then.”
“Has the Montfoa family betrayed Marquis Grimor?”
“That’s highly likely.”
Robert leaned back deeply in his chair and sipped his coffee. He gazed at the horizon, thinking of the distant port.
“There have been reports of vampire incidents.”
Most vampire incidents occurred within the Emperor’s faction. However, a few small-scale vampire ‘incidents’ had been happening in the territories of the anti-Emperor faction.
It was strange. Even if the Emperor was trying to expand his influence through vampirism.
Now, he should be focusing on consolidating his own forces rather than expanding his influence. With the situation as dire as it is, is he still playing political games?
His map was dotted with numerous marks. They were indicators of small-scale incidents that appeared to be the work of vampires. The marks were scattered all over the Empire.
* * *
At that moment, Fernandez was looking at a map handed to him in secret by an Iron Side agent, identical to Robert’s.
Along with a summary report of vampire incidents occurring across the Empire.
-This looks familiar.
Faijashi stroked his chin as he looked down at the map.
It was a map with irregular dots spreading like stains. Just like the map in the Inquisition Office’s monastery head’s room. The incidents seemed to have no connection to each other.
But it felt familiar. Two years ago, he had seen a map like this.
The demon summoning circles drawn by the Bronze Scales across the entire Phaeirn Kingdom.
Just like back then, when individual demon incidents were used as part of a magical formation circuit spanning the entire nation…
However, being able to anticipate the Bronze Scales’ magical formations was largely due to memories from a past life. Knowing what they had done in a past life allowed him to stay one step ahead.
But now, it’s different. The corruption of the Imperial Palace, the Empire’s internal strife, and the intervention of vampires have created a situation entirely unlike the past.
From now on, all doubts must be resolved through speculation and reasoning.
So Fernandez sat before the map, feeling as though he was solving a deep logical puzzle.
The concept of a national-scale magical formation was still far from being publicly discussed. Therefore, Fernandez’s speculation was likely just conjecture.
Connecting dots to form a magical formation is akin to looking at stars and creating constellations.
It’s an act of drawing ambiguous shapes filled with many omissions and countless speculations.
The same arrangement of dots can take on entirely different forms depending on how the lines are drawn. With only this much information, it’s nearly impossible to sketch out a magical formation whose existence is uncertain.
Unless it’s a formation already known.
-No. That’s impossible.
‘But look. If we take this part as the central node and insert a logic converter in this direction, then from here to here. The first core node is formed.’
-If that’s the case, it’s better to draw a line all the way here. That way, there’s less circuit leakage. Insert a repetitive node here and replace this entire region with a circulator.
‘Isn’t that too sophisticated for this era? We need to lower our expectations a bit.’
-As strong as possible for the enemy, as weak as possible for allies. That’s the basic strategy.
‘What a great strategist you are, Faijashi.’
Fernandez and Faijashi were discussing while looking at the map. On his table, scribbled notes and memos had piled up like a tower.
Since receiving the map early this morning, they had stayed up all night, drawing countless magical formations and discarding just as many. Everything seemed possible, yet everything felt like baseless speculation.
-Let’s just admit it. This is an overreaction.
Discarding the hundred and sixty-second magical formation, Faijashi let out a sigh. Because they shared the same experiences and thought processes, reaching a conclusion wasn’t easy.
Sharing the same experiences meant they couldn’t compensate for each other’s flaws and ignorance. Therefore, one person’s opinion had to be unconditionally refuted by the other to check for logical flaws.
But since both were on the same level, the flaws in their logic were equally exposed.
It was no different from meaningless repetitive labor that lasted all night.
‘There was something we didn’t consider.’
-What?
‘The ‘why’.’
-Huh?
‘Why, why on earth are they doing something so crude?’
It was such a basic question that it hadn’t crossed their minds.
‘If this is really some kind of scheme by the Imperial Palace to create a magical formation, why on earth are they doing this?’
A magical formation is, of course, a procedure to implement magic. So drawing a magical formation means intending to use magic, and magic must have a purpose.
Before speculating on what kind of magical formation it is, we need to think about what they intend to do with such a large-scale magic.
Why? Why are they doing this?
Given their current situation, which is far from favorable. At this point, when the Empire’s state is anything but stable. Is there something they must achieve even at the cost of depleting their influence and mobility?
-So, it’s more reasonable to think these are independent actions by vampires who have lost control, not a magical formation.
‘It’s not about reasonableness. Let’s just assume one thing. This is the preliminary stage of a magical formation. Just think about that and look.’
-So?
‘If they need ‘some kind’ of magical formation, and are even planning it on a ‘national scale’, what do they need at this point?’
The Imperial Palace is rapidly losing its religious and political standing. If the Emperor desires his eternal reign, this is the worst possible situation for him.
If he is willing to give up all his external influence to secretly draw a magical formation, it means he has a way to turn this situation around…
-Well, maybe he’s trying to summon a god?
‘Faijashi.’
-What? Don’t get all serious over a joke.
‘That’s not it. Faijashi.’
Fernandez suddenly picked up a pen. He calmly drew lines on the map. Stroke by stroke. Precisely. As if he were drawing a real magical formation.
-……
Faijashi’s grumbling subsided. He too was now looking at the map with a serious expression.
Imagining a magical formation by connecting dots is nearly impossible. To understand the opponent’s goal and analyze the magical formation they are trying to create, at least a few more conditions need to be added.
However, if there’s something that can be imagined with only the minimal units of a magical formation present.
It’s a magical formation already known.
-Oh my god.
Faijashi let out a short groan as he watched the magical formation slowly take shape.
The hundred and sixty-third magical formation design. The magical formation completed under Fernandez’s hand…
‘It wasn’t a god, Faijashi.’
Urcasia. The King of Insects. The God of Plague. The Lord of the Festering. The Formless One. The Master of the Maggot Nest.
A Great Demon. A being with divinity.
Vampirism is a type of disease. A curse accumulated over long years, a disease formed by the curse received from a god.
And if vampires need the power of a ‘god’…
‘The Emperor is trying to summon Urcasia.’
-Damn it. This is…
‘The Imperial Palace is the gateway. Centered around Paltennoia…’
Fernandez ignored the chair that clattered to the floor as he hastily stood up. He quickly grabbed his weapons and strapped on his sword.
There’s no time. As always. The Emperor’s magical formation is still missing components, and it will take more time to complete. But even before completion, signs of the Great Demon’s summoning will become visible.
But there’s something more urgent. To summon a god, a being with divinity into the material world, a corresponding level of sacrifice is needed.
In a past life, to summon the four angels of Vaitas, the Churches of the Temple of the Gods had to offer divine relics as sacrifices. First-class relics like the Keyblade.
What would the Emperor offer to summon a Great Demon? What has he offered? What is he trying to do? The souls of ordinary civilians wouldn’t even come close.
The Emperor has a daughter.
A daughter who didn’t exist in a past life.
An Archangel.
‘Damn it, Vaitas!!’
You must save my four daughters. That sentence implied many things.
For example, it meant that he knew his daughters were in danger.
‘This isn’t just ‘danger’!!’
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