Nobogorod, the Demon Race Council. The councilors gathered there couldn’t hide their somber expressions.
More accurately, the Moderates were truly somber, while the Hardliners were only pretending to be.
“Can you believe this nonsense? This has gone way too far!”
“They’ve disturbed the rest of the dead. Is this really something fellow demons should do?”
“Not even the Empire, who we fought against in the past, would do something like this! They deserve divine punishment!”
“This is an action worthy of condemnation! There’s absolutely no way we can overlook this!”
In the past, he was the towering figure of the Moderates, respected by all as a great statesman and even among ordinary demons known as a distinguished person. But now…
His grave has been desecrated by lunatics. And they’re calling him a traitor for siding with the Empire.
The culprits? None other than the notorious Menwa Tribe, the most extreme faction within the Hardliners.
These so-called “ultra-Hardliners” have always been vocal about going to war with the Empire.
Sure, the Empire is vast—but that’s only when you take the whole thing into account. If we just look at the north, it’s a perfectly feasible fight. There’s even a chance we could win. Haven’t we demons always been experts at combat anyway?
“Why are we bowing our heads to the Empire in fear?”
This is the gist of their argument.
“Are these guys insane? Do they really think this is possible?!”
Those who understand the gap between Nobogorod and the Empire naturally oppose this stance. However, the problem is that this kind of rhetoric actually resonates with many ordinary demons.
While the Moderates do dominate the political scene, they have yet to fully unify Nobogorod. Many demons take pride in their strength and believe they could stand a chance against the Empire in a direct confrontation.
Of course, the Moderates were horrified by such claims.
“Have they lost their minds completely? What do they think will happen if the Empire shifts its legions north with all their might?”
“Are they this foolish?! Do they not even think about contingencies?”
The reason why the Empire maintains a peaceful coexistence with Nobogorod is simply because it’s unnecessary for them to shed so much bl**d to conquer here. The costs outweigh the benefits in their calculations.
But all of that hinges on the Empire maintaining its dignity. Once their authority is undermined, neighboring nations will continuously test them. To prevent that, the Empire has always acted decisively when their authority is crossed. Just look at what happened to the eastern kingdoms—they united, and now they’ve been torn apart!
“Summon the leaders of the Menwa Tribe immediately! We must condemn them strongly!”
“Hold on, just hold on a moment. Let’s calm down first before—”
“Calm down? Are you insane? Are you siding with those lunatics within your own faction?!”
“Come now! We’re just overexcited! That’s all!”
Even from the Hardliners’ perspective, this whole situation is awkward. They never imagined these madmen would go as far as desecrating a grave.
They probably thought it would attract even more radicals, making it a profitable move for them. But for other Hardliners, this is an incredibly risky and nerve-wracking situation.
Would they really want to hand political power back to the Moderates?
They’ve managed to minimize the damage this time, but if things escalate, they’ll only end up strengthening the Moderates’ legitimacy. Not a good outcome.
The issue is, openly supporting the Moderates and cracking down on the Menwa Tribe is complicated. First, quite a few ordinary demons actually agree with the Menwa arguments. Secondly, there’s the precedent of eliminating political opponents by force, which would set a dangerous example for future conflicts.
“This was done by a few lunatics, not the whole tribe! There’s no law in Nobogorod allowing us to punish an entire tribe for the misdeeds of a few!”
“Let’s not forget—Menwa Tribe has been one of the main groups responsible for defending Nobogorod’s military power for generations. Surely, we wouldn’t just throw away such skilled warriors to cater to the Empire’s disapproval, would we?”
The ultra-Hardline Menwa Tribe may be inconvenient for other Hardliners, but they’re far from dispensable. They’re a necessary evil. Their continued existence helps other Hardliners prove their own value to the Moderates in comparison.
There’s a big difference between talkable Hardliners and untalkable ones!
Moreover, crucially, there aren’t many Moderates involved in military matters. Nobogorod has always venerated its warriors as the core power base, which limits the Moderates’ influence, even with their political dominance.
…
Kalande, the Chairperson of the council, observed all this from a distance. He’d long since figured out everyone’s true intentions. With all his years of experience in politics, it wasn’t difficult to see through such manipulations.
“d*mn, it makes me envious sometimes to look at the Empire.”
While the Empire has factions, they all answer to a single emperor. The imperial authority is never challenged. The title of duke has even become vacant since the early days of the Empire.
By contrast, after the royal lineage of Nobogorod broke, the council took over. Thus, every decision is chaotic, and the country feels more like a collection of competing tribes rather than a single nation.
“Chairman, can we really just sit idly by while this happens?”
One of the Moderate faction councilors stepped up to Kalande, his frustration spilling out. Of course he’s fed up. Of course he’s angry. Of course he doesn’t like what’s happening.
But what can you do? This is how the council works. This is Nobogorod.
“The Menwa have gone too far, but if we intervene directly, it would look bad on us.”
“Why?”
“The Menwa are the most radical among the Hardliners—so much so that they’re almost outcasts. It’s only their military influence that keeps them relevant, otherwise they’d have disappeared long ago.”
“But isn’t their military influence too strong?”
“Yes, precisely because of that, the other Hardliners don’t challenge us overtly. They tolerate our policies and maintain a balance.”
Compromise works when there’s mutual trust. Cornered people never back down. When pushed too hard, their extremism only doubles.
In that case, it would lead to internal strife—or worse, a civil war. Kalande wanted to avoid that outcome. Hence, he let each faction have their space. He turned a blind eye to certain actions.
“As bad as this seems, the Menwa have gone way past acceptable limits.”
The Moderates calling for punishment only met with a lukewarm response from the Hardliners. And if they mobilize the army against them? They’d have to consider how other demons in the alliance would react.
“The Menwa must lose their support from the people. We need other demons to not just accept but actively side with us against the Menwa.”
“Is there any way?”
“For now, we must play up this breach of the dead’s rest as much as possible. The Hardliners will agree with that much—this has crossed the line even by their standards.”
After convincing the councilor, Kalande returned to his family. He soon received a message from his daughter, Charlotte, stationed in the Empire.
“So, did things go well?”
“Uh… Well, there wasn’t much for me to do! The head of the delegation handled most of it. But, Dad?”
“Hmm?”
“Must you always be like this?”
“Why, of course I must. It’s right, Charlotte.”
Charlotte sighed audibly before continuing.
“So, Dad, how’s the situation back home?”
“It’s just… people are just watching and waiting.”
“Huh.”
Kalande picked up on something unusual. Despite hearing about the chaotic state of the homeland, Charlotte seemed unnaturally cheerful.
As he pondered this, Charlotte spoke again.
“In fact, I got a rather interesting stratagem from a certain strategist.”
“A stratagem?”
“Yup. Want to hear it? I think it’s quite fitting.”
“Hm… very well, tell me. If your eyes are sparkling as much as I imagine, the man you spoke with certainly caught your attention.”
After hearing Charlotte’s explanation, Kalande’s face twisted in disbelief.
“Are you serious? Is anyone with half a brain going to believe this nonsense?”
“At first, I thought the same. But then, his next words made me reconsider.”
Made me reconsider? Kalande’s expression hardened further. He was well aware of his daughter’s sharp mind. This had to be more than just an ordinary scheme.
“What exactly did this strategist say?”
—
Let’s rewind. Once upon a time, there was a man whose demagoguery plunged the world into a sea of bl**d. A monstrous dictator who, perhaps fueled by his rejection from art school, unleashed unimaginable fury.
Oh wait. My memories of another life are getting too intense. Let me refocus.
So, this is what we’re saying:
“The masses are more likely to believe big lies than small ones.”
Spread rumors that the Menwa Tribe planned to desecrate the tomb of King Saxen!
Charlotte raised her eyebrows skeptically when she first heard this. But after hearing that line…
“Prince Kael, do you really think this would work?”
“Of course. Think about it, what did the Menwa Tribe do?”
“Um… they desecrated a grave?”
“Exactly.”
The key is this: we embellish the truth to create a convincing narrative. As provocative as possible, so spicy no one can resist it.
The Menwa already have a track record of grave desecration. The specific identity of the tomb’s owner becomes irrelevant. All that remains is the fact they desecrated a tomb.
Rational beings operate on probabilities. Probabilities trigger imagination. And imagination soon becomes reality.
“If we do this, not only the Hardliners but also many other factions within Nobogorod will eagerly join in to eliminate the Menwa.”
“You respect our great king, but what if he could’ve been among those who desecrated graves too?”
You don’t believe that? Sure, disbelieve if you want. But these are the ones who desecrated graves. You choose—do you believe it or not?
—
And so the stage was set. Would Nobogorod tear itself apart, or would this new plan restore stability? Time would tell.
