Dugal. A powerhouse on the western side of the continent you absolutely can’t miss when counting the top three.
The place boasts fertile farmland and seas that brag about their bountiful fishing, resulting in some absolutely jaw-dropping cuisine.
Unless we’re talking about the Empire, they’re convinced they’re the best on the continent.
But their pride doesn’t just stop at cooking.
Just twenty years ago, Dugal was practically on the verge of unifying the entire western continent.
They weren’t on par with the Empire, but with a pretty formidable army, they did almost pull it off.
They called themselves the “Grand Army,” so you can imagine the kind of presence they had.
But then their dream was crushed. Dedolant defeated them in the final battle.
Though their nation didn’t collapse, their proud march came to a halt.
It was only natural that Dedolant became their sworn enemy, the root cause of their failure.
For reference, the Jugel Region that was recently taken by Dedolant’s Third Prince is a direct consequence of that war.
Even though their dream of western unification was thwarted, they ended up getting the somewhat contested Jugel area.
What’s more, they didn’t even snatch it through force—they obtained it through negotiations.
They promptly transformed that region into both a defensive line against Dedolant and a splendid domain.
But then Dedolant inexplicably rose swiftly and snatched it all back.
If they were so savvy about handing over that land and securing benefits back then, what’s their game now?
It was no surprise that Dugal’s frustration boiled over to the point of combustion.
They soon recognized Dedolant as a clear enemy and formed an alliance with Ross Tannika.
“―which is what I know about the western part of the continent. Is this satisfactory, Commander of the Legion?”
“You seem well-informed. Yes, indeed, Prince Kael.”
The man nodding was the Commander of the First Legion, who came to greet me.
They say his loyalty to the Emperor is extraordinary.
For good reason—he’s not a noble but a commoner who rose to this position purely through ability, a textbook rags-to-riches success story.
By the way, though the Legion Commanders are chosen from the War Council, they must be formally appointed by the Emperor.
So, it’s natural for the First Legion Commander to be utterly devoted to the Emperor who lifted him to such heights.
And in the same vein, he treats me with great respect since I am directly appointed by the Emperor.
“Has this part been communicated to the capital as well?”
“Certainly. By now, they’ve likely received it.”
With that answer from the Legion Commander, I nodded and double-checked the letter in my hand.
[Dugal. Probing participation in the Empire’s Western Front.]
“Commander, I’ve never been to the west. So let me ask—”
“I shall respond earnestly.”
“Is Dugal particularly friendly toward the Empire? Do they have no hesitation in seeking our help?”
Instantly, without a moment’s hesitation, the Legion Commander’s answer popped out.
“Neither.”
“Neither?”
“Yes, Prince. While Dugal may acknowledge the Empire’s order, it’s only out of respect for our superiority. They’re far from sincere about it. As for the Empire’s help—how likely is that among such prideful folk?”
With his direct response, I turned to face him.
“So then, does my inference seem correct?”
“Most likely. The fact that Dugal has to take such a humble stance indicates their situation must be dire. It’s evident that the situation beyond the border is developing more dramatically than expected.”
The crazy bastards at Dugal, who normally boast they’re second only to the Empire, have now had to discard all their pride and self-respect to reach out. If it’s come to this, something major is definitely up.
I immediately requested a map of the Western Border from the Legion Commander.
Unlike the East where only three kingdoms remain, the West is scattered with many kingdoms.
But the ones with real influence are four: Dedolant, Artria, Dugal, and Ross Tannika.
These four have comparable territories, comparable populations—essentially equivalent national power.
Meanwhile, Dedolant is growing rapidly. Some say they might even annex Artria.
If that happens, the balance will be disrupted. A Dedolant with Artria under its fold would be too much for Dugal alone to handle.
Even with an alliance with Ross Tannika, it would likely be more about survival than victory.
“In the event—just in case…”
I scrutinized the map closely and began weighing possibilities.
If Dedolant conquers Artria and doesn’t stop there but also secures Ross Tannika…
“Commander.”
“Yes, Prince.”
“If Dedolant unifies the western continent, what do you think would happen?”
“…I don’t like imagining it.”
Neither do I. If that were the case, a nation almost on par with the Empire would be born—not just in terms of territory and population, but military strength as well.
It might even result in there being two empires on the continent.
And if that occurs, a massive war will erupt to determine the sole true Empire.
“However, just a day before your arrival, Dedolant sent this message.”
[Wishes to establish a new peace treaty with the Empire.]
[Is open to offering parts of the Artria region if the Empire desires.]
Anyone can see that Dedolant is clearly bowing to the Empire.
With their willingness to offer land, it even feels sincere.
But I instantly saw through their true intentions.
“Not Dedolant, but Artria.”
They’re offering Artrian land as if it’s theirs to give.
What does this imply? They’ve already made all their internal decisions.
Whenever they receive the order, they will push into Artria with full readiness.
Essentially, they’re indirectly signaling their intent to annex Artria to the Empire.
“Commander, does all the intelligence gathered by our spies beyond the border come through here?”
“At first, yes. It’s too risky for them to send it directly, so we’re receiving it through carefully disguised channels.”
“Can I get a look at the information we’ve gathered so far?”
“Absolutely. Given it’s already been sent to the capital, there’s no issue.”
Thanks to the Commander’s cooperation, and my authority bestowed by the Emperor, I was able to review the critical intelligence sent from our spies without any hassle.
“Dedolant’s military keeps expanding. Artria is descending into greater chaos. Dugal, too, is frantically building up its military because of Dedolant.”
It’s clear enough. A massive war is bound to break out soon in the western continent.
This isn’t your ordinary “grab a piece of land” skirmish. It’s going to be a war about completely swallowing a whole nation.
Dugal is asking us outright to consider participating in the Western Front because it’s not just about conquering territories—it’s about conquering entire nations.
Given how formidable Dedolant appears, they’re urging us to enter the fray before the order collapses entirely.
The issue, though, is that from our Empire’s standpoint, we lack any justifiable cause.
“…Has Dedolant ever demonstrated any hostile actions toward the Empire?”
“Yes. There have been zero such actions. No signs whatsoever.”
If Dedolant were provoking us, it’d be a different story.
But they’ve been meticulous, almost obsessive, about not giving us even the slightest excuse to retaliate.
They’ve publicly declared their non-oppositional stance toward the unique order established by the Empire’s supremacy.
And this wasn’t even done through unofficial channels—the Third Prince himself made the announcement.
So, there’s no way for the Empire to deploy forces in the west.
You might think we could just arbitrarily find some pretense and go in headfirst—but this ain’t a kid’s squabble.
Without a proper reason, nothing is easy. Doing so would only boost our potential rival’s morale, which is exactly what we need to avoid at all costs.
“No matter how mighty our Imperial Legion may be, without just cause, they’d be fighting without knowing why, which would drastically reduce their effectiveness.”
That’s why the Empire waited before engaging the three eastern kingdoms.
Only after they officially declared war did we have our justification—no hassle in deploying forces. The domestic mood was already war-inclined, so there was no urgency.
Eventually, it’s one of two choices: either we intervene right now without any justified cause to halt Dedolant’s rise, or we watch and wait until we have legitimate grounds to move in.
The pros and cons are clear, though it’s impossible to judge which is better.
This must be why His Majesty sent me here with this advisory role.
“As much as that is true, Your Majesty, even I can’t arbitrarily decide anything in this situation.”
With that frustrating thought shoved aside, I made my way to meet the Princess.
The Princess was currently visiting and consoling the First Legion.
“Kael, how did things go?”
The Princess, who had just finished shaking hands with countless soldiers, looked a little tired from her busy schedule.
“More difficult than expected.”
I detailed the situation for the Princess and watched her expression grow increasingly somber with each passing moment.
“…It’s wise to intervene and counter a giant that could rival the Empire, but doing so would jeopardize the prestige we’ve worked so hard to build.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“This is undesirable. Declaring war without just cause will incite resistance not just in the western continent but also create a poor atmosphere within the Empire.”
“We’ve also had too much movement in the legions over the last year. Following the Northern Nobogorod campaign, the recent eastern front hasn’t had much time to recover. Although I’m not exactly sure, an astronomical amount of military funds must have been expended.”
The Empire is undoubtedly a superpower—whether it’s territory, population, or military prowess.
We’re capable of not only standing up to a single nation but taking on multiple frontlines as well.
But we’re certainly not invincible. Like every other nation, we take hits and bleed.
And when that bleeds too much, even the mighty Empire can’t endure.
So, how should we actually respond to the west in this situation?
The Princess and I brainstormed hard but couldn’t come up with a good solution.
If Dedolant were hostile to the Empire, at least we could find some grounds to make a move.
*
In the end, all of our fretting turned out to be for naught.
“Your Highness Princess and Prince Kael. News just arrived from the capital. Both of you should head south immediately.”
The fire we expected to ignite in the West has unexpectedly flared up in the South instead.
