King Benito, Andrea II, was in no good mood at the moment.
For years, he had been working tirelessly behind the scenes. The extent of the time and money invested was unimaginable. He secretly contacted every kingdom in the south, skillfully stoking their simmering resentment and dissatisfaction.
“When will you keep following those religious nuts?”
“The ruler of a kingdom is the king—not those old folks who don’t pay taxes.”
“Look at how they find excuses in the name of God every time we try to do anything.”
“They claim God is with them, but there’s nothing substantial behind them.”
Some say the south is home to the most devout believers of the Light, given how close they are to the holy land where Lunen Himself performed a miracle. People whisper about the blessings so near that make the rest of the continent envious.
But hearing that would likely make many spit fire in anger. Those “blessings” are no gifts—they’re chains, unbearable burdens they’ve been forced to carry because of religion. So much has been sacrificed for faith and piety. How much potential has been wasted?
Whenever he tried to collect more taxes, the old folks stopped him—not the nobles, not the kingdom’s people, but the tax-free clergy. Even the simplest territorial expansion was opposed under the guise of “preserving peace,” while these critics lived comfortably on land they didn’t earn.
Enough was enough. This wasn’t just about a ruler’s greed. At this rate, they were on track to wither and d*e like an old tree because of so-called holy piety.
Just look at the mighty empire above them or the chaotic yet thriving western kingdoms. Through endless battles, they’ve achieved incredible growth. War is bad? Conquest is evil? Peace is all that matters? If that’s true, how do you expect progress? Must they forever remain in this tiny corner? Andrea II wanted to rule a larger kingdom, and his people deserved to be wealthier.
The Holy Kingdom! These blasted, useless old-timers. Why does the south receive so much interference while other regions are left alone? They’ve used religion to manipulate everyone’s emotions, labeling them evil rulers while portraying themselves as peaceful and merciful saints. Why do non-taxpaying church folks even have the audacity to dictate how the kingdom should be run? All of this is the Holy Kingdom’s fault. To survive, they had to uproot it entirely.
Andrea II’s words struck a chord, and many kingdoms quietly agreed. Beneath their polite facades lay deep-seated anger toward the Holy Kingdom.
“It’s time we stop being puppets to the pope and the church. Look at the empire and the west! Through constant battles, they’ve become great. We can do it too—we must, for survival’s sake. We might stab each other in the back someday, but are we going to let fear paralyze us?”
Admitting they didn’t always get along, still, the blame wasn’t solely theirs. It was the church that had meddled excessively. By playing kingdoms against each other, the Holy Kingdom gained advantages while painting them as evil rulers. How dare these non-taxpayers interfere in the affairs of nations?
“The solution’s simple: the Holy Kingdom must be completely eradicated. Only then can we survive.”
This sentiment spread among other southern kingdoms, proving their hidden resentment toward the church.
“Things were going smoothly. After all, wasn’t this the moment we sent our soldiers to Dedolant as mercenaries?”
A major weakness of the southern kingdoms was their lack of significant war experience. Their armies were no match for the battle-hardened giants like the empire, the seasoned demons, or even the eastern kingdoms defeated by the empire.
Andrea II addressed this by partnering with Dedolant, sending his soldiers there to gain combat experience.
It wasn’t about creating heroes or legends; simply equipping them with the necessary know-how and sending them back home would suffice. If they could pass on their knowledge to the local troops, that was all that mattered.
The results were immediate and impressive. The Benito army’s skills dramatically improved—to the point where they easily crushed the Holy Kingdom’s knights and militia, showcasing an unrecognizable transformation from their previous average level. Dedolant’s army standard, clearly unmatched in ferocity, shone through.
Andrea II realized anew what a stroke of brilliance it was to ally with Dedolant.
“What’s left now is to unite the southern kingdoms, swallow the Holy Kingdom, and establish a new order in the south.”
But then, Andrea II’s fury rekindled. Initially, the southern kingdoms promised cooperation. Whether through intimidation or persuasion, they seemed willing to go along.
Yet, as the Holy Kingdom was nearly dismantled, they started hesitating, making excuses or changing demands. Their initial enthusiasm clearly waned.
Soon, the reason became clear.
“The empire! They actually dare to interfere in southern affairs?!”
“Excommunicated by the pope? Called to a crusade? And now they’re here to help fulfill the pope’s will? Excuse me? Isn’t the empire supposed to be the freest place from the Light doctrine?”
After all, the empire was the first to tax high-ranking clerics and the one to separate faith from power. This wasn’t the domain where the empire would suddenly pick up religion as an excuse.
“The empire sees the south merely as a trade partner, nothing more, nothing less.”
He couldn’t let this stand. They needed to rise somehow. First, conquer and control the Holy Kingdom, then lead the southern kingdoms to stand against the empire.
But they were still insufficient. Despite Benito’s newfound power, and despite their victories boosting morale, the imperial legions were still far superior.
“How to proceed? Should I stop now? Me, Benito—what if we halt here pointlessly? The Holy Kingdom will grow stronger, and other kingdoms will look down on us!”
Had they not acted, the strategy would’ve been simpler: refine their plan and gather resources, waiting patiently.
But the arrow had been fired. Retreat was d*ath. Only forward remained.
The empire’s legions were terrifying. The idea of such a massive empire targeting Benito alone was petrifying. Yet, the image of himself breaking down and surrendering was equally horrifying. The thought of the Holy Kingdom regaining dominance and other kingdoms oppressing Benito was nightmarish.
Gradually, Andrea II’s focus shifted from finding a way out to simply standing up.
That’s when stunning news arrived.
“Your Majesty, soon Dedolant will fight Dugal.”
“With no major disruptions, victory will surely favor Dedolant.”
A letter from Prince Georg Systania of Dedolant contained a grand proposition.
“If the west and south were connected, wouldn’t that lead to a more harmonious relationship between the two kingdoms? Hence, I humbly propose a secret yet strong alliance between Benito and Dedolant.”
Andrea II’s eyes widened the moment he read this. Surely, it was a divine opportunity. Proof that God had not abandoned him even after the excommunication.
An alliance with Dedolant—the current powerhouse of the west. Atria was practically under their control, Dugal was reeling after losing Jugel, and while Ross Tannika held sway over the seas, their land armies lacked Dedolant’s might.
“If Dedolant supports us, this is doable!”
Adding the combined forces of Benito and other southern kingdoms, they could field nearly 100,000 troops. Though the numbers might be even, they were far superior in quality.
“So, naturally…”
“Time to pull the empire deeper into the south. There’s a difference between their combat power within the empire versus outside it. If we can drag them in, prolong the fight, and wear them down…”
His mind raced, coming up with ideas.
“While stalling the empire, finish dismantling the Holy Kingdom, depose the pope, and install a puppet in his place. That will retract the excommunication and call off the crusade. Then, if the empire insists on fighting, we can label them southern invaders. Either way, the other southern kingdoms will have no choice but to recognize Benito as their leader.”
If the southern kingdoms resisted? A few might, but Andrea II knew their nature. They wouldn’t sacrifice their independence to bow to the empire; they’d rather take their own lives. That’s what southern kings were like.
Simultaneously, Andrea II realized the arrangement was a win for Dedolant. Keeping Imperial forces in the south meant they couldn’t threaten Dedolant. Western divisions alone weren’t enough to ensure victory, so they’d need reinforcements from other regions. By holding them down, Dedolant would grow stronger, further aiding Benito.
If everything flowed as planned, the empire wouldn’t be able to resist retreating. If not, they’d still be labeled southern invaders. Either way, victory was in sight.
For all the plans to succeed, the empire must enter the south. Thus, only one action remained.
“I declare war on the empire.”
That was the reason Benito suddenly declared war on the empire.
*
A while later, Dedolant’s royal palace, War Office.
“Wh-what is the meaning of this?”
“Your Highness, this alliance was supposed to be a future plan… not an immediate announcement of a war against the empire.”
“Just calm down for a moment…”
“We still have two major tasks ahead—merging with Atria and conquering Dugal!”
d*mn it, Prince Georg could only clutch the back of his neck in frustration, erasing that thought from his mind took ages.
