The Empire, whether it likes it or not, must directly pressure Benito.
In order to stop the enemy’s forces headed for the Holy Kingdom from advancing any further.
Because this is almost the sole justification for our participation in this war.
Therefore, one division of the Imperial Legion must pass through this area.
Since the other legions must march south to save the Holy Kingdom.
This is the reason why the forces of Gori can stand up to our Imperial Legion.
‘Speaking precisely, it means they intend to take full advantage of the defender’s advantage.’
They also know that if they clash head-on with a big ‘bang,’ they’ll be utterly crushed.
Knowing that in a regular battle against the Imperial Legion, there’s no chance of victory.
Even if they tried till they dropped, it’s impossible. Even King Gori would find it impossible.
So, they’re huddled up in such a strategically defensible position.
Come on, they say, we’re ready to withstand any overwhelming attack.
We admit—we can’t win. But we don’t necessarily need to win.
Therefore, ‘this is what I expected, you bastards.’
I looked at Gori, who was troubled once again by our Empire’s so-called ‘inter-floor noise’ operation, with my arms folded.
It’s been absolute chaos since the early morning—or perhaps late last night.
We’ve been banging drums, blowing trumpets, and loudly advertising our impending invasion, yelling, “We’re coming for you!”
Sometimes, they’d prepare for the battle early in the morning; on other days, we’d have them ready in the afternoon.
Creating the atmosphere that the Imperial Legion could jump into battle at any moment.
To the soldiers of our legion, it was normal training—no big deal. After all, whether we will fight today or not has already been decided, so there’s nothing to worry about.
But Gori’s forces? They suffer right from dawn—or midnight, for that matter, constantly on edge. All the while, they’re keeping a wary eye out on when the Imperial Legion might invade them.
How terrifying would that be? I can’t even imagine.
‘Their commanders must be trying everything to boost their morale, but it won’t be enough. This is simply an unbearable fear and dread that they’re dealing with.’
If they were the well-trained forces of the western army, it might not have worked. But now the forces in front of the Sixth Legion are nothing but the last remaining troops of Gori.
While there might be a few elite soldiers, compared to a legion, they’re still amateurs.
“Prince Kael.”
“Welcome, Commander. Let’s have lunch a bit early today.”
“Is your idea to prepare for battle during the lunch of Gori?”
“Yes. I intend to spoil their appetites this time, making them choke on their meals.”
Ultimately, Gori cannot relax—whether or not we invade. That’s the position of an unprepared opponent.
After all, with the Empire as the adversary, how could one possibly relax?
“Still, they’ve held out for quite a while. I initially thought they’d collapse in three days.”
“They have a king, don’t they? They must show that kind of perseverance. After all, they’re a kingdom, aren’t they?”
But this won’t last much longer. A man can’t last three days without sleep, let alone stay sane in a battlefield, which carries an unimaginable pressure even for seasoned soldiers. As for the others—well, not so much.
And the ‘others’ are overwhelmingly on Gori’s side, naturally.
“But, by the way, Prince Kael…”
The expression of our commander was less than pleasant.
I felt a sudden dread—was something bad about to happen?
“Notwithstanding all this, our legion can’t spare infinite time.”
“…Ah.”
“I sincerely apologize, but if Gori doesn’t retreat in this manner, we’ll have no choice but to launch a full-scale assault.”
Hearing this, I unwittingly burst into laughter with a “Haha!”
Ah, you startled me! I truly thought something was wrong.
“Prince Kael?”
“Ah, apologies, Commander. I thought another issue had arisen.”
“That’s not true, but…”
“Good. Anyway, I assure you, Gori will retreat soon.”
“…”
The commander’s expression instantly twisted.
Did I misunderstand something?
“Now you—”
“You heard correctly. Gori will retreat soon. Even more, let me state it clearly: they’ll dismantle their camp and leave within two days, guaranteed.”
As I spoke with absolute certainty, the commander grew even more perplexed.
On what basis does he claim Gori will retreat in two days? They’ve been clenching their teeth, holding on stubbornly until now, haven’t they?
His unspoken question was written all over his face.
‘Alright, Your Highness Princess, please give me good news soon.’
It was better that I move along with the Sixth Legion. The sense of pressure would be greater that way, just as in Gori’s case.
It’s only natural for the strategist who gave a big lesson to the East to be accompanying us.
On the contrary, it would be better for the Princess to head toward the opposite side.
That way, it would truly reflect the sincerity of the Empire! That’s probably what the Emperor desired when dispatching her.
In the South, there are many kingdoms.
Among them, some are closer to Benito, like Gori, whereas others simply don’t want to get involved.
The reason is simple. They don’t care for anyone rising to prominence.
The South has always maintained a state of equilibrium between kingdoms. The Holy Kingdom has tacitly ignored all conflicts, and that situation has become accepted as the norm.
However, this time, the main goal was to reduce the Holy Kingdom’s influence.
Kingdoms that disliked Benito also likely wouldn’t appreciate religious figures meddling in their internal affairs.
As a result, they displayed strong opposition to the Empire’s interference in Southern matters.
“Well, what shall we do now?”
Facing representatives from such kingdoms, Isabel requested support for the Empire instead of Benito, straightforwardly enumerating the facts in an extremely calm tone.
She didn’t issue any explicit threats. She assumed they already sensed the gravity of the situation.
Two legions are marching toward the Holy Kingdom: the Fourth and the Fifteenth.
No one in the South can stop them except Benito.
Moreover, there are no mountains below, just endless plains.
“Ahem!”
“Hmph!”
“…”
Of course, the representatives, despite everything, didn’t like what they heard from Isabel.
They did not provide any decisive answers. They merely made awkward coughs while overtly displaying their discomfort.
Seeing this, some legion commanders tried to warn them against their rudeness.
But Isabel’s restraining glance stopped them.
“Let me make my point clear: Our Empire sincerely hopes that you make a wise decision.”
“Your Highness, your claim of wisdom is ultimately urging us to submit to the Empire, isn’t it?”
“Submit? Why do you see it that way?”
At this, one representative sighed with disdain and continued.
“Do you know where we are? The South! Not the territory of the Empire! Benito is the one who received the ban. The Crusade has been declared against them!”
“…”
“And now you bring your overwhelming force here, setting it before us. What else could this be if not coercion to submit?”
Saying this, he looked around at the other representatives from the kingdoms, who nodded fervently in agreement.
“Hmm. Indeed, it could be seen that way.”
However, Isabel just maintained a completely at-ease demeanor.
Just as the representatives were about to voice their grievances again…
“Then, how about this?”
From Isabel’s lips flowed a set of propositions, all meticulously planned beforehand with Kael and the Empire’s leadership.
Therefore, she could confidently put them before the kingdoms without any hesitation—
“…”
“…”
“…”
After hearing everything, the representatives were left gaping, utterly speechless.
“…”
“…”
“Your Highness?”
After a moment, one representative carefully started speaking.
“Are you truly saying the Empire will do all that?”
“The Emperor Himself can confirm this.”
“…”
Where had the intense resistance from before disappeared to?
All that remained were the representatives subtly gauging each other’s reactions while nervously licking their lips.
At this, Isabel recalled Kael’s words with renewed agreement.
“Your Majesty. In this world, there’s nothing that can’t be done with money.”
“If there is, it’s only because the amount isn’t enough.”
They chose Benito as their ally?
No problem. Just double the amount of “friendship fee” and pay it into their accounts.
Do finances solve everything? Isn’t it dishonorable?
Nonsense. Money is how we demonstrate our sincerity.
Building trust through other means comes afterward.
They must also be aware that this could lead to real trouble.
Now, while the Empire may offer words, but what if force is used instead?
A mere sandcastle can’t withstand such an immense tidal wave.
And these people aren’t fools either—they can’t possibly miss that.
But because of pride. Because those in power must uphold their authority.
They are stuck, unable to act. And at that crucial moment, the Imperial Princess promised astronomical rewards, invoking the Emperor’s decree.
Thus, they preserved their pride and received a convincing reason to persuade their people.
Refusing at this point would indeed disqualify them from the throne.
“Now, please return and inform everyone of the Empire’s will.”
Upon hearing this, the representatives rose from their seats.
And soon after, the path to the Holy Kingdom was fully opened.
Listening to Benito’s words and opposing the Empire would have demanded far too much money.
“…Prince Kael. By any chance, do you have some prophetic abilities?”
At the Sixth Legion Commander’s words, I burst into laughter.
Prophecy? Nothing like that. I simply trusted the Princess would handle it well.
She preserved the pride of the Southern Kingdoms.
Even though force could be used, she still chose to open a dialogue first.
She even generously threw in a substantial amount of money under the guise of “friendship fees.”
Who in their right mind would stick up for Benito’s credit and remain when confronted with this?
That’s not loyalty; that’s just idiocy.
Upon hearing the news, Gori ultimately abandoned their defenses.
With their already diminished morale, and the departure of other kingdoms, another route to Benito had been revealed.
There was no longer any reason to guard this place.
*
‘Some might say that instead of just wiping out the Southern Kingdoms and saving all that money, why did we promise to give them so much?’
If there are truly people who think that, I would punch them squarely in the mouth.
Even if it’s costly, the expense is still less than military costs.
Every additional day the army stays out there costs astronomical amounts of tax money.
It’s better to wrap things up quickly and return—it’s advantageous for public sentiment in the South.
And then, human lives are not a game.
Even though the South may consist of fools, they still have an army.
If we clash with them, our Imperial soldiers will be wounded, hurt, and even d*e. While money is valuable, no amount of it could ever outweigh the value of a human life.
