[The King of Ross Tannika humbly petitions His Majesty the Emperor of the Empire. Currently, the western continent is being ravaged by dastardly villains, causing suffering for the virtuous and the land’s ruin. In this dire situation, where even trustworthy allies have been lost, our kingdom has nowhere to turn but to the Empire…]
That person reading this isn’t one of ours. Someone from Ross Tannika, having gone through all sorts of hardships, just barely managed to arrive at our Empire. And here they are, bowing deeply, practically begging the Empire to save them. Whatever royal dignity or pride they might’ve had? Long gone. By now, Ross Tannika is crying out to the Empire for salvation, complaining about how quickly the Dugal morons collapsed.
“Morons, huh? Well, not wrong. But seriously, how couldn’t they last even a month? Four weeks? They might as well have keeled over after filming Season 2 of Elang!”
After losing western territory to Dedolant, Dugal had some breathing room—thanks to the Empire indirectly warning Dedolant, “Hey, don’t get too cocky, or things might get boring.” And Dedolant had to keep wasting resources on Benito, which gave Dugal a window to regroup their forces. Ten years ago, Dugal was a powerhouse in the west, recognized by everyone. Sure, they took a hit and started wavering here and there, but everyone believed they’d soon shout “Bloody Revenge!” and reclaim their glory. With Ross Tannika supporting from behind, a fierce counterattack seemed plausible.
But what do you know? They lost. And not just lost—got utterly stomped out?
“This concludes the missive delivered by the King of Ross Tannika to His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Your efforts are appreciated. Everyone gathered in this grand hall has heard your plea, and understands its sincerity.”
“Our gratitude is boundless, Your Majesty.”
“You’ve had a long journey; please take your leave and rest.”
From the southern coast of Ross Tannika, traveling by boat through Benito’s waters, then continuing overland until finally reaching the Empire’s border via a magic transmission array—this poor Ross Tannika envoy must’ve suffered more than anyone could imagine. The Emperor, aware of this, likely told him to take some time off and recover.
“Your Majesty…”
But the envoy hesitated, bowing again with a heavy heart. “While I deeply regret making such a request, I’d like to stay here for the moment.”
“You must be exhausted.”
“The kingdom is on the brink of disaster. Wherever I go, it’s all the same hardship. But if a glimmer of hope can shine upon us today, I believe it would ease all these burdens.”
Oh, so touching. Hard to watch without tearing up at this desperate plea for help. His Majesty eventually gave permission, and only then did the envoy withdraw, looking pleased as punch.
“…And thus, the situation of the continent stands as such.”
After surveying the room, the Emperor began speaking. “Since the founding of the Empire by the Great Emperor, we’ve established an order befitting our name, ensuring peace and prosperity under its umbrella.”
While this sounds very self-centered and Empire-centric, if you think about it, it’s somewhat true. Those who stayed loyal to the Empire—or at least played nice—are all thriving. The moderates in Nobogorod, the pro-Empire factions in the east, even the southern kingdoms—they’re all doing well.
“The Empire has not sought to suppress those who refuse to abide by this order. That is their freedom, and how can we oppress them?”
Each word from the Emperor establishes the Empire’s justification. We’re not just cruel overlords; we’re merciful too! Look around: the north, the east, the south—aren’t they all already folded into our embrace?
At the same time, there’s a subtle warning here: “We won’t k*ll you if you stay within limits.” In other words, “But if you cross those boundaries, prepare to meet your end.” And lo and behold, today, one of those cases has come before the Empire.
“To those that seek to disrupt and destabilize this order, or even dare to challenge the name of the Empire—to any who think they can clash with us—we must transform our warm mercy into a burning wrath.”
It’s one thing for them to expand their territories, trying to build themselves up into a second empire in the west. Or for them to meddle beyond their borders. Fine, we can tolerate and contain that much. Maybe diplomatically or otherwise. But it’s absolutely unacceptable for anyone to scheme against the Empire. Their attempted secret treaty with Nobogorod sealed the deal. And their interference in the Benito situation also played a part.
“Minister of Foreign Affairs.”
“Your Majesty.”
“Effective immediately, declare war on Dedolant and Artria, as well as all the smaller states aiding them.”
“The full wrath of the Empire shall fall upon them, Your Majesty.”
And so begins the Empire’s formal declaration of war against them.
*
War. It’s not something others initiate against us; it is a grand spectacle of bl**d and steel we proclaim ourselves. The Minister of Foreign Affairs leaves the throne room first, followed by other ministers, leaving behind only those directly involved in planning the conflict.
“Currently, according to the Emperor’s orders, two legions from each border region are being deployed to the west.”
“The 7th and 12th Eastern Legions stationed in the south, along with the 6th and 13th Southern Legions, have already moved into the west.”
“However, due to constant relocation, the two eastern legions require rest.”
“The 2nd and 8th Northern Legions departed three days ago and are expected to arrive next week.”
First up, the Ministry of War, a constant during any conflict.
“The military budget from the previous eastern and southern campaigns was considerable. Fortunately, we’ve increased tax revenue and received some funds from noble families, but mobilizing 11 legions simultaneously will burn through astronomical sums.”
That’s right, war boils down to money, so the Ministry of Finance must always be present in such discussions.
“Besides the legions heading into battle, we need plans for reserves and concentrated units.”
“The western road network within the Empire has already been inspected, but with so many troops on the move, some damage will be inevitable.”
Thus, the Ministries of Internal Affairs and Land also step in to manage logistics.
“Intelligence suggests Dedolant and Artria are reinforcing their western borders. The elite forces they used to attack Dugal are also being redirected westward.”
Everyone nods in agreement at this report from the Special Intelligence Bureau. Normally, this lineup would wrap things up, but there’s another office newly added to the mix this time: the General Staff.
“The biggest concern right now is getting various legions, summoned from different regions, to work synergistically. Ideally, training should start immediately.”
Agreeing with this, the Minister of War responds: “The legions are strong, but mobilizing so many at once is unprecedented. Usually, two legions working together is the norm.”
True enough. In past campaigns, even though more legions were mobilized, they usually fought in pairs due to tactical and organizational reasons.
“But things are different this time. The enemies we face—Dedolant and Artria—can field at least 150,000 troops apiece, if not more. Add Benito into the mix, and we’re looking at almost 200,000 soldiers the Empire needs to confront.”
Clearly, the old system of two-legion deployments won’t suffice here. Hence, the General Staff is pushing for a new approach where entire armies are coordinated fluidly.
“The Minister of War and the Chief of Staff appear to be in agreement.”
At the Emperor’s observation, both nod in confirmation.
“Chief of the Imperial Staff.”
This time, the Emperor’s gaze lands on me. All eyes in the hall turn toward me, including those from the newly formed General Staff. Rumors suggest I was expected to become at least a junior staff chief or assistant.
“All the points raised thus far, I fully concur with, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm.”
“But allow me to add my own thoughts.”
They say you don’t need to cater to your opponent’s level when you have an overwhelming advantage. If we’re playing rock-paper-scissors, throwing everything we’ve got is fair game.
“In addition to the two legions already assigned, I suggest issuing a general mobilization order to bolster reserves and concentrated units, and prepare to call in additional legions stationed at the borders in case of emergency.”
“Won’t this make the borders too vulnerable?”
“Considering the current state of affairs, even one legion should suffice at each border area.”
In reality, aside from the west, things are pretty stable. Nobogorod has pledged to send 30,000 elite reinforcements, which is significant. The north, with just two legions remaining, will still be able to handle any threats from Nobogorod forces.
In the east, the three kingdoms are barely holding on due to floods. Even if they wanted to send reinforcements, their resources are too strained to do more than token contributions.
And the southern kingdoms? Frankly, they’re like kids playing pretend. Even weaker than Benito, their forces could easily be handled by a single imperial legion. Defense is manageable with our superior intelligence network despite the wider defensive perimeter.
“That could amount to a grand army of almost 400,000 troops, Chief of the Imperial Staff.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Though numerical superiority is undeniable, as the Minister of War pointed out, it’s still worth considering…”
Suddenly, a figure from the General Staff raises a hand.
“I disagree with the Chief of the Imperial Staff. Training the currently mobilized legions and refining their tactics is more urgent. With a formal declaration of war already made, we can’t afford delays. Especially since Ross Tannika is counting on our swift intervention.”
The Empire has a massive force numbering over 200,000 already present. Soldiers who’ve undergone intensive training and proven themselves in actual combat—Dedolant and Artria will be no match.
Hmm, first time seeing this guy. Probably someone who served in the western legions. Checking with the princess nearby, it seems he’s Mesok, a military staff member and fifth son of Count Consroker.
“He’s part of the General Staff. I heard he has a bit of a competitive streak against you, Kael.”
“I see…”
His confident argument seems to resonate with both the Ministry of War and the General Staff, likely because following my suggestion would take at least a few extra months. It appears many are eager to showcase the Empire’s might to those haughty Dedolants.
Judging by the nods from the Ministries of Finance, Internal Affairs, and Land, the general sentiment seems to favor this quicker approach to avoid complications with further mobilizing resources.
‘The Empire has seen continuous victories recently. They might not be wrong, but…’
For some reason, this makes me uneasy. Is it just me being paranoid?
