Chapter 342
(Kyle Calendar Year 515: Age 22)
The Maneuvers of the Apostles of Darkness
Translator : PolterGlast
In the northeast of the Griffonia Empire's territory, in the region bordering the Istoria Imperial
Kingdom, there once existed a small nation called the Lute-Ville-Cain Kingdom. This country, in terms of area, was a
little over one-third of the Kyle Kingdom and slightly larger than the
former Roland Kingdom. Paying
meticulous attention to the invading nation that was the Empire, it advocated for strictly defensive measures and had
constantly escaped the invasions resulting from the Empire's detestable customs.
However, when the Roland
Kingdom was invaded and destroyed by the Empire, and the imperial succession was settled, the foolish King Divide,
thinking they were safe for the time being, divided the national land among his
three doting sons from different mothers and yielded the throne to each of
them. It is said that rather than the King at the time being foolish, this was
a desperate measure to prevent an internal conflict and being taken advantage
of by the Empire, because the power
of their respective maternal relatives was mighty and antagonistic.
However, the sons in question, the three brothers who became
the first Kings of the Lute Kingdom,
the Ville Kingdom, and the Cain Kingdom, were wise. Although they
had different mothers and had once fought over the succession to the throne,
the three countries united and faced the external enemies who glared covetously
aiming for invasion. Therefore, although each country was a small nation with
only an army of 10,000, they had a history of repelling invasions from the Empire and the Imperial Kingdom.
However, as times changed and it became around the Kyle Year
510, the situation changed greatly. The three sons who became the first Kings
passed away one after another, and when the King of Ville, who had struggled to unite the three countries until the end,
died, the thrones all passed to the generation of King Divide's
grandsons. Ever since then, the three countries did not change their policy of
jointly defending the national land up to now, but every country asserted its
own leadership, minor disputes became constant,
and their coordination was beginning to show frays.
Two men appeared in the Ville
Kingdom, located in the center of those three countries.
「Even so, Lugner, why the Ville Kingdom first? Would it not be
the Lute Kingdom, which borders the Orthodox Theocracy and is easy to apply
pressure on?」
「Azel, think about it. It's simple. The other two countries are
surrounded on three sides by potential enemy nations, but only the Ville Kingdom is sandwiched on both
sides by brother nations.」
「And that means?」
「For an ambitious King, it means a
geopolitical dead end. The east and west are blocked by mighty nations, and the
north and south are brother nations. There's no place to go, and in terms of
trade, they often fall behind the other two countries.」
「Will they move based on just that?」
「They won't move, we will make them
move. Ville was in a position to
unite the three countries during the era of the late King who survived until
the end. But what about after the generational change? The current King is the
newest newcomer; things are different from before, and the soil for
dissatisfaction to pile up and birth darkness in his heart is probably ready.」
「In that case, they are likely to
fall for our invitation, is that what it means?」
「That's right. Once Ville and the Orthodox Theocracy form an alliance, Lute will be in a position to be attacked from both sides. If so,
they will have no choice but to yield to us. If that happens, Cain will also have no choice but to
align.」
「I see. I can certainly understand
why His Excellency previously appraised you as a
vessel that has surpassed even your father.」
「Not yet. I am different from that
(father) guy who ultimately died senile and unsightly. I cannot let it end like
this.」
Saying so, he subsequently fell silent and proceeded along
the road leading to the royal castle of the Ville Kingdom.
※
Until now, they had not even been able to get an audience
with the center of the Kingdom, but perhaps the letter prepared by Duke Harry
was effective here; several days after submitting it, they were permitted an
audience with the King. And on the day of the audience, while being guided,
they proceeded to the throne room, feeling a sense of incongruity at the
majestic royal palace unsuited for a small nation of this scale.
The royal palace of the Ville
Kingdom inherited the one from the time when the three countries were one,
and was exceptionally large and glamorous compared to the other two countries.
That in itself was like chains binding the Ville
Kingdom, making it cling to past glory...
「The Istoria Orthodox Theocracy...
was it? Thank you for your attendance this time. And please give my regards to
Duke Harry of the Empire. So,
what business does the special envoy trusted by the Empire have in our country this time?」
「Your Majesty the King of Ville,
we sincerely thank you for your gracious words. We shall certainly convey your
kind sentiments to Duke Harry as
well. There are two reasons why we desired an audience this time.
The first point is, we humbly wish for Your Majesty to also recognize our
country, which has been recognized by the Empire,
and grant us permission for trade.」
「Oh... recognition. You have already
visited the neighboring Lute Kingdom?」
「No, the Ville Kingdom is the leader of the three countries continuing from
the previous generation, so we thought we must greet Your Majesty first.」
「Oh... quite a good attitude. So,
supposing we recognize your country, what profit is there?」
Saying so, the King of Ville
asked back with a somewhat uninterested face. According to the report from the
usher, they had no attendants and came alone. If so, there is a high
possibility they haven't even brought the massive gifts normally brought as
diplomatic courtesy.
「The second point is about that
matter. What we will present to Your Majesty is a matter that will be of profit
to the Ville Kingdom. The matter is
a diplomatic secret, but may we disclose it in this place?」
「...Continue.」
After a moment's hesitation, the King of Ville urged them to continue. He had
been subjected to many sweet invitations from Duke Harry up to now. It's
probably something of that sort anyway. Thinking so, his true feeling was that
he didn't expect much, but...
「Your Majesty, I believe you find
yourself currently in a somewhat difficult. No matter how great a lion may
be—one who can traverse a nation in a single day and assert his supremacy in
every direction—he cannot demonstrate his true worth while trapped within an
enclosure. I can only imagine that for a man of your talent, this must be
nothing but agony.」
「What exactly do you mean by 'enclosure'?」
「Is the value of your country, which
was in a leading position among the three countries, not being disparaged by
those who do not understand Your Majesty's true worth? Do you not wish to
regain the power suited for this royal palace, which was built as a symbol of
past glory?」
「So you're telling me to ride on the
Duke's scheme and head to my death? Do you think a person who is the King of a
nation would ride on a delusion of that level?」
「First, allow us to speak of reality.
Currently, our Istoria Orthodox Theocracy merely controls the four
southern counties, but the three central counties will soon join our
subordinates, and our territory expands day by day. Our current military force
has already exceeded 20,000, and by spring, an 'expeditionary military force'
of 25,000 is scheduled to be ready.」
「What!」
An expeditionary military force of 25,000 was unexpected for
the King of Ville as well. Because
he had initially thought it was merely a regional rebellion by fanatics, and
would eventually head towards its end after greatly depleting national power.
「There is no longer any trust in the
church enacting tyranny domestically. The number of people visiting the city of
Tria increases day by day, and defectors from the Imperial King's
faction emerge one after another. By summer, it is expected that the Imperial
King's faction will abandon the Royal Capital Isra and flee to the three
eastern counties.」
This is also not Lugner's big talk. The three central
counties will fall soon. Precisely because he had certainty of that, he
responded to the summons and returned to Tria. If the cornered Imperial
King is to flee, there is only the three eastern counties, which can escape to
the safe Kyle Kingdom side at any time, having ceded one county as war
reparations.
「We can see the day we unify the
country and liberate the people from tyranny. But prior to that, there is
something we must do. Otherwise, we will lose a precious opportunity, so...」
「What is the opportunity?」
「It is a story Your Majesty already
knows. The condition given by the Duke to carve out territory freely has also
come to our country. Some opine that we should take this opportunity to expand
our territory all at once, but our goal lies elsewhere.」
「Oh, you're saying there is something
more attractive than the Empire's
vast northern frontier?」
「Yes, beyond the Empire territory, over 5,000 of our officers and soldiers are held
captive, engaging in harsh labor daily. Our goal is to liberate them. After
obtaining those soldiers, we plan to withdraw our army and march north
domestically.」
「So the remaining lands will truly be
free to carve out? However, Special Envoy, you have made an important mistake.
Indeed, if it were Empire territory, you could carve it out as
if conquering an uninhabited field. But beyond that lies a great wall.」
Yes, the wall the King of Ville is concerned about is the existence of the Westlights
Demon Territory Dukedom. Although they have no diplomatic relations,
through spies and merchants, he knew well enough of their martial prowess.
「The man humbly arrogating the title
of Archduke has piled up victories until now because he maintained a steadfast
defense using natural fortresses and the special terrain of the Demon
Territory, devoting himself to defense. But what about the territory on the
Empire side? Those who got carried away made a blunder. Stretching
long from east to west, with no fortresses, it is in a state of exposing its
soft flank to us.」
「Hmm... then let me dare to ask the
Special Envoy. I have heard that country operates tactics utilizing Mages.
Do you have a scheme to counter that?」
「We do. That is precisely why we
intend to take the vanguard this time. And I dare to state. Your country must
also possess it.」
「Wh-what is that? Speak.」
Azel, who
dared to remain silent and observe the course of the conversation, felt it.
That it was steadily becoming Lugner's pace. Because while he spoke, he
secretly exercised Dark Magic, working to make the other party believe
what they wanted to believe.
「Are you aware of the story that in
the previous great war, the army led by the First Prince of the Empire felled the Southern Gate
Fortress, highly reputed as impregnable, in a mere single day?」
「That... I have heard of.」
「That the tactic that played the leading
role in that was assembled referring to the weapon your country boasts of?」
「Certainly... that weapon was
maintained since the era of King Divide the Great in order to oppose the
Empire in the past, but...」
「That weapon is by no means used only
for defensive battles. I have heard that if the total numbers of the three
countries are combined, it amounts to a considerable number. Its range is also
longer than the magic of Mages, and you can unilaterally beat them to
death.」
「Then let me dare to ask one more
thing. Where is the just cause for us to invade the Empire?」
「There is a just cause. His Highness
the First Prince Glorious desires coexistence with your country, and has
no territorial ambitions. As proof of that, was there not a presentation of a
draft treaty from Duke Harry as well?」
「Isn't that merely an expedient
because he wants to advantageously advance the succession dispute, an internal
conflict, within the Empire? In
fact, Lord Glorious has invaded neighboring countries countless times,
has he not?」
「That is incorrect. His Highness Glorious
merely went on an expedition to settle a border dispute of his former
subordinate, Frontier Count Goth.
It was there that the ambitious Third Prince saw fit to interfere.」
That is also forced reasoning, no, a story that can only be
thought of as sophistry. However, Lugner continued without minding.
「In the first place, the one who took
the initiative in the ceasefire agreement with the Kyle Kingdom was the
Third Prince. What does Your Majesty think about the fact that he discarded it
in a mere 5 years and attacked again? This fact will likely become the same for
your country as well.」
「That is true, but...」
「As a fact, the Third Prince's desire
for conquest knows no bounds. If left alone like this, the neighboring
countries, starting with the Sura Principality, will eventually become
sacrifices to his ambitions. Furthermore, he is not the only wicked invader.」
「What do you mean?」
「The Third Prince of the Empire and the upstart arrogating the
title of Archduke have secretly joined hands. This right here is their secret
pact, obtained by one of my agents.」
The document
presented was a memorandum of a secret agreement between the Third Prince of
the Empire, Grat, and Takuhir, the Archduke of the Demon Territory Dukedom. Within it,
a certain passage was written, bearing the seal of the Archduke:
『Your nation shall assert its
supremacy in the South. In exchange for our support in that endeavor, we shall
reap the surrounding nations in the northern part of the Empire.』
「Wh-what an outrageous thing...
However, Minister, first verify it with the usual item.」
Saying so, the King of Ville
handed the letter to the Minister, who took it and disappeared somewhere.
Actually, this was a gamble on Lugner's part. This official document
itself, naturally, is a forged fabrication. The seal impression was also a
forgery imitating an official seal used in a commercial transaction with some
merchant. This was nothing more than a rehash of the trick Count Goyoku had used to disparage Takuhir in the past.
However, Lugner
was blessed with luck in two specific regards.
First, he did not know that Takuhir, who was originally
Japanese, used different seals depending on the occasion. To put it in
corporate terms, it was like a company seal, an official seal, and a registered
seal; for documents that anyone in the administrative office could issue, a
company seal was used, and for contracts and such, there was an official seal
that could only be affixed by the person in charge of a permitted department.
And the registered seal, which only Takuhir, his wives, and the Minister of Internal Affairs could use,
was affixed to diplomatic documents involving interactions between countries
and particularly important documents.
Lugner did not
know this fact, and merely imitated the seal impression of an official seal he
somehow managed to obtain.
The second point was that there were no diplomatic relations
or interactions between the Westlights Demon Territory Dukedom and the Ville Kingdom. Therefore, there was no
one in this country who knew of the existence of the registered seal in the
first place.
Returning to the room a short while later, the Minister
silently nodded towards the King of Ville.
「I see... according to your proposal,
the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy will take the vanguard first; there is no
mistake about this?」
「For us, they are an enemy so
loathsome that we could never coexist under the same heaven. To whom could we
possibly yield the vanguard?」
Convinced that the situation had tilted in his favor, Lugner
went for the final push.
「That brat is a cold-blooded and
cruel man. He is a Demon King harboring unfathomable malice, capable of doing
anything for his own profit. Does Your Majesty know in what cruel manner
thousands, tens of thousands of soldiers of the Imperial Army and the soldiers
of the Fearalt Principality's
army were slaughtered?」
Rumors of the Demon King had reached them as well. Moreover,
rumors of unknown origin always tend to be exaggerated with added tails and
fins. After a heavy silence, the King of Ville
finally made a decision.
「..Very well. Our nation shall grant
your country our recognition. And... you understand what follows, do you not?」
「Yes, regarding the remaining two
countries, we shall secure their recognition. Proceeding with the talks
strictly on the premise of coordination with your country, we guarantee
priority for your country.」
「That will be fine. And, the timing
for that?」
「Between spring and autumn, we wish
to carry it out while gauging the movements of the Empire. I have a proposal here; to substantiate my words, how about
your country dispatches a liaison officer to Tria? There, you may
confirm the state of our armaments and the progress of our deployment.」
「I see. That sounds acceptable.
Furthermore, to ensure no seeds of misfortune are sown later, I wish to proceed
with prior consultations regarding the lands to be carved out...」
「Yes, as you wish. I believe it is
essential to leave the results of the discussions as official documents anew,
and also secure the Empire's pledge.」
Following this, the King of Ville and his advisors—their thoughts masterfully guided by Dark Magic—engaged in repeated consultations with Lugner and Azel before
the two departed for the Lute Kingdom
and the Cain Kingdom. The hearts of
those who had lived confined as small nations, trembling daily in fear of
invasion by large nations, were skillfully entangled. And before they knew it,
they had been taken in by a scheme that invited themselves to their deaths.
What their future will become, nothing is known yet at this point.
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