Chapter 235
(Kyle Calendar Year 513: Age 20)
The Beginning of Everything
Translator : PolterGlast
Having concluded the Regular
Meeting in the Royal Capital, I
returned to Aegis. The season had shifted from spring to summer, and in
the terraced fields of Aegis, the rice ears were beginning to ripen
fully. By this time, all combat personnel had been deployed to the Aegis
and Ishtar areas, beginning the transition to a wartime readiness.
"Takuhir-sama! An urgent messenger from the Tia
Trading Company has arrived. May I show him in?"
"He's here! I'll meet him immediately. Let him
through."
The messenger who visited me was the harbinger who would
announce the beginning of everything. I met the messenger along with the Commander, Gale, Christoph,
and other key Commanders.
"Please forgive this manner of visit. I have come to
report under orders from Halim. First, allow me to report urgently.
Civil war has broken out in the Fearalt Principality! According to
information obtained in Salaam, it appears the Royal Capital has already fallen!"
"What! The Royal
Capital already? How is that possible? Are you saying the King's Army,
commanding the Imperial Guard Division,
was defeated so easily?"
"Gale, calm down. Messenger, thank you for your
trouble. Could you explain the events leading up to this, as far as you
know?"
"Yes. It began at the end of spring. A noble rebellion
occurred in the southern border region of the Fearalt Principality. It
started when the King himself set out to suppress it, leading 20,000 troops of
the Imperial Guard Division and a
portion of the Mage Corps."
"So they took advantage of the gap when the King
vacated the Royal Capital?"
"Yes. A rebel army of over 30,000 suddenly attacked the
Royal Capital in the absence of the
King and the main force of the Imperial Guard Knights. Furthermore, the main
force of the Mage Corps sided with the rebels, and the remaining 10,000
Imperial Guard Knights, helpless to do anything, surrendered the capital and
fled in disarray. Currently, the rebel army occupies the Royal Capital."
I see... Fairy, the Royal Capital, has fallen already. The King's side should have been
on guard, yet the execution was too skillful. In place of me, who closed my
eyes in silence, Christoph asked.
"And has the rebel forces merely
seized control of the Royal Capital?"
"We do not know the details either, but it appears the
rebel army has rallied various nobles and seized control of more than half the
Principality. According to information from those who trade in the underworld,
the Lord of Salaam is also likely..."
"If this was a carefully planned operation prepared in
advance, we should assume everything north of the Royal Capital is now in the
rebel camp."
The Commander
followed up with his assessment. His reading of the situation is likely
correct.
"And once the domestic situation stabilizes, they will
likely turn their spearheads toward us."
"Just as the Commander
says. From here on, the speed of information will be crucial. I apologize for
asking this after you've run such a long distance to get here as a messenger,
but could you return to Salaam as quickly as possible? If there are
signs of an invasion of the Kingdom within the Principality, please inform us
ahead of the invading army. Can you convey that to Halim? Also, have messengers
been sent towards the Royal Capital
simultaneously?"
"Yes, understood. Regarding messengers, we have sent
them to both here and the Royal Capital.
We shall return to Salaam for now, but depending on changes in the
situation, the next messenger may have already departed. Events seem to be
moving that quickly."
I see... It means the rebel army is playing their carefully
prepared hands in rapid succession.
"I'm counting on you! Please give my regards to Halim.
Tell him to be extremely cautious and not to rush into anything reckless."
"Yes! I shall do so gratefully."
With that, the messenger returned once again to Salaam.
The day after sending off the messenger, an urgent messenger
arrived from the Royal Capital. He
was accompanied by one additional person who had traveled with the messenger
from the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
I immediately met them at the Aegis command center
and addressed the person accompanying the messenger first.
"Count Flame, I imagine you must be pained by
the situation currently unfolding in your country. However, we too are in a
dire situation and it pains me greatly that we cannot offer much
assistance..."
"What! You mean the Demon Territory Count
already knows? Good heavens, I am surprised. I came here to urgently inform the
Demon Territory Count of this situation..."
Count Flame
said this, but his face was pale. For him, who holds the King's deep trust,
being unable to assist his liege in a predicament must feel like cutting his
own flesh.
"I have come here with the permission of your country's
Minister of Foreign Affairs. First,
please verify this letter from my King. Furthermore, a personal letter similar
in content to this one has been delivered to King Kyle through the Minister of Foreign Affairs."
Saying this, he held out a letter strictly sealed with wax.
To me? A personal letter from the Fearalt King?
I confirmed the contents with suspicion. What was written
there was exactly as I had expected.
First, that by the time this letter arrives, there is a high
possibility a rebellion has occurred within the Principality.
Second, requesting that the Kyle Kingdom grant the King's younger brother and sister asylum out of
concern for their safety should a rebellion occur.
Third, that Count Flame is assigned as their escort.
Fourth, that a letter requesting assistance has been sent to
King Kyle, accompanied by a written request for the suppression of the
rebel army.
Fifth, requesting that Count Flame's knowledge be
utilized regarding the suppression of the rebel army.
Finally...
『I
deeply apologize for causing great trouble to your country due to my own
inadequacy. The night we shared drinks together in Fairy remains an
unforgettable, irreplaceable memory. Someday, after victory, let us drink
together to our hearts' content once more. 』
So it was written.
To have prepared a request for suppression in advance—he is
shrewd.
With this, even if there is an invasion, it does not mean
the Kyle Kingdom and the Fearalt Principality are in a state of
war. Formally, it simply means domestic rebel elements have violated the border
and invaded. And on the Kyle Kingdom side, even if we pursue the
invading army across the border and engage in combat, it does not constitute
aggression.
Although, if an invasion by the rebel army occurs, the
Principality will need to apologize to the Kingdom or pay compensation for the
aid...
"So, Count Flame, you came with the two of
them?"
"Yes, we entered the Royal Capital, Kylar, ten days ago. King Kyle and Duke
Klein have kindly lent their assistance in this matter. The reason I came
this far was to speak to the Demon Territory Count about reports not
contained in the documents."
"Is there a need to clear the room? Those present here
are the ones entrusted with the core of military affairs in our camp."
Saying this, I casually looked around.
"I shall excuse myself temporarily. I also have a
message from Duke Klein, which I will convey later."
The messenger who had accompanied Count Flame from
the Royal Capital keenly sensed the
atmosphere and left the room. Seeing this, Count Flame began to speak.
"If they are the ones entrusted with military affairs
alongside the Demon Territory Count, there is no problem. To be honest,
this rebellion was something my King had anticipated. And if left alone, it
would likely have become a quagmire of a civil war involving your country in
the near future."
"So, he dared to induce the civil war intentionally—is that it?"
"Put that way, it sounds blunt, but it is exactly as
you say. The southern region of the Principality is centered on the territories
of small and medium nobles, many of whom acknowledge His Majesty's reign.
Conversely, the area around Fairy in the center and everything north of
it are the territories of the disgruntled nobles."
"So his intention was to advance south from Fairy,
where there was a fear of being surrounded, with his core military strength,
and then march north all at once to pacify them?"
"Yes. According to the original plan, he intended to
pacify up to Salaam within a month at the latest. His Majesty intended
to cause as little trouble as possible for your country..."
"Hmm, then something unexpected happened?"
"Yes. Initially, the rebel army's initial force was
estimated at around 20,000 to 30,000, with the rest expected to remain
opportunistically neutral. However, according to reports obtained from
subordinates, the total number has swelled to over 60,000."
"Mmm..." "Si-Sixty thousand, you say!"
"Then, that is too far from the assumption..."
Christoph,
Gale, and the Commander
raised their voices involuntarily. Indeed, it far exceeds even my own
assumptions.
"The Third Army of the Imperial Guard Division, which was left in the Royal Capital, was scheduled to retreat while drawing the rebel
army, buying time. However, that army turned to the rebel side. Our forces
decreased by 10,000, and that number went to the rebels... If only I had
remained in the Royal Capital..."
Count Flame
bit his lip in frustration. Allies decrease by 10,000, enemies increase by
10,000. Just that alone creates a 20,000 disparity for the King's Army. And the
opportunistic forces must have joined the rebel side all at once.
Is there someone pulling the strings and maneuvering in the
shadows, enough to make the King misread the situation this badly?
"Commander!
With a total of 60,000, the invading army would be at most around 30,000—
don't you think they’ll divert a force that size in our
direction?"
"Count Flame, my name is Weiss, and I am
entrusted with military affairs under Takuhir-sama. May I be permitted a
question?"
"Yes, I do not mind."
"Regarding the Fearalt King's current military
strength, is it correct that it stands at 20,000 in the Imperial Guard Division? What are your thoughts on the prospects
for pacifying the rebel army?"
"If we rally the royalist nobles of the entire southern
region, it will be around 30,000. Fortunately, the south has granaries, so
stockpiles of supplies are sufficient. Furthermore, His Majesty is well-versed
in military affairs, and the First Imperial
Guard Division is the strongest in the country. I believe we can overturn
the numerical disadvantage if we take time. However, currently, the only ones
completely trustworthy are the 10,000 of the First Imperial Guard Division and the total of about 5,000 from our
allied nobles. Although, if the Royal Family members currently sheltering in
this country were to be captured and set up as figureheads by the enemy... then
the situation would truly be beyond saving."
"Takuhir-sama, let us think in the worst-case
scenario. Allies are 15,000; the enemy suppressing them is 30,000. They will
likely leave some troops within the country, but we should consider the
invading army to be 30,000. Adding to this the two Marquis armies, the Western Margrave's
army and his subordinates, and the lured surrounding nobles, that's about
10,000. As a result, I believe we must consider an invasion of nearly 40,000
enemy troops on the Western Front."
"Right... By the way, Count, do you know what the
status of the Mage Corps is?"
"The noble side's Mage Corps is roughly 300, plus 60 in
the Third Imperial Guard Division,
and adding the Mages of each noble, it will likely be around 500...
However, at least around 100 are following His Majesty."
"Then, over 300 will be coming here. Worst case, assume
400... That's tough."
On the Kyle Kingdom side, we are currently squeezing
out the maximum movable troop strength. Even so, the entire army will likely be
around 80,000. There are noble forces not yet included in the count, but
honestly speaking, there is a high possibility they will be useless in battle.
On the other hand, the enemy's total troop strength will
easily exceed 110,000. And the critical points are the left wing of the
Southern Front and the Western Front.
"After meeting Duke Klein's messenger, I will
head to Gaia immediately, so Christoph, I ask you to accompany
me. Also, I want you to summon Elan with all haste. He will
accompany—no, have Elan join us there. Once we return from there,
we will head through the Demon Territory
to the Southern Gate Fortress to meet Margrave Hastburg immediately!
Commander, can I ask you to
accompany me there? Count Flame, as soon as you return to the Royal Capital, please convey the
worst-case scenario we just discussed to Duke Klein."
After that, I hastily met with Duke Klein's
messenger. The purpose was to share information—specifically, that the Istoria
Imperial Kingdom is currently amassing its forces, and that there is a high
probability that hostilities will commence very soon.
This is bad... Despite assuming various scenarios and
preparing, the situation has become unexpected even including those
assumptions. I never thought history's counterattack would be this vicious.
Even the West, which I thought I had secured perfectly, cannot be defended as
is.
I could only think that history was coming to destroy the Kyle
Kingdom no matter what. Faced with a worst-case scenario exceeding my
assumptions, I was panicking alone.
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