Chapter 472
(Kyle Calendar Year 516:
Age 23)
Avengers Unleashed
into the Wild
After finishing their secret meeting with the
merchants, Lugner and Azel returned to a certain mansion in the
royal capital of the former Kingdom of Cain, which had been given to
them as a base. There, 12 surviving Apostles of Darkness who had luckily
been saved as a result of traveling with them, and about 48 remnant soldiers of
the Orthodox Theocracy of Istoria, were stationed.
「Lugner, you said 『it won't be long』 back
there, but do you have any concrete basis for that? The messenger we sent to
those fanatics hasn't even returned yet, you know?」
「The
puppet Castro is merely a puppet, after all. I never imagined he would
abandon Tria and the Four Southern Counties and flee. Useless
fool.」
Originally, the cause was that they forcibly
pushed forward their invasion and expanded their occupied territories, but they
possess no awareness of that. However, under normal circumstances, a minimum
number of troops should have remained with Castro.
「It was
his blunder for sending 6,000 home country garrison troops to the Kingdom of
Lute side to accompany the expansion of the occupied territories. Though
even I didn't expect the brutish First Prince Courage, who has no
affinity for political strategy, to go that far.」
「We
should probably view that as entirely due to the instructions of that 『brat Takuhir』.」
「Ugh,
that brat!」
Saying so, Lugner widened his single eye
while trembling with rage. His figure was filled with such anger it seemed the
flames of hatred would burn his entire body to a crisp.
「The
cause of everything is that brat! He always steps forward and interferes right
when our schemes are about to bear fruit. During the civil war, on the western
front, in the battle of the four-nation alliance, and this battle involving the
three nations as well! As a result, he is the sole beneficiary.」
If Takuhir were present, he would likely
have raised his voice in protest. He was always on the side that got dragged
in, and he merely ran about not to interfere, but to save himself, his
companions, and the country he belonged to. Ironically, however, all of their
schemes were crushed, resulting in Takuhir's unparalleled rise in
status...
「Before I
tear him limb from limb, I will mercilessly slaughter his wife, children,
subordinates, and all of his citizens! I will inflict such pain on him, the
last one remaining, that he will cry and scream for me to 『kill me』, and
then I will kill him while slowly carving up his entire body!」
Shouting this, Lugner unconsciously
pressed against his lost right eye. Even now, every time the scar on his right
eye ached, his desire for revenge seemed to shake his heart even stronger, even
more violently.
He was routed in the battle in the forest, and
while fleeing, he took a stray arrow to the head and lost his right eye.
Although he was in a near-death state, he fortunately survived, and was
subsequently carried away to the rear by his soldiers.
「I
believe I understand your pain. My right arm is like this, after all.」
Azel, who retorted thus, had also taken an arrow to his right hand, and
perhaps because the spot it pierced was bad, his right hand had not moved since
then. Because of this, he too was forced to live with his immobile right arm
constantly suspended from his neck in a sling.
「That is
fine, but Lugner, we should first set up arrangements for the time
being. What are we going to do about Istoria?」
「We will
send out a messenger once more. To light a fire under those fanatics, that is.
Preparations in Laconia will take another half a year; then everything
will be ready. After all, they desire war right now. That is why I said 『it won't
be long』.」
「Hahaha,
is that how it is? Though, we are the ones who cornered him into that
situation. If the new King does not demonstrate his legitimacy domestically, he
will be reduced to a mere regicide.」
In truth, these two also had a hand in the
political upheaval that occurred in the Republic of Laconia. That
happened several months before the present time...
◇◇◇
Several Months Ago — Republic of Laconia, Royal Capital
On this day, following the guidance of the
merchant Norden, Lugner and Azel entered the Republic
of Laconia, and proceeded directly to visit the residence of Crown
Prince Areus.
「Now
then, I met with you due to an introduction from the Norden House, but
who are these people? What meaning is there in introducing those incapable of
fighting to me like this?」
Saying so, Areus alternated his gaze
between Azel, who had no use of his right hand, and the one-eyed Lugner
with contempt. In a nation of warriors, those who cannot fight have no value;
that was common sense in this country.
「Fufufu,
war is not solely about boasting martial valor on the battlefield, you know. We
possess strategies to guide battles through means other than martial power, and
secure victory. I dare to say, no matter how much fighting power one possesses,
if there is no battlefield, one can only boast their bravery in limited spaces
domestically. Is Your Highness the Crown Prince satisfied with that?」
「Kuh...」
Here, Lugner utilized information
previously obtained from the Norden House and moved to seize the
initiative in the conversation.
To begin with, despite being a nation of
martial prowess, the Republic of Laconia has maintained an exclusively
defensive stance for generations. That was the only means to avoid clashing
with the Imperial Army, which boasted immense military power, but the Crown
Prince, overflowing with ambition and blessed with talent for martial valor,
had always been dissatisfied with this.
『Even
though we possess the power to strike out, if we merely pull our heads in and
seclude ourselves within our territory, what on earth have we been polishing
our martial skills for! Power is... power precisely because it is exercised!』
The Crown Prince, having boldly declared this,
had constantly clashed with his father, the King, on a daily basis, and had
been accumulating frustration...
「Then...
let us see this strategy of yours that you speak of! If I am convinced, I will
acknowledge it as power no different from martial valor, but if it is a shallow
scheme, you will offer your heads as losers. Are you prepared for that?」
Being told this, Lugner knelt before the
Crown Prince with a fearless smile. Then, slowly raising his face, he began to
speak once more.
「There
are four gifts I humbly offer: a pretext for opening hostilities, new territory
for the Republic of Laconia, strong enemies, and a strategy to gain
victory over them.」
「W-What!」
「First is
the pretext for opening hostilities, but...」
Saying so, as Lugner looked behind him,
a man resembling a young nobleman stepped forward. However, his physique was
delicate and lacked ruggedness; only his facial expression held an arrogance as
if his ego had swelled massively.
「This is
the legitimate successor to the throne of the Kingdom of Cain, which
once held friendly relations with your country. Your country, complying with
his request, will extend a hand to reclaim the Kingdom of Cain from
atrocious usurpers.」
This man introduced by Lugner was
precisely the thirteenth in line to the throne who, after making arrogant
demands to the Demon Territory Dukedom army that liberated the royal
capital, was thoroughly humiliated and forced to leave.
「I wish
to officially request the assistance of the Republic of Laconia to
reclaim my homeland as the legitimate successor to the throne. Of course, when
we successfully reclaim it without issue, I shall provide ample compensation...」
Just as he was about to say that much, the
Crown Prince held out his hand and interrupted his words.
「Let me
ask first, what is this compensation? If you do not state it clearly, there is
no value in listening to your story. An entire nation is far too paltry a
compensation for driving my soldiers to their deaths; is this not a rather
convenient tale for you?」
「T-That
is...」
The man, interrupted mid-sentence, choked on
his words in an irresolute manner. A man who had no significant abilities and
was merely propped up by merchants, dreaming shallow dreams, remained arrogant
even now, and his reluctance to part with the compensation required to fulfill
his desires was plain to see.
「The
strategy is not bad, but do you think the King will make a move for just that?
Moreover, I hear a princess holding the legitimate fifth claim to the throne
has stood up in the Kingdom of Cain?」
「Kuh! I
do not acknowledge the likes of her! State affairs cannot be managed by such a
little girl!」
「Hahaha,
in terms of legitimacy, the princess ranks higher, you know? Earlier, you asked
me to reclaim your homeland utilizing your 『legitimacy』, but
what legitimate reason is there in that? I have no use for a mere weakling,
hurry up and go home!」
Simultaneously with his remark, the Crown
Prince took hold of a short spear beside him and swiped it away in an
intentionally exaggerated manner.
「Hii!」
At this display, the man's legs gave out, and
he scrambled to hide behind Lugner and the others in a panic, but the
visitors other than that man showed no signs of panic whatsoever. Rather,
letting out a large sigh in exasperation, they ordered the attendant
accompanying them to remove only the man who had exposed his disgraceful behavior
from the room.
And then... Lugner turned back toward
the Crown Prince anew and smiled coldly.
「I
believe you have understood the meaning of the first gift. A country cannot
possibly be governed by a man so weak, incompetent, and with an ego so bloated.
However, with this, the facade of 『having been petitioned by the royal family and
citizens of the Kingdom of Cain to liberate their homeland』 is set.」
At these words, the Crown Prince momentarily
choked on his words. This was because he understood that their intention was
not to wish for the reclamation of their homeland, but to wish for their
homeland to be stolen.
「Even if
the three nations were once a single country, royal families have already stood
in each country, making them separate nations. We do not accept standing
downwind of the Kingdom of Lute. It is obvious that they intend to prop
up a young girl as Queen and placate us. We, all the merchants of the Kingdom
of Cain, promise to support Your Highness.」
「Oh? I
would like to hear those words from the merchants themselves, the citizens of
the Kingdom of Cain.」
Upon hearing that, Norden, who had
maintained silence the entire time, finally opened his mouth.
「This is
not my personal agenda; it has become the consensus of the Four Great Merchant
Houses. We humbly beg His Highness Crown Prince Areus to bestow upon us
an excellent decision for the future, upon careful consideration.」
It was tantamount to saying this was not his
own will, but the will of the Four Great Merchant Houses, and the words careful
consideration and excellent decision were laden with meaningful
emphasis.
Perhaps noticing this, the Crown Prince smiled
broadly, but Lugner and the others, who were in high spirits as things
were developing exactly as expected, failed to notice those subtle nuances.
「One of
the gifts we can offer is a pretext; the second is an opening in the
successors. It is only natural for the weak to be devoured by the strong.」
Indeed, Lugner and the others had no
expectations for the man holding the thirteenth claim to the throne from the
very beginning. He was merely bait to show the other party that there was an
opening to exploit.
「Hahaha,
are you telling me to devour the territory of the Kingdom of Cain? What
a rather dangerous gift. What does the third point, strong enemies, refer to?
Do I look like someone reckless and foolish enough to fight head-on against the
Empire, no, the Demon Territory Dukedom?」
「Fufufu,
did Your Highness the Crown Prince not desire enemies in the first
place? Furthermore, the current Republic of Laconia, unlike its past
military, is in the process of being reborn under Your Highness's instructions.
We will provide an opportunity to catch them in a pincer attack from the north
and south. This is the fourth gift.」
「North
and south... you say?」
「Yes, at
the exact same time your country's army invades the territory of the Kingdom
of Cain, we will guide the army of the Orthodox Theocracy of Istoria
and surge into the Kingdom of Lute. Now then... how will King Courage
deal with enemies from both the north and south?」
The current total military strength of the Republic
of Laconia is 40,000, but that number only includes those selected strong
individuals who have been recognized as soldiers. To begin with, in the
Republic, which operates on the principle of universal conscription, all adult
males are soldiers and undergo rigorous training from childhood. Those who drop
out in the process are branded as 『weak』 and cannot become soldiers; in severe cases,
they fall into the slave class without citizenship.
「I see...
however, I am not the King. Furthermore, I do not believe a cowardly King will
be swayed by your sweet talk?」
「That is
exactly why we have come not to the 『cowardly』 King, but to Your Highness, who is
highly praised for your 『excellence and wisdom』. The kings of the
surrounding nations have all been replaced by the younger generation now. It is
no longer the time for old men to step onto the stage.」
Saying so, Lugner made his single eye
gleam suspiciously. However, Crown Prince Areus laughed and shook his
head.
「So... I
understand you intend to employ trickery and deceit, but do you think you can
win? I won't say which country, but snatching a large territory is all well and
good, but if it is splendidly reclaimed and you are left with nothing but
infamy, it wouldn't even be a laughing matter, you know?」
This was intense sarcasm. After all, they and
the Orthodox Theocracy of Istoria were the very ones who acquired vast
territories, only to have their brief reign crushed...
「Then why
does your country shelter and feed those who have defected from the Empire and
the Kingdom of Cain? Is it not to use them as a vanguard in times of
emergency?」
In response to this question, the Crown Prince
closed his eyes and pondered something. After a period of silence passed, he
slowly opened his eyes.
「Fufufu,
I understand what you are saying. We will go our own way. The royal successor
who serves as a pretext will be staying in our country from now on, is that
acceptable?」
「Yes,
that is why we brought him along, after all.」
「Then...
I shall ask you to take your leave for today. First, I would like you to prove
that your scheme is not just a pipe dream. Our moving will be after seeing
that.」
「Yes, we
shall return again with good news in the near future.」
Thus, feeling a positive response to their negotiations, they left the Republic of Laconia. Whether their machinations would birth a new spark in the world, and whether it would turn into a massive conflagration that spreads like wildfire to engulf the surrounding nations, no one knew at this point.
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