by Hyougetsu
“M-Master!? How do we beat an opponent this strong!?” Shatina shouted, shaken.
Oh the other hand, Garsh stroked his beard and shook his head.
“Nah, this is all an act. Ain’t that right, Petore?”
Petore nodded, a sour look on his face.
“Indeed. Those liberation guys must’ve made a deal with Ioro Lange beforehand. They just want their enemies to think they’re so powerful the mere threat of invasion causes cities to surrender. Lemme guess, those two-faced bastards probably said something about how they didn’t want to kill their own countrymen so the city should surrender, am I right?”
Surprised, the messenger nodded in affirmation.
“Th-That’s right, sir. I believe their proclamation went: We do not condone spilling the blood of our fellow brothers in the holy land of Ioro Lange. As members of the same Sonnenlicht Order, Rolmund beseeches the city to open their gates and welcome their liberators.”
Aram nodded in understanding.
“Just as the viceroys of the southern cities are all acquainted, there are strong ties between the viceroys of the northern cities.”
If all the northern viceroys really were of one mind, it would be difficult to stop this invasion through diplomacy. Forne sighed and said, “Furthermore, so long as Rolmund’s ire is directed toward the Senate, the remaining cities of the north have no reason to fight and endanger their citizens. A viceroy’s duty is first and foremost to their people.”
While the Senate held a great deal of power, it left governing the cities entirely to the viceroys. Meaning if one could win them over, the Senate had no chance.
“Princess Eleora understands that if she destroys the Senate, she can make the north hers. She’s done a good job of uniting people against the right enemy.”
Forne turned to me and glared.
“How can you sound so carefree? At this rate, our Commonwealth will be next. Rolmund’s dogs seem to know how to win the populace over.”
To be honest, I was pretty worried too.
“Well first, let me start by explaining what I believe Eleora’s intentions are.”
I passed out the reports I’d written up last night to each of the viceroys.
Since the founding of the Meraldian Liberation Army, Eleora had officially taken the stance of a supportive bystander. On paper, the viceroys leading the coalition held all the authority, but in truth, they were beholden to Eleora. And she had managed to make the northern cities hers with ease. I got to my feet and explained what was most dangerous about Eleora.
“The biggest factor to Eleora’s success is that both Rolmund and northern Meraldia are primarily filled with Sonnenlicht believers. From what the pilgrims tell me, she’s already begun expanding churches and temples for the devout.”
If she could win over the Sonnenlicht priests and bishops, she’d have most of the citizens in her pocket. And since her army wasn’t obstructing the people’s daily lives, they had no reason to oppose it. Especially since most of them hated the Senate. But there was one other important factor.
“On top of that, the princess herself is quite popular with the residents of the north.”
Having talked with her once before, I could easily see how that had happened.
“They think of her as the beautiful northern princess who’s come to save Meraldia. On top of that, she’s well-spoken, decisive, and beloved by the viceroys.”
Airia looked up and muttered grimly, “Then we need to deal with her soon.”
“Yes... that’s absolutely right, Lady Airia.”
Aram looked rather pale as he said that. I then moved on to explain our plan for dealing with her.
“I suspect Eleora will try and use religion to drive a wedge into the south as well. Make sure you maintain good relations with the Sonnenlicht bishops inside your cities.”
Among the southern cities, the four that bordered the north had an exceptional amount of Sonnenlicht adherents. Yuhit had already proven that they could be mobilized for a holy crusade as well. Once I was done explaining things to the viceroys, I called a meeting with Baltze and the other demon army generals to decide on a defense plan for the north. I kept the two meetings separate because I knew demons would have a hard time grasping the intricacies of human society.
Finally, I was free to return to my office. Upon doing so, I found Kite lounging around on my sofa.
“That must have been an exhausting meeting, Veight.”
“Oh, you made it. How’re things on your end?”
Kite sighed.
“The Senators are panicking. Some of them were stationed in Ioro Lange, and now they’ve been imprisoned.”
“Serves them right.”
If you treat your people and viceroys like pawns, you only have yourself to blame when they turn on you. Kite nodded, then brought out today’s letter.
“Here’s the letter they want me to deliver this time.”
“If they keep sending me so many, I’ll start running out of room to store them.”
“Well, I imagine they’ll be stopping soon,” Kite said with a sardonic smile. I took the letter from him and skimmed its contents.
“So they want to form an alliance and create a united front against Rolmund, huh?”
Now that’s shameless. I dumped the letter into a filing cabinet and turned to Kite.
“Want a drink?”
“Some lukewarm green tea, if you have it.”
“Oh yeah, I also have some rock salt cookies Lacy baked. Feel free to try some.”
“No thanks.”
Kite refused adamantly, but I shook my head.
“Sorry, but everyone who visits my office is required to eat at least three.”
“You tyrant!”
They don’t call me the Black Werewolf King for nothing. I picked up the large plate of Lacy’s cookies and thrust them out toward Kite.
“Go on.”
“How many do you have!?”
“You only have to eat three.”
“Why don’t you eat some too, Veight?”
“I already finished my quota of three.”
“And there’s still this many left!? Is that girl a moron!?”
Who cares, just eat them already. Hurry up. Kite timidly reached out for a rock salt cookie. He stared at the salt-like crystals on the surface of the cookie before casting epoch magic, just in case.
“It’s a normal cookie... as far as ingredients go.”
“Yep, it is.”
You don’t have to be that wary. Kite hesitated for a minute, then steeled his resolve. He took the coarse lump and popped it into his mouth. A moment later— “Wait, this is actually good.”
“Did I ever say it was bad?”
Her cookies were in fact delicious. I’d known he wouldn’t believe me if I’d just told him Lacy’s cookies were good, so I had to do things this way. The light application of salt really brought out the wheat flour’s flavor. And there was enough sugar that they still had a hint of sweetness. I was actually quite a fan of this taste.
“The only problem is the quantity.”
Sighing, I turned to a nearby cupboard.
“Just so you know, there’s about as many cookies in here as there are on the plate.”
Kite, who was reaching for his second cookie, muttered, “What is she, some kind of rural grandma?”
“That’s what I thought.”
For quite some time after, I had no shortage of salty-sweet snacks.
After conquering Ioro Lange, the Meraldian Liberation Army continued their advance. They controlled the entire northwest, so now they were extending their influence to the southeast. A few days later Airia came into my office to give me another report.
“The former capital, Vest, has joined the liberation army.”
“That’s bad, isn’t it?”
Vest was the southernmost city in the north, and until the unification war started, had been Meraldia’s capital. After the war, it was too close to remain as
the Senate’s capital, but it was still an important city. Airia frowned.
“When Ioro Lange had been surrounded, the Senate didn’t send them any aid. That sent a message to the other viceroys. ‘The Senate won’t protect your people.’”
“Makes sense...”
The Senate was probably banking on their strongest defense, the fortress city of Vongang. A city that had been built solely for the purpose of suppressing a rebellion in the south, were one to occur. But despite all the troops stationed in Vongang, they hadn’t sent any aid to Ioro Lange. It stood to reason that the viceroys of the remaining cities decided they were better off throwing their lot in with Rolmund. Airia mused, “Could this have been the reason why the liberation army made such a show of surrounding Ioro Lange, despite having no intention to attack?”
“To show other cities how incompetent the Senate is?”
“Yes. If Princess Eleora really is the kind of person you claim she is, Sir Veight, then it seems quite likely.”
I was actually thinking the same thing.
“Agreed. She’s no simple soldier, that’s for sure. She’s a crafty politician who knows how to use war as a diplomatic tool. Her first battle was a dramatic bloodless victory, and she’s using the fame from that to expand her influence.”
She thought three steps ahead before making any military maneuvers. But on the flip side, as long as her plans were proceeding smoothly, her moves became predictable. Completely unlike the unpredictable and volatile Senate. Though I was a little jealous of how smoothly things were going for Rolmund.
Normally moving armies required a lot of planning, mapping out supply trains, and all sorts of other logistical nightmares. But Eleora didn’t need to worry about any of that. The viceroys, the people, and the clergy were all on her side so she could go wherever she pleased, and be welcome. And since she was far from her homeland, she didn’t have to worry about any bureaucracy back home slowing her down. She was able to move her army with as much ease as someone playing a strategy game.
“At this point, I’d really like to avoid a head-on confrontation with her...”
I sipped the black tea Airia brewed for me and considered my options.
“The majority of the Meraldian Liberation Army is made up of Meraldians. If we actually fight them, it’ll just turn into a repeat of the unification war.”
“Indeed, no matter how we achieve victory, it will leave lasting grudges.”
“Yeah, exactly...”
Besides, no matter how many thousands of Meraldians we killed, we wouldn’t actually do any damage to Eleora herself. Of course, she couldn’t lose so many troops she lost the support of the north, but that was all.
“Lady Airia, do you have any other information?”
“Let me see... Hmm...”
Airia started sifting through the documents in her hand until she found something that caught her interest.
“Sir Forne has received a secret missive from Welheim.”
Welheim sat south of Krauhen, and wasn’t too far from Veira or Zaria. The formation of the Meraldian Liberation Army had trapped it between two powerful organizations, so it had likely been thinking deeply on its next course of action since the war began. Welheim had a deep relationship with Veira, and they’d been exchanging information since before the formation of the Southern Commonwealth.
“Have they decided to defect to our side?”
“Yes. The Senate has only Vongang and Welheim in its possession now. Rather than trust the unreliable Senate to defend them, Welheim has decided to turn to us, who have a track record of protecting our member cities.”
“Hahaha, I guess they’re referring to Zaria.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. All the werewolves had berated me going to help Zaria, but that decision was paying dividends now.
“I’ll leave the situation to Sir Forne. Knowing him, he’ll negotiate well if it means his city won’t be the one first in line to be attacked.”
Were Welheim to join our Commonwealth, Forne’s city of craftsmen, Veira, would no longer be directly bordering the liberation army. I had no doubt he’d do his utmost to make sure Welheim joined us.
“All that leaves now is Vongang. All the remaining Senators are hiding there, aren’t they?”
“Indeed, but that city was designed to withstand prolonged sieges...”
As I was discussing the situation with Airia over a pot of tea, Kite came to visit once more. He looked from me to Airia, then said hesitantly, “The Senate’s sent another request for aid, but it’s not a big deal so I can come back later if you want.”
It was strange to hear that a request for aid “wasn’t a big deal,” but then again Kite probably knew we wouldn’t help the Senate anyway. Airia smiled invitingly and beckoned Kite into the room.
“No need. I’ve just finished my report. I shall see you some other time, Sir Veight.”
“Yeah, sorry about this. I’ll be free by dinner.”
After seeing Airia off, I turned to Kite. The situation had gotten pretty dire for the Senate, and it’d be dangerous to keep using Kite as a spy for much longer.
“Kite, where do you usually go to report to the Senate?”
“Recently I’ve been going to Vongang. Ever since the liberation army began its invasion, most of the Senators fled there.”
Being the descendants of runaway slaves had taught the Senate useful skills. They were always wary of pursuers, and had set up multiple backup bases, just in case. Though, now that they’d lost Ioro Lange and Vest, the only city they could turn to was Vongang. I stared at Kite’s face as I thought of what Eleora’s next move would be.
“Kite.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t go back to the Senate. Stay here in Ryunheit.”
“Ah, okay. Works for me.”
I was honestly a little surprised at how easily he agreed. I’d been expecting him to be more shaken. If Welheim defected and Vongang capitulated, the Meraldian Federation would be done for. Chances were Eleora had predicted Welheim’s defection, and was likely massing her forces to take Vongang. If Kite went back to Vongang, he might get caught up in the fighting. Worse, if he was captured, he’d meet the same end as the rest of the Senate.
“Your hometown’s Vest, right? Is your family safe?”
“Yeah, they should be. The liberation army hasn’t pillaged any of the cities they captured.”
Perfect. Then even if he openly betrays the Senate, there won’t be any repercussions to his family. I had already prepared a house for him in Ryunheit, so it was high time I stopped putting him in danger. Stripping off his Senate uniform, Kite turned to me with a refreshed smile.
“So, what’s my job gonna be now?”
Fufufu, you really want to know? All traitors are fated to meet a grisly end. I grinned and said, “You’re going to be my vice-commander.”
“What!?”
“I’ve been looking for a skilled investigator for some time now. Don’t think you’ll get to escape me that easily.”
“U-Understood! I’ll perform this job to the best of my ability, Veight!”
From today onward, you’re the vice-commander of the Demon Lord’s vice-commander. You better be ready to earn your keep.
* * * *
—Eleora’s War Records: Part 1—
Clad in Rolmund’s royal cape and armor, Princess Eleora sets up her headquarters on a hill overlooking the battlefield. Camped below her are the few thousand members of the Meraldian Liberation Army. They’re currently surrounding the fortress city of Vongang.
“I suppose this is acceptable progress.”
“All they’re doing is brandishing their spears and standing there.”
Her adjutant, a middle-aged man, smiles ruefully at her. Eleora smiles back. The liberation army is a hodgepodge of amateurs who’d only trained in Rolmund military discipline for a few days.
“You sound dissatisfied, Borsche.”
“It’s far too cruel to send them out into t
he battlefield with such little training.”
“You’re a kind man,” Eleora says as she turns toward Vongang’s walls. “It’s not a bad fortress.”
Borsche nods.
“Yes, Your Highness. I believe this city will be a fitting reward for your services.”
“I would have preferred the real Ioro Lange, but I guess you can’t have everything.”
Borsche grimaces.
“Your Highness, if your family ever learned you spoke such words, you would be court-martialed.”
To citizens of Rolmund, the “real” Ioro Lange is the land directly controlled by the emperor. Though her words are borderline treason, Eleora smiles sardonically. Hefting her Blast Grimoire, she turns back to her adjutant.
“But just imagine what that disgustingly ornate palace would look like if it were my flag flying above it instead of his.”
“The thought certainly does excite me.”
“See?”
Just then, a Meraldian knight runs up to the command tent.
“Princess Eleora! My apologies for the unannounced visit, but the Senate is asking for a truce!”
Eleora responds in a cold voice, “Tell them I have no intention of accepting anything other than unconditional surrender. If any messengers come bearing other terms, chase them away!”
“Y-Yes, ma’am!”
The knight salutes, then canters away. Eleora sighs, “Do those fools truly believe they still have any leverage to negotiate?”
Another one of her officers, a woman, grins.
“It’s because they’re this foolish that they let the situation get this bad for them, Princess.”
“True that.”
Eleora turns back to the rest of her officers. They all stand at attention and salute her. She says, “Know that in this battle, the liberation army is both our main force, but also nothing more than a crowd of spectators. The true actors are us, the mage corps. Am I understood?”
“Yes, ma’am!” The officers respond in unison. They were considered Rolmund’s elite forces, thus they could not afford to fail. They need to show to Meraldia that despite being foreigners, they have the valor and drive to fight for a cause not their own.
