Her Majesty’s Swarm - Volume 1 - Chapter 10

The Smoldering Flames 

At Saania, capital of the Popedom of Frantz... 

“You’re saying the Kingdom of Maluk has fallen?” 

Pope Benedictus III, leader of the Popedom and head of the Church of Holy Light, received this troubling news in his office. 

The aging clergyman represented the nation’s conservative faction, and he had been elected just a few years ago. Despite being ravaged by fits of illness, he had kept belief in the God of Light strong during his tenure. The Church of Holy Light advocated honorable frugality under the belief that a life of luxury was in opposition to God’s teachings. 

Of course, the same clergymen who preached these sorts of beliefs would often receive monetary bribes from the nobility, who prompted them to bend the tenets in their favor. Divorce, adultery, and exploitation of the masses took place in the church behind the scenes. 

The aging pope lacked the power to force his beliefs onto every member of the clergy—not because he didn’t have the authority, but because he didn’t have the resilience to withstand opposition. Illness and old age had weakened him, so he couldn’t rule over the church with the same iron fist as his predecessors. The corrupt priests knew this, so they obeyed the church’s doctrine on the surface while fashioning more wicked tenets in the shadows. 

“Aye, Your Holiness,” answered the Pope’s right-hand man, Cardinal Paris Pamphilj. “Judging by the information we’ve received, a caravan tried to enter the Kingdom of Maluk three weeks ago, but the migrants aboard were attacked by monsters during their border inspection. Fortunately, they escaped with their lives. After that, they hired adventurers to investigate Maluk’s trade town of Leen, and it was found to be completely overrun by the same mysterious creatures.” 

The cardinal was a truly corrupt man. He had once been part of the reformist faction, which aimed to make the teachings of the church more flexible. When he changed his stance to conservative, he had asked everyone to recall and retain the teachings of the past. With the help of Schtraut bankers from the Eastern Trade Union, he had climbed to the position of cardinal. 

Following that, he went on to behave as if he’d always been part of the conservative party, skillfully and eloquently moving up the ranks until he became the right hand of the pope. Much like the other crooked members of the church, he accepted bribes and preached whatever his noble backers wanted the citizens to hear. Pope Benedictus III knew nothing of this, however, and still had a great deal of trust in the man. 

Still, Paris had yet to return the funds he had borrowed from the Dukedom of Schtraut’s bankers. The same held true for the pope, who had accepted a loan from them upon his nomination. 

“What of their capital, Siglia? Has it fallen as well?” asked the pope. 

“We don’t yet know for sure, but the situation seems dismal. We’re unable to contact our ambassador there, and I’m afraid the lack of liberation efforts on behalf of a large city like Leen can only mean one thing.” 

“If that is true, we should have sent them a relief party sooner. We assumed mere monsters wouldn’t topple a strong country like Maluk... a grave mistake on our part. Oh, God of Light in the heavens, protect us all.” 

The Kingdom of Maluk had sent a request for military aid to the Popedom, and the latter had promptly begun preparing its army. The nation had hired mercenaries, prepared a supply train, and said its prayers. In fact, the reinforcements’ preparations had been progressing smoothly. 

However, it had all turned out to be for naught. While the Popedom of Frantz was slowly preparing to set out, the Kingdom of Maluk had been destroyed by the army of monsters. From an outside perspective, it had all happened in the blink of an eye. 

So the Popedom had intended to send out forces, but with what degree of urgency? Corrupt dignitaries like Paris were embezzling the expedition funds, and the pope himself hadn’t thought the situation was all that serious. 

Monster attacks happened fairly often, after all, and the Kingdom of Maluk had brave paladins blessed by the God of Light who were more than capable of dispatching any unruly beasts. Everyone had faith in their abilities, including Paris and Benedictus III. 

Reality, however, proved otherwise. The army of monsters had swallowed up the Kingdom of Maluk. Now the Popedom was faced with not just preventing the Empire of Nyrnal’s expansion in the south, but facing the creatures as well. 

“How should we respond to this?” asked the pope, still reeling. 

“First we must get a handle on the current state of the Kingdom. Sending an army when we know so little of the enemy—that is, the mysterious beasts that attacked Maluk—would be reckless. Let us have the adventurers scout for us.” 

“Right... There may be some survivors. Increase the adventurers’ reward and have them thoroughly investigate the Kingdom. Tell them to find out what happened, and who—or what—was behind the attack.” 

An adventurer was something of a half-mercenary. Unlike mercenaries, however, adventurers didn’t form large groups, preferring to operate in parties of sixteen at most. They were survival specialists, capable of exploring and infiltrating areas off-limits for most mercenaries. Their primary job was to slay monsters. 

Monster hunting was a profession monopolized by the adventurers’ guild, and mercenaries were forbidden from partaking. As such, when it came to fighting monsters, adventurers had the most experience, knowledge, and skill. 

“We must also summon the International Council. We may not yet know who attacked the Kingdom of Maluk, but whoever they are, they have enough might to defeat a very powerful nation. We would be reckless to face them alone.” 

“Be that as it may, I do not like the idea of asking the Empire of Nyrnal for help. The Empire has continuously ignored our requests to mediate peace and instead continued their aggression, and now the entirety of the south is in their grasp. I can only see them sowing conflict in the International Council.” 

The Nyrnal Empire was the strongest force on the continent, and while it worshipped the God of Light, it often spurned the church standing at the center of the religion. Time and time again, the pope had attempted to negotiate with the Empire in order to protect the smaller southern nations, but each time the Empire had instead pushed onward to conquer its opponents altogether. 

As far as the Popedom of Frantz was concerned, the Empire was a land of faithless infidels who only worshipped the God of Light on the surface. It was a nation of haughty militarism that was fond of committing all kinds of atrocities in order to expand. The people of the Popedom looked down upon the Empire with scorn, even though the Popedom itself had offered aid to the assailed southern nations only to abandon them in the end. 

No, the truth was even crueler than that: Paris had tried to take advantage of those countries’ plight to extort them for money, claiming the God of Light would grant them His protection in exchange for donations... and the sum he requested was always quite vast. In a sense, the Popedom had eaten away at the southern countries. 

“The Empire of Nyrnal also shares a border with the Kingdom of Maluk. Their neighboring country was conquered by an unknown force, and so they should strive to action and stand alongside us. If they don’t, they might be next in line for invasion,” said Paris. 

“True. It is time they acknowledge our authority. We are all one under the God of Light.” 

The pope made a mental note to press the Empire to agree to form a unified front during the council. Its military power couldn’t be denied, of course; the Empire held the unified south under its control, and it was vigilantly eyeing the north for a chance to invade. 

“Incidentally, what of the elves? Our report says the monsters originated from the center of the elves’ forest.” 

“As far as we know, they still follow the path of heretics. They have not accepted the God of Light into their hearts, and instead look up to their savage forest gods and offer them frequent sacrifices. There is no hope of saving them with our teachings. Those sheep, if you can even call them that, will remain lost.” 

Like many other humans, those in the Popedom saw the elves as savages. In fact, they were actually the source of the many unfounded rumors about elves, which had been spread as propaganda to reinforce the God of Light as the one true deity. 

Of course, not everyone believed them. Some elves were able to live in the Empire of Nyrnal, however poorly, through trading. They also had citizens’ rights in the Dukedom of Schtraut, even if they were part of the lowest social class. Only the Popedom and the Kingdom of Maluk completely denied the elves of all rights. 

“When should we hold the International Council, then?” 

“After we finish making the proper arrangements with the Empire, I’d say. We need to arrange things properly so they don’t cause a ruckus. We may have to give them some... incentive to do so, though. Do you approve, Your Holiness?” 

“Yes, that is fine. Money is a given in negotiations.” 

Words alone would not convince the Empire, so a great deal of money would be needed in times like these. If given enough, Nyrnal’s ambassador would allow the council to proceed undisturbed, at the very least. 

“I’ll get right to it, then.” 

“Wait. Deploying adventurers is fine, but shouldn’t we conduct our own investigation as well?” 

“Are you referring to the Fourth Mystical Research Section?” 

“Yes. We should have them look into the Empire of Nyrnal, the elves, and the Kingdom of Maluk.” 

The Mystical Research Division was in charge of the Popedom’s intelligence. It was split into sections, with the fourth handling undercover, top-secret intelligence. They dealt in so-called “dirty work,” which at times even included assassination. 

“Understood. I will have them hold a covert investigation, then.” 

“Please do.” 

And so, the Popedom of Frantz began operating in secret... but they were not the only ones making preparations. 

Word of the Kingdom of Maluk’s tragic fate had also reached Doris, capital of the prosperous, gold-mining nation known as the Schtraut Dukedom. 

“The Kingdom of Maluk... was destroyed?!” Caesar de Sharon, the thirteenth Duke of Schtraut, couldn’t contain his shock. 

The middle-aged man’s expression was contorted in sorrow and disbelief. He looked as if he had just been notified of the end of the world. Only news this grave could elicit such a reaction from the leader of the Dukedom. 

“I’m afraid so, milord,” said his prime minister, Cardinal Charon Colbert. “It seems they were attacked by mysterious creatures, and even their capital of Siglia was toppled. We cannot currently enter the country. Those monsters are also prowling along the borders, and they attack any invaders on sight.” 

The prime minister was Caesar’s most trusted subordinate. He was a cardinal in the Church of Holy Light and also knowledgeable in matters of state. His vast experience in both politics and diplomacy greatly supported Caesar’s administration. 

Caesar was grateful that Charon was distant from the Popedom, the center of their religion, because he could state his opinions with relative neutrality. Most of the other cardinals were too deeply rooted in the Popedom to be so frank. 

“Aaah, how dreadful,” Caesar lamented. “To think we’d lose the Kingdom of Maluk to something so... inexplicable. I had hoped their military might would act as a deterrent to the Nyrnal Empire, but alas.” 

“Yes. As you know, our army is mostly there for show.” Charon shrugged and heaved a sigh. “I was hoping the Empire wouldn’t attack us so long as we clung to Maluk.” 

“Quite so. Do you know how much we’ve supported Maluk’s army? We may be affluent at the moment, but who can say when we might find ourselves on the wane. The value of money might suddenly fall, or the Empire might attack us. We supported them in order to prepare for times like that.” 

The Schtraut Dukedom had flourished financially and formed a union of guilds which effectively made up the country. Many nations owed the Eastern Trade Union a considerable debt, and its total sum of foreign currency reserves was the greatest on the continent. 

The trade union had given a great many loans to the Popedom of Frantz in particular. Everyone, from the pope down to the deacons, had a debt of some sort to repay to the Eastern Trade Union, which was practically its own self-operating territory. But it wasn’t just the Popedom; many other countries, and even the Dukedom itself, owed money to the bankers. Even the Empire of Nyrnal had non-negligible debt with them. 

The Dukedom’s leadership was decided by election, and Caesar had been elected to his post a few years back. While he was a duke in title, his riches matched those of the Emperor of Nyrnal. In terms of resources, he was effectively a king. 

This election-based method of government was also practiced in the Eastern Trade Union, located in the southeast corner of the continent. It was a limited form of democracy in which chosen guild masters, nobles, and affluent citizens were given the right to vote. Real democracy wasn’t a part of this world as of yet, as it wasn’t needed. 

The Schtraut Dukedom had a strong enough population to maintain their domestic demands and a great many debts to collect from other countries; so long as it remained standing, this nation would likely never suffer economic collapse. 

But affluent as it was, the Dukedom of Schtraut faced a single problem: Its army was weak. Extremely weak. The heads of the merchant guilds, who held the right to vote, were adamant about investing in trade—where the monetary returns were great—rather than the money-sucking organization that was the military. 

Thanks to that, the Dukedom of Schtraut effectively had no military to call its own. It did have a naval fleet, which aimed to snuff out pirate activity stemming from a cove on the legendary island of Atlantica, but its ground forces were a laughingstock. 

Things weren’t all that bad, however. They did have a strike force that made use of the mountainous terrain along the Dukedom’s borders. They also had money to spare, which meant they could hire another country’s military or groups of mercenaries if need be. 

But that would only be possible when they were definitely in times of war, as the bankers and guild masters were opposed to maintaining a large army during peacetime. Should the Nyrnal Empire launch a surprise attack, the only thing protecting the country’s fortune would be the mountain strike force, its troops skilled but few in number. 

To that end, the Dukedom of Schtraut had fashioned friendly relations with the Kingdom of Maluk and intended to create a military alliance with them. Maluk’s military was one of the most prominent on the continent in terms of size, and striking an alliance with them would make even the Empire of Nyrnal hesitant to attack the Dukedom. 

Safety in numbers, as they say. 

This was the policy Caesar had promoted, and he had tempted the Kingdom of Maluk with large amounts of money. They had just been on the cusp of forming the alliance, too. His plan of many years had been a mere step away from coming to fruition. 

But the monsters’ attack on Maluk had reduced it all to nothing. 

The bankers and guild masters had been opposed to his alliance with the Kingdom of Maluk; some preferred an alliance with the Popedom, and others argued that there was no threat to be concerned with in the first place. Now they would likely double down on his other polices to tarnish his reputation. 

It was possible that his position as Duke of Schtraut would come to an end before his term was up. Such was the authority of the bankers and guild masters, even if they were traitors to the country, seduced by lucrative business opportunities from the Popedom and the Empire. 

“Would allying with the Popedom of Frantz be impossible at this juncture?” Caesar murmured. “I believe we’ve discussed it once before.” 

Charon shook his head. “I’m afraid the Popedom’s religious atmosphere is simply too strong. The guild masters will probably object to it. They’re interested in money, but they care little for God. Besides, forming an alliance with the Popedom would require us to once again open our coffers. That country is the seat of the pope, after all, who speaks in the name of the God of Light... and they require a great many donations. They use their religious authority as a bargaining chip in order to obtain money, much like the Empire uses its wyverns.” 

“So the guild masters and bankers wouldn’t finance an alliance with them?” 

“They’d likely be opposed to it, yes.” 

“They’d object to anything we might come up with, the bastards. It’s as though their only role in the world is to stand in opposition. Whatever the case, we absolutely need a country to ally with. We need an army to deter the Empire of Nyrnal. And what’s more...” 

“There’s no telling when the mysterious creatures that attacked Maluk might come after us. Right, milord?” 

That was exactly it. The Kingdom of Maluk was their neighbor, so it was only natural to suspect the Dukedom itself might be next in line. The Dukedom currently had its strike force deployed along the border zones, and they anxiously looked for monsters to appear from the west. The soldiers had sworn to protect the country with their lives, and they remained vigilant despite fearing the monsters’ arrival. 

“Precisely. Eating monsters is one thing, but I wouldn’t want to meet my death being eaten by them.” Caesar picked up some documents regarding the defense of their border with Maluk. “We should swiftly reinforce the Schtraut-Maluk border and have our men stand on alert. Hire mercenaries and adventurers too, if necessary. The funds that would’ve gone to our alliance with Maluk should cover the costs.” 

“Am I to ensure the guild masters understand the severity of this situation?” 

“Yes. If need be, we can have the elves join in as well. The Nyrnals are a threat, but monsters capable of bringing down a nation are just as frightening.” 

Caesar and Charon’s discussion continued as the two of them decided the Dukedom’s course of action. 

The Empire of Nyrnal ruled over the southern regions, and as the imperial capital of the largest nation on the continent, Vejya was appropriately maintained. The streets were quite wide, with guild offices on either side, the striking of anvils ringing out incessantly. The city’s walls were the largest on the continent, and atop them flapped the Empire’s banner: a red dragon brandishing a sword. 

But that wasn’t just the Empire’s symbol; it was the symbol of its might over the other countries. The red dragon was a wyvern, a scaled beast capable of soaring freely through the skies, dealing death to its enemies. It was also like a crimson vulture, devouring the flesh of the fallen on the battlefield. 

Using its wyverns, the Empire of Nyrnal invaded the southern countries one after another, gobbling them up to mature into a grand empire. Only four years ago, the Empire of Nyrnal was merely one of many countries in the south, but the sudden appearance of the wyverns had allowed it to rise as a major power. 

The other nations all eyed the Empire as a suspicious newcomer, believing it was still hungry for more territory. The Kingdom of Maluk had built a great fortress near the banks of the Themel River, though it had been destroyed during a recent attack. The Dukedom of Schtraut had swiftly approached Maluk in hopes of forming an alliance that would deter the Empire. As for the Popedom of Frantz, it had appealed to the Empire in the name of the God of Light, pressuring the larger nation to contain its hostilities. 

But this grand country had ignored them all. The Empire swelled with dignity and pride as the greatest force on the continent... and it intended to go further still. The Nyrnal Empire’s inflated ambition was to rule over the entirety of the continent, uniting all its territories under the banner of the red dragon. 

As the mightiest player, the Empire, too, had heard of the Kingdom of Maluk’s fate. 

“According to the information we received from the Third Imperial Secretariat, the monsters have completely conquered the Kingdom of Maluk,” reported Bertholdt von Bülow, a man of about thirty years old. “We’ve lost contact with the embassy in Siglia, and Maluk’s other cities all seem to be overrun with monsters.” 

This hook-nosed fellow was the Chief Cabinet Secretary, and he managed all of the emperor’s tasks and obligations. Having only come into his position during the previous emperor’s reign, the man was shrouded in mystery, leading many organizations to investigate his background. 

Some of the people who looked into him were spies employed by nobles in the Empire; others were from the Dukedom of Schtraut’s Office of External Affairs and the Popedom of Frantz’s Fourth Mystical Research Section. The Eastern Trade Union had also done their own prying into his past. All of these groups had sought to find out how this man had pushed his way up to the position of the emperor’s right hand, but their attempts were unsuccessful. 

All they knew was that just after this man appeared, the Empire of Nyrnal began spreading the fires of war in the south. 

“I see. The grand Kingdom of Maluk was brought down by mysterious monsters... What a pathetic excuse for a country. It seems their militarism was just for show. If that was the case, then we should have attacked them sooner.” 

These disdainful words came from Maximillian von Leuchtenberg. This middle-aged man had unified the south and made the Empire of Nyrnal into a nation feared by the rest of the world. Five years ago, Maximillian had inherited the throne from the former emperor, Friedrich III. And with his rise to power, he began the unification war, during which Nyrnal had devoured the countries of the south under his command. 

The other major powers despised this man, and his existence was especially loathed by the Popedom of Frantz, which declared him akin to a devil. He was infamous in the Dukedom of Schtraut as well, where people whispered that he had been born in the pits of hell, like a demon, and had climbed to the surface world to conquer it. Bankers of the Dukedom had even offered to back dissidents within the Empire, hoping to drag him down from his throne. 

Both countries failed to usurp Emperor Maximillian, however, and his appetite for conquest was more voracious than ever. Using the wyverns that formed the backbone of his military, and the countless crafty plots concocted by Bertholdt, he had conquered the south with ease. The Empire’s citizens revered him as a hero, while the other major powers and the nobles who’d had to flee their southern homelands abhorred him as a vile creature who relied on scaly vultures to succeed. 

Why did Maximillian begin his war, indeed? Few knew the answer to that question. Was it purely out of ambition? Did he start the war over some childish hero complex? Or had these invasions been meticulously planned movements that carved out Nyrnal’s future? Whatever the reason, there was a sense of impatience to his actions. The man who could be called the greatest ruler on the continent was being spurred by something , though no one knew what. 

Only one thing was certain: Maximillian wasn’t satisfied with his absorption of the southern countries, so he would eventually extend his reach to the north. His hundreds of thousands of troops carried their red dragon banner high, waiting for their chance to strike. 

At present, Emperor Maximillian was still digesting news of the Arachnea’s destruction of Maluk. It was only natural that he would, as Maluk had been his next target for conquest. 

“Nay, Your Majesty,” Bertholdt said. “Apparently, these monsters possess terrifying strength. Our scouts engaged the creatures near the border, and their attacks were mostly ineffective. The enemy was so unnaturally fast that our men were forced to retreat.” 

“Hmm.” Maximillian rubbed his chin. “So we cannot underestimate the enemy... Clearly they are more than mere monsters.” 

A few armed scouts had crossed the Themel River on Bertholdt’s orders and attempted to fight the Arachnea’s defensive forces. It was only a small skirmish, but it had still been a one-sided fight in the Arachnea’s favor. 

“We need more information on these monsters. Analyze all the intelligence we’ve gathered so far, and find out more if you can. We need to learn about these creatures faster than any of the other countries. I can see these monsters shaking up the entire political balance of the continent.” 

Maximillian could sense that this was more than a handful of monsters running around on a rampage... that this would become a dispute that embroiled the entirety of the continent. 

“By your will, my liege,” Bertholdt said, inclining his head. “I will have the Third Imperial Secretariat gather information.” 

The Third Imperial Secretariat was a department that dealt in both covert operations of a diplomatic nature and the gathering of intelligence; it was comparable to the Popedom’s Fourth Mystical Research Section. During the unification of the south, its members manipulated information to prevent various countries from forming a rebel front against Nyrnal, dissolving their relations by spreading rumors and mistrust. 

“As for your report on the Popedom, they obviously intend to use this situation to unite everyone in the name of the God of Light. Furthermore, I have no doubt they will take advantage of the current tumult to snatch up every military on the continent. We cannot allow it.” 

Maximillian had already learned that the Popedom of Frantz intended to gather the International Council, and he suspected it was planning to force all the other major powers to relinquish their armed forces under some ridiculous pretense. 

“We haven’t received word from the Popedom yet, but do you suspect they might be plotting something?” 

“I do. They have repeatedly complained about our unification of the south. It’s unlikely they’ll sit quietly while this monster business is afoot. They’ll spout their nonsense about the God of Light and move about as it suits their ends.” 

“I adamantly agree. For so-called holy men, they are hardly trustworthy.” 

The Popedom was indeed trying to gather the International Council, though as of yet there was no telling if it was to seize control of the other military powers. 

“Also, the Popedom is likely trying to bribe our diplomats. Make it known that anyone found to have taken a bribe will be hanged.” 

“As you wish, my liege.” 

Evidently, Maximillian had seen through an attempt from the Popedom to bribe his men. 

“Officers in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs might not be the only ones; their servants may be bribed for information, too. Hang everyone who has accepted a bribe, regardless of where it came from. We cannot be too cautious, so make no exceptions. Anyone who tries to fool the Empire of Nyrnal must be met with a swift death. Only in so doing can we maintain our integrity.” 

“Understood.” 

Like Maximillian had said, there was no telling who might have been trying to bribe their citizens for information. When it came to crucial discussions of the state, there was no telling how many people might have been involved. Even those of the lowest social status might happen to hear something crucial or stumble upon some important document. 

If the contents of any such document or conversation were to leak to another country, it would leave the Empire with one card less in its hand in the game of diplomacy. The Empire of Nyrnal had little in terms of soft power, so it needed every advantage it could get. Losing even a single edge could be deadly. 

“What of the Themel River?” 

“Construct a fortress there and station some of our troops. Withdraw a few units from the forces we sent north and have them head for the Themel to begin construction. For all we know, those monsters can cross the river. We must prepare for every possible contingency. We cannot allow ourselves to fall prey to them, too.” 

The Themel River was a natural obstacle, but it wasn’t impassable. Over the course of history, the Kingdom of Maluk had crossed it four times, while the southern countries had crossed it three times, leading to invasions of the south and north respectively. Eventually, the Kingdom of Maluk had managed to draw its southernmost border at the Themel River. 

“What will we do regarding the Schtraut Dukedom, then?” 

“Right. Offer generous military support to that pitiful little country. Should they refuse, tell them we won’t come to their aid even if the monsters cross their borders. If the monsters are mighty enough to stomp out Maluk, the Schtrauts are likely shaking in their boots and preparing to flee the continent as we speak. In the end, they’re the same as the Eastern Trade Union—fools who think of nothing but money.” 

If the Dukedom agreed to their military aid, then the Empire’s forces would be stationed and then normalized in their territory; it would effectively be a military occupation. The Empire had used such methods during the unification of the south. It would force neutral countries into a pincer between enemy countries, then station its army in the middle under the pretense of assistance. The Empire would then use this army to seize power from within. It was a truly vile method of conquest. 

It was because the Empire of Nyrnal preferred using such methods that the Dukedom of Schtraut feared it so much. This quasi-democratic country knew that the Empire would easily occupy its land, extort its citizens, and snatch away its independence in the blink of an eye. 

“You believe they would flee the continent?” Bertholdt asked. “Fleeing would be easy. If you’ll excuse me, my liege, I say let the wealthy merchants become poor migrants if they want to.” 

“The taste of despair will hit them soon, for they will be faced with the simple truth that there is nowhere to run. But for the time being, we must first make sure the Popedom dances for us. And dance they will.” 

First, the Empire of Nyrnal would press its demands in the International Council. Ideally, it would grasp control of the newly formed allied forces. To take full advantage of that, the Empire would then send its army into each of the other major powers. Even if it couldn’t seize control right away, the Empire would be able to use the allied army’s dispatch as a bargaining chip and increase its influence over the continent. 

“And we can use this monster uproar to take control of more territory—the Dukedom, the Eastern Trade Union, and the Popedom... It is imperative that we unify the entire continent under our control, and soon. We must spare all who live here the fate that befell the Kingdom of Maluk.” 

After all, what could be more awful than a war... or those monsters? 

“Incidentally, what of Georgius?” Maximillian abruptly changed the subject. 

“He still lies dormant. Should we wake him?” 

“Depending on the situation, that may be necessary,” Maximillian said, leaning back against his throne’s backrest. “In times like these, the lands of dragons may need their hero—both the Empire and Gregoria.” 

Gregoria was another faction from the game, same as Marianne... and it was a land of dragons.