Her Majesty’s Swarm - Volume 2 - Chapter 5

Those Who Stride Forward 

“The operation was a success,” I said with a smirk. 

I was back at the Arachnea’s base. I couldn’t have been more grateful to Duke Sharon for helping me sneak Elizabeta into the International Council. With just a few sentences, Elizabeta threw the council into complete discord. She caused Nyrnal to leave the Council and allowed the Dukedom assume a vague stance regarding other countries’ passage through its territories. It was a perfect diplomatic victory for the Arachnea. 

“Did it go flawlessly, Your Majesty?” Sérignan asked, having picked up on my instructions to Elizabeta through the collective consciousness. 

“Yep. It sure did. They’re completely divided. Divide and conquer is a basic strategy; we don’t want the enemy to unify and attack us together. With our enemies separated, we can crush them one by one while they quarrel.” 

Divide and conquer—the most elementary tactic. We were effectively up against every other nation on the continent, but by making sure they didn’t cooperate, we would be able to pick them off one at a time. 

The fact that some sort of alliance had been formed was a pity, but without the Empire, all it meant was that the Popedom’s army had become a little bit bigger. We could handle the smaller countries on the side while fighting Frantz’s main force. 

Still, I wondered whether we could defeat the Popedom of Frantz to begin with. Unfortunately, our enemy already knew about the Swarm. Some of the guild’s adventurers had slipped through the Swarm’s defenses, infiltrated our territory, then reported back about the Swarms’ characteristics. A blitz wouldn’t work this time. 

“Well, we’ll show them. I don’t know what cards Frantz has up its sleeve, and we don’t have a means of finding out... But no matter what comes, we’ll force our enemies into submission.” 

I was prepared for a war against the Popedom of Frantz. It was already rearing to strike and would likely declare war regardless of whether we wanted to retaliate. Praying wouldn’t make the upcoming war go away. The only way to do that was to stomp out the aggressors and win. 

“For now, we need to organize the army we’ll station in Schtraut, though. Ripper Swarms won’t be enough for this. They can serve as the army’s core, but we’ll need siege units for breaking through fortifications.” 

I beckoned some nearby Worker Swarms and approached one of our Massive Fertilization Furnaces. True to its name, it was gigantic—five times the size of an ordinary Fertilization Furnace. Needless to say, the units it produced were enormous. So far, I’d been producing units that fell into the “small” category, like Ripper and Digger Swarms, but I was about to create much larger units now. 

In the game, the barbaric Flame faction used huge units like Forest Giants and Trolls. The draconic Gregoria faction towered over the opposition with mythical beasts like Leviathans and Behemoths. The pious Marianne faction brought forth Angels and Cherubs. These were all big, powerful units with very high production costs. 

A Ripper Swarm rush was only viable in the early game. Relying on Ripper Swarms for too long could bring about an unexpected defeat; the enemy could easily wipe them out with heavy equipment and intense firepower. In order to avoid this, I had decided to produce new units to win the upcoming battles. 

“All right, let’s begin.” 

I didn’t expect these to make it in time for a war over Schtraut, though. The battles around the Dukedom would be quickly decided. Whether it was Popedom or the Empire that chose to step in first, the battle for Schtraut wouldn’t last long. The Dukedom itself was wide but hardly tall, so either enemy nation would have it suppressed within days. 

Even if the Arachnea joined in from one side, the attacking nation would be able to quickly conquer the Dukedom’s capital if things worked in its favor. And if that happened, it would no longer be a battle over the Dukedom, but a three-way conflict on what had once been Schtraut’s land. In summation, although this could become a drawn-out war, the actual domination of Schtraut would end all too swiftly. 

So, even if I were to produce slow-moving, heavy units with high attack and defense, they wouldn’t be ready in time. 

“I guess that’s fine,” I mused aloud, watching the Massive Fertilization Furnace shudder and quake. “Heavy units still have great value. I’m sure we can use this Surface Battleship during the next battle.” 

“Duke Sharon isn’t allowing the alliance passage?” 

The question echoed through the Lorraine family estate. 

“Yes, apparently so,” said Leopold, the current head of House Lorraine. “Even though Nyrnal’s man stepped out of the International Council, the Dukedom’s ambassador boasted that this country is capable of defending itself and refused to approve passage. How irksome.” 

This was, of course, the same man who had argued with Grevillea during the evening party. 

“But can this country really hold back an army of monsters?” asked Roland, Leopold’s younger brother. “Wouldn’t it be better for us to give the alliance permission to pass and have them stomp out the monsters for us?” 

“The duke’s probably hoping to toady up to those fiends. Kissing up to others is his specialty, after all. He’d probably get down on one knee and plant his lips upon the monsters’ feet if it would preserve his position.” 

Leopold’s relationship with Caesar was particularly sour. They had been political opponents during the last election, and to top it off, their families had a long-standing feud stemming from a broken engagement dating back fifty years ago. The shame inflicted upon House Lorraine had become a lingering grudge that influenced their relationship even to the present day. This sort of behavior was typical of Schtraut’s nobility. 

“This is a major problem, and if we don’t handle it properly, the Dukedom of Schtraut will be wiped off the face of the map,” Leopold muttered, pouring himself a glass of brandy. “The monsters will destroy us, and if they don’t, then the Nyrnals will take advantage of our weakness to grind us under their boot soles. Either way, it would be our end.” 

“There isn’t much we can do about it, though, is there?” 

“What are you saying, my dear Roland? We’re one of Schtraut’s most prominent families. We have great wealth and authority; with these at our disposal, we can overturn the duke’s foolish policies. In fact, we could even persuade the other nobles to rally and impeach him. Oh, it’s a perfect idea. That is precisely how we can send Sharon’s head rolling.” 

“Impeachment? Are you serious?” Roland eyed Leopold as if doubting his brother’s sanity. “We’d need two thirds of the nobles to vote in favor, and I highly doubt we can get that many of them to agree. Some of them voted for Duke Sharon over you.” 

“Oh, come now, we can just bribe them,” Leopold scoffed, taking a swig. “Some nobles have taken a real dent in their coffers since the Kingdom of Maluk fell. If we offer them financial aid and new business prospects, I’m sure they’ll come around.” 

“What sort of business prospects?” 

“Employing immigrants. You see, the Adventurers’ Guild reports say Maluk’s been completely devoured by the monsters and is now uninhabited. I think sending in people from Schtraut and other countries to rebuild that abundant land is a fine idea, don’t you agree? I, for one, feel it is an excellent opportunity.” 

Leopold was proposing to send people to help rebuild the now-unpopulated territories of the Kingdom of Maluk. Both the Dukedom and the Popedom housed many people who had been driven to bankruptcy and had a bleak future ahead of them. His plan was to send those people to resettle in Maluk and reclaim its rich lands and resources. They would resume excavation of the mines, plow the farms, and raise livestock. Schtraut’s nobles were all traders, so a selection of these traders would accompany the immigrants to Maluk, then profit off their work by selling them essential supplies and bartering for their products. 

Roland thought to ask about Maluk’s survivors, but he swallowed his question. The Kingdom of Maluk was effectively in ruins, and its former citizens had no real rights; Elizabeta, for instance, had spoken as a representative of the survivors in the International Council, but her words had gone completely ignored. And while this was an attractive business strategy, it would be built on the sacrifice of innocent people. 

“That... might work, yes. Erm, have you already begun working on the impeachment?” 

“Yes, a few people have started acting on it—behind the scenes, of course. If Duke Sharon were to find out we’re moving to impeach him, he’d immediately start some kind of countermeasure. That man’s attentive when it comes to his own security.” 

Though it was the first time Roland had heard of the plan, Leopold was already making moves in the shadows. He had urged a few nobles on the verge of bankruptcy—but who still retained voting rights—to approve of the impeachment plan. 

“Besides, everyone knows that if the allied army passes through, it’s a prime money-making opportunity. Selling the soldiers supplies would produce excellent profits,” Leopold said, chuckling heartily. 

“I understand, but isn’t it possible Duke Sharon is denying the allied army passage for a reason? You should keep that in mind. We could be making a major mistake here.” 

“Sharon’s just a coward,” Leopold spat, pouring more brandy into his glass. 

Neither of them could imagine that the duke had actually allied with the monsters that had destroyed Maluk—the Arachnea—to ensure the country’s security. 

Inside the duke’s residence in the capital city of Doris, the prime minister, Cardinal Charon Colbert, gawked at his superior. 

“Are you serious, milord?” he asked. 

“Quite serious. We ally with the Arachnea,” the duke replied. 

“Are you aware that this so-called Arachnea is the present enemy of the entire world? Schtraut is a nation dependent on trade; allying with a universal villain means our trade routes will be cut off.” 

“Still, we’ve no choice but to throw our lot in with the Arachnea. I’d prefer to give up on Frantz’s delicious wine if it means my country won’t suffer the same fate as Maluk.” 

With its destruction of the Kingdom of Maluk, the Arachnea had marked itself as a heinous villain. Choosing to ally with this faction of monsters meant that Schtraut was also declaring itself an enemy, which would cause the other nations to condemn the Dukedom and cease all trade with it. 

“The Popedom alone won’t stop the Arachnea, and if we overlook Nyrnal’s participation in this war, our country might lose its independence. This is our only way of avoiding that, Charon.” 

Frantz’s military was about equal to what Maluk had once had, so they wouldn’t pose much of a threat to the Arachnea. An alliance backed by the Popedom wouldn’t be enough; that was a fact. 

But if Schtraut were to allow Nyrnal, which had aspirations to take the north, to occupy its territory, it would almost certainly find its lands stolen from beneath its feet in the middle of the war, or perhaps even annexed. 

Thus, Caesar felt the only way for his country to come out unscathed was to ally with the Arachnea and turn their greatest foe into their strongest ally. This was the only means he had available to protect Schtraut’s independence. Any other choice would force him to choose between protecting his country from the Arachnea or struggling to maintain sovereignty. However, he couldn’t help but wonder if there were some other magical solution that would enable him to do both. 

“And you think the Arachnea is more trustworthy than Nyrnal?” Charon asked, interrupting his thoughts. 

“I’ve spoken directly to a woman who calls herself the Arachnea’s queen. She looks young, but her wit is sharp. During our conversation, she expressed that she has no desire to attack us, but she may be forced to if we allow Frantz and the alliance to pass through our territory. Like myself, she doesn’t wish to see the Dukedom become a battlefield.” 

Caesar had met Grevillea on the night of the dinner party and again the following day. He was confident in his judgment of people, and he felt Grevillea was a trustworthy young lady. 

The fact that monsters hadn’t yet flocked into Schtraut was proof in its own way. It was safe to assume that the monsters weren’t limited by a lack of stamina. There were 200,000 of them squirming about in Maluk, after all. 

“Understood, milord. If that is your will, I can only abide by it. But... do be careful. House Lorraine will likely oppose this decision. They may well be seeking to impeach you.” 

“Lorraine... Agh, what a thorn in my side. They must still hold a grudge over that failed engagement, even fifty years later. And now of all times, when the Dukedom is menaced from both outside and within.” 

Charon was already anticipating House Lorraine’s schemes. Leopold of House Lorraine had once run against Caesar for the position of duke, and their families had a long-standing feud as it was. The younger brother, Roland, was more rational and open-minded, but Leopold himself was far too impulsive to be reasoned with; he was a man who thought the world revolved around himself. 

“Unite the nobles while dealing with Lorraine’s plot. Our country must be unified if we’re to conquer this crisis,” Caesar ordered. 

“Yes, milord. I will do everything in my power.” 

With that said, Caesar began working on the one thing he could do: form an alliance with the Arachnea. 

The Dukedom of Schtraut’s national congress was filled with noise and tumult. 

“To summarize, we’ve made our preparations to ally with the Arachnea. They’ve informed us they will grant us military aid and work alongside us to redevelop what was once the Kingdom of Maluk,” Caesar declared over the discord in the room. 

“An alliance with the Arachnea?” 

“We’re allying with the monsters that destroyed Maluk?!” 

“Isn’t that betrayal?!” 

Some of the congressmen were visibly confused. All they knew was that the Arachnea was the faction of monsters that had destroyed Maluk and become the enemy of the entire continent. The idea of siding with creatures universally hated by the other nations was so shocking that they couldn’t wrap their heads around it. 

“The Arachnea is willing to defend us from the Empire of Nyrnal. On top of that, its leader has informed me that she has no desire to take our lands for her own. She has even agreed to deploy an army to help us, and she is relinquishing command of that army to us. How is it possible not to believe someone who is willing to grant us this much? They are clearly trustworthy allies.” 

“Can you truly be sure they’re not after our land?” one of the congressmen asked. “They’re a flock of monsters. They might be friendly toward us now, but they still destroyed the Kingdom of Maluk.” 

“If they were, they would not have brought up the topic of working alongside us to redevelop Maluk,” Caesar answered. “They’ve come to us, asking that we aid them in developing their territory. This offer is a great chance for the Dukedom.” 

Grevillea had offered to cooperate with the Dukedom of Schtraut to rebuild the ruined, unpopulated lands of Maluk. She’d acknowledged that the farmlands and gold mines would go to waste without assistance from Schtraut. That had been one of the Arachnea’s bargaining chips. 

“But if we ally with them, we’ll be branded traitors by the rest of the world!” another congressman cried, rising to his feet. 

“Even if we are, we will have gained a powerful ally with the vast lands of Maluk under their control,” Caesar replied. “That would give us all the supplies we need to survive. And if we ally with the Arachnea, other countries may join as well. 

“Our country isn’t the only one under threat by Nyrnal’s militant ways. I’m well aware of how we’ll be seen by others, but I can assure you that will not last long. Once everyone acknowledges the Arachnea’s existence, we will be antagonists no more. And this future is near and within reach.” 

Caesar had thought through these words again and again. The Arachnea was a group of grotesque and powerful beasts; joining forces with them would be a struggle. Convincing the congressmen and maintaining diplomatic relations were equally difficult tasks. 

“Let us begin our vote on the matter, then,” said the chairman of the congress. 

As the voting began, the congressmen sat with hardened expressions. They knew full well that this vote would decide the future of the Dukedom of Schtraut, and so they considered their vote seriously. 

Some defiantly voted against the alliance, while others quickly voted in favor. 

“I am in favor,” said Basil de Buffon. 

Upon hearing that the girl he had invited to the party was actually the queen of the Arachnea, he felt rather positive about the alliance. He didn’t see the girl as a monster, but as a reasonable human being. From his point of view, Grevillea having a human heart meant she could be negotiated with. 

“Allow me to declare the results.” 

After thirty minutes, the voting was concluded and the tally began. 

“Two hundred voted in favor, while one hundred and one voted against. The measure in question is now approved.” 

The room exploded in disagreement. 

“Wait just one minute!” shouted one man above the rest. “This vote is invalid!” 

It was, of course, Leopold de Lorraine. He rose from his chair to draw everyone’s attention. 

“What seems to be the problem, Lord Lorraine?” the chairman asked. 

“It has been discovered that during the last election, Duke Sharon’s faction committed foul play,” claimed Leopold. “I have my evidence right here. Duke Sharon bribed congressmen to vote in his favor. Not only that, but he hired prostitutes to keep them company during an evening party! It’s also been confirmed that illegal narcotics were being distributed!” 

Confused whispers began to fill the air. 

“Are you sure your proof is concrete?” 

“Yes; in fact, I’ve confirmed the authenticity myself. A group of my men gathered testimonies from the prostitutes.” Leopold held up a stack of documents. 

Bribery wasn’t uncommon, of course. Leopold himself had “donated” funds to other congress members during the election in order to secure their votes. However, Caesar had been elected primarily because Leopold had been too occupied with cozying up to the Popedom of Frantz. 

“These are lies! I never hired any prostitutes!” the duke snapped. 

Even if the bribery bit was partially true, the accusations that he had hired prostitutes to entertain guests and dealt in illegal narcotics were entirely fabricated. Leopold himself had persuaded the prostitutes to give false testimonies in exchange for some “gifts” of his own. 

“No, it’s all true. As such, I propose we impeach Duke Sharon!” 

The moment the word “impeach” left Leopold’s lips, the room began buzzing once more. 

“This is absurd!” cried Basil. “Our entire country is under threat from all sides! We can’t afford to have a re-election now, you stupid, power-hungry nobody!” 

“I am not a nobody!” Leopold shrieked, stomping his foot. “I propose impeachment!” 

Impeachment would require one week of deliberation, followed by a round of voting. Leopold planned to use the deliberation period to paint Caesar as a traitor while buying off the other nobles. He would also take this chance to bring up the immigration business plan. 

His proposition would attract the attention of nobles and bankers alike, as it gave them an opportunity to profit off of Maluk’s plentiful resources without becoming enemies of the other countries. 

What this proposal did not factor in were the 200,000 Swarms infesting those lands. 

One week later, the day of the vote arrived. 

“We will now hold a vote regarding the impeachment of Duke Caesar de Sharon,” announced the chairman of the congress, and the rest of the participants took their seats. 

Leopold was confident in his victory. He’d spent the past seven days bribing other nobles in order to buy their loyalty. Meanwhile, the duke was tired and ashen-faced after all the repeated attacks on his character. 

“The results of the vote are two hundred and four in favor, seventy-three against. The decision is made: Duke Caesar de Sharon shall be removed from office.” 

“Do we hold another election, then?” one man asked. 

“With the Popedom pressuring us to let them pass through...?” chimed in another. 

“Until the election is held, I shall serve as the Duke of Schtraut,” Leopold declared. 

“On what legal basis, exactly?” 

“Legal...? Surely it is enough that we are lacking another man equipped for the job; besides that, I must remind you that I lost the prior election for duke by only the tiniest margin. I have no doubt I can gather enough support.” 

In other words, Leopold had absolutely no legal basis for his proposal. According to the law, if a duke were to be impeached, an election was to be held immediately. But a brand-new election would take at least twenty-four days to arrange. 

To the west of Schtraut was the army of monsters that had destroyed Maluk; to the east was the Popedom of Frantz, which was pressuring the Dukedom for permission to pass through. To add to the chaos, the Empire of Nyrnal was threatening to invade from the south. The Dukedom needed a representative as soon as possible. 

“I am the only one who can lead this country through its current plight,” Leopold said. 

“That’s absurd!” Basil barked back. “We wouldn’t be in this state of mayhem were it not for your fabricated evidence and cries for impeachment! If anyone’s thrown this country into dire straits, it’s you!” 

He continued cursing at Leopold, calling him a dog of the Popedom, a traitor to the country, and a swindler in the shadows. But despite his complaints, the congressmen approved Leopold as the Dukedom’s interim leader. 

At last, Leopold was Duke of Schtraut, just as he’d wished ever since Caesar had plucked the Dukedom from his grasp. 

“The very idea of an alliance with the Arachnea is an affront to the God of Light, and I refuse to uphold it! We will survive only by clinging to our faith! All hail the Dukedom of Schtraut!” 

But only a scant few people met his exclamation with enthusiasm. While many of the nobles had received financial backing from Leopold, they weren’t quite sure whether he was truly capable of overcoming the looming crisis. 

Still, Leopold had already gained the power and authority he’d wanted—that fact was irrefutable. His first order of business as leader was to allow the Popedom of Frantz to cross through the Dukedom’s territories. 

His second was to purge the opposition.