Wortenia Senki (LN) - Volume 24 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Bearer of Bad News

The Kingdom of Myest was a nation that built its wealth and had the backing from others due to said wealth through trade with other continents and their navy, known as the best in the continent. The other countries that made up the eastern region—Xarooda and Rhoadseria—were not that different in size from Myest. But Myest could make the most geopolitical use of the eastern coast, making it stand out more than the other kingdoms.

Ecclesia Marinelle, also known as the Whirlwind, examined a letter she had received from the Mikoshiba Grand Duchy. She was in her office in the royal castle at Myest’s capital city, Endesia.

“Hm... I see Shardina Eisenheit has finally made her move. That was sooner than expected. To add to that, His Majesty Julianus I is in critical condition. I wonder if Joshua is all right? Lord Mikoshiba has gained control of the Kingdom of Rhoadseria, using one of its idiotic nobles as a sacrifice. That’s a relief...” Ecclesia knitted her well-groomed eyebrows as she read the letter.

She knew that Joshua Belares had been readying the Kingdom of Xarooda for another invasion from O’ltormea long before it began. She also knew that Joshua, who had taken command of the kingdom’s defense, was one of the most talented generals on the western continent. After all, he was the son of Arios Belares, a man who had protected Xarooda for many years. Although he lacked experience due to his young age as well as a sense of thoroughness, there was no better general than Joshua in the Kingdom of Xarooda.

Although he’s still young, he’s not as young as Lord Mikoshiba.

Ecclesia was approximately thirty. She had led armies from a young age and had extensive experience in battle. But she was still a young woman, still developing. Ecclesia dealt with criticism and concern that she was too young, but she had often silenced those detractors with her victories and results. She sensed this same brilliance and talent in Joshua Belares and Ryoma Mikoshiba. Both were young heroes carrying the defense of their kingdoms on their shoulders.

While O’ltormea was a major power, they wouldn’t be able to take over the Kingdom of Xarooda so easily.

Besides, a few units that the late Arios Belares led remain.

Some soldiers were eager to avenge Arios Belares, even if Xarooda didn’t have enough men. It wasn’t a bad thing having soldiers with high morale, but Ecclesia knew well that wasn’t enough to win wars. That was especially the case when their enemy was the O’ltormea Empire.

It’s probably more realistic to assume that morale has absolutely no effect.

Hence, the O’ltormeans had no choice but to build a bridgehead within the Kingdom of Xarooda. Leaving aside how skilled Joshua was as a general or how much Xarooda had prepared, Ecclesia didn’t think they could hold back the O’ltormean invasion at the border. That said, it was also unlikely that Endesia would fall so soon after the start of the war, like the royal capital Peripheria had. The Kingdom of Xarooda should be able to hold its front line until reinforcements from Rhoadseria and Myest arrived. News of the invasion and Julianus I falling ill stirred an indescribable unease within Ecclesia.

There’s not much I can do. I need to urgently organize reinforcements to send to the Kingdom of Xarooda.

The O’ltormea Empire ruled the central part of the western continent, making it one of the three superpowers across the whole continent. It would be a Herculean task for the Kingdom of Xarooda, one of the eastern kingdoms, to survive against such a powerful nation.

Moreover, the Kingdom of Xarooda had fended off the invaders thanks to their knights fighting bravely. The Kingdom of Helnesgoula also led an alliance along with the three eastern kingdoms. If the four countries were to organize again, they might stop the O’ltormea Empire’s invasion. But Ecclesia understood the four-nation alliance was far from being a solid, unified bloc.

I can rest easy knowing that the Kingdom of Rhoadseria has Lady Helena and that man. However, the problem is the Vixen of the North. It’s hard to read her... If she simply sends reinforcements, that won’t be much of a concern.

The Kingdom of Helnesgoula was a superpower alongside the O’ltormea Empire and the Holy Qwiltantia Empire. The ruler of their country was Grindiana Helnescharles, who was known as the Vixen of the North. As far as strategists went, she was extraordinary. She was a calm, yet ruthless ruler who had seemingly politically purged her own parents. Even though the desert covered a large part of their country, leaving it infertile, the people of her nation held tremendous respect and love for her. She was a wise and magnificent leader.

It was a little hard to imagine that Grindiana would participate in a war in the Kingdom of Xarooda without naming a price, even if she were the leader of the four-nation alliance.

If the O’ltormea Empire took over the Kingdom of Xarooda, it would hurt Helnesgoula, which suggests that she’ll urgently send reinforcements.

Ecclesia also feared the Holy Qwiltantia Empire, which controlled the western part of the continent. Their reach made it difficult to determine what they would do.

Although the Holy Qwiltantia Empire and the O’ltormea Empire are on bad terms, that also goes for the Kingdom of Helnesgoula. Even so, O’ltormea has made its move. Why have they prepared for a drawn-out war and not a quick skirmish like last time? Why has Shardina Eisenheit even been able to go for that option?

Should the Holy Qwiltantia Empire take issue with the O’ltormea Empire expanding its borders, they might counterattack. One could imagine the O’ltormea Empire had anticipated that and already reinforced their western borders. They would take the Kingdom of Xarooda by storm with their great numbers, while keeping a solid defense in case of attack from the Holy Qwiltantia Empire.

However, Ecclesia felt as if there was a high possibility of something else happening.

Supposing Shardina Eisenheit has perfectly calculated the timing for this invasion against the Kingdom of Xarooda, there’s no way she hasn’t made her first move against the Holy Qwiltantia Empire, mused Ecclesia. Does that mean the Holy Qwiltantia Empire accepted that O’ltormea is expanding its borders? Or did she buy their silence? 

That was the worst situation imaginable.

Thinking about their relations until now, the chances of that are low, but...

War had yet to die out on the western continent because the three major countries struggled to be the dominant power. The O’ltormea Empire, the Holy Qwiltantia Empire, and the Kingdom of Helnesgoula held similar power, remaining in a finely balanced three-way deadlock. All those countries were well aware of the situation.

A successful invasion of Xarooda and attaining a bridgehead to conquer the eastern part of the continent would allow the O’ltormea Empire to become the strongest out of the three major continents.

I can’t imagine the Holy Qwiltantia Empire allowing the O’ltormea Empire to invade the Kingdom of Xarooda, knowing that would be the outcome.

But that event wasn’t entirely impossible.

Ecclesia had brainstormed a few cases where the Holy Qwiltantia Empire would let the current invasion happen.

Even if both countries had temporarily agreed, I wonder if it means that the O’ltormea Empire would cede their territories they had carved out of the southern part of the continent. Or would their royal families intermarry? 

Of course, Ecclesia’s ideas relied on the assumption that the Holy Qwiltantia Empire had permitted the O’ltormea Empire’s expansion, which was possible. If Ecclesia were the ruler of the Kingdom of Myest and had to suggest a plan to defend the country, she would have mentioned these possibilities. In terms of feasibility, both were armchair theories.

There’s simply too many things for the Holy Qwiltantia Empire to consider when making such a choice...

Such territorial concessions were indeed a part of their silent agreement, and the O’ltormea’s overwhelming force might lead to the crushing end of the Holy Qwiltantia Empire’s long history. While the citizens of the country could celebrate being at peace, it would be a temporary respite. Within ten to thirty years, those cheers could possibly turn into groans of resentment.

A marriage between the two royal families might avoid that tragic ending if it was a condition of their agreement. At the very least, it wouldn’t be in the interests of the O’ltormea Empire to attack the country whose royal family they shared a marital bond with to establish authority over the western continent. Who in their right minds would be comfortable following a cold-blooded man who didn’t hesitate to eliminate his wife’s country, the Holy Qwiltantia Empire?

The civilians and not even the vassals of that country, couldn’t live safely in a country under such rule. Their growing anxiety would soon turn into a rebellion against the state. When considering that possibility—a marriage between royal family members of both countries—the overthrow of the Holy Qwiltantia Empire seemed low.

However, that didn’t mean the relationship between the two countries would remain without trouble.

While it would bring peace temporarily, it would be a bad decision in the long term, as it would only help the O’ltormea Empire conquer the continent. And so, as the gap between the two countries widens, there’s only one way it will end. 

In that case, the Holy Qwiltantia Empire would end up as a vassal state of the O’ltormea Empire. Upon losing their independence, their economic and military power would decline, reducing them to a mere territory. If they were lucky, they would govern a few tenths of what the empire previously was. Or worse, they would only have as little as one percent of their previous land.

Though... Even if it came to that, the good thing is that they could keep their name as the Holy Qwiltantia Empire.

A worst-case scenario would be the Holy Empire no longer having its name and being entirely annexed by the O’ltormea Empire. The invaders would colonize and exploit it unilaterally for its resources.

Surely, the people of the Holy Qwiltantia Empire understand that... That’s why I assume there’s no way both countries made such a deal.

The chances of the Holy Qwiltantia Empire and the O’ltormea Empire agreeing were close to none. Even though Ecclesia was an outside party, she had considered a plethora of problems with this idea. The upper echelons of the Holy Qwiltantia Empire had surely considered the same things. Yet, she couldn’t completely disregard the possibility that the two empires had made a deal.

What if there was a third party involved?

Ecclesia couldn’t forget about the Organization that she had heard about from Julianus I.

There’s no way they’re involved, though. I wish I could just laugh it off.

The existence of a group that had planted itself across the entire western continent, working to cause conflict between countries for their own gain, was an unthinkable notion. Ecclesia felt it sounded like a children’s fairy tale.

But even Lord Mikoshiba said that it might exist.

At that time, it was just one of many possibilities. It was simply a matter of those who had heard something similar for Julianus I sharing their thoughts on it. But as time passed and various factors accumulated, it became increasingly difficult to dismiss it as a rash remark from the king.

Whether the Organization truly exists, there’s no way the Church of Meneos is just a religious group.

The Church of Meneos influenced the entire western continent, so much so that the Holy Qwiltantia Empire couldn’t ignore them. Although they claimed worldly influences did not affect them, one couldn’t deny there were inner squabbles for power within their organization. They were neither pure nor poor. They lived like nobles from the taxes they collected as charitable offerings to their cause from all over the continent.

They also used their vast finances to form the Temple Knights. On the surface, the Temple Knights passed themselves off as a military group under ownership of the Church of Meneos that protected the human race by fighting demi-humans. In reality, they were nothing more than militia. National religion did not bind them, the Temple Knights instead existed outside the state.

Not only is it difficult to discern their intentions, I also can’t dismiss the possibility that they might be the manipulators. That said, there’s also nothing we can do at this stage.

It didn’t matter how much the Kingdom of Myest boasted of being the most powerful eastern kingdom. The Church of Meneos, wielding power over the entire western continent, rendered the Kingdom of Myest insignificant. If Myest were to cross swords with the Church, the three eastern kingdoms would have to work together. Including the O’ltormea Empire, the Holy Qwiltantia Empire, and the Kingdom of Helnesgoula in the alliance would be essential too.

Though, that was wishful thinking.

Still, if they really wished to succeed against the Church, they would have to form a continent-wide alliance, including the various southern kingdoms. For such a thing to happen would be near impossible. It would only be possible if a supreme ruler rose and united all the individual countries by force.

If there were other possibilities, I think the Guild would be the most capable of doing so. They could mobilize both adventurers and mercenaries to exert influence over the continent in a way that even exceeds that of the Church of Meneos. That would only be if they could throw away their neutral position. Or the Organization His Majesty Julianus spoke of. They would be capable, thought Ecclesia, looking up out of the window.

“That said, I only just returned here the other day. Yet my work just keeps piling up. Nothing I can do about it, I guess...”

White clouds filled the blue sky. Ecclesia recalled when she used the two brave generals, the Twin Blades, to lay waste to several nobles’ estates in the southern parts of the Kingdom of Rhoadseria. Perhaps it was a sense of fulfillment derived from the hegemonic ruler Ryoma Mikoshiba.

Well... The day may return where I can ride side by side with Lord Mikoshiba.

While that was the hunch of the battle-worn veteran Ecclesia, little did she know she would be riding with him much sooner than she thought. 

A few days went by since Ecclesia looked over the letter she had received from Ryoma Mikoshiba. Tragedy had begun in the southern area of the Kingdom of Myest, in the fortress city of Jermuk. The city sat on the border facing the small Kingdom of Brittantia and was a key defensive stronghold. Morning in Jermuk began like any other...until its routine came crashing down.

“Hah... Man, I’m beat... Even though I was born and raised in Pherzaad, they dispatched me here to this countryside border garrison. I wanted to join the navy...”

Tony, a recruit at the border garrison, stood on guard from a watchtower above the gates of Jermuk. He faced toward the border, where he could see the dense forests of the Kingdom of Brittantia in the distance. However, he was feeling sluggish that day. Despite being on watch duty, he couldn’t stop from yawning, giving him a rather laid-back appearance. For a soldier, he lacked any readiness to go into battle—not a very suitable attitude. In a way, it was somewhat unavoidable.

The Kingdom of Myest and the Kingdom of Brittantia used to engage in countless bloody skirmishes multiple times a year. Ever since the change of government in the Kingdom of Brittantia, they rarely ever tried to invade Myest. An official ceasefire agreement between the two countries didn’t exist, so technically they were still at war.

It was the calm before the storm.

But the war remained in such a half-baked state that it had become the norm for the citizens as the years passed. Although Tony was assigned to border security, he knew the enemy would likely not show up, so he couldn’t help but be laid-back. Jobs where you had to stay on watch or guard something were usually boring until something happened.

The soldier standing next to Tony couldn’t remain silent regarding his feelings. He clicked his tongue and headed toward Tony before hitting him on the head with his fist concealed in a steel bracer. Dull metal colliding filled the watchtower.

“Tony... You’re slacking off a bit too much! I don’t expect you to remain focused until changeover time, but at least cut back on the whining and try to focus somewhat!” the soldier shouted at Tony, who was crouched in pain. Tony was around twenty years old, and the other soldier seemed to be in his forties. Scars covered his face, revealing a battle-worn past. He looked like an elite soldier who had endured many hellish situations. After the scolding, Tony was on the verge of tears and spoke up in protest.

“That hurt... You hit me right on the top of my helmet...”

The senior officer scoffed in response.

“Idiot. Be happy it only hurts. If anything goes wrong, a Brittantian piece of shit could kill you, y’know?” It was a warning from a man who knew war. Though he was coarse with his words, the senior soldier sincerely worried about Tony. If he had poked Tony in the face, those in modern society would regard it as an abuse of power. Moreover, the senior soldier would have had to pay a fair amount of money as consolation. On Earth, there was no such thing as abuse of power.

Even if such things existed on Earth, the senior soldier still wouldn’t have hesitated to prod Tony in the face. Some people needed to take a hit to understand a situation better. Ideally, it would not be necessary to resort to such violence. The same was true of Earth. But it was paramount to remember that some things would not change without violence. Failure to do so would have far-reaching consequences, leaving a border worker like Tony unprepared. The lives of the soldiers stationed at Jermuk, and the lives and property of those living in the Kingdom of Myest, would also be affected.

A senior officer had to realize that possibility and educate the recruits. One could say the lesson was tough love. People on the receiving end, such as Tony, could rarely realize that.

“You worry too much, man. There’s no way Brittantia is gonna attack us anyway. Think about the size of their country compared to ours! As long as they’re not idiots, they won’t invade,” said Tony, laughing. His was a rather annoying attitude. Despite his commoner background, he had some degree of education. He must have been born to a merchant or a wealthy farmer. At the very least, he had to have some knowledge to understand the difference in power between Myest and Brittantia. Said fact was something that uneducated, illiterate commoners would not know.

Regardless, the senior officer directed neither praise nor approval toward Tony. He shot a cold gaze and said, “What does it matter if one country is bigger than the other? While you’re lazing off saying that, monsters could attack and kill you!”

Out of the countries that made up the southern kingdoms, Brittantia was small enough that Myest could probably blow them away. A country’s size was directly linked to its power. There was a noticeable gap in power between the Kingdom of Myest and its neighboring kingdom, Brittantia. But the victor of war wasn’t decided by a nation’s strength alone. The senior officer understood that victory also depended on the experience and instinct of its soldiers. If what Tony said was true, Myest would have been able to conquer Brittantia a long time ago. The reality was different, though.

The Kingdom of Myest had yet to conquer the Kingdom of Brittantia, and they had to station many soldiers on the border in case of an emergency. Myest, which had built its fortunes from sea trade, carried this burden. Naturally the upper echelons of Myest would want to reduce such a burden.

Still, they continued to station numerous soldiers at the border as a show of vigilance.

“What? Monsters? Now you mention it, I recall my grandpa said something about that when I was younger,” said Tony.

The senior officer sighed.

“I guess you wouldn’t know about them at your age...” A longing for the past clashed with the senior soldier’s words. He then shared the hidden horrors of the Kingdom of Brittantia with Tony. He felt it was duty to do so, even if he could not do it forever.

An arrow came out of nowhere, piercing the senior officer’s head. His body collapsed to the floor like a puppet with broken strings. The senior soldier had been wearing a leather helmet of the kind distributed among general soldiers by the Kingdom of Myest. However, it wasn’t strong enough to block the incoming arrow.

“What...?” was the only word that came out of Tony’s mouth. A foolish thing to say. It was very apparent that the middle-aged soldier who had been guiding him up to now lay dead before his eyes.

Tony stood in a daze, unable to even run over to the senior soldier or even comprehend what had just occurred. It was something that often happened to soldiers with no experience on a battlefield. He lacked the readiness and mental attitude of an adept soldier, as battlefields were different from everyday life. While Tony remained dumbfounded, standing still, the god of death swung his sickle again. A shower of arrows fell from the sky, blocking the sunlight as they mercilessly descended on the soldiers protecting the fortress city of Jermuk.

One of the arrows pierced Tony through the shoddy armor that protected his chest.

“What...is happening...?”

The arrow had pierced his lungs. Tony’s mouth filled with the taste of rusted iron, followed by a sense of unease in his stomach. His mouth had a thick liquid, so thick he could not swallow. He eventually grew weak, feeling as if he had consumed too much alcohol. Seeing he could not support himself any longer, he collapsed to the ground.

Am I...going to die?

The floor of the watchtower felt cold. Another shower of arrows followed, one of which lightly grazed Tony’s cheek as he lay on the floor. But he no longer cared for the small amount of blood flowing from his cheek.

“It’s the Kingdom of Brittantia! They’re attacking!”

“Close the gate! Hurry!”

Tony heard several shouts from different directions.

Brit...ttantia... Is Brittantia really attacking?

Then, Tony thought of the warning from the irritating, dead senior soldier; it seemed to have awakened a sense of duty to his country. But his heartbeat weakened, almost coming to a stop. There was no way he could stand up and fulfill his duty.

Shit... If only... If only I’d taken guard duty more seriously.

Naturally, Tony wasn’t at fault that everything turned out like this, even if his job was to stand watch in the tower. Jermuk boasted a large land area and numerous watchtowers around the castle walls. That meant the attack couldn’t all be attributed to Tony slacking off. Based on how the warning bells didn’t ring until the rain of arrows, it seemed the surprise attack had happened instantly and caught everyone else off guard.

That did little to alleviate Tony’s feelings, though. As he realized he was about to die, he focused on one thing.

This is awful... Dying here like a fool...

His thoughts were a sign of devotion to his beloved country, or a manifestation of his sense of responsibility as a soldier serving his country. He desperately tried to pick his battered body back up. It was futile, however, and the effort only satisfied his ego. Even if he could stand up, he could not do anything.

But that didn’t matter to Tony. He unsheathed his sword and used it as a cane to help himself stand up. The approaching soldiers held up a flag embroidered with a crest, which he noticed.

“Two griffins facing one another... It really is Brittantia.”

It was the coat of arms of the neighboring Kingdom of Brittantia’s knights, hinting toward them being the attackers. Tony then noticed another unit of soldiers stationed farther away. Unease crept up on him when he saw the coat of arms on the flag fluttering above them.

Is that...? What unit is that? Soldiers from Brittantia, maybe?

Because he was on the verge of death, he could not see clearly. His eyes had clouded over, not letting him view the flag. But this unit of knights differed from the Brittantian knights. As if it were a prank from the gods, Tony could not see the crest either, filling him with fear. His remaining life force began to flicker. As the energy faded from him, he glanced at the crest and couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

No way... That’s... That’s the... he thought. The crest Tony saw was that of a wolf that belonged to the Kingdom of Tarja. Why the hell are Tarjan knights here? Did they travel through the Kingdom of Brittantia to get here? There’s... There’s no way...

But from what Tony could see, that was the only conclusion he could consider. It was a sign that the ongoing war within the western continent had begun to move in a different direction. Realizing that, Tony tried to shout.

I need to tell someone.

Yet, he had little energy left. His body felt heavy as stone, unable to move. He prayed with all his might as he felt his consciousness continue to fade away. He prayed that someone would notice the wolf coat of arms. That was all he could do in the end.

Ten days had passed since the forces of the Kingdom of Brittantia attacked Jermuk. A soldier ran to an office in the royal palace that Ryoma was currently occupying.

“War has broken out on the Kingdom of Myest’s southern border?” Ryoma was busy with preparations to send reinforcements to the Kingdom of Xarooda. When he heard the report from the soldier, he shot him a cold, sharp look. A sense of doubt filled his gaze, questioning if the information was correct. Mistaken information wouldn’t be acceptable. Ryoma’s question probably came off as a little intimidating, though he expected it to be. The soldier continued to speak, unbothered by Ryoma’s manner.

“Yes. A messenger arrived from the Kingdom of Myest just now. He seeks an immediate audience with you,” responded the soldier confidently, corroborating the messenger’s report. At the very least, it didn’t seem like the soldier had misheard the information.

Ryoma threw the documents in his hands onto the desk.

“Got it... Bring the messenger here, I’ll speak with him now,” Ryoma ordered the soldier.

The soldier nodded before leaving the room immediately. A few minutes later, the soldier knocked again at the office door with a man beside him.

“Spare me the formalities. Let’s cut to the chase. Has war broken out on the Kingdom of Myest’s southern border?”

The messenger, sent by Ecclesia Marinelle, winced in response to Ryoma’s sharp glare as he pulled out a letter from his inside breast pocket.

“The details are in this letter...” said the messenger as he handed over the letter.

Ryoma snatched it from the man’s hands and looked over the contents. Recorded in the letter was something Ryoma would have never imagined.

What on earth is this? The O’ltormea Empire began their invasion into the Kingdom of Xarooda, and the southern countries have taken action too? 

It wasn’t just coincidence; it was all too inconvenient and at the worst possible timing.

Ryoma wanted to curse the gods. However, he soon thought differently. Now’s not the time to be fretting about why this is happening. I should prioritize how we’ll respond to this situation before all else.

Of course, Ryoma was also human. He knew he had to remain calm, but human feelings weren’t like light switches that one could turn on and off. That was especially the case when faced with a predicament like this. In all honesty, Ryoma wanted to punch the desk in rage and lament the unreasonable situation he found himself in. But Ryoma knew that such behavior was not fitting for a man holding the prestigious position of archduke in the Kingdom of Rhoadseria.

The situation was akin to a ship encountering a storm at sea, where it would sink and leave the captain lamenting their misfortune and unable to do anything. Ryoma had to give it his all, regardless of the lack of logic to the situation.

Fortunately, the border defense garrison in the fortress city of Jermuk has defended itself against the attack. However, it would have taken the messenger ten days to arrive in Pireas from the Kingdom of Myest. In the worst-case scenario, the border could have fallen, and the enemy soldiers are now rushing into Myest.

There was no hope of having real-time information transference here on Earth, but what they already had was severely limited.

“We can’t disregard the possibility that the enemy forces might have already made their way to the inner parts of the kingdom.”

The situation threatened the very life of the Kingdom of Myest. That said, Ryoma was aware that the chances of the enemy forces invading that far were small. With the Whirlwind, Ecclesia Marinelle, at the helm, the Kingdom of Myest had a lot of military commanders who were brave and skilled in strategy. There was no way they wouldn’t already have a plan, but Ryoma also couldn’t be too confident.

The messenger overheard Ryoma’s mutterings, causing his face to pale and as he panicked. Others were in the room and had the same reaction. Even the soldiers stationed there as guards went pale as they watched the unfolding situation. While these guards hadn’t undergone any special training, they realized that this wasn’t a simple issue. Even if they weren’t very good at thinking logically, they had picked up on the sense of danger, as if by animalistic instinct.

Well, it’s only natural they feel that way.

In the Kingdom of Rhoadseria, those born in a low social class were categorized as weak. Thus, individuals deemed weak had to utilize their crisis management abilities to ensure their survival. They were similar to mice and rabbits who would sense an incoming storm and hide away. That said, Ryoma didn’t have time to accompany them in their unease forever.

Ryoma, wore an expression that looked as if he were chewing on a bitter-tasting bug and ordered the messenger dispatched from the Kingdom of Myest to continue their report. But it seemed it was the same as the contents of the letter from Ecclesia.

I see... So, their report is correct.

To get all the facts, Ryoma had the messenger repeat the report verbally, but it matched the information in the letter, indicating it was accurate. Even so, he couldn’t dismiss the possibility that the messenger could be a secret agent sent from a different country.

Ecclesia should have used some thaumaturgy to guarantee the privacy of the letter’s contents.

But it was too late for that.

I’ve confirmed what I can for now and can see the letter matches the report, so the chance of the messenger being a spy from a different country is low. Though, it would be a big problem if he was.

Once Ryoma had finished listening to the messenger’s report, he suddenly said, “Are you certain that the troops massing at the Kingdom of Myest’s border are from Brittantia and Tarja?”

The letter already contained that information.

“Yes, the scouts from my country have confirmed the enemy unit’s flags. Last I heard, they had barricaded themselves within Jermuk and were awaiting reinforcements,” responded the messenger.

Ryoma clicked his tongue at the unthinkable situation. No matter the futility, there was no way they couldn’t respond to it. He ordered everyone in the room to leave so he could think about what to do from here on out. Once everyone had left the room, he looked up.

He thought, Just as we’re about to send reinforcements to the Kingdom of Xarooda, this attack happened. A few days ago, I had a report from Simone about activity at the borders of the Kingdom of Helnesgoula and the Holy Qwiltantia Empire.

The Kingdom of Helnesgoula was at war with the Holy Qwiltantia Empire and the O’ltormea Empire. Based on that, it wouldn’t be too strange if troops from Qwiltantia were stationed on the Kingdom of Helnesgoula’s western border. In the past, when the O’ltormea Empire invaded Xarooda, Qwiltantia had mobilized its troops to pressure the other parties involved.

Neither of the armies were large enough for all-out war, restricting the military movement of both countries. As a result, the reinforcements sent to Xarooda from Helnesgoula had only come about after the Holy Qwiltantia Empire had confirmed said restrictions.

And now here we are.

Various problems had all erupted at once, making the situation difficult to control. Ryoma primarily focused on the unexpected involvement of the Kingdom of Tarja in the war.

I could understand if it were only the Kingdom of Brittantia.

However, the Kingdom of Tarja and the Kingdom of Myest didn’t even share a border. That could only mean that the Kingdom of Brittantia and the Kingdom of Tarja had formed an alliance.

Is that even possible? Is it just a coincidence? Are we just that unlucky? mused Ryoma, lamenting ideas he knew were incorrect while staying calm. I’m being foolish... There’s no way it’s just a coincidence. The question is, who orchestrated all of this?

Several potential candidates ran through Ryoma’s mind but soon disappeared.

Maybe Shardina and the O’ltormea Empire? No, there’s no way they could be behind all of this. Their contact with the southern kingdoms is just constant skirmishes at the borders. I can’t imagine them banding together so easily. On top of that, the Holy Qwiltantia Empire stationing their troops along the border with the Kingdom of Helnesgoula is also bad timing for us. But O’ltormea and Qwiltantia are bitter rivals, fighting for supremacy over the continent. It would be difficult for them to cooperate with the southern kingdoms. So, is it really a coincidence? No, it can’t be that! There’s no way. 

Ryoma considered various possibilities. It was the same question that Ecclesia Marinelle was asking in the faraway Kingdom of Myest. But he could not find the answer to the question at this stage.

In that case, I just have to do what I can. But I wonder if that’s really the only way out of this? 

He had already thought up a countermeasure. Nevertheless, it wasn’t the most desirable option. In fact, it was a rather callous option to take: postponing sending the reinforcements to the Kingdom of Xarooda.

We should prioritize helping the Kingdom of Myest rather than sending reinforcements to the Kingdom of Xarooda, which has already faced invasion from the O’ltormea Empire.

The three kingdoms based in the eastern part of the western continent—Rhoadseria, Xarooda, and Myest—had a similar long and narrow shape. However, the Kingdom of Xarooda shared its borders with its enemies, such as the southern kingdoms and the O’ltormea Empire. Rhoadseria and Myest also shared borders with the southern kingdoms, but they were only a small part of their countries. The eastern side of the Kingdom of Myest faced the ocean.

Attacks from the coast of Myest were like those outside the board in chess or shogi. There was a small chance they would suffer an attack from the ocean. But it differed from chess in that the chance was never zero. A country could use boats to invade the Kingdom of Myest with soldiers from anywhere on its shores. Therefore, they were known for having the strongest navy on the western continent.

If their navy is as strong as it’s rumored to be, there should be nothing to worry about.

Meanwhile, Ryoma realized the attack on Myest by Brittantia and Tarja would only be from the southern part of the country. Compared to that, Xarooda’s front line was more extensive.

With the Kingdom of Xarooda, we don’t know if it’s only the O’ltormea Empire attacking. There is always the possibility an army is on its way north from the southern kingdoms.

Of course, that wasn’t confirmed. Focusing on shortening the front line made the most sense when Ryoma thought about it.

But if we send reinforcements to the Kingdom of Xarooda, it’ll be hard to shorten the front line.

Even the Kingdom of Myest would hesitate to send reinforcements to the Kingdom of Xarooda while attacked by the Brittantian and Tarjan alliance. Even if they sent reinforcements, it would be on a smaller scale.

Looking at the situation, it would probably be around the same number of soldiers that Helena and I would send to Xarooda as reinforcements.

One group would be around twenty-five hundred knights. At most, with two groups of knights, there would be around five thousand men. Compared to the two hundred thousand men that the O’ltormea Empire’s army had brought, it would be impossible to match them in battle. Basically, it would make zero difference if they were there. Although Xarooda had won last time, that victory came from Ryoma’s outlandish plot, where he had cut the enemy’s supply line. Expecting the general from the Kingdom of Myest to send reinforcements similarly would be incredibly unrealistic.

In that case, we really need Helnesgoula to send reinforcements.

Ryoma understood that if the reinforcements from Helnesgoula arrived quickly, they could gain an advantage in the war. But with him not being sure about the Holy Qwiltantia Empire’s movements, there was no telling when the reinforcements would arrive.

If the reinforcements from the Kingdom of Helnesgoula don’t arrive, then... At worst, it’ll mean only the Kingdom of Xarooda and I can stand up against O’ltormea, which is a drop in the bucket in this situation.

He had considered sending around thirty thousand men to the Kingdom of Xarooda as reinforcements. As a noble house, it was an incredibly vast number of soldiers to send to another country.

Even though my soldiers are powerful, claiming victory would still be difficult.

Naturally Ryoma was confident in his soldiers’ abilities due to their training as part of House Mikoshiba. All of them had learned thaumaturgy, and Lione had trained them to survive on a battlefield similar to mercenaries. While he didn’t know for sure, Ryoma felt that one of his soldiers was equivalent to four or five men from another house’s army. Said strength, combined with the military power from Xarooda and the reinforcements from Myest, gave them a better chance against the two hundred thousand man army the O’ltormea Empire had assembled.

But that is based on the O’ltormea Empire not having any reinforcements.

One could not say the O’ltormea Empire wouldn’t receive reinforcements from a different country. Ryoma would not object if this battle occurred within the Kingdom of Rhoadseria’s territory. Even if O’ltormea had reinforcements, it would do little to change the tide in the current situation.

Instead of creating a winning strategy, he had to put everything on the line. If the war took place in Xarooda, that would change things. If they had a plan that would mean victory, then it was only natural that Ryoma would prioritize sending reinforcements to the Kingdom of Myest.

Still, the only problem is how the Kingdom of Xarooda would respond if I did that.

The four-nation alliance, which the Kingdom of Helnesgoula headed, was based on a trade treaty with an aspect of a defense treaty. Thus, the collapsing Kingdom of Xarooda would request reinforcements to protect its country. That meant that the other three countries had a duty to respond to that request.

If they don’t fulfill that request...

Depending on the situation, the Kingdom of Xarooda would have the opportunity to surrender to the O’ltormea Empire. Even if they became a vassal state, the country known as the Kingdom of Xarooda wouldn’t completely disappear. It wouldn’t be strange if there were people who would prefer that.

We have to show how prepared we are to prevent that from happening, mused Ryoma, knowing that meant providing soldiers, supplies, and military funds. Fortunately, the money Simone earned should be more than enough funds. As for equipment, Meltina and the others had gathered equipment from all over Rhoadseria and brought it to Pireas, meaning we have more than enough to donate. 

The best choice would be to send enough reinforcements so that the Kingdom of Xarooda could stand toe to toe with the O’ltormea Empire. If that were impossible, the next best thing would be to send them supplies and military funds to buy Ryoma more time. He could eliminate the Brittantian and Tarjan alliance before heading to the Kingdom of Xarooda to take on the O’ltormea Empire.

However, it was a gamble with disadvantageous odds. Even if there was a straight path to victory, much of it depended on everything going perfectly.

We might have to send Sir Joshua and the others into hiding. 

Was there anyone with a good enough eye to discern when to take such a disadvantageous gamble at the right time while working with the Kingdom of Xarooda?

Ryoma immediately knew of someone. I guess all we can do is ask.

It was an ask that was equivalent to asking them to go to their deaths. But if there was a way to come out unscathed, they could find it.

That’s right... I need the Crimson Lioness, Lione.

Ryoma rang the bell on top of his desk. It was time to head toward a new battlefield with his trusted friends.