A Major Power on the Move
The fact that the Nord Empire occupied the Saint Miriam Kingdom took many countries by surprise, with the exception of the northern neighboring countries. Some people said that the Great War would return, superimposing it on the facts of the past, but that is the opinion of people who don't know anything about the opposite. The beginning of the Great War is a well-known fact among those in power.
To the surprise of the administrators, who were prepared for the beginning of the Great War, Nord was the first to move. The first country to move would be the first to be crushed as an excuse to move its army. Nord, the country that started the last war and the country that lost the war, naturally understood this. They could not understand Nord's behavior.
Many countries did not grasp it. The real power of Nord was in the hands of Ren, who had gone there as a hero. Even if they had known, they would have only pitied Ren's ignorance.
The focus of attention is not on the Nords, who are supposed to disappear, but on the moves of the major powers in response. The movements of the smaller nations would depend on the actions of the major powers.
The Lemberg Empire, the closest to the Nord Empire, was shaken by this situation.
"Duke Ruben has a strong sense of justice."
The words of Darius Horn, Prime Minister of the Lemberg Empire, to Heinz, were not a compliment. It was a rather sarcastic remark.
"I'm not advocating with a sense of justice."
"Wasn't your advice to avenge the Nord Empire's invasion of Saint Miriam's Kingdom?"
"That's right. However, it's not a sense of justice, it's about the interests of the empire."
"But Saint Miriam, much less Nord, are not fertile lands. Why should we prioritize obtaining such lands?"
"For two reasons. First, to prevent harm. If we leave Nord alone and allow Saint Miriam to be completely under their control, they will increase their national power a lot. Are we going to be foolish enough to fatten our enemies before we fight them?"
"......If we attack the west as planned, our empire's national strength will increase by more than that. Even if we were to fight, wouldn't it be better to do so afterward?"
The Prime Minister is pushing for a western attack. The debate had turned into a confrontation between Heinz and the Prime Minister.
"That is a misjudgment of Nord's strength. The Nord has already increased its power a great deal. What will happen if Saint Miriam is ruled in the same way? The land of Saint Miriam was originally one of the largest breadbaskets on the continent."
"That was hundreds of years ago, wasn't it? In recent years it has become one of the poorest countries on the continent."
"It's because the ruler was bad."
"That evil ruler has been exterminated, and the Nord Emperor has become the ruler. Isn't that better? The people of the old Saint Miriam will be pleased."
"So I'm not saying this out of justice. I'm saying that Nords shouldn't be left alone."
"I don't ask why you should be so vigilant against Nord. Nord can certainly be dangerous."
He is the person who was entrusted with the prime minister position of the Lemberg Empire. He is not disagreeing with Heinz's opinion without understanding things.
"If you know that"
"However, the threat at the moment is from the Luine Kingdom. Our country should be looking at who we need to catch up with, not who is chasing us."
"If we can annex the Nord we can close the gap with the Luine Kingdom."
Heinz does not want to save the Saint Miriam Kingdom or its territory, but the power of the Nord Empire.
"...Were you thinking about that?"
"This is another reason why we are turning our forces against the Nord. We can beat the Nord now. We can make the power of the Nord ours."
"...There's a safer way, so why bother choosing adventure?"
Ultimately, the Prime Minister does not change his opposition. It is not a bad thing to have opposing views battle it out. If there is someone who will make the right decision in the end.
"What if the Nord come south while we're heading west?"
"The Nord is at war with the Northern Alliance. They can't go south easily."
"Does the Northern Alliance really exist?"
"Are you suspicious of that?"
"We do not know the actual situation. Our country should not have been aware of the existence of such an alliance."
"Isn't it because of the weakening of our intelligence department?"
"That's……"
"It seems to me that the fact that we are arguing like this is in itself beneficial to the Nord. It is the Nord who needs time, not us."
"I know that."
The Prime Minister is correct in this perception. Heinz knows this, but he cannot back down from his argument. Heinz felt that the direction that seemed right under the circumstances was the one that Nord wanted.
"Then. We should seek His Majesty's permission."
"I hear he is not in good health."
"Is that not only against Prince Ruben?"
"What do you mean?"
"...No. Then, regarding the matter of approval, please. Get His Majesty's approval as soon as possible."
"I know."
This was the end of the meeting. This is the way it always ends these days. The current emperor has not appeared on the stage, citing illness as the reason. The national government of the Lemberg Empire was certainly stagnant.
◇◇◇
For Heinz, the person to talk to was Mei. Heinz had a hard time expressing all of his thoughts to those who had served in the Lemberg empire.
The fact is, Mei's position is that of a national hero and leader of the Imperial Mage Corps, so it is undesirable for her to be seen as Heinz's personal advisor. She is barely able to convince people around her by pushing the fact that they have known each other since the academy.
Heinz's position in the empire had become so delicate that she had to do so.
"Is it okay for you to come here so often?"
"What do you mean?"
"They are going to suspect you of cheating? I don't want to be suspected too."
"...Even if it's a joke, can you please not say that?"
Whatever Mei's feelings are, they don't sound like a joke to Heinz. Now Heinz is in trouble because of that rumor.
"That's right. It doesn't sound like a joke."
Mei knows that it is not a joke.
"That's not it. It's just that I don't want any more needless misunderstandings."
"Is it really a misunderstanding?"
Mei is persistent about this matter. She does not tolerate cheating. On top of that belief, Heinz's wife is Rosa, with whom she is very close.
"Of course. When I went to the church capital, I was already engaged to Rosa. So why would I fall in love with another woman?"
"That's why you cheat on your wife. I don't trust any man in this world with its joke system of polygamy."
"Look. If it were a one-night stand with a woman who wasn't concerned about such things, the rumored partner is Empress Milianea. Even then, she was the princess of the Izrim Magic Kingdom. How is that possible?"
The problem, in this case, is that the rumor is about Empress Milianea, the wife of the current emperor. This is an impossible fact for Heinz to believe.
"Yes, but I heard that there was also testimony from the surroundings?"
"......That we had several meetings together, that's all. It just came across as strange. I am actually accompanied by a knight escorting me. So was the other party."
"In other words, you were betrayed by that escort knight."
"......That would be the case."
Testimony of the surroundings. It can only be the escort knight. There was a knight who testified against Heinz.
"You were set up. The influence is greater than expected."
"I don't know if it's more than I expected. Sometimes it's as intended."
"Was it the purpose to get on bad terms with His Majesty the Emperor? Do you think it will work that well?"
"The Nord emperor would do this kind of calculation."
"...Isn't this a plot by the Prime Minister?"
Heinz and the Prime Minister are political rivals. Mei knew this. Mei thought it was a domestic political conflict because of this, but Heinz had a different idea.
"I thought so too at first. But how come the Prime Minister knows about what happened in the church capital, and moreover, with Her Majesty the Empress?"
"……Know?"
"No. I have nothing to be guilty of. I just have a little more familiarity with her than I have with princesses from other countries."
"Suspicious"
"I'm just a friend. I would never do anything to betray Rosa."
"Well, for the time being, I'll believe you."
"Not just for the time being, believe me properly. There is nothing to worry about. She is not the kind of person who forgets her position as a princess, and neither am I."
"......Indeed. You could say that."
This is how royalty should be. Empress Milianea's beliefs have not changed. Now it has changed a little to how an empress should be, and Mei has felt that many times.
"That's what it is. Anyway, someone exaggerated it and put it in the Prime Minister's ear. It's a good story for the Prime Minister. When he checked into the matter, he found that the knight escorting me had said something like that. After that, he would exaggerate the story even more to get it to His Majesty's ears."
"That's why His Majesty became suspicious of the Duke and stopped listening to you. By the way, the Princess too."
"......I talk to Rosa normally. She just got a little jealous."
"Is that Ren-kun’s strategy? What's in it for Ren-kun?"
Making marital relationships worse. It shouldn't be for that purpose.
"It's a benefit. Our national government will be stagnant. If I fold, things won't move forward. It's harder for things to go the way I want them to go."
"For example, the treatment of the Nord who invaded Saint Miriam."
"Yeah. At this rate, we'll ignore them and head west. That'll give the Nord time to put Saint Miriam under full control."
"What is the Northern Alliance? An alliance of surrounding countries to fight against the Nord, right?"
"I'm quite suspicious. If they form an alliance in the north, it's not to prepare for the Nord, but to counter our country and Luine."
"But it was led by the princess of the Saint Miriam Kingdom, right?"
The Saint Miriam Kingdom was invaded by the Nord Empire. Mei believes that the Northern Alliance should be an enemy of the Nord Empire.
"That's true. I've been trying to realize that since our academy days. It's clear that it's a countermeasure against a major power. More to the point, it seems to me that there was something close to an anti-hero alliance."
"Was it a movement from the time he was a student?"
"Yeah. Anyone who moves around that much can figure it out. Princess Amalia doesn't seem to be very good at working behind the scenes."
"Why did you leave her alone?"
"Because she is not a threat in any way. If the Saint Miriam Kingdom is in charge."
The Saint Miriam Kingdom does not have the power to lead other countries. Even if it could, it would not have enough centripetal force to make the major powers feel threatened. Not only the Lemberg Empire, but other major powers also thought so.
"...And Nord?"
"I don't know. I don't know what they're going to do with the Northern Alliance. All I know is that they're trying to turn the Northern Alliance into a wall."
"Wall?"
"The Luine Kingdom seems to be hesitant to advance east due to the presence of the Northern Alliance. They probably don’t think they will lose, but they don’t want to waste their army badly. If they thought there would be a battle with the Nord after that. Even more so."
"Should I call it Ren-kun’s careful preparation? If so, what will happen next?"
"I can't say for sure. One of the possibilities is going south."
"…Are they going to attack the Lemberg Empire?"
A situation where the Nord Empire attacked the Lemberg Empire from the Nord Empire side was something that never crossed Mei's mind.
"There is a possibility. The Nord will advance west or south. The Northern Alliance shields the west. If he moves west himself, he will destroy that. If he doesn't like that, the only way is south."
"Yes. It seems that we are number one."
Even though she knows that she will have to fight Ren at some point, Mei still has mixed feelings when it comes to the reality of the situation.
"It's very likely."
"Are Nord strong?"
"I don't know. The invasion of Saint Miriam this time was a complete surprise. The occupiers of Saint Miriam did not know what was going on until just before the invasion, and they could not fight the proper way."
"How could that be? It is an invasion by another country, right?"
"Perhaps their intelligence organization was completely crushed. It's the same as our country."
"…We still didn't recover?"
"The espionage job requires a very specific set of skills. It's not easy to replenish."
Devastating damage inflicted by the Nord Empire. The Lemberg Empire's intelligence organization has yet to recover from the blow. It is a situation where there is no prospect in sight.
"The most important information is in the hands of the enemy. How can we win with that?"
"Are you against fighting?"
"Isn't it foolish to fight when you have no chance of winning?"
"Didn't you train the mages to fight?"
"If you tell us to fight, we will fight. We cannot disobey orders."
"…………"
The meaning of Mei's words. Thinking that, Heinz couldn't say anything.
"I hope you can at least say something sarcastic."
"I didn't say anything"
"Ren-kun is free from the pledge, right?"
"I guess so. In the first place, it was a pledge under a false name. It is believed to have had little effect in the first place."
"He knew it. He knew from the beginning... Come to think of it, what about that matter?"
"That matter?"
"You're having trouble with intelligence, right?"
"Necromancer."
It was the Lemberg Empire that saw the secret of Ren's intelligence-gathering abilities and moved first. This move was made because the fact that Heinz, a man with some degree of power to run the country, believed, he could talk to spirits.
"Yes. Did you find someone who can do the same thing as Ren-kun?"
"No"
"So it was Ren-kun's special skill?"
"No. Those who are called Necromancers have disappeared a long time ago. We've been trying to track them down, but they seem to have left the country."
"…Maybe they were attached to Ren-kun, or they were erased. Which one?"
"I don't know that either."
"...It's not going to be a match. After all, it's impossible to fight."
Mei said so without hiding her frustration. Ren is taking the lead at every turn. Mei felt that if she had the same amount of power, she would not be defeated.
"Now is the time to attack"
"Are you saying we can't win later?"
"I'm saying I don't want to give them time. The more time we give them, the tougher the Nord will become. And you never know what they will try again. We have to get ahead of them. That will change things."
"......That's your job, isn't it? You're going to have to convince the Emperor somehow."
"I know."
In the end, Heinz's wishes were not fulfilled. Emperor Lemberg supported the western attack, and the argument was settled.
It was decided that this would be the case. The only person Emperor Lemberg would listen to honest advice from now on was the empress, Milianea. For Empress Milianea, it is necessary to have the Lemberg Empire go to the west as soon as possible for the benefit of her mother country, the Izrim Magic Kingdom.
If the Luine Kingdom stops moving east, the destination is south. Because there is only the Izrim Magic Kingdom in that direction.
◇◇◇
In the Luine Kingdom. A meeting is being held with the king in attendance. It is an important meeting to put an end to the stagnant situation. The heads of the civil and military departments are all present.
"Have you grasped the movements of the Northern Alliance?"
"Yes. Finally."
"And?"
"They are attacking the United Kingdom of Mercenary."
"No way!?"
Involuntarily, Princess Amalia let out a voice of surprise at the Prime Minister's words. As a result, she was exposed to the cold stares of those around her even more.
"...It seems Princess Amalia is not aware of it. In other words, is it correct to assume that the actions of the Northern Alliance are not for the sake of the Saint Miriam Kingdom?"
"I don't... know"
"It's a problem if you don't know. Our country has been waiting without moving because the Northern Alliance, a coalition of small nations, will take on the Nord Empire. If that's not the case..."
"That's a lie. Your country doesn't move because you don't know the extent of the Northern Alliance's military strength. It's because you can't measure the damage to your own army."
Princess Amalia's point is correct. Princess Amalia has the head to see through their true intentions. But she just doesn't know when and where to say it. This kind of thing is similar to Yuya.
"Even if that were true, it doesn't change the fact that Her Highness the Princess has brought false information to our country and caused needless confusion in our country."
"...False."
"Isn't the Northern Alliance working together under the direction of the Nord Empire?"
"It can't be."
"However, there is evidence that the Nords are cooperating with the Northern Alliance."
"...That's a lie"
Princess Amalia is instrumental in establishing the Northern Alliance. She herself thinks so. She doesn't want to admit that the Northern Alliance is on the same page as her nemesis, the Nord Empire.
"It is not a lie. One is intelligence interception. Many of our spies who went to probe the Northern Alliance have not returned. This is the same situation as when we sent them to explore the Nord before."
"That doesn't necessarily mean it's from the Nord."
"Well, that's true. But there's one more thing. I've confirmed the presence of what seems to be a Nord army among the forces attacking the United Kingdom of Mercenary."
"That's absurd...... There's no way the alliance is working with the Nord."
"Why?"
"The Nord is a threat to the Alliance. They know they're next."
"But, as you can see..."
Prime Minister Holdings is somewhat taken aback by Princess Amalia's complete refusal to admit.
"What?"
"Let me confirm one thing. Regarding the Nord invasion, there are rumors that the Saint Miriam Kingdom was the first one to make a move. Is this true?"
"Impossible. The Nord suddenly attacked us one day without even declaring war."
"No, it happened long before that. Isn't it true that Saint Miriam's army attacked the Nord Emperor?"
"…………"
Hearing Prime Minister Holding's words, Princess Amalia's face turned pale at once. He doesn't even need to hear the answer. It is a fact.
"Was it a fact? In other words, the Nord won the war that was set up. There is no reason to blame them."
"That matter never happened."
"The emperor was attacked, and you pretend it never happened?"
"No, there's a verbal promise."
"Verbal promise? Then what did the Saint Miriam Kingdom offer in return?"
"That's……"
There is no way Prime Minister Holdings would be satisfied with offering her own maid.
"Or did you threaten them? Saying you'll attack them if they make a fuss."
"That's... no, I didn't do that."
Princess Amalia tried to agree but changed her mind. Because she realized it was useless to make excuses. Everything was over for her if she admitted to attacking Ren.
"Do you understand now? The Saint Miriam Kingdom violated the Iliad Treaty. Even if it is destroyed, other countries will not strongly criticize it."
"Yes……"
"Now then, there is something I need to confirm with Her Highness Princess Amalia."
"...What is it?"
"It’s about the future. Originally, there was no reason for you to stay in our country. Still, it was a courtesy to you, a royalty, that I acknowledge it."
"...You don't recognize me as a member of the royal family."
"I'm not saying that. But if we shelter you, we will make enemies. I don't see why we should treat you, you and your knights and soldiers kindly."
The Saint Miriam Kingdom is a criminal nation that has violated the treaty. Prime Minister Holdings said that by harboring this criminal nation, the Luine Kingdom was also complicit in the crime. But he knows that no country will complain about that.
"...That means I should leave. I understand."
"Wait a minute!"
At this point, the voice that stops Princess Amalia echoes in the conference room. Needless to say. It was Yuya who interrupted.
"I will take care of Amalia and the others."
"…Does that mean with the Polaris Knights?"
"That's right."
"It is not that Commander Yuya will take care of them, but that the country will take care of them."
The Polaris Knights are not Yuya's personal property. It is the knights of the Luine Kingdom. Naturally, the expenses come from the treasury of the Luine Kingdom.
"Considering the war ahead, it is necessary to strengthen the Knights. We will only achieve this by adding Amalia and the others."
"...This is your judgment. Your Majesty, the Commander says this, though?"
"It doesn't matter. You can incorporate them into the Polaris Order."
King Luine responds to Prime Minister Holdings' question without a pause, saying that he approves.
"Yes. His Majesty's permission has been granted. The former Saint Miriam Kingdom will work for our country as the Polaris Order. Is that correct?"
"That's……"
Yuya just went ahead with the conversation on his own, and Princess Amalia herself had no desire to do so. If she is incorporated into the Polaris Knights, she will not be able to act as an army of the Saint Miriam Kingdom.
"I don't think there's room to think about it. Can you feed that many personnel without our country's support?"
"...I'll do it.."
But no matter how dissatisfied she was, she couldn't refuse. If she doesn't rely on some country, she can't maintain an army. Even living is difficult.
"Well then, I'll leave you with this matter. Let me move on to the main subject. How should our country move in light of the information we have obtained? I think we should move to control the northern part of the country."
Prime Minister Holdings, who turned to King Luine, suddenly began to state his thoughts.
"The reason is?"
"If we move south, we will have to fight against the Izrim Magic Kingdom. If the battle is prolonged, the Lemberg Empire may conquer the southern part of the continent in the meantime. We believe that moving south will only benefit the Lemberg Empire."
"Umu"
"On the other hand, the United Kingdom of Mercenary was greatly damaged in the north, and even though they are forming an alliance, the other countries are small. There is no country that can block our army. While we are here, our country will be able to control the entire northern land."
"I see. But can you move it?"
The Nord Empire, which they had been talking about a while ago, does not appear anywhere in the Prime Minister's words. No one points it out.
"There is no need to invade with a large army, such as a small country in the north. First, we will invade with our elite Knights of the Polaris Order. We can then add a rearguard after seeing how the advance is progressing."
"The Polaris Knights will attack alone?"
"Even if they are alone. The number of troops is more than ten thousand, more than the army of a small country."
The number that the Prime Minister is talking about includes the army of the former Saint Miriam Kingdom. He makes no attempt to hide the fact that he had intended to do this from the beginning. And of course, this is not the Prime Minister's arbitrary decision. The exchanges up to this point have only proceeded according to a prearranged plan.
"That's right. Then, Polaris Order Commander Yuya."
"Y-yes"
"I order you as the King of Luine. Lead the Polaris Knights and conquer the north. If anyone stands in your way, overthrow them all."
"...Ha"
The policy of the Luine Kingdom has been decided.
Half a month later, the Polaris Knights led by Yuya received reinforcements and set out for the eastern border with a total of 15,000 men.
The major powers began to move, and the Continental Upheaval finally began in earnest.
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