Way of Service
After the restoration of the United Kingdom of Mercenary, the name was changed to the Mercenary Kingdom, taking out the united. There is no special meaning. It just means that it is different from the country it once was, and yet it was too much trouble to think about it.
The border region in the southern part of the Mercenary Kingdom. In that place, where the invasion of the Izrim Empire had been anticipated, the Mercenary Kingdom army was now facing a tense time.
"......I see it!"
A sentry, who was looking south of the border from a high vantage point, shouted loudly.
"Did they come… how many!?"
Karl Wallenstein, the former king of the United Kingdom of Mercenary and the current king of the Mercenary Kingdom, returned a question to the sentry.
"About a hundred!"
"Hundred. That's a lot this time. How many are in the Izrim Empire Army!?"
"I still can't see the whole thing! At the moment, there are three, maybe four times as many!"
"......That's about right."
An atmosphere of relief was felt in the surroundings. If it is an army of 100 units, it can easily be defeated. The Mercenary Kingdom has an army of 2,000. Moreover, they are on the defensive side.
"They're catching up!"
The lookout's report drowns out the atmosphere of relief. In front of the Izrim Empire army are the citizens of the Izrim Empire. They are the people who fled because they could not stand the tyranny.
Their destination is the Nord Empire. In other words, it's where the Mercenary Kingdom's army is.
"...Run away. Somehow, get here."
King Mercenary mutters as if praying. If the fleeing people cross the border, the Izrim Empire army will not be able to follow them. That had been the case until now.
"A follow-up in the Izrim Empire army! Their number is...... approximately three thousand!"
"Three thousand……"
The enemy's numbers exceeded them. Even so, they have a good chance of winning this battle if they stay in the fortress. In the first place, there is no need to overreach there. The original strategy was to draw the enemy deeper into the territory and exterminate them. But if they chose that, what would happen to the people who had fled?
"Impossible! They can't reach it!"
It is impossible to cross the border. This time people failed to escape. If the Mercenary Kingdom's army doesn't move at this rate.
"...Shall we go?"
A former church knight called out to the troubled King Mercenary. The army of the former church knights is also in this place.
"Why?"
"If it becomes a problem, just say it doesn’t matter. The remnants of the church did it on their own."
"I don't see how that would solve the problem."
"Besides, it's our former compatriot's fault. So we have to take responsibility for that as well."
Why do people flee from the Izrim Empire? The reason is that they are suffering from oppression, but the decision to do so and the choice of the Nord Empire as a place to flee to is influenced by the people of the former Church.
The Nord Empire is the land of salvation. There are people spreading such stories.
"...We're your compatriots too, right?"
"That's……"
"We can't leave our compatriots heading for danger. We'll sortie, too."
"But that would mean that the Nord Empire has started a war."
"What of it? Our emperor had a fight with the Izrim Empire a long ago. He will not complain now."
It was of no concern to him if Ren's strategy had gone a little awry. King Mercenary does not take Ren lightly and does not think this way. He trusts that he can handle a miscalculation of this magnitude.
"We're going out! Save those who have fled! Everyone, let's go!"
""""Ooohh!!""""
Military flags fly in the fortresses of the Mercenary Kingdom. The two flags are the Silver Wolf Banner and the Black Cross Banner. The gate door opens, and mounted knights rush out one after another. To save the fleeing people.
◇◇◇
The battle on the border was immediately communicated to the mainland of the Izrim Empire. A battle with the Nord Empire had occurred. No head of state would be foolish enough to withhold that information. It would be more accurate to say that no head of state would dare to go and fight the Nord Empire without the support of the home country.
This information came as a shock to the Izrim Empire. Some people may have wondered what was going on, but many in the upper echelons of the Izrim Empire believed that the Nord Empire would not be aggressive enough to make a move.
"...There is no movement after that. Is there no doubt about this?"
Mei is trying to accurately grasp the situation of the battle. If she makes a mistake here, it will be a big deal. That's what she thinks.
"Yes. Only one battle. After that, the Nord Empire Army seems to have remained in the fortress."
"What are our forces doing?"
"The rest of the army is positioned at a distance from the fortress, in preparation for a reinvasion of the Nord Empire."
This is a bit wrong. They are prepared for another invasion, but they do not intend to fight. They are only there to quickly get information to the rear, and they are only there because they have been ordered to do so by their superiors.
"Is that all?"
"The kings of the surrounding countries have been ordered to prepare for battle. They should have finished their preparations by now, and I believe they will be ready to move as soon as you give the order."
"...The number of enemies is about 2,000. Other than that, there is no movement. What about the Eastern Alliance? Any reports?"
"Nothing in particular. But if the cooperative relationship with the Nord Empire is true."
"It's also possible that we haven't grasped the movement... why did you send an army near the border of the Nord Empire in the first place?"
Don't provoke the Nord Empire now, including the fight against the Eastern Alliance. This is the policy of the Izrim Empire. This time, Mei's policy was disregarded.
"We finally found out about it. It seems that they were chasing after the people who tried to leave the country. The king and other top officials had concealed it from us, but we found out through the testimony of soldiers on the scene."
"Fled the country?"
"They were trying to abandon their lands and flee to the Nord Empire. No, it seems that they actually did escape."
"I see... Isn't that what they deserve?"
The ruler who was oppressive is to blame. The only one who allowed it was Mei. He doesn't say Mei doesn't have the right to blame the rulers, but he can't push all the blame onto her.
"Even so, if we show a lenient attitude toward the state, there is a possibility that it will spread to others."
"You mean as a lesson?"
"It's a bad word, but that's how it is."
"That's right... the Nord Empire moved its army to help those people. In other words, we are the bad ones."
"For whatever reason, it is an act of aggression to send an army into another country."
"So what do you think the Prime Minister should do?"
The Prime Minister is trying to insist that it is the Nord Empire that is ultimately to blame. That's good. But what to do next? Mei asked the Prime Minister about it.
"...We should lodge a protest."
"Alright. Let's do it."
Mei thought that as long as she complained, she could do as much as she wanted. She doesn't have to worry about being hated by the Nord Empire. They hate them already.
"Then, I will immediately organize a delegation."
"......That's fine. Manami, can you go to the Nord again."
Mei decided not to leave the selection of messengers to the Prime Minister, but to have Manami go.
"Alright, but... Just tell them not to do that again?"
Does it have to be her to tell him that? Manami thinks so.
"Yes. Of course, I hope they don't just say it, but get a promise that they won't attack us."
"Ah, that kind of thing"
Ren will keep his promise. If she could secure that promise in any way, it would reduce the possibility of an invasion from the Nord Empire side. Manami understood Mei's thinking.
"We can't afford to be fighting with the Nord Empire right now. In that sense, this might be a good opportunity to renegotiate."
"But I don't think Ren will accept it."
"Stick with it until he accepts. One year, two years, whatever."
"Eh?"
"I want you to buy us some time. By then, we'll have our forces in place. It's just a little more time."
What Mei needs is time. Time to gain the strength to fight against the Nord Empire and the Luine Kingdom. She wants it.
"...I know what you're talking about."
Manami already knows Mei's thoughts. But she doesn't think she can buy time just by negotiating. Manami thinks Ren isn't that naive.
"I don't care if you fail. For now, just do everything you can."
"……I understand."
When Mei says so, Manami has no choice but to take on the task. There is not much she can do. That's how she feels about it.
"Then, can you leave immediately? First of all, it's the Mercenary where the incident occurred. I want you to go to the border and negotiate with Ren-kun."
"Alright. I will."
"Prime Minister. Please form an escort group."
"I understand. I will prepare it immediately."
Following Mei's order, the prime minister leaves the conference room. Followed by Manami.
"...Does that mean to get rid of the interloper?"
When the two disappeared, Maki raised her voice with a dissatisfied expression.
"Don't say it like that. This is a decision made with Manami in mind. I'm sure she won't accept it."
"Hmm. You're nice to Manami, aren't you?"
"Ara? Do you also want to be removed, Maki?"
While explaining that it is for Manami, she says [remove] to Maki. It is Mei's way of using it. Maki has a desire to have her value recognized. She is using that to her advantage.
"I can't be as naive as she is. I will do what is necessary."
"Yes. Good people cannot survive. That's the world we've entered."
Mei and the others are desperate in their own way. They are thinking hard about how to survive in this world. They were trying to win this battle even if they had to abandon the ethics they had learned in their former world.
"How is the movement of the Luine Kingdom?"
"It is clear that they are preparing for battle. A sortie will be launched in the not-too-distant future."
"When was that information?"
"That was... more than a month ago."
The retainer speaks with difficulty in answering. He knew it wasn't the answer Mei wanted to hear.
"I wonder if there isn't something more we can do?"
The delay in information transmission. It takes an order of magnitude longer than it did in the original world, and that always frustrates Mei. How can she make the right decision based on information that is months old? That's what she thinks.
"We've made a lot of improvements in the way we communicate information within our territory."
The Izrim Empire is not just standing idle. They have made improvements so that information can be obtained as quickly as possible. Mei and the others were also involved.
"That's another thing that's different from Ren-kun. I'm at a disadvantage in a lot of ways."
"I'm sorry"
"It's too late to wait for the enemy's movement and then make a decision. After all, we should take the initiative."
If you are passive, things will progress as the other person thinks. Mei, who thought so as a result of her worrying about various things, had finally decided to take positive measures when she came here.
"That's... you mean?"
"We will move as soon as Manami departs. Are you ready?"
"Yes. No problem"
"It's finally here. Since I've been troubled so much up until now, I'm going to vent my worries with all my might. I'm counting on you guys to do the same."
"Yes. Leave it to us."
The Izrim Empire begins to move. As a result, the war will spread to the western part of the continent. The battle between the Izrim Empire and the Luine Kingdom begins.
◇◇◇
The Izrim Empire is about to embark on a war against the Luine Kingdom. This is not because the domestic situation has settled down. It is the result of neglecting it and prioritizing other things. In the first place, Mei has no intention to work on domestic stabilization.
A battle with the Luine Kingdom and the Nord Empire lies ahead. Even if she implements a good policy in the midst of a war that is expected to be protracted, it will have little effect. If that is the case, it would be better to make the current rulers the villains and establish a strict wartime regime. She even thought of such a thing.
In a situation where the war cannot wait, that decision may be unavoidable for a government administrator. But only if the priority is to wage war and win the war.
But it is the people who will suffer. Even if they knew that the situation would improve in the future, they would not be able to endure their immediate poverty.
It is the former prince of the Orthea Kingdom and his subjects who are revolting on the pretext of speaking for such people.
"...Why is the Nord Empire not moving?"
One of the rebel forces. Nishida, a former Orthea Kingdom hero, is complaining to Bear, a former guild soldier who has served Ren ever since he left the capital.
"Even if you ask me that. I'm just an outsider. I can't possibly know what His Majesty is thinking."
"Is it a lie that you attacked the Izrim Empire and saved the people?"
It was this information that made Nishida expect the Nord Empire to move.
"It's not a lie. But that shouldn't be an order from His Majesty."
Bear knows that the action was the sole decision of the Royal Army of the Mercenary Kingdom. Ren's plan was to draw the enemy into the territory and wear them down. Even if it was a provocation, it was a poor plan by Ren. As a result, the Izrim Empire has not made any major moves.
"Even if that were the case, the battle actually took place. So you're not going to make any further moves?"
"For the moment, yes."
Bear has not received any word. That means that there has been no change in the order so far.
"The people of the Izrim Empire are suffering. Are you going to abandon them?"
"...Is your head okay?"
"What did you say!?"
Bear's words make Nishida's blood boil. In fact, he has been hotheaded since before that. That's why Bear said this to him.
"His Majesty will not move just to save the people of the Izrim Empire. What do you expect from His Majesty?"
"That's... right, but..."
Ren is not an ally of justice. Nishida knows that. Ren is also not a good partner to look up to. The tone of Nishida's voice suddenly dropped as he remembered it when Bear pointed it out.
"In the first place, you are not qualified to blame His Majesty. You are fighting against the Izrim Empire for the revival of the Orthea Kingdom , and saving the people is just a plan to make that a success."
"…………"
It's just like Bear said. Nishida is also not an ally of justice for the people of the Izrim Empire. He is using the suffering of the people of the Izrim Empire to revive the Orthea Kingdom, and the feelings of resentment towards the country that is born from it.
"If you want His Majesty to make a move, you will have to create the best possible opening in the Izrim Empire. I don't think you can do that under the current circumstances."
The rebellion in the former Orthea Kingdom is not going well at present. Because it is not going well, Nishida would say anything that would call for reinforcements from Ren.
Mei is postponing efforts to stabilize the country, but this is only with regard to political measures, and she has not abandoned military measures as well. In particular, the rebellion of the former Orthea Kingdom was not something that could be ignored, especially since Nishida, a hero, was part of the rebellion.
A fairly powerful suppression force has been sent against the former Orthea Kingdom rebels. It is a hero army led by Tatsuya Minami and Osamu Nagai, a new member of the Izrim Empire.
"...Is it okay for us to fail like this?"
The former Orthea Kingdom rebels have received financial and material support from the Nord Empire. So is the provision of information. It is because the Nord Empire needs the former Orthea Kingdom Rebels. Nishida thought.
"Fool. After all, are you on the same level as the other heroes?"
"What!?"
"If you guys fail, His Majesty will just move another plan. That's the extent of your existence. If you don't understand these things and remain mistaken, you're going to get hurt."
"...Are you threatening me?"
"I'm just speaking the facts. His Majesty has no reason to keep feeding the useless people who don't show their loyalty to him."
"…………"
Bear is right. If the rebel army of the former Orthea Kingdom is unable to produce results, there will be no point in providing support. And if the support is cut off, the rebel army will cease to exist as an army at that point.
"This is my selfish opinion that has nothing to do with His Majesty. Do you want to hear it?"
"...I'll hear it."
"At first, I thought you were going to fight for revenge on the deceased Princess. I thought you were fighting out of the same, if not the same...... desire as His Majesty."
"Yes. I can't forgive those who killed Lilia-sama."
Princess Lilia of Orthea Kingdom committed suicide because of the invasion of Izrim Magic Kingdom, thinking she would take responsibility for the defeat. Nishida has not forgotten that resentment.
"But right now, you value the restoration of the Orthea Kingdom more than revenge."
"That's... Lilia-sama's wish."
"Is that really true? No, there's no point in hearing this. Regardless of what the Princess's wishes are, what I know is that you and His Majesty have a different kind of passion."
"Passion?"
"Compared to His Majesty’s blazing passion, your heart has cooled down considerably. I won't say it's a difference in the strength of your feelings for the person you lost. Because I think I know your grief."
Bear looks at the place where Princess Lilia committed suicide. He also knows how Nishida grieves.
"...What's the difference between me and Ren?"
"I don’t know. But there is nothing from you that His Majesty has that will burn you if you touch it."
"Ren... I don't know."
Nishida doesn't know the passion that Bear talks about Ren. He never got that impression from Ren. He has felt his cold atmosphere many times, which is the complete opposite.
"Because you've never touched it. Whatever emotion it was, whatever anger it was, I don't know why, but I can't forget that moment. It's like a bad burn. It leaves a mark on your heart."
"Bear. You..."
For the first time, he felt Bear's feelings for Ren. It was different from what Nishida had expected. He and Bear have known each other for a reasonably long time. He had heard how he had come to serve Ren and how he rarely met him, while he was just waiting for the right moment.
He serves Ren because he has no other way to live. He thought there was also a calculation that he would not have any trouble making a living. But now, the look on Bear's face when he talks about Ren makes him feel that he was wrong. Ren is an important Master to Bear, and Bear serves Ren with all his heart.
Are his own feelings for Prince Richard superior to this? As people who are in the same position to serve, he must be superior to him. Nishida was forced to think so.
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