Chapter 24 (1/2)

One month after the Kingdom’s Army and the Imperial Army fought at Madros.

In Madros Castle’s audience room, the lord of the castle and commander of the Fifth Army, Kerry, and an uninvited guest were sitting across a round table from each other.

Behind Kerry were waiting bodyguards fortified with heavy armor, and if the man in front of them had any strange behavior, they could immediately be take preparations for battle.

With only one youthful officer accompanying beside him, the man’s smile didn’t change even while basking in the animosity from the surroundings.

Kerry lightly cleared his throat, and then addressed the man in his usual tone.

“Yo. I want to say well done coming here, but sorry, you and I are mutual enemies now. Is it okay for you to come to this castle even knowing that?”

‘Don’t complain if I have your head cut off without talking to you,’ spit out Kerry while putting his cup to his lips.

That man, with the name of Diener, replied in a calm tone.

“How cold. I have come to this castle as a man who loves peace. I hope Your Excellency can understand.”

“Leave out that mimicry of yours. Don’t make fun of me so much got it? My intelligence unit has their hands on what you’re plotting under there. Aren’t you quite the low-life sleazebag, spewing poison everywhere. The face of a beast would be more appropriate for you than anyone.”

Kerry unpleasantly said. The Madros intelligence unit had their spies in not just the Empire, but also the Kingdom and the Liberation Army. For the sake of sniffing out impending crises beforehand of course. There was no positive proof, but reports said that there was an extremely high possibility that the talked about Tenang Atrocity had been orchestrated by the hands of the Liberation Army.

Countries or armies would always have a dirty side they wouldn’t reveal. They wouldn’t be able to mobilize or kill people if they tried to stay pure.

“Only what they find convenient will enter the ears of the populace. No matter if the Kingdom stands for justice, after all this, no one would believe it, and no one would even laugh at the idea of the Liberation Army disguising themselves as the Kingdom’s Army and pillaging.”

Informed Diener, his expression tender, but his eyes weren’t smiling. If he made a single mistake, he wouldn’t have a head.

Prepared for that, Diener had come along to Madros.

“It’s as you say. No matter how the Kingdom denies anything, it’ll only be excuses at this point. However, if it’s just vilifying the Kingdom, I can do that whenever I like. Sorry, but I’m busy; I ain’t got the time to go along with your jokes and the naivety of that foolish woman who can’t tell reality from her dreams. If you’ve got actual business, hurry up and say it.”

Kerry violently struck his cup on the table and glared at Diener with a gaze full of killing intent. Diener lightly shrugged his shoulders and began quietly talking.

“It is a simple matter. Until we capture the Royal Capital, I would like you to not move the Fifth Army from Madros.”

“Are you even listening to yourself? What comes outta the mouth can’t be taken back.”

When Kerry raised his right fist, the bodyguards unsheathed their swords. There would probably be two corpses made in this room when that hand was swung down.

“Of course. Presently, the Liberation Army’s fighting power, generously speaking, is 150,000. Though our morale is high, to be attacked from three directions, the north, south, and then the Canaan area, would be, as one would expect, quite arduous. I don’t believe you would move, considering how prudent you are, but you abandoning Madros and turning all your forces towards us would be unstoppable, even for us.”

“…..And your reason for explicitly telling me this? You intend to threaten me?”

“The instant you move your forces from Madros, the Imperial Army will launch a general offensive at this area. This is precise information gotten from Prince Alan. I also do not wish for further intervention from the Empire. Consequently, I have come to nail them down. I cannot let your troops move from here.”

Stated Diener while lightly tapping his finger on the tabletop.

“We have the crown prince Alexander here as a hostage. If they come invade again, he’ll lose his life.”

“The Emperor Alf is not so half-hearted to prioritize a prince’s life over expansion of his dominion. Accepting negotiations is also just to buy time to put military preparations in order.”

Said Diener mixing fact with truth. Diener was currently watching whether the Emperor would prioritize Alexander’s life.

He understood that the Empire didn’t simply say yes in the negotiations because once they accepted one proposal, the demands would escalate to no end. Naturally, the hostage wouldn’t be released.

“……So that’s how it is. I understand what you’re saying. But, your demand is completely rejected. Get out now that you know. You’re an eyesore.”

“That is unfortunate. However, I was glad to have been able to have a direct conversation with Your Excellency. If an opportunity arises, let us meet again. It surely will not be too far in the future.”

“Hmph, I have no desire to meet with you. Hey, the guest is leaving. Show him out!”

“Sir-!”

Kerry stood up, indicating there would be no further conversation, and left behind the room. Diener and the officer accompanying him, Vander, were pushed by the soldiers and high-handedly made to exit the room.

“……Sir Diener. That became quite unpleasant.”

Vander addressed his superior while straddling his horse. Negotiations had broken down with the worst possible result, he judged.

“I’m having a hard time understanding what was so unpleasant. Weren’t the negotiations a resounding success? In the first place, I had achieved my goal of being able to meet Sir Kerry at this point in time.”

“S, still.”

“That man will absolutely not move from here. More than his loyalty to the Kingdom, he only thinks about how to protect the Madros territory. That’s what makes that guy tick. Even though he put an end to my negotiations, that hasn’t changed.”

“If you understand that, then why would come directly, Sir Diener?”

“Preparations for after liberating the Royal Capital. I need him to defend against the Empire’s expansion hereafter as well. Madros is an outpost region against the Empire, and the only ones who can accomplish that duty are those Madrosians. For that reason, this time’s negotiation required us to meet face to face. After liberating the Royal CapitaI, I don’t want be under a puppet regime, even if we were to be independent.”

Diener stated his own thinking in a plain tone. The current monarchy had already fallen in his mind.

The aftermath was what was crucial. The Empire would doubtlessly come to interfere with the new political power. That was Emperor Alf’s aim. For Diener, he had to keep Empire intervention to a minimum.

To begin with, the Empire tripping up this time had been an event beyond his expectations. It was unacceptable for the Kingdom to have a momentous comeback, but it was a blessing in disguise that the Empire’s might had been curbed temporarily. Above that also, it was a godsend that the crown prince himself had been seized.

That was same as having the strongest card against the Empire for negotiations. The Imperial Army couldn’t move with this.

At the same time, the Kingdom’s victory invited unrest among the feudal lords who were currently on the fence, which made Diener’s active projects more turbulent. The feudal lords didn’t think the Kingdom would hold on like this, but it was also hard to believe that the Liberation Army would gain victory without problems. They once again drew inside their turtle shells, thinking that it would be best to wait and see.

In the southeast buffer zone with the Union were the Kingdom’s Army, the Liberation Army, and the Union confronting each other, and they had fallen into a stalemate where no one could move.

For now, the only thing the Liberation Army could pursue would be to crush the main force of the Kingdom’s Army, capture Canaan, and break into the Royal Capital. That was the only option.

If the flow of battle went in their favor at this point in time, all the people waiting-and-seeing would all come under the Liberation Army’s umbrella.

The key to this Liberation War would be the next battle. Likely, it would happen in-between Canaan and Belta, an engagement that would decide everything.

“……Vander. The next battle, is now something we must not lose. Serve with everything you have, with that in mind. The successes you earn will absolutely be rewarded.”

Diener was buying Vander’s abilities. Diener had been the cause for Field Marshal Sharov being dismissed, and he was the one who devised the attempted coup d’etat affair. Obviously, it was all a ruse; Sharov had no intention of rebelling. They had sowed discord into Prime Minister Farzam, and forcibly turned mere smoke into a raging fire.

“—-Sir, I know my duty!”

“I will head back to Belta from here and begin preparations before the battle. You take the funds and go provision some Cologne cows as arranged. They’ll be our trump card in the next battle. Gather as many as you can. 1,000 at the minimum. Don’t worry about their quality.

“Understood. ……However, just how will you use cows raised for their meat?”

“I’ll be treating the soldiers to high-grade beef. Leave it at that for now. Soon, you’ll understand.”

Responded Diener, his mouth corners raising, and he began to gallop his horse. His guards too, with a slight delay, hurriedly followed after him.

The Cologne cow was a large cow that grew sharp horns and lived only in the North of the continent. It may seem like a docile beast at a glance, but once it sensed it would be in danger, it has a furious disposition where it would continue to chase its adversary no matter where it went.

Its meat was delicious, and coupled with its difficulty to capture, it was sold at high prices in the markets. Hunters would go out and hunt for Cologne cows, but there were frequent occurrences of them having the tables turned and being killed.

Having been promoted to Colonel and appointed to a certain duty, Schera leisurely marched, taking along 100 riders–while sucking on a long and thin carrot stick in her mouth. Occasionally, she would throw one in front of her horse, giving him something instead of feed. At any rate, there was more than enough of the vegetable sticks crammed into the pouch at her waist. Presenting several sticks wouldn’t be much of a deal.

“Colonel, you seem to be in a good mood.”

“Mmnn, because I got this bag of vegetables before we departed. As congratulations for being promoted to Colonel. I’m glad I was promoted.”

Some children had come up to the hero, Schera, and asked her what she wanted as a gift. Hence when she responded that anything would be fine as long as she could eat it, she got this bag of vegetables the next day. Schera accepted it, more delighted than when she got some medal or a letter of commendation with its fastidious language.

“Good for you. Please allow us the privilege of congratulating your promotion afterwards.”

“Don’t push yourselves. That aside, you want one too?”

“Thank you very much I gratefully accept!”

Schera threw him a green stick, and the rider jumped at it, ecstatic. Schera began crunching another one, while thinking that he was like a trained dog.

Incidentally, Katarina, who was promoted to First Lieutenant, was away currently on a different duty. She was in charge of training the newly assigned soldiers who would replace the riders that had died in battle. Schera’s Cavalry had been allotted 3,000 riders. Yalder had boasted that if they gave her 10,000 cavalry, the head of the rebel army’s leader would be as good as theirs, but as there were still some doubts left about her leadership ability, despite her individual prowess being recognized, she was not permitted any further increases. Not intending to give Schera, whose birthplace was dubious, any more responsibility, Prime Minister Farzam’s opinion also played a big role.