Chapter 199
Light a fire (5)
It seemed that civil war would occur in the Empire. When I first heard this, I could only laugh.
“The people who dare not breathe out loud in front of the emperor will start a civil war? That’s ridiculous.”
I would not believe it until I were to see it in person. I had already seen the emperor, and I had confirmed how much the imperial nobility feared him. Nobles who lacked the courage to look straight at the emperor would not start a civil war while his eyes remained open, no matter how confusing the internal and external politics of the Empire might be.
I considered the possibility of a civil war in preparation for the future, but when I heard no additional news on the matter, I then erased it from my mind.
“How can we give the third princeps bigger victories without losing allies?”
After repeated meetings with Malcoy, I selected several individuals and an unimportant fort, making a ‘transaction’ with the princeps. Needles to say, the exchange was made so secretly that even the third princeps did not notice the truth of it. During the course of the transaction, the Imperial Army suffered considerable damage. While the main force was distracted by the occupation of the fort, the other imperial troops on the front were greatly damaged by separate forces of Leonberg, though that was not the most important gain.
The third princeps gained a good reputation for specializing in the occupation of Leonberg’s fortresses, which the other imperial legions could not capture. We were also able to inflict considerable damage to the Imperial Army in exchange for a stronghold that was not important to me. It was a bonus of the transaction, and everything went well.
All that bothered me was that the imperial wizards and paladins on the front were too quiet.
“They have already lost one mage and one paladin. It is natural for them to be careful not to lose any more of their precious assets,” Malcoy observed.
“If they wanted to keep that which is precious safe, they could have left them all behind instead of bringing them to a dangerous battlefield. It doesn’t make sense to me.”
Malcoy shook his head at my words.
“We are speaking of knights – who are highly regarded in any country. We can’t think of them like normal soldiers when we consider the time and cost it takes to train a single knight.”
Malcoy went on to say that it was the difference between the Empire and the kingdom.
“Leonberg bet all on this war, but it is not an empire. Although they are frightened by the emperor’s strict nature, the imperial commanders will be forced to think about the post-war situation. No matter how much you want victory, there is no real benefit gained from losing your knights and other precious assets.”
“And that’s easy for you to see?”
“You should view it from the opposite side. It’s because they saw what happened to those who rushed here. They now rather wait on the sidelines,” Malcoy said, adding, “They know there are those among us who will not always spare their knights and wizards. Still, they will want to avoid being reprimanded for not aiding the war effort properly, so they will try their best at least once. And if they pool all their power, it will surely be against this citadel.”
Malcoy suggested that now was the time to prepare for battle by bringing in the Masters and knights.
“I will tell Jin Katrin and the Sky Knights.”
The Wyvern Knights had just returned from the Empire, so delivering the news was no problem.
Soon after that, changes began taking place on the front lines.
“The empire’s offensive has noticeably weakened.”
“The guys who have been beating against our walls every four days have now been looking at the castle from a distance for a week.”
“For almost all strongholds, the situation is similar.”
Malcoy predicted that the Imperial Army had begun reorganizing in order to engage in an all-out war. Malcoy and I expected that the moment the Empire finished catching a breath, a greater offensive than ever before would begin. We were wrong.
“The Imperial Army has begun to withdraw!”
Their entire army, which had advanced to Leonberg’s border, began to retreat.
And it wasn’t a retreat in which one step was taken backwards so that they could take two forward; the Imperial Army was truly pulling back. The Sky Knights scouted the battlefield and confirmed the fact.
“Why?”
No matter how much I pondered on it, there was no way to explain the imperial army’s sudden retreat. No, there was one: The rumors of an imperial civil war I had heard a while ago.
My thoughts were the same now as back then. I saw no possibility that the imperial officials, who dared not even breathe properly in front of the emperor, would start a civil war. He was a man of tremendous presence, and I did not believe he would wait for a civil war to break out in his country.
I ordered my agents to confirm the rumor’s authenticity by using all means possible so that I could gain clarity of mind.
Percival, who had joined the Imperial Army disguised as a defeated soldier, returned to the citadel a few days later.
“Your Highness! Civil war has truly broken out in the Empire!”
I frowned because I couldn’t believe it even after it had been confirmed. Percival continued to report, looking at me with a bright face.
“It was not possible to learn details because the information is limited, but it seems the fifth princeps felt threatened and decided to become a rebel!”
The moment I heard this, the situation quickly grew clear in my head. The fifth princeps had originally been the least likely to succeed to the throne, even less than the third.
The situation changed as the war continued, however.
The rival second and fourth principes were killed one after another, and even the first princeps, the most powerful candidate for succession, fell to our allied attack upon the mainland. The opportunity then came to the fifth princeps, who was never likely to gain the throne due to his brothers’ outstanding abilities and power.
However, it wasn’t only the fifth princeps who benefited from the death of the other principes in the war. No, it was the third princeps who gained the most. The imperial nobles who lost their chosen principes to the first Dotrin invasion went to fight under the third princeps’ banner to avoid the emperor’s anger. The third princeps became the most powerful contender for the throne and gained the reputation of a war hero.
And the fame he gained had come with him to the frontlines of the war with Leonberg.
With his most powerful rival, the first princeps, being dead, it was no exaggeration to say that the third princeps’ succession was almost established as a certainty. The imperial family’s future did not look bright, especially if the third princeps and his damned temper would head the Empire.
It was natural for the fifth princeps to feel a sense of crisis. In all likelihood, his brother, as emperor, would kill him under suspicious circumstances or execute him without proper charges.
The fifth princeps had motive enough for rebellion: He would do anything to survive. The reward was greater than survival, though. He would become the emperor were his revolution to succeed.
And besides, it wasn’t impossible. The third princeps had been on the fringes before becoming the most powerful candidate for succession. It took him nearly a year and a half to get somewhere politically, and the armies he led had basically led themselves.
The motivation, reward, and possibilities were sufficient for the fifth princeps to make his move, so it would be strange if he did not take his chance. If I had been in his situation, I would’ve done the same. Of course, that didn’t mean I really thought the rebel would succeed.
“The moment that the emperor moves, the civil war will be crushed in no time,” Malcoy stated, also predicting that the fifth princeps’ bid for the throne would fail.
“What is important for Leonberg right now is how to use the imperial civil war.”
Malcoy added that even if the rebellion failed, it should be used.
“If necessary, we need to prolong the civil war, even if we need to support the fifth princeps instead of the third.”
I laughed, for I had tried so hard to make the third princeps emperor, but now the situation was such that I had to pay attention to the fifth. It was absurd that I was supporting the blood heirs of Burgundy. However, there was no reason for me to reject Malcoy’s proposal. The longer the Empire’s chaos persisted, the better for the kingdom.
To sow confusion, I had saved the third princeps and made sure he had gained renown. I had no reluctance to give power to the fifth princeps now.
“I never thought that I would be so involved in the Empire’s affairs.”
When I said it was near unthinkable that I was supporting the imperial principes, Malcoy made a weird sound and said that he himself didn’t understand the way things were going.
“I never thought the fifth princeps would start a civil war,” he said. “History has seen it a few times, but such actions are rare from those with Burgundy blood.”
I didn’t dare to correct Malcoy’s misunderstanding.
“In any case, pay close attention to the Imperial Army’s situation, and report to me as soon as you know more details,” I said. I was about to get up when I suddenly heard a horn blowing.
‘Bawoo woo!’
It was signaling the approach of the Imperial Army. I headed straight up to the wall.
The senior rangers were sticking to the battlements and informed me of the situation.
“I don’t think they’re here to attack the citadel right now.”
I followed the gestures of a ranger and sighted the enemy in the distance. A group of fully-armed knights was looking at the citadel. They were well-organized, and I felt an unusual energy, but that was all. They seemed to have no intention of attacking. Even if they wanted to, a hundred or so knights could do nothing against this huge citadel.
“I don’t think they’re here to say goodbye.”
While I examined the situation, the enemy knights began to approach our position.
“What should we do? Should we shoot?”
The rangers looked at me as they raised their crossbows.
“Only give the order. The Iron Legion is ready to light a fire under their arses,” said a dwarf of the Iron Legion in a sweet tone. I shook my head.
“It looks like they have something to say, so let’s listen first.”
The imperial knights came to a halt right in front of the citadel, in crossbow range. The one who seemed to be the leader among them stepped forward and raised the visor on his helm, and began shouting in fluent Leonbergian.
“Kingdom of Leonberg, prepare to meet the ambassador of the Burgundy Empire!”
He said that they came as envoys.
“What is this about?”
The citadel’s knights were surprised by the sudden situation because they didn’t know what intention the Empire had to suddenly dispatch an envoy.
“If we listen to them, we will know.”
I instructed the citadel guard to open the gate.
The gate soon opened, and the imperial knight claiming to be an envoy, stepped into the citadel’s courtyard. I ordered him to stand beneath the wall and state his case. The imperial ambassador took an envelope out from under his arm.
“There is no poison.”
“There is no mana other than the magic used to seal it.”
The citadel knights and White Night Tower wizards checked the envelope, then one of them handed it over to me. The seal stamped on the envelope belonged to the Burgundy imperial family, the personal seal of the third princeps.
“Hell goes to a man who can’t control it.”
I shook my head and unsealed the envelope, pulled out the letter, and began to read.
“My dear brother!”
And those were the letter’s first words.
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