A Man Caught In A Whirlpool Of Desire (1)

The territory was slightly stirred by Princess Riana’s sudden appearance, but it became an opportunity to clearly recognize that we could no longer live under the same roof as the Empire since it became known how I acted.

Moreover, I was confident that she would become a good ‘card,’ and that was because the current Empress and Emperor had only an ‘only daughter,’ and in the case of Princess Riana, the fact that she was the person who would become the future Empress was being evaluated as a significant value.

In the meantime, there was a visitor who arrived.

“Nice to meet you. I am Tilda Josephine. I was once called Viscount Josephine, but now I am merely a ‘Lord,’ so please call me Tilda.”

“Hmm… I am the Lord of Ingrad. Since I am the same, you may call me as you please. But it seems you have some leisure on the Ishtain side?”

I found it suspicious that a noble who should be in charge of one axis came visiting when the war was right in front of us.

“First, there was an order to deliver this to the master of Ingrad.”

I received the scroll Tilda handed over and examined the contents.

First, it was sent by Branne, and the main content was worry about whether war preparations were going well and a request to ask for anything if it was a task he could help with.

Finally, Branne expressed concern about capturing Princess Riana, likely worrying because he did not know how much the 1 million-strong army might swell.

Considering Princess Riana’s position, Branne’s worry was understandable. Currently, only 1 million troops could be operated due to the confrontation between the Noble Faction and the Imperial Faction, but I had heard that if it were the Empire’s capacity, a 10 million-strong army was also possible, so I understood the concern.

“It seems your concern is great?”

“It’s because lives are at stake, after all.”

“So that means you want me to hand over Princess Riana?”

“We judged that it is right to negotiate. Currently, the Ingrad Domain and Ishtain are forming a common front. When I received news that a massive army of 700,000 would move toward us, I was so startled…”

For such a person, her attire and expression looked comfortable. She surely had a countermeasure. I did not know how great the power of the eight domains would be, but I could tell that at least they were not thinking of defeat in this war.

“I know there are many great prisoners currently in the Ingrad Domain. Among them, we know that you also hold a card to make the elite knight order led by Viscount Muriel withdraw. So I have come to see you to make a proposal.”

“A proposal, what is it? I shall listen first.”

“I want you to use Marquis Giltian here in the Ingrad Domain and hand over Princess Riana. If we were to negotiate with Viscount Muriel, I believe he would not refuse even because of his father’s life. If he is a power that has withdrawn, the Empire won’t be able to do anything to the Ingrad Domain for now, so they would have to waste a lot of funds in a way that is like self-sabotage.”

“So what is the profit we can gain?”

Tilda Josephine, who paused for a moment, opened her mouth.

“A firm alliance.”

“I shall refuse. We are confident we can win against an army of 300,000 without much worry, though?”

No matter how much I thought about it, I believed they were seriously misunderstanding something.

“….Accurately viewing one’s own power is also a virtue of a wise monarch…”

“We are accurately evaluating our power. And it only looks like you’ve come to propose a trade where the profit will remain with you. It seems you are thinking as you please, but in the first place, we are not even a common front. I don’t know what you were thinking, but aren’t you fellows simply rising up for your own benefit?”

“…Your words are excessive.”

“And if you were going to make a proposal or a trade, you should have brought something plausible. Why must I form an alliance with you?”

“….Do you think you can handle the Empire alone?”

“Do you think I cannot?”

It could be excessive confidence. However, I had prepared enough to the point of overflowing. Furthermore, I hadn’t asked the Ishtain Domain to become independent, nor had I received or made a proposal to work together. They simply declared independence on their own, and now that the domains are closely attached, they want to work together as a so-called common front?

It was preposterous.

“Be off. A proposal is not something made through such coercion. Moreover, you seem to think as if you are in an advantageous position… what are you preparing? Preparation to meet the 700,000-strong army, I mean. Do you have a fortress like us? Ah, you probably have one. A fortress on the verge of collapsing that hasn’t been used for a long time; then, what about a wall?”

Tilda Josephine remained silent.

“That wall was also designed for allies, so the direction it is deployed would be different. You wouldn’t have fixed that either, so then, do you have sufficient troops? I know that even if the Count’s territory does a maximum mobilization, it does not exceed 200,000?”

I had already conducted most of the prior investigations regarding the Ishtain Domain side. Even if the remaining Lords gathered troops through conscription, it would not exceed 500,000.

“The Master-level forces are the same as the Imperial Army, and the degree of training would be led by the Imperial Army; if so, the only thing remaining is the advantage of your own territory… Ah, but you see. What do you intend to do when the Imperial Army scatters and spreads unbearable troop numbers across each of your territories? Your territory will be trampled under the boots of the Imperial Army; will you be able to endure it?”

I thought of a few alternatives, but clearing everything out like a scorched-earth policy or evacuating people somewhere would also be difficult. For that, it wouldn’t become a long-term war, and the Imperial Army could quickly pull and use supplies from nearby domains.

“In my opinion, if you were to hold even Princess Riana, it looks like they wouldn’t be able to charge in recklessly, so it only looks like you tried to obtain that as a proposal. And… is this a formal visit?”

No matter how much I thought about it, it was not the formal seal I knew. To be precise, the shape of the actual seal of Count Branne de Ishtain’s house was the pattern of the ring I knew.

No matter how I looked at it, it felt like a clumsy imitation. They probably thought the relationship was not that deep, or they simply came to pull some stunt supported by Count Branne’s background.

“….You will regret it. The fact that you refused our proposal.”

“Do you know what is the point I’ve been most curious about while becoming a Lord and living in the Empire?”

“….What is it?”

“It is why every single one of the Empire’s nobles is stupid and only knows themselves. To the point I’m fed up with the stupidity of thinking their own thoughts are the best. What on earth did you take me for?”

I said I wouldn’t see her off and told her to watch her way as I gave her the order to leave; I watched Tilda Josephine withdraw with a resentful expression.

Those people must be in a very busy situation now; it was certain that they would have no leisure, and just as I said, they were merely a power that could be sufficiently subjugated even if the Empire didn’t act like a complete idiot.

It was a declaration of independence for which there was no preparation at all, and even the time to prepare was insufficient. I did not know with what thought Count Branne de Ishtain made such a decision, but one thing was certain.

It was the fact that Count Branne would lose in this war.

‘If Duke Balsen doesn’t act like a total moron, subjugation will be possible with about half the damage. And then they will turn those troops toward us… But what on earth was he thinking?’

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t understand the intention.

Afterward, I sent a mercenary to Count Branne with a letter of protest regarding this matter, but the returning answer was not clear.

Thus, I couldn’t determine whether it was Tilda’s personal action or a decision made because Count Branne really had an absurd thought… but I was not idle enough to focus my attention on this, and I had no leisure. Like that, time was flowing quickly.

Duke Balsen thought he was finishing the long march toward the destination that was now a day away.

In the middle of it, he changed his mind and hurriedly changed his destination not to the Ishtain Domain but to the Ingrad Domain, but he was that confident. Moreover, he was confident that he would be able to occupy the Ingrad Domain with a laugh.

It was a 300,000-strong army. There were as many as 10,000 knights, and he was in a situation where he had also brought 50 mages. And Viscount Muriel, who could be called the most important power, had also told him that he would stand at the vanguard of this war.

He was a promising young powerhouse. If he were to step forward on his own, the Duke only needed to watch the circus and eat cake.

“I received a message that other nobles are building merits. Are you not concerned?”

“Do you not know that I don’t care whether they tear the Ishtain Domain apart or not?”

“That is true, but it is because the fellows who build merits there might covet this place.”

“Let them try to covet it… Keuk-keuk.”

It was Marquis Islant Bransch, who thought there must be some plan, but he asked while confirming the Ingrad wall visible in the distance.

“You said you would rest for a day at the wall and immediately head to the First Strongpoint; what kind of place is that?”

“You can think of it as a city built quite plausibly under the name of a rest stop. It is a city with such a wonderful landscape that I’ve become curious how they came up with such an idea, to the point it’s a waste to destroy it…”

Duke Balsen thought that he didn’t want to destroy it if possible. Although the Ingrad Domain is currently in a situation where monsters have decreased sharply due to steady subjugation, he knew that only heinous monsters were roaming around without exception.

Furthermore, considering the gold coins collected from that bridge, it could be called the goose that lays golden eggs, so Duke Balsen wanted to absolutely not destroy it.

“You will also understand why I say these things once you see it yourself. And if you recall the actual value of that place… you will also realize that my thoughts were not wrong.”

It was Marquis Islant Bransch, who had observed the greedy Duke Balsen for a long time, and he became curious about the Ingrad Domain for which the Duke was showing this much greed.

Meanwhile, the Ingrad First Rest Stop and Fortress, where war preparations were in full swing…

“How is the troop preparation going?”

“We have deployed 4,000 fast-footed beastkin on the ground, and the remaining 6,000 are waiting on the fortress walls.”

I pondered for a moment at Wijel’s report and looked around the fortress.

Although we had blocked the entrance, we had built the walls to a level that one could cross if they pushed themselves on purpose in order to slow the enemy’s pace.

“Tell those deployed on the ground to operate the troops within a range of not overdoing it. And do not forget the command to withdraw without hesitation if the enemy approaches closely.”

“Will it really be okay?”

“Do not worry. Because nothing will happen. And while a damaged building can be fixed… when a person is harmed, that is the end, isn’t it?”

“Understood. May the great intention reach everyone…”

After saying those words of unknown meaning, Wijel withdrew; I looked at the long wall built by the Empire in the distance, called the Ingrad Wall.

‘I shall make you regret it.. just you wait.’