Revealing Thoughts On Colonial Independence

By July, the situation was gradually shifting. Clashes began occurring frequently near the borders of the empires’ colonies in the New Continent.

Since these confrontations arose amid tense vigilance, their scale grew little by little. Originally, the eastern side of the continent was largely territory of the Doicheun Empire. By contrast, the Noma Empire and the Moria Empire held most of the western colonial regions.

As both sides had already stationed some troops there, the clashes reached scales of a hundred thousand. With talk of forming militias on top of that, the scale was expected to grow larger still, and soon gunfire and cannon fire echoed across multiple areas.

The war that had begun in the Old Continent had now taken root in the New Continent. The scope of war inevitably expanded to two continents. In practice, battles here were shaped as mobile warfare, unlike in the Old Continent.

Everyone fought on horseback, and as a result fortresses were established for defense. Though artillery lessened their utility, advances in fortification techniques gave walls strength against shells, allowing defensive lines to hold out to some extent.

Moreover, trenches were constructed around fortresses, so the attackers faced daunting structures. In such circumstances, mobile warfare spread across the plains.

The curious part was that despite the land battles, no naval clashes had occurred yet. Had the fighting reached the seas, both sides would have faced dire supply difficulties.

At any rate, the war in the New Continent created chaos even in neighboring colonies. Refugees fled from the native lands seeking safety, inevitably moving into other countries’ colonial territories.

The surge of people threw each colony into disorder. With limited finances and food supplies, the governors’ offices found it impossible to accept them. Thus the New Continent was in turmoil, and at this moment the Polia Kingdom was holding a council about its colonies.

“Too many people are flocking to the colonial borderlands. This could severely damage colonial management.”

Everyone nodded at the words of Chancellor Marquis Norwen. Ian also nodded and spoke.

“If it’s a situation beyond control, the colonies themselves will fall into chaos. Have you devised a method?”

“For now, we considered resolving it by dispatching additional troops.”

“Sending troops to the colonies?”

“Yes, about forty thousand additional soldiers. Fortunately, we recently raised an extra one hundred thousand, so sending forty thousand won’t compromise homeland defense.”

At this explanation, Ian shook his head. He had already declared before that no more troops would be sent to the colonies. There was a reason for that, so he flatly refused.

“I shall not send additional troops.”

“Pardon? But with the current forces alone, it will be difficult to control the situation.”

Others agreed with the chancellor’s words, looking puzzled as to why not send reinforcements. To them Ian suggested:

“There’s no need to send the carefully trained regulars. Instead, let the colonies form their own militias to control the incoming refugees.”

Hearing Ian propose militias instead of regulars, the chancellor’s face clouded with concern. The word “militia” raised unease.

“But that would mean organizing a separate military in the colonies. This might…”

“Might what?”

“Might raise the risk of rebellion.”

Ian felt pleased inside at the chancellor’s precise insight—just as he had thought. In fact, forming militias was exactly what Ian had intended.

In truth, other nations’ colonies already had militias. What the chancellor worried about was the presence of many royals in the Polia colonies. Since they were not alone but accompanied by their followers, the concern was valid.

“It will be fine. Surely they won’t rebel.”

“The officers we dispatched will manage the militias, but still, they might harbor other thoughts.”

“Other thoughts? Are you implying the royals there might start a rebellion?”

“That is not what I mean…”

The chancellor could not bring himself to say it outright. Ian nodded and finally revealed his intent.

“Perhaps they might. And that is exactly what I desire. Not rebellion, per se—independence.”

“Independence…?”

Murmurs spread across the council hall. Ministers wore baffled expressions, though a few listened calmly, simply because it was the king’s will.

“I want one of my elder brothers to develop the desire for independence.”

This was something Ian had told no one besides Viscount Rubingston. He spoke knowing some ministers might leak it to the princes in the colonies. He almost laughed imagining their reactions.

“What do you mean, desiring rebellion?”

“Not rebellion—independence. I believe the current colonial management cannot continue.”

Gasps and exclamations erupted. The king was openly speaking of abandoning colonies—words unthinkable to them. They had always known he had unusual ideas, but never to this extent.

As expected, Ian spoke calmly.

“I knew you would be shocked. But in my view, keeping colonies will increasingly produce deficits for the kingdom.”

“But, Your Majesty, the colonies in the New Continent were cultivated and maintained through years of effort. To lose that land is to make all those efforts vanish.”

Ian nodded. That was true—but so too was the fact that enormous profits had been reaped from them. Much of the mainland’s industrial facilities existed thanks to what was essentially plunder of the colonies.

“They were important, yes, and through them we achieved much. But do you think they will last forever?”

“If we maintain them, surely we can manage them.”

“Do you really think so? Do you know that large-scale militias are being formed in the New Continent’s colonies?”

All ministers showed they already knew. Conflicts were spreading across the New Continent. To mobilize large forces, militias were indispensable, and their numbers were growing.

“Can you imagine how numerous those militias will become? How many will learn tactics and strategy? Do you think they will sit quietly after the war ends?”

Ian’s reasoning stunned them. They thought—would they really rebel against the empires? He pressed further.

“If they realize how unfairly they live, how many grievances will they harbor? Even in wartime they must have been treated poorly simply for being colonial-born. Afterward, what feelings will they have?”

“They… may well start a rebellion. But the empires will suppress them.”

“Will they? Look—these empires are bleeding each other dry. Do you think they’ll have the strength left to suppress them later?”

They pondered. With the war worsening, the empires’ strength was indeed waning. Time would sap it further.

“In any case, I foresee a storm of independence sweeping the New Continent. After the war, the empires will want more, and the colonies will resist. Then mass uprisings will erupt. Our colonies will inevitably be affected. But I do not want us swept along in that storm. I want our independence achieved on our own terms.”

Independence permitted by his hand was worlds apart from independence seized by chaos. To maximize gain, granting it early under conditions was best for the Polia Kingdom.

“When the war ends, perhaps hundreds of thousands—no, millions—with battle experience will be released. If they all grow angry at injustice, what then? I will not be caught in that tempest.”

The ministers shivered. Indeed, if millions of veterans rose in revolt, the New Continent would be thrown into massive upheaval. Could weakened empires suppress that? Doubtful.

Thus they began to accept that the king was acting with foresight. Still, unease about abandoning colonies remained. History had rarely seen rulers willingly give up land.

“Of course, I do not mean to grant independence immediately. We don’t even know who will lead it, nor are they prepared. Some might try to declare independence on their own, but we must be ready to block that.”

In other words, independence must come solely under his command. He wanted this message to reach the princes in the colonies as a warning.

‘How will they react?’

He imagined their twisted expressions. As he thought, the words spoken in the council soon reached the First Prince and Second Prince in the colonies.

July 20th.

Prince Vincent’s face showed both bewilderment and suspicion.

“Is this true? Ian actually said this himself?”

“Yes, according to the reports. The king spoke directly in favor of colonial independence.”

“How are we to take this?”

Prince Vincent turned to his maternal grandfather, Duke Gwens, with a conflicted look. Should he rejoice—or worry? Duke Gwens too looked unsettled.

“I cannot fathom the king’s intent. To desire colonial independence is to weaken the kingdom…”

“I agree. What on earth is he thinking?”

It gave them no choice but to ponder seriously. For them, it was no bad thing. They had already entertained similar thoughts, and now the king himself expressed openness. It was an opportunity. Yet it might also be a trap.

“Could this be a trap…?”

“Possibly. But one thing is clear—the king wants a victor to emerge here in the colonies.”

“Yes. And the greatest obstacle to independence is Rubid. Does he want us to fight until only one remains?”

“Perhaps. Which means you must ensure you are the one who prevails.”

“To defeat Rubid, I’ll need far greater wealth. How fare the new factories?”

“Some have been completed and begun production, and sales have started. Demand seems greater than expected.”

“Good. That is promising.”

Prince Vincent thought it laughable that he was pleased merely by selling shovels and pickaxes. Compared with Ian, he felt pathetic. Ian was said to have already sold enormous quantities of munitions to the empires.

‘The funds he’s earned must be staggering.’

It was said that vast public works were underway in the mainland—dams and new roads alike. Clearly the money came from arms sales.

He could not help but feel his own position pitiful by comparison. But he soon shook off the helplessness. He would not remain idle. If he desired the throne, then he must fight for it.

‘Fine then, Ian. Whatever you want, I will be king.’

So resolved Prince Vincent. And elsewhere, the Second Prince, Prince Rubid, was forming the same resolve.

Thus, as conflicts spread across colonies in the New Continent, the Polia colonies too split into factions and edged toward strife.

Everything seemed to be unfolding according to Ian’s intent.