Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: The War of the Wedding
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“Oh... The Crmel army is indeed strong. Is it because they are a unit that experiences real combat as routinely as eating? They're not ordinary.”
Even though she had whittled down a considerable amount of their forces through the ambush, the enemy was, after all, the empire's elites. The knights were too experienced and sharp, and it was a shame that not a single one fell for the obvious trap she had set.
But even so, it seemed to the Neumel Chancellor that they had sufficient troops to extinguish the fire that had been lit against the Vanilo Earldom.
As long as they held their positions like that, the Crmel army and the Imperial Capital Army would not be able to easily proceed with a siege.
“Th-that aside, what is that? Is that the military strength of the Garkan Republic?”
“Not the full strength. I only brought a part of it. What do you think? The Garkan Republic's Racial Alliance Army. Quite useful, isn't it? A total of 30,000 elite troops.”
“30,000? Isn't that too few?”
“Wouldn't it have been a problem if I had brought more?”
“Hmm... Y-yes, that's true.”
The nobles of the Vanilo Earldom, dancing in the palm of the Neumel Chancellor's hand. She had even seen through the fact that if she had brought more than 30,000, they themselves would have felt uneasy about it.
This was the Iron-Blooded Elf, the Neumel Chancellor, a descendant of the Neumel family who called herself a snake. The nobles shuddered at her strategy and situational judgment, realizing she was an existence on a different level from themselves.
“S-so, what should we do now?”
“Hmm~ Are you planning to entrust everything to me?”
“Ultimately, shouldn't we choose the method that leads to victory, no matter what?”
“Hehehe, that's correct. Winning is the most important thing.”
After mutually agreeing on this absolute truth, command was naturally transferred to the Neumel Chancellor.
From this moment on, the vassals were little more than dogs following the Neumel Chancellor's orders.
“Now, then, I shall tell you all what you need to do. It's not that difficult. Just stay holed up in this castle like cowards, and you can secure victory comfortably. As for me... I shall now go to properly command the war~ Hmm!”
“Ch-Chancellor Neumel!”
Without looking back, she climbed the castle wall and jumped straight down.
The nobles of the Vanilo Earldom were shocked by the sight, but she landed lightly and looked up at the wall with a relaxed expression. The elf knights who had been guarding her also jumped down from the wall without a trace of fear, landed on the ground, and began running at high speed.
“…Hah! She's a monster!”
“It seems we have awakened a ‘monster.’ How did things come to this, all for the sake of proceeding with that whining Earl Vanilo's marriage contract...”
Perhaps they had awakened a terrifying being? That thought crossed their minds, but it was already an irreversible affair.
They had already failed and had entrusted everything to her.
Now, the only way to survive was to pray for her victory.
“Your Grace, a small enemy force is emerging from the castle.”
“Are they trying to join up? Hmm, I see! So they are the ones who called these troops! Oreal, Yanscol! Follow me! We capture them!”
“Yes? B-but, one...”
“Since they came out of the castle, they must be important figures who instigated the Vanilo Earldom! Hurry! If we capture them, we might be able to end this war quickly!”
“Yes! Your Grace!”
‘Of course... the possibility of a short-term war is already gone, but...’
Duke Crmel sighed and shifted his gaze toward the newly appeared enemy force.
He never imagined his strategy of drawing out the enemy forces and launching a surprise siege would be seen through so thoroughly. He had been perfectly counterattacked.
However, it was also true that he had no other way to achieve the short-term war the Emperor demanded, so he wasn't particularly resentful. The Duke of Crmel, now worried about how to proceed since it would become a long-term war, fell into thought.
‘First of all... we'll need reinforcements and supplies. Since it's turning into a long-term war...’
With those enemy troops present, a short-term war was now impossible.
Even if the Valderian family's soldiers came and defeated them, the Vanilo Earldom's army, which had already spread out, would return in the meantime, making a large-scale battle inevitable.
From now on, it wouldn't just be a war but a long fight that also included the realm of politics within the war. The Duke of Crmel let out a long sigh and could only hope his knights would capture the enemies.
“Hmm? Chancellor, enemies are coming. We will handle it, so please retreat to our allied forces first.”
“Hmm~ No. I think I should move my body occasionally too... I'll handle them all. Please stand by.”
“But if something happens to the Chancellor...”
“That will absolutely not happen. Not until I achieve my goal! Ah~! Please lend me a sword. Now that I think about it, I didn't bring any weapons because I was working inside~ Heh.”
“Haaa~ Please really take care of yourself.”
The Neumel Chancellor, who had taken a sword from a guarding knight, looked at the knights charging toward her on horseback.
Thinking to loosen up her body for the first time in a while, she drew the sword, regulated her breathing, and drew up her aura. A deep purple aura began to surge over her entire body.
“An aura user? Then she is definitely an important figure...! But capturing her might be impossible?”
“Thinking of capturing her is arrogance! Fight with the intention to definitely kill and eliminate her!”
“Yes! Captain!”
The knights saw the extraordinary aura rising from her, but they charged without any fear.
For a knight, fighting a strong enemy was a given, and they were survivors who had fought and lived against the terrifying barbarians and beasts of the Vollea Kingdom, so they did not even fear death.
Because the Neumel Chancellor did not move, the distance closed quickly. The moment they were almost upon her, the Neumel Chancellor launched her body, leaving only an afterimage, and executed a sword technique she knew.
‘Imperial Knight Order Derivative Neumel Style Secret Art – Hydra’.
Swish!
As she swung her sword, nine sword energies, like the body and whip of a snake, seemed to randomly slash within a 10-meter radius, but it was as if she had slashed nine times.
The knights and horses hit by this cruel attack of the nine-headed snake, boasting overwhelming range and aura power, were cut to pieces on the spot, scattering blood and flesh fragments as they rained down to the ground.
“Eeeeek!”
“L-let's retreat!”
“Monster!”
Those in front were mostly knights, naturally aura users, but when they were gruesomely turned into lumps of meat and scattered on the ground, the cavalry following behind had no choice but to turn their horses' heads and retreat, their faces pale.
Even the knights of the Crmel family, who used aura and were trained, had died in an instant, so there was nothing they could do.
“…Oh my~ I just swung it lightly~ and they ran away.”
“Chancellor, even though you possess the capabilities of a special-grade knight, I wish you would refrain from reckless actions.”
“I only did it because I must not occasionally forget what I am doing. Don't worry too much. I will absolutely not die... until I see the death of all humans. Hehehe.”
The Neumel Chancellor, looking at the corpses of the human knights sliced on the ground, smiled cruelly and threw the sword away.
Did it mean she didn't need a sword stained with human blood? Unlike the act she had put on in front of the Vanilo Earldom nobles, the gaze with which she now looked at humans was filled only with anger and hatred. With her words about wanting to see the death of all humans in this world, she joined the Garkan Republic army that had come to meet her.
“…Good heavens! To think that half-elf's swordsmanship was at that level! Your Grace, that was!”
“Hmmmmm......”
“Your Grace?”
“…Ah! I was lost in thought for a moment. That half-elf's swordsmanship... I feel like I've seen it somewhere before. Where was it...?”
That swordsmanship that released nine sword energies almost instantly. He definitely felt he had seen it somewhere, but Duke Crmel couldn't recall it.
His instincts and memory judged that he had seen it before, but its origin simply wouldn't come to mind.
It was because there had been too many matters requiring his mental energy lately, starting with the Crown Princess's disappearance, the incident at the Haldeon ruins, the power struggle with the imperial family, and this war...
Unable to recall it to the end, he finally gave up on the thought and decided to focus all his nerves on the current war that needed his attention.
The Imperial Family of the Calleum Empire.
The civil war that started over the Vanilo Earldom's marriage contract ultimately did not end in a short-term war and flowed into a long-term pattern.
Upon receiving the news, the Emperor let out a deep sigh, expressing his frustration at the recent situation where nothing seemed to go right.
“Huu~ A complete defeat.”
At the point where a war that should have ended quickly turned into a long-term pattern, it was a definite defeat. Duke Crmel had clearly done his best, but the opponent had already read his moves, leading to failure, so there was nothing to be done.
Therefore, since he could no longer shake up or end this situation through war, from now on, he had no choice but to step forward himself and change the situation through negotiations with the Vanilo Earldom.
“…Has there been any news about Zelsi's whereabouts?”
“I apologize. We are searching with all our might, but nothing has come in yet.”
“Is that so? Heh... Hehe.”
Perhaps because nothing he did seemed to work out, his chest felt tight, and all he could do was let out a hollow laugh.
Because the position of Emperor did not allow even the tears that showed weakness.
And he couldn't just lament the situation not going well.
For now, there were two choices.
“Whether to continue this war or end it. With the Dyna Kingdom, if we just negotiate about magic, it should somehow work out... The problem is the Vollea Kingdom.”
“Those barbarians will definitely come to plunder again after the harvest. Even if this war ends, the Crmel ducal family will have to wage war again.”
“Then, in the end, we'll have to give much to the Valderian family, I suppose.”
Why was the Valderian family suddenly mentioned here? Because no one could be sure of the outcome of the current war, so they had no choice but to assume the future situation.
No matter how long this war lasted, it was certain that the Vollea Kingdom's plunderers would invade around this winter. While the Crmel ducal family would have to fight two wars in a row, the Valderian family, as long as the Dyna Kingdom did not invade, could focus only on this southern war, putting them in a relatively resourceful situation.
“We must also... prepare a letter for the Valderian family.”
“Your Majesty, perhaps we should also prepare for the possibility that the southern war might be lost...”
“…That is not even worth preparing for. Losing the southern granary region is tantamount to losing the empire's future. We can only pray to the Goddess that Duke Crmel does well. Haaa~ Really... it will become something not even funny from a historical perspective. For an empire to stagger because of a single failed marriage... Hahaha.”
It was a joke, but speaking of a frightening story, the Emperor wrote and sent all the necessary letters.
Now, all that remained was to hope for whose hand the Goddess would truly take.