Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Border Unrest
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We spent ten days traveling to the border region between the Andras Empire and the Carrot Duchy.
Right after leaving the ruined Aldebaran, Ravi didn't seem too shaken up emotionally. She even snuck out at night a few times to meet me in secret and enjoy some intimate moments.
But as we got closer to the border, every time we spotted signs of what looked like battle scars, she grew extremely anxious and even showed symptoms of severe depression.
The power gap between the Andras Empire and the Carrot Duchy was so vast that even saying "we might hold out" would be an empty platitude.
If the Ebony Shadow Mercenaries stirred up conflict at the border and the Empire used that as an excuse to invade the Carrot Duchy, the duchy wouldn't last even a few days.
Physically, the Bunny Tribe was far superior, but the Empire had overwhelming numbers. More critically, the Bunny Tribe had suffered endless discrimination, denying them proper education, so they lagged far behind the Empire in both swordsmanship and magic.
Elfin, skilled at analyzing traces, examined the battle scars and concluded, "This wasn't from fighting monsters. It looks like real people clashed here." From that moment on, Ravi was barely in her right mind.
We picked up the pace and hurried to the border, where we found the Ebony Shadow Mercenaries disguised as Empire soldiers provoking the Bunny Tribe.
"You half-baked, pointy-eared freak—is that why you're saying you'll take on our Empire right now?"
"That's not what we're saying! How many times has this happened? Our people weren't even on duty near there at the time the Empire claimed! We told you not to jump to conclusions until the facts are clear, but here you are provoking us with the same excuses again. Are you staging this whole thing from the start to pick a fight?!"
The Bunny Tribe warrior protested vehemently to the mercenary disguised as an Empire soldier, but rational talk was never going to work with these guys whose whole goal was to spark conflict between the Empire and the Carrot Duchy.
"What? You half-evolved ape, are you slandering the Andras Empire now?!"
"Half-evolved ape...? Enough of that, you Empire dog. We're smaller and weaker than you, sure, but don't think we'll just keep taking this kind of abuse lying down."
"Ha? And what are you gonna do if we don't stop? Launch a preemptive strike on the Empire? Nah, you lot sneaked in at night and damaged our outpost first, so aren't you the ones pulling sabotage on us while playing innocent?!"
"I said stop!"
"Filthy ape scum. That's why your kind's stuck rotting in this backwater forever. Doesn't matter what you say—the report's already gone up that you attacked our soldiers at night. Enjoy your climb while it lasts! Here's a pity carrot. Eat it and scram, ape."
With that, the mercenary disguised as an Empire soldier pulled out a small carrot from who-knows-where and chucked it at the Bunny Tribe soldier's feet like trash.
That act twisted the Bunny Tribe soldier's face into something terrifying.
His face turned redder than a tomato, his eyes looked ready to pop out, and his expression grew so ferocious even a demon would flee in fright.
The Bunny Tribe did love carrots, and they often served high-quality carrot soup or cake when hosting others.
But that was among their own kind. For an outsider—especially a human steeped in prejudice against Bunnyfolk—to toss a carrot like garbage with a "eat and get lost" was the ultimate insult to them.
It was like a non-Black person hurling the N-word at a Black person.
The soldier, who'd been holding back, snapped at the mercenary's action. He drew his sword and charged.
"You damn Empire bastard, I tried to endure, but...!"
He knew attacking the disguised soldier would trigger full-scale war between the two nations, but in that moment, he lost all reason.
As the mercenary grinned slyly, ready to receive the attack...
Ravi dashed in at full speed and blocked the Bunny Tribe soldier's sword with her knuckles. Lenis slowed the mercenary with magic, and Elfin's summoned vines wrapped around his legs.
While I pinned down the immobilized mercenary, Ravi calmed the frenzied Bunny Tribe soldier.
"Baren! Stop the attack!"
"P-Pr-Princess?!"
The soldier called Baren, mid-charge at the enemy, freaked out upon seeing his nation's princess, Ravi. He tried to halt abruptly, lost his balance, and tumbled over.
But he quickly regained his composure, dropped to one knee, and paid her respects.
"Princess! What brings you here?!"
"I picked up signs of trouble at the border and came to check. These are my companions from academy days."
Ravi said as she introduced us.
Companions from academy days, huh. Considering how thoroughly invisible Alvis had been to Ravi back then, this was huge progress.
"Princess, there's no major issue at the border, so no need to worry—"
"Weren't you about to get into a physical brawl with that Empire guy just now? Is that 'no issue'?"
"Th-That was..."
Baren went silent as a clam—he'd been ready to kill or be killed if Ravi hadn't intervened.
I approached Baren and asked about recent events.
"I'm Alvis. Mind if I ask something? Haven't the Empire's provocations and conflict-stirring been especially bad these past few days? Like that discriminatory slur just now, or claims of attacks on Carrot Duchy troops..."
"H-How did you...?"
"...Looks like it's already happened."
Preventing the incident was probably impossible now. The key would be how well we defused the clash between the two nations.
As I pondered, the pinned mercenary thrashed and shouted from the ground.
"Who the hell are you?! Attacking Empire border guards is the same as declaring war on—"
I didn't reply. Instead, I drew my Light Saber and slashed his leg, where the faint power of the Underground Vermin lingered.
A sizzling sound like burning flesh rang out, and he shrieked as black smoke poured from his leg.
"Gah... Kuaaaagh... Kuaaaaaagh!!!"
"We know you're not real Empire border guards. Where's the rest of your mercenary band? Where are O'Brien and Sophia pulling their schemes?"
"!!!"
The mercenary's eyes trembled wildly, his face screaming "How do you know?!"
He clammed up, no intention of spilling easily, so I jammed the Light Saber deeper into his leg.
"Uwaaaaaagh!!!"
"You're dying here anyway. Slow and painful, or quick and merciful? Your choice is clear, right?"
"Guuugh... Heh... Hahaha... Go ahead, do your worst."
"......"
"Kill me, and it'll be pinned on these ape freaks to ignite the war. Don't know how you figured us out, but it's too late!"
I knew better than anyone that words wouldn't sway these psychos, so I gave up prying more and just severed his smoking leg.
"Guuugh..."
"Baren, take this trash away. Kill him or spare him, your call. But handle it inside a Carrot Duchy base, and if you kill him, bury the body where it won't be found."
Ravi whipped around, startled by my words.
"Alvis?! But killing him could spark a military clash with the Empire..."
"He's just one of the pawns setting the spark. The real schemers are elsewhere. Let me ask: where's the worst unrest or localized clash happening at the border right now?"
Baren flinched at my casual leg-severing but thought for a moment and answered.
"I hear it's noisy around Kerman Fortress in the central border zone lately. It's got the most stationed troops on both sides, so there've always been big and small issues, but the intensity's spiked recently..."
Just then, a few Bunny Tribe soldiers sprinted from the Carrot Duchy side, calling for Baren.
"Captain Baren! C-Captain! Big trouble!"
"What is it?!"
"Five Empire soldiers were killed near Kerman Fortress! The Empire's blaming us outright, Empire troops are massing in front of the fortress, and then the communication crystals to that area all went dead! Other spots can't reach Kerman Fortress either!"
Ravi and Baren's faces drained of color, and I cursed inwardly.
Looked like the Ebony Shadow Mercenaries' main force had already kicked things off there.