Chapter 199
Chapter 199
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 199
Chapter Title: Stoking the Flames (5)
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I heard a rumor that a civil war might break out within the Empire.
When I first heard the news, I just laughed it off.
"Those cowards who couldn't even breathe loudly in front of the Emperor are going to start a civil war? That's ridiculous."
If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I might not have believed it, but I'd already witnessed the Emperor up close. I'd also confirmed just how terrified the Empire's nobles were of him.
Nobles who didn't even have the guts to look the Emperor straight in the eye wouldn't dare revolt while he was glaring at them with those piercing eyes.
No matter how chaotic things were inside and out for the Empire right now.
I kept the remote possibility in mind just in case, but with no further news coming in, it soon slipped from my thoughts.
"How can we rack up even more achievements for that 3rd Prince bastard without losing a single one of our own men?"
After repeated meetings with Malkoi, we selected a few minor strongholds—nothing crucial—and struck a "deal" with the 3rd Prince.
Needless to say, the deal was carried out so discreetly that even his side never caught on.
During the process, the Imperial forces took some losses, or while their main army was distracted occupying those points, our kingdom's detachments inflicted heavy damage on their frontline troops—but none of that mattered.
The 3rd Prince got the glory and achievements of capturing fortresses and castles that no Imperial legion had managed to take, which thrilled him. For me, handing over worthless outposts in exchange for bleeding their forces dry was a perfect win-win deal.
Everything was going smoothly.
The only thing nagging at me was how unusually quiet the Empire's wizards and paladins had been since arriving at the front.
"We've already taken out one mage and one paladin. It's only natural they're being cautious to avoid losing more valuable assets."
"If they're going to baby them like that, why drag them to this deadly battlefield in the first place? It doesn't make sense to me."
Malkoi shook his head at my words.
"Knights are treated like gold in any country. Considering the time and money it takes to train one, you can't just throw them away like regular soldiers."
He explained that this was the key difference between the Empire and the Kingdom.
"The Kingdom is staking everything on this war, but the Empire isn't. The legion commanders are terrified of the Emperor's wrath, so they're participating, but they have to think about what comes after. Even if they rack up merits, losing their knight orders and elite troops would leave them with nothing to show for it."
"So they underestimated us?"
"Quite the opposite. They've seen what happens to those who charged in recklessly, which is why they're holding back."
Malkoi added one more thing.
They wouldn't hold back their knights and mages forever.
"They'll want to avoid the Emperor's reprimand for half-hearted obedience, so they'll go all-out at least once. And if they do, this fortress will be their target."
He said it was time to call in the detachment leaders and knights to prepare for the decisive battle.
"I'll inform Jin Katrin and the Sky Knights."
Fortunately, the wyvern knights had just returned from the Empire's mainland, so relaying the message was no issue.
And soon after, things started shifting at the front.
"The Empire's offensives have noticeably weakened."
"The bastards who were pounding the walls every four days are now just staring at the castle from afar for a full week."
"It's the same across nearly every front."
Malkoi predicted they were reorganizing for an all-out assault.
He and I both expected a fiercer attack once they caught their breath.
But that wasn't the case.
"The Imperial army is withdrawing!"
The Imperial forces deployed along the Kingdom's border began pulling back en masse.
This wasn't some tactical retreat for a two-steps-forward maneuver. They were genuinely withdrawing troops from the border.
The Sky Knights confirmed it themselves by scouting the battlefield.
"What the hell?"
No matter how much I puzzled over it, I couldn't explain the sudden Imperial retreat.
Well, there was one possibility.
The civil war rumor we'd heard just recently could account for this.
"No way, a real civil war..."
Malkoi seemed to have the same thought, bringing up the Empire's internal conflict again.
My opinion hadn't changed from before.
There was no way the Empire's officials—who could barely breathe properly in the Emperor's presence—would start a revolt. Even if some bold fool tried, the Emperor wouldn't just sit idly by while his own territory erupted in chaos.
Even so, I ordered every available means to verify the rumor's truth.
A few days later, Percival returned to the fortress. He'd disguised himself as a straggler and rejoined the Imperial army.
"Your Highness! A civil war really has broken out in the Empire!"
I frowned.
Even after confirmation, it was hard to believe what I'd dismissed as impossible.
Seeing my expression, Percival continued his report, face flushed with excitement.
"Details are scarce, but it seems the 5th Prince sensed danger and raised his banners!"
The moment I heard that, the situation clicked into place.
Originally, the 5th Prince had been as unlikely a heir as the 3rd—practically out of the running.
But the prolonged wars changed everything.
His rivals, the 2nd and 4th Princes, fell in battle one after another. Then the frontrunner, the 1st Prince, met his end in our recent homeland raid.
Opportunity had finally knocked for the 5th Prince, whose talents and faction had kept him low on the list.
But he wasn't the only one who benefited from the other princes' deaths.
The biggest winner was the 3rd Prince's faction.
In the first Dotrin campaign, nobles who'd lost their lords flocked to the 3rd Prince's banner to escape the Emperor's fury.
Overnight, he became the top contender for the throne—and added war hero status to boot.
That fame was carrying over to the current front against the Kingdom.
With his strongest rival, the 1st Prince, now dead, the 3rd Prince's ascension seemed all but certain.
Forget the 3rd Prince's prickly temper—even without it, failed royals had no bright future.
The 5th Prince had every reason to feel threatened.
Nine times out of ten, he'd end up "mysteriously" dead or executed on some trumped-up charge.
The motive was clear.
He'd do anything to survive.
And the rewards were immense.
Succeed, and he'd not only keep his life but claim the imperial throne.
Plus, it wasn't impossible.
The leading candidate, the 3rd Prince, was stuck in this remote backwater—half a year from the capital—with most of his supporters in tow.
Motive, reward, feasibility: all checked out. It'd be weirder if he hadn't acted.
If I were in his shoes, I'd have done the same.
Of course, that didn't mean I thought he'd succeed.
"The moment the Emperor moves, the rebellion crumbles."
Malkoi agreed the 5th Prince's uprising was doomed.
"What's crucial for the Kingdom now is how we exploit the Empire's civil war."
Even a doomed revolt was worth using, he said.
"If needed, we support the 5th Prince over the 3rd to drag it out as long as possible."
I couldn't help but laugh.
After all the effort to prop up the 3rd Prince as emperor, now we'd invest in the 5th too?
It was absurd—leaving the Burgundy bloodline unscathed when we should be drowning them in their own blood.
But there was no reason to refuse Malkoi's proposal.
The longer the Empire's chaos lasted, the better for the Kingdom.
That's why we'd repeatedly spared the 3rd Prince's life and fed him victories when we could've crushed him.
No hesitation now in bolstering the 5th.
"The world's twists never cease to amaze me."
I muttered about the irony of aiding Imperial princes after all this, but Malkoi misinterpreted and replied oddly.
"I never imagined the 5th Prince would go this far either. I'd only seen him a few times, but he seemed unusually mild among the Burgundy imperial bloodline."
I didn't bother correcting his misunderstanding.
"Anyway, keep a close eye on the Imperial army's movements. Report back the moment we learn more."
As I rose to leave, a sudden horn blast echoed.
Bwooooooo.
The signal for approaching Imperial forces.
I headed straight for the ramparts.
Veteran rangers clustered by the wall briefed me.
"Doesn't look like they're here to attack right away."
Following their gesture, I spotted the enemy in the distance.
A group of fully armored knights staring at our fortress.
Their disciplined aura and sharp discipline were impressive, but that was it.
No hint of attack intent.
Even if there was, a mere hundred knights couldn't take this massive fortress.
"They didn't come just to say goodbye, did they?"
While I observed, the enemy knights began approaching.
"What now? Fire?"
The rangers raised their crossbows, looking to me.
"Just say the word. The Iron Legion's ready to rain hellfire anytime."
The dwarf from the Iron Legion—itching for a fight after arriving empty-handed—spoke up eagerly.
I shook my head.
"Looks like they have something to say. Let's hear them out."
The Imperial knights halted just shy of bolt range.
Their leader stepped forward, raising his visor.
And shouted in fluent Kingdom tongue:
"Prepare to receive the Empire's envoy!"
They claimed to be diplomats.
"What the...?"
The fortress knights buzzed in confusion.
No one could fathom why the Empire had suddenly sent envoys.
"We'll find out when we hear them out."
I ordered the fortress commander to open the gates.
The gates swung open, and the self-proclaimed Imperial envoy entered the open ground. From the ramparts, I commanded him to state his business.
The envoy drew a letter from his breastplate.
"No poison."
"Nothing but a sealing spell."
Our knights and the White Night Tower mages checked it before handing it over.
The seal bore the Burgundy imperial crest—specifically, the 3rd Prince's mark.
"What an unpredictable bastard."
I shook my head and broke the seal.
Then read the contents.
「My dearest brother!」
The letter began abruptly like that.