Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Two Choices (1)
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The kingdom's cavalry was, purely in terms of skill, an elite force powerful enough to stand toe-to-toe with the empire's crack troops.
But that cavalry, along with a host of soldiers, had sided with Crown Prince Andre. And the crown prince was no fool.
He knew full well that with this level of power, taking on the empire was out of the question—hell, even dethroning the king and claiming the throne for himself would be an uphill battle.
"The anger and hatred that tormented me all these years... it's completely gone. Now, the path ahead is crystal clear."
Before, he'd been branded a lunatic for zealously pushing an invasion of the empire at the alliance council, to the point where they chased him out...
But Crown Prince Andre, having regained a measure of sanity, proved beyond doubt that those harsh judgments weren't just empty talk.
First, he secured the unwavering loyalty of his personal cavalry. Then he used them to win over the other knights.
"To be frank with you, His Highness is out of his mind right now."
"How dare you speak such insolence to His Highness...!!!"
"Enough. He's not wrong, is he?"
"But..."
"I get it—you have no reason to trust me. I'm sorry. I've given you gentlemen nothing to believe in all this time."
By personally visiting them and humbling himself to recruit them, he swayed quite a few hearts.
And it wasn't just hot air—he laid out coherent, plausible visions of the future with surprising eloquence.
Thanks to that, the crown prince clawed back some of his shattered credibility. And this was the result.
"Your Majesty... no, Father. Rest easy from here on out. I'll handle the rest."
"To think I raised a tiger cub. Should've slit its throat before it grew this bold... Damn this paternal affection."
"That's enough. He may be a usurper, but he's still the former king—my own blood father. I'll tolerate no further disrespect."
The knights bristled at the deposed king's lament as they dragged him down amid overwhelming force, but Andre silenced them with a raised hand.
The king watched the scene unfold in stunned disbelief. Winning over the knights? Fine, that was plausible enough.
But... wasn't this too fast? Just a month ago, the man had been reviled not merely as a wastrel, but a raving madman.
"In a single month, he turns the other knights and seizes the throne? Does that even make sense? If it happened, how could I not have known..."
Right then, as a flicker of doubt pierced the absurdity, a searing pain boiled up from his chest.
Cough.
Blood poured from his mouth amid agonized hacking coughs, like spewing molten iron straight from his guts.
Crown Prince Andre swiftly ordered his knights to support the hemorrhaging king and escort him away.
"It's a mess, but you've claimed the throne successfully. Congratulations, Your Majesty."
"Spare me. There's still a mountain of work ahead. Sir Jerod."
Jet-black hair framing blood-red eyes that gleamed with unholy light... and skin so pallid it lacked any trace of vitality...
He looked anything but human, yet not a soul batted an eye at his eerie visage.
Sir Jerod lifted his gaze. Those ominous crimson orbs fixed on the crown prince ascending the throne.
"All as the will of the blood desires..."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The alliance's roots lay in banding together solely to fend off the empire's threat.
That very origin bred a fatal flaw: excessive passivity. Their core doctrine was defense against imperial aggression, nothing more.
Heck, the nations and tribes opposing the hardliners' calls for preemptive strikes still held a clear majority.
What made matters worse? They'd tried hitting the empire first during a moment of perceived weakness—and gotten burned badly for it.
Inevitably, the moderates dominated over the hawks. At least until now.
But time levels even the sturdiest fortresses. The alliance's walls were no exception.
"How long are we going to keep our heads bowed? We need to prepare."
"The empire's gearing up for open war. Conquering the Demonic Realm, swelling their ranks. We can't just sit idle."
"Cain Blackguard... he's a threat. We prepare now, or regret it."
The great powers clamored for armaments. In ordinary times, their arguments would have fizzled out.
Not anymore. An undefeated genius general had burst onto the imperial scene. Astonishing reports poured in daily.
Irrefutable feats no one could deny—not even Arnold's firsthand account of clashing with Cain himself...
They could no longer plug their ears and avert their eyes. The danger was prickling their very skin.
Thus, tensions between the empire and the alliance swelled relentlessly, like a balloon on the verge of bursting.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Be prepared, and you'll have no regrets.
The idiom fit the empire's current needs to a tee.
The empire wasn't blind or deaf. They knew the winds in the alliance were shifting ominously.
"You know about the alliance's Titans?"
"How could I forget those hulking scrap heaps? But why bring them up now?"
"We need weapons to counter them."
Cain felt the same. He'd gleaned the alliance's strengths from the game already.
Now he was leveraging that knowledge for contingencies—Titans included, even their ultimate secret weapons.
To the clueless, Cain's intel network inspired awe bordering on terror.
"How the hell do you even know all that?"
"I've got my ways."
"...Incredible. Are you all-seeing, my lord?"
"I'm no god."
Naturally, it stemmed from ignorance—but sustaining the myth required solid backing.
Without it, suspicion would brew. For now, loyalty papered over the cracks.
Thus, to quash doubts, Cain had formed an intelligence outfit and funneled massive resources into it.
The New Moon Knights.
Formed to guard Renheim's shadows, their renown soared thanks to Cain's backing.
They delivered scant scraps of intel, yet Cain extrapolated everything from them—hence the hype...
"Captain, how do you deduce all that from so little?"
"Hush. We're shadows. Question nothing—act. Only our lord draws conclusions."
"S-sorry, sir!"
Thankfully, the New Moon Knights' captain wasn't one for idle questions. He stuck to his duties.
Add Cain's lavish support, and the order ballooned in prowess over a shockingly short span.
Strictly speaking, Second Prince Oren's covert aid via the imperial spy bureau was the real game-changer...
Regardless, the meteoric rise of the New Moon Knights netted Cain intel beyond expectations.
"The kingdom's king is replaced?"
"Yes, my lord."
"You mean that lunatic crown prince is king now...? What's the kingdom playing at?"
Cain let out a heavy sigh. Of all people, that crown prince on the throne...
No clue why, but Andre harbored a special loathing for him. No doubt that hadn't changed.
Before, ignorance had left him vulnerable. Not this time—he had zero intention of rolling over.
"My lord! Have you heard the news?"
"Of course, Princess."
"......"
"You look worried."
"...Yes. He's family. And it's my homeland."
Princess Anna couldn't argue. She'd joined him precisely for the kingdom's sake.
If Cain became the empire's blade, the Arpen Kingdom would be its first target.
She'd pledged her life defending her nation in loyalty... only to reap bitter betrayal.
So she'd come herself to blunt that edge, however slightly. Better options might've existed.
But back then, it was the only path that came to mind. And she harbored no regrets.
Remarkably, her gambit had borne fruit. Cain nodded gravely.
"For Your Highness's sake, we won't strike the kingdom first."
"R-really?!"
"Absolutely. Our accumulated merits should sway His Majesty on that front. But..."
If the kingdom strikes first... then even I can't hold back, Your Highness.