Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Two Choices (2)
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Alliance.
Unlike the Empire, a single unified nation, it was more akin to a federation where numerous large and small countries and tribes banded together.
Though many words were spoken about it, the first unbreakable principle of the Alliance was that all members were equal.
However, if every member had exactly the same authority, things would quickly spiral out of control.
At the very least, there had to be a head to lead the Alliance. And that role fell to the elves.
Unlike other races, who were rife with greed, elves had comparatively little of it.
Her sky-blue hair was like a clear, cloudless heaven. Beneath it lay flawless beauty.
Yet something felt off about her human-like appearance. The sole oddity was her pointed ears.
Elf... Among elves, symbols of beauty and nature, this young man was a high elf of exceptionally noble bloodline.
But unlike his stunning looks, the young man's brow was furrowed, showing no sign of relaxing.
"This is maddening. Who would've thought Prince Andre would succeed in his coup and claim the throne. I never even imagined it..."
Even as the sole legitimate heir. With a perfectly healthy king still alive, ascending the throne wasn't easy.
Especially for a coup to succeed, one needed not just strong military control but also widespread support from factions backing the prince.
In other words, the chances of Prince Andre's coup succeeding were practically zero. At least until a few days ago...
Incredibly, Crown Prince Andre had brazenly pulled it off. He was no longer crown prince—he was king.
"Regardless of the method, Andre, who became king through a coup, is now openly preparing for war."
At least in that regard, the kingdom held the advantage. The Empire had already signed a peace treaty with the kingdom through negotiations.
A groundbreaking agreement promising not to attack the kingdom for at least ten years or impose any disadvantages.
But now, perspectives had shifted dramatically. All because of one man... Cain Blackguard.
Cain, abandoned by the kingdom and surrendered to the Empire, had achieved the impossible feat of conquering the Demon Realm in just one year.
Thanks to him, the Empire had rapidly expanded its territory and bolstered its forces with wyverns and beastmen—immensely powerful assets.
It was enough to shatter the Empire's edge, previously maintained only by superior numbers of titans and masters.
'The kingdom has the initiative for a preemptive strike, but even so, no one sane would think they'd attack with that power gap...'
To regain even a sliver of advantage against the Empire's sudden expansion, they'd hastily accepted the kingdom into the Alliance...
The elf pondered if it had been too hasty a decision, but soon shook his head. That judgment had been sound.
At least until Crown Prince Andre suddenly became king, negotiations had been progressing surprisingly well.
"Sigh... What's done is done. No taking it back now. All we can do is make the best of the situation."
With the Empire growing stronger by the day, even a single mercenary band was precious. A kingdom was decent by comparison.
At least it had a proper standing army. And the kingdom's cavalry was particularly renowned.
Forcing a positive spin on the kingdom half-heartedly, the elf kept his pen moving diligently across the letter.
"You there."
"You called, Alliance Leader Kelloha?"
"Send a messenger to the kingdom with this letter and a modest gift."
"What sort of gift would be appropriate?"
"Something simple and luxurious should suffice."
Alliance Leader Kelloha focused on what he could do immediately. First, dispatch a messenger to the kingdom.
The purpose was twofold: to recognize and congratulate King Andre, while also issuing a warning.
A warning that if the kingdom moved its army recklessly against the Empire, the Alliance would offer no aid.
No matter how much they hated the Empire, someone capable of seizing the throne via coup would surely see reason...
At the very least, to protect his power, he'd exercise some restraint. Kelloha spun an optimistic fantasy.
'...But this is just a matter of time. Like a volcano spewing molten lava, it's bound to erupt eventually.'
If it was inevitable... Forcing it down would backfire. Better to use it to their advantage...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ One year. Time is relative. To some, it's merely fuel to nurture hatred and grudges into strength.
To others, it's enough to achieve great feats. Yet after conquering the Demon Realm, things had been surprisingly quiet.
One year... Since Cain took over as Lord of Renheim, two and a half years had already passed.
In truth, it was only natural. Even the Empire couldn't wage war ceaselessly without rest.
On the contrary, Cain wanted to spend the next five years gathering resources without lifting a finger—weapons, provisions, and the like...
Surprisingly, King Andre hadn't attacked the Empire since his coup. He'd been behaving himself.
'The problem is he's not openly provoking us, but his war preparations are blatantly obvious...'
Having become king through a coup, Andre had first reached out to the Alliance's hardliners, openly cozying up to them.
Frankly, that was unexpected too. The kingdom was a minor power... while the other hardliners led major nations.
So why would those powerful kings bother mingling with a piddling kingdom's ruler?
Cain let out a deep sigh at the report from the Waning Moon Knights. The situation looked far from ordinary.
"It reminds me of when I ran into that damn woman."
"The damn woman...?"
"Scarlett Royal Blood."
Two and a half years was enough time to cultivate a beautiful garden even in the purgatory called Renheim.
The red tea and pastries on the table, along with the surrounding flowers, were perfectly in harmony. The topic, however, clashed horribly.
Morgana didn't just dislike Scarlett Royal Blood—she outright despised her.
Perhaps due to this common enemy, Morgana and Anna had surprisingly grown close quite quickly.
"That aside, I never expected Her Highness the Princess and the royal princess to bond so fast."
"We reached an understanding. Primary wife and concubine... That's decent enough."
"Pardon??"
"Oh, nothing! More importantly, what's the situation with the kingdom?"
Anna flushed red and changed the subject. Though the atmosphere grew awkward, Cain let it slide.
His mind was fully occupied with the kingdom and the Alliance anyway. In a way, they were fortunate.
Cain shared every scrap of intelligence from the Waning Moon Knights with Morgana and Anna without omission.
"It's certainly puzzling. No matter how I think about it, there's no reason for the Alliance's major powers to cozy up to the mad king..."
"Even so, Brother... no, Andre has a brain. He won't strike first. He knows the gap too well."
"No one can say for sure~."
A thorny barb intruded on the smoothly flowing conversation. Like the thorns on a beautiful rose.
Morgana's eyes blazed. Anna's expression soured instantly. Cain sighed deeply in response.
There was only one person—no, one being—who provoked such visceral revulsion from them.
Crimson hair matched her equally crimson eyes. Scarlett Royal Blood... She had arrived.
Appearing without a sound, like an assassin, Scarlett stretched out both arms and hugged Cain from behind.
Morgana reacted first to the lover-like embrace, drawing words sharp as a blade.
"How dare a vulgar woman chasing nothing but her own pleasures touch the Lord with your filthy hands!!"
"Her Highness will learn soon enough? That things like decorum and honor mean nothing before eternity."
"You just won't...!!"
"Enough. Cut the pointless provocations and state your business here."
"It was quite entertaining. It's rare in history for someone of such high status to get that genuinely riled up."
Cain glared at Scarlett. His intense gaze carried a silent warning: no more games.
Thanks to that, Scarlett set aside her amusement and got to the point. The reason she'd shown herself personally.
"Everything's fine, but you're all thinking too rationally. Normally, your predictions would hold...
"What do you mean?"
"Emotions are impulsive and numb reason. Especially the most intense ones—hatred and rage?"
Scarlett couldn't hold back her laughter. One year was a long time to endure. And as if by magic, her words came true.
The fragile peace shattered to pieces. In just one year, at the hands of a mad king.