Chapter 142
Chapter 142
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: From Book Release to Battlefield Command
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The army began to stir, and the air grew thick with the scent of impending war.
I could feel that atmosphere on my skin.
‘The security around Platon has tightened considerably.’
Platon housed troops from other nations as permanent residents.
A thousand from each country, totaling eight thousand.
These were soldiers also used in the Military Academy’s inter-class tournaments.
If the Albad forces stationed here were to assault the royal palace, Ballast would find itself in a dire predicament.
Platon was practically right next to Ballast’s royal palace—you could hit it if you tripped.
With Albad and the Western tribes launching their invasion, it would have been proper to arrest and detain them immediately, but diplomacy complicated matters.
Platon, divided into eight districts, was Ballast territory yet not Ballast territory. Subduing the troops stationed in those districts would be no different from Ballast attacking Albad.
Moreover, doing so would derail the ongoing Platon Imperial Tournament.
Ballast was a nation maintaining its neutrality through symbolism.
Any shake-up to that symbolism would be fatal for them.
‘That’s why they deliberately timed the invasion for the festival period. Clever move.’
Already, key diplomats from various nations had gathered at Ballast’s royal palace, locked in heated arguments over the incident.
The appearance of core figures like Juras at yesterday’s party hadn’t been coincidence.
Yet, in stark contrast to that tense atmosphere, the academy remained peaceful.
The Albad and Western invasion hadn’t yet become public knowledge.
If anything, the festival was heating up even more as it entered its second day.
I had something important today, too.
It was the release day for the sequel to *Their Circumstances*.
Just as I’d released the first volume during the Rainpole Festival before, I’d scheduled this one for the festival period.
To that end, I’d rented out an entire banquet hall at the academy.
‘I wonder how many it’ll sell today.’
Back then, as a complete unknown, I’d had to hustle on foot myself, but things were different now. I had a fanbase. Word was that countless young ladies were coming to buy signed copies at this new release event.
I wasn’t particularly passionate about writing novels, but since everyone seemed to enjoy them, it didn’t feel bad.
Humming a tune, I headed to the banquet hall where the event was set.
Along the way, Sophia Veron stopped me with a grim expression.
“Ilrain.”
“What’s the matter, Professor Sophia?”
“What’s the matter…? Don’t you already know?”
Even rotten, she was Bekavia’s Supreme Commander. It seemed Sophia had grasped the situation.
“This isn’t the time to be doing this!”
“Then what should we be doing?”
“Well…!”
“Calm down. There’s nothing we can do right now.”
If we were Ballast affiliates, that’d be one thing, but we weren’t, so for now, we had to watch the diplomatic battle unfold.
Whether I intervened would depend on the outcome of that diplomatic battle.
‘Juras did say to play along with the drama he scripted.’
He hadn’t shared the details. Either he lacked confidence, or he just wanted to surprise me. One or the other.
Either way, all I could do now was wait.
I could influence Caliper’s diplomatic strategy through King Gares, but I had little interest in Ballast.
If they could be saved, fine; if they fell, no big loss.
“So until the diplomatic talks conclude, we should enjoy the festival.”
Sophia nodded, seeming somewhat convinced.
“Coldly speaking, you’re right. So… is that the new book you’re releasing?”
“Yes. Did you read the first volume?”
“Yeah, well. It’s the pure love story Wade put out, and it got huge among the young ladies. Though the content itself was nothing special.”
That was the normal assessment. It was just an ordinary book that became famous for being popular light reading for girls.
“Even so, you can look forward to this one.”
Being the second volume, my skills had improved quite a bit.
Plus, there’d been Erina’s enthusiastic proofreading, so I was fairly confident in it.
When I arrived at the banquet hall with over three hundred copies, it was clear at a glance that more than three hundred people were waiting eagerly.
Not just nobles, but Platon residents, women from other countries who’d heard the news, and even merchants aiming to snag first editions for illegal copying.
“Wow.”
The exclamation slipped out unbidden.
As soon as I showed my face, shrill cheers erupted. But with so many well-bred young ladies present, it didn’t turn into a commotion.
“So… thank you all for coming today.”
After delivering my prepared greeting, I dove into full-scale book sales.
“I’ll say it again: this book was written not as Wade, but as a mere author named Platina. So please don’t harbor any needless misconceptions. With that, the person at the front, come on up.”
The first in line was Erina.
As the top contributor to the sequel’s production, she’d been designated the symbolic first buyer.
“It’s finally out…! Finally, Irina’s false charges will be cleared!”
Erina couldn’t hide her excitement. She’d been itching for revenge against the humiliation her self-insert Irina Paléon suffered in volume one.
The next buyer was Estelle, who’d handled the story for volume one.
She looked utterly baffled as she took the book from me and whispered softly.
“Lord Als? A sequel? I’ve never heard of this. What’s it about?”
“You’ll… find out when you read it.”
“Hm? Alright, then.”
The banquet hall was fully equipped for a reading club. Excluding the merchants there purely for profit, everyone quickly took seats and began reading.
Right beside me were Erina and Estelle, the first two buyers.
The two who usually stuck together like sisters at the academy didn’t seem odd sitting there, but today the vibe between them was icy.
“Phew! All sold out.”
By the time the three hundred copies were gone, Estelle—midway through—was muttering while exuding a dark aura.
“Hmm, I see. So that’s how it was. Not bad, Erina. Hiding it so perfectly.”
Reactions burst from the other young ladies, too.
“To think… Irina had such a tragic backstory!”
“I feel ashamed for thinking badly of Irina!”
“Irinaaaa—!”
In volume one, Irina Paléon, the wicked young lady who tormented Ertel Dionte and Knight Elnia Pentabel with her villainy.
But there was a mastermind behind those misdeeds.
Ertel Dionte’s father and the protagonist’s superior, Grand General Paris.
Fearing the protagonist Wilson might steal his position, Paris tried to sideline him, but Irina used her family’s influence to block it.
In the process, Paris accidentally gained leverage over Irina’s Paléon family, and to protect her house and the protagonist, Irina swallowed her tears and committed the atrocities he ordered. All while secretly plotting revenge against him from the shadows.
“…”
Estelle fell silent at that part.
“…You don’t touch family, huh?”
“E-Estelle? Family? You know this is just a novel, right?”
Having read to the end, Estelle let out a complicated sigh.
The story was too good to just lash out at Erina blindly.
In the finale, Paris was revealed not as Ertel’s real father, but the enemy who’d killed him and impersonated him. The protagonist, Irina, and Ertel joined forces to oust him.
With matters settled, they promised friendly rivalry over the protagonist and got their happy ending. Estelle seemed to realize this was Erina’s message, her venom dissipating.
The other young ladies’ reactions were explosive.
“It’s so moving!”
“To think such a story was hidden…!”
“I can’t keep this to myself. I’m telling my friends right now!”
Volume two perfectly resolved volume one’s hooks, ending with the Irina & Ertel pairing.
Just when it seemed *Their Circumstances* had wrapped up beautifully…
That night.
“…Lord Als.”
Eo came to protest with a sullen face.
“Didn’t you say the protagonist ends up with the knightess?”
“Uh…”
Seeing her make that heartrending expression, as if calling out my lie, the words slipped out reflexively.
“N-No! It’ll be in volume three with the knightess.”
I’d unwittingly promised a sequel.
*
*
*
Festival day three.
By this point, even the general populace was starting to catch on.
Albad and the West’s massive invasion.
It meant war had broken out—something that hadn’t happened in the thirty-odd years since Ballast’s founding.
As a result, today’s scheduled Military Academy quarterfinals were canceled outright.
I’d half-expected Ballast to push through the festival to save face internationally, but the diplomatic situation must have been worse than anticipated.
After that morning’s diplomatic clash ended, Anton relayed Juras’s update to me.
“Lord Als. It doesn’t look like this will wrap up easily.”
Today’s diplomacy had featured arguments over the justification for war.
Albad’s claim: Ballast, as the neutral mediator of nations’ wars, was failing its role.
—Ballast played no part in recent major wars.
—Most of those major wars involved Crossing.
—Wasn’t Ballast deliberately turning a blind eye to Crossing’s actions?
—Ballast had already been bought by Crossing and lost its neutral purity.
It was a forced argument, but it had logic.
The first domino upsetting the continent had indeed been Crossing’s Three Lions War.
“Albad’s come prepared. But if that logic holds, isn’t Svenner in the clear? They started the Chimera War.”
“Yes, which is why Svenner admitted it outright.”
“Admitted…?”
“That they’d planted agents inside Ballast. They confessed to using those agents to keep Ballast out of the Chimera War.”
“Oh ho. Self-destructing to drag Crossing down as a scapegoat. Smart play.”
Svenner took heat too, but it bolstered Albad’s shaky justification.
“What about the Western invasion?”
“They said the West acted on their own. That they couldn’t disclose details yet, but the West had justification.”
“The West’s justification…”
I was certain it involved the protagonist, Cassius.
Cassius was Penzilon’s crown prince.
Reclaiming Platon—Penzilon’s old capital—as his would be natural.
‘I see. So that’s how they planned to topple Ballast.’
The Saintess Alicia must be tied to the protagonist. They aimed to crown him Ballast’s new king, aligning the West and Svenner with him.
That would give Svenner and the West a strategic edge.
Ballast sat at the continent’s heart.
A key stronghold from which advances could launch in any direction. No wonder conquering it made one master of the continent.
Svenner was using the West’s hand to swallow it whole.
‘Things are getting messy.’
Svenner was simultaneously targeting Europa.
If they won all fronts, destroying Europa and Ballast, Svenner would claim half the continent.
I didn’t know Albad’s angle, but they were at least hostile to Crossing. Low chance of alliance.
“How’s Juras responding?”
“Trying to pull Toonkai—Svenner’s ally—to our side.”
“Toonkai…!”
“He’s arguing that if Svenner destroys Europa, they’ll turn on Toonkai next.”
“Indeed, that puts Toonkai in a tough spot.”
Even as allies, they wouldn’t have expected Svenner to force an attack on neutral Ballast. Seeing such aggression naturally planted doubts.
Would they come for us after Europa and Ballast?
“Yes, so they’re aiming to bring Toonkai in as an ally to counter.”
If Juras decided that, he’d convince Toonkai.
I figured the diplomatic outcome was already set.
The alliance of Ballast, Toonkai, Europa, Crossing, Caliper, Bekavia versus Svenner, Albad, some Vurlang and Ballast factions, and the Western tribes.
We looked superior in numbers, but geography sucked.
Caliper and Crossing were blocked by Albad, unable to send reinforcements; Toonkai and Europa were stretched fending off Svenner alone.
That’s how they reached that night’s decision.
To deploy capable officers to Ballast to aid the war.
*
*
*
Ballast’s army’s biggest weakness was, naturally, zero real combat experience.
Even their training was subpar.
The officers leading that training lacked experience too.
Thus, Ballast requested that aiding nations dispatch skilled officers as guest generals.
My inclusion was a given.
High renown, and I was already inside Ballast.
Needing to defend both east and west, Ballast split the guest generals into two groups.
First, for the eastern army’s command: Europa urgently dispatched Second General Salar Oreon, one of the Twenty Military Heroes, a balanced commander excelling in offense and defense.
The 30,000 Albad troops invading from the east were few, and with Caliper and Crossing attacking Albad’s east, a fierce clash seemed unlikely.
Ballast assigned 15,000 regulars for defense.
The hottest hotspot was the West: the Western tribes’ 70,000-strong army.
For that, Ballast formally requested I take overall command.
Heading to the palace for the appointment, I sensed the palace’s ominous mood.
‘It’s completely fractured.’
Signs of infighting: few retainers by the king’s side. Plus, 10,000 troops tightly guarding the palace perimeter against coups.
I had to speak up.
“Right now, even 10,000 troops are precious. I understand coup fears, but for victory, halve that number.”
“W-We can’t do that!”
Ballast’s king shouted with a haggard face.
This guy. Hadn’t he boldly demanded I remove my helmet at the armistice before?
‘His daughter’s betrayal must’ve hit hard.’
Intel said Saintess Alicia was in the south, at Duke Reginald’s lands. Probably prepping a coup there.
‘Situation’s grim.’
I could guess why she chose Duke Reginald as her accomplice.
Ballast’s southern territory bordered Vurlang.
‘She plans to secretly bring in Vurlang troops from there and strike the palace with Cassius.’
The Western army was bait. To lure most forces west.
The king knew it too, hence his reluctance to give me many troops. He even planned to add 10,000 more around the capital.
That’d leave just 45,000 regulars. Subtract 5,000 for supply depots and routes, and 40,000 faced 70,000.
“What’s the plan? If that’s how it is, I won’t take command.”
“We’ve urgently conscripted militia. We’ll prepare 10,000 ASAP.”
“Even then, it’s insufficient—I’m telling you.”
“What, is the great Wade scared? You could handle 100,000 with 10,000!”
“Cheap provocations don’t work. War basics: troop numbers. I demand maximum soldiers within supply limits. Otherwise, no command!”
Faced with my firmness, the king panicked visibly. His prime minister whispered urgently.
Likely: ‘Your Majesty, no guest general matches Wade.’
The king squeezed his eyes shut, pondered, then nodded.
Thus, my forces: 60,000 total. 40,000 regulars, 20,000 conscripts.
Still 10,000 short, but since it was pure defense, doable.
With troops secured, I immediately convened a military council.
Joined by new faces from Toonkai and Bekavia, we began strategy sessions.