Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: Unstoppable Advance (1)
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Despite deploying the Colossal Divine Soldiers, they'd crushed a sixty-thousand-strong enemy force with just forty thousand troops.
It was a solid victory. At the same time, it was an event significant enough to shake the world's balance, as confirmed by the substantial surge in Dominion points.
The positive changes weren't limited to recovering Dominion. With Marquis Balgets and his thirty thousand eastern troops joining up, the Philius Empire now commanded an army exceeding sixty thousand.
The bolstered Philius Empire forces immediately pressed the attack on Count Krandel's territory, north of the Ireiser Domain.
Count Krandel had linked up with Duke Akimov's army and mounted a desperate defense, but they couldn't hold out for even ten days. Once the central city and the baron's castle fell, his entire domain fell into the Philius Empire's grasp.
The capital of the Free Isiria Kingdom, Adinel, was now within striking distance. Phlius Empire morale soared with each passing day, while the Free Isirian forces hit rock bottom.
The Free Isirians began pulling troops from the north, but it was anyone's guess whether they could hold Adinel until reinforcements arrived.
In the midst of this ominous air, King Sellion of Free Isiria secretly requested a magical communication summit with King Calbern of Edriger Kingdom and King Ridius of Lisbon Maritime Kingdom.
The request was accepted. At the appointed time, the three monarchs took their places before their communication orbs in their respective palace transmission rooms.
"It's been a while."
As the images of Calbern and Ridius appeared in the communication orb, Sellion spoke in a calm voice.
Even with Philius Empire troops marching on his capital, he hadn't lost his composure.
He was firmly convinced that Edriger Kingdom, Lisbon Maritime Kingdom—and even Jeist Magic Kingdom, which had joined for reasons unknown despite not being part of the official Three Kingdoms Alliance—would send aid.
Their forces were already massing at the borders. With Jeist Magic Kingdom's airship fleet handling transport, reinforcements should reach the capital right on time.
"I heard you requested this summit first. What's going on?"
Ridius spoke. His tone carried an odd chill, but Sellion merely frowned slightly and brushed it off.
"Philius Empire forces have advanced to the outskirts of the capital. When will reinforcements from Lisbon Maritime Kingdom and Edriger Kingdom arrive?"
Sellion said. Edriger and Lisbon Maritime troops had gathered at the borders but shown no further movement.
He'd expected them to march in support of Free Isiria, so their inaction was frustrating, to say the least.
"There will be no further military aid to Free Isiria Kingdom from our kingdom."
"Edriger Kingdom stands the same."
Calbern and Ridius's responses flew in the face of Sellion's expectations. He'd assumed support was a given.
They were part of the Three Kingdoms Alliance, after all. But their words amounted to unilaterally dissolving the pact. Sellion stared blankly at the orb, at a loss for words.
"What are you talking about?"
Sellion's face twisted in confusion. The calm he'd barely maintained crumbled, his eyes trembling weakly.
"Exactly as you heard, Sellion. Edriger Kingdom and Lisbon Maritime Kingdom have determined that further support for Free Isiria is impossible."
It was confirmation. Sellion felt like his head had been smashed with a boulder.
He'd trusted those two kingdoms. He knew they wouldn't fight as fiercely as if it were their own lands at stake. But he'd believed the bond of the Three Kingdoms Alliance would ensure solid backing. This was beyond anything he'd imagined.
He hadn't expected total abandonment. Isirian intelligence had reported signs of strain in the alliance, but Sellion had trusted Calbern, his companion since childhood. And now he'd been betrayed.
"Don't take it personally. Philius Empire proved stronger than anticipated, so we needed to expand the front lines and disperse their forces. No hard feelings."
Ridius said. Reading the man's ruthlessly cold expression, Sellion finally understood.
They'd only paid lip service to the alliance. When things turned sour, they'd always planned to cut and run.
'Damn it.'
Sellion barely swallowed a curse. His fury didn't subside one bit.
He wanted to protest on the spot, but Calbern and Ridius seemed to have already hashed this out between them.
Besides, diplomacy left no time for protests—and even if he did, they'd likely ignore him.
"Anything else?"
Ridius spat coldly. Were he not a fellow king, he'd have cut the connection outright.
"No. Nothing more."
He wanted to argue, but it'd only make him look pathetic. Knowing that, Sellion replied in a hollow voice and ended the transmission. He then left the communication room in search of his Foreign Minister.
"Your Majesty. You summoned me?"
Late as it was, the Foreign Minister responded immediately. After twenty minutes in the audience chamber, the minister entered and bowed.
"Send a magical transmission to Philius Empire's open channel right now."
"What message shall I convey?"
"Unconditional surrender."
"Pardon...?"
The minister doubted his ears.
"I said, inform Philius Empire of our unconditional surrender."
Sellion said with a cold smile. The Three Kingdoms Alliance had abandoned Free Isiria—he had no intention of playing shield for them anymore.
"So full repairs are impossible?"
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. We can't even procure the necessary materials, and our mages' magitech expertise falls short."
In response to Raymond's question, Rackle Bronze, commander of the Ironhammer Unit, bowed his head apologetically.
He'd given it his all, but restoring the Colossal Divine Soldiers completely was out of reach.
Thanks to his unit's ancient dwarf composition, they'd managed partial repairs on the mechanical components. But full restoration demanded rare materials and advanced magitech know-how.
Regrettably, Ironhammer's dwarves were masters of physical machinery but lacked deep magitech insight, forcing a postponement on full repairs.
"How many more uses can we get?"
"One. Anything beyond that risks catastrophic damage. At that point, even with materials and expertise secured, full recovery might be impossible."
"So, if we want any hope of full restoration, one more deployment is the limit?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Raymond let out a short sigh at Rackle's reply. Consecutive victories had restored ample Dominion, but the Colossal Divine Soldiers' condition was now the issue. He hadn't foreseen this.
He knew the world's lore, but technical details weren't his forte.
A high-rank swordmaster, yes—but magitech? Not so much. He was in the dark on repairs.
He'd figured Azure Tower Lord and Crimson Tower Lord assisting Rackle would suffice, but reality proved otherwise.
"Until we secure magitech expertise, the Colossal Divine Soldiers stay as our last resort."
"A wise decision, Your Majesty."
Raymond said. He didn't think acquiring that expertise would take long, though.
He knew a mad magitech genius slumbered in Jeist Magic Kingdom.
Awaking that ancient-era prodigy would yield the needed skills for repairs.
"Your Majesty. A messenger from the communication room."
The secretive talk with Rackle was wrapping up when a knock sounded. The door opened, and a Royal Guard announced the arrival.
The sender? The communication room itself.
"Recipient?"
"Free Isiria Kingdom, sire."
The unexpected answer drew a smirk from Raymond.
"An enemy kingdom requesting a line to the emperor at this hour? Surrendering, maybe...?"
His musing was half-joking, but it hit the mark.
Desia swiftly set up the equipment and linked the channel. The moment King Sellion of Free Isiria appeared in the orb, his first words were "unconditional surrender."
"Unconditional surrender...?"
Raymond frowned. Just days ago, these nations had clashed fiercely.
'Surrendering just like that?'
He couldn't make sense of it. Suspicion of a trap crept in.
"Unconditional surrender it is. I'd appreciate dropping the suspicious glare, Emperor of Philius."
Sellion's voice carried complex emotions. Raymond eased his wary gaze and spoke gravely.
"We won a major victory recently, but the Three Kingdoms Alliance armies are still intact, aren't they? With Jeist Magic Kingdom joining, their forces are stronger than ever. So why the sudden surrender?"
Free Isiria had lost many troops, but the alliance backed them.
Pointing that out, Sellion shook his head with a faintly sorrowful smile.
"Would you believe me if I said the Three Kingdoms Alliance betrayed Free Isiria?"
"Abandoned by your own alliance?"
"No need to rub it in... But since you asked, yes. Free Isiria has been betrayed and cast aside by the alliance. Those forces massing on Lisbon Maritime and Edriger borders aren't coming to our aid."
Raymond nodded quietly at Sellion's words, laced with bitter resignation.
He recalled the author's notes calling the Three Kingdoms Alliance a fragile pact ready to crumble. But this soon? Unbelievable.
'Faster than expected.'
Raymond kept his thoughts to himself. The alliance's collapse was swift—perhaps Doomsday Society influence at play.
Their minions had deeply infiltrated the alliance; their hand couldn't be ruled out.
"Will you accept Free Isiria's surrender?"
"We accept. From this moment, all Free Isirian forces will disarm and clear the roads to the capital."
"Not a tall order. Consider it done."
That day, Sellion magically messaged Duke Akimov and Marquis Direp, who held defensive lines near the capital, ordering them to stand down and open the way.
The abrupt surrender sparked backlash, but most favored obeying the king. Not everyone, though.
Those dissenters were Doomsday Society operatives embedded deep in Free Isiria. They gathered in secret shadows.
"The King of Free Isiria has declared unconditional surrender to Philius Empire."
"This defies the will of doom."
"We must dethrone King Sellion and enforce the will of doom. Free Isiria must serve as the alliance's shield."
Figures in black robes and deep hoods raised their voices.
"Shall we raise arms?"
The eldest among them asked. The others nodded eagerly.
"Of course."
"We must rally now."
"The Society will back us."
As voices rose in unison, one hesitantly raised a hand.
"Do we really need to raise arms right now? With Philius's emperor on his way...?"
Everyone grasped the implication in under five seconds.
"When the emperor arrives, there'll be a victory banquet."
"Then we strike then—hit Philius's emperor and Free Isiria's king with our full might."
In the darkness, pieces of a plot fell into place.