Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: The Unyielding Enemy (2)
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As Raymond had predicted, the very next day, five thousand Heresy Extermination troops arrived at the border and joined forces with the mercenary army.
The supreme commander of the Heresy Extermination troops, Bishop Receiver, had already completed his briefing on the current state of affairs and brimmed with confidence.
He was convinced that he could eradicate the Doomsday Society—the empire's chief enemy—without delay.
Excessive confidence was never a good thing, but Raymond saw no need to dampen his spirits when it was at this level.
"The army is fully assembled, Your Majesty. We can advance at once."
Early in the morning, Marquis Kreayer approached Raymond at the command post, his face etched with determination as he reported.
The army was ready...! This was welcome news indeed.
A bright smile spread across Raymond's lips.
"Sir Cassius!"
"Yes! Your Majesty! I am here!"
Cassius responded with a booming shout. The young commander in his red uniform adorned with a golden badge dashed to Raymond's side in an instant.
"Order the Imperial Army to assume battle formation and await further commands."
"Are we finally marching?"
Like the beaming Raymond, Cassius could barely contain his excitement, his body fidgeting with anticipation.
Raymond chuckled and nodded at the sight.
"Yes, the time has come at last."
Upon receiving the imperial order, the Imperial Army organized itself and prepared meticulously for the advance. Marquis Kreayer's mercenary forces did the same. They were ready to cross the border at a moment's notice.
The Heresy Extermination troops under Bishop Receiver were a separate matter. Though smaller in scale than the others, they had joined already fully prepared.
"Your Majesty, there's something we need to review before the advance."
It was just before the march. Count Potas arrived at the border. Raymond, who had been discussing plans to root out the Doomsday Society in the Jeyst Magic Kingdom territory with Bishop Receiver, set aside the military map and sat back in his chair.
"I'll take my leave."
Bishop Receiver tactfully excused himself, and Count Potas stepped forward, bowing to Raymond.
"Your Majesty."
"What brings you here today?"
"There's something you must know at this juncture, right before the advance. I confirmed it while reviewing documents provided by the Haipel Special Operations Bureau."
"Speak."
At Raymond's calm prompting, Count Potas nodded slightly and began.
"This is information on the supreme commander of the Jeyst Magic Kingdom's border forces."
Count Potas pulled a thin sheet of paper from his pocket.
"It was much thicker originally, but I summarized it down to this."
As Raymond cast a meaningful glance at the paper, Count Potas cleared his throat with a half-joking excuse.
"No matter. Get to the point."
"To cut to the chase, the current supreme commander of the Jeyst Magic Kingdom's border forces, Marquis Hellings, is a puppet of the Doomsday Society."
"They've even turned the border forces' top commander into a 'puppet'... Their reach is impressive."
The border forces were a critical army. Securing the border safely and isolating the Jeyst Magic Kingdom required pulling Marquis Hellings to their side, so it wasn't entirely unexpected.
Still, the depth of the Doomsday Society's infiltration was cause for lament.
"Even if King Rudel shows himself and the soldiers waver briefly, the key command structure won't be greatly shaken."
Count Potas spoke calmly. Raymond nodded in agreement before replying.
"I'm aware the Jeyst Magic Kingdom's border forces number around thirty thousand. Even without Marquis Hellings surrendering, they have no chance of victory."
Marquis Kreayer's mercenary army alone, which formed the main assault force, exceeded seventy thousand strong. Though mercenaries, the sheer numerical superiority—more than double—would be hard for the Jeyst border forces to overcome.
With the elite Imperial Army joining and Philius Empire reinforcements on the way, it seemed impossible for the Jeyst border forces to withstand the offensive.
"I don't believe Marquis Hellings's border forces can hold out long against ours either. Still, the fewer casualties we suffer, the better."
"What's the security around Marquis Hellings like? Could Shades pull off an assassination?"
"The Doomsday Society seems to have assigned guards. Rumors are already circulating within the border forces about unidentified individuals—not part of the Jeyst army—stationed around him. Acquiring this intel wasn't as hard as it might seem."
With the current intelligence pact, cooperation between the Philius Central Intelligence Agency and Haipel Special Operations Bureau made such information relatively easy to obtain.
"So, assassination carries a high risk of failure."
At Raymond's words, Count Potas nodded slowly before speaking.
"We can't gauge the strength of the Doomsday Society operatives guarding him, so an assassination attempt poses too great a risk."
If it failed, not only would they lose valuable Shades, but Marquis Hellings might go deeper into hiding, or the Doomsday Society could send more guards.
Count Potas favored observing the situation over rash action, and Raymond partly agreed.
"Anything else I need to know before crossing the border?"
"That's everything. The rest doesn't require your consideration, Your Majesty. I've already passed it to Count Denitz, so request materials from him if needed."
"You've done well, Count Potas."
"Just fulfilling my duty."
After Count Potas departed, only Raymond and Gestain remained in the office.
Desia was studying ancient magic at Raymond's behest, while Sylvia was likely strolling in the garden. As an elf, she needed periodic time amid abundant greenery.
"Your Majesty, you seem troubled."
Gestain stepped forward cautiously and spoke. For the usually taciturn knight to initiate conversation out of concern meant Raymond must have appeared deeply lost in thought.
Imagining his reflection in Gestain's eyes, Raymond let out a wry chuckle.
"Do I look that troubled?"
He shook his head even as he spoke. He knew he'd been preoccupied himself.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"That obvious? Desia would've given me an earful."
Gestain neither denied nor argued, merely nodding with a faint smile.
"You're too honest. Can't you sugarcoat it a bit?"
"You know my nature well."
"As expected."
Raymond chuckled and reached for his wine glass, downing half its contents in one gulp. The potent liquor hit him swiftly, bringing a warm haze.
"Hoo."
He exhaled a sigh laced with the scent of alcohol and headed to the terrace. Gestain followed slowly, sword at his hip.
"Gestain."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I'm listening."
"Conquering the Jeyst Magic Kingdom won't be difficult."
"I agree."
Gestain lacked deep knowledge of military strategy or tactics, but he grasped the basics.
To him, too, conquering Jeyst seemed straightforward. The primary reason: the Philius Empire held King Rudel.
Once full-scale war erupted and Rudel stepped forward, lords loyal to the crown would surrender without a fight.
Though Rudel was a puppet in the capital due to Doomsday machinations, his authority endured in provincial domains untouched by them.
"Once Jeyst surrenders, the Lisbon Maritime Kingdom won't hold out long either."
The Lisbon Maritime Kingdom's military was no pushover, but Philius had absorbed the Free Isirian Kingdom's forces entirely and half of Edriger's. With mercenaries comprising most of Isirian's army, integration was swift.
Controlling the untapped mines of the Black Mountains yielded vast gold and ore, fueling rapid expansion. Alone, Lisbon couldn't stand against this burgeoning superpower.
Even Gestain, a knight through and through with little strategic expertise, could foresee this near future.
"I doubt Lisbon can withstand our full might."
"Exactly. They'll seek negotiations while preserving their forces—that's their best play."
To negotiate effectively, one needed bargaining power. Raymond suspected Lisbon envoys would arrive soon after Jeyst's fall, seeking favorable terms.
"Isn't that good news? Yet you seem deeply troubled, Your Majesty."
"Sorting out the allied territories ends one war, but it's barely the beginning."
"The Haipel Empire?"
Gestain asked cautiously. Raymond shook his head firmly.
"The intelligence pact opened diplomatic channels with Haipel. No deterioration unless something drastic happens. They're not our enemy right now."
"Then the Doomsday Society becomes our primary foe."
"Precisely, Gestain."
The Doomsday Society—they were the true enemy.
After the Great Purge, the atmosphere in the Jeyst Magic Kingdom's capital had shifted dramatically.
The inner castle felt like a ghost town, and even the outer walls, relatively unscathed, hung heavy with gloom.
Figures in black robes and face masks prowled the streets. They were Doomsday Society minions.
Under the dark night sky, they exuded a chilling menace, their sharp gazes scattering fear among the capital's citizens.
With the capital guard nearly annihilated and crippled, the central city had effectively fallen to the Doomsday Society.
Any who opposed the sudden tyranny or questioned King Rudel's whereabouts were executed without exception.
Screams echoed dozens of times a day, and blood never dried on the execution platforms.
Veris orchestrated it all from the royal palace.
"Sir Veris."
A woman in black robes appeared behind Veris as he strolled the bloodstained garden.
Though sudden, Avgard—Veris's close guard—didn't react. She was a Doomsday Society executive.
"Lady Neria?"
Veris asked softly without turning from the murky sky. Executive Neria stepped closer.
"Yes, it's me."
"I left the border in your hands."
"The Philius Empire forces at the border are stirring ominously."
"What exactly do you mean by 'ominous,' Lady Neria?"
"They could cross at any moment."
Veris sighed briefly at her words. Though they'd puppeted border commander Marquis Hellings, Jeyst's border forces couldn't match Philius. Veris and the Society knew it.
"We desperately need reinforcements."
"Regrettably, no reinforcements for now, Lady Neria. Losing Rudel slowed our grip on Jeyst. Provincial lords remain beyond my influence."
He hated to admit it, but it was true.
"Can't we expect aid from the Society?"
"Haipel is moving in earnest. Most of our forces are heading beyond the Eternal Snowy Mountains."
"So... we hold with what we have?"
Neria's voice trembled.
"Or perhaps attempt to assassinate Rudel? He's heavily guarded, but trying couldn't hurt. His death would at least halt provincial lords joining us."
Veris flashed a cold smile.