Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Complete Empire (5)
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The main force of the Belphang Domain Army had suffered a devastating defeat, and their defensive lines had crumbled. It was a catastrophic loss that shattered the entire assembled force of the dukedom, gathered to stand against the Emperor's army.
In the aftermath of the defeat, the banner nobles of the Belphang Duke family began surrendering to the Emperor one by one, as if by prior agreement. This was because the Emperor had promised them lenient treatment.
They couldn't escape punishment entirely, but with the Emperor's assurance of their lives and the preservation of their houses, the stream of surrenders showed no signs of stopping.
"The Belphang Domain Army has essentially been neutralized. Some forces are regrouping in the central city, but their numbers fall short of two thousand."
Count Potas reported. Even though the main Belphang Domain Army had collapsed, the Central Intelligence Agency was still keeping a close watch on the dukedom.
"Combining them with the existing garrison in the central city brings it to around three thousand."
The central city's walls were sturdy, and three thousand defenders was no small number by any means. However, the Philius Imperial Army currently possessed overwhelming force capable of crushing them.
"The regrouped forces and the existing central city garrison are a motley crew. According to our informants' reports, they don't even have a single top-tier mage. We've confirmed a significant drop in the quality of their mages and knights."
The vast amounts of gold secured from the Valencia Imperial Demesne hadn't been used solely to rearm the Northern Central Army. The Valencia Marquis family had exploited their domain's people under the radar of the declining central empire, amassing enormous wealth in the process.
Even after rearming the Northern Central Army, a substantial amount of gold remained, so Raymond had instructed Counts Denitz and Potas to use some of it to bolster the Central Intelligence Agency.
There's a saying that money can buy anything. Thanks to the massive influx of gold, the Central Intelligence Agency hadn't fully regained its past glory, but it had recovered a considerable portion of its strength.
"I'll provide a detailed breakdown of their forces."
Count Potas pulled a few sheets of paper from his pocket and handed them to Raymond. These were documents secured by the Central Intelligence Agency: maps of the Belphang central city and their military deployments.
"Is this information reliable?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. The Central Intelligence Agency has verified it three times over. You can trust it."
In the past, he might have doubted it, but the Central Intelligence Agency's intelligence capabilities had been greatly strengthened now.
Raymond nodded at Count Potas's confident affirmation and examined the documents closely.
"Pathetic."
It was his honest impression. He knew the Belphang Domain Army had lost much in the recent battle, but he hadn't expected it to be this bad.
Out of the total three thousand—including the two thousand regrouped troops and one thousand city garrison—the number of knights barely reached fifty, and mages numbered fewer than ten. Naturally, there were no high mages, and the highest among them was merely an advanced mage.
"If you plan to issue a full assault order, now is the perfect time."
Count Potas said in a grave tone. The regrouped forces hadn't even finished reorganizing, so attacking the central city now would minimize their own casualties.
But Raymond shook his head. He had a different plan.
"There's no need for the Imperial Army to shed blood, Count."
"Do you have another strategy in mind?"
"Count Denitz's Imperial Propaganda Department is conducting operations in the Belphang central city."
"Even with the succession dispute, the Belphang Duke family is still holding out. The agitation will have some effect, but it won't spark internal division or rebellion."
"That'll change by tomorrow morning."
Raymond swallowed the rest—because I sent Shade—but Count Potas glimpsed the cold glint in his eyes and guessed that an elite assassin had been dispatched.
The count was one of the few close aides to the Emperor who knew of Shade's existence.
Early in the morning, chaos erupted in the Belphang lord's castle. Every member of the Belphang Duke family—including those vying for the lordship amid the succession struggle since the Mountain Duke's death—had been found dead.
"Looks like an assassin struck in the dead of night."
"Is there no one who survived?"
"They're all dead. No survivors."
This was the conversation among the veteran knights who had served the Belphang Duke family loyally for many years. They were still reeling from the sudden calamity.
"Who the hell would do this...?"
It was the Shades' doing, with the Emperor behind it.
With the Shadow Special Forces defecting after the Mountain Duke's death, the shadows protecting the Belphang Duke family had vanished, creating the perfect environment for the Shades to rampage unchecked.
"The lord is dead, and the family has been wiped out. What are we even fighting for now?"
A middle-aged knight asked.
They had lost everything overnight. With the entire duke family slain, the knights had no one left to pledge their loyalty to.
They had no choice but to lose the will to fight.
Three days had passed since receiving Shade's report that the Belphang Duke family had been annihilated.
The Philius Imperial Army maintained their encirclement of the central city but refrained from launching any attacks.
Across the high walls, a tense silence hung between the two camps.
"Do we really not need to attack?"
Sylvia approached Raymond cautiously from behind as he sat in front of the command tent, gazing quietly toward the central city.
"Is there any need to?"
Raymond replied with a relaxed smile playing on his lips.
"The Belphang Domain Army lost their lord to whom they pledged loyalty, and with him gone, they've lost their cause. They won't hold out much longer."
"But Your Majesty, the situation at the Black Mountains isn't good either."
"No need to worry about that. The gates will open by tonight at the latest, tomorrow morning for sure. Want to bet on it?"
Sylvia shook her head with a faint smile at Raymond's confident tone.
"How could I bet against Your Majesty?"
"Then just wait and see. It'll happen just as I said."
With that, Raymond drained his cup. The cold, potent liquor slid down his throat, chasing away the last traces of drowsiness.
How much time passed? It certainly wasn't long.
"Something's happening."
The wind spirits relayed the city's disturbance to Sylvia. Her gaze turned to the central city ahead.
"There's fighting breaking out inside the city."
No sooner had she spoken than crimson smoke began rising from various spots in the Belphang central city. With the duke family's annihilation, the domain army had fractured internally, sparking battles.
The fighting didn't last long. In the clash between the surrender faction and the resistance faction, the surrender faction prevailed, and a pure white flag of truce rose atop the highest tower of the lord's castle.
It had been a foregone conclusion from the start. With the Mountain Duke dead and his family slaughtered by the Shades, there was no shortage of those advocating surrender.
"I told you it wouldn't take long."
It was Count Denitz. He had appeared behind Raymond at some point and now stood beside him, grinning at the wide-open gates of the central city.
"Even though they've lost their head, I hear the resistance faction was still the majority in the Belphang Domain Army. The Imperial Propaganda Department's efforts were crucial."
The Imperial Propaganda Department was a new agency under the Central Intelligence Agency, commanded by Count Denitz. They had played a major role in breaking the domain army's morale through tactical agitation and public opinion campaigns.
At first, the department was meant to play only a supporting role. No one had anticipated it would provide such direct assistance.
"You did well, Count."
"You're too kind, Your Majesty."
Count Denitz bowed as he replied, and Raymond nodded silently. He then raised his left hand to summon the Royal Guard.
"Your Majesty, your command?"
The first to arrive was Viscount Illusion. He had suffered a grievous wound in the recent battle but had luckily recovered enough to return to the Emperor's side as his shield.
"Relay the order to the Northern Central Army Commander, Count Acon, to prepare his troops."
"Understood."
Viscount Illusion vanished to carry out the order. Soon after, William Acon received the imperial command and placed the Northern Central Army on standby. Raymond then led the Imperial Army under Cassias's command into the central city first.
There was no resistance. The surrender faction waved their white flags, welcoming the Imperial Army. They offered the severed heads of resistance knights and nobles, begging the Emperor for mercy.
"Their crime of daring to raise swords against Your Majesty is grave indeed, but since they've surrendered, it might be wise to temper the punishment accordingly."
Count Denitz suggested. Raymond nodded slowly, a faint smile on his lips. He had already decided on the punishment for these rebels.
"Raise your heads."
Raymond said in a solemn voice. The kneeling nobles and knights lifted their heads in unison.
"By rights, you should all be executed on the spot, but since I promised mercy, your lives and houses shall be spared."
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"
The nobles and knights cheered. They hadn't expected their houses to be preserved as well, so their joy was immense. Unfortunately for them, Raymond's words weren't finished.
"But nothing comes free."
Now came the conclusion.
"Tomorrow, a portion of the Northern Central Army will march to the Black Mountains."
The nobles' and knights' eyes wavered. The mood had shifted ominously.
"Do you wish to preserve your houses? Then join the Northern Central Army at the Black Mountains and prove your worth."
"Y-Your Majesty..."
The faces of those who had dared to rebel against the imperial family and empire paled. Their relief at survival and house preservation was short-lived.
They knew full well what the Black Mountains were like. They knew how hard it was to return alive. The brief relief gave way to rising anger.
"Your Majesty! This cannot—"
An elderly noble shot to his feet, raising his voice. At Raymond's gesture, a sharp ice shard flew out, piercing the old noble's throat.
"Gurk... grrrk!"
"If anyone else has complaints, step forward."
Silence fell. As Imperial Army soldiers dragged away the corpse, Raymond regarded the trembling nobles and knights with a calm expression.
"You were all dead men walking to begin with."
Unlike the early-surrendering banner families, these were turncoats who had resisted to the end before switching sides at the last moment—true fence-sitters who deserved no mercy.
"I could have you all executed right here."
Even the Inner Palace Bureau, Military Affairs Bureau, and Interior Ministry would have no objections.
"If you refuse this final chance to preserve your lives and houses, you won't leave this place alive."
Sharp sounds of steel rang out. The Royal Guard raised their fierce auras, and Imperial Army knights drew their swords. They were ready to slaughter the nobles at the Emperor's word.
"W-We shall obey your imperial command!"
Overwhelmed by the chilling killing intent, the nobles had no choice but to yield. Raymond nodded with a faint smile at their quaking forms. A satisfactory outcome.
"I'll specially permit you to mobilize your private troops."
What help could untrained nobles be in the perilous Black Mountains?
From the start, Raymond had his eye on their private soldiers.
With permission to mobilize, the nobles would select their finest to form units, desperate to survive.
By keeping them dispersed and assigning Shades as monitors, the risk of rebellion would drop sharply. Wouldn't it be best to turn masterless blades against the enemy?
Raymond had already worked out the details with Counts Denitz and Potas on how to utilize these rebels' forces.
"Abandon any foolish thoughts. Focus on proving your worth in the Black Mountains."
"We shall do our utmost!"
Raymond said coldly. The nobles trembled under his fierce presence. At his signal, armed Imperial Army knights approached them.
"We'll escort you."
The polite-sounding words were no different from coercion. The nobles who had resisted to the end in the central city were thus forcibly escorted away under duress.
"Is it finally over?"
The civil war with the Mountain Duke ended here. Though victorious, the heavy toll in Philius imperial blood left no room for joy.
"Your Majesty."
He was lost in thought when Count Potas emerged from the shadows beside a central hall pillar.
"What is it?"
"A guest from the Knight Order has arrived."
A guest from the hitherto watchful Knight Order? Raymond grinned and spoke.
"A welcome visitor. Escort them to the reception room."