Chapter 247
Chapter 247
The Iron Emperor — Chapter 247
Reports of the Holy Empire's lightning occupation of Roselin's northern region and the indiscriminate massacre that followed arrived quickly and accurately via Roselin.
A handful of escapees had crossed the Roselin border. Their number barely exceeded a hundred.
The intelligence network Gauri and Roselin had planted was swept away and annihilated in the conflagration, so there was no choice but to rely on those escapees.
Go Jin-cheon and his chief ministers found themselves unable to produce an easy answer to an unexpected turn of events.
"So you're telling me he gets slapped here and takes his anger out somewhere else?"
Jin-cheon muttered in a tone of disbelief. Yeon Hwi-garam and Dae Mu-deok, equally incredulous, shook their heads and added a word each.
"It makes no sense."
"Quite apart from that, sending an odd figure like Palo II as their envoy was already beyond common sense from the start."
"Judging solely by the results so far, in the eyes of the other empires it might look as though we joined hands with them and staged a rigged game together."
"Indeed. Since in the end they never laid a finger on any country connected to our side, they could conclude that we only pretended to be attacked and secretly joined hands behind the scenes."
Even Eulji Uru stepped forward to sum up the situation. The broad picture was coming together, yet something still nagged at them.
"They used us..."
Perhaps because the balance of power was so evenly matched, no clear answer was emerging.
"We may be quietly concentrating troops on the coast, but wouldn't those in a position to know already know?"
"Indeed. They say the Federal Empire just issued a troop mobilization order, so we must assume those bastards have also noticed the Holy Empire's movements."
At Eulji Buru's question, Uru nodded.
"The current pattern of troop movements resembles the earlier imperial wars."
When Gowin cautiously interjected, Jin-cheon felt his headache deepen.
"Charging in right now would be easier on the nerves."
"What if they are deceiving everyone?"
"Hm?"
At Gye Ung-sam's words, all eyes focused on him.
"We think we are being used. The Federal Empire will think it is being deceived... Isn't it a little strange to move covertly while displaying a pattern similar to the earlier battle? They are not fools—why would they repeat themselves?"
"You're right."
When Jin-cheon signaled agreement, Ung-sam continued to unfold his thoughts.
"The intelligence was that they were moving covertly. Our own intelligence operatives also learned this by chance."
"By chance. Not much to it, but it does give me pause."
Jin-cheon stroked his rough chin with a cautious expression. Ung-sam vigorously voiced his opinion.
"We must verify this point. Contact the Kingdom of Malin, the Roselin Kingdom, and the Haian Kingdom as well. Find out whether they acquired this intelligence, and if so, through what channel."
"Good. Anything even slightly suspicious, we check."
Having made his decision, Jin-cheon swiftly issued orders.
"Risel!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Right now, have the wizards under your command contact each kingdom by magic communication and verify the facts. Did you learn of the troop movements? If you did, how did you learn of them?"
"Understood."
Risel darted out of the great hall the moment the order left the emperor's lips.
Late that evening, the chief ministers reassembled in the Yeolje Hall with Go Jin-cheon and waited for Risel's return, for dispatches were arriving from each kingdom.
"Your Majesty!"
Before the attendant could even open his mouth, Risel burst in. Clutching several sheets of paper in both hands, he spoke as if utterly dumbfounded.
"After investigating, I have received word that the Roselin Kingdom and the Haian Kingdom acquired the same intelligence regarding the troop movements that we did."
At Risel's report, the ministers' faces grew grave.
"The acquisition channel?"
When Jin-cheon pressed for an answer, Risel spread out the documents and replied.
"They all said the same thing: top-secret intelligence obtained by chance."
"Damn it, I knew something smelled off..."
"Some top secret—every damned dog and cow knows about it."
Grumbling voices rippled through the room.
"So the Kingdom of Malin alone was unaware of this."
"That is correct."
"Archmage!"
Before Risel finished answering, a communications wizard dashed into the Yeolje Hall.
"An urgent dispatch has arrived from the Kingdom of Malin!"
The wizard's subsequent report was brief.
'Intelligence acquired that Holy Empire units are covertly massing along the central and northern coast. Acquisition channel: by chance...'
At the end of that brief report, Jin-cheon and his ministers were certain. All of this...
was a play staged by the Holy Empire to deceive everyone.
After a meal was brought to the Yeolje Hall and they had quickly filled their stomachs, the discussion continued.
"In the end, if they are not targeting the Federal Empire, it will be the Haian Kingdom or our Gauri."
"What of the possibility that they might join hands with the Federal Empire?"
Buyeo Gi-yul offered an ominous answer.
"Is that possible, Gowin?"
Judging that asking Gowin—the one most versed in continental warfare among them—would be faster, Jin-cheon turned to Gowin with the question.
Gowin's answer was...
"That is... rather unlikely, I think. In fact, one reason the Kingdom of Malin and the Roselin Kingdom were able to survive was the existence of the Maritime Empire. If the two empires joined hands and each expanded their own territory, the Maritime Empire would launch a landing campaign into the mainland. Because that is what has always happened."
"Just because it has always happened does not mean it must continue to happen."
When Giyul offered a mild rebuttal, Gowin shook his head firmly.
"Given the Maritime Empire's position, they cannot simply stand by and watch the two great empires grow larger. Even now their military strength is the weakest among the three great empires. If the gap widens further, the three-power structure will become two great powers and one middling power."
"Mm."
Eventually the discussion circled back to where it began.
"The ultimate target must be our Gauri. Before that, the odds are high they will strike the Haian Kingdom to secure a bridgehead..."
"Given the current state of our forces, dispersing our deployment is problematic. In the end, we must concentrate our forces in the most threatened sector. And for the rest, it would be best to assign only the troops needed to hold the fortifications."
Once Yeon Hwi-garam summarized the situation, the Gauri commanders—who had no better response—began moving quickly.
Risel likewise relayed the details discussed to Roselin, the Kingdom of Malin, and the Haian Kingdom. The more thorough the preparations, the better.
* * *
The white sand beach baked hotly, giving rise to shimmering heat haze. The intensity of the heat was obvious at a glance.
"Heave! Heave!"
"Run faster!"
The heat was bad enough, but bronze-skinned men were also running across sand deep enough to swallow their ankles while shouts urged them onward.
Even the beads of sweat dripping from them evaporated in an instant.
"Ahh!"
Under the shade of a tree, entirely out of place, hung a hammock.
Reclining in it and sipping a cool drink, one man looked as though he had stepped into an entirely different world.
His name was...
"Commander-in-Chief Gerard!"
"Ah, what!"
Phillian Gerard.
"A communication has come in from home."
"Ngh. It was quiet for a while and now what. Damn it, I couldn't even attend the imperial wedding. Do they only call when they need me?"
Gerard grumbled, but he showed no sign of dragging his feet.
Stomp. Stomp.
Swish. Swish.
"Don't follow me."
Without so much as a backward glance, Gerard snapped irritably and quickened his pace again.
Stomp. Stomp.
Swish. Swish.
"......"
Gerard stopped once more.
Jang Bogo, who had been watching the scene, clicked his tongue and exploded.
"Ah, what do you think you're doing right now! Hurry up and come, I said!"
"Damn it, we'll finish this later!"
Stomp. Stomp. Stomp!
Swish. Swish. Swish!
As Gerard strode faster, someone diligently followed right behind him.
"This is Gerard."
[It is Risel.]
"Whoa! Isn't it the Archmage! Ugh, please, just teleport me out of here! Please!"
[C-calm down!]
The moment Gerard saw Risel and greeted him in a delighted voice, his face collapsed into a mask of misery, and he soon began clutching the crystal orb for magical communication and throwing a fit.
"He's at it again. Drag him off!"
The moment Bogo gave the order, bronze-skinned young men rushed in as if they had been waiting and barely managed to pry Gerard away.
"Damn that Siren or whatever it is..."
It was a bizarre byproduct of his pathological fixation on the Siren.