Chapter 253
Chapter 253
The Iron Emperor, Chapter 253
When their eyes met, Hwi-garam's faint smile ought to have put the onlooker at ease, but to Mu-deok—who worried about everything—it looked like an unconcerned grin.
A coalition of states was certainly necessary, but the timing was undeniably premature.
The work of assimilating the prisoners taken during the Roselin War into the Gauri populace was not yet fully complete, and the national economy, excessively tilted toward the military, had not yet been brought into proper balance.
Precisely for those reasons, they could not help but devote even greater care to their defenses, and the conduct of the Holy Empire's envoy, who had returned once more, could not help but scrape at their nerves. And on top of that, had not a vast military force, estimated at close to a hundred thousand, sailed out to somewhere?
However many victories Gauri had strung together, avoiding war as much as possible was still the wisest course while the interior remained unsettled.
'Fortunately, they aren't seizing on the Roselin War.'
Mu-deok's initial anxiety had been that the envoy would use the prior delegation under Palo II as a pretext to pick a quarrel, but seeing them apologize for that incident themselves, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Moreover, they showed no sign of seizing on the Roselin War either, which lifted Mu-deok's worries a degree further.
'They annexed the Northern Roselin region themselves anyway, so dragging the issue of this war out any further would be unreasonable on their part too.'
Mu-deok's expression eased.
"Nevertheless, from the Holy Empire's standpoint, we cannot simply ignore the request of the North Roselin Royal House."
...And twisted.
No one paid any mind to Mu-deok's twisted expression. Or rather, the topic itself was so absurd. Had they not killed off every last member of the North Roselin Royal House?
"It seems you've located the King of North Roselin?"
When Jin-cheon asked the question calmly, Duke Schung smiled and inclined his head.
"Regrettably, His Highness Cadel of North Roselin passed away from the aftereffects of the war, but fortunately the First Prince is under the protection of our Holy Empire."
"......."
"Was our Holy Empire not an ally of North Roselin? We therefore bear a duty to assist in the restoration of the Roselin region. Your esteemed country will surely have to grant its understanding in this matter."
Even amid the silence of the great hall, Duke Schung said every last thing he had come to say.
He had clearly said "First Prince."
The Holy Empire, claiming to protect a man already dead.
"Heh."
An inscrutable laugh slipped from Jin-cheon's lips. Hwi-garam too ducked his head slightly, smiling.
Was it because the whole thing was too absurd for words?
"In any case, from the Holy Empire's standpoint, you mean to say you must throw your weight behind the restoration of the North Roselin Royal House?"
"Exactly so. In truth, the earlier subjugation of the Northern Region was carried out in the same vein. The cause was that the nobles of the northern territories had betrayed the Royal House."
"And so you subjugated them."
As Jin-cheon nodded with an expression of comprehension at Duke Schung's explanation, Hwi-garam, who was beside him, asked another question.
"Why, then, did you not proclaim that fact publicly beforehand? Did not the Slegian Maritime Empire and the Federal Empire cause considerable uproar over the matter? Had you proclaimed it and simply announced that the North Roselin prince was in your custody, that would have sufficed. That, I find somewhat difficult to understand."
Hwi-garam's question was only natural.
If the Holy Empire had made that fact public from the start and acted accordingly, the matter could have been handled quietly, opposition notwithstanding.
"Our relationships with the Federal Empire and the Maritime Empire are such that confrontation with them is unavoidable in any case. Even had we offered an explanation, it is self-evident that they would have picked a quarrel. And..."
Duke Schung, who had let his words trail off for a moment, raised his head slightly and continued, enunciating each word clearly.
"The Holy Empire has no reason to care what other empires think."
"Oh?"
A small sound of admiration escaped Jin-cheon's mouth. The frail civil official who had once collapsed helplessly over a jar of liquor was nowhere to be seen; what stood before him now was the figure of a seasoned envoy.
"I see."
Hwi-garam nodded, taking up Duke Schung's words in his place. In any case, Duke Schung's words were a pretext.
If saying that the North Roselin royals had fled alive despite having been killed to the last man had been a pretext of Gauri and Roselin to wrap up the war, then Duke Schung's assertion that they were protecting the already dead First Prince was likewise a pretext, meant to placate Gauri suitably.
Saying they paid the other two empires no mind while revealing this fact to Gauri was no different from discreetly extending a hand. With Roselin as the prize, no less.
"You are aware that we are an ally of the Roselin Royal House."
When Jin-cheon asked with a quiet smile, Duke Schung inclined his head and replied.
"I am aware, which is why I state our position thus."
Mu-deok began to tense up.
Knowing Jin-cheon's temperament, there was no way he would simply let such a transparent scheme pass unchallenged.
"I've grasped roughly what you mean. For now, take a meal, then return to your quarters."
"You have our gratitude."
Mu-deok stared at Jin-cheon with surprised eyes. Not that Jin-cheon had a violently impulsive personality, but he pathologically detested people who used cunning tricks—and now, in this situation, he was going so far as to share a meal?
'At long last, His Majesty is learning statecraft!'
Mu-deok looked at Jin-cheon anew, overcome with emotion.
When the meal was brought out, Jin-cheon picked up his spoon and chopsticks, then glanced around the table as though looking for something. He looked toward the steward and spoke.
"The liquor's missing. We should have something to drink with the meal."
"......."
Duke Schung's body stiffened.
"Bring it out by the vat. Duke Schung is a hearty fellow, after all."
"It shall be done."
Hearing the steward's response, Mu-deok and Hwi-garam lowered their heads and sighed.
'That's more like it...'
However things went, Jin-cheon was not the type to send a man off gently. And Duke Schung was turning to white ash and wafting away.
'He means to assassinate me with drink...'
This must be exactly the expression of a man who has renounced the world.
* * *
Unusually, Go Jin-cheon's bedchamber was occupied by a number of people. Centered on Jin-cheon sat Dae Mu-deok, then Risel, Yeon Hwi-garam, and the Eulji Brothers.
Instead of the serving women, Eulji and Yunias personally brought out tea.
"You handled that well earlier."
Mu-deok was speaking carefully, wearing an awkward smile, as if grateful that Jin-cheon had merely made Duke Schung drink and left it at that. He could not help it; Jin-cheon had abruptly taken out the Hwandudaedo and was tending to it.
"Mm."
Even at Mu-deok's remark, Jin-cheon's expression remained stiff. But aside from tending the Hwandudaedo, he displayed no anger.
"In the end, the Holy Empire never considered our Gauri worth taking seriously from the start, did they?"
Hwi-garam calmly broke the silence, addressing Jin-cheon. Whereupon Buru, who had belatedly heard the contents of the great hall discussion, blinked and asked.
"Damn, ain't old Duke Schung's words meanin' somethin' else?"
When Buru voiced his skepticism, Uru too nodded in agreement, as if concurring.
"That's right. Anyway, them Holy Empire bastards are rankin' us higher than the Federal Empire or the Maritime Empire lot, ain't they?"
"......."
At the two successive questions from Buru and Uru, Jin-cheon's hand, which had been tending the Hwandudaedo, came to a stop.
The moment Jin-cheon's movements halted, the Eulji Brothers felt his gaze upon them. They quietly lowered their heads and kept silent. They knew when to keep their heads down.
"Ahem. At first glance it may appear that way, but their objective surely extends not only to Roselin and Haian but also to Gauri and the Malin Kingdom."
When Mu-deok offered his opinion, Jin-cheon's stare, which had been fixed on the Eulji Brothers, shifted away.
Scrape.
Wordlessly, Jin-cheon sheathed the Hwandudaedo and slowly began to speak.
"From our standpoint it’s infuriating, but the Henesia Holy Empire probably sees us as a nuisance for now—something that might join forces with the other two empires if they make a move. That’s why they’re pretending to offer us a hand, just enough to keep us from doing that. Sending that old fox Schung this time is part of it...."
"You rotten bastards!"
Buru, who finally understood at Jin-cheon's explanation, sprang to his feet, fire blazing in his eyes. At Buru's belated fury, Jin-cheon fixed him with a complicated look and quelled his anger at once.
"...Just sit down, would you?"
"Got it."
Buru sat back down as fast as he had stood up, responding to Jin-cheon's order. Hwi-garam asked carefully.
"What will you do?"
"Roselin will be next. Then Haian, and Malin."
"Indeed. The Federal Empire and the sea lot are also clearly biding their time."
He was describing the sequence in which the alliance they had barely forged would be shattered again. For now, the Federation and the Maritime Empire remained quiet because they were still gauging the situation, but if one pillar of the Gauri-centered alliance crumbled, it was only natural that they would pounce all at once.
"Interesting. This current situation... does it not resemble something?"
"What do you mean?"
Risel wore a puzzled expression at Jin-cheon's words. His eyes darted around, and they caught sight of Mu-deok, ordinarily so composed, now hardening his expression as well.
"Tang!"
"Those cursed sons of whores!"
At Mu-deok's single shouted word, his eyes blazing, Uru erupted in fury.
"What the Tang bastards did before they invaded was to peel our allies away from us. Well, this time, instead of the periphery, you could say the pressure is coming straight at us."
It was one of the reasons Gauri had collapsed before crossing over to this other world. After a string of defeats in the war against Gauri, Tang had prepared slowly and at length, not rushing. They had pried Gauri's allies loose and isolated them. The fall of Baekje was in the same vein.
"We have no choice."
Mu-deok's expression hardened beyond anything seen before. Was it because the regret from his days as Captain of the Guard—when he had failed to protect the previous Yeolje to the end—was resurfacing?
"Right."
Jin-cheon nodded toward Mu-deok. And then he continued, his words slow and deliberate.
"We fight."
At Jin-cheon's words, Yunias's face darkened. Eulji, too, though she showed it less openly, had a shadow over her face.
"Damn right. Just leave it to me. I’ll chew those bastards’ hearts to pieces."
Buru's eyes blazed fiercely. At his words, Jin-cheon looked around at his dependable subordinates.
"That we must. In any case, this war was predestined from the moment we arrived in this place."
"It was only a question of timing."
When Hwi-garam responded, Jin-cheon lifted one corner of his mouth and nodded.
"Mu-deok. Hwi."
"Yes."
"As commanded."
The two responses burst forth at once.
"Buy us time. And Buru, Uru—prepare to mobilize all forces. So that we can commence the moment the envoy group departs."
"As commanded!"
"Risel, assist Mu-deok and prepare war materiel to the fullest extent possible."
"Understood."
Those receiving orders were already in a combat-ready posture. Jin-cheon watched them hurry out of the room, then turned his gaze to the sky as the sun was sinking.
The heavens were blazing red.
Chapter 82: A War That Cannot Be Avoided, A War That Cannot Be Lost, A War That Must Be Fought
Having completed their seven-day mission, Duke Schung and the envoy group retraced the road they had come by and set off for their homeland. The answer they carried back was "We shall consider it"—a response whose true intent was difficult to discern.
"This was never the path we should have taken in the first place."
Viscount Skara approached Duke Schung and spoke quietly. He wore a look of dissatisfaction, just as he had on the way there.
When Duke Schung said nothing in particular, Viscount Skara opened his mouth again.