Chapter 273
Chapter 273
Iron Emperor — Chapter 273
[The Holy Empire of Henesia hereby proclaims righteous punishment in the name of the Lord God upon South Roselin, a lawless band that has annexed North Roselin by force. The original annexation of South Roselin by North Roselin came to pass because the rightful heir to that kingdom's throne was driven out. Yet the remnants of South Roselin concealed this truth from the royal house of Gauri and crept beneath their shadow.
Thereupon the royal house of North Roselin went forth to Gauri seeking their return, but these remnants caused Gauri to misunderstand the facts and drove the innocent youths of North Roselin to their deaths.
Not stopping there, they have gone so far as to perpetrate atrocities even against North Roselin, borne upon the power of Gauri. Therefore we decree punishment upon South Roselin in the name of the Lord God. Let the righteous peoples of the continent not be deceived by the tongues of the wicked.
It is manifest that Gauri knew nothing of the full scope of these affairs, and therefore Gauri shall face no sanction whatsoever. We seek only the blood of South Roselin. Wherefore to all nations existing upon the continent......(abridged)......Victory shall be ours in this holy war.
The Slegian Maritime Empire applauds the Holy Empire's resolve and hereby declares its support for the same.]
The Maritime Empire's concurrence at the very bottom.
That single line alone had stripped the war of all meaning. Clearly, they would gain something for backing the Holy Empire instead of the Federal Empire.
"What are we to do."
Duke Baikal's voice came out thick with despondency.
This was as good as saying the Maritime Empire and the Federal Empire would place no restraint whatever upon the Holy Empire. Reading this, no one would come to their aid.
"I-investigation confirms that this missive has been delivered to Gauri, as well as to Haian and Marlon."
At the wizard's additional explanation, Alsein could only close his eyes. He could do nothing but cling to hope with the desperation of a drowning man clutching at straws — hope that Gauri, at least, would help them.
Go Jin-cheon slowly read through the letter Mong Ryu-hwa had brought, then crumpled it in one hand and tossed it forward.
As casually as discarding a scrap of wastepaper...
"What is it, sir?"
Eulji Buru darted over and snatched up the paper. While Buru read the wrinkled and wadded letter, Uru, curiosity piqued, pressed his head close and read along.
"King Ssen's words are proving roughly correct."
"The Maritime Empire?"
"That's right."
Yeon Hwi-garam had not read the letter, but he nodded as if he had already guessed as much.
"Then we must send a reply."
Just as Jin-cheon was about to nod, a wizard came dashing in, clutching a crystal orb.
"A m-magic communication has come in from the H-Holy Empire!"
"Is it Schung?"
Jin-cheon rested his chin on his hand and asked the wizard. The wizard held out the crystal orb with both hands and spoke again.
"I-It is M-Millior. The E-Em..."
"Enough. Connect it!"
Seeing the wizard trembling violently, Jin-cheon gestured as though annoyed and turned his head toward the crystal orb.
[Are you the king of Gauri? I am called Shau Hwan Millior.]
"........."
A long sentence came from within the crystal orb.
"What did he just say?"
[..........]
Jin-cheon was not wearing a translation item at that moment.
Emperor Millior inside the crystal orb, too, seemed unable to grasp what Go Jin-cheon had uttered, and kept silence. In a word, he had realized his greeting had been ignored.
"Hm, my apologies."
Jin-cheon, now wearing the interpretation ring that had been beside him, delivered a brief apology toward Millior in the orb. He had not understood the words, but he had guessed the man was the emperor.
[Pffhu-hut. That was amusing. I did not expect to be treated to such a sight.]
"I say again, my apologies. For putting you through that."
[.......]
The substance was an apology, but the tone was somehow peculiar. To be precise, it was mockery. Millior inside the crystal orb and Jin-cheon spent a moment trading silence, each simply watching the other's eyes.
[I presume you have read the missive.]
"I did read it."
[What will you do.]
"..........."
Emperor Millior wore a curling smile inside the crystal orb. When Jin-cheon, confidence plain on his face, remained silent, Millior spoke again from the orb.
[I hope you do not commit the folly of choosing Roselin, which would collapse at the slightest touch. How about this! I will give you half of Haian.]
"Half of Haian..."
A staggering offer.
From the Holy Empire's standpoint, there was absolutely no reason to utter such words. As Jin-cheon let his words trail off, someone spoke in a low, suggestive tone.
[I have heard much about you from Schung. This is our first meeting, but...]
"......."
Millior inside the crystal orb drew his face close and spoke as if whispering.
[I found you to my liking. You interest me.]
"I don't like you. You don't interest me."
[.......]
"Hk!"
When Jin-cheon immediately answered Millior's friendly words with open dislike, the wizard holding the crystal orb let out a short gasp.
[A pity. Then I shall take it that my offer is refused. But do reconsider. I am a generous man.]
"There will be no reconsideration."
To Millior's last words, Jin-cheon gave an answer that brooked no second thought, then slowly drew the interpretation ring from his finger and set it aside. And to Millior within the crystal orb, he smiled and sent his final farewell.
Even in the face of the casual, disrespectful speech that Go Jin-cheon had let fly inside the crystal orb, Emperor Shau Hwan Millior did not lose his smile, and instead wore a faintly regretful expression.
"A pity. Then I shall take it that my offer is refused. But do reconsider. I am a generous man."
[There will be no reconsideration.]
Jin-cheon's answer shot back as though not even a second's deliberation had been needed. Millior was about to bid him farewell.
He paused briefly at the sight of Jin-cheon removing his interpretation ring inside the crystal orb.
[$#%#$%@>]
"........."
Leaving behind unintelligible words, the image in the crystal orb went out. Duke Schung, who had been standing at attention in the rear, silently watched the emperor, who kept his silence while staring at the darkened crystal orb.
"Kae horochasik dijeobeoryeo..."
The words that suddenly left Millior's mouth.
"Schung, do you know what this means?"
They had been words Jin-cheon had left in the Gauri tongue after removing his interpretation ring and before cutting off the magic communication. Schung, his face troubled, answered Millior.
"It sounded like "Kae horochasik dijeobeoryeo..." but I cannot determine the meaning. I shall have a subordinate find out."
"Still, Duke Schung's pronunciation is better, having been to Gauri in person. Good. This war shall not be boring. Wouldn't you agree, Schung?"
"Everything will unfold according to Your Imperial Majesty's will."
Millior, who had been rising from his seat with a pleased smile at Schung's words, paused briefly on his way out.
"See here, Schung."
"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty."
Schung bowed his back as he answered, looking at Millior's turned back.
"Those words just now."
"Pardon?"
"Kae horochasik dijeobeoryeo."
"I shall learn their meaning with all haste."
When Schung answered as though making a firm pledge, Millior, who had been standing with his back turned, quietly twisted his head to look at him and, with a smile on his face, opened his mouth.
"There is no need to find out. Judging by the tone, they were not kind words."
"Understood."
"That necklace is pretty."
"......."
Duke Schung, watching Millior turn his head again and walk away, felt the back of his tunic growing damp with sweat. His own necklace had translation magic woven into it.
Having delivered what amounted to his own personal declaration of war right to Emperor Millior's face, Jin-cheon rose from the Throne of Yeolje with a displeased look on his face.
"Your last words were somewhat... What will you do if their side actually understands them?"
When Dae Mu-deok cautiously ventured a remark about his final utterance, Jin-cheon, whose mood had soured thoroughly, answered sullenly.
"Whether they understand it or not, I don't care."
"But still..."
As Mu-deok, flustered by Jin-cheon's persistently sullen words, moved to follow, a voice rang out.
"Who does he think he is, talking down to me? If he's going to cut his words in half, I'll cut him in half at the waist when I see him."
"Heh-heh-heh."
"Kee-hee-hee!"
"........."
Jin-cheon's mood had twisted itself into a knot over Millior's condescending and casual speech. Amidst Yeon Hwi-garam's laughter and Eulji Buru's cackling ringing through the Imperial Hall, Mu-deok stared blankly at the door through which Jin-cheon had vanished.
"Don't worry about it. You'll shorten your life."
"Hmm."
Mu-deok sighed and lowered his head. Hwi-garam started walking away, leaving one remark behind.
"At the very least, have we not learned that the Holy Empire is not aiming solely for Roselin?"
"What do you mean by that?"
At Hwi-garam's words, Mu-deok and Buru's eyes went wide. Hwi-garam, who had paused briefly in his steps, turned back around and spat out a single phrase.
"Half of the Kingdom of Haian."
"Ah!"
"Hoh."
Only then did they understand.
If so, one could conclude that the remaining half had been secretly promised to the Maritime Empire for being drawn into this affair. Mu-deok, whose thoughts had reached this far, furrowed his brow, thinking that this war was growing ever more unfathomable.
"It has also become difficult to pour all our strength into Roselin alone."
"Hoh."
One could see that this war had not begun just now, but had been underway for a long time already.
The thought struck him that the reason they had merely stood by and watched ever since the Roselin War, all the way until North Roselin's fall, had ultimately all been for this present situation.
'Terrifying...'
Mu-deok found himself reconsidering the emperor of the Holy Empire.
On this day, the Holy Empire's declaration of war was directed not at Roselin, but at the continent as a whole.
Chapter 89 — The Season of War Begins
When Emperor Shau Hwan Millior's declaration of war flew out across the continent, the repercussions were far from small. For Emperor Amelie de Can Vish of the Federal Empire in particular, it was a bolt from the blue.
"Connect me to that old man of the Maritime Empire at once!"
Emperor Bishu's roaring shout burst forth.
"I already tried."
Standing before Vish was the Chief of Intelligence, wearing his customary impassive expression. Seeing that composed demeanor so starkly opposite to his own agitation, Vish momentarily reined in his anger and asked.
"You tried. And what did he say?"
"He is away on an official tour and could not be reached."
"........"
A stupefying answer.
To Vish, who was at a loss for words, the Chief of Intelligence opened his mouth again as if to supplement the reply, conveying the Maritime Empire's message.
"Their duke fellow says that South Roselin was indeed in the wrong. That is all, he says."
"......."
The Chief of Intelligence maintained his composure.
Emperor Bishu was fond of that cold rationality in his Chief of Intelligence, which was why he always had the man at his side in matters of importance.
"Countermeasures?"
"We have none yet."
A man could not be pleasing at all times. Vish let his suppressed rage explode.
"Then what the hell is your job!"
Vish roared at the Chief of Intelligence.
"I am the Chief of Intelli—"
Smack!
It was Vish's bronze goblet that struck the Chief of Intelligence square on the head as he answered back obediently. Though struck quite forcefully on the forehead, he merely crouched and rubbed his wound instead of crying out.