SWNOVELXO Chapter 156
“Kwakh! Hah! Alcohol! More alcohol! Hurry!”
Despair for the powerful strikes when they have lost power itself.
They do not mourn the loss of family. They do not mourn the loss of ministers. They mourn nothing, regardless of what they lose.
But the emptiness that comes when something they believed to be their own vanishes becomes poison.
And that poison erases any brilliance, any confidence, completely.
King of Benito, Andrea II. Though there were many excessive parts, there were also quite a few commendable aspects.
Without him, Benito would have remained just another kingdom in the South.
With a singular determination to become the center among the various southern kingdoms.
Furthermore, to completely break free from the influence of the Holy Kingdom.
Though there were clear overreaches, he was not a king without merit.
Yet now, everything has vanished, and he is completely addicted to the poison of emptiness.
The south of Benito has surrendered, the royal capital has been taken, and now even the king’s name has been lost.
All that remains is a portion of northern territory and a handful of noble followers.
“Your Majesty. Urgent news. The Empire that has taken the royal capital is moving again.”
“The soldiers are in turmoil. The commanders and nobles are managing to contain them somehow, but to fully hold them down, Your Majesty must step up personally!”
Yet, the remaining ministers still offer counsel to Andrea II.
In this situation, the king must step forward to show his resilience.
It may be a desperate situation, but it is not the end. There are still supporting forces.
Many in northern Benito follow Andrea II, making a comeback not entirely impossible.
If the king steps up and encourages them, this chaos can be quelled.
If they ally with Dedorant, although they may not regain the royal capital, they can maintain the status quo.
First and foremost, shouldn’t they prioritize survival? Living comes first, doesn’t it?
“Do as you wish! What does it matter?! They’ve already crowned a new king at their whim! Should I go and pay my respects as well?!”
But Andrea II, already addicted to the poison, could only focus on the alcohol.
No matter what the ministers said, he dismissed them all, leaving them to handle it on their own.
What remained for him was nothing but a constant longing for past glories.
“Kekeke… If I hadn’t lost that battle. If only! I wouldn’t have fallen this low! Foolish commanders have devoured my proud army! Argh!!”
It is indeed true that there were mistakes made by the commanders.
However, the reason lies squarely with Andrea II himself.
He moved the army recklessly due to overconfidence and provoked the Empire.
In that process, a brilliant strategist who shattered the East intervened.
At that moment, the fate of Benito was all but sealed.
“I have raised Benito this high, and yet these incompetent fools! These traitors! I curse them! I curse them! I will curse all of you!”
Given the circumstances, even those barely holding it together began to waver.
No matter how loyalty to the royal family is a virtue for ministers and nobles, it only holds value when it is worth something.
In times like this, where there is neither dreams nor hope, blindly chasing becomes impossible.
Ministers and nobles alike ultimately have those they are responsible for.
Ignoring that, to be able to fall together, there can only be two types.
An unwavering loyal subject or a foolish one.
Unfortunately, neither were among those remaining by Andrea II’s side.
They offered loyalty, but that had its limits, and they were not foolish either.
Ultimately, human beings seek out a way to survive.
*
“Chief of Staff. Reports are coming in from the southern front. A few from northern Benito are discreetly expressing their intent to surrender.”
“I already told you that the cart has passed, didn’t I?”
“I did not forget that part. Then they reached out again, suggesting that if we bring a significant gift that could justify the cart’s return, it could be an option.”
“…Huh?”
A significant gift that could justify the cart’s return. I understood all too well what that meant.
Are they, perhaps, suggesting they will bring the king they had been serving?
Even the princess beside me gasped in disbelief.
“No, surely these ministers. Nobles don’t mean to say they’d capture the king they serve and bring him back, right?”
“It seems they want to imply that our true king resides in the South. It feels like they are trying to use that as a justification.”
“Even so, that seems a bit off. If Andrea II were to surrender, maybe that would make sense. But having ministers or nobles bring their king as an offering is not a good look.”
I fully agreed with the princess’s sentiment.
This world is a perfect monarchy. Where the imperial authority, the royal authority, is the very law and truth.
Therefore, even if it’s an enemy state, respect for each nation’s kings is maintained.
A monarch is someone whose sanctity can be highlighted even in our own country.
How can ministers and nobles dare to treat a king so carelessly, even handing them over?
This would be unsettling even if it were in enemy territory.
Let alone from the perspective of our Empire, which hosts the sole emperor of the continent.
The emperor is the rightful ruler and representative of the continent ordained by the gods.
Though kings of other nations may not stand on the same level as the emperor, they still rank directly below.
To ignore the transgression of treating such a sacred entity lightly is akin to spitting in one’s own face.
“I was even considering just letting them proceed as instructed and then changing my mind at the last minute to eliminate those who brought the king… But if I do that, it will set a precedent for how we treat the surrenderers, and that’s problematic.”
This is no simple war that our Empire has waged until recently.
This is a conquest war that has recommenced. To maintain stability in the future, what is acceptable and what is not must be distinctly classified.
“It seems this matter needs to be submitted to the system for news.”
“I think so too.”
There are indeed powers here, but this matter falls outside my jurisdiction.
In circumstances like this, it’s best to pass it swiftly to the administration.
Not long after, the system returned a conclusion regarding that matter.
[ Forbidden ]
As expected. No matter how much of an enemy state it may be, capturing and offering a king is indeed a bit much.
With that in mind, the remaining nobles of northern Benito could worry about being caught up as well.
Yet, what kind of place is this Empire? It is a massive realm that has been well managed until now.
The proposal they suggested was marked as forbidden, along with an additional note.
[ However, departing from the Northern Benito king by other means is permitted ]
[ An attack on northern Benito will commence soon with the surrendered nobility and their armies at the forefront ]
Once the attack begins, it means to feign a retreat or not to respond.
By doing so, they can achieve the desired results without anything becoming apparent.
While the story of ministers and nobles surrendering their king may swirl around.
Simultaneously, they too will seek their own paths to minimize the Empire’s damages.
‘It looks like it will truly be soon.’
One month. Within that time frame, Benito will come to an end. The south will be resolved.
What remains is Atria. And Dedorant. Of course, Atria is nearing its end as well.
Speaking of which, they said the castle fell, and Atria gathered their forces for a counterattack.
It doesn’t seem like the wisest choice. After all, my sister is there.
Initially, I was worried. But by now, I have grown accustomed to it.
For good reason, each report that comes in bears terrible news.
Kaya swung a sword and took down several Atria knights, or so they said.
Charging in with a spear and downing dozens in under ten minutes, or so they reported.
At this point, the title of genius feels more suitable for Kaya than for me.
*
“Fire! Fire! Hey, what are you doing? Shoot! Shoot!!”
“Waaaahh!!”
The werewolf lets out a roar. The fortified walls at the defensive point crumble down.
The soldiers from Atria behind them disappear without even having the chance to scream.
Every time that scene plays out, Nobogord and the Northern Legion of the Empire erupt in cheers.
It may be cruel. However, this is the battlefield, and they are the enemies.
There is nothing more joyous and exhilarating than watching the enemies get swept away.
Especially if it’s being done by a siege weapon rather than themselves.
If that weapon is the largest and most powerful of its kind, the exhilaration doubles.
“Hahaha! You damned Atria folks! Just die already!”
“Prepare the next one! We’ll shoot like crazy until they surrender!”
The werewolf’s performance surpassed expectations.
Although it required an astronomical cost for its creation and transport, the effect was clear.
What it shot down had defensive points and castles that could barely withstand a day.
Once its usefulness was proven, the Empire’s Northern Legion joined forces with Nobogord to place additional orders.
“Werewolf! More! More!! Just ten of these would knock Atria and Dedorant all over!”
Thanks to this, the Ministry of War and Ministry of Finance found themselves in a position of neither smiling nor crying.
If only they had become utterly useless, it would have ended with a single sweep.
Instead, both the allied legions and the demon tribe rushed to pay compliments to this gigantic weapon.
If they don’t send more due to their pride over not wasting money, it would be shameful.
It would be one thing if they were losing the war. But oddly enough, the northern front is enjoying a great victory.
To maintain that momentum, they should indeed create more.
Meanwhile, Atria, faced with this terrifying weapon, was in a state of shock.
At first glance, it was nothing short of a wasteful siege device. One could only wonder what they were thinking while crafting it.
But once hit, it was a moment that snapped them to attention like divine wrath.
“I surrender! I surrender! Please, just don’t shoot that insane thing!”
Desperate pleas from Atria were made, yet orders had already been issued from Kael.
Even if they truly sought surrender, they would shoot once to break morale before overwhelming them with the atmosphere.
Should they lash out in rage and retract their surrender? Then they would be truly blessed with a storm of hellfire.
As the defenses crumbled in an instant, Atria had to make a decision.
They would gather all their forces for a crucial counterattack.
“Our Atria will initiate a counterattack right here in the Erden Forest!”
“We have a chance if we encircle and annihilate the protruding Nobogord forces!”
The unfortunate part for them was that lurking in that protrusion was the fearsome messenger they dreaded.