Chapter 239 – The Unceasing Sound of Swords (3/4)
It was as if the king was intentionally trying to make it easy for the holy knight, Lili, to surrender. At that, Pale couldn’t help but frown. This too is probably because they’ve been acquainted before.
Despite thinking that the king was soft, Pale didn’t say it out loud. That was because the proposal of the king had a lot of benefits. The problem was the holy knight, Lili. What kind of human was she?
Pale had focused gathering intel on the area around the capital, so she didn’t have much information on the female holy knight of the north.
“You look like you want to say I’m soft.”
“…Gi Za-dono would surely say that if were he here.”
“Oh? And what would you say, Pale-dono?”
Pale sneered at the king, who was playing the fool.
“Just do as you please. If you’re worried about a rebellion, we can just crush them easily. Whether it’s the north or whatever.”
“You sound like you’re expecting a wise decision from me.”
“You’d be right.”
It was halfway through the month of Horus that the Goblin King wrapped up the government affairs at the imperial capital and moved north.
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“Hmph. A horde of monsters? …Not a whiff of elegance to it.”
Blanche the War Princess stifled a yawn as she watched the approaching horde of monster beasts. After successfully being granted permission by the king to declare war on the south and the west, she used the influence of Shushunu to mobilize the minor nations. She led their forces to march for the eastern region of Germion Kingdom.
“Is this wise? Doing something like this on your own?”
The feeble aide asked as he sighed at the sight of the extravagant tea set lined up on the plains.
“What could you be referring to? Are you referring to me employing the Short Sword Battle Maiden (Valkyria)? Are you referring to the wine I have been drinking since noon? Or perhaps… Are you referring to the rejection of the marriage proposal?”
“I think just being able to line up so many is dangerous in and of itself, but I was actually referring to you mobilizing our allied countries.”
“A trivial matter. If we do not use our power when we have it, then what meaning is there in possessing it? In the first place, it is precisely for this purpose that the alliance exists.”
“Are you not even in the slightest bit afraid of a rebellion?” The aide spoke in a hushed voice.
She laughed scornfully. “Hmph. You think they’d work with the goblins? Although there may be interest in negotiating with them, the dogs of the minor nations haven’t the guts to try.”
“Perhaps, but…”
Blanche had attempted to get into the eastern region in one fell swoop, but the sudden appearance of monsters at the south caused the king to order her to move her army there.
“Hmph. My lips do not exist to ease your worries, but… Very well. I am feeling good today.”
Tilting the luxurious silver gla.s.s, she drank the red wine with great relish.
“Perhaps the great n.o.bles of the south cried out to my beloved king. If so, then let the dogs know that unless these monster beasts are wiped out, their kennels will be in danger.”
“But…”
“Of course, I’m telling the truth. No. I will make it the truth. Those who don’t work here shall earn my wrath. I hate lazy fools.”
‘Ah, but there is the slight difference of one being the threat of monsters and the other being punishment handed by a fellow man,’ she did not say that out loud and just smiled instead.
“Naturally, since we will be saving the great n.o.bles, they will have to compensate us. That is how the world turns. It is the natural law.”
Red wine was poured into her gla.s.s, and as she emptied it, a slight blush appeared on her face.
“When you say compensation… What exactly are you referring to?”
“They will hand us money and soldiers. Of course, it won’t be for free. We’ll let them purchase the slaves we take from the eastern region. But anyone fit to be a soldier shall be given to me.”
The king gave them permission to attack the eastern region of Germion Kingdom so that they may enslave its people. It is no exaggeration to say that the king came to power with the consultation of the great n.o.bles.
Just as Blanche had pointed out, if refugees were to flow from the eastern region to the Holy Shushunu Kingdom, the one who would have to take responsibility for them was none other than the royal family. If Fatina were under Shushunu or were at least friendly, then they would be able to take care of those people with the food from there.
But Fatina had fallen to the enemy. As such, they did not have enough food. If they were to allow the refugees to flow into the kingdom, the royal family will surely find itself bankrupt. But the thing known as money can be found in a certain place.
That is none other than the bosom of the great n.o.bles. As such, she requested that permission be granted for the invasion of the eastern region. If they were to enslave the people of the eastern region and sell them to the great n.o.bles, they would be able to ensure the livelihood of the people wishing to be saved and avoid the bankruptcy of the royal family.
Moreover, she would be able to burden her other political enemies with slaves. That’s why she couldn’t go the eastern region first and had to go down south.
She had to save the great n.o.bles.
“You’re unexpectedly evil, Ojousama.”
Blanche laughed and said.
“If you understand, then work. I don’t like lazy b.u.ms.”
“As you will, Milord.”
As the aide was about to leave, he suddenly stopped as if he’d remembered something. He spoke anxiously to Blanche.
“By the way, the Ivory Tower is doing something strange. They seem to have sent a letter to various countries.”
“Hmm?”
“‘The humans have to unite under the G.o.ds once more,’ they said.”
“Hmm… That is strange.”