Game Opportunity Becomes Reality Episode 151
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Game Opportunity Becomes Reality Episode 151
37. Hero's Bookshelf (2)
The Paulo Kingdom and the Ezes Kingdom, along with the Walter Kingdom, are dark-skinned nations called the Southern Three Nations, and they are allies of the Kingdom of Rhinehearts.
The national strength of each of the two nations is about 30% and 40% of the Kingdom of Rhinehearts respectively, but with the Walter Kingdom a notable power in its own right backing them up, they could by no means be ignored.
The leadership of these two nations was currently mired in serious deliberation, and the reason was the Croysen Empire and the Kingdom of Rhinehearts, which were currently at war.
"Something completely beyond our imagination is happening."
"To think the Kingdom of Rhinehearts would invade the Croysen Empire."
"If it ended with just an invasion, that would be one thing, but the problem is that the Kingdom of Rhinehearts is overwhelming the Croysen Empire."
"Still, it's hard to picture the Croysen Empire collapsing before the Kingdom of Rhinehearts..."
"But if they're sending us a request like this, the situation must be serious."
The two kings had received a request from the Croysen Empire to pressure the Kingdom of Rhinehearts.
Even if they didn't actually invade, the request was made on the judgment that merely showing a plausible show of force would naturally curb the Kingdom of Rhinehearts' offensive.
By common sense, supporting an ally would be the normal course, but international relations are hardly such a simple matter.
If, by any chance, the Croysen Empire collapsed or lost large swaths of territory to the Kingdom of Rhinehearts, the position of hegemon of the south would shift.
If the Kingdom of Rhinehearts were to become a new empire, the burden on their own nations, which share borders with it, could only grow.
After all, they were in no position to face a nation that was overwhelming the vast Croysen Empire.
For that reason, even though it was a request to betray an ally, they could not simply brush it aside.
"What are we to do."
The kings of the Paulo Kingdom and the Ezes Kingdom were gathered in one place, racking their brains together over the matter.
They could not easily reach a conclusion.
If they sided with the Croysen Empire, the Kingdom of Rhinehearts' long-cherished plans would collapse, and it would become impossible to ever restore the relationship.
Whichever choice they made, both nations were bound to be in an uncomfortable position.
"Your Majesties, an envoy has arrived from the Kingdom of Rhinehearts."
Amidst all this, news came that the Kingdom of Rhinehearts had sent an envoy.
Even though they had not yet chosen to betray, the two kings felt a pang of guilt and were flustered, but soon reconsidered, thinking it was not a bad situation.
"It seems word of the Croysen Empire's approach has reached them."
"That must be it."
"Then it would be best to hear what they have to say. If they offer us a reliable alternative that puts our minds at ease, there's no need to betray the alliance."
"Agreed."
They resolved to meet with the envoy from the Kingdom of Rhinehearts.
The envoy they faced was Javier, the former Third Prince of the Kingdom of Rhinehearts.
Once, he had even been overtaken in the line of succession by Princess Diana, a woman, but that was because his mother was a commoner not because he was incompetent.
"It's been a while, Prince Javier."
"It has been a while, Your Majesties King of Paulo, King of Ezes."
Prince Javier was betrothed to a princess of the Walter Kingdom, so he was hardly a stranger to the Southern Three Nations.
As such, both sides were acquainted, and conversation came easily.
"The Kingdom of Rhinehearts must be aware of our concerns."
"Of course."
"Let me ask you directly. How do you intend to put our minds at ease?"
At the kings' blunt question, Prince Javier likewise revealed his hand without probing.
[Duchy Founding Proposal]
"What is this?"
"This war will surely end in our kingdom's victory. Then the Kingdom of Rhinehearts will be reborn as an empire. When that happens, relations with existing allies could become somewhat ambiguous, so we intend to create a buffer zone."
"And that's what you mean by a duchy?"
"Yes."
People often assume that duchy refers to land ruled by a grand duke, but that is not the case.
Even if a grand duke rules it, if it has no independent military authority or administrative authority, it is merely a grand duchy, not a duchy.
A duchy is, literally, a nation not a domain.
Therefore, the master of a duchy may style themselves as a king and holds the independent right to appoint lords and grant titles.
Hence, creating a duchy as a buffer zone was not a bad idea.
The problem is whether Rhinehearts has the will to follow through on this proposal.
"If we fail to uphold our promise, we will cede the territory to both nations."
Anyone can make empty promises.
Prince Javier said to the two of them.
"Please look at the very last page of the proposal."
"What is this?"
Attached to the last page of the duchy founding proposal the prince had handed them was a single contract.
What first caught the kings' eyes in the contract wasn't the contents, but the seal at the bottom.
[Bringham Empire Imperial Family (seal)]
It was a notarization from the Bringham Empire's Imperial Family the notary institution with the highest level of trust.
That meant Rhinehearts' proposal was no mere empty promise, but carried binding force.
"Does this put your minds at ease?"
The two kings, who had not expected Rhinehearts to go this far, were left speechless.
"And His Majesty the King has said this: if this war ends in victory, a portion of the profits will be shared with our allies. His Majesty said that your mere refusal of the Croysen Empire's request was already a great help."
At that point, it becomes increasingly difficult to refuse.
The King of Ezes and King Paulo exchanged words and deliberated for a while...
"Very well. We shall disregard the Croysen Empire's request."
They ultimately decided to accept Rhinehearts' proposal.
Prince Javier let out a sigh of relief.
Had these negotiations failed, he would have borne the responsibility.
They shook hands to affirm their friendship, when the King of Ezes asked one thing out of curiosity.
"By the way, who do you intend to appoint as the master of the duchy?"
"It will most likely be Duke Lawrence."
"Duke Lawrence?"
The new star of the Kingdom of Rhinehearts.
The man currently driving back the Croysen Empire.
A figure who could not be more burdensome.
But on the other hand, if he became the ruler of the duchy, it would be difficult even for the Rhinehearts royal family to interfere with him easily.
Wouldn't that be better than having some mediocre figure sit as the duchy's master and be pushed around by the royal family this way and that?
"Then he will lead the duchy splendidly."
"He is a truly outstanding figure."
The two acknowledged Adrian's ability, however...
They still did not truly know the man.
* * *
Day 3 of the war.
The rapid advance that began with the surprise attack continued unabated Rhinehearts recorded victory after victory, while Croysen recorded defeat after defeat.
This was a shocking result that defied everyone's expectations, and media outlets around the world were in an uproar.
The reactions of the two nations were starkly divided as well.
[Commander-in-Chief Duke Adrian El Lawrence's astonishing tactics. Despite having already devoured roughly 15% of the Croysen Empire's forces, friendly casualties are practically nonexistent.]
[Rhinehearts' relentless advance. Having pacified the eastern region of the Croysen Empire, they now march toward the capital.]
[An unexpectedly brilliant performance a satisfying blow that settles old humiliations.]
[Duke Arcia Klein the reason behind her promotion to Duke is revealed! The second Grandmaster of the glorious Kingdom of Rhinehearts!]
[Divine punishment upon the Croysen Empire, which defamed the honor of Rhinehearts through historical distortion and false claims.]
The reaction in Rhinehearts was, for the most part, filled with anticipation and excitement.
[The cowardly surprise invasion of Rhinehearts. Had they fought a proper head-on battle, none of this would have happened.]
[An event that makes it clear the Rhinehearts Kingdom must be destroyed!]
[To forget that they prospered thanks to the Croysen Empire and dare attack us, who are no different from their parents the Rhinehearts are indeed a people who have lost all faith.]
[Rhinehearts is a race of slaves. It's time to remind them of their proper place.]
[Attacks on people of Rhinehearts descent occurring across the Croysen Empire. People murdered simply because their grandfather was of Rhinehearts blood, despite holding Croysen citizenship themselves.]
The Croysen Empire's reaction, in contrast, was filled with fury and hatred.
Taking a moment to check the online reactions as a bit of a breather, I let out a scoff.
"Those bastards are about to be destroyed, yet they still run their mouths like they're somebody."
At my remark, 'Taylor,' the young lord of the Heins Duchy who had joined as deputy commander, flinched.
Though older than me in age, he was lower than me in both magical attainment and status, so he was a man who constantly watched my mood in many ways.
He suddenly asked an out-of-the-blue question.
"Your Excellency the Commander, if our kingdom wins the war, how do you think we should handle the Croysen Empire?"
An unexpected question that's something he should be asking King Mikhail, not me.
But since he has his position and there are many eyes watching, I gave him my honest thoughts.
"First, we'd need to eliminate all of the Empire's Imperial Family members, nobles, and key figures."
"Isn't there the option of exile or life imprisonment?"
Among the people of the Kingdom of Rhinehearts, there's no one who likes the citizens of the Croysen Empire, and yet this noble of nobles, who could kill countless people with a single word, is saying something unexpectedly soft.
"Well, I'd hesitate to kill even the children, so I suppose those under ten could be spared. But I'm no philanthropist, so I see no reason to show mercy to my enemies."
"I-I see."
"Furthermore, the media outlets and communities that toyed with public opinion in the Croysen Empire must be shut down one and all, and the people connected to them eliminated as well. I believe the corporations should all be dissolved and absorbed into our kingdom, and all private property savings, real estate, and so on of the entire populace should be confiscated."
"Confiscated?"
"Yes, confiscated wholesale and redistributed to those who choose to live as citizens of Rhinehearts. But those Imperial citizens who refuse to become Rhinehearts nationals can be sent to the frontier or made to live as second-class citizens."
As if my merciless words weren't the answer he'd hoped for, the eyes of Young Master Taylor Heins trembled without rest.
A look that said I was going too far.
"The hatred deeply rooted in the Croysen Empire toward our Rhinehearts people is beyond imagination. There's no choice but to do this if we want to uproot it."
The emotional rift between the two nations runs deep.
And it's no exaggeration to say that rift stems from the one-sided, violent attacks of the Croysen Empire.
That's why, if we absorbed them without any measures, the 180 million Rhinehearts people could be swallowed up by the 620 million Croysen people.
"I'm not advocating one-sided discrimination. We too must be patient and keep extending our hand. And toward Croysen citizens who grasp our hand, we must not treat them differently from existing Rhinehearts people. But there's no need to accommodate those who refuse."
At my words, the staff officers who had been quietly listening to our exchange all nodded in unison.
But Taylor, that kind-hearted philanthropist of the world, still didn't seem to like my way of thinking.
"If we just tried to understand each other, we wouldn't have to resort to such extreme measures..."
The words grated on my ears.
Looking at him now, he was an idealist raised like a hothouse flower.
Since shoving reality at people like him doesn't work, I clicked my tongue and brought the conversation to a close.
"Well, everyone's entitled to their own opinions. But I don't think people are so easy that their ideologies can be changed through mere persuasion. After all, reality isn't like movies or novels."
Give an inch and they'll take a mile; keep showing kindness and they'll mistake it for their right that's human nature.
Look too kind and you'll just be taken for a pushover.
When I drew the line and made it clear I wasn't discussing the topic any further, he gave an awkward smile.
Thanks to that, what followed was an odd silence.
-Whoosh.
But that lasted only a moment.
When I rose from my seat with a stern expression, Taylor hastily offered an apology.
"I-If I offended you, I'm sorry. I was just..."
But I ignored Taylor's words and shoved him aside.
Unlike me, whose body had been enhanced to a Knight's level, he, being a natural-born Mage, fluttered like a leaf and landed flat on his rear.
Naturally, everyone in the situation room was taken aback.
For the record, I didn't shove him to vent my anger.
"Sorry. If you'd stayed there, you'd have gotten a hole in your body."
At that very moment.
-BOOM!
A single sword burst up through the floor and pierced straight through the ceiling like it was tofu.
"W-What was that?"
Too surreal a sight everyone wore blank expressions wondering what had just passed by, and Taylor, who had been debating with me just moments ago, turned pale.
As luck would have it, the sword that shot up from the floor had driven a hole precisely between his legs.
I gave a cold smile and spoke.
"Sword Control. A surprise attack from the Crimson Duke."
Finally, the Grandmaster of the Croysen Empire has made his move.