Chapter 214

Chapter 214: A Troublesome Guy

A Troublesome Guy
Chapter 214. Problematic Bastard
The land of the Kingdom of Heinkel, located in the central-western region.
It was a clear and sunny day, without a single cloud.
Even so, the Kingdom of Heinkel was dyed a deep gray, as if dense dark clouds hovered over it.
Despite being midsummer, when life should be abundant, the moss clinging to the walls had withered and died powerless, falling to the ground, and not a single blade of grass remained.
Not even baby rats, let alone a single ant larva, crawled around there.
Only the desolate sound of the wind circulated through the streets.
It was dead.
— Once, this place was called the Land of Peace.
The one gazing down at the kingdom from the highest point of the Castle of the Kingdom of Heinkel was Sigmund Heinkel.
— But it was not called that in a good way. They say it was a nickname made with sarcasm, meaning the king loved peace too much.
— But, do you know what?
The King of Heinkel looked back and asked.
There, a man stood in silence, observing him.
— Even that sarcasm was pleasant. I thought it was better not to fight, even upon hearing such things.
Then he let out a hollow laugh and said.
— But it was pointless. I never knew that resolving things peacefully could be so illusory… I didn’t know that everything… could be so insignificant.
The King of Heinkel walked silently before that man and knelt at his feet.
— Allow me to offer you my greetings once more. Thank you for helping to enlighten this ignorant king and his people.
The man was a demon with pale white skin, Gokma.
— There is no need for thanks. Everything was done according to your will. It was possible because you had the desire to change yourself.
— Having will does not mean one can change. I was able to stand here only because the assistant of the Great Godwin helped me without reservations.
The King of Heinkel reached his hand out into the air.
Then a black book was grasped in his hand.
Gokma touched the cover of the book with his hand and muttered.
— Gamigin’s Legion is a quite troublesome magic.
The Demon of Immortality and Domination, Gamigin.
Among demons, he boasted the largest size, a Great Demon who made his body a domain to monitor all things.
Even such a Great Demon had made it his utopia, but the magic called ‘Legion’ had failed time and time again.
— All lives in the world are equal, and because they are equal, anyone can be replaced…
Gokma clenched his fist in the air.
— A monarch is one who reigns keeping all lives under his control; those who follow him will obtain power commensurate with that.
What he recited was the phrase written on the first page of the book, and the words that explained the entire magic.
Gokma looked at the King of Heinkel and spoke.
— You, who hold all the lives of the Kingdom of Heinkel in your grasp, can now wield the power of a 6th Circle mage.
— I still cannot believe it. That I, who was nothing more than an incompetent king, can now be called an Archmage…
The King of Heinkel shed tears from overwhelming emotion.
Observing that, Gokma said.
— It seems we should postpone venting emotions for later.
He gestured with his chin toward the window.
— Your friend has come to visit.
The King of Heinkel turned his gaze outside at those words.
Just as he said, a large army could be seen approaching from the direction of Duke Urey’s territory.
— Peri…
The King of Heinkel uttered his name with a voice laced with sighs.
Despite spending more than decades together, not understanding each other to this extent made it seem as though they had become protagonists in a tragic story.
— Given that they are also your people, if they understand it, you will be able to reach the 7th Circle.
Gokma said that.
— 7th Circle… that would be a level similar to that of the President of the Magic Association. Could I surpass her?
— What wouldn’t be possible? Your magic is something that a mere human would find difficult to break. Even those dragons you fear so much will not be able to touch you easily.
— No one can touch me…
The past days, when he could only sigh upon hearing provocations from neighboring countries, passed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.
He reflected on that life of his and chewed over it once more.
No one can touch me.
In his life, it was a utopia he could never reach.
But now it rested upon his shoulders.
Because he could obtain power, everything looked different.
He believed he had become a true king that he had never been able to be before.
— I will prepare for deployment.
The King of Heinkel said, rising from his seat.
— Will you head out personally?
— I must.
The King of Heinkel stared intently at one person among the countless approaching armies.
Originally, he should only be visible as a dot, but his vision was so vivid that he could even see the mole on Peri Urey’s face.
He knew he had become a monster that had crossed beyond the realm of humans.
— My friend is trying to take the wrong path; what good would it be if I do not guide him personally?
He only wanted to teach Urey what that was like as well.
Valdrova Castle, Ferda’s office.
— Regent-nim, you know this well, but I will state it once more.
A coquettish voice came from the crystal ball.
Princess Olivia of the Arken Empire laid out the main point first.
— The fact that the Kingdom of Heinkel, which until now had only been an object of suspicion, has allied with demons, has been made public.
The news that Duke Urey’s army attacked the capital of the Kingdom of Heinkel was the starting point.
It was a clear case of insubordination and rebellion.
However, upon thoroughly investigating the before and after of that rebellion, a shocking fact was revealed.
The Kingdom of Heinkel had truly been occupied by demons.
— They’ve been making quite a fuss until now, haven’t they?
— A public announcement is a declaration with legal effect, right? Until then, we only thought they were the ravings of a doomsday prophet. Furthermore, if one does not know the situation properly, it sounds like incoherent babbling.
Ferda nodded slightly in agreement at those words.
Duke Urey, who was treated as a traitor and tortured, escaped from the Empire and immediately went to attack his own lord, the Kingdom of Heinkel; how could anyone organize and report this wild sequence of events?
It was such an extreme impulsive action that it was difficult to believe the Empire had brainwashed Duke Urey.
— This time, Ureas and Valdemar Golt, those two, revealed it directly. So there is no longer room for controversy.
— How are the surrounding circumstances?
Olivia let out a laugh.
— It must be quite troublesome. Until just a few days ago, they were only plotting to gnaw away at the land and properties of the Kingdom of Heinkel, but now they are facing total war. And against the most vicious existence they believed extinct long ago, to boot.
Even searching through history books, there is no existence as tenacious as demons.
It was a situation where even victory would result in a loss.
— Furthermore, the outcome of the battle with Duke Urey this time was despairing. Duke Urey led over 10,000 soldiers, but the opponent was just one person, the King of Heinkel. Yet, the 10,000-man army was completely annihilated.
— The king handled them all alone?
— That part is also being re-verified to confirm its veracity. Even if true, it is difficult to confirm definitively.
Ferda knew what kind of image the King of Heinkel had.
“The King of Heinkel was someone who wished for all matters to be resolved peacefully.”
Duke Urey had said so.
He avoided unnecessary confrontations and only wished for many people to live together in harmony.
However, a king seeking peace without power is always destined to be looked down upon.
The King of Heinkel and his subordinates were useless existences.
Such a person now possessed the power to sweep away a 10,000-man army on his own.
A king allied with demons possessed so much power, so what about the others?
No one could make a move easily.
— This is a matter where Blancaros must intervene.
Blancaros, who had declared absolute neutrality for the peace of the continent.
Now that demons had emerged, it seemed right for him to act.
— Blancaros-nim tried to convene a council, but it seems the Empire got ahead of him.
— What do you mean by ‘got ahead of him’?
— They blocked the convening. They said they would handle matters threatening the security of this continent at the Empire’s level.
Ferda frowned.
— Did they just accept that without further ado?
— That is also the purpose of the Grand Council. They attempted to discuss whether this matter could be resolved at a human level, or if intervention was needed. But if the Empire says it can be resolved at a human level, there is nothing to discuss.
They nearly blew up half the continent with demons, and yet they made that judgment?
Whether to call it complacency or confidence in humans, it is impossible to tell.
— And the Empire was not the only one to make such a request.
— The Kingdom of Hudret?
— Correct.
The Kingdom of Hudret was also subtly revealing its desire for expansion, just like the Empire.
They had occupied the Duke’s castle without bloodshed, so morale was at its peak.
They intended to take advantage of that momentum and expand their territory toward the Kingdom of Heinkel.
— Even at a time like this, they are desperate to play land grab.
— That’s how nobles are, aren’t they? Even while people die, they are busy lining their own pockets… Even a human like Duke Urey, who took responsibility, is being slandered.
— What slander are you talking about?
— Ureas tried to incite that Duke Urey’s attack on the Kingdom of Heinkel was a false flag operation orchestrated by demons.
— His greed is truly remarkable.
— Do you want to hear something even more surprising? The one who blocked that was Archduke Golt.
— Archduke Golt, you say?
That was, in truth, a surprising fact, just as Olivia said.
It wouldn’t be just Ureas who likes war.
— Did he say not to dishonor patriotic spirits any further? Isn’t it funny? The ones who tortured were Archduke Golt’s aides, but Ureas only became a shameless warmongering son of a bitch.
— It seems the Archduke’s love extends not only to the Empire, but also to the continent.
— Right? With so many things he loves, I wish he would let someone like me go.
Olivia sighed as if tired.
Truly a capable old man.
To catch a situation where a headwind could blow and respond so quickly.
— Let’s move on to our current situation. The Second Prince has obtained justification for war right now. He will be waiting for Regent-nim’s participation.
— He will throw a tantrum demanding magitech weapons.
— Yes.
When Ferda explained to Ureas why he could not participate, he had cited the possibility of innocent civilians and his convictions.
But now that it had become a demonic stronghold, Ferda’s justification no longer worked.
For Ferda, participating remained unsatisfactory.
However, just like Ureas, throwing a tantrum would not resolve it for Ferda either.
What should he do?
— May I express my thoughts first?
Olivia said.
— Please speak.
— I think it would be good to produce and supply magitech weapons. Since we failed to screw over the Empire, wouldn’t it be better to step on the accelerator and establish a new plan?
— In what way?
— The direction of establishing great merit to reduce Alexander’s standing.
— Do you want it to feel like ‘Ureas is the right one for the throne’?
— As you know, that fat bastard is hand in hand with Golt. I don’t want to just watch that bastard colluding with Golt, do I?
— That is true.
— Ureas is weak in internal affairs. So the idea is for Ureas to establish great merit in this war so he can become the next Emperor, and to accelerate that, it would be good to show armed might with new weapons.
It was a plausible story.
If Olivia and Ureas are a team, Alexander is a team with Valdemar.
If the two had to compete, helping Olivia was the right thing to do.
Ferda was about to respond when his mouth suddenly felt blocked.
He wondered why, but Ferda’s instincts were speaking.
“Is this the right thing?”
He tried to stop a war, but since a war seemed likely, he had to help.
And since he cannot help Alexander, he helps Ureas.
A foreboding feeling that something was wrong struck him.
Before Ferda could fully understand it all, he responded like this.
— It is not possible.
Ferda said.
— It is not possible?
— As I said, the magitech rifle was made for the security of the Far East. We cannot directly support the Imperial Army.
— Then that will give them grounds to brandish the iron mace against the Archduchy of Valdrova, will it not?
— There is a way to avoid that.
— What is it?
The alternative Ferda presented was this.
— Instead, we will participate in the war.
— Participate in the war?
Olivia thought for a moment, then soon agreed.
— If it comes to that… that is even more active support than supplying, so there would be nothing to say even within the Empire.
— That is not all.
Ferda also knew a way to screw over Alexander with this.
— Princess, you have already commanded the tactical infantry once before.
— Don’t tell me…
— What if you demonstrate your command ability before many people this time?
— ……
Not even the situation that the Imperial Army sees with their own eyes will be deniable.
Then, not Ureas, not Alexander, but Olivia would also have the chance to shine.
Thinking it was a good idea, Ferda proposed it.
Yet the response did not come, strangely enough.
— You are a person who makes me feel this way…
A very small murmur.
— Pardon?
— I was distracted for a moment. In short, you mean that I must prove the abilities I showed in the subjugation battle, right?
— That is correct.
— I understand the meaning for now. I will devise a deeper plan in that direction. Ureas is incredibly proud, so he will be enraged if I command the army.
Olivia whispered softly as her final words.
— Have a pleasant day, Regent-nim.
The mana from the crystal ball cut off, and Ferda exhaled.
Where his gaze fell without thinking, Ruri was standing there.
Her eyes showed terrible disgust.
Ferda knew those eyes.
She made those eyes every time she saw Jed and Penelope.
— I have no one but Her Highness Valdrova.
— Who said anything?
Troublesome bastard.