“Svenna has capitulated! Gaza has fallen!”
Goudal Gaschall’s defeat hit Elrain Kingdom severely. And when the king collapsed due to sickness, the flames of rivalry among the king’s successors grew even fiercer.
Brandika rode alongside the noble general, Kanash, as the army slowly advanced.
“You have my deepest gratitude. If there is anything you wish, just speak,” Kanash said.
Brandika heroically laughed. He was participating in this battle as the duke of Fatina.
He responded positively to Kanash’ jubilant mood. “I hear that man who tricked the king, Goudal Gaschall, is foaming in the mouth right about now.”
“Indeed. He audaciously said he would end the battle immediately, but in the end, he ran back home with his tail in between his legs.” Kanash nodded.
After a while, Kanash left Brandika. He did not stay long with him as he needed to check the frontlines.
He was a general, but he was also a noble. And as far as nobles were concerned, he had a lesser position than Brandika. Because of that it was only natural for him to greet Brandika, and then shortly after excuse himself.
But the soldiers and the people saw it differently.
As far as they were concerned, Brandika was currently the most influential person within the kingdom, so they took Kanash’s interaction with Brandika as his acknowledgment of that authority.
Brandika himself didn’t care, however, and instead he rode to where Carlion was.
“How’s that alliance with Pena going?” Brandika asked.
“There’s a proposal to deal with the Kushain believers and the monsters, but so far, everything seems to be going well. Pena has already given up on Elrain Kingdom, after all,” Carlion replied.
“Because of Fatina’s duke?”
“Because of Fatina’s valiant duke. It wouldn’t hurt to work with such a man, right?”
Brandika saw through Carlion’s true intentions when he said he could still use Elrain Kingdom’s flag and ferociously laughed.
“The king picked a bad time to fall sick too. Do you know anything about it?” Brandika asked.
“No. But there’s a possibility Goudal Gaschall may have poisoned him,” Carlion said.
“I see…”
After confirming those things, Brandika left Carlion and rode to the head of the army.
“Alright, you bastards! It’s time to earn our keep!”
As the members of the Red King cheered, the gnome warrior, Cell the Sword Dancer, approached Carlion.
“Why did you lie?” She asked.
“It would be better if my lord doesn’t know some things. Although, he might find out eventually,” Carlion replied.
Carlion had let slip some of Elrain Kingdom’s plans to a spy that appeared in Fatina.
If not for that, things wouldn’t have gone so well for Cultidian. Saint Mira wouldn’t have made her appearance just like that, and as a result, she wouldn’t have been able to lead their army.
“We intentionally let an enemy spy leave… They know everything now, no?” Cell asked.
“It’s fine. Although it might be about time to remove an unwanted piece from the board,” Carlion faintly smiled as he hurried his horse.
“…Hmph,” Cell harrumphed as she watched Carlion vanish into the army.
While the goblins were busy with the trouble in the west, the internal strife within Elrain Kingdom was quickly concluded. The victor was – of course – the eldest son, Yuguno, who had allied himself with the army, but he did not possess any actual power, and in the end, it was the name of the Red Clan’s clan leader, Brandika, which resounded throughout the Elrain Kingdom.
At roughly the same time as Elrain Kingdom’s internal strife was concluded, the Ashunasan Alliance broke up, and a new alliance was formed between Pena and Elrain Kingdom.
After securing Elrain Kingdom, the Red King spread his influence further, until eventually, it was decided that he will be given the position of the prime minister. The Red King’s rise to power was clearly underway.
◆◇◆
It has been three months since the small feudal lords had gathered under the banner of the Goblin King. Of course, they had done so with Zaurosh’s clan behind them.
While Ra Gilmi Fishiga’s detached forced was starting to take shape, the Goblin King was unsure where to invade next.
“King of Goblins, we’ve come to bring you word of our decision,” the feudal lord of Shirak said.
“Decision?” The Goblin King glared.
But the feudal lord of Shirak along with the other feudal lords did not shrink from that overbearing pressure as they knelt and offered their sword.
“…We promise to work alongside you from here on. Please accept our fealty.”
“I accept.”
“Thank you.”
After the feudal lords left, Zaurosh approached.
“So? What was that about?” The Goblin King asked.
Zaurosh wryly smiled and knelt. “I pulled some strings and forged an article.”
“Forged an article?”
“Yes, I used the ploy of the Kushain Believers and made it so that the saint said she would never forgive the small feudal lords.”
“I see, so that’s why they’re clinging to me all of the sudden,” the Goblin King wryly smiled.
Zaurosh wordlessly nodded. “…Was that out of turn?”
“No, they needed to come to an answer sooner or later anyway. And considering the other forces, we need to fortify our internal issues as soon as possible. If anything you did well.”
Moreover, the plan Zaurosh thought of was something the Goblin King could’ve never come up with. What with how unfamiliar he was with the writings of this world.
“Just know that I can’t focus all of my attention on the Kushain Believers just because of this,” the Goblin King reminded.
“Of course,” Zaurosh replied.
The Goblin King’s attention was focused on the approaching forces of Pena from the south, which could move easily through the dessert on their sand horses and were backed by the great wealth of the queen. Not to mention, the hero and his holy sword.
Those ominous footsteps weighed so heavily upon the Goblin King’s heart that he was starting to consider turning his attention away from Germion Kingdom and focus solely on Pena for the time being.
