Despite being surrounded and exhausted, the imperial guards fought well. Though wounded, they raised up their shield. Though spears struck them, they stepped firmly and did not fall. Well, at least most of them did not. But that was their limit. The king watched everything unfold without so much as moving his brows.
The goblins searched for the body of the crown prince from the heaps of corpses piled up, then the king ordered for his body to be taken to the camp. As for the king, he had to return to the western capital.
“I was being considerate of your feelings, but…”
“A needless worry. I have piled up heaps of corpses before. I was just reminded again that this is something that will keep happening.”
Pale was about to say something, but the king interjected and said those words, as if he were trying to tell himself that. After that he returned to the western capital. Try as he might to rule with virtue and wisdom, his path was that which would earn the hate of a thousand and the grudge of ten thousand. The Goblin King merely confirmed that.
◆◆◆
At the throne room of Germion Kingdom’s imperial castle.
This place that normally bustled with events was now so quiet that not even a cough could be heard. A red carpet stretched directly from the doors of the throne room to the throne upon which the Majestic King sat. Atop the red carpet was a coffin. The Majestic King stared fixedly at that coffin, his gaze unmoving. Even if he wanted to, he could not move his gaze away.
Nobles, military officials, and civil officials were lined up on both sides, but they could not look at the coffin and could only look down.
Who knew how much time had passed?
The old king slowly stood up and tottered. An attendant immediately tried to help him, but the king violently pushed the attendant’s hands away and unsteadily walked toward the coffin.
In just 10 steps, the breath he exhaled became heavy.
“…! Ish… Tar…”
It was only the old king’s pride that kept him from screaming. With shaking voice, he called out the name of his grandson and knelt before the coffin.
“Ishtar Do Germion. O successor of this kingdom of mine… What… What are you doing? Come. Wake from your slumber and call my name like you always do…”
King Ashtal choked up after he said that. As his vision blurred, he finally realized that he had been crying.
“Why… Why did you have to die?”
As he muttered those words between pauses, the words that left his lips were no longer those of a king but that of an old parent who has lost his young grandson. As his blank gaze swayed from left to right, he found the holy knight that came back alive despite his grave injuries.
“Why? Tell me why, Jize! Why did this have to happen when a holy knight like you was with him!!?”
The old man hit Jize’s wounded cheek, but Jize just quietly bowed his head.
“…My apologies. My power was insufficient. By the time I arrived, the body of the crown prince had already been abandoned.”
Ashtal’s eyes teared open like a demon, but in the next moment, he suddenly fell to his knees, powerless, then cried out like beast.
“Why did Ishtar… Why my did grandson have too… K-Kill this fool! He watched my grandson die!”
When Ashtal raised his face, only hate could be seen upon it. Though if not for the hate, he would not be able to support his aged body. But even that hate had to be thrown to someone nearby or he would not be able keep himself.
As Jize kept his head bowed and remained quiet, a military official spoke.
“Your Majesty! That’s a bit…”
“You dare defy me!? I am the king of this kingdom!”
There were some among the youth who were seeing Ashtal angry for the first time. To protect the flinching youth, the minister of the military stepped forward and ordered the imperial guards to take the king away.
“His Majesty seems tired. Let us give him space to rest! Imperial Guards!”
Ashtal was taken away by the imperial guards, but he never once stopped cursing.
“…Jize-dono. I can tell from looking at your wounds just how fierce of a battle you had to go through to get back. I know this very well, but you must also know! That I am a father. Please forgive me for imprisoning you for now.”
“…You needn’t be concerned for me.”
After having his wounds tended, Jize was imprisoned.
Of the people who participated in the expedition, not even 100 people managed to come back alive.
◇◆◆
it’s been 5 days since the army of Germion Kingdom was destroyed by Felduk and Fanzel.
Pale Symphoria, the tactician of the goblin forces, used the information gathered from throughout the land to analyze their strength in comparison to others. Thanks to the information she was able to successfully procure from the intelligence network she built around Germion Kingdom, she was able to know that Germion Kingdom was currently in a state of chaos.
Of the seven holy knights that served as the pillars of their country, already three have been killed. Gowen the Iron-Armed Knight, Gene the Lightning Fast Knight, and Valdor the Twin Swords Knight. As for Jize the One-Eyed Knight, he was currently wounded and imprisoned. Meanwhile, Gulland the Storm Knight was in the middle of an errand and was in Holy Shushunu Kingdom, while Zelkof the Knight of Destruction was also being confined somewhere and it was a mystery whether he was alive or not.
The only ones left in the kingdom were Lili the Scarlet Maiden and Sivara the Ripper Knight.
“Gulland could come back, Zelkof could be released, and Jize could be reinstated, but…”
Jize’s southern army has been mostly destroyed. The only ones left were Sivara’s 800 soldiers. Lili the Magic Sword Wielder had only 300 soldiers. She had the least soldiers of them all. Zelkof attempted treason, so he had no soldiers. And half of the mage army has been destroyed in the last battle. Even 500 would be plenty for them.
The same was true for the imperial guards. It was likely that they numbered about only 500 too. They could increase their numbers a little by hiring adventurers, but Germion Kingdom wasn’t that wealthy. In fact, Pale had already taken their financial situation into consideration when she came up with her plans.
As such, the problem was Gulland.
“Reinforcements from the Holy Shushunu Kingdom…”
Holy Shushunu Kingdom’s civil war has already been quelled and the army has already found itself a new war princess.
Blanche Ririnoie.
How would the young commander of the Holy Shushunu Kingdom at the center of the continent move? Pale relied on the Burning Bright Moons led by Vine and her Soar to Freedom (Elks Clan) to gather information.
Skilfully suppressing a civil war and bestowing harsh sanctions… What emerges from that is a brilliant tactic reminiscent of a sharp blade.
But will Shushunu interfere in the end?
“Whether they do or not… The destruction of Germion Kingdom can’t be stopped.”
But Pale did think she had to come up with a plan in case the holy knights did come back.
“I’m entering.” Gi Za Zakuend opened the door without even knocking.
Pale was a little annoyed at that, but she still turned to him with an emotionless face. “Do you have business with me?”
“A letter from Germion Kingdom. It seems the issues between the nobles and the military are finally at a breaking point.”
Pale closed her eyes partly at that and nodded.
“In that case, for the plan from here on…”
“Yes, I know. I feel bad for His Majesty who longs to fight openly, but we have to achieve victory while reducing our losses as much as possible.”
“Very well. Let’s spend a little time and plot against that country.”
The goblins still suffered considerable losses in the last battle against the holy knights. Pale had to create a situation wherein the enemy could not exhibit its strength.
“Order Gi Gu-dono and Gi Jii-dono to retreat, as they will be needed if an immediate threat appears.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. And besides, we need time to attack. We need to position the new soldiers coming from the Forest of Darkness, and they also need to be trained. Even Gi Go-dono would take time, no?”
“What’s our timeline?”
“We’ll spare 8 months. The training of the new soldiers from the Forest of Darkness should also end during that time period.”
“So the attack will be in the summer, huh?… The flames will need to be fanned until then or the enemy might show some signs of life.”
“Exactly. We’ll wait for the snow to thaw, then we’ll set fire to the north.”
After Gi Za nodded and left, Pale looked down at the map.
The problem wasn’t Germion Kingdom itself. The problem was the Holy Shushunu Kingdom standing behind it. Home to the great merchants and a stronghold to the adventurers. She had to spread her intelligence network there too.
They needed a perfect position in order to prevent even the slightest error in their plans.
The eyes of the tactician could see for certain the end of Germion Kingdom.
◆◆◆◆◇◇◇◇
Level has risen.
Protagonist
２３→５１
Gi Ga Rax
７２→９２
Gi Gi Orudo
１５→２０
Gi Gu Verbena
９５→２４
(Class promotion) Duke to Lord
Gi Za Zakuend
１５→２５
Gi Ji Arsil
１８→４２
Gi Zu Ruo
２０→６５
Gi Jii Yubu
７５→９１
Gi Do Buruga
７２→８２
Gi Bii
５５→５９
Gi Bu Rakuta
５→１０
Gi Be Slay
１８→３２
Rashka
２６→３５
Ra Gilmi Fishiga
７６→９６
Hal
７８→８４
Kuzan
５１→５２
Pale Symphoria
１１→１９
Cynthia’s level has risen.
６７→７２
Bui’s level has risen.
９５→１９
(Class promotion) Orc King to Orc the Great
Shumea’s level has risen.
５→２７
Commander of a Race —Charm effect to goblin subordinates (MEDIUM)
He Who Tramples —When one’s allied forces outnumbers the enemy, the attacking power of one’s forces is increased. (MEDIUM)
Holy Knight Slayer —When fighting against opponents with the Holy Knight class, attack power is increased (MEDIUM) and an Overawe Effect is granted (LOW).
Soul of the Wise King —Bonus to intelligence (MEDIUM)
Savage King —Defense, Stamina, Dexterity, Ether, and Attack are all increased (MEDIUM)
Loved One —Hate from other races is reduced (LOW)
Arbitrator of a Race —Charm effect toward orcs (MEDIUM); Charm effect toward other races (LOW)
Orc Commander —One has authority to force orcs to obey an order. Even if Orc Leaders and Orc Kings are born, they will not be able to resist.
◆◆◆◆◆◇◇◇◇
Tl Note: Twice as long, so this will count twice against the queue.
