Chapter 216

If there was just one presence added to the mix, all of Lunarien’s actions would make perfect sense.

Not Tifa or Cain, or the other armed followers accompanying her… but rather some other entity clinging to her side like a ghost. With that kind of sinister influence whispering in her ear, it wasn’t so far-fetched that such a dastardly plan could be devised.

“I’ve underestimated her too much.”

Initially, the plan to incite her using Mets, and eliminate her if that failed, was built on the assumption that Lunarien was fundamentally similar to Karelia—a person who’d stick to their principles even when betrayed. If this were true, then surely Lunarien’s Luna would act similarly—remaining steadfast despite adversity. Based on this prediction, Vanessa had assumed that even if Mets turned against them at the last moment, Luna would stubbornly fulfill her duties.

Vanessa closed her eyes and cleared her mind of these thoughts.

“Right now, none of that matters.”

Whether Luna was one type of person or another, whether she had someone sinister by her side or not—none of it mattered anymore. What mattered was that she had seized Tevelo Castle, an extremely valuable piece of territory. And worse, our Karelia Army had lost all the war supplies we’d stockpiled over a long time.

The situation was dire, but there was still a fundamental disparity in strength. After all, they’d only captured one territory. Though Ohana Army was concerning, the Roland Army and Hesna Army above us were preoccupied with their own internal checks and conflicts with the Central Continent—they wouldn’t be able to focus on us properly.

“Still, here, we need to implement additional conscription and respond swiftly.”

Thanks to the strict enforcement of military law, which had caused unrest among the Territorial People, there were still young men available for conscription. In this moment, their existence felt like life-saving water.

As for resources, in the worst-case scenario…

“We may have to confiscate them forcefully.”

Until now, the Karelia Army had always purchased all its supplies through taxes. Not just the Karelia Army, but most nations operated this way. While it was technically possible to exploit the territories, doing so would destroy the loyalty of the Territorial People, potentially leading to immediate internal rebellion instead of unification.

Even so, it was better than letting the nation collapse due to insufficient supplies for the soldiers.

“When things settle down and Lady Karelia resumes her rule, public sentiment will naturally stabilize. It’s just one territory… just one territory.”

Having organized her thoughts, Karelia earnestly addressed her fallen Lord.

“My Lord, we may need to take a step back. We might need to compromise on our ideals. Is that acceptable?”

“Compromise on our ideals? What do you mean…?”

“We’ll proceed with additional conscription. Fortunately, aside from the minimum forces required to defend the castle, we still have 30,000 troops remaining. However, we can’t rule out the possibility that the Lunarien Army might temporarily agree to a ceasefire with the Ohana Army and send over 90,000 troops at once. To counter that, we need an overwhelmingly superior force.”

“…”

That number of 30,000 was barely scraped together thanks to Vanessa advising to keep it. Given the current situation, Karelia couldn’t deny her words.

“And… while conscripting more troops, I believe we must make a decisive move to secure more war supplies.”

“Decisive move…?”

“Yes.”

Karelia stared blankly into Vanessa’s eyes before finally uttering the unthinkable word.

“You can’t possibly mean… plundering the Territorial People?”

“…”

Vanessa remained silent, but it was as good as confirmation. It was the most realistic and only method to gather supplies for war.

The moment Karelia said this, Vanessa instinctively knew what was coming next and closed her eyes tightly.

She reflected on why she followed Karelia in the first place.

To Vanessa, Karelia was simply too radiant to exist in this Era of Chaos. She genuinely cared for the Territorial People, never acted unjustly even when no one was watching, and had never spoken a lie. She treated every soldier and citizen equally, and truly empathized with the pain of the weak. Vanessa herself had been drawn to her character and wanted to live in a world where Karelia became the unifying ruler. That was why she worked tirelessly toward that goal.

But…

“That is… unacceptable.”

The unwavering integrity Vanessa admired…

“No matter what happens, I cannot arbitrarily plunder the properties of the Territorial People. Even if conscription is unavoidable… plundering is something I will never do, even if it costs me my life!”

This decision began to rapidly drag the Karelia Army toward ruin.

* * *

Karelia merely stationed the troops she could muster along the Borderline—she didn’t make any special moves initially.

More accurately, she couldn’t make any moves. With most of the supplies meant for deployment falling into Luna’s hands, operating a large army would inevitably be burdensome.

The plan to involve the Ohana Army unfolded almost exactly as Violet had predicted. Honestly, anyone with a bit of strategic thinking would realize this was the best course of action right now. Frankly, compared to Lunarien, dealing with Ohana was less stressful for Vanessa anyway.

A few days later, additional conscription took place within the Karelia Army.

Since all the physically fit individuals had already been drafted, this round included those less suited for war—young boys who hadn’t fully matured yet, elderly men unable to wield swords effectively, and others similarly unsuitable. Naturally, this sparked discontent among the Territorial People—but without replenishing troop numbers somehow, they’d face long-term disadvantages.

Unfortunately, Karelia refused to plunder resources.

Though they managed to scrape together some troops, feeding them was impossible. Harvesting more supplies was still far off, and with no additional means of resource acquisition, the Karelia Army found itself stuck between a rock and a hard place. Especially since they couldn’t even operate their existing forces effectively.

There’s an old saying: “If you’re going to do it, don’t hesitate; if you’re not, don’t touch it at all.” Tragically, Karelia was caught between both extremes. She followed her ideals and avoided plundering, but under Vanessa’s advice, proceeded with forced conscription. This indecision was clearly disadvantageous for the Karelia Army.

Vanessa hesitated to push her Lord further.

If she did, the carefully crafted image of “Ruler Karelia” would shatter completely under the manipulative guidance of a single strategist. Karelia was a gentle person—someone who would ultimately follow if Vanessa pushed strongly enough. Knowing full well her authority stemmed from Vanessa’s ruthless organizational skills, pushing too hard might lead to desperate compliance.

Vanessa spent hours contemplating ways out of this predicament.

There was one solution that aligned with her goals without damaging Karelia’s standing…

“…My life.”

Taking on everything herself and dying would allow for both forced conscription and plundering—even perhaps more extreme measures—while preserving Karelia’s reputation.

She vividly remembered their first meeting. Only Karelia could heal the continent shattered by the tyranny of the Einhardt Imperial Family. Humans were destined to die eventually—if the Karelia Army fell, she’d lose her reason to live anyway. So why not use her life efficiently?

Vanessa sincerely believed this.

Yes.

If the gods that ancient religious figures so fervently cried out to truly existed—and if they indeed disapproved of Karelia’s noble pursuit of unity in this chaotic era—

Then surely, a way out of this situation would emerge.

*

“What… did you say?”

A few days later, in the Audience Chamber where Vanessa had been summoned, Karelia sighed deeply.

“You must remember him, yes? The man named Cain… turns out he was actually a member of the supposedly extinct Imperial Family.”

“Impossible!”

“Kyle von Einhardt. That’s his real name.”

The reappearance of a member of the once-thought-eradicated Imperial Family carried immense significance for the Territorial People across the continent, nostalgic for the prosperous empire.

And yet…

That person had been none other than the elder continuously advising Luna.

How could this happen?

It felt like being part of a rigged gambling scheme.

It seemed as though the gods themselves…

“And he publicly declared it. He acknowledged Lunarien as the next emperor destined to lead the continent.”

…were smiling upon Lunarien instead.

Vanessa barely managed to suppress the urge to collapse.

“No… let’s stay calm.”

But…

“Vanessa…”

“Yes?”

“Not just to relay this news… I called you here for another reason.”

Vanessa noticed her Lord’s voice trembling unusually as she looked up.

Her emerald eyes were visibly shaking, as if sensing something that should never occur.

“Honestly, answer me, Vanessa. Could there be… something else I don’t know about?”

When Karelia asked this, Vanessa squeezed her eyes shut.

“Kyle also mentioned during his declaration that Mets—who betrayed us—added a comment.”

Karelia’s face turned pale as she questioned Vanessa again.

“Is his statement… true?”

“…”

Little by little, but surely…

Everything Karelia had painstakingly built over years began crumbling like a sandcastle.