Chapter 590

Although the situation was urgent, it wasn’t something I could just hop on a horse and rush east for. I had to organize the forces that would accompany me and prepare for any issues that might arise in my absence.

I went to discuss this with Leopold. He too seemed to have received Ludwig’s letter, as he was sitting at his desk in his private office, staring at a piece of paper with a grim expression.

“…I never thought Ka`har would unify so quickly. Isabella, Ryu-rik, Alvheim, Dane, monsters, dragons, Peirus, and now Ka`har… It feels like the whole world is just waiting for the Empire to collapse.”

Leopold muttered with a sigh. The emperor of a declining empire, his lament was filled with the weight of desperation and pressure.

…At least he wasn’t spouting nonsense about giving up like before.

“I understand how you feel… but it’s not like we can just say, ‘Sure, let’s collapse,’ and call it a day.”

I shrugged one shoulder and responded in a joking tone. Answering seriously would only add to his mental burden.

“Of course not.”

My quip seemed to work, as Leopold let out a small laugh and nodded. I sipped the black tea brought by the maids and reported to him how I planned to proceed.

“We’ll follow the Lord of the Borderlands’ strategy. I’ll head out first.”

It was more of a notification than a report.

The public sees me as a loyal dog to Leopold, but the reality is a bit different.

After I defeated Isabella, my relationship with Leopold became less of a lord and vassal and more of a mutually dependent partnership with a personal friendship added on top.

Leopold needed my strength, and I needed the authority of the Emperor.

Honestly, it’s a bit of a losing deal for me. Without me, Leopold would become a puppet for the nobles, but without Leopold, I could still maintain my authority with the connections and influence I’ve built up.

The Holy Kingdom, the Diocese, Pailoon, Landenburg… As long as I don’t stray off course, they’ll all be on my side.

Though it would mean the Empire splitting in two, with the faction following Duke Bien and my faction clearly divided.

Regardless, Leopold could persuade me but couldn’t force me. That would be like tightening a noose around his own neck.

Historically speaking, this isn’t exactly an ideal relationship.

If I were as power-hungry as Duke Bien, I could turn Leopold into a puppet emperor. And historically, a vassal who becomes too powerful and threatens their lord often meets their end through assassination.

Of course, there’s no chance of that happening between us.

Not only would assassination be out of the question, but if I ever desired the Emperor’s throne, Leopold would probably hand it over with gratitude, then go find his siblings to celebrate with a toast and a dance.

Duke Bien, blinded by power, sees the Emperor’s throne as some heavenly treasure, but for me and Leopold, it’s nothing more than a chair that forces even the most luxurious hair to go bald.

A seat we wouldn’t take even if offered.

—

In front of Leopold, who nodded heavily, I continued my notification.

“I plan to take Ja-han, Nigel, and Leonor. Damien, Milia, Freide, Ophelia, and Ferne will stay here. They won’t be able to replace me, but they’ll still be of some help.”

I wanted to take everyone, but the defense of the Imperial Capital was just as important as the Ka`har issue, so I couldn’t mobilize all my forces.

There’s also the monster problem, and who knows what Peirus has done with Nidhogg’s remains, so we need to keep some forces in reserve just in case.

“Be careful. I plan to send two legions as per the Lord of the Borderlands’ letter… but the current Imperial Army isn’t as strong as before. At best, they’ll hold the line relying on the Barrier. They won’t be much help.”

“That’s unavoidable. Even with two legions, about half will be new recruits.”

If we sent the entire 3rd and 4th legions, we could at least maintain the appearance of the Imperial Army, but then there’d be no forces left to defend the Empire’s homeland. So, the plan is to send the existing 3rd Legion and a newly formed 2nd Legion to the east.

It’s a ragtag force, but it’s the limit of what the Empire can mobilize at this point.

Well… Ludwig didn’t seem to expect much more from the current Imperial Army anyway.

According to Ludwig’s strategy, only the elite forces of Landenburg, including me, would advance into Ka`har’s homeland. The Imperial Army’s role isn’t to attack but to hold the Barrier against Ka`har after the operation succeeds.

—

My discussion with Leopold ended, but I couldn’t immediately leave the Imperial Palace and return home. A political meeting awaited us to discuss this matter.

Leopold summoned the nobles to the audience chamber and announced, as per Ludwig’s message, that the day to fight Ka`har had come.

The nobles frowned at the mention of mobilizing two Imperial legions, but since they trusted Ludwig’s judgment, they didn’t strongly oppose.

If Ludwig was certain a war would break out, then a war would indeed break out.

If Ludwig said two legions were needed, then two legions must be mobilized.

The nobles seemed to think the same way. Even Duke Bien. The weight of Ludwig’s reputation as the Empire’s shield gave his message overwhelming persuasiveness.

Thus, the political meeting focused not on whether to send the Imperial Army but on how to fill the gap left by their deployment.

Even if half were new recruits, mobilizing two legions would inevitably weaken the defenses of other regions.

“I’ll handle it somehow.”

Surprisingly, Duke Bien stepped forward to reassure the nobles. He declared that he would mobilize his private troops to fill the gap left by the Imperial Army and hire mercenaries if necessary.

Leopold praised Duke Bien’s loyalty, albeit with superficial words. Whether Duke Bien was genuinely concerned for the Empire’s safety or just building his reputation and justification for more power, I couldn’t tell…

But his statement was undoubtedly helpful.

“If Your Grace says so, then we too…”

With Duke Bien, who was practically the head of the nobles, taking the lead, the other nobles had no choice but to follow.

They might not have liked it, but if Duke Bien was willing to take a loss for the Empire, opposing him would clearly leave them hanging.

Thus, the issue of the Imperial Army’s gap was resolved by the nobles scraping together their private troops.

—

The discussion on deploying the Imperial Army was settled, but the political meeting didn’t end there.

After a short break, Leopold and the nobles began discussing diplomatic issues.

With the Great War approaching, they needed to keep an eye on the movements of other nations to avoid being stabbed in the back.

“How’s the situation in the west?”

“Until recently, it was a stalemate with a balance of power… but now Alvheim has regained the upper hand. Himell’s forces are retreating on all fronts, and some of their new weapons have been destroyed.”

A noble not from Duke Bien’s faction answered Leopold’s question. He was in charge of intelligence on the western border.

“So the situation has changed from before… Have the fairies grown stronger, or have the dwarves weakened? Which is it?”

“More the latter. Due to tectonic shifts and monster appearances, their rear is in chaos, and supplies that should be reaching the front lines aren’t getting through.”

It seems the dwarves were hit hard by the last upheaval.

Well, living underground, they’d naturally be affected by tectonic shifts, and with monsters running rampant everywhere, they’d struggle to supply troops and ammunition to the front lines.

So, it’s understandable they’re falling behind. The dwarves’ firearms and machinery are powerful, but unlike the fairies, who only need troops and provisions, they also need to supply ammunition and repair materials.

“Hmm…”

After stroking his chin in thought for a moment, Leopold gave new orders to the noble who reported on the western situation.

“Send an envoy to the dwarves to convey my message. If the dwarves of Himell choose to seek asylum in the Empire, we are willing to accept them as Imperial citizens and protect them.”

“Forgive me, but… I doubt they’ll accept Your Majesty’s mercy.”

The noble who received the order bowed deeply and expressed a pessimistic expectation. Honestly, I also doubted the stubborn dwarves would quietly seek asylum just because they were in a tough spot.

“Either way, the Empire loses nothing. If they refuse, it means Himell still has strength, so we can rest easy for a while. If they accept, the Empire can absorb the dwarves as citizens and secure their technology.”

“…Won’t the fairies react negatively if we accept Himell’s refugees?”

Another noble cautiously brought up a potential issue. Accepting dwarven refugees might provoke Alvheim’s hostility toward the Empire.

“React? When have the fairies ever been our friends?”

But Leopold didn’t care if the fairies reacted or not.

After all, they were bound to become enemies anyway. Whether we accepted the dwarves or not, once Himell fell, the fairies would undoubtedly turn their fangs toward the Empire.

There’s no need to worry about their feelings.