She looked down at Longford and raised an eyebrow.
***
The Black Sea Empress supported Kashol.
I received a detailed report on the current situation of Earth Hill from the butler on the spot.
“It’s been five days in a confrontation at the fortress located on the Lowalp Plains…”
“Yes. It seems that the King of Earth Hill will give you an ultimatum when he arrives.”
If it is the Lowalp Plains, it is the territory of Earth Hill, which Kashol has persistently coveted, just like in the last meeting.
Did Kashol invade Earth Hill to take him?
‘But why the Eight Lords?’
What I didn’t understand was the 8th lord’s intervention.
Why did the 8th lord suddenly give power to Kashol?
Did she have anything to do with Kashol? At least not at all, as far as I know.
“Why does the Eighth Lord support Kashol?”
The butler answered my question.
“I haven’t figured out the exact reason yet, but it seems that Kashol’s side took the first step and persuaded the 8th Lord.”
persuade? how?
I wondered if the 8th lord might have encouraged Kashol for my own benefit, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
What price did Kashol choose to pay for the Eighth Lord so that she intervened in the war?
‘Of course you know that I have decided to support Earth Hill in a neutral country….’
Of course, she is under no obligation to obey my will.
However, to do something without saying anything to me was no different than pretending to be honest.
I couldn’t say that the 8th lord and I got along well, but what the hell are we going to do with this?
“You said you were still in a confrontation.”
“Yes. Right now, but we don’t know what will happen when the King of Earthhill arrives.”
“Did the 8th lords move themselves?”
“I’m sorry, I haven’t figured it out yet.”
The butler bowed his head as if he was sorry.
“What exactly is Kashol’s purpose? Is it Rowalf’s right?”
“Yes that’s right.”
“Do you think Earth Hill will simply give up on Rawalp?”
“·······The king of Earth Hill’s disposition is likely to be the case.”
It was a question that didn’t even need to be asked.
What if I don’t give up? Would you even stand up against the armies of the 8th Lords?
It’s not war in the first place. It was like a battle between an adult and a newborn baby.
‘What do we do.’
I was troubled.
It was not immediately important why the 8th Lord had supported Kashol.
What if Earthhill graciously gives up on Rawalp and once Kashol’s invasion is thwarted there?
If Kashol gets what he wants, there will be no more armed protests.
Hitting Earth Hill for an insufficient cause was as suicidal to them as possible.
And if that’s the case, I don’t need to rush out right now. There’s no need to collide with the 8th lords right now, and you can definitely clean up and check later.
What’s more, now even the hero has woken up from his sleep. If the hero intervened, she could hold Kashol accountable and solve everything without me having to suffer.
It was the 8th lord’s intentions that were just embarrassing.
Not her intention to support Kashol, but her intention to me.
‘I knew how to move and did this kind of thing.’
It is not just a coincidence that the invasion started while I was away.
Even if Earthhill graciously surrenders to Rawalp, will the invasion really end there?
After all, Kashol would know that it would be meaningless if the news came to me later and I intervened too, right?
‘I feel bad.’
For some reason, I had a feeling that it was impossible to watch the situation peacefully.
Wasn’t the 8th Lord supposed to intervene in the battlefield when I suddenly heard the news?
Or maybe even if I go directly to Rawalp, I am confident.
The Eighth Lord might be in Lowalp, but he was reluctant to confront her…
“I’m heading to Rawalp right now.”
I immediately got back on the belt with Ashel.
Siege of Gadfalk (2)
“There must be a lot of things you want to ask me? King of Earth Hill. This is a seat reserved for him, so feel free to ask.”
Contrary to the atmosphere, the voice of the Empress of the Black Sea was innocent as if to treat a welcome guest.
Longford asked her, trying to regain her composure.
“I want to know why the Eighth Lord is supporting Kashol.”
It was the most curious reason for him and the core of all the current circumstances.
The Black Sea Empress answered with a laugh.
“I’m asking for the obvious. There are only two causes of all quarrels in the world? Either the other person hates them, or there is a benefit to be gained from those quarrels.”
“········”
“I have no reason to personally feel sorry for the Earth Hill Kingdom. I joined the war because this war was more beneficial than my loss.”
“Profit is…”
“Because the King of Kashol has given me what he wants. Troop support is what he pays for. Can you give me what I want? If it’s worth more than what Kashol gave me, I can wipe out Kashol’s army. That’s right.”
Longford gently bit his lip.
If you give him what he wants, he can switch sides right away like turning the palm of his hand. It was clear from her words that she regarded this situation and the war between the two kingdoms as a trivial joke.
It was a mockery that had no meaning in the first place.
Longford couldn’t even guess what she wanted or what Carshol had given her.
Unless he promised to sacrifice the whole kingdom, why would the Lord of Calderic…
“What did Kashol give the monarch?”
The Empress of the Black Sea just smiled without answering, as if she had no intention of telling him until then.
“What can I do to end this war?”
Longford asked in a calmer voice.
There was no other option. He had come here thinking of surrender from the beginning.
If we resisted, this would only be a massacre, not a war.
All that’s left is to figure out her intentions as much as possible and end the war with the least amount of loss. And it was a promise for the future.
“Didn’t Kashol already state the terms? Recognize Kashol’s right to the Lowalp Plains and retreat the border to the Kashol region.”
“I think there is a reason why the monarch has called me here separately.”
If we had only to accept the conditions, we would not have prepared such a place. It really couldn’t have been all there was to answer the question.
The Black Sea Empress, who was staring intently at Longford, ripped the corners of her lips up and smiled.
“Isn’t it ignorant? But it’s offensive to me to say that it’s a human subject that seems to see through my heart. It makes me want to pluck out my tongue.”
“············”.
“Whoa, I’m joking. Anyway, that’s the correct answer. I have something to suggest to you.”
The cords of the cocoon stretched out, and her body slowly descended.
She got down to the floor and took a step. When the monarch approached in person, Longford and his servants were completely intimidated.
The Black Sea Empress, who stopped right in front of Longford, whispered into his ear.
“Don’t surrender, fight until the end, King of Earth Hill.”
“······································································!
“Fight foolishly until fortresses fall, build mountains with the corpses of soldiers, and blood stains the earth red.”
I had goosebumps all over my body.
For a moment, Longford didn’t understand what she was talking about.
The Empress of the Black Sea, who opened her mouth from her ear, continued to speak with a single smile.
“Then I’ll make you stop here.”
“That’s… what….”
“The fortress will be destroyed, and the Rawalp Plains will become Kashol’s possession, but that’s the end of it all. After the war, I’ll make sure I stop Kashol from coveting The Earth Hill myself. A promise in my name and honor. it is.”
If you do not surrender and fight until you are annihilated, you will put an end to the war.
“What the hell are you talking about, my lord…?”
Naturally, Longford could not understand.
Why is the Black Sea Empress making such a bizarre and terrible proposal?
“I just told you? About the cause of the quarrel.”
“Do you mean that it is more profitable for us to resist than to surrender meekly?”
“Huh, that’s not it. Like I said, I got the profit I wanted.”
“Then why?”
“Actually, there is one more reason.”
The Empress of the Black Sea smirked.
“Profit is good, but I have someone who is annoying to me. A very arrogant and arrogant person. So I wanted to check the reaction. What will happen if I do something like this.”
Longford could quickly guess who she was talking about.
A being who is related to this war, a human being, and a being with a class to match her.
‘Seven Lords.’
At the last meeting, the 7th Prince secured Earth Hill and prevented Kashol from declaring war.
In other words, to interpret her words, it meant that the 7th Lord had bad feelings and was trying to provoke him by touching Earth Hill.
It was just that kind of reason.
For such a nonsensical reason, they are casually telling us to turn this place into a mountain hell.
“The 7th lord is an unpredictable human in many ways. However, if you look at his actions, there is a strange side. The background to the killing of the 6th lord, isn’t he more cold-blooded than you think? Do you have a useless thing like compassion in your heart? How would you react when I completely annihilated you?
Longford trembled with a feeling of uncontrollable anger and humiliation.
As always, to the Absolutes, this little kingdom was nothing more than a piece of chess they could play with and destroy.
“Do you think I’ll accept such an offer?”
“Oh, it’s okay if you leave the fortress before the war begins? Your life doesn’t really matter.”
“I’m not saying that… Eight Lords. I’m not going to run away to save my life, leaving my servants behind.”
“Is that so? I don’t intend to force it anyway.”
The Black Sea Empress, who had turned back, climbed back onto the cocoon and lay down, tapping her antennae and said:
“However, if you decline the offer, the future of the kingdom will be even more bleak. Kashol, who has captured Rawalp, will raise an army again after some time. Maybe you will ask me for troops again like this time?”
It was nothing more than a threat to meekly accept the offer, saying that he did not intend to force it.
It was unknown how much the price would be paid if he refused the offer, since it was none other than the lord of Calderic who gave out the threat. However······.
“I have nothing to think about. I will decline.”
“Huh, is that an immediate answer?”
For a moment, the expression of the Empress of the Black Sea hardened coldly, and then returned to a smiling image.
“You don’t have to make a decision here. I’ll give you time, so go back and think about it.”
“My answer will not change.”
“If you think about it, do it, Budge. I said so, right?”
Longford felt his consciousness dizzy at the sudden change of tone and the life emanating from the Black Sea Empress.
The Empress of the Black Sea, who had gained energy, waved her hands as if the conversation was over.
“I’ve walked this far, but it’d be better not to end it in vain. I’ll give you a day. Go and think carefully.”
***
Returning home, Longford walked on the wall and took in the view of the inside of the fortress.
Gadfalk Fortress, one of the most important forts in the kingdom, is well over half a hundred years old.
For a long time, the brave warriors here defended the frontier by completely blocking the invasion from the outside.
There are not only those who fight with spears.
It was a fortress against the enemy, but it was also a city. The difference from other cities was only that. Inside the fortress walls and inside the fortress, there was a home for those living ordinary lives.
“············”.
A deep wrinkle crept into Longford’s forehead.
Because it was a sudden invasion, there was no time or room to evacuate them.
Accepting the 8th lord’s proposal means sacrificing not only the soldiers but also the civilians.
It was to annihilate any living life in this fortress.
It was an absurd choice that there was nothing to worry about, but the last words of the 8th lord were stuck in my head.
He was the lord of Calderic and nobody else. If you ignore the proposal, will you be able to handle the aftermath?
Memories go back to the distant past.
The war that began with Kashol’s massive invasion, and the fierce battle of Kagosh Castle in the last call.
The previous king gave up on those who had waited desperately for reinforcements for a full month and stormed the enemy’s main force.
It was a lethal move that overcame Kashol, and in the end, Kashol recovered with only a heavy blow and the war was over.
································································· There was something that Longford could not ask his father.
Did you really have to give them up?
If we had sent support to Kagosh Castle, the lives of thousands of people there could have been saved even if the war lasted longer. The end of the war was the result of sacrificing them.
A monarch is a being who must have compassion and coolness and must constantly coordinate them.
You, who always taught me like that, did you have any sympathy for them in your last choice?
Returning to the present, Longford was also faced with a choice.
Which one is the ugly monarch to choose?
Is it a monarch who will sacrifice tens of thousands of lives because he is afraid of a single word from the Absolute, or a monarch who will not be able to make a sober judgment and bring a bigger crisis to the kingdom?
If this war cannot be ended now, is it an unbearable disaster awaiting at the end?
When he finally understood his ancestors, he smiled bitterly.
Another day passed, and Longford called and ordered Commander Masto.
“Send envoys of surrender to the enemy camp. We do not want war, and we will accept all conditions.”
“············”.
“Also, send a messenger to the reinforcements that are coming here. They should have almost arrived by now. Don’t enter the fortress, but immediately retreat and return to the capital.”
Masto was puzzled by those words.
Surrender was a natural decision. There is no way that even the 8th lords would be able to do anything like a resistance battle when they were directly on the battlefield.
What was strange was the order to return the reinforcements that had come down from the capital after him without entering the fortress.