238 – Before the Fall of the Elaine Empire (9)
After the imperial capital Elysium was besieged by the army of the Kingdom of Creutel, useless meetings continued every day in the conference room of the imperial palace.
No, to be precise, the topic being discussed was an important one that would determine the survival of the empire.
It is realistically difficult to continue the defensive battle until Brittanya reinforcements arrive at least a month later. We all die before they arrive. Acknowledge that the general trend has declined and surrender as soon as possible. A quick surrender would be at least advantageous in negotiations with the Kingdom of Croytel.
There is no way for the emperor’s army to admit defeat, and if you risk your death until the Britannia reinforcements come, continue the defense and the Britannia reinforcements will arrive. It was the opinion that if we pushed, we would win.
Since these conflicting opinions are sharply divided, and no one is willing to take responsibility, no conclusion has been reached.
Just like now.
“So, since Count Meter has come to this, does it make sense to open the castle gates and go out and defeat the enemy? Do you want to be punctured by bullets?”
“Then what about you, Count DeLong? Can he sleep in a crusade? What are you going to do if a rebellion breaks out again, as it did in your legion?”
“Are you done? No way! What do you think, His Majesty the Emperor?”
“What bullsh*t? Think realistically. Surrender is the answer. If you surrender now, each family will receive thousands of gold coins. I have to live with a face.”
Adolf was troubled when he heard that.
As the siege warfare continues, the dissatisfaction of the citizens trapped inside increases, and a rebellion that is bigger than the one that happened a few days ago could happen like the last time.
If you go out of the castle and fight with the soldiers of the Kingdom of Creutel, there is a high probability that the soldiers of the empire will be defeated.
If I surrender, Kreutelnom said he would give me Elysium and the county, but he’s cunning, but he keeps his word, so he’ll keep his promise, so that seems like the best option for me.
But I think it’s too early to call in Brittanya reinforcements and say let’s surrender at this time.
The emperor had no choice but to be more cautious because if he stayed still, he would slowly rot and die, and if he applied a knife to his body to survive, he could die from excessive blood loss.
So instead of answering, he remained silent, while some of the nobles were fighting to the brink of grabbing him as always.
Count Jacques stood up and said.
“I am well aware of the deep loyalty of Count Meter and Count DeLong to His Majesty the Emperor. However, there are more important matters than that now.”
The emperor asked, showing that he was in a bad mood at those words.
“Is there a more important issue than choosing one of the three: a defensive battle, a field battle, or surrender? What is it?”
“Hwangsongha, it’s about His Majesty’s woman. Rumors seem to have started to spread some time ago, that Her Majesty favors her handmaid named Eva Green…”
Count Jacques stopped talking and began to look at him as if he was saying something really presumptuous.
The emperor, apparently annoyed at the interruption in his speech, struck his desk with his fist and said,
“Just tell me everything!”
Zach heard that and continued his words as if in awe.
“Rumors are circulating that they love Eva Green day and night even though they say they are preparing for war in the Oval Office because they love Eva Green. Of course, I don’t believe those rumors.”
At the point of saying this, you are already arguing, ‘I know that this rumor is true, but I will not let the emperor find fault with you because you are offended by my words.’
It was such a disrespectful remark, but the emperor, instead of refuting it, said as if he was very displeased that his night affairs had spread widely.
“Damn it, I don’t know what kind of b*tch or bastard he is, but find out the source of the rumor! Eva Green is only her and her handmaid, and I have never coveted her. So, find those who spread such nonsense and root out her false rumors! No, be kind to those who defamed me!”
The Emperor’s behavior may seem very foolish or foolish.
If Kroitel had been in a situation similar to the Emperor’s, and the rumors had been true, he would probably have done the same.
Fortunately, King Creutel does not create this kind of women’s problem during a war where the country’s life and death are at stake.
What if rumors circulate that the emperor, the head of a nation, fell for a woman in a battle he was losing, not a war he was winning?
The morale of the entire army digs into the floor and descends into an unknown end underground.
But what if the rumors are true? Rather than beating them to death like that, they put up a public notice and sent a proclamation tube saying, ‘You know that’s all bullsh*t, right? But what’s the sin of being hooked by bullsh*t? I’ll forgive you just this once.’ It’s better to ask those who spread rumors to keep quiet.
“I, Ferius, agree with Your Majesty’s orders. There’s no way His Majesty would stay away from affairs while getting drunk with women during a battle where the very existence of the empire was at stake.”
“Earl Alas thinks so too. We need to get rid of all these rumors.”
“Earl Meter agrees with that. However, when executing them, the reason why they must die should be discussed in the castle and the reason should be announced.”
The emperor said with a satisfied expression that everyone agreed after the castle was besieged for the first time in a while.
“I will accept Count Meter’s proposal. And the allies will continue the defensive battle until Britannia reinforcements arrive.”
At the emperor’s declaration, the nobles, hiding their respective intentions, bowed their heads and pledged allegiance and obedience to orders.
**
The next day, the Emperor arrested all the maids and servants who had spread rumors about Eva Green, turned them around, and executed them.
As soon as Ciel heard the news, she smiled wryly as if it were empty.
He smiled bitterly and fell into deep thought, and finally gave the order as if he had made up his mind.
“The rotten emperor is over. From now on, the real battle begins. Put in the siege weapons already made, and lightly check the condition of the soldiers’ armor and prepare to cross the wall. It is a war we have already won.”
Once the order was given, the buglers of each legion gave the signal to prepare for the siege.
Unlike the civilians and soldiers inside Elysium, who were in the worst situation, the soldiers were able to immediately prepare for the siege because they had enough rest in the barracks.
“His Highness was certain of victory!”
“Since this war has already been won, let’s think about getting a lot of bounty!”
The army of the kingdom advanced with the sound of the huge trumpets of the military band, and the soldiers of Elysium made a fuss even before the attack began as the kingdom army, which had been far away and only fired cannons, advanced in line.
“Looks like you really want to try it, but should I run away? Even if the soldiers die, our Emperor will still be pounding rice cakes with a woman named Eva Green.”
“Shut up, you put that out of her mouth and the thing on her shoulder falls off.”
“.. Shall we desert? Survive gun and cannon fire and surrender with both hands in close combat! I think it will save your life.”
Seeing such soldiers, the knights and commanders in Elysium roamed among the soldiers to encourage them to raise their morale, but… They couldn’t produce much effect.
No, some high-ranking people still can’t come to their senses and say, ‘Long live the Emperor! Long live the Elaine Empire!’ To encourage the soldiers to sing back, and some of the soldiers reluctantly recited it, but the sound disappeared somewhere over time, as if a fade-out effect had been applied.
In a situation where trust in the emperor had already hit rock bottom, and with the story of the emperor falling in love with Eva Green, the morale of the soldiers began to break through.
Under such circumstances, of course, the advance of the army of the Kingdom of Creutel continued, and the wave attack symbolizing the expression of will not to be surrendered moved towards the gate.
At the same time, the soldiers carrying the battering rams shouted the customary phrase.
“The moment the wave hammer hits the gate, no one will surrender! Anyone who wants to surrender even now must come down from the walls! Seek no mercy after Your Highness’s sword has been swung!”
Eline’s citizens, military, and low-ranking commanders heard that and began to think seriously.
As the battering rams knocked on the gates with a ‘bang’, the walls of Elysium started to become mayhem.
“You can’t even surrender now! sh*t…”
“Keep down! If you don’t want to fall behind, lower your body! Cannons are flying!”
“Everything is wrong! Everyone, get up and shoot whatever you have crossbows and matchlocks at the soldiers over there! Load all the cannons!”
The Elaine Imperial Army sent long-range weapons at random according to the command of the commander, but…
The soldiers of the Kingdom of Creutel were marching like a solid wall, wearing grotesque armor that could deflect arrows from crossbows as well as bullets from matchlocks.
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Seeing how they charged without even giving a glance to their comrades dying on the way, some feeble-minded citizens fainted or urinated at the force.
“Kingdom Army Baltic Corps 73rd Battalion! Get ready for cover fire! Shoot at the walls!”
“These are the ones who met the emperor by mistake and are trapped in the castle wall, drying up! Kill them all!”
“Long live the great King!”
Saying that, they boldly marched toward the wall, and the frightened soldiers on the walls of Elysium had no choice but to fight passively while hiding to avoid flying bullets and cannons.
On the first day, the emperor’s commanders on the wall pulled out their swords and killed some of the passively fighting troops to manage morale, so the wall was not breached.
However, as the days passed, it was Elaine’s soldiers who died.
In the end, even among the commanders who didn’t communicate, the story that everything was over started to come out naturally.
The knights and barons, their superiors, either pretended not to hear it, or comforted them by opening a barrel of wine stuck somewhere in the castle to calm them down.
Like that, the Imperial Castle of the Elain Empire gradually lost hope, and one baron finally told his superior, Count Meter.
“The fate of the Eline Empire has already ended. Prepare to protect the 200-year history of the Meter family.”