42. Devour the split iron!
Finally, as the emperor swallowed up the tower, the empire was ready to change even more steeply.
This news immediately spread throughout the empire, including Iron and other countries in the western continent.
He devoured all the forces that stood in his way, so there was no more hesitation from Kariel’s point of view.
Now that the interior of the empire has begun to be in order, it is time to turn to the outside.
“Should we solve the problem from the east first?”
Cariel is troubled while looking at the map in the office.
Through the surrendered horse tower, he ordered to start preparing for the mass production of more railways and non-aircraft lines, and at the same time, the government took the initiative in mass production of magic tools while reducing the guilt on condition of providing the core magic and technology possessed by each horse tower. We have established a system that can do this.
The problem is that they don’t work properly when wars are taking place everywhere.
War was taking place in both eastern and western directions, and Panguk, which had to contain even the northern kingdom, could not gather its strength in one place.
“Tarion.”
“Yes.”
“Put the pipe to the Pirate King. Let’s see a solution from the east.”
After Kariel gave the order, he immediately bowed his head and disappeared.
Even the Pirate King would give an answer because he himself gave the order.
While waiting for his kite to come, he immersed himself in his work.
There was so much to be done.
In the meantime, all reforms that had been blocked by the tower were proceeding, and as a result, the shortage of manpower was recruited from the east.
As if the nobles would not lose, they worked hard, but there was a limit.
In the end, the suffering had to be done by the existing bureaucrats of the central government, and because of that, Kariel was also busy.
Time passed and it was night.
“your majesty.”
Cariel asked, looking at Tharion, who had quietly entered in the middle of the night.
“Answer?”
“came.”
Having said that, Tarion quietly delivered the letter.
“Um… … .”
The contents of the letter from the pirate king were quite serious.
Talos was no fool either, he noticed that the Empire was using pirates.
That’s why they also spent a lot of money to attract some of the pirates of Aisa Islands to their side.
As a result, a problem arose with the plans promoted by the Pirate King.
“That’s why I’m telling you to drive them out to the West.”
The other day, I advised the pirate king to drive the opposing forces to the west and make them independent.
As the remaining forces took control of the Aisa Islands, I asked them to help the forces they drove out devour the pirates of the West, but after a lull, it ended up like this.
“For now, we have no choice but to proceed with what we promised.”’
Having said that, Kariel sighed.
“Deliver this letter to the Pirate King.”
“Yes. And this… … .”
“This?”
“This is a message sent by the Iron League master.”
“he? suddenly?”
Kariel received the letter from Tharion and read it slowly.
“Do you want to see me secretly?”
“Is that so?”
“okay. I think Iron’s situation has become very urgent… … .”
As if he knew that from Kariel’s words, Tarion took out a report from his pocket and handed it to him.
“This is a report on irons.”
As soon as Kariel received the report he handed her, she read it in one go.
As news spread that the Empire had seized even the Mage Tower, the revolutionary forces within Iron were moving more actively.
Currently, Iron is in a situation where pro-imperialist faction and anti-imperialist faction waged a war, and an anti-government faction arose after being tired of a hard life.
In addition, as the revolutionary forces, which were gradually increasing in power, were added, it turned into a mess.
As various forces rose up all over Iron, the former free and powerful state disappeared and turned into a hellish place.
“This is the worst.”
After muttering that, Kariel sighed.
On the surface, the empire seemed laid-back, but in reality it was not.
Even a slight twist would destroy the empire.
It’s just barely suturing through various reforms, but if it’s twisted and loses the war, all sorts of problems will burst out.
In the end, all wars had to be won in order for the empire to survive.
“Let’s start with Roman first.”
After muttering that, Kariel immediately announced it the next day.
“I give an order to the pirates disturbing the South. If you stop disturbing the South even now, the Empire will embrace you. Also, if you wish, we will recognize it as an official country and establish diplomatic ties.”
Not only the West Continent, but also the East Continent were surprised by the news of asking the pirates openly.
It was because the pirates of the Issa Islands were the most obstructive to trade between the two continents.
「Your Majesty the Emperor who wants to embrace the pirates!」
“Pirates as an official nation?”
Even though it was during the war, everyone was surprised by the fact that all the newspapers only published articles about pirates.
It wasn’t just words thrown around.
As if sending an envoy to an official country, an envoy was sent to Salem, and the emperor personally sent a letter to the pirate king.
But if it was only this, I would have thought it was just a ‘show’.
But Kariel went one step further.
“The Empire can no longer tolerate Roman’s actions that disturb the peace of the West Continent… … I will recruit an army to destroy the Roman army invading the principality!”
Since the empire had already sent an enormous number of troops divided into east and west, they had no choice but to recruit additional troops to send additional reinforcements.
At the same time as announcing it officially, the information that had been hidden was brought out one by one.
“According to the Empire’s intelligence department, it was discovered that Talos had a secret pact with Roman. If a proper explanation is not given, Talos will be defined as an ‘enemy’ of the Western Continent.”
What everyone already knows.
It was true that Roteon, Talos, and Seongguk all worked together to make a secret pact with Roman, but Kariel pointed out only Talos.
Officially defining it as the ‘enemy’ of the Western Continent, it opened a way for Roteon and the Holy Kingdom to live.
It was intended to stir up infighting in the anti-imperialist alliance.
Of course, it may not be very effective now against the great enemy of the Empire.
But what will happen later is unknown.
If you persist in holding on to Talos alone, you will be able to finish the war more easily than if you were defeated by them.
Kariel, who had laid out a deck for that occasion, headed straight to the eastern port of Salem.
* * *
“Meet Your Majesty.”
The emperor of the empire heads east directly to meet the pirates!
Even the anti-Pirate King factions within the Aisa archipelago were shaken by this fact.
With the empire coming out so aggressively, they wondered if the promises made by the Pirate King were true.
It was Kariel’s own move to convince her of this.
“Long time no see.”
After greeting the pirate king, John Kidd, Kariel shook hands with the main pirates.
Names who are all playing in the southern seas.
And Kariel started a conversation in earnest.
“The Empire intends to recognize your sovereignty over the waters near the Aisa Archipelago. This is a situation where the conversation with the principality has ended. I heard that the leader of the Iron Federation also agrees with this.”
The pirates’ eyes shook at Kariel’s words.
“When this war is over, trade with the East Continent will grow in the future. Not only that, but the trade volume itself is likely to increase much more than now.”
Having said that, Kariel showed me the materials prepared in the capital.
The graph was drawn by hand so that ignorant pirates could easily see it.
When the revolution and all kinds of plans that started in the Empire accelerate development and complete the railway project linking the east and the west, the logistics volume will explode.
“So your role is important.”
“You mean our role?”
At John Kidd’s question, Kariel nodded slightly.
“Even though we have an eastern port, it is only advantageous for trade with the eastern continent, and there are bound to be difficulties with trade with other continents in the south.”
“ah!”
“I would like you guys to swallow all the southern pirates as well. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to unite the western pirates and run a business that protects the sea trade routes.”
The pirates became dazed at Kariel’s words.
“You’re plundering like now? It will definitely make money. But think about it. With the creation of safe trade routes, the exploding trade volume… … . The protection money that will be obtained from that and the huge amount of money earned from the islands located along the trade routes will not compare to what it is now.”
“Um… … .”
At Kariel’s words, the pirates made faces that didn’t make sense yet.
For them, Kariel patiently explained.
“If you take control of the Aisa Islands and the islands in the southwest, it means you control all the trade routes. Are you still not feeling well?”
A safe trade route is created.
What does this mean?
This means that far more traders are entering the trade than they are now.
This meant that many times more trade than now was carried out through the southern seas, meaning that any income generated in the process would belong to the pirates.
“Did you hear that there are usurers among you?”
At Kariel’s words, some pirates nodded their heads.
There were pirates who infiltrated the southern kingdoms with the looted money and secretly made usury business.
I had a lot of money robbing a trading ship, and as a result, the pirates who played money illegally had to be quite large.
In the eyes of such people, Kariel’s words were quite probable.
“Don’t dwell on the pennies given by the South or the Empire, and make real money.”
At those words, the pirates unconsciously nodded their heads. What if you could earn several dozen times more money than you do now through a legitimate method rather than a crime?
It was worth doing enough.
“Of course, it takes some preparation in advance for this to happen.”
“What is?”
At the Pirate King’s question, Kariel smiled and said.
“It is simple. Help the empire to support the countries of the eastern continent.”
Supporting countries near Roman through official routes, not secret agreements.
Since it is officially supported, it will be able to support a lot of materials, and the pirates will protect the ship that the materials go to.
If that were the case, even Roman would not be able to use a large army to attack the principality like now.
In that case, the Empire would withdraw its forces and focus them on Iron.
“If the iron situation is stabilized, we will help you through our navy to seize the pirates of the west.”
“Can you document this appointment?”
Cariel smiled and nodded at the pirate’s question.
“Sure. I have decided to recognize you as an official nation. As soon as we officially announce that we will become a country, we will document it and send it to you.”
Having promised this far, some pirates who seemed to be the pirate king’s opponents nodded their heads.
An official agreement with reporters on purpose.
The moment he tied it with the pirates, the western continent went into chaos.
Of course, the eastern continent had no choice but to riot.
This is because all the countries of the eastern continent that wanted to receive the imperial support came to the empire on trade ships.
Among the numerous countries, it was ‘Wingsar’ that was nominated for the Empire.
At the very moment when the pact between Wingsar and the Empire was signed, Wingsar’s army launched an invasion of the Roman borders.
Then, the Roman army, which was driving the principality with a large army, began to panic.
This is because Wingsar, who knew how to move only after receiving support, moved right away.
As a result, the Roman army in the border area of Wingsar suffered enormous damage, but his pride kept the army from falling back by half.
But that was enough. That was enough for the principality to handle on its own, and it was enough for the Empire’s Eastern Army, Central Army, and Achelio to fall out.
「Dispatch additional reinforcements led by Achelio to the Iron League!」
「The Empire intervenes in the civil war of the Iron League in earnest!」