45. Ignit Federation shaking the West Continent (2)
Kariel’s plan was immediately communicated to the southern kingdoms.
After deliberately making a public announcement so that high-ranking nobles and the king could not be crushed, the proposal was formally put in.
Then both kingdoms panicked.
‘Come now?’
At first, this was the reaction, but when he figured out the hidden intention, he gnashed his teeth.
“Tell me what problems will arise if you accept this.”
At King Roteon’s words, the Marquis of Chester sighed and said.
“… … The wealthy will increase rapidly. The problem is that most of them are commoners.”
The king of Roteon sighed at the words of the Marquis of Chester, the minister and target of the treasurer.
“Our strength will be weakened. So, should I say no?”
“It’s not easy unless you know exactly what the Empire’s intentions are. Maybe they want to go to war right away with this as an excuse.”
“But can’t we just let our power go down?”
“I do, but… … .”
When the Marquis of Chester was speechless, King Roteon sighed and asked.
“If you accept it, the revolutionary forces will run rampant. Can you stop this?”
“If the revolutionary forces use the Neutral Zone as a base, it will be difficult to prevent further expansion.”
When Marquis Delrond, the head of the intelligence department, lowered his head and spoke, King Roteon closed his eyes tightly.
If there is no way to control the revolutionary forces while they are still controlling information and barely blocking it, the aristocratic system will quickly collapse from that moment on.
“Still, we are in a better situation. Talos is… … .”
Everyone sighed when Marquis Delrond stopped talking.
If it stays like this, it will be absorbed into the empire as it is. As time passed, I was in a situation where I would become a vassal country, so I made my own preparations.
Even if destruction is predestined, shouldn’t we make a last resort?
To that end, Roteon blocked information as much as possible and spurred preparations for war.
Talos, too, was raising as much money as possible to build a large-scale underground facility and develop weapons of war.
However, the empire seemed unwilling to give even that time.
“They say the empire is going to be tough… … Are you really willing to risk a war with us?”
At the words of King Roteon, everyone was silent with heavy expressions.
Clearly, the Empire also needed time. That’s why each other took time to prepare for the final war.
However, it was embarrassing when the empire suddenly came out.
“What would you like?”
At the question of the Duke of Pires, the king was silent for a long time before opening his mouth.
“Secretly gather an army.”
“Yes.”
“majesty! Are you going to go to war right away?”
Unlike the Duke of Pires, who answered right away, the Marquis of Chester said absolutely nothing.
It was dangerous to go to war right now.
At least the pirates and criminal gangs had to be completely dealt with and keep their backs stable before going to war.
“I’m not trying to do it right away.”
At the king’s words, everyone made a puzzled expression.
“When nobles made up their mind to actively cooperate. That will be the time for us to go to war.”
“You’re looking for this opportunity.”
The Marquis of Chester shook his head as if he knew what he meant.
Even Roteon can’t keep the revolutionary forces tied up. If so, he had to make them go wild and gather the power of the nobles.
This will be almost the final timing for Roteon to oppose the Empire.
“Marquis Delrond, inform Talos and the Holy Kingdom of this fact.”
“I will.”
After the Duke of Pires and the Marquis of Dellonde withdrew, the remaining Marquis of Chester asked quietly.
“When do you think the war will end?”
“When the revolutionary forces rise up. It will be a good time to gather the power of the nobles.”
“Then we must work in advance.”
Nobles had to be reminded that they had no future if they passed over to the empire.
At least the strength of the nobles had to unite and resist the Empire’s attack so that they could withstand even a little bit.
Roteon gathers nobles in the worst situation and prepares for a final stand.
And it was the same with Talos.
“It’s a piece of shit.”
King Talos smiled bitterly and put on a dejected expression.
The future of Talos has already ended.
Talos’ future was bleak even if he was able to withstand the imperial wave of waves.
It has been a long time since Talos itself became a playground for other countries. The future of such a country would be no different than a small country that was robbed of its interests by other countries.
So now is the time to make a choice.
“I thought I would have a little more time… … .”
King Talos smiled bitterly.
His choice was to fight with honor and be destroyed.
“Your Majesty, I have sent you a secret letter from Roteon.”
After reading the letter from the servant, King Talos grinned.
Roteon’s letter erased even his last worries and forced him to make a choice.
“Is the time the riot of the revolutionary forces?”
King Talos muttered that, and secretly summoned the chief ministers.
He hesitated until the end, but if he finally decided to go to war, he could not hesitate any longer.
“duke.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I think I will have to draw my sword.”
“… … I will prepare.”
King Talos, who quietly lowered his head and nodded while watching Duke Cleta retreat, looked at Marquis Altan this time.
“marquis.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Catch the rats hiding in my kingdom.”
“Can I just kill them all?”
At Marquis Altan’s question, King Talos shook his head.
“Give me a chance. Shouldn’t we recover the wealth we have earned from selling the country?”
“I will.”
In exchange for saving their lives, they plan to reclaim the property of those who made their fortunes by selling Talos’ information.
With the money he had collected, he had to prepare for a final stand.
* * *
At the order of King Talos, the Marquis of Altan goes in search of the rats who secretly hid in the country, and Duke Cleta moves directly to punish the rats he finds.
At the time of such a busy movement, a messenger from the Empire arrived.
“I will accept it.”
“Thank you for Talos’ decision. I hope that peace between the three countries will last for a long time, and I will deliver this good news to Your Majesty right away.”
He resigned, thanking King Talos for making the decision himself.
And after a while, with the announcement that Talos accepted the emperor’s proposal, a free trade city was built in the area where the borders of Tria, Talos, and Roteon, which were the domains of the former small country and now the empire, overlapped.
A huge city built in the place where the borders of three countries overlap.
「Greham, the free trade city of the new empire! Becoming a symbol of peace among the three kingdoms!”
Griham, a new free trade city in the West Continent that is grandiosely announced.
Many people wondered, ‘Is peace really here?’
However, merchants traveling between countries noticed that this peace would not last very long. A small guild knew that the southern kingdoms were secretly purchasing iron and magic stones in large quantities.
Above all, knowing that the nobles were raising huge funds, they had no choice but to know that the southern kingdoms were hiding behind peace and sharpening their swords.
There was no way the empire would not know the information that even the merchants knew.
The future the Empire and the Southern Kingdoms were looking at was the same. I kept an eye on Griham for that day.
To be precise, I saw the revolutionary forces gathered there and countless people gathered there to make money.
“Increase the size of the revolutionary force as much as possible. The moment they stand up will be the beginning of a war… … .”
Marx, who was appointed governor of Tria, sighed when he saw the Emperor’s secret correspondence.
I sighed at the fact that the revolutionary forces created under the banner of freedom and equality were being used as a means of war, but I couldn’t help it.
Since he had already made up his mind to become the emperor’s horse, he had to follow it thoroughly.
“From now on, let’s elect bureaucrats with a focus on the revolutionary forces in the major cities of Tria.”
When Marx gave orders while looking at the important officials in Tria, everyone showed a puzzled expression.
“The nobles will rebel.”
“It is a matter that His Majesty has permitted.”
“Yes? Your Majesty?”
Everyone put on puzzled faces, but Marx shook his head resolutely, as if not to ask any more questions.
Then everyone lowered their heads, said they would understand, and then withdrew.
What if the thousands of people who flock to Griham, the numerous merchants and bureaucrats who hire them, and the major cities of Tria who do business with Griham are all taken over by the revolutionary forces?
People who flocked to Griham from other countries were also influenced by the revolutionary forces.
“War… … .”
The reason Marx wanted to expand his power more quickly without slowing down, even though he knew that a war would occur due to revolutionary forces, was because he had a certain insight into the intentions of the emperor.
I don’t know the details, but I noticed that Kariel wanted to end the unification of the western continent in a short time.
He knew that the reason was in the eastern continent, so he had no choice but to follow, even though he knew there would be sacrifices.
“Everything is according to Your Majesty’s will… … .”
Marx thought of the emperor as he gripped the necklace he had recently obtained from the Temple of Fire with one hand.
Thinking of the saint who saved them from the bottom of their lives, they rushed to fulfill their mission.
* * *
With the creation of the newly created Tria and the free trade city of the Three Kingdoms, Graham, the Southern Empire began to roar with vibrancy after a long time.
On the other hand, the situation in the northern part of the western continent was the worst.
Unlike the South, which made a seemingly peaceful situation, the situation in the castle and empire was still not good.
In addition, things finally broke out in the Holy Kingdom.
“His Holiness.”
“Not yet.”
The Pope shook his head resolutely at the words of the Sunsword calling him.
“You focus on getting over the wall.”
“… … All right.”
Some kind of force created by a force that could not be known whether it was Roman or a black magician was gaining power within the Holy Kingdom.
Although the revolutionary forces have already infiltrated the country for a long time, what is different from them is that unlike the revolutionary forces, which are mostly laymen, this force includes many bishop-level personnel.
Even some cardinals were tipped to have joined them.
Even though I know this, I leave it alone because I don’t know where the root is yet.
“Until they fully reveal themselves, we must never show that we know them.”
At the Pope’s request, the pro-papal cardinals and the commander of the Holy Knights bowed their heads.
In order to clean up the rotten interior ahead of what might be the last war, all the enemies inside had to be revealed.
For that reason, the Pope endured all kinds of humiliation and waited for the right time.
So while the three kingdoms were building up patience for the end times, the empire was developing recklessly.
* * *
“How fast is Griham’s development?”
“Faster than Salem.”
The Minister of Finance who reports on Griham’s progress in response to Kariel’s question.
After receiving the report, Kariel looked at the Minister of Finance and asked.
“When do you think it will be possible when we plan it?”
“I think things will happen before 20 months at the latest, or less than a year at the earliest.”
“The preparation period is sufficient.”
Kariel put on a satisfied expression at the Minister of Finance’s explanation. This is because it is more than a year earlier than originally expected.
As the plan to buy time for the empire to prepare and accelerate the unification of the western continent went smoothly, Kariel smiled as if she had finally put her mind at ease.
Looking at Kariel’s smile, the Minister of Finance also laughed.
“Just go like this.”
“Yes.”
The Minister of Finance smiled broadly at the emperor’s praise.
Indeed, after a long time of praise, he boasted about it to his fellow ministers while drinking that day.
Then the Minister of Home Affairs and the Minister of Military Affairs secretly envied him.
For the foreign minister, who initiated this plan, and the finance minister, who brought the trading city of Griham back on track, were commended, but they did not yet receive it.
“Are you jealous?”
“I can’t be envious… … . How old am I?”
The Minister of Home Affairs snorting at the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
However, his eyes were filled with regret for the emperor. And it was the same for the military.
Such sadness led to the exuberance of his subordinates, and it became a driving force for bureaucrats to move more busily.
Although Kariel didn’t mean to, as each department secretly began to develop a sense of competition, she started working overtime on her own.
As the central bureaucrats were busy moving, the local bureaucracy also moved even a little more, and the development of the empire began to accelerate.
Through this virtuous cycle, the development of Salem and Griham, the core of the empire’s reforms, accelerated, and the distribution network spread throughout the empire was completed more quickly.
And finally, the time the Empire and the Three Kingdoms have been waiting for has arrived.
“your majesty! Revolutionary forces have begun to gather in Griham!”
At Tarion’s report, Kariel jumped up.
One year since Griham was created.
The long-awaited revolutionary movement had begun.