NOVEL NEXT Chapter 42
I was honestly a little worried. I wasn’t sure if this would really go smoothly.
Burgai was once considered the foremost of the three kingdoms in the East.
It’s not just about the vast territory or the population; it also speaks to the wide pool of talent available.
I can guess what the Empire intends by saying, “Give us your land, Polrand.”
This is a strategy to render the cohesion of the East to zero. No, to negative.
Burgai is to Polrand. Polrand is to Burgai.
Rather than directing their hostilities at the Empire, they would be turning it against each other.
The moment they follow this plan, they can’t escape the Empire’s influence for at least 10 years.
That said, it’s also impossible to guarantee that the passage of time will magically solve everything.
In fact, it could deepen the rift so much that they’d never be able to utter the ‘U’ of unity again.
“So, what will you do? Will you sacrifice immediate Burgai for the future, or will you dig the grave of the East for present-day Burgai?”
To be frank, people usually choose the latter unless pushed to the brink.
Some enlightened folks will undoubtedly scream that it’s unacceptable.
They’ll say that if it continues like this, the East will never hold hands again.
They’ll warn that for decades to come, they won’t escape the Empire’s influence.
But that’s just the end of it. Many will immediately think of ‘maintaining their power.’
Now, let’s think this through. The war has ended. Many have died and been injured, and much has been destroyed.
In the aftermath, they’ll have to pay reparations, cede land, and hand over people.
The pride of the Kingdom People watching all of this will plummet, replaced by anger that reaches the skies.
Then naturally they’ll start cursing those above them, which will ignite an even larger fire.
And how the higher-ups usually respond? Most tend to do the same thing.
They divert the public’s anger elsewhere, away from themselves.
Originally, they should be pointing to the Empire, but if they do that, the Empire will retaliate!
And in Burgai’s case, that retaliatory strike is nothing less than a death sentence.
It’s painfully clear that all it would take is a flick from the Empire to shred Burgai’s future.
Thus, they look for a more manageable scapegoat. And that scapegoat is Polrand.
“…So, despite the conflict, Burgai has no choice but to accept it. Is that right?”
“Yes, Your Highness. If they calculate that they can heal their fallen pride with rage, they’ll ultimately accept all the Empire’s demands.”
“What about Polrand? They’ve sided with the Empire, but now they have to bear hostility in place of the Empire. They must know this too.”
Of course, they understood that. That’s why the compensation was quite generous.
What the Empire offers isn’t just land; it’s Burgai’s territory.
The same land that has belittled them all this time. The same land that just kept pushing their buttons, calling them traitors!
That Burgai which incessantly whined for supplies and people!
“Your Highness the Princess, as you know, Polrand does not share a direct border with the Empire.”
“…So, you mean their hostility toward the Empire is less than that for others?”
“Yes. Conversely, they do share the most borders with Burgai.”
If they were told they could snatch a chunk of flesh from those creations, would the Kingdom People of Polrand say no? Or would they be pleased?
“Polrand can’t complain about that. It’s the same with Burgai. If they don’t gain anything in this situation, there will be backlash. Controlling that will be very challenging.”
“And so, Polrand is using Burgai to sort out their internal issues and vent that rage externally….”
Seeing the captivated expression on the Princess’s face made me suddenly admire the cunning of those Brits.
To be honest, what I’ve concocted pales compared to their skilled ‘Divide and Rule’ tactics.
There’s a reason the saying, “If there’s an issue, blame the Brits. 90% of the time, they’re the cause,” exists!
Ah, come to think of it, our Empire is also an Empire, just like that fabled British Empire.
And many within the Empire might share similar thoughts as mine…
Uh, um. I don’t know. Still, isn’t our Empire a tad better than the Brits?
“Your Highness the Princess!”
At that moment, both the Princess and I turned our heads at the voice calling her.
“It has been reported that Burgai has expressed their willingness. They’re ready to accept all of the Empire’s demands.”
“Really? So soon?”
“It seems there was less internal discord than expected.”
It could be that it was indeed less, or perhaps there was a lot of conflict that was quelled by force.
“I see. That’s a relief. Everything turned out well.”
No more battles, and we can send the soldiers safely back home.
The Princess wore a bright smile, feeling relieved.
The past me, who thought all I’d ever shout was for war, are you watching this?
In fact, this Second Princess was a good person! Time for some reflection!
“In the end, this is how… the war comes to a close.”
At the Princess’s murmur, I nodded several times.
Sure, the Empire’s war may be over, but the war in the East has only just begun.
I can’t even imagine how many bitter cries will be exchanged or how many conflicts may erupt.
The divisive seeds sown by the Empire can’t be uprooted without facing dire consequences.
In serious cases, another bloody storm could brew among the three nations.
And so, my conclusion would be, who cares?
“Honestly, if you struck the Empire first, you should have been prepared for this level of backlash. You might even be thankful that it ended here.”
With that thought in mind, I slowly lifted my gaze to the sky.
To be frank, my mood isn’t particularly cheerful right now. There’s a little bit of unease nagging at me.
It’s about the East, but there’s something else lurking in my mind.
“I managed to finish things without destroying any of the three kingdoms in the East that first provoked. The fact that all the nobles on the pro-war side have stayed silent about this….”
The longer the Empire maintains its military influence, the worse it will be.
And that indicates that the unrest isn’t just limited to the East.
*
In the West of the Empire, beyond the borders lie multiple kingdoms.
The situation there is drastically different compared to the East, where only three kingdoms existed.
Every few years, wars erupt, and when one kingdom grows strong, another declines.
When new kingdoms rise, existing ones are completely destroyed and vanish.
As this repeats, the standard of the armies naturally improves.
Recently, a kingdom has been making waves.
Dedorant, always a name mentioned when it came to strong kingdoms, had seized the region of Jugel that it aimed for.
“Your Highness the Prince, congratulations! This marks the liberation of our Deo Ethnicity!”
“Of course. The region of Jugel has always belonged to our Dedorant. It was rightfully ours as Deo Ethnicity. That was merely a nefarious surprise attack by those dastardly DeGale folk!”
If the DeGale kingdom heard this, they might have spat blood, thinking, “What nonsense is this?”
How could one say it was taken in a surprise attack when they lost it in war?
However, in front of the Prince of Dedorant, such rebuttals hold no weight.
What matters to him is the reaction of the Kingdom People.
“Continue to provoke them, continue to manipulate their pride and inferiority. If we stop now, we’ll all die.”
The balance of power in the West has always been maintained through blood, might, and combat.
The moment you settle down, the many kingdoms you’ve allied with will tear you apart.
Especially for Dedorant, known as a militaristic power, this is even more true.
The moment even a slight gap is revealed, neighboring countries will pounce mercilessly.
Thus, halting the momentum is not an option. Now that it’s begun, we must see it through to the end.
We must bring all surrounding nations to their knees, swallow them whole, and grow enormously.
Only then will those who dare to stand in the way of Dedorant, those who look down on the Deo Ethnicity, think twice.
“Your Highness the Prince, we have received a message from the Royal Capital.”
“Oh? What does our father have to say?”
“He congratulates your efforts and commands your return.”
At those words, the Prince let out a disdainful scoff.
Of course. A secondary heir, achieving military glory—it’s bound to irk him.
The weakling accompanying him, filled with jealousy and greed, must have fed him this information.
The underlings toil until their bones wear out for an incapable leader.
Did those foolish individuals really mistake that for their own ability?
Is it reasonable for the King and Crown Prince of Dedorant to hide away and never show their faces on the battlefield?
“If I return now, they’ll start to pressure me.”
“Your Highness?”
“And then they’ll seat either the Crown Prince or some other Prince on my throne.”
I’d love to tell them to give it a shot.
I’d relish seeing them fail spectacularly and laugh at their misery.
But if I did that, I might wind up losing the powerful army I’ve built.
My proud army of Dedorant. The glorious hope of the Deo Ethnicity.
I cannot hand them over to those dullards and lose them all for nothing.
This kingdom is just getting started. No, this Empire is just getting started!
“I will return.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll prepare for your departure.”
“And gather the commanders.”
“…Your Highness?”
The time has come. The moment to wield the sword upside down.
For the glory of Dedorant. For the future of the Deo Ethnicity.
The day when a new Empire will rise in the West is nigh!