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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Angel Dust]
[Proofreader - Prototype]
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Side Story 7
Lately, the Emperor had often thought he might die from exhaustion.
Was it because Luzernes was causing trouble again? Or because the mages from Avileshti got involved?
Was it the war that broke out as a result, causing a deluge of work?
"Waaaah... Waaaah..."
No, it wasn't any of those. He wished it were just those things.
"Crown Princess, please. Why are you doing this?"
It had been a week. His one-year-old daughter had been crying non-stop for a week.
Crying is natural for a young child.
But even crying should stop after a few hours.
The child gets tired, they fall asleep while crying.
"Your Majesty."
"Hand her to me."
Even the Empress' soothing didn't work. The head maid's attempts were also ineffective.
She cried so long and so hard that everyone was worried about the Crown Princess.
The royal family even suggested using magic, perhaps a sleep spell to put her to rest, fearing something might be seriously wrong.
"The reason she's crying like this..."
"It seems to be what you're thinking, Your Majesty."
"Ugh."
The Emperor rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache and let out a sigh.
He remembered wishing, when the Crown Princess was still in the Empress's womb, that she would take after her mother.
The Empress was more intelligent, stronger, and superior to him in many ways.
He thought it would be wonderful as a father and husband if his daughter resembled her mother.
And the Crown Princess did resemble the Empress in many ways.
Her appearance, her ability to speak earlier than other children...
The problem was that she had also inherited one more thing.
'It's only been two weeks since my brother-in-law left for the battlefield.'
His brother-in-law had entered the Southern Great Forest as a member of the reserve force.
The Crown Princess started acting strangely after he hadn't visited the palace for a while.
At first, she looked around as if searching for her uncle, then after a few days, she became sulky.
When he still didn't appear, she cried for days, and eventually, she started crying every day.
"She seems to be very fond of her uncle."
"I never imagined she'd inherit this from me."
"It's not your fault. It seems the Crown Princess simply listens to me too well."
I should have wished for her to resemble me a little.
The Emperor murmured to himself as he patted the back of the still-crying Crown Princess.
"Your Majesty."
What made him feel even more sorry was that he couldn't act like other fathers.
Even when his daughter cried so sadly, he could only see her for a brief moment.
He had too many other important things to do than attend to his child.
"Please go ahead, Your Majesty."
"I'll leave her in your care, Vee."
Leaving behind the Empress and the Crown Princess, the Emperor headed to the conference room.
* * *
"It seems that the situation in the South will be resolved sooner than expected."
At the Minister of War's words, the Emperor and the other ministers reacted as if they had expected it all along.
Those fools who had risen up again, prioritizing their elven pride.
But they lacked the most crucial element: a proper military.
Unlike in the past, they couldn't even overpower Hyzens, only managing to push them back and forth.
Even that was achieved through surprise attacks and magic, so it was no surprise that they were no match for the Empire.
According to the military's estimates, a swift action would take a month at most.
Within that time frame, they aimed to decisively defeat the Luzens forces and quell any remaining resistance.
"What about our casualties?"
"The 1st Reserve Unit, which was the first to break through the Great Forest, suffered a few deaths and serious injuries, as well as some minor injuries. They still have enough fighting capacity, but they are currently joining forces with Hyzens to assess the situation."
"They've already done their part. Don't deploy them in any more battles. Repatriate the fallen with the highest honors. That's an order."
These were men who, despite having no obligation and having already sacrificed so much, stepped onto the battlefield once more.
And now, having given their lives, how heartbroken their families must be.
He thought that if he weren't the Emperor, he would have apologized to them in person.
"How is the situation with Luzernes?"
"We're crushing them completely. We won't show any mercy like we did before."
"Remember, we have the justification on our side. Handle it cleanly."
After the Great Forest War, the Empire had left the matters of the South to Hyzens, wary of excessive interference.
Even though the elves had surrendered, their pride was still sharp.
They were careful not to push too hard, as even the pro-Empire faction they had created could turn against them.
But with these fools once again spewing their anti-Empire vitriol, the Empire's patience had finally worn thin.
Mercy was enough once. From now on, only thorough destruction and cleansing without negotiation awaited.
That's what they would do for the future of the Empire and its people.
"It doesn't matter if the elves in the South call me a tyrant. I don't care if they call our Empire cruel. For the future, for those who sacrificed, leave no trace of them."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
It was too late to worry about what others thought. And they had no intention of doing so.
Having crossed the Great Forest and penetrated deep into the south, the Empire was now poised to unleash its full might.
And they had to make the elves realize that they were no longer invincible.
"Next, it's the other front, I suppose."
Unlike the South, where the Imperial Army was aggressively pushing forward,
Hundreds of thousands of troops were gathered on the Lasker and Avileshti front, but they were still on standby.
The situation was different here than in the South. The two sides weren't completely divided and fighting each other.
The common wisdom was that sword and magic were like oil and water, unable to mix.
The Empire's prediction was that even that could change in a crisis.
If Lasker and Avileshti joined forces, it would be quite troublesome.
Even if the possibility was extremely low, they had to always consider the worst-case scenario on the battlefield.
So, how should they act to prevent those two from joining hands?
"Is pressuring the two nations proceeding smoothly?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. A total of six legions, divided into three groups, have already advanced to the border. Behind them, twice as many reserve troops are on standby, creating an overwhelming show of force."
"All troops are ready to cross the border and engage the enemy at your command."
Ironically, an army's power and threat level decrease significantly when it's on the move.
The most vulnerable moment is during movement, so that says it all.
But on the other hand, if an army stops somewhere, there's nothing more threatening.
Even hundreds of soldiers lined up in formation is a spectacle, but tens of thousands of troops standing right in front of you with high morale is an unimaginable pressure.
No matter how much they call themselves the nation of knights or the cradle of great mages, they are powerless against the overwhelming numbers and the flames of war.
Knowing this, they continued to bark verbally but watched their backs.
"What did Avileshti say?"
"They swore to the Goddess that they knew nothing about it."
"They don't know how their magic was leaked overseas?"
Whether it's true or not doesn't matter. The important thing is that it was leaked.
As a result, the Imperial Army suffered damage, and the Empire was almost put in a difficult spot.
"Convey our intentions to Avileshti. Tell them that if they don't take extraordinary measures and provide adequate compensation for this incident, we will consider it a sign that they do not wish to stand with the Empire."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The Empire's stance was extremely concise.
Why is your magic being used to attack the Empire? Are you trying to start something?
You don't know what happened? Then find out. Do we have to do everything for you?
Shut up and bring all those involved to me.
"And as for Lasker..."
Unlike Avileshti, the situation was different there. They might genuinely feel wronged.
They had gone so far as to improve their internal atmosphere and join hands with the Empire.
They even showed a slightly friendlier attitude towards the mages they so despised.
But then the Empire, flexing its military power, sent a clear message of displeasure to Lasker.
"...It's time to throw them a bone."
By now, Lasker would have grasped the whole situation.
That this situation was caused by Avileshti.
That it was those damn mages who messed up their efforts!
"Secretly send an envoy and convey my will. Instead of deploying troops on the border with the Empire, why not turn your swords towards the mages?"
It meant to go and bite Avileshti since they were involved.
This was practically treating them like hunting dogs, so it was questionable whether Lasker would accept it.
But soon after, the number of Lasker troops in front of the Imperial Army decreased significantly.
And they began to redeploy to the border with Avileshti.
Bowing to the Empire was naturally a blow to their pride.
There are many who are still dissatisfied and complaining. There will probably be a lot of talk about it later.
Nevertheless, the temptation to legally harass the mages was irresistible.
Lasker swiftly realigned their priorities, shifting their focus from the Empire to Avileshti, and pledging their full cooperation to the Imperial cause.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Angel Dust]
[Proofreader - Prototype]
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