CH 343

Chapter 343 – In the Depths of the Empire(3)

Ο

Ο

Ο

“Without shedding a single drop of blood? That sounds too sweet to be true.”

“Great King, life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.”

Charlie Chaplin, who had originally said this quote, and a great dictator didn’t exist in this world. I have the copyright here.

Great King Bathory paused for a second as he brought his brows together. It seemed like he was taking a moment to mull over my words.

“There is a side of wisdom to these words. Are you saying that everything should be seen from a distance?”

“You must be able to give up something for the sake of looking from a distance. Do you not agree?”

“That is correct.”

The corners of Great King Bathory’s mouth lifted up a bit.

“Those who give up on the seriousness of life can laugh at that seriousness. Those who give up on fighting can refer to fights where the blood of others is shed as nothing more than pointless struggles. Watchdog of the Empire! Those who abandon these things do not become heavier, they become lighter!”

The giant continued and shouted.

“Kings have heavy burdens. This is only natural. The lives of ten million people and 600 years of our country’s history are on my shoulders. Keep this weight in mind.”

“O Great Bathory, no one is as well-versed in that weight as I.”

I chuckled.

“There are two paths between us. One path is where both sides do not abandon anything. By starting at both ends, our paths will eventually converge. In the end, both sides will refuse to move and be stuck in place.”

“Do you think my army will not be victorious?”

Great King Bathory growled like a brown bear.

“I will wipe your side out and reclaim my land. Defeat is in your hands.”

“A full frontal battle, is it? That is also not a bad idea!”

I stared straight into the other party’s eyes.

“The farms and trees throughout the plains of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will be burned to the ground. The children and horses that you are so proud of will fall one by one from starvation. Necromancers will spread plagues, while skeletons and corpses will wander your grasslands!”

Great King Bathory glared at me intensely. This was the important part. I’d gain nothing if I backed down now.

I snickered coldly.

“Cannibals will cheer every night at abhorrent graveyards. Demons will turn tens of thousands of humans blind and start a festival where people kill one another. Do not expect your human morals from us, Stephen Bathory.”

“…….”

“I am Dantalian. The harbinger of plagues that taunts the living. Please do not underestimate the weight of a Demon Lord’s name, human ruler!”

An intense silence flowed between us.

Words eventually flowed out from the man’s dark beard.

“What is the second path?”

I calmed down my heart which was now beating intensely. All right. I’ve passed the most dangerous hurdle.

“Both sides can back down at the same time.”

“……Are you saying that we would both give up on this land?”

Great King Bathory furrowed his brows. It looked like he was trying to figure out my intentions.

“Half of the land will be offered to the Temple of Ares and the other half will be offered to the Temple of Athena. This land will be remembered as proof of our nations forming a treaty peacefully.”

“…….”

The Great King’s gaze became more focused.

Ares represented the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Athena represented the Kingdom of Brittany. However, the Temple of Athena has been openly taking the side of the Habsburg Empire as of late.

In conclusion, we would be splitting the land equally. It was like a diversion tactic. Similar to how dirty money gets laundered, this land’s origin will get cleansed by the tool known as religion.

“Are you saying that we should gift those greedy priests with free land?”

“Temples prioritize saving face more than anything else. This would basically make them appear like they are stepping forward for the sake of peace between our nations, no, the entire continent. This will raise their noses with pride. You have the honor of choosing which priest to dispatch.”

The King clicked his tongue.

“That is not a bad plan, but there is a hole. Would this not indebt us to two different temples? I do not wish to feel indebted to them.”

“If anything, it will be the other way around.”

“The other way around?”

I smiled.

“A short while ago, the Temple of Ares, the Temple of Poseidon, and the Temple of Hestia had condemned the Empire. Only three temples had done this out of the twelve. These temples must currently feel rather isolated, don’t you think?”

“……!”

Great King Bathory let out a gasp.

“I see. So we would be giving them the opportunity to reconcile…….”

“Moreover, on the surface, we are the ones offering this land to them.”

There were three things that the temples could gain from this.

They get to claim that they had worked hard for the sake of continental peace, their relationship with the other temples will naturally recover, and they also get more land, albeit nominally. They have absolutely no reason to refuse.

“Would this not be a good opportunity for you to get rid of your sizable debt with the priests?”

“…….”

Great King Bathory went into deep thought.

“Hoo.”

He suddenly looked up at the sky and let out a long sigh. I unconsciously looked up as well. The sky was almost detestably clear.

“You are a terrifying individual.”

The feeling of intense pressure that had been wrapped around Great King Bathory’s entire body had abruptly settled down.

Once his kingly charisma was gone, the person before me was no longer the great ruler of a nation. He was simply a middle-aged man on a horse.

However, his black eyes remained profoundly deep. It was a depth that was born from his innate intuition and countless experiences. The hardship of time was melted into his wrinkles.

“I was told by the little sister of the Emperor you serve that there is a venomous spider within the depths of the Empire…….”

“…….”

“Before I know it, I will find myself bound by a thick web and no longer be capable of moving……. It appears that she was right.”

So Elizabeth already formed a connection with Great King Bathory.

She secretly collaborated with the nations around her while she was trying to rebuild her nation that had been pushed to the brink of ruin. This was only possible because it was Elizabeth. Moreover, there was probably only one reason she was trying to work with the other nations: in order to surround me on all sides…….

I smiled bitterly. For real this time.

“If I am a venomous spider, then she is a dragon. She may have failed to ascend because she missed her opportunity, but that does not change that she is talented enough to unite the entire continent.”

“I am aware.”

Bathory nodded without hesitation. This was surprising.

A soft smile appeared on Bathory’s lips as he spoke.

“I also tried to unite the continent when I was young. Youthful passion, as they say.”

“…….”

“However, I lacked fortune and talent. The most I could do was manage the nation given to me. That is why I wanted to see it. The sight of someone conquering the entire continent. A blinding talent like that…….”

Was that the reason?

In <Dungeon Attack>, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth would support the protagonist after completing a single quest. I thought it was simply because they were an allied nation, but it seems Stephen Bathory’s personal desire also had a hand in it.

“You can call this a foolish wish. Demon Lord, do you understand? I simply wish for it to be proven. I want to know if the scenery that I dreamed of when I was younger is possible. I want to know that it is not impossible.”

I don’t understand, but that is probably your way of life.

I will gladly acknowledge your life.

“But is it fine for you to cooperate with me?”

I asked half-jokingly.

“I am the individual who will stand in Consul Elizabeth’s path. If you accept my suggestion, then that would ruin her plan. You will be thwarting the person who has inherited your dream.”

“Hm.”

Great King Bathory scowled as he turned away.

“How could a girl who desires to be the ruler of the continent allow herself to be thwarted by someone like me? If this is enough to ruin her plans, then that is her limit. This is a matter she must resolve by herself.”

I let out a laugh.

“I, Dantalian, am truly moved by your magnanimity. A boldness that fits a man with millions of lives and 600 years of history on his shoulders.”

“I hear that praise often.”

Great King Bathory replied without even batting an eye. This was what it meant to be a man of great caliber.

I had taken a liking to him. He was often described as a great ruler in the game, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. After meeting him in person, he turned out to be a rather interesting old man. This man’s arrogance and boldness made him unbearably charming.

What’s there to hide? I love boldness. Only the bold are able to truly bask in the beauty of life.

Being able to see someone bask in the things that I cannot is always delightful. Only these people are worth tricking, betraying, and taunting. These were the type of people who made our lives more entertaining.

Very well, then. Allow me to bestow upon you a surprise gift.

I spoke in an almost singsong voice.

“O Great Bathory, I am aware that you used to have a little sister.”

“Indeed. Unfortunately, she departed this life when I was a young boy.”

A sad expression appeared on Great King Bathory’s face.

In truth, when this man was younger, he and his little sister used to love one another. Not a physical love, but a mental one. The two of them most likely could only rely on each other for support within their strict palace lives.

The beautiful princess passed away at the blossoming age of 15. Or at least, that is what the public believes.

“I know that she is alive.”

“…….”

The mood changed.

The visage of an outgoing man had disappeared and was replaced by a beast trying to protect what was theirs. The slight bit of goodwill that was in his eyes had instantly vanished without a trace. His gaze became so fierce that I wouldn’t be surprised if he pounced at me and gouged my throat out.

“How?”

“The princess was afflicted with leprosy when she was little. An unfortunate occurrence. The very fact that the princess had caught leprosy is enough to harm the image of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth’s royal family. Thus, you faked your beloved sister’s death and hid her away at a remote villa.”

“…….”

This was the single quest that won the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth over to the protagonist’s side.

“She is still alive thanks to the handpicked court healers, but that does not change the fact that she has been living a painful and cursed life. This is a favor from me to you. I will send a doctor from the demon world to Your Highness.”

“Do not tell me…….”

I nodded without hesitation.

“Yes, she can be cured.”

“Impossible!”

Great King Bathory yelled.

“We tried every means possible, but they were all ineffective!”

“Humans are not well-versed in black magic, but that is not the case in the demon world.”

“Black magic?”

Great King Bathory looked stunned.

“Your little sister is not afflicted with only leprosy. A rather shady black curse has slipped in there as well. Well, please do not blame your mages and priests too much. Has it not been a thousand years since black magic was first used in the human world?”

“How do you know this……?”

“Did I not tell you earlier?”

I smiled gently.

“I am Dantalian. Do not underestimate the weight of a Demon Lord’s name.”

The implicit threat to not ask any further than this made the other party stay quiet.

I held my right hand out.

“Great King, would it be fine to expect an eternal bond between our nations?”

“…….”

I gladly waited for as long as I had to.

Great King Bathory took my right hand with his. It was only slight, but I felt his hand tremble. It was an incredibly pleasant sensation. Humans should live while being afraid of Demon Lords by exactly this much.

This was the moment Elizabeth lost an ally.