HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Angel Dust]
[Proofreader - Prototype]
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.Alll latest novels at novelhall.com
'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.
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.
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Angel Dust]
[Proofreader - Prototype]