Chapter 63: Like Military Boots 1 (1)

Chapter 63: Like Military Boots 1 (1)

Naturally, all things must have a cause before they can have an effect. This is true no matter how astounding the event. A few facts overlooked by the people of that era can chain together to propel the situation to a specific event.

This war was no different. One day, the war suddenly sparked off with a unilateral declaration from the Federation of St. Gallen. Up until that point, there were countless events that could be said to foreshadow the war.

Firstly, the mass outbreak of monsters in St. Gallen.

This problem that has been plaguing the country since last year was not taken seriously by the other countries. After all, it was common knowledge by those on the Ithuselah continent that the monsters of St. Gallen were strong. If the disaster had been so great that it had swallowed up the city, people would have thought that the Demon King had returned. However, most of the monsters that overflowed from the forest area known as the Black Forest were worthless low-ranking monsters. The officials from each country were relieved. After all, they were only goblins and orcs, weren't they? While there were certainly some powerful monsters in the mix, none of them were intelligent enough to form the core of a major offensive. No matter how many of them there are, they will surely be exterminated in the near future.

But still, monsters are monsters. They are dangerous creatures whose raison d'etre is to end humanity. They kill livestock, steal food, defile fields, and destroy villages. In fact, in some of the remote rural areas, several villages had been destroyed and vast fields were devoured like locusts by the omnivorous monsters. The food situation in those areas deteriorated rapidly.

Two. Economic friction with the Kingdom of Arquell.

Since the war fifty years ago, the two countries of St. Gallen and Arquell had maintained a harmonious relationship. Although there had been territorial disputes and cultural conflicts and Molbaehr Kingdom which often tried to profit from the two countries fighting, there exists the common enemy of mankind, monsters. Humanity was willing to put down their grudges and take actions jointly in the face of such common enemies.

Specifically, the exchange of students between the two countries. Political marriages between noble families. And economic cooperation. Especially in the area of food products, there was a demand for agricultural products from Arquell, which could be said to be the granary of the continent. Trade thrived in the continent.

This all changed with the Great Fire in the Royal Capital last year.

The fire that destroyed Broussonne, the royal capital of the Kingdom of Arquell, has created a large number of refugees. In order to feed them, there was no time to export food to other countries. If we had prioritised exports at this time, there was a possibility that the starving people would turn into a mob and cause another revolt.

The year passed. But the situation remained the same. Insufficient food was exported. Adventurers left after profiting as much as they could. St. Gallen villages agricultural outputs showed no signs of recovery. St. Gallen's patience had reached its limit.

Because of the selfish behaviour of the West, our country is in a mess.

Take back what Arquell has stolen from us.

War. Time to remind the fools of the lesson from 50 years ago.

Once that decision was made, St. Gallen, the land of forests and elite soldiers, moved swiftly. They made do with what they had in the way of rations, mobilised secretly, and waited for the declaration.

They chose to start the war during harvest season. The goal was to secure food and feed its people.

The question was where to attack in the first battle. Common sense dictated that they detour around the mountain range separating the two countries and attack from the territory of the Duke of Allemande in the north. However, there was a problem with that.

First of all, it was obvious for the Arquell side that if they were going to be attacked, it would be from there. In addition, their land faced the North Sea, and a considerable amount of forces had already been deployed to deter Marbhea from across the straits. A fierce battle was expected, and it would be impossible to bring them down in a short period of time. It would be foolhardy to invade such a land first.

The current situation in St. Gallen was not conducive for prolonged battles and wars of attrition. The country's strength itself was declining due to famine and the economic crisis. It was obvious that if it was a war of attrition, they were more likely to lose steam first.

Attacking Allemande would not be easy. So what was their alternative?

After a few days of debate, the war advisers eventually settled on a piece of land.