Chapter 246: Scene in Galilianin (1)*

New chapter of The Demon King is out! (1/2 chapters)In a grand office of the government building, Fritz Roni, the Vice President of the Galilia Union, gazed out the window. The wind carried a faint salty scent of the Black Sea, slightly different from the western great sea. From a makeshift shoreline, small fishing boats were rowing out, and Fritz could see fishermen hoisting their vertical sails. At the port, an unfamiliar ship with conspicuous red sails was anchored.

Galilianin was once known as Shantinion. In ancient times, it was the capital of a great nation inhabited solely by a Long-Eared race. The historical image of Shantinion varies. Some said it was a barbaric land full of shacks, while scholars who could read ancient texts describe it as a grand metropolis rivaling Vaticans.

No buildings from Shantinion’s era remain in Galilianin, so the truth was unknown. However, the foundations were still there. Engineers from the Shantilla Empire favored large, sturdy cut stones for the bases of their massive structures. These foundations were difficult to destroy, and it still existed throughout the city. It was still being used even now. The precision of their construction, with stones so perfectly aligned that not even a sheet of paper could fit between them, suggested that Shantinion was not merely a sprawling city of shacks.

The current government building where Fritz works utilized a foundation from the Shantilla Great Empire’s era. After the Great Empire’s fall, Galilianin became a northern frontier of the Papal States. A grand cathedral was erected on the castle ruins in the city’s center to serve as a missionary hub for the northern regions. This new district soon established a metropolitan archbishop’s seat, and the significant relic, the Holy Jaw of Orta, was brought from Vaticans to serve as the center of faith.

Three centuries later, dissatisfaction with the homeland grew in these early Crusader-established colonies, fostering a spirit of independence. When the Governor of Galilianin led a rebellion, the initial colonial cities united were under the flag of the Galilia Union and they became independent. Naturally, the homeland responded with fury and raised an army. However, the Kururuan Straits were closed, and the land routes were sabotaged. So, the punitive force never reached Galilianin. Still seething, the Papal States withdrew their clergy, declaring any priest performing sacraments or preaching in the Galilia Union heretical. Consequently, the Lulu Great Cathedral was abandoned, and the Holy Jaw of Orta was taken away.

Now, the government building Fritz occupied was the renovated Lulu Cathedral. Its cruciform main hall was now the grand chamber where the Galilia Union held its assembly meetings. Despite the normalization of diplomatic relations with the Papal States, they never reinstated a bishop’s seat in this city. The Galilia Union’s rebellion happened over six centuries ago, so it was not a matter of lingering resentment but likely a continued display of stance. Currently, the massive diocese encompassing the Galilia Union and the city-state regions had no archbishop. The episcopal seat in the Papal States’ colonial city of Gerizim oversaw the entire diocese.

In a building with foundations laid by the Shantilla Great Empire, its structures built by the Papal States, and renovations done by the Galilia Union, Fritz Roni was now waiting for a messenger from the Papal States who had arrived on a ship with red sails.

—

The messenger from the Papal States wore a cylindrical cloak without buttons and a large necklace over his high-collared attire. The dark blue fabric of the necklace was embroidered with silver thread, forming a cross and a border. This was a representative of the Papal States’ military command.

“Here is the letter of request for the Galilia Union. Please accept it.” (??)

“Thank you for your efforts.” (Fritz)

Fritz Roni, by nature, used polite language with everyone outside his family. In this country, politicians were not hereditary nobles. They were not guaranteed their positions and could fall from grace quickly. Although he was not originally an arrogant person, Fritz believed that showing respect to others and maintaining a proper demeanor was essential for a politician’s survival in this nation.

He broke the wax seal on the letter and checked its contents. Currently, Fritz held the title of Vice President of the Galilia Union. The President (Consul), Orasem Hatran, was very old and recently had become severely senile, leaving Fritz to handle all presidential duties. He read the letter of request from the Papal States.

“Hmm… I see. Essentially, you are asking us not to send reinforcements.” (Fritz)

The letter from Epitaph Palazzo was written in polite language, requesting that the Galilia Union preserve its military strength for the upcoming decisive battle, and then, send troops without hesitation when the time came. In other words, they were being told not to send reinforcements now. This content was surprising to Fritz.

“Exactly. You are likely already aware, Your Excellency Fritz, that despite the Flusha Kingdom sending 5,000 reinforcements, Noininares was recently destroyed.” (??)

“Yes, I am aware.” (Frits)

Colonial cities often derived their names from their mother cities, prefixed with “Noi” (New). In this case, it meant New Ninares, named after the large city of Ninares in the Papal States. Although originally a city of the Papal States, it became a colonial city of the Flusha Kingdom after being ceded over 100 years ago. It was more manageable for the motherland to govern territories in a contiguous mass rather than scattered like seeds. Thus, transferring cities to consolidate new territories gained during the Crusades was common practice.

Of course, this was a significant inconvenience to the residents. They might be forced to relocate or simply have their nationality changed, but either way, they were heavily impacted by the state’s circumstances.

“Even if we send reinforcements piece by piece like this, they will be defeated one by one, and the military power of each country will be weakened. That is what Epitaph-sama thinks.” (??)

That reasoning might make sense logically, but even the Flusha Kingdom understood that. 13 years ago, the Flusha Kingdom had exiled a troublesome royal to Noininares as a sort of banishment. Though this individual was problematic in many ways, his bloodline was impeccable, making it impossible for the kingdom to ignore a request for reinforcements. Naturally, the Flusha Kingdom didn’t genuinely intend to save him. They merely wanted to show a semblance of rescue. So, they sent a motley crew of low-trained ruffians and destitute mercenaries.

“Are you suggesting we abandon the colonial cities?” (Fritz)

“To put it bluntly, yes.” (??)

“I see… But what about Gerizim? The enemy forces should be approaching soon, shouldn’t they?” (Fritz)

This puzzled Fritz. Other colonial cities might be trivial to the Papal States, but they should have a strong attachment to Gerizim. It was intended to be the religious hub of the region, complete with a cathedral disproportionate to the city’s size. Fritz had expected to be asked to send reinforcements to protect Gerizim.

“Please consider Gerizim like any other city.” (??)

“We have no issue with that. However, if Union’s cities are threatened, we will dispatch our military as required by law. I hope you understand.” (Fritz)

The Galilia Union was formed by colonial cities that had grown tired of their homeland and rebelled. Union’s cities were highly independent city-states, different from typical provincial cities. Established with mutual aid in mind, their ‘Iron Rules’ mandated that no member city under attack could be abandoned. While this didn’t mean a full-scale military response was always necessary, some form of aid had to be provided.

Orasem Hatran, who created these ‘Iron Rules’w, ensured that any attack on a member city would obligate the Union to respond, making cities feel secure in joining the Union. This provision had never been activated against the intended enemy. Historically, it had been invoked numerous times against Khanjar’s marauding horse tribes. Nearly every president had declared its activation at some point. Naturally, it would also apply in a conflict with the Shanti.

“I see… Well, we understand that. However, Epitaph-sama’s intention is to avoid unnecessary depletion of your forces.” (??)

Fritz didn’t need to be told that. As those facing the brunt of the war, they were already mindful of it. It was irritating to be instructed by outsiders like the Papal States, who were safe from the conflict.

“In that case, we request that reinforcements arrive promptly before our cities come under attack.” (Fritz)

“Of course, we will do just that.” (??)

“…But rather than worrying about the city-state region, shouldn’t resolving the civil war in Tyrellme be the priority?” (Fritz)

The civil war in Tyrellme was problematic for various reasons. The country, expected to be the most tenacious in the war, was weak due to internal conflicts. This was a significant issue.

The ease with which colonial cities in the city-state region were being conquered was largely due to the impact of Tyrellme’s civil war. The chaos in the region had led to bandits and mercenary groups running rampant, making the passage extremely perilous. They would attack any unprotected convoy they saw, necessitating thorough scouting for safety and constant protection of the convoy to prevent ambushes. Essentially, it required the same level of security as traversing a battlefield.

Furthermore, the two factions fighting in the civil war were wary of any armed force approaching strategic locations. Even if a force declared neutrality and only intended to pass through, its military capability necessitated caution. Requests for passage were often denied, making it difficult to use preferred routes.

aWhen sending reinforcements to colonial cities, the obvious route was through Tyrellme, making the passage difficulties a significant issue. Reinforcements to Noininares had traveled by sea to Galilia Union and then overland. However, several western colonial cities that surrendered last year couldn’t receive reinforcements or supplies due to impassable land and sea routes, preventing effective resistance. Had Tyrellme been functioning normally, the city-state region wouldn’t have fallen like wheat to a scythe.

“That’s something we can’t do much about.” (??)

The man from the Papal States’ overseer squad said while looking troubled.

“…Off the record, wouldn’t it be simpler to assassinate one of them?” (Fritz)

The Papal States likely had skilled assassination teams. Given Epitaph Palazzo’s favoritism towards Angelica Sacrament, they would likely target Alfred for assassination. Assuming they didn’t believe the rumors of Angelica fleeing the battlefield.

“Off the record, we’ve already attempted that. However, King Alfred is very cautious, probably due to his expertise in assassination, and our reports suggest there’s little chance of success.” (??)

“Is that so?” (Fritz)

Fritz was surprised that such measures had already been taken.

“Queen Angelica has also been targeted multiple times by assassins from him, so she is well aware of assassination techniques.” (??)

“Good grief…”  (Fritz)

That was all Fritz could say. These siblings were extraordinary.

“Please keep this information confidential. Officially, it never happened. So, we have no choice but to wait regarding Tyrellme.” (??)

“Then why not send substantial reinforcements to one side to settle the conflict quickly?” (Fritz)

In such civil wars, it was common to support one faction. For instance, Angelica Sacrament, being a young woman, could be politically married off to a royal, making her future child the next king and a relative of the supporting nation’s royalty. Thereby, it would increasing influence over a significant country.

However, in this case, the expected compensation would be military support. Currently, no nation is in a position to generously provide reinforcements as they are all preoccupied with rebuilding their armies, which were decimated in the last crusade. Thus, the civil war had been a pure contest between the two factions for a long time.

If the Papal States were to take the lead and send troops, the situation could change. No nation of the Isus religion benefited from the prolonged civil war. It would be more advantageous in the long run to resolve the conflict quickly before Tyrellme became entirely useless due to the ongoing strife.

“That would indeed be a last resort. We are considering it, but as soon as we intervene, Yuri Hou might end his passive stance and attack Tyrellme.” (??)

“Ah, I see.” (Fritz)

Yuri Hou had not attacked the war-torn Tyrellme yet because he was waiting for it to weaken further. This was the common perception. For him, the best strategy would be to strike a nearly bled-out Tyrellme. If Tyrellme began to stabilize, it would make sense for him to launch an all-out offensive.

“In that case, it’s crucial not to provoke a sleeping tiger.” (Fritz)

In reality, it wasn’t just sleeping. Their colonial cities were being taken over. However, the Flusha Kingdom likely viewed Tyrellme’s empire as a protective wall and hoped for minimal intervention.

“As we have long requested, please ensure the maintenance of good relations with Kururuan. If Tyrellme is attacked, it will be crucial to apply pressure from the east.” (??)

“Of course, we are aware of that. Our alliance with Kururuan remains strong.” (Fritz)

It was a given that maritime trade with the Mediterranean had to pass through the Kururuan Strait. The strait was narrow enough for both shores to launch attacks, and its fortified boom chain made smuggling impossible.

The Galilia Union maintained a robust diplomatic relationship with the Kururuan Dragon Empire. They consistently paid the transit tax for crossing the strait, which was a significant burden for the Galilia Union but a lucrative and effortless income for Kururuan. Currently, there were no signs of this agreement breaking down. The port cities facing the western ocean were incapacitated by attacks from Albio Republic, and their merchant ships were destroyed, making Galilia Union’s trade through the strait increasingly vital. Consequently, the number of ships passing through the strait had risen, enriching Kururuan further. This situation even suggested that their relationship had strengthened. Unless the Pope unexpectedly launched a holy war against the Kururuan Dragon Empire, the alliance was unlikely to break suddenly.

“If you say so, Fritz-sama. I will report to Epitaph-sama that the east is secure.” (??)

“Please do.” (Fritz) sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ ɴøvᴇlFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Fritz was curious about how that man would handle diplomacy with the Cocolulu religion, but it was safer to stay uninvolved. Galilia could maintain friendly relations with Kururuan, ironically, because Lulu Great Cathedral had been abandoned and the clergies had withdrawn. Although clerical activities had resumed, the faith of the Galilians was not particularly strong without a central place of worship.

In the Isus religion area, there was no other major city like Galilianin where a bishop was absent. Due to their lack of religious fervor, interactions with Cocolulu faith people were less likely to cause friction. Galilianin had a reasonable number of Cocolulu faithful residing there due to established diplomatic relations. For example, in the Vaticans, there were many people who would stone non-believers on sight, making coexistence impossible.

“Please also include a report on the military aid issue. If the Galilia Union collapses, you will also be in trouble.” (Fritz)

“Understood. For us, abandoning Gerizim is a difficult decision. We are currently waiting for the right moment.” (??)

It was a common phrase for opportunists. However, the countries in the south still needed some more time to rebuild their military. Waiting for recovery while keeping military forces for national defense and providing aid with remaining strength was natural for rulers, but it was indeed an urgent time.

“Well then, I shall take my leave. It was a fruitful meeting.” (??)

It didn’t feel like much of a meeting.

“Yes. Please take care on your way back.” (Fritz)