Chapter 62 – Godrick’s Determination

“What’s with this situation now…!”

Godrick Clostova, the ruler of Clostova Territory, was tormented by a sense of urgency unlike anything he had felt in his life before.

Well, to be precise, there was once before when he felt a similar panic. It was when the civil war broke out.

“The imperial family, us nobles…especially if we oppose the major lords, our authority will plummet…! Curse you…!”

More than ten years ago, it was somewhat inevitable. Emperor Creyval had been trying to confiscate the properties of major nobles like them for arbitrary reasons.

There would be no one to blame for nobles banding together to protect their rights against such aggression. Fundamentally, they pledged loyalty to the emperor as vassals but that was because of the give-and-take relationship between the lord and the emperor.

For minor lords without power or noble bureaucrats without land, just the brand of being an imperial aristocrat had value.

But major lords were different. They possessed economic and military power akin to small countries, and there was also the perception that they contributed to the empire.

Some major nobles genuinely dedicated themselves to the empire. But Godrick was different. He believed that if they wanted his cooperation, there should be appropriate compensation.

But this wasn’t entirely wrong either. Lords governed their territories in ways independent of the central government, positioning themselves within the empire like independent states.

Moreover, many lords in Clostova enjoyed imperial protection and in terms of military strength, they could muster quite a number compared to all the lords within the empire. The emperors of generations past had indeed been wary of Clostova Province.

And yet.

“Damn it all!”

He threw the cup filled with alcohol against the wall. The woman sitting beside him, wrapped in a thin cloth, flinched.

“Enough! Get out!”

“Y-Yes!”

The woman left the room, leaving him alone to reconsider the current situation.

“Forget about Linzent…! Why do they all obediently follow these upstart imperial family members…!”

A prince who rebelled in the borderlands and miraculously defeated the Imperial Knights. That was Godrick’s perception of his rival, Vilgard.

If he could secure control over the Alcarol Territory, undoubtedly he would make contact with the Lords Alliance. That was also within expectations. After all, if he didn’t, the next move from the empire would likely be a massive army sent directly at him and he would lose.

But reality didn’t align with that expectation. He later learned that the empire was much more wary of Vilgard than anticipated. Information brought back by liberated prisoners of war, Barkdine and Roglain, played a part in this.

And Vilgard did make contact with the Lords Alliance. However, the audacious demand was to submit entirely under his rule. He claimed that otherwise, they would be considered rebels against the imperial family.

At that moment, Godrick thought, 『Ah, is he the same as the current emperor?』

Putting his own incompetence aside, driven solely by his status as a member of the imperial family, he thought of nothing but exploiting the wealth of the major nobles. Would he cooperate with such a person for free?

On the other hand, the brand of being a 『prince』 was powerful. With Vilgard as the standard-bearer, it could become a spiritual backbone for the Lords Alliance. However, he didn’t like the idea of welcoming a new emperor.

So, he was provoked. He demands to lend the princess of the former Amatsuki Empire, known as the beautiful wife. He insinuated that cooperation could follow if they agreed.

At this point, the Lords Alliance was still in the process of seeking compromise with Vilgard. And even before negotiations began, the skirmishes had already started. This provocation was just another means to tilt negotiations in their favour.

However, Vilgard boldly led his army to invade before the Lords Alliance could solidify its stance. Those lords along the invasion route were now anxious. Naturally, they pledged allegiance to the new prince without hesitation.

“Is the brand of being a prince really that appealing…?”

While saying this, Godrick understood. Unlike major lords, it was undoubtedly appealing to ordinary nobles.

For years, they had longed for a member of the imperial family who could openly rebel against the current emperor.

However, it wasn’t easy for major lords to simply jump on board. After all, following Vilgard would mean losing established privileges such as control over their own military forces.

So, Godrick thought. Minor lords without significant military power might comply easily but major lords would likely take a more direct stance against Vilgard.

But Linzent surrendered to Vilgard far too easily.

“Is he senile just because he’s a grandfather…!”

In reality, he suspected there must have been some kind of deal. From Wolk’s perspective, Vilgard was his grandson and if he were to unify the empire in the future, their noble house would undoubtedly receive benefits.

At this point, Godrick was feeling anxious. After all, it was he who had rashly provoked Vilgard.

His son had quickly surrendered to Vilgard, bringing along a young noble from a neighbouring region. It infuriated Godrick that his son seemed to think Vilgard was more righteous than his own father.

And now Vilgard was clearly labelling Clostova as traitors.

It was only now that Godrick realised Vilgard had never intended to negotiate with the Lords Alliance from the start. It was simply a matter of whether they would comply with his orders or be branded as traitors.

“So, I ended up provoking without any real deterrent…!”

He had provoked with negotiations in mind but if the other party had never intended to negotiate from the start, it was meaningless. Instead, he had given Vilgard an excuse for military invasion against Clostova.

Vilgard turned out to be more aggressive than anticipated. Backed by military force, he swiftly subdued lord after lord, and even those who were defeated seemed rather pleased.

And now, after bringing Linzent to heel, he finally turned his spear towards Katzbarie.

While inexperienced as a lord, Shred had received a solid education as a high-ranking noble. Therefore, acting like a major lord, he demanded concessions in exchange for cooperation with Vilgard.

What he was doing mirrored Godrick’s actions. And once again, Vilgard, who had no intention of negotiating, concluded that Katzbarie was also a rebellious territory and began his invasion.

But for Godrick, this was an opportunity. Katzbarie had more military strength. Somehow, Vilgard hadn’t increased his forces with Linzent.

He thought he should cooperate with Katzbarie and strike Vilgard with their combined might. If they could defeat him in battle, there was a chance negotiations could resume. However…

“Shred…! That brat…!”

Shred couldn’t even delay until reinforcements arrived.

It was said that a force of 50,000 troops was annihilated in an instant. Katzbarie was supposed to serve as a buffer zone against Vilgard’s forces but it proved utterly ineffective.

And so, Katzbarie Territory was occupied and the entire eastern region, which had been under the control of the Lords Alliance, fell entirely under Vilgard’s dominion. Godrick now acknowledged Vilgard’s strength.

“He certainly has military talent…! But I have many capable soldiers too…!”

With Shred’s defeat, Godrick finally began to seriously fortify his defences.

He conscripted lords and villagers alike, increasing the number of soldiers to 120,000. While there were concerns about food and supplies, for some reason, Vilgard was hastening the unification of the Lords’ Union. The likelihood of battle starting soon was high.

Out of the gathered soldiers, 40,000 were stationed in the south, along the border with imperial territory, leaving 80,000 in reserve.

Godrick took the wives and children of the lords under his protection as hostages. This ensured they couldn’t betray him, forcing them to fight Vilgard alongside him.

“I can’t retreat any longer…! If it comes to this, I’ll defeat Vilgard’s forces and seize control of the Lords Alliance’s territories myself…!”