Chapter 8 – Schemes advancing in the neighbouring territory
by PinkPantherAdjacent to the Amatsuki Empire lies the Imperial territory of Caldo.
The lord of that land, Maibar Caldo, was drinking alcohol during the daytime and violently assaulting a woman restrained with a board, her hands and neck tied, on the bed.
“Higii…! M-My lord, please…! F-forgive me…”
“Shut up! A pig like you shouldn’t talk back!”
“Agii!?”
The woman caught his eye when he went out for an inspection of the village. Maibar found it displeasing that the man who seemed to be her husband bowed and begged for forgiveness when he tried to take her back to the mansion, so he was assaulting her in this manner.
The woman was vigorously thrust from behind, her buttocks turning bright red from repeated strikes. Maibar, with his stout belly jiggling, was indulging in pleasure.
“Despite the fact that you can live like this, it’s all thanks to me, the lord! Honestly, you ill-mannered pigs have no education at all…! Hmph!”
“Aaaah!”
Originally, this land was not part of the empire; it was ruled by another country. However, over ten years ago, the empire took control, and imperial nobles were sent to various places to govern as lords.
Maibar himself was originally a central noble who resided in the imperial capital. Frankly, whether a frontier lord or a central noble is better is a difficult question.
However, a lord is the king of his land. It feels good to wield that power.
“Excuse me.”
As he continued his activity with the woman, sweating profusely and thrusting his hips, another man entered the room. It was the man Maibar had called to come to the room earlier.
Without even looking at him, Maibar continued his act with the woman.
“Ah, you’ve come, Bliss.”
The man was a mercenary Maibar had hired. He bore a mark and his skills were reliable, so Maibar kept him close and employed him.
“Regarding that matter, what’s the situation?”
“About the Amatsuki Empire. We haven’t received a response from their envoy yet.”
“What!? That…!”
“Agh!? Oh, nn…! P-Please, stop…!”
Hearing Bliss’s words, Maibar slapped the woman’s buttocks with a force that resonated throughout the room. However, the speed of his thrusting did not slow down.
“I’ve waited for 30 days already…! Hmph, that small country survives only because the empire hasn’t been adjacent until now…!”
“…We are making preparations just in case. Are you really going to go through with it?”
“Of course! It’s a central directive!”
Maibar had previously sent an envoy to the empire. The content of the message was to cease trade with the nomads and to proceed with commercial transactions with the empire.
However, these transactions were far from equal. The empire imposed border fees on Amatsuki Empire goods, and for goods sold to the empire, the directive was to trade them at two to three times their actual value. In essence, they were enforcing unfair trade practices.
There were several reasons for this. First and foremost was the sheer difference in national power.
Not only did the empire have a larger territory, but it also vastly outnumbered the Amatsuki Empire in terms of military strength. Even with the combined civilian forces of the Amatsuki Empire, they barely reached 40,000 soldiers.
In contrast, the empire had over 150,000 knights, not to mention the regional armies held by lords. If the lords forcefully conscripted, they could increase their forces even more.
Moreover, due to its longer history, the empire had a greater number of nobles and knights bearing marks.
Of course, it wasn’t possible to concentrate all their forces in one region. But with the current more organised state of affairs compared to the past, if the central authority decided, they could potentially invade the Amatsuki Empire.
Besides the disparity in military strength, the empire’s own interests were also at play.
“The knights of the Amatsuki Empire… They are said to be quite skilled warriors, aren’t they?”
“So that’s the point, right!? There’s such a blessed land nearby, if we could just incorporate it into the empire…! Let’s send all those warriors west to rampage!”
“Will they listen obediently?”
“They better! If we take the imperial family hostage!”
The Amatsuki Empire, having avoided prolonged conflicts with other nations, was reasonably prosperous. With only one neighbouring country and access to the sea, it was blessed with abundant food.
While the territory had been desired before, the recent ease in the empire’s constraints prompted the central authority to turn its attention to the empire.
This small country had no powerful backing, yet it thrived, making it a desirable asset for the financially-strained empire.
However, caution was needed in the initial approach. So, as a first step, somewhat unreasonable demands were tactfully proposed through an envoy. While not impossible for the Amatsuki Empire to meet, whether they would agree on a national level was another matter.
If the Amatsuki empire were to swallow its pride and accept the empire’s demands, it would pave the way for even more outrageous demands over time. Eventually, the empire’s resilience would wear thin, but by then, it would likely be too late.
And if the demands were rejected? Then various pretexts would be fabricated to invade and forcibly annex the empire. The empire had prepared for such scenarios.
“It’s been 30 days already…! The central authority mentioned mobilising the knights! Initially, we’ll sacrifice from our side…but the empire government assures compensation! Hmph… I used to think being a frontier lord was nothing, but it seems my luck has finally turned!”
“Hauu!?”
Maibar wrapped his hands around the woman’s waist, ensuring a firm grip to intensify the contact between their genitals. Then, he stopped his hip movements.
Feeling an ominous premonition, the woman let out a voice close to a scream.
“Hi…!? W-Wait, no way…!? P-Please, don’t release inside…!”
“Ahh!? Why would a pig like you speak to me, the lord, like that…? But if you express loyalty and love towards me, depending on my mood, I might consider it, you know?”
While saying this, Maibar tightened his grip, holding the woman even more firmly.
With no means of resistance, the woman was on the verge of being inseminated deeply. Realising the impending fear, she opened her mouth, almost begging.
“I-I am a pig of the great lord! I truly admire the kind and generous lord from the bottom of my heart! Please, please…!”
“Heh~. …Huh? What did you say?”
“……….!?”
Maibar, with his member pulsating inside the woman, continued the conversation with Bliss.
“Alright. Equip the soldiers with suitable weaponry.”
“…Most of them are untrained civilians. They won’t be of any use.”
“I know that. It’s fine. Hmph~. But it’s a war after all. Knights serving in my territory and you should enjoy it too, right?”
The woman stopped screaming, now sobbing with hyperventilation. Maibar’s attention was no longer on her.
“When the knights come from the central, start the invasion in earnest. Plundering is allowed. They’re living quite comfortably anyway; a little chaos won’t hurt.”
“That’s good to hear. The allowance for plundering also affects morale.”
Plundering was the right of the victors, earned at the risk of their lives, and directly contributed to diminishing the enemy nation’s strength. Bliss, sensing the impending battle, left the room.
Maibar Caldo
Nobility who was given a remote territory and expelled due to being disliked even in the central region.
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