Chapter 97 – Vilgard’s Infiltration and the Military Council Held in the Empire

Considering our return as well, we couldn’t afford to stay for too long.

After entering Imperial territory, we traveled straight along the highway toward the imperial capital.

“Still, being able to secure horses along the way was a huge help…”

“Haha. Glad I could be of use.”

Even now, many Muga tribe merchants—who also act as informants—are scattered throughout the Empire. It was one of those Muga we encountered in a town who handed the horses over to us.

Compared to the horses raised by the Gagaru tribe in the grasslands, these might fall a bit short—but they’re still many times faster than walking. In fact, we’ve been able to cover more ground than we originally planned.

“Ruudo. Isn’t this the lake the townspeople mentioned?”

“Yeah… Hmm. Karan-san.”

“Ah. I’ll make sure to keep a detailed record.”

There are several crucial factors when it comes to launching an invasion with my army. Aside from the existence of highways we can use to advance, things like water sources and grazing land are vital. After all, cavalry make up the bulk of our forces.

Especially in this area, turning the local lord to our side will be difficult. With that in mind, I need to identify any locations ahead of time that could serve as bases to station our forces.

“Even though we’ve made it this deep in, it’s surprising how we haven’t been discovered at all~”

“…Well, there aren’t many people who know our faces.”

“Right. Not to mention, Shamia of course, and even Girei and Lizua—they aren’t exactly widely known yet.”

In the old Territorial Lords Alliance, people like Garshin and Kud are fairly well-known. That’s because they consistently fought on many battlefields.

But we haven’t clashed with the Empire that extensively yet.

“That said, just as we’ve slipped into the Empire, the Empire must have sent a few of their spies into our territory too… I wouldn’t be surprised if someone like Garshin’s identity is already known.”

“That’s very likely.”

We can’t expect to expose every spy, so there’s a limit to what we can do.

However, within the current Northern Empire, it’s not easy for enemy agents to manipulate the lords with schemes of division. Because of that, they’ve likely been putting serious effort into intelligence gathering.

“…Alright. Let’s go.”

“? Go where?”

We’ve made it this far. And we’re ahead of schedule.

“To Zeltstaddt—the Imperial Capital.”

“Eh…”

“No way…”

Once the invasion begins, we’ll most likely end up clashing near the imperial capital anyway. So while we’re at it, I want to check the current state of the capital.

“Whether it’s suited for defense, or which direction would be easiest to attack from if they decide to hole up inside… I also want to get a direct sense of how the citizens of the capital currently view the Empire.”

“…If you get caught in the capital, it won’t just be a funny story, you know.”

“That’s what the Utt tribe is for, right?”

Saying that, I turned my gaze toward Shamia. She smirked with amusement, raising the corner of her mouth.

“Fufu. If Ruudo says so, I’ll live up to the expectation.”

“…Haa. Ruudo, I suppose the word for you is bold and fearless.”

“He’s not leading us for nothing.”

With my suggestion, the plan to head for the capital was officially decided. Well, truth be told, I’d been thinking about extending the journey that far from the start.

That said, it’s not like we’re planning to enter the noble district. I simply want to observe the citizens, understand the layout of the city, and assess its defenses.

And so, we set our course straight for the imperial capital.

■

It had already been over half a year since the Northern Empire had declared its founding. In that time, the Empire couldn’t afford to sit idle.

It was clear that full-scale armed conflict was inevitable. There were many things that had to be done in preparation for that moment.

Fortunately, thanks to avoiding clashes with the Territorial Lords Alliance over the past few years, the finances were gradually recovering. Though public safety remained poor in some regions, it was still noticeably better than before.

‘Even so, there are still many challenges to overcome…’

Arloston had spent the past few months attending meetings almost every single day.

Not just military councils, but also administrative meetings involving the Minister of Internal Affairs. Right now, the topic on the agenda was the situation in the former Amatsuki Imperial State.

“…As you can see, every day, armed resistance groups made up of former warriors continue to form…”

“It’s become dangerous for Imperial citizens to walk around at night…”

“The administrative officers have submitted a request to deploy the Ironclad Knight Order to the Imperial Capital…”

“No, of all things, deploying the Ironclad Knight Order would be a terrible idea. It would provoke the nerves of the warriors and the capital’s citizens far too much.”

“But if this continues…”

It had already been about two years since the Amatsuki Imperial State became part of the Empire, yet governance there was still not going well.

The people of the Imperial State differ greatly from the Empire—not only in culture, but in temperament as well. They would never forgive the Imperials who had harmed the royal family. They would go so far as to risk their lives for it.

Certainly, the Amatsuki Imperial State was rich in nature and abundant in food supplies. It had brought some benefit to the Empire’s finances, but the human losses were gradually outweighing the gains.

There were two major causes for this. One: Tsukimikado Mayo, a surviving member of the royal family, had risen up with Vilgard as her consort. And two: the existence of a rebel organization composed of warriors.

At first, the warriors merely carried out sporadic ambushes across various regions. But now they had organized into a single, coordinated force.

Somehow, they had even obtained the schedules of Imperial nobles, using them to plan ambushes and strike with precision. This had forced the Empire to pour considerable manpower and funding into countermeasures.

“…Regarding the Imperial State territory, it would be best to maintain the current situation for now.”

“What…? Are you saying we should allow Imperial nobles to continue suffering losses?”

“That’s not it. The rebels are mainly composed of warriors, yes? The quickest way to silence them is to capture Tsukimikado Mayo, the surviving royal. It may take time… but in the end, it’s the least expensive and most effective way to bring the territory under control.”

“………………”

Any further investment would likely just be a waste of money.

However, if they could just get their hands on Tsukimikado Mayo… then, if handled properly, it might even be possible to integrate the warriors into the Empire’s military strength.

But doing so would be equivalent to defeating the Northern Empire. After all, Mayo’s husband is Vilgard.

“What we need to be most cautious of right now is the possibility of contact between the Northern Empire and the rebel forces of the Imperial State. The Ironclad Knight Order controls the main entrance, but that country has a path connecting to the northern grasslands. We must allocate more personnel there and watch closely to ensure that Northern Empire spies don’t slip through.”

The one who spoke was Kaldandes, son of Barkdine.

He had inherited both the faction Barkdine once led and the headship of the Bihickturk family, and was now the family’s lord.

“That is certainly important. But even just stationing troops in an unpopulated area comes at considerable cost…”

“But if we wait until something happens, it will be too late. That’s a location worth spending money to secure.”

“Haa…As expected, governing the Imperial State territory is quite the financial burden…”

Even Arloston had come to admit that the invasion of the Imperial State had been premature. At the very least, they should have studied the temperament of its people beforehand.

The Amatsuki Imperial State was the first foreign power Arloston had faced in war since becoming Knight Commander General.

Because of that, he hadn’t fully grasped how differences in national or regional character would affect warfare. He had only focused on understanding military strength and terrain.

“In any case, regarding the Imperial State, we must remain vigilant about contact with the Northern Empire and do whatever it takes to capture the princess.”

“Indeed. But what about the Northern Empire itself?”

“We can’t just leave the Alcarol Territory in their hands forever.”

“Then we should strike first and take the offensive.”

“From where? If we start mobilizing troops for an invasion, the Northern Empire will obviously notice. If we gather forces too far from the capital—say, around Alcarol—they might use that opening to invade the capital instead. Then we’d be finished, wouldn’t we?”

When it comes to dealing with the Northern Empire, a definitive strategy never seems to materialize. The main problem always comes down to:【Where】,【who】, and【how】we should attack.

Deploying the Imperial Knight Orders would naturally mean asking the nearby lords to send their troops as well.

However, the morale and skill level of those regional troops remains uncertain. Moreover, without an appropriate reward, many lords wouldn’t even be willing to cooperate in the first place.

Which makes sense. Why would they spend lives and money without gaining anything, when those armies are meant to protect their own lands? Of course, there are some who would move purely out of loyalty to the Emperor…

But it was here that Kaldandes spoke up.

“…I’ll speak plainly. Under Prince Vilgard, the Northern Empire’s lords are now united, and I’ve heard that their troops have greatly improved in training and discipline. If we continue to waste time, there’s a high chance the Empire will be caught off guard.”

This was something everyone in the room was already aware of. But up until now, no one had dared to say it aloud—out of fear they’d be accused of weakness the moment they did.

But Kaldandes said it clearly. Because if no one spoke up, the Empire would remain a step behind forever.

“First, let us acknowledge Prince Vilgard’s military genius and strength for what they are. None of us here expected that he would be able to build the Northern Empire in such a short time.”

None of them wanted to admit Vilgard’s strength. That too was something each person in the room had subconsciously been aware of.

And it was precisely because of that failure to acknowledge him that today’s situation was allowed to unfold. No one had been able to see through Vilgard’s true capabilities.

But that was understandable. What could a prince, who had raised his banner in the frontier while leading nomadic tribes, possibly accomplish? He had gone far beyond the limits of anyone’s imagination.

“Looking at it objectively, it’s true that the Prince currently holds the momentum. But that doesn’t mean we can allow ourselves to be swallowed by that momentum.”

“…Do you have something in mind?”

“I’d like you to take this as just one possible option—nothing more.”

What Kaldandes proposed was something Arloston had also begun to consider: cooperation with a foreign power.