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King Benito, Andrea II. He was currently feeling quite uneasy.

He had been engaging in countless behind-the-scenes operations.

It was hard to imagine how much time and money he had invested in all of this.

He had secretly contacted all the kingdoms in the South.

And now, he had stirred up their accumulated anger and complaints.

“How long are we going to keep listening to those religious fanatics?”

“The lord of the kingdom is the king. Not those old geezers who don’t even pay taxes.”

“Look at them, always bringing up God to nitpick whenever they want to do something.”

“While they say God is with them, there’s nothing backing them up.”

Some say the most pious followers of the light can be found in the southern continent.

Isn’t the holy ground where Runen performed miracles nearby?

They say there’s a gift that everyone envies right around the corner.

If they heard that, many would probably unleash their simmering rage.

It wasn’t a gift; it was a chain. A burden no one wanted to carry.

All because of that damned religion. How much had he given up because of faith?

Whenever he tried to raise taxes, those old geezers interfered.

Not the nobles. Not the Kingdom People. But those who didn’t pay a single tax.

Whenever he tried to broaden the country a bit, they warned him not to disturb the peace.

Yet they lived on the land they had taken without any effort.

He could bear it no longer. This was not just the mere desires of a ruler.

If this continued, he would wither away like an ancient tree—thanks to that proud faith.

Look at the Empire above them. Look at their immense power.

No, there’s no need to look as far as the Empire. Just look at the western kingdoms right next door.

They fought tooth and nail and achieved tremendous growth.

Is war really a bad thing? Is conquest truly evil? Is peace the only thing that matters?

How can one develop in that way? How long must they live in this cramped place?

He wanted to be a king of broader territory. The Kingdom People needed to become more prosperous.

The Holy Kingdom. Those damn old geezers. Worthless religious fanatics.

Why is it that they can’t even dare to speak elsewhere but keep meddling in southern affairs?

King Benito, Andrea II, understood this much.

He could no longer remain a puppet of the Pope and the Holy Kingdom.

Look at the Empire. Look at the West. They became great by constantly fighting.

We can do it. No, we must do it. If we want to survive.

Someday, they might have to pull their swords on each other. Should he just give up because that scares him?

He admitted the relationships weren’t great. But it wasn’t just their fault.

The Holy Kingdom was to blame too. They had always provoked their emotions while taking everything for themselves.

Those of us fighting for the kingdom were made out to be the evil rulers, while they posed as peaceful and merciful beings.

How can those who don’t even pay taxes dare to interfere in the affairs of the country?

This was all the fault of the Holy Kingdom. Only by uprooting them completely can they survive.

And many kingdoms secretly expressed their agreement with Andrea II’s remarks.

Though they pretended otherwise, it was proof of their immense anger toward the Holy Kingdom.

‘After this, nothing was difficult. Wasn’t that why we sent our soldiers as mercenaries to Dedorant for this moment?’

The weakness of the southern kingdoms lay in their relatively low military standards due to the lack of major wars.

Compared to the great Empire handling four borders or the Demon Tribe, which was battle-hardened from the start.

They couldn’t even compare to the West, who had been through endless wars of conquest.

Even the eastern kingdoms, which were ruthlessly defeated by the Empire, were said to be better off than the South.

Andrea II sought the strength of Dedorant for that purpose.

More precisely, he aimed to send his own soldiers to their wars to gain experience.

They didn’t have to achieve great feats. They didn’t need to become heroes.

They just needed to return with sufficient know-how.

If they could pass that experience on to their own soldiers afterward, that would be enough.

This brought about immediate and rapid change.

The level of Benito’s army rose sharply.

As proof, they easily crushed the Knight Order and volunteer army of the Holy Kingdom.

Was this really the same army that had barely reached average just recently?

It was a testament to how ruthless and powerful Dedorant’s military was.

Andrea II realized that allying with Dedorant was indeed a masterstroke.

‘Now, what remains is to become the leader of the southern kingdoms, guide them to swallow the Holy Kingdom, and establish a new order in the South.’

And here, Andrea II’s new rage began to rise.

Surely, initially, many southern kingdoms had agreed to his demands.

Whether it was through intimidation with a strengthened army or appropriate persuasion.

However, once he pushed the Holy Kingdom to its limits, they suddenly changed their reactions.

They began subtly opposing him. Their demands changed from the original terms.

It was evident that the atmosphere had shifted from what it once was, big or small.

And soon, he understood why they had suddenly turned.

“Those Empire bastards! Are they really going to interfere in southern affairs?!”

Hadn’t the Pope excommunicated him? Declared a Crusade? Wasn’t that why they were asserting that meaning?

Are you kidding me? Wasn’t the Empire the very place that leveraged its power to be the most liberated from the doctrine of light?!

The first to extract taxes from bishop-level clergy in the continent was indeed the Empire.

They were the first to sever the connection between faith and power completely.

Thus, they should never use that doctrine as an excuse.

At least regarding southern affairs, they had no right to interfere whatsoever!

“Your Majesty. Please hold on. The Empire’s legions have reportedly begun to gather near the border.”

“How many legions are we talking about?”

“At first, it was one, but recently it became two. And just days ago, it has increased to three.”

Typically, the Empire’s legions operate with two legions moving together as a grand strategy.

That’s how they guard their borders. Two legions take turns overseeing the border.

One classified as a reserve legion either fills vacant positions or prepares for emergencies.

So, the gathering of three legions only means one thing.

“They’re trying to intimidate us. Me, Benito.”

The justification had already been established. He had been excommunicated. A Crusade was declared against Benito.

Thus, the Empire dared to wield their sword boldly to threaten him.

Those who had been the first to escape from the doctrine of light!

—Grit!

Andrea II ground his teeth. A chilling sound followed.

This was an intolerable act of treachery. What right did the Empire have to interfere?

Until now, they had remained silent while the Holy Kingdom divided the South.

Now that the South was finally seeking proper growth, they suddenly couldn’t sit idly by?

“The Empire sees the South merely as a trade target. Nothing more, nothing less.”

He couldn’t live like this. He had to leap forward no matter what.

To do that, he needed to swallow the Holy Kingdom and make them puppets.

Afterward, becoming the leader of the southern kingdoms and opposing the Empire was the only path.

But it wasn’t enough. Even if Benito had grown significantly compared to before,

And even if their morale soared as high as the heavens after victories in several battles.

There were still too many deficiencies against the Empire’s legions.

‘What should I do? Should I stop here? If I, Benito, halt here so uselessly, the Holy Kingdom will ramp up even more. The other kingdom bastards will dare to look down on us too!’

If he hadn’t acted at all, his worries wouldn’t have been long.

He would have refined his plans a bit further, stashed away his weapons, and waited for the right moment.

But that wasn’t the case anymore. The arrow had already left the bow.

There was no turning back now. Retreat meant death. Only forward remains.

The Empire’s legions were terrifying. The enemy’s intent of sending that massive Empire directly at Benito was pure fear.

But the thought of kneeling and giving up made his future self equally terrified.

If the Holy Kingdom established dominance again and other kingdoms pressured Benito, it would be utterly horrific.

At some moment, the thought ‘How can I overcome this hardship?’ in Andrea II’s mind began to dim.

And in its place, the desire to ‘want to stand up somehow’ grew stronger.

With the situation constantly pushing him, that rebellious urge intensified.

Then one day, a huge piece of news reached Andrea II’s ears.

[ Your Majesty King Benito. Soon, Dedorant will engage in battle with DeGale. ]

[ Unless there is an extraordinary incident, victory will belong to our Dedorant. ]

A letter sent by Prince Georg Sistania of Dedorant.

It contained even more significant content.

[ If the West and South finally connect, the two kingdoms will undoubtedly become smoother allies. ]

[ Thus, I would like to propose a firm and strong alliance between Benito and Dedorant in secret. ]

The moment he read the secret letter from the Dedorant prince, Andrea II’s eyes lit up.

This was undoubtedly a divine opportunity. It was evidence that even after being excommunicated, God had not abandoned him.

An alliance. An alliance with Dedorant. Cooperation with the current mightiest nation in the West.

Atria had nearly fallen to them. DeGale was staggering after losing Jugel.

Though there was Ross Tanika, they seemed more focused on their navy than their army.

If he could receive help from Dedorant there, then it was possible!

‘If we combine the forces of other southern kingdoms cooperating with us, we could reach nearly 100,000. Numerically similar, yet qualitatively unmatched.’

So. Precisely because of that.

‘We must draw the Empire in as well. Their combat power when within the Empire and outside will surely differ. If we keep drawing them south, stalling them, and forcing their bleeding, what then?’

Andrea II’s mind began racing wildly.

Especially when certain parts began to emerge that seemed reasonably good from his perspective.

‘Delay while finishing off the Holy Kingdom, dethrone the Pope, then establish a new Pope. If I use that puppet to retract the excommunication and cancel the Crusade, the Empire will lose all justifications. Whether they go back or stay, we can define them as invaders in the South and fight. Then the southern kingdoms will have no choice but to recognize me and Benito as their leaders.’

What if the southern kingdoms turn on him? Some might.

But Andrea II understood the nature of southerners well.

They detest having their rights taken away more than death itself.

Would those kings bow their heads to the Empire after giving up everything?

They would rather take their own lives. That’s the kind of individuals southern royals are.

At the same time, he instinctively felt that this was necessary for Dedorant as well.

He needed to keep the Southern Legion tied to the South. That way, the Empire wouldn’t dare touch Dedorant.

The Western Legion alone wouldn’t guarantee victory. They would undoubtedly pull legions from other regions.

If he holds them back, Dedorant would grow even stronger. Then, Dedorant would help Benito again.

If things flowed this way, the Empire would be forced to retreat.

For all these plans, the Empire must enter the South.

That was the conditional for establishing this. So, now there was only one thing he had to do.

“I will declare war on the Empire.”

This was the reason Benito unexpectedly declared war on the Empire.

*

A while later. Dedorant Royal Castle. War Department.

“… W-What is going on?”

“Your Highness the Prince.”

“The alliance thing was supposed to be for later… but declaring war right after announcing the alliance to both domestic and foreign parties?!”

“Just hold on….”

“There are still two major mountains left: the annexation of Atria and the conquest of DeGale??”

Damn it. Prince Georg could only grasp the back of his neck in disbelief.

If only he could retract the alliance. It took him a long time to erase that thought.

 

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