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Two months have passed since the Emperor’s mercy began to exert its power beyond the eastern border.

The Burgai, which seemed about to collapse at any moment, has finally regained stability.

Of course, that’s not to say that it has fully returned to its former glory.

It simply means that, in a situation that seemed desperate, they have managed to reach a point where they can barely survive.

The rulers of Burgai have still not recovered their strength.

They couldn’t show that being in power kept them unscathed from unprecedented disasters.

Rather, in their fight for survival, they trampled on the Kingdom People beneath them.

Having already lost public sentiment due to the war, the great flood dealt a devastating blow.

The Royal Family could easily have been shaken, and the Nobles might have plotted treachery in the shadows.

In such circumstances, the best strategy is to cast blame on those at the top.

When referring to “those at the top,” it typically means the King.

By doing so, the Nobles below can evade the wrath of the Kingdom People.

In fact, there are many former kings of fallen kingdoms who found themselves in such a situation.

Or entire royal families might be replaced, leading to a complete change in the nation itself.

Since Burgai had suffered defeat in war, the possibility of such an event was certainly present.

However, no such thing occurred in Burgai.

Instead, the Nobles rallied to support the royal family and pledged their loyalty.

Like the King, they also poured their efforts into maintaining national stability.

Did the Nobles come together out of loyalty to overcome this unprecedented disaster?

Surely that can’t be the case. Just recently, they were ready to abandon a sinking ship.

The reason for the actions of the Nobles in Burgai is singular. It is because of the Empire.

“I thought the Empire would overthrow the royal family, but that was not the case.”

“On the contrary, they are raising the royal family up high. The Crown Princess meets with the Crown Prince every three days. Though it’s claimed to be for overcoming the unprecedented disaster, it signifies only one thing.”

“It signifies support for the current royal family of Burgai, to us Nobles, and to Polrand and Kaden. The Empire is declaring that it will not be antagonistic towards Burgai.”

The Empire has no intention of installing a new royal family that suits its taste in the East.

Why would they have to? There’s no reason to incur the displeasure of the Kingdom People of Burgai.

If the current royal family has any sense, they will know that cooperating with the Empire is the correct path.

Overthrowing the existing royal family would be a significant loss in terms of justification.

It will be maintained as is. Moreover, some of the authority they have will be returned, which is something they cannot refuse.

If they let go of this hand, they will inevitably lose what they have regained.

This way, a clear message can also be communicated to Polrand and Kaden.

They won’t completely dismantle the existing order nor will they create a puppet of the Empire.

Your autonomy is guaranteed. Independence is also assured. We won’t interfere.

However, keep the lines clear. If you create chaos, you won’t be forgiven, and you will be dealt with.

The royal family of Burgai certainly recognized this fact as well.

While there were some feelings of despair, there’s also a sense of relief.

Had the Empire really changed its mind, they would have undoubtedly fallen off the cliff.

Claiming that one isn’t hurt by this situation would be a lie.

However, they have no intention of tightening their own necks due to that pride.

Most importantly, the Kingdom People, who were once on the brink of survival, are regaining their lives.

As Burgai found a semblance of stability, the Crown Princess started providing support to Polrand and Kaden.

Of course, she fixed her residence within Burgai and did not move.

This reassured the still uneasy people of Burgai.

At the same time, she indicated to both kingdoms that if they keep their lines clear, they can work with the Empire.

“Your Highness the Crown Princess. This is the report from the Special Affairs Ministry and a letter from the Nobles cooperating with the Empire.”

“Finally, it has arrived. I wonder if the contents on both sides align.”

The Nobles cooperating with the Empire would certainly only write positive things.

While there are occasionally a few exceedingly objective individuals, the numbers are too few to make comparison hard.

Hence, verification tasks are always cautious. They cross-check with the Special Affairs Ministry, which constantly maintains a critical perspective.

The Special Affairs Ministry serves as the last bastion when combining various information from the Imperial institutions.

They thoroughly investigate everything with all possibilities in mind, including negative outcomes.

Thus, in circumstances like these, their credibility was exceedingly high.

[ All the Kingdom People of Burgai now praise the name of the Empire… ]

[ Those who lost sons, husbands, and fathers in the war. Yet, they were greatly moved by the fact that their remaining family was saved by the Empire… ]

[ Among the Nobles, there have been rising voices lately insisting on opening the borders to the Empire… ]

As expected, the Nobles of Burgai collectively convey only good news.

It can’t be a lie. Investigation on this side will reveal the truth.

However, there is a possibility that they may conceal negative opinions while reporting only positive responses.

‘Was this the report submitted by the Special Affairs Ministry next?’

The Crown Princess takes a brief breath and then examines the contents one by one.

To be honest, she feels a bit apprehensive. It’s been close to three months already.

A considerable amount of time has passed, and even more resources have been consumed.

If they still cannot yield any tangible results, she would have no face to show to the Emperor and the Ministers.

[ 182 agents from the Special Affairs Ministry in Burgai. All returned with detailed reports. ]

[ Confirmed that the majority of resentment towards the Empire has disappeared. ]

[ Nearly a year has passed since wrapping up the situation in the East, and it’s expected that the subsequent unprecedented great flood had a significant impact. ]

“…It’s done.”

Yes. Finally, at last, it has become just as the Empire desired.

Not merely yielding to the differences in power and defeat in war.

But from the heart, willingly bowing down.

Someday, those who will resist this order will undoubtedly appear.

Others will sympathize with them and there may be great chaos.

However, at that moment, the public sentiment, which had gained peace by leaning on the Empire, would rebel.

Justifications always depend on public sentiment, thus the Empire will always be in a superior position.

What the Empire, the Emperor, and the Crown Princess wanted was exactly that.

An order upheld not by pressure but one that they themselves support.

Those who resist will be rejected not by the Empire but from the dynamics of their own people.

“Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

In such a pleasing situation alone,

“News has arrived from the Foreign Affairs Ministry.”

Great news that would further please the Crown Princess has come.

“There have been military clashes between Nobogord and Atria.”

*

As the eastern continent was gradually stabilizing under the Empire’s protection,

Conversely, the northern continent was spiraling deeper into chaos.

“Damn Demon Tribe! We bent over and yielded, and did everything possible! They deserve divine retribution! Can they just trample over human hearts like this?!”

“Filthy Atria folks! Showing smiles on the outside while hiding daggers behind their backs! Why do they keep crossing into our Nobogord waters and recklessly fishing? Send those thieves back at once!”

Initially, it wasn’t as it is now. The atmosphere was rather amicable.

Atria continually reached out to Nobogord, and Nobogord hesitated.

In that situation, those who were a bit clever started envisioning a new future.

However, suddenly everything changed. No, it disappeared.

From the very beginning, Atria and Nobogord had considerable friction over maritime issues.

During the time when both were exercising maximum restraint to improve relations,

News began to spread like fog between the two kingdoms.

[ Atria’s illegal fishermen evaded Nobogord’s navy and fled. ]

[ They didn’t flee but disguised themselves as ordinary fishermen, fooling the Demon Tribe and, while they were caught off guard, used force to inflict damage and escape.]

Initially, it sounded like a typical occurrence.

Since it’s not the first time, everyone seemed to accept it.

But for Nobogord, to be precise, the council led by the moderates,

To elaborate further, those who had been advised by someone had no intention of letting this incident slide.

They exaggerated it wildly; flesh clung to bones while narratives that had never existed were added.

It spread from mere illegal fishing to coastal surveying and map-making.

Eventually, moreover, the claim arose that it was targeting Nobogord’s navy from the very start.

Upon receiving that news, Atria, to be specific, Dedorant tried to resolve the situation.

Currently, Nobogord is the only place that could disturb the Empire’s northern territory.

If they could draw them in, it could force the Empire into a two-front war.

If they could even raise Benito, it may present the nightmare of a three-front war.

Such a crucial plan could not afford the loss of Nobogord, the key axis.

“The Nobogord Demon Tribe is fabricating stories!”

“We have always upheld the defined lines! Illegal fishing, you say!”

“We have never conducted coastal surveying or map-making! These are all lies from the Demon Tribe!”

However, despite Dedorant’s will, public sentiment in Atria grew increasingly hostile.

Dedorant didn’t have a specific intersection, but Atria often had confrontations with Nobogord at intervals.

As a result, the relations between the two nations were not the worst but could certainly not be termed good.

In that situation, with Nobogord coming out like this, the Kingdom People of Atria wouldn’t stay silent.

It all started as merely a clash of pride between the sentiments of each nation.

With more time passing, there was a chance it would quiet down as if nothing ever happened.

However, it seemed this wouldn’t stand—wood was continuously pouring in from somewhere.

They said Atria was smiling in front but scheming behind.

In fact, this all portrayed that Nobogord was staging this drama.

Both sides precisely selected words that would provoke each other’s tempers.

As both nations simmered and boiled, they finally reached a point just before eruption.

“Everything Atria claims is a lie! They’re masters of plotting behind the scenes! There are also whispers suggesting they plan to ask the Empire to shake the northern border of our Nobogord!”

A gigantic bomb that could shake the political landscape dropped all at once.

 

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