Chapter 51. Cornered

Brotan Kingdom, Royal Palace Audience Chamber.

"The empire is trying to negotiate with Ildmar and Caen?"

"Yes."

Antoine reported the news that the Dragonian Empire had sent messengers to the Ildmar Kingdom and Caen Kingdom.

"Is that so? Well, of course. Isn't this what we expected? If the empire doesn't move its troops right away, they would come out like this."

"That's right."

As it had already been discussed several times that the empire would diplomatically pressure the kingdom, Guillaume reacted indifferently.

"Has a reply from the Ildmar Kingdom arrived?"

He only asked Antoine about the result of negotiations with the Ildmar Kingdom, as he didn't care at all about the Caen Kingdom, which had lost all its main forces.

"Yes. They said they have no intention of negotiating with the empire and will keep their faith with our Brotan Kingdom."

"Of course, that's how it should be."

As this was a satisfactory answer, Guillaume nodded with a pleased smile.

"Unless the Ildmar Kingdom is foolish, they won't accept the empire's proposal."

"That's right. It's a clear fact that if our Brotan Kingdom falls, the empire's next target will be the Ildmar Kingdom..."

"Yes, cooperating with us is the best for them too."

Guillaume thought he had relieved one worry like that, but,

A few days later, when a report arrived containing the reactions of the Ildmar Kingdom and Caen Kingdom to the empire's messengers.

-Bang!

"Is this, is this true!"

Guillaume struck the throne, shouting so hard that veins stood out on his neck.

"Caen? These guys, I can understand! They've already been defeated, so of course they'd wag their tails to the empire! But!"

He picked up the report with trembling hands of anger and held it out to Antoine standing in front.

"The Ildmar Kingdom, these traitors kept the empire's messengers for several days! Duke Clavière!"

"...Yes, Your Majesty."

"Didn't you say we received a definite answer! What's going on here!"

As Antoine had been in charge of diplomacy with the Ildmar Kingdom, Guillaume strongly rebuked him, combining his usual dissatisfaction.

"The empire's messengers only visited with nominal gifts. For the Ildmar Kingdom, which hasn't yet participated in the war..."

"Gifts? Did you just say gifts?"

Antoine tried to calmly explain, having somewhat read the empire's intentions, but Guillaume raised his voice first.

"The fact that Ildmar is carefully considering the empire's proposal has spread throughout the kingdom! If those bastards were trying to keep their faith, they should have sent back the empire's messengers immediately, no matter what they brought!"

"..."

"In a situation where we don't know when battles will break out again, they're weighing their options on the empire's proposal while maintaining friendly relations with us? Isn't this blatantly disrespecting us!"

"It's my oversight. I'm sorry."

As Antoine felt that Guillaume's words were not wrong, instead of saying more, he quickly bowed his head and apologized, trying to at least improve Guillaume's mood.

"...Hah."

Although Guillaume's mood was slightly improved seeing Antoine, who usually held his head stiffly as if his opinions were always right, apologize, the problem facing the Brotan Kingdom wasn't solved just because his mood had improved a bit.

If even the Ildmar Kingdom turned to the empire, this meant complete isolation for the Brotan Kingdom.

Guillaume felt a sense of his breathing gradually being constricted.

"Duke Clavière, send another letter to the Ildmar Kingdom. We need to confirm if they're really trying to betray us."

"Understood."

He tried to compose himself and grasp the Ildmar Kingdom's exact intentions, but.

-Creak.

"Your Majesty! News from Railleux! Some of those who were captured as prisoners, including Count Bevis Lefebvre, have returned carrying white flags!"

"...?"

Viktor's next move was played first.

***

A few days later, prisoners released by the empire arrived in Levoie, the capital of the Brotan Kingdom.

"Count Lefebvre has arrived."

"...Let him in."

"Yes!"

Guillaume, already sensitive from the earlier report of imperial reinforcements joining, frowned and instructed to let Bevis into the audience chamber as if chewing his words.

-Creak.

As the audience chamber door opened, Bevis, dressed in imperial noble attire, entered with his head slightly bowed.

"I greet Your Majesty."

"...You said you have a message?"

"That's right."

Guillaume felt his anger boiling just seeing that attire, but thinking it wasn't the time to show emotions, he tried his best to maintain calmness.

"You don't know the contents?"

"No. I didn't open it."

Bevis approached Antoine and held out an envelope containing the empire's negotiation proposal.

"..."

Antoine felt uneasy at the empire's method, showing no willingness to negotiate, but he had no choice but to take the envelope and take out its contents.

Antoine's face turned pale as he briefly scanned the contents of the letter.

"Duke Clavière, read it."

"...Yes."

Antoine felt cold sweat running down his back as he cleared his voice and began to read.

"To Guillaume Chatillon, King of the Brotan Kingdom, from Gerhart Weissilt, Commander of the Dragonian Empire Army. The Dragonian Empire no longer wishes for us to shed each other's blood. To maintain peace, we present the following conditions."

Feeling as if his breath would stop under Guillaume's sharp gaze, Antoine continued reading.

"First, the Brotan Kingdom shall guarantee free military passage rights for the imperial army. Second, limit the size of the maintainable army to 40,000 men, and allow a military advisory group dispatched from the empire to manage their training and deployment."

"..."

Guillaume flushed red, gripping the throne's armrests as if to crush them.

"Third, hand over control of major ports and trade routes within the kingdom, and pay 20% of the kingdom's tax revenue to the empire annually. Fourth, diplomatic decisions of the kingdom shall be made in consultation with the empire."

The reactions of other nobles were similar to Guillaume's.

They remained quiet only out of fear of incurring Guillaume's anger, as the empire's proposal was essentially not a proposal but an insult.

The very fact that such a proposal had come greatly damaged their pride.

"Fifth, the kingdom shall faithfully fulfill military and economic support according to the empire's demands. If the kingdom accepts this, the empire promises to guarantee the kingdom's autonomy and the dignity of the royal family to the maximum extent possible."

"..."

After finishing reading the contents that essentially said they would spare the Brotan Kingdom's life if it cut off and offered its arms, legs, and head,

"Duke Clavière."

Guillaume called Antoine with a growling voice.

"...Yes, Your Majesty."

"Let me see it."

He snatched the letter from Antoine's outstretched hand with trembling hands.

As he checked Gerhart's letter line by line, an ominous silence descended on the audience chamber.

And then,

"Aaaaaaargh!"

Guillaume's rough cry, as he threw the letter, instantly tore through that silence.

-Bang! Bang! Bang! Crack!

The staff he had been holding shattered as it was struck against the floor several times.

"..."

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

Antoine, who would normally have tried to stop Guillaume's rampage, now couldn't even dare to stop him and sat down in his place.

"These sons of bitches are insulting me!"

"Eek..."

"Huh..."

Guillaume vented his anger by rampaging for a long time.

Bevis prostrated himself flat where he had been standing, and the nobles averted their gaze, holding their breath in fear that they might become like the broken staff.

"Hah, hah, hah..."

Guillaume leaned against the throne, breathing heavily.

A heavy tension hung over the audience chamber, which looked as if a storm had passed through.

"Duke Clavière. What do you think? Is it still not time? Do we still have to endure?"

"..."

Just as Antoine was about to cautiously offer his opinion.

-Thump!

"Your Majesty! News from Fort Pirot!"

A messenger who had been waiting outside for the internal commotion to calm down rushed in and knelt before Guillaume.

"...Fort Pirot. Speak."

"It's reported that imperial troops are gathering in large numbers in Anyac!"

"Imperial troops?"

Guillaume stood up abruptly as soon as he heard the messenger's words.

"...As expected. The empire only thought of fighting. Duke Clavière."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"This seems to be that opportunity you spoke of."

Antoine's mind cleared at Guillaume's mention of the opportunity.

"How many troops have gathered?"

"The number of conscripted kingdom troops is close to 60,000."

Although 60,000 soldiers might seem like a lot, Antoine knew that excluding the 20,000 deployed at the border with the Caen Kingdom, they were essentially no different from civilians.

Moreover, as these forces were forcibly created by mobilizing all resources the kingdom could muster, Antoine was about to say that if they lost even these, it would truly be the end for the Brotan Kingdom, but,

"But..."

"But?"

-Shing.

Guillaume, as if not wanting to hear it, drew his sword and pointed it at Antoine.

"Antoine. Continue speaking. Are you saying we should endure even after hearing such insults?"

"That's..."

Antoine raised his head to check Guillaume's expression.

If this decision had come from completely losing reason, he was thinking of risking his life to dissuade the expedition.

However,

"Are you trying to say we should wait for that damn opportunity even after hearing those bastards openly say they'll make our Brotan Kingdom a puppet state? What's the reason this time? Is the enemy's weakness insufficient? Are we too weak, so you can't see a way to win?"

Unlike the voice that seemed to shoot out hatred without trying to hide it, Guillaume's eyes were utterly calm.

"The enemy's reinforcements keep joining, and their defense is getting stronger. If not even now, when on earth can we move?"

"..."

As neither Antoine nor Guillaume could know that the imperial reinforcements entering during the day were actually defense troops secretly leaving the castle at night.

Antoine, who had lost his words and stiffened,

"Your Majesty has made a decision."

"Now is the opportunity when they're careless thinking they've already won."

"We must teach those imperial bastards and Ildmar bastards a lesson."

Hearing the nobles' whispers reaching his ears, and after considering other options Guillaume could have chosen, he could understand Guillaume's thinking.

He could also realize that the only option left for Guillaume was to go on an expedition.

"...I will follow Your Majesty's will."

Finally, Antoine knelt before Guillaume, praying that the opportunity given to them was truly an opportunity.

"Listen, everyone! The enemy has concentrated their forces in Anyac, so I will personally lead the troops to recapture Saint-Toire!"

Guillaume declared the expedition.