Episode 316: Interlude (Piata Empire 1)
“So, when does the reclamation of our homeland begin?”
The moment the man settled onto the sofa, the elderly gentleman opposite him fired off that question as his opening remark.
“…Your Majesty, even if you rush me, things can only proceed as scheduled,” replied the man, a diplomat from the Berelforesty Kingdom assigned to handle matters concerning the Piata Empire, with a sigh.
“But, you see…”
Facing him was the Imperial Prince of the Piata Empire. He was the younger brother of the missing Emperor, now claiming the title of Emperor within the Piata Empire’s government-in-exile.
The Piata Empire’s Emperor had been last seen commanding the front lines during the defense of the Imperial Capital, after which contact was lost.
Given the rumors that the Prava Theocracy’s monk-soldiers were slaughtering nobles and royalty without exception, he was likely already dead.
“I’ve told you, haven’t I? That recklessly dispatching troops will not lead to the reclamation of our homeland. Your Majesty, now is the time for蛰伏. Even for our nation, foreign expeditions require time for preparation. Sending a half-baked force would only allow us to secure a small portion at best.”
“That may be so, but half a year has already passed since we came here. I am no expert in military matters, but I had heard that preparations for a foreign expedition could be completed in three months. Surely this is taking too long?”
That likely referred to the mobilization of peasant soldiers within the Piata Empire. It was probably classified information, but well, it was practically meaningless in this situation.
The diplomat nodded without pointing it out.
“If it were a war against another nation, then of course. Our preparations would be completed swiftly.”
“Then…!”
“However, as of now, our own lands are not being invaded. As you are aware, mobilizing farmers would drastically reduce the grain harvest for that year, and the following year as well. Especially now, during the peak of the agricultural season. We will, of course, assist in reclaiming your kingdom, but we cannot afford to bankrupt our own nation.”
“…Hmm. Then, when will we be able to set out on a campaign? How long must I wait!”
This Imperial Prince. His personality wasn’t terrible, but his abilities were severely lacking. He wouldn’t act on his own, relying solely on others.
And when the Piata Empire’s borders were breached, he was the first to flee to the Berelforesty Kingdom, displaying remarkable cowardice. One might say his only talent was running away.
And the nobles who had followed such a coward were equally incompetent.
Since they weren’t in their home territory, they hadn’t caused any major problems, but they seemed to be taking it out on their subordinates quite a bit.
Already, half of those subordinates had fled to the Berelforesty Kingdom under the guise of exile, and were in the process of naturalizing.
Due to this situation, the government-in-exile had become a paper tiger, with only the Imperial Prince’s legitimate bloodline remaining.
“We are currently training professional soldiers and gathering mercenaries. Please wait a little longer, Your Majesty. Once preparations are complete, we shall send out a campaign army with Your Majesty as the Supreme Commander. As the rightful Emperor of Piata, you shall once again hold the entire land in your hands.”
“Hmm… Well, I understand. I’m counting on you.”
“Leave it to our nation. I shall return with further reports.”
The diplomat brushed off the Imperial Prince in that manner, gave a courteous bow, and left the room.
“…Good grief. His Majesty is quite the handful.”
After a while in the carriage, the diplomat muttered to himself.
“The dispatch of troops is imminent, isn’t it?”
Asked by his attendant, the diplomat nodded.
“Yes. The homeland reclamation army will depart in a few days. It’s with the support of that detestable Repuitari Kingdom, but the supplies are abundant. There are no issues with troop strength either. The justification is as you heard. Of course, our nation will lead and command the army. After all, it is our army. There’s nothing more tragic than an organization with fools at the top.”
“I, I see…”
The Berelforesty Kingdom was planning to advance its army into the Piata Empire, using the presence of the Piata Empire’s government-in-exile within its borders as justification.
The Piata Empire itself was still a nation, albeit with about two-thirds of its territory occupied by the Prava Theocracy.
They were attempting to annex it under the pretense of governance by the government-in-exile.
The Imperial Prince of the Piata Empire would have been a safe and unremarkable man in his position as Imperial Prince. He had no power, but he could offer advice to the Emperor as a consultant, and his livelihood was guaranteed by the Imperial Family.
But the Imperial Family had already collapsed, and he was now under the protection of the Berelforesty Kingdom.
Even so, if the Imperial Prince had acted proactively, a different history might have been woven.
In reality, he was just an incompetent man waiting for someone to do something for him.
And the nobles who had followed such a man were the same.
They were just leeches who had been sucking up the sweet nectar without doing anything. They hadn’t taken any concrete actions to reclaim their homeland, and were foolish men who mistakenly believed that everything would be arranged for them.
Therefore, the Berelforesty Kingdom had skillfully extracted a carte blanche under the guise of full delegation of authority, and was greedily eyeing its territory.
“If they had gathered information from around them even a little, they would have immediately realized that preparations for the homeland reclamation army were complete. To neglect that and blindly believe my reports is simply comical.”
There was a barb in the diplomat’s words, but that was indeed the case.
Even just sending someone to the market to gather information on commodity prices and casual conversations would quickly reveal that the large-scale deployment of troops to the border was complete.
Since they couldn’t even do that, the Piata Empire’s government-in-exile was being treated as a group of incompetents.
They didn’t even realize that they were being kept alive solely for the sake of justification.
They were birds in a cage, just a spectacle, yet they foolishly believed that everything would go well for them as they wished.
◇◇◇◇
“Oh… that face, without a doubt…”
“Princess Niata, you’re safe…!”
This was a certain fortress within the Piata Empire.
Appearing as the person in charge of the fortress was the Imperial Princess Niata, the elder sister of the Piata Empire’s Emperor.
“Who are you…?”
“Ha! Forgive my rudeness. We are the Luata Defense Force, belonging to the Second Army. I am ashamed to say that we escaped with the lord’s family when Luata fell, and somehow managed to reach this place. We are now under the care of the Repuitari Kingdom’s support army here.”
The group that had come from the front lines was a motley crew.
There were men who looked like soldiers at a glance. One would not feel out of place if they were introduced as troops dispatched from the Repuitari Kingdom.
But there was another group.
They were clearly distinct from those soldiers.
Glossy black helmets covered their heads and eyes. The armor covering their bodies was a combination of soft materials and armor plating, with parts of it faintly emitting a mysterious light.
Above all, their physiques were clearly those of young girls.
Even so, the bizarre helmets and the large firearms they held were extremely intimidating, and one could not underestimate them just because they were small girls.
“I am Baluda Grandis, representing the Third Army of the Repuitari Kingdom’s Piata Empire Support Army. I am truly glad to have joined up with the Imperial Family. If you would allow us, we would like to join you here and assist in reclaiming your homeland.”
“Ah, ah… truly… However, I am very sorry, but this fortress may not even be able to provide the bare minimum of hospitality. We lack buildings, manpower, food, everything.”
The Imperial Princess said so firmly, her face paling.
She had a firm grasp of the current situation, and could predict what problems an increase in soldiers would bring.
She seemed to be a very capable woman.
“Rest assured.”
And responding to those words was the girl soldier standing beside her.
“We provide our own food, cooking, and lodging. We only need a plaza. Is that acceptable?”
The interlude has increased, but please forgive me as it is a “turning point” scene.
Paraiso subtly extends its demonic hands even to inland nations.
Is there a way to counter them—(no).