LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 196
196. War Is Unpredictable, Isn’t It?
After finally driving away the monsters that had covered the horizon, the Mizuho Divine Kingdom faced yet another threat.
Hanbei rushed up the castle walls.
“Nobuna! The Kuda Fox!”
“Got it! I offer my prayers. Come forth from the underworld! Kuda Fox Child!”
The shikigami Nobuna summoned was a fox about the size of a squirrel. It perched on Hanbei’s shoulder.
This shikigami had the ability to grant clairvoyance to whoever it touched.
Hanbei used the power of clairvoyance to gaze at the horizon.
“Impossible… The Empire. How did they manage to bring such a massive army!?”
The army bearing the Empire’s flags numbered well over 300,000 at a glance.
The Kuda Fox moved from Hanbei’s shoulder to Nobuna, who also widened her eyes in shock.
“Don’t tell me they created a teleportation gate?”
Hanbei shook his head in response.
“Teleportation gates are a technology that Craft-dono recently revived. That can’t be it.”
“Then did they march that huge army through the vast monster-infested forest?”
Between the Mizuho Divine Kingdom and the Duvatten Empire lay mountainous regions and a vast, dangerous forest teeming with monsters.
Skilled adventurers could traverse it in small groups, but even then, many perished along the way. For a slow-moving army, it would take months, and who knows how many soldiers would be lost to monsters.
Of course, an army could fend off monsters, but being exposed to monster habitats for so long would be disastrous. It wouldn’t be surprising if they were wiped out. That’s how dangerous the deep forest, filled with roaming monsters, truly is.
Moreover, there were no safe roads between the Empire and Mizuho, only narrow paths barely fit for beasts.
Knowing this, the two couldn’t comprehend how such a massive army had suddenly appeared.
The Empire, which had almost no prior interaction with Mizuho, certainly hadn’t come to build friendly relations.
Could it be…? Hanbei shuddered at the thought. In this era, where monsters still far outnumbered humans, were they really planning to start a war of invasion?
While Hanbei was likely glaring at the enemy Empire’s forces, a translucent beauty suddenly appeared in the air. It must have been the work of some magic or artifact.
Her lavish black dress was strikingly out of place on the battlefield, but the beauty of her lace fan held to her lips was undeniable. She was the very embodiment of allure.
[People of Mizuho, we are the Duvatten Empire.]
Her voice echoed far and wide, smooth and seductive, as if caressing the depths of one’s soul.
Hanbei frowned at the lady who seemed so out of place on the battlefield.
[Mizuho must immediately surrender to the Duvatten Empire and accept vassal status. This is an imperial decree and an act of mercy from His Majesty Emperor Gadrak Julius Caesar Duvattius.]
A sudden demand for surrender without any prior notice. It was utterly uncompromising. But the enemy had the military might to back it up. Hanbei and Nobuna couldn’t hide their frustration.
[As proof of your submission, hand over Muten Ingram and Kyle Gandar Veil Roard. We promise to treat them with care in the name of His Majesty.]
“How dare they refer to Muten-sama so disrespectfully!”
“I don’t understand why they’re demanding Kyle-sama. And why is his name still the old one…?”
The people of Mizuho, who revered Muten as a living god, were outraged. The entire nation trembled with anger, forgetting the exhaustion from the previous battles.
[If you do not hand over the two by the time the sun reaches its zenith tomorrow, we will reluctantly resort to force. We will not entertain any negotiations, so sending envoys will be futile. We await your wise decision.]
With that, the woman’s illusion vanished.
The one-sided declaration left not only the warriors but the entire nation in an uproar, louder than during the war with the monsters.
Amid the shouting, a warrior ran up to Hanbei and Nobuna. It was Motonari O’Brien, one of the heads of the Three Great Families.
“Did you hear, Hanbei?”
“If it’s nonsense, then no.”
“Kukuku, demanding our Muten-sama as a hostage is nothing short of a declaration of war.”
Nobuna was the first to boil over.
“Those bastards deserve to be wiped out!”
“Kukuku… That may be the sentiment of the entire nation, but unfortunately, we don’t have the forces to win.”
“Are you scared, Motonari!? Did you lose the pride of the O’Brien family!?”
“Stop it, Nobuna. Motonari is right.”
“But…!”
“Kukuku. If we could win with spirit alone, Mizuho would be invincible.”
Nobuna kicked a nearby wall, venting her anger.
“Motonari, you didn’t come here just to tease Nobuna, did you?”
“That wasn’t my intention, but as the next head, she lacks some foresight.”
“The next head isn’t me, it’s my brother Kanetsugu.”
“Kukuku, my apologies. Perhaps it would be better for her to marry into a good family.”
Even in such times, Motonari eyed Nobuna with a strangely lingering gaze.
“Hmph. At the very least, I have no plans to become your next wife. Now, Motonari, why don’t you tell us why you’re here?”
“Ah, right. The heads of the Three Great Families are to gather at the palace immediately.”
“Say that sooner! Let’s go, Motonari!”
“Kukuku, of course.”
And so, a brief discussion began among General Shingen, the living god Muten, and the heads of the Three Great Families.
The conclusion was swift.
“People of Mizuho! We will fight to the end!”
“””Uoooooh!!！”””
Of course, unconditional surrender was unacceptable. Above all, handing over Muten, the living god, was out of the question.
Moreover, if they held out in a siege, they could endure until the Empire’s supplies ran out.
Of course, this was assuming they could maintain supplies of food and weapons through a large teleportation gate.
But the Empire’s siege was fiercer than expected.
Not only were the warriors exhausted from the long war with the monsters, but the Empire, unlike the monsters, attacked the castle with ruthless efficiency.
For example, they used hundreds of ladders to scale the walls simultaneously, dug tunnels to infiltrate, set fires, and cut off water supplies.
Even the Mizuho warriors were pushed to their limits.
Still, they resolved to fight on, hoping the enemy’s supplies would run out.
About five days after the war with the Empire began, the woman appeared in the sky again.
[Foolish people of Mizuho, who have spurned His Majesty’s mercy. You have resisted pointlessly and slaughtered the Empire’s subjects.]
What nonsense. The people of Mizuho shouted in unison, wondering who was really doing the slaughtering.
[For you, even a normal death would be too kind. From now on, we will give you despair.]
Beside the woman’s illusion, a new figure appeared. Or rather, something resembling a figure.
It was a humanoid wasp… with yellow and black stripes running across its body, evoking disgust. It was hard to believe it was a demi-human.
Nobuna had seen reptilian-like lizardmen during her time with the Goldendawn, and she could understand them as demi-humans.
But she couldn’t bring herself to think of this wasp-like monstrosity as a demi-human.
The wasp monster pulled out some kind of magical tool from nowhere, held it up to the sky, and after it glowed darkly, it crumbled away.
Fearing some kind of magical attack, Nobuna and Hanbei braced themselves, but nothing happened.
However, the woman, unable to hide her nasty smile behind her fan, waved her arm grandly.
[Now, die while regretting your foolishness.]
With that, the illusion vanished. Nobuna muttered to herself, baffled.
“…What was that?”
It wasn’t a response to her, but shortly after, the cat beastwoman kunoichi, Chiome, appeared.
“The Empire’s army is on the move.”
“How?”
“They’re keeping a certain distance from the walls.”
“They’re pulling back the siege? What does that mean?”
The answer became clear within an hour.
A lookout soldier shouted.
“Monsters! A huge number of monsters are gathering!”
“Another stampede!?”
Motonari, who happened to be near Nobuna, chimed in.
“Kukuku. Isn’t this perfect? If the monsters and the Empire’s army destroy each other, it’s all good.”
“That’s true.”
But their hopes were dashed.
The wasp monster stood between the massive horde of monsters and the Empire’s army.
The wasp monster slowly raised its arm parallel to the ground. Pointing straight at the Mizuho Divine Kingdom, the previously disorganized monsters surged toward the castle as one.
Ignoring the Empire’s army entirely.
In response, the Empire’s army resumed their long-range siege attacks.
At that moment, the defeat of the Mizuho Divine Kingdom was sealed.