Book Eater

Chapter 215: The Swirl of a Civil War (2)

The Lairon Religious Kingdom…

As a religious kingdom, Lairon was a kingdom built upon a religion. It was in the middle of the Central Continent, and there was a single reason why Lairon could survive having borders with four countries.

They were strong. Lairon was one of the strongest kingdoms in the central region, even if they weren’t comparable to the northern powers. The source of their power that gave them even odds against four kingdoms was a third force, which was neither magic nor swordsmanship.

As a result, they were the only Sacred Order on the continent. They were a group that sought to recover all the remains left behind of the gods from the Age of Mythology. Their king, or to be precise, Pope Benedict I, had been the first to wield a god’s power by absorbing the god’s remains. He had brought abundance to their then arid land and bestowed a mysterious power to those who submitted to the name of Lairon.

In the Dark Ages after the Age of Mythology, there had been a resurgence of interest in gods and paladins.

“In ancient records, they were praised as holy ones who healed the wounded and fought against injustice. They were men who embodied righteousness.” As Marquis Piris spoke, a bit of contempt filled his voice as they walked down the corridor. “But it was all nonsense.”

The paladins were deceitful and more eager to exploit than help people. The cardinals toured other kingdoms once a year asking for donations, and the current pope was truly arrogant. The church had built a facility to brainwash children, and anyone who rebelled against the regime were labeled as heretics.

At their essence, they were ruthless people who pretended to be merciful.

Their smiles hid blades.

There was no saying more appropriate to describe the Lairon Kingdom.

Piris looked back at the party following him, and his face darkened before he added, “That isn’t all. The letter was sent with Marquis Baek’s son because there is an opportunity that will assure the Lairon Kingdom’s intervention.”

“What do you mean by opportunity?”

“I will tell you about it once we’re secure.”

Meltor’s presence had to be hidden until the civil war began in earnest. All of Meltor’s troops were concealed in the coastal caves, and the supplies which could last a thousand people for a month were thoroughly camouflaged. They were convinced they had the advantage as long as they weren’t caught.

As they made their way through the secret passage, the marquis spoke, “Come on, everyone. We have enough room to talk leisurely in this room.”

After passing the threshold of a damp cave, the four guests were greeted by warm air and antique furniture. White Tower Master Orta, the general commander of the expedition army, sat down first. Theo, Viscount Carter, and then Vince took their seats beside him.

A light filled the eyes of the marquis when he saw this. ‘Hoh?’

It was because he couldn’t find any dissatisfaction on the faces of the other two, despite the second-ranked person being less than thirty years old. In other words, it was a complete acknowledgment of Theo’s status.

However, like any crafty noble, the marquis didn’t reveal his thoughts. Instead, he boiled the tea in the kettle and thanked the party who had come this far. Then he continued speaking about Lairon, “Around two months ago, an emissary came from Lairon.”

The emissary from the Lairon Kingdom had been a cardinal who called himself Antonio, and he had entered Prince Elsid’s palace boldly. Despite the security of the knights, he had appeared before the prince.

[It is nice to meet you, Prince Elsid. I am a faithful servant of Lairon, Cardinal Antonio.]

The cardinals, along with the crusaders, were known as Lairon’s spear and shield. A crusader would wield the power of god with their swords and shields, while the cardinals would create miracles by reciting special chants like magic.

Surprised by the visit, Elsid had asked what Antonio wanted.

[Lairon told us that you will have to serve him if you want to be successful.]

[… What are you trying to say, Cardinal Antonio?]

[It isn’t a big deal, Your Highness. Just build a temple worshiping Lairon, then send a hundred nobles who will learn our teachings and preach directly to your kingdom. If you do that, Your Highness will have no problem obtaining the crown.]

Understandably, the prince had gotten furious.

[How ridiculous! How dare you make fun of me with that crafty tongue?! Lairon is your god, not the Soldun Kingdom’s god! If you are going to speak like that, get out!]

The cardinals were famous for their fanaticism which wouldn’t tolerate any insults, but Antonio’s response had been calm. He had smiled nastily and disappeared from Elsid’s presence just as suddenly as he had appeared. He had an expression that implied Elsid would regret his decision.

The marquis sighed. Anger boiled inside him as he recounted the story. Antonio had snuck into the palace and boldly threatened the prince. The Lairon Kingdom might be strong, but Soldun wasn’t a weak kingdom. Antonio’s words were tantamount to an insult.

“Still,” Orta muttered after listening to the story. “That’s unprecedented. If we refuse the impossible conditions, they will go to the other side. We will be labeled as heretics who rejected god’s grace.”

“… Is that a justification for war?” Theo asked.

Orta nodded as he took a sip of tea. “It might not be normal, but this time there is a faction in the kingdom that agrees with them. The nobles have probably accepted Antonio’s proposal.”

“Then won’t it just end up being a tributary of Lairon Kingdom?”

Orta snorted. “It seems this Duke Cornwall would rather be a snake’s head than a dragon’s tail.”

The marquis sighed heavily. “That is accurate. Duke Cornwall’s family has been aiming for the throne for a long time. It’s well known his ambitions surpass the title of duke.”

A nobleman who wanted to be king, even if it was only in name, and a kingdom that wanted a puppet who would follow their will…

The interests of these two forces had aligned.

Duke Cornwall was the head of the faction opposing Prince Elsid, and every revolution involved a direct or indirect purge after obtaining the kingship. The duke thought this was a great opportunity for a revolution, even if it dragged the Lairon Kingdom into it.

However, Theo had one more question. “That reminds me, where is Lord Baek? I heard he became a marquis…”

“Oh, he is—no, wait a minute.” Marquis Piris got up and pulled down a map hanging on the back wall.

It was a strategic map detailing every estate and troop in the Soldun Kingdom. The map was spread wide open, as if all the details had already been completed.

The marquis pointed to a territory. “Marquis Baek has received the Atron Estate. It is necessary to have his force bordering the area containing the noble faction. His main family remains in Piris, but the main troops have moved to Atron with Marquis Baek.”

Orta was looking at the map when he suddenly reached out to tap a red territory. “What is this estate in red?”

“It is Marquis Fergana. Ah, do you know about Marquis Fergana?”

“Of course.”

Theo, Viscount Carter, and Vince were also familiar with the name, It was the name of one of the the Soldun Kingdom’s two masters—7th Circle magician, Marquis Fergana. Vince bit out, “Does this mean that a 7th Circle magician has gone against his country and joined the nobles? I can’t understand it.”

The marquis replied grimly, “Marquis Fergana’s only daughter has married Duke Cornwall.”

“Ah.”

It couldn’t be helped if it involved blood relationships. Vince relaxed and stepped back.

However, Carter spoke up. “What about Earl Mersen? If Soldun’s other master has joined the nobles, then this fight will be difficult.”

“Ah, Earl Mersen has declared neutrality.”

“Neutrality?”

Did it make sense to stay neutral in a civil war which would decide the future of the kingdom? The four of them glanced at Marquis Piris inquisitively. However, he just shrugged. “He doesn’t have time to worry about the regime change. He can’t leave his territory because he is defending against raids from the southern barbarians.”

If this was true, it could be either luck or misfortune. Marquis Fergana and the unknown crusader brought the enemy’s master count to two. If Earl Mersen had joined them, there would be three. The prince only had one master available, so there would have been no hope of winning if reinforcements hadn’t come.

With the addition of Theo and Orta, Prince Elsid’s side now had three masters, putting Duke Cornwall at a disadvantage. At that moment, Theo felt Orta’s gaze on him.

… Hah, I see.

Theo immediately understood Orta’s glance and paused to think. Should they disclose that Meltor had two masters present? Orta left it up to the person involved to decide if the information should be revealed. Theo thought about it before shaking his head slightly.

I will hide it for now.

No matter how thorough Marquis Piris was, there was no certainty that the enemy’s eyes couldn’t reach them. Wasn’t there a saying that if we wanted to fool the enemy, we should first fool our friends? Therefore, Theo decided to hide his combat power. Orta and Baek Jongmyung could hold the two enemy masters, which would allow Theo to move separately.

Orta nodded slightly, and turned to Marquis Piris, “I think we’ve heard enough.”

Orta placed several figures on the map, depicting infantry, cavalry, and magicians. Each one was a different size based on the number of troops they represented, and Orta spread them across the territory based on what he had just heard.

“Now, let us discuss the movement of the troops.” 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝑙．𝑐𝘰𝘮

It was the start of the strategic meeting.

***

In conclusion, Theo’s role was no different from what had been discussed before leaving Meltor. He would move separately from the regular troops. After consuming the Aiolos Pouch, Theo had become much better at using space magic. It might not be as fast as Orta, but Theo could still move at an amazing speed.

He also had more firepower than Orta. As Theo combined both firepower and mobility, he should be treated closer to an army than an individual. When it came to war, he was many times stronger than other 7th Circle magicians or sword masters.

The problem was that he had to go alone in order to exert his power.

“Theo,” Sylvia called out. She was the first person to understand this problem. “We can’t help you?”

“Sylvia.”

“I’m not making a fuss. Tell me honestly. At the moment, we will just be a burden to Theo if we move together, right?”

It was an emotionless assessment. Theo looked into Sylvia’s blue eyes instead of denying her words. After all, she was correct. As a 7th Circle master who had awakened his Sorcery and pioneered a new field of magic, Theo could tell that the rest of the unit would just be a burden in a fight between masters. They would be even more of a burden when it came to a guerrilla war.

The amount of magic power consumed for space movement would increase, and the time needed for the hit and run would increase greatly as well.

“… I see.” Sylvia looked down at the unspoken agreement. “But they would be able to keep up.”

They??

Theo cocked his head, but Sylvia didn’t explain further. Or rather, she didn’t want to explain. She didn’t want to show him her jealous self. She realized she needed more power to be on par with her red and blue-haired rivals. Ripples started to form inside the quiet Sylvia. She struggled with the emotions boiling inside her before barely managing to speak.

“Just this once. Next time, I won’t let you go alone.”