Arc 4 Chapter 2 : War of Word

[Anabella POV]

The cheers of praise always seemed to belong to those who wore armor.

They were always the center of attention. They were always the ones regarded as heroes.

Just because they upheld principles and codes that everyone considered noble did not mean we were any less worthy than they were.

Unlike the knights, we mages valued freedom of thought, unrestrained by the idealistic codes they held so dearly.

The guiding principle behind our magical research was the advancement of humanity.

There were, of course, mages whose curiosity had overwhelmed their sense of humanity, such as Warlocks and Witches. But no group was without sin. Every year, there were knights who broke their oaths and priests who committed disgraceful acts.

Most mages might only think of themselves, unlike knights, who were expected to sacrifice their lives whenever the people of the Empire faced a threat.

But that did not diminish our contributions to humanity.

We helped exterminate monsters and dealt with strange incidents caused by magical phenomena that appeared throughout the Empire.

The reason knights and priests were more popular than mages was simple.

They were the Heroes and Saviors of humanity.

No one had ever attached those titles to mages.

Every Chosen Hero of humanity had been a knight, while every Chosen Saint had always been a priestess.

In this country, knights were honored with titles such as Grand Espada—titles powerful enough to influence the outcome of the Imperial succession itself.

Beyond that, the Empire bestowed countless medals and honors upon knights who died in the line of duty.

Mages, on the other hand, were usually compensated with money or materials for their research.

What exactly made us different from them?

Unfortunately, despite recognizing the injustice we faced, mages never spoke up.

Our Archwizards were always too absorbed in their research, and they never brought the matter up during meetings of the Council of Mages.

Whenever they gathered, they talked about magic.

Magic, and nothing but magic.

They never discussed our influence—or lack thereof—in this world.

"Princess Anabella, everyone is here."

A knight wearing a cloak approached me as I sat inside a pavilion in the garden.

He was Danilo de Asturias—the youngest Grand Espada the Empire had ever possessed.

Although he was a knight, I could not deny the influence he would have during the upcoming succession.

That was precisely why I had brought him into our faction.

We had been childhood friends.

We used to play together when we were young, and even at the academy, we had been practically inseparable.

When I told him that I intended to become one of the candidates for the next Emperor, Danilo had simply said:

I have sworn to always follow you, no matter which path you choose.

I believed he had feelings for me that went beyond friendship.

However, he had never dared to confess them.

I was a princess of the most powerful nation on the continent, after all.

My fate was not mine to choose.

My father—the Emperor himself—would ultimately decide whom I would marry.

At the garden entrance, several nobles from my faction were waiting for us.

At present, my faction had the support of one Duke, eight nobles under his authority, and two Counts from prominent mage families in the Empire.

The moment they noticed me, they stopped talking and bowed in greeting.

"Good afternoon, Princess Anabella," Duke Renato said. "Are you ready to proceed to the meeting chamber?"

"Of course. We should use this opportunity to demonstrate what our faction can do and attract the nobles who have yet to choose a side in this succession," I replied.

We had to win this succession.

Not merely for ourselves, but to increase the influence and prestige of mages throughout the Empire.

[Elena POV]

Raul and I were walking toward the meeting hall.

The meeting would begin in ten minutes.

"Hey, Raul. Are you really sure you're going to do this?" I asked, wanting to make certain. "It won't just be him who becomes your enemy. The other Grand Espadas will also develop a negative opinion of you."

If we brought down a Grand Espada in front of every noble gathered here, the faction supported by that Grand Espada would inevitably be affected as well.

And there were still many nobles who had yet to declare their allegiance in the succession for the next Emperor.

"I don't think the other Grand Espadas will pay much attention to what I say later—except him," Raul replied. "That's because Grand Espada Danilo is still very young."

"You say that as if he's a child, Raul," I remarked.

Not long afterward, we arrived at the meeting hall.

Raul and I separated because our seats were in different sections.

I could have requested seats beside each other from the organizers, but doing so would have been equivalent to announcing to the other candidates that the Garcia family was supporting me.

"Princess Elena, you've arrived."

When I reached my seat, Count Raymond de Chatelon was already waiting for me.

He was one of the seven Grand Espadas—and my teacher in swordsmanship.

"Thank you for coming despite how busy you always are exterminating monsters, Master," I said.

"No, Princess Elena. Supporting you in this succession is already a commitment I've made," Master replied. "Besides, don't call me 'Master' here. I am your follower in this place, not the teacher who taught you swordsmanship."

I nodded and sat beside Count Raymond.

Everyone had already arrived.

The largest faction belonged to my older brother, Felix.

Five nobles were seated near him:

Duke Rayodel de Hernant, Duchess Lauren de Vallecano, Marquis Diego de La Hoya, Marquis Ramael de Empuria, and Marquis Lebron de Castelanova.

Next was my older brother Terantio, who was supported by Duke Carlos de Gaulle, Marquis Velocio de Viterbo, Marquis Fran de Cataluna, and two other Counts.

Not far from Terantio sat my older sister, Anabella, supported by Duke Reyes de Cavelina, Count Pelle de Grenada, and Count Ferel de Asturias.

And finally, there was Ramon, accompanied by Duchess Amanda de Vilanova, who represented the Valencia family, and Marquis Lorenzo de Medena.

Compared to them, I had only received official support from a single Count.

My chances of winning the succession were extremely small.

Almost nonexistent.

There were still four Duke families that had not officially pledged their support to any candidate.

The House of Garcia.

The House of Artagnan.

The House of Jimena.

And the House of Salamanca.

The Garcia family was the wealthiest family in the Empire after my own family.

The Artagnan family wielded tremendous influence among the Empire's mages.

The Jimena family was the most influential noble house in the southern territories.

And the Salamanca family played an important role in the Empire's economy.

These four families would become the key to victory in this succession.

I had already secured the Garcia family's support through Raul.

As for Valeria, I wasn't certain whether I could convince her to persuade her notoriously neutral family to support me.

And then there was the Jimena family...

Scarlett and Geralt were the son and daughter of Duke Vasco de Jimena.

To be honest, I wasn't particularly close to either of them.

However, since the three of us were in the same year at the academy, I believed I had a better chance of persuading them to join my faction than the other candidates did.

As for the Salamanca family...

I had never even made contact with them.

"Emperor Philip de Aragon is entering the meeting hall!"

The moment the guard announced those words, every noble in attendance rose from their seats.

The doors opened.

Father entered the chamber, accompanied by the Minister of Defense, Salazar de Cordova, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luis de Menorca.

The two ministers then took their seats beside Father at the front of the grand chamber.

Once Father had taken his seat, the nobles sat down again.

"Everyone, today's meeting will focus on our response to the Republic of Venetia's new policies, which are certain to inflict considerable damage upon our economy," Father said, looking across the assembled nobles. "What they have done is nothing less than an attempt to erase our dominant influence on this continent."

Every Emperor in our history had followed a different political doctrine.

Some had been expansionists, like Empress Isabella.

Others had been pacifists, such as Emperor Joan, the Peaceful Monarch.

My father, Emperor Philip, had a different ambition.

He wanted to turn the Empire into a dominant power—one so formidable that no nation would dare challenge its authority when the Empire dictated its foreign policy.

Yet now, one nation had dared to do exactly that.

The Republic of Venetia.

It was the wealthiest nation on the continent, largely because it controlled several vital trade routes.

"Lord Luis will explain the situation we are currently facing," Father said, turning his attention toward the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

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"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Minister Luis stood, a sheet of paper in his hand.

"Lords and Ladies, the Republic of Venetia actually planned to implement this policy decades ago. However, they were only able to put it into effect now. Why? Because they feared how we would respond."

If they had truly feared our response, why were they doing this now?

I could only assume that the Empire had grown considerably stronger over the years.

"This time, they dared to take this step because they have already secured an ally capable of standing against us should war break out," Minister Luis continued. "After assisting the rebels in overthrowing the Agonid Dynasty in the Kingdom of Greco and transforming the nation into a republic, they formed a military alliance."

The Republic of Greco might have the smallest territory on the western mainland, but its military strength could not be underestimated.

Even so, I believed that the combined forces of these two nations still could not rival the military power of our Empire.

"But I have heard that the Republic of Venetia is currently sending envoys to the Kingdom of Weimar and the Kingdom of Draconia," Minister Luis continued. "If both nations agree to form alliances with Venetia, then the combined strength of these four nations could become a serious threat to our Empire."

Forging an alliance between nations was not that simple.

Each country had to agree to certain conditions before an alliance could be established.

And usually, the nation requesting the alliance was the one that received fewer advantages from the agreement.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already sent envoys to the Republic of Venetia. If they reject the conditions we have proposed, then the Empire will declare war upon them," Minister Luis announced. "In addition, we have sent envoys to the Kingdom of Weimar and the Kingdom of Draconia in an attempt to prevent them from forming an alliance with Venetia."

After finishing his explanation, Minister Luis returned to his seat.

Next, the Minister of Defense, Salazar de Cordova, rose.

"According to our reports, the Republic of Venetia possesses approximately fifty thousand soldiers, while the Republic of Greco has thirty thousand," Minister Salazar stated. "By comparison, we have one hundred thousand soldiers ready to be deployed to the battlefield. This figure does not include the nation's knights and mages."

Not every knight and mage living within the Empire could be recruited for war.

Only knights who had sworn their oaths directly to the Empire and officially recognized Imperial mages could be deployed to the battlefield.

Mages who remained within the Magic Towers would maintain neutrality during the war.

The same applied to knights belonging to Orders that had not been established by the Empire.

"We have approximately three thousand knights and five hundred mages who can be deployed to the battlefield," Minister Salazar continued. "The Republic of Greco is estimated to possess five hundred knights and one hundred mages, while the Republic of Venetia will likely rely on mercenary knights and mages, given their enormous wealth."

The numbers Minister Salazar revealed made one thing obvious.

The Empire possessed far more knights and mages than any other nation.

It was one of the reasons we were considered the strongest nation on the continent.

"Mobilizing the main army toward the border will take approximately one month," Minister Salazar continued. "In terms of logistics, I hope Duke Rayodel will allow his territory to serve as the central logistical hub for the coming war."

Upon hearing this, Duke Rayodel rose from his seat.

"It would be our pleasure to accommodate all the military's logistical needs during the war, General Salazar."

The Minister nodded before turning his attention back toward the assembly.

"I believe that is all I wish to present for now. I will discuss the matter in greater detail once the commanders of the various military units have been appointed."

After Minister Salazar returned to his seat, Father stood while holding another sheet of paper.

"Very well. It is time to determine the important positions within our military leadership," Father announced, looking across all the noble factions present. "The position of Marshal will be given to General Salazar."

"Thank you for this honor, Your Majesty," the General replied. "I will lead our forces to victory in the coming war."

Father nodded in response.

"Next is the position of commander of the First Caballero. I do not currently have anyone in mind for this position, so I would like to hear your recommendations."

A Caballero was a military unit consisting of ten thousand soldiers.

The nobles would compete for this position.

Those who achieved impressive results while commanding a Caballero would certainly leave an impression on the Emperor.

Their names would be the ones the Emperor remembered when he eventually needed to appoint another Marshal.

After Father made the announcement, Terantio stood and raised his hand.

"Your Majesty, I recommend Marquis Velocio to command the First Caballero," Terantio said confidently. "I chose him because he successfully eliminated bandit activity within his territory and significantly reduced the crime rate there."

"Very well. I will consider your recommendation," Father replied with a nod. "Are there any other recommendations for this position?"

This time, Felix stood and raised his hand.

"Your Majesty, I don't believe a war against the wealthiest nation on the continent can be compared to dealing with a group of bandits," Felix said, his expression openly mocking as he looked toward Terantio's faction. "I recommend Marquis Diego de La Hoya. He has experience suppressing the Tyal Tribe's rebellion. I believe Marquis Diego would be a far better choice than Marquis Velocio."

Terantio's expression immediately darkened.

He was clearly furious that his older brother had belittled a noble from his faction.

Father merely nodded in response to Felix's recommendation.

The First Prince then returned to his seat.

Afterward, Ramon and Anabella both recommended nobles of their own.

However, the person Father ultimately selected was Marquis Diego de La Hoya—a noble from Felix's faction.

"Thank you, Your Majesty! I will not make you regret choosing me!" Marquis Diego declared.

"I expect great things from you, Diego," Father replied with a smile.

"Next, does anyone have a recommendation for the commander of the First Cavalry Squadron?" Father asked the assembly.

Unlike the commander of a Caballero, who controlled troops primarily from the rear lines, a Cavalry Squadron commander was expected to personally ride into battle and lead their subordinates through battlefield maneuvers.

This time, Anabella was the first to stand and raise her hand.

"Your Majesty, I recommend one of the finest knights in our nation to command the First Cavalry Squadron," Anabella declared. "I recommend Danilo de Asturias—one of the Empire's Grand Espadas—to command the First Cavalry Squadron!"

At Anabella's words, Grand Espada Danilo rose.

He was a handsome young man with neatly trimmed blond hair and black eyes.

"Grand Espada Danilo is a brave knight who cares deeply about the lives of his soldiers. He will undoubtedly inspire them to fight with even greater courage on the battlefield!" Anabella added.

"Very well. Are there any other recommendations for this position?" Father asked.

But this time, no one from the other factions stood to recommend another candidate.

It would be difficult to find anyone more qualified than a Grand Espada.

Moreover, commanding a Cavalry Squadron carried a considerable risk of death on the battlefield.

"If there are no other recommendations, then Grand Espada Da—"

Just as Father was about to give the position to Grand Espada Danilo, he suddenly stopped.

He had noticed a young, black-haired man standing and raising his hand.

"Are you the son of Duke Alvaro?" Father asked Raul. "What is your name, young man?"

"Your Majesty, my name is Raul de Garcia," Raul answered in a clear voice. "I am here to represent my family and voice our opinion during this meeting."

"Very well, Lord Raul. What is it that you wish to say?" Father asked, seemingly interested.

Raul nodded before turning his gaze toward Anabella and Grand Espada Danilo.

"To be honest, I have doubts about Princess Anabella's claim that Grand Espada Danilo is a brave man who cares about the lives of his soldiers," Raul said loudly, yet calmly.

The entire room fell silent.

"During the attack by demons and monsters on Cataluna Fortress City, Grand Espada Danilo was not far from the area. Yet when Marquis Fran requested assistance, he refused and said he wanted to wait for another Grand Espada to arrive first."

The moment Raul said that, everyone's attention turned toward him.

They probably thought this was going to be an entertaining spectacle.

An academy student openly insulting a Grand Espada.

"If what Princess Anabella said about Grand Espada Danilo truly reflects his concern for the lives of his soldiers, then he should have immediately gone to Cataluna City so that the casualties among the soldiers fighting there would not continue to rise!" Raul declared, his gaze turning cold as he stared directly at Danilo.

"And if he truly possesses the courage you claim he does, Princess Anabella, then he would not have waited for another Grand Espada before going to help us while we were fighting those demons and monsters!"

"Who the hell are you to question my honor as a knight, you insolent brat!?" Grand Espada Danilo roared, pointing at Raul in fury. "An academy student like you knows nothing about courage or caring for human lives!"

The atmosphere grew increasingly heated.

Danilo clenched both fists, barely restraining the anger that had reached its boiling point because of Raul's words.

"Even so, it was academy students like me and my comrades who dared to face those demons and monsters while risking our lives!" Raul shot back, his voice filled with passion. "Unlike you, who hid behind your title as a Grand Espada and abandoned your duty to protect this nation!"

"Boy, do you even understand who you're insulting?" Danilo asked, staring at Raul like a lion preparing to pounce on its prey.

I held my breath.

My heart pounded harder as I imagined what would happen next.

Raul...

He's taking this too far.

"The title of Grand Espada doesn't frighten me in the slightest..." Raul said.

He stared directly at Danilo.

"Especially when the man holding that title is a coward who hungers for glory!"

The moment Raul finished speaking, Grand Espada Danilo drew his sword and shot toward the black-haired man.

Anabella attempted to stop him, but Danilo was faster.

"ENOUGH!!!"

A thunderous voice suddenly reverberated throughout the chamber.

It was as if lightning itself had exploded inside the room.

My entire body trembled, and I found myself completely unable to move.

Grand Espada Danilo was the same.

His movement came to an abrupt halt, his body frozen in place.

This was Father's magic.

Roaring Thunder God.

Everyone turned their attention toward the Emperor.

Including Raul and Danilo.

"Grand Espada Danilo, is what Lord Raul said true?" Father asked the young Grand Espada.

"Your Majesty! At the time, there were rumors that a Noble Vampire had appeared in Margraviate Cataluna," Danilo explained. "As a Grand Espada, I had to exercise caution, verify the rumors, and prepare myself to confront it!"

Father merely nodded after hearing Danilo's explanation.

He said nothing.

"How shameful."

Everyone's attention shifted once again toward the black-haired young man who had just spoken.

"As a Grand Espada, you are required to respond immediately whenever the Empire needs you!" Raul continued. "Have you forgotten how the strongest Grand Espada in history, Liana de Grantz, never hesitated to risk her life to protect the citizens of Wisperia City from the terror caused by a Noble Vampire!?"

"And what did she gain from it?" Danilo snapped, visibly irritated. "She died, even though she succeeded in protecting those civilians!"

"Listen, boy. Grand Espadas are the Empire's strongest weapons. If they die, our enemies will believe the Empire has been weakened!"

He wasn't entirely wrong.

A single Grand Espada could possess combat value equivalent to ten thousand soldiers.

Claiming that the Empire would weaken if several of them died was not necessarily an exaggeration.

"Even after Grand Espada Liana died, her replacement was appointed only three days later," Raul replied calmly, though his voice carried a cold edge. "You're the weakest of the seven Grand Espadas. I don't think it would even take us a day to find a better replacement if you died."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"

Grand Espada Danilo once again attempted to move toward Raul.

But he stopped himself when he noticed Father staring at him coldly.

"Enough. The two of you are forbidden from speaking to each other for the remainder of this meeting," Father ordered.

He then turned his gaze toward Raul.

"And if you believe Grand Espada Danilo is unfit for this position, then who do you recommend, Lord Raul?"

The tension in the chamber subsided after Father finally put an end to their confrontation.

"I recommend your daughter, Elena de Aragon, to become the commander of the First Cavalry Squadron, Your Majesty."

Father fell silent.

He looked as though he were trying to decipher Raul's thoughts behind those words.

"You know that the commander of a Cavalry Squadron must personally lead their troops on the battlefield, correct?" Father asked, his gaze sharp.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Raul answered simply.

"Are you trying to get my daughter killed on the battlefield?"

Throughout the history of the Empire, it had been exceedingly rare for the Emperor's children to personally enter a battlefield.

They did not want to risk losing their lives before the succession for the next Emperor had even taken place.

Even during the first war against the Republic of Venetia, Prince Joan had been killed in battle while leading his forces.

At the time, he had been considered the most likely successor after Empress Isabella's death.

The leaders of the other factions also seemed to be trying to determine why Raul had recommended me for such a position.

Each Cavalry Squadron consisted of only two hundred mounted soldiers.

That was far fewer than a Caballero, which commanded between ten and fifteen thousand soldiers.

The position was therefore unpopular, especially considering the risk of death involved.

"No, Your Majesty. In my opinion, Princess Elena possesses more than enough strength to enter the battlefield and lead our soldiers," Raul said.

He then looked toward me.

My heart suddenly began beating faster than usual.

"Furthermore, having a princess from the very family they serve lead them into battle and witness their fighting firsthand would greatly increase the soldiers' morale."

After hearing Raul's words, Father turned toward me.

"Elena, are you willing to accept this position?"

"Of course, Your Majesty," I answered without hesitation.

"Very well. You will command the First Cavalry Squadron."

And just like that, everything proceeded according to Raul's plan.

I did not know what would happen if war truly broke out.

But I trusted the man who had sworn that he would never betray me.

[Raul POV]

The meeting continued for another four hours.

At this point, the Emperor was asking the nobles about their willingness to contribute additional resources to the coming war.

All nobles who answered directly to the Emperor were required to provide thirty percent of their personal forces as part of their feudal obligation to participate in the war.

"Duke Rayodel, does your family intend to contribute anything beyond the required thirty percent of your personal forces?" the Emperor asked one of the nobles belonging to the First Prince's faction.

"Of course, Your Majesty. My family will contribute ten thousand Gulden to help finance the coming war," the Duke replied.

"Thank you for your assistance, Duke Rayodel. I promise the Empire will repay your generosity," the Emperor said with a smile.

"No, Your Majesty. It is an honor for my family to play a role in increasing the glory of our beloved nation."

After that, the Emperor questioned each noble one by one, asking them the same thing.

Not a single noble refused to contribute something of value to the war effort.

The reason was simple.

They wanted to earn the Emperor's favor so that, someday, their affairs might proceed more smoothly whenever they needed to ask something of him.

"Lord Raul, does the House Garcia wish to contribute anything to this war?" the Emperor asked me.

"Your Majesty, I will contribute seventy percent of the Garcia family's personal forces rather than merely providing the required thirty percent," I replied.

"Hooo~ If you're contributing that much, won't the security of your family's territory be compromised?" the Emperor asked.

The Empire restricted every noble family to a maximum of five thousand personal soldiers.

If a noble increased the number of soldiers under their command without Imperial permission, their family would be branded as plotting rebellion against the Empire.

And if they were proven guilty, the punishment was public execution.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. Bandit activity within our territory has declined since we carried out a purge several months ago," I answered.

"Very well, then."

Why was I contributing the Garcia family's soldiers instead of offering money, despite the Garcia family being famous throughout the Empire for its wealth?

Because I wanted to eliminate the soldiers who were currently loyal to Duke Alvaro and replace them with new ones.

After six hours, the meeting finally came to an end.

The Emperor and his two ministers left the chamber.

The nobles also began rising from their seats and preparing to leave.

But I could feel a sharp gaze directed at me.

I turned around.

Grand Espada Danilo was staring at me.

He looked furious.

Apparently, I had truly gotten under his skin.

But that was exactly what I wanted.

With Grand Espada Danilo's reputation damaged, the neutral nobles—and even the Emperor himself—would inevitably develop a worse opinion of him and the candidate he supported.

Now, all I needed was to make Prince Ramon's and Princess Anabella's factions weaken each other.

If my plan succeeded, the only faction I would have to deal with afterward would be Prince Terantio's.

Felix's faction would collapse once their crimes against the minority peoples were exposed.

After watching Grand Espada Danilo leave the chamber alongside Princess Anabella, I began to stand and return to my room.

However, a man in his fifties wearing armor suddenly appeared before me.

He stared at me sharply.

"Looking at you more closely, you really are very similar to that Snake Duke—both in appearance and in attitude," the knight remarked. "I wonder what Elena sees in someone like you."

He was Raymond de Chatelon.

The man who had trained Elena all these years.

The older brother of Empress Martha de Chatelon—Elena's mother.

I looked at the knight before me.

What does the White Knight want from an academy student like me?