Arc 4 Chapter 4 : War Declaration

[Vlad POV]

After the graduation ceremony at Grunbelt Academy, I returned to my homeland. I had only been an exchange student there, after all, rather than an official student of the academy.

Besides…

Raul de Garcia.

“I will make him pay for humiliating me during the tournament! I will torture him, and I will not stop until he begs me to kill him!”

Bam! Bam! Bam!

I was currently in the dungeon beneath the palace, beating criminals to vent the anger I had been unable to release.

This frustration would never disappear until I killed that bastard with my own hands!

“Please, Your Hughness! Spare us!”

“We swear we will never steal again!”

But I paid no attention to their screams.

A tentacle made entirely of blood coiled around their bodies.

Their faces turned blue as they began to suffocate. Blood seeped from their mouths and eyes, and not long afterward—

Crack!

The sound of breaking bones echoed through the dungeon.

Their bodies were crushed, fragments scattering across the floor.

No.

This wasn't enough!

I had to torture him.

I had to drain every drop of blood from his body until nothing remained.

I couldn't take it anymore!

I wanted revenge!

I wanted to kill him!

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Prince Vlad, His Majesty has summoned you to his study.”

I returned my body to its normal form and began wiping the blood clinging to me.

It seemed the envoys had already arrived, considering that the Republic of Venetia had implemented that policy several days ago.

After changing my clothes, I made my way toward Father's study.

When I arrived, the guards stationed outside opened the door for me.

Upon entering, I saw a black-haired man reading a document.

“Have the envoys from the Empire arrived?” I asked him.

He looked up at me and set the document aside.

“Not only the Empire's envoy. An envoy from the Republic of Venetia has also arrived. The two of them are waiting in the throne room.”

“Have they already presented any conditions?”

“Not yet. We will meet them now.”

Father and I left the study and proceeded toward the throne room, accompanied by eight guards.

Not long afterward, we arrived.

The guards in the throne room announced our arrival, causing the two envoys standing before the throne to turn toward us.

Father then sat upon the throne while I stood beside him.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty,” said one of the envoys.

He had blond hair—the distinctive hair color commonly associated with the Empire.

“I am Klaus de Cinnamon, appointed by the Empire as its envoy to discuss an alliance with the Kingdom of Draconia.”

Father nodded before turning his attention toward the brown-haired envoy from the Republic of Venetia.

“Your Majesty, I am Mancini di Matteo, dispatched by my country to offer cooperation with your kingdom,” the man said. “We are prepared to offer an agreement that will be considerably more beneficial than the arrangements your kingdom has traditionally made with the Empire.”

Hearing Mancini's words, Klaus immediately shot the Venetian envoy an irritated look.

It was a fact that our kingdom had always received the smaller share of benefits whenever we cooperated with the Empire.

The reason was simple.

They considered their nation more dominant and powerful than ours.

“Very well. Let us hear the Empire's proposal first,” Father said, turning his attention back to the Imperial envoy.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Klaus said as he rose from his position.

“The Empire offers a military alliance with the Kingdom of Draconia. In return, we will reduce taxes on merchants from Draconia conducting commercial activities within our territory. Furthermore, we will make substantial investments in your kingdom's mining, textile, and agricultural industries.”

Heee~

They were offering us far more benefits than I had anticipated.

It seemed they truly wanted us on their side when the coming war began.

“Additionally, to strengthen the relationship between our two nations, His Imperial Majesty has proposed an engagement between your son, Prince Vlad mel Dracus, and Princess Elena de Aragon!”

Hearing that, I had considerable difficulty suppressing my laughter.

Elena de Aragon.

The woman I currently intended to take as my partner once I seized control of the Empire.

If I married her, I would have a chance to bring the strongest nation on the continent under my control.

However, I had received word from our kingdom's spies that Elena had recently been appointed commander of a Cavalry Squadron by the Emperor, meaning she would personally fight on the battlefield when war broke out.

Something about this was strange.

If we accepted this alliance with the Empire, we would be obligated to send troops to assist them.

But what if Elena died in battle?

It was entirely possible that this was nothing more than a scheme designed to make us accept the agreement.

Elena's faction was currently the weakest among all the Imperial candidates, and she had almost no chance of winning the succession.

They could simply fake Elena's death during a battle and then cancel our engagement.

I had to be careful.

“Very well. Now, let us hear the proposal from the Republic of Venetia,” Father said, shifting his attention to the Venetian envoy.

“Your Majesty, if you agree to an alliance with us, the Republic of Venetia will open the Vetucini Trade Route to the Kingdom of Draconia without imposing any fees on finished goods, semi-finished goods, or raw materials,” Mancini said.

Hmm…

If that were the case, our expenses for both exports and imports would decrease.

However, it still wasn't enough to convince us to side with them in this war.

“Furthermore, we will share the trade routes across the Gulf of Cosentia and the Central Sea with your kingdom,” Mancini added.

This was surprising.

The Republic of Venetia was willing to share trade routes it had monopolized for years with another nation.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Were they truly this desperate to win the coming war against the Empire?

“Lastly, we will offer an engagement between Prince Vlad mel Dracus and Siena di Reginossa—the daughter of the thirty-second President of the Republic of Venetia.”

Siena di Reginossa…

She was the only person of Venetian descent capable of using magic.

Moreover, the people of Venetia regarded her as a prodigy. Not only was she exceptionally powerful in combat, but she was also the driving force behind the massive reforms to the Republic of Venetia's military structure.

She had also made numerous unique inventions throughout the years.

And her beauty was no less remarkable than that of Princess Elena de Aragon.

I would be lying if I claimed I wasn't interested in marrying the daughter of the leader of the wealthiest nation on the continent.

Father's gaze shifted toward me.

It seemed he wanted me to make this decision.

The eyes of both envoys were also fixed upon me.

“I will choose…”

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[Siena POV]

It had been almost a month since I returned from my intelligence mission in the Empire.

I was currently at the Tigrenata Battalion Headquarters, training all the soldiers under my command so they would be prepared for the war that was becoming increasingly inevitable.

“Captain Siena.”

Hearing my name, I turned around.

A handsome man with dark-blue hair was standing behind me.

“What is it, Valen?” I asked.

“You have been ordered to report to the President,” he replied. “They are holding a meeting regarding the war that is now highly likely to break out.”

“Very well. Let's go now.”

Just as my deputy and I were about to head toward the main gate, a green-haired man suddenly approached us.

“Captain, Vice Captain, where are the two of you going?” he asked.

He was a new member of the Squad Cavaliero that I had established.

His name was Ezio di Francesco.

Although he was only eighteen years old, his swordsmanship was already nearly on par with that of the senior members of the Squad Cavaliero.

He was one of our most promising young talents.

“We're heading to the Presidential Palace, Ezio,” I told him. “I believe war is truly going to happen.”

“Really!? This will be my first war! I can't wait!” the young man exclaimed excitedly.

Seeing his innocent enthusiasm, I could only offer him a strained smile.

He still didn't understand the horrors of war.

But he would experience them firsthand soon enough.

And when he did, they would undoubtedly make him more mature.

Valen and I continued toward the main gate before mounting our horses and riding toward the Presidential Palace.

The streets were fairly crowded, so we decided to take the quieter coastal road instead.

The sunset spread beautifully across the horizon.

I could see ships moving through the harbor, waiting in line to unload their cargo.

After twenty minutes of riding, we finally arrived at the central government district.

We dismounted and continued on foot, as transportation was not permitted within this area.

“Captain Siena, do you think our plan will succeed? Will we be able to win the war?” Valen asked.

“There is no such thing as a Perfect Plan, Valen,” I replied.

“That is why we train ourselves to adapt—to deal with unforeseen circumstances on the battlefield whenever something fails to go according to plan.”

It was the same during my mission in the Empire.

Our original plan had been to remain there for half a year.

But everything changed when a horde of Demons and monsters attacked the region.

And now, the territory we intended to seize was undoubtedly unstable and poorly defended.

We had to take advantage of this opportunity and conquer it as easily as possible.

After walking for several minutes, we arrived at the main gate of the Presidential Palace.

We handed our weapons over to the guards before entering.

Inside, a servant escorted us toward my father's study.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The servant knocked on Father's study door.

“Come in.”

After receiving permission, the servant opened the door.

Valen and I entered and saw Father speaking with Zucini di Matteo, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Venetia.

“President, did you summon me?” I asked.

Upon noticing my presence, Father turned his head toward me.

“Ah, Siena. I'm sorry for calling you here at this hour,” Father said, his face looking rather exhausted.

It seemed he had been working since morning without taking a break.

Father and the Foreign Minister then stood and approached us.

“Siena, we will postpone the meeting regarding our war preparations for now,” Father said.

“Why? Didn't you summon me here specifically to attend that meeting?” I asked.

“An envoy from the Empire arrived an hour ago. He is currently in the council chamber,” Father replied with a serious expression. “We will hold our meeting after we meet with him.”

“Understood.”

Valen and I followed Father and the Foreign Minister from behind.

The time had finally come.

The fate of both nations would be decided in the meeting that was about to take place.

Would the Empire declare war against us outright?

Or did they have another approach for dealing with the problem our policies had created for them?

“Minister Zucini, how is our diplomatic mission to the Kingdom of Weimar and the Kingdom of Draconia progressing?” I asked the Foreign Minister.

“The Kingdom of Weimar said they will not make any agreement with us because they are currently discussing a marriage between their Royal Family and the Royal Family of Francia,” Minister Zucini replied, looking disappointed.

“As for the Kingdom of Draconia, we still haven't received an answer from Mancini. I believe he will only be able to return to the capital tomorrow evening.”

If neither of those two nations was willing to form an alliance with us, facing the Empire would become extremely difficult if they declared war.

Not long afterward, we arrived at the council chamber.

The room was arranged with seats in a circle.

A short, green-haired man was standing in the center.

He appeared to be the envoy from the Aragon Empire.

Valen and I took our seats while Father sat at the special table reserved for the President of the Republic of Venetia.

“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we have received a guest from our neighboring nation,” Father began, opening the meeting.

“Please introduce yourself, what does the Empire wish to convey to us?”

“Thank you, President and esteemed members of the Council of the Republic Venetia, for granting me the opportunity to appear before you tonight,” the envoy said.

“I am Lancel de Artagnan, here as an envoy of the Aragon Empire to discuss an important matter arising from your nation's new policies concerning our trade.”

So it was true.

His purpose here was to discuss that policy.

It was only natural for the Empire to protest.

The policy had slowed Imperial trade with the nations of the western continent and increased the costs of transporting their goods.

According to our observations, many businesses in the Empire had even begun shifting their overseas markets toward nations in the eastern continent.

As a result, the Republic of Venetia had almost completely dominated western continental trade because our greatest competitor had begun withdrawing from the market.

“We would first like to know why the Republic of Venetia has prohibited not only finished goods but also semi-finished goods from the Empire from passing through the Vetucini Route,” Lancel de Artagnan asked.

“You know very well that the Vetucini Route is the only route offering easy and secure passage for caravans traveling from the Southern Continent to the Western Continent of this landmass. Yet you have forced us to use alternative routes that are more dangerous and considerably more expensive.”

“Does the Republic of Venetia intend to bring down the Empire?”

Although our intentions behind this policy were already obvious, the Imperial envoy had deliberately asked the question directly.

And he had done so expecting an aggressive answer from us.

That would give the Empire legitimacy to declare war.

Why?

Because a nation that declared war without clear justification would naturally be disliked by other nations, making it much more difficult for them to establish diplomatic and economic relationships afterward.

“Lord Lancel, we had no intention of bringing down the Empire when we implemented this new policy,” Father said calmly.

“The Empire has long dominated trade throughout the Western Continent with superior-quality goods, making it difficult for merchants and businesses in those nations to maximize their profits.”

“The Kingdoms of Weimar and Francia, as well as the Republic of Greco, requested that we implement this policy for the sake of their economic interests. Therefore, it is not only our nation that wants this policy to be enforced.”

In truth, what Father had said was only half true.

The nations of the Western Continent still depended on the Empire to satisfy the demands of their populations.

Given the Empire's enormous production capacity, losing its supply of goods would create shortages and cause prices to rise throughout those nations.

The Republic of Venetia could cover that shortage to some extent, but not indefinitely.

On the other hand, the Western nations had agreed to this policy because they wanted the Empire to compete more fairly and invest in production facilities within their own territories, preventing their markets from being overwhelmingly controlled by Imperial merchants.

But we knew the Empire would never do that.

They wanted to maintain their dominance over Western Continental trade.

“Mr. President, why are goods from the Republic allowed into their markets while goods from our nation are not?” the envoy asked.

“Wouldn't our absence simply allow your nation to replace us as the dominant power in the Western Continental market?”

“That is because, unlike your nation, the Republic of Venetia has already reached agreements with the Western nations to invest in production facilities within their territories under a twenty-eighty profit-sharing arrangement.”

“Is that true?” the envoy asked, clearly surprised.

In truth, doing this was placing a considerable strain on the wealth of the Republic of Venetia.

Lord Lancel was likely surprised because he was questioning how the Republic expected to profit from its investments if those very investments allowed its competitors to approach our production capacity.

But what Lord Lancel did not know was the secret behind our products.

It was true that the Empire possessed the highest production capacity on the continent, far surpassing that of our nation.

However, our products were of higher quality.

Even if the nations of the Western Continent eventually became capable of satisfying their own domestic demand, we would remain the dominant seller.

They lacked the methods necessary to improve the quality of their goods and the creativity required to make consumers desire their products.

By the time they realized this, the agreements would already have been finalized.

The investments were merely a small sacrifice to ensure that our only serious competitor withdrew from the markets of the Western countries.

“Even so, this will still be an action that damages our economy,” Lord Lancel said, his expression returning to its previous composure.

“What can we do to convince the Republic of Venetia to reopen the Vetucini Route to our products?”

After hearing Lord Lancel's question, Father leaned toward Antonio di Margarette, the Minister of Defense, and whispered something to him.

“If you hand over the territory of the Duchy of Hernant to us, the Republic of Venetia will abolish this policy for the Aragon Empire,” Father replied.

“No. No, Mr. President.”

Lord Lancel's expression darkened.

“The Duchy of Hernant is a strategically vital territory connecting the Aragon Empire with the Kingdom of Kuwalid and the Republic of Venetia. It is also the most fertile region in our nation. How could we possibly surrender it to a foreign power?”

“Does the Republic truly intend to bring down the Empire through methods like this!?”

“Of course we have no such intention, Lord Lancel,” Father replied firmly.

“The Empire simply needs to hand that territory over to us if it wants the Vetucini Trade Route reopened.”

It was an impossible choice.

Both the trade route and the strategic territory were equally important.

It was as though we had no intention of negotiating at all.

We simply wanted to weaken the Empire.

“Very well, then.”

Lord Lancel looked around the chamber, taking in every person present.

“You have left us no choice whatsoever.”

His voice became colder.

“If this is the Republic of Venetia's stance toward the Aragon Empire, then we will choose the path of blood to resolve this matter.”

My heart began pounding the moment those words left his mouth.

Those words would change the lives of everyone in this nation.

There were only two possible outcomes.

Either we would become the strongest power on the continent…

Or we would fall back into the abyss, just as we had when our nation was first established.

“On behalf of His Imperial Majesty, Philip de Aragon—the Aragon Empire hereby declares war upon the Republic of Venetia!”