159 - Collapse
The passage of time pushed the multinational allied forces into a corner. Perhaps "pushed into a corner" is not the correct expression. Not every participating nation was driven into a difficult position by the information provided. In terms of numbers alone, the overwhelming majority of countries were actually pleased.
The Demon Race was running rampant outside the Laurel Kingdom as well. For nations that did not wish to remain part of the multinational allied forces, this information was good news. They could use it as an excuse to return to their own countries. Even the three great powers could not stop this. A portion of the army of one of those great powers, the United Kingdom of Westerland, had been the first to return home, so there was no way they could be stopped. The smaller nations followed suit, claiming they were doing the same, and returned home one after another.
Those who remained were only the armies of the three great powers, including the Kingdom of Lydia and the Kingdom of Aria. Even then, for the United Kingdom of Westerland, only the forces of the Kingdom of Wells remained.
Far from receiving reinforcements, the multinational allied forces saw their numbers drastically reduced. Still, the main forces remained. The battle with the Demon King's army was supposed to continue.
"...I can't believe it. How can such a ridiculous story be true?"
Prince Babel was shaken after hearing the words of the messenger who had come from his own country. The content the messenger conveyed was unbelievable.
"It is only natural that you would doubt it. However, what I have just told you is the truth."
"Impossible. A civil war could not possibly happen!"
The messenger had conveyed the fact that a rebellion had occurred within the Kingdom of Moscow. But Prince Babel denied it. He wanted to deny it.
"That impossible thing has happened. We believe that Your Highness should return home immediately to settle the situation."
"Who started the rebellion?"
"...It is said to be Your Highness."
"W-what? What do you mean by that!?"
Prince Babel had absolutely no memory of such a thing. He had no idea what was happening.
"I will explain properly. Please calm your feelings and listen."
"...Fine."
His feelings did not calm down so easily. However, Prince Babel suppressed them and pretended to be composed. He had been taught that one could not become King without being able to do at least this much.
"The trigger was a single woman."
"...A woman?"
Why would a woman be the trigger for a rebellion? This question was natural. The situation was outside the range of what Prince Babel could imagine.
"She was a maid serving in the inner palace. It began when that maid threw herself from a window, and His Majesty saved her."
"...And?"
Throwing oneself from a window was a problem, but the fact that his father, the King, saved her was a good deed. Prince Babel still did not understand why this story led to a rebellion.
"The rescued maid was carried into His Majesty's private chambers, and it seems that at some point, she began to receive his favor."
"Is she... such an attractive woman?"
It was not unheard of to lay hands on a maid. However, if it were made public, she would have to be given a corresponding status. Prince Babel thought that if the King did this without hesitation toward the Queen, she must be a very attractive woman.
"I do not know. However, His Majesty cherished that woman more than anyone else and began to listen to everything she said."
"...What were the people around them doing? Such a wicked woman—she must be a wicked woman, right? To leave such a woman by my father's side..."
"Of course, they tried to stop her. But as a result, the Prime Minister was sentenced to death. And Her Majesty the Queen is no longer looked upon by His Majesty."
"............"
The fall of his mother, the Principal Consort, and the Prime Minister, who stood at the apex of the vassals, was a situation Prince Babel had never imagined. He was lost for words at the unbelievable content.
"Everyone who offended that woman was severely punished. Almost all the maids of the inner palace are like that."
"And... my father allows this?"
"The one handing down the punishments is His Majesty."
"That's impossible..."
The father Prince Babel knew was not such a person. He should have been a man worthy of being called a wise ruler.
"Because many people serving in the castle were punished, it drew the anger of their families. Many protests arrived, but His Majesty responded to them with even harsher punishments..."
"And that led to the rebellion?"
"Yes. If they did not rise up, their houses would be destroyed—no, they would all be slaughtered."
The cornered nobles had no choice but to rise up. If they did not, they would die. There was no reason to hesitate in rebelling.
"...Why is it that even I am said to have started the rebellion?"
He still felt a sense of disbelief, but he understood the reason the civil war had started. However, he did not understand why he, who had been away from the country, was said to have started the rebellion.
"The story that Your Highness was leading the rebellion came from His Majesty's own mouth at a very early stage. That is also the reason why the reinforcements were stopped."
"...The reason my father suspects me?"
"I do not know the reason, but His Majesty was convinced that requesting reinforcements was a way to strip the home country of its army, and that you intended to seize the throne with the army you stole."
"...Someone whispered that into his ear. There is only one person. But..."
The maid who came to receive favor. He could think of no one else. But he did not understand why the maid told that lie to the King, or why the King believed it. His relationship with his father had been a good one. Prince Babel believed that to be certain.
"It is also said that Your Highness is pulling the strings behind the rebellion of the nobles. His Majesty has refused to listen to any of their stories, decided that it was so, and ordered their subjugation."
"How many nobles are rebelling? What is the state of the battle?"
"I do not know the current situation. I left the country before I could confirm that."
"I see..."
He did not know the situation in his home country. He was certain that it was not a good situation. Why did it come to this? Even after hearing the explanation, this feeling did not disappear. If anything, it grew stronger.
"There is no one but Your Highness who can resolve this situation. Please, lead your army and return to the country immediately."
"I see... telling me to return is not to stop the rebellion..."
"...Yes."
It was to place him on the side of the rebellion. To strike down the King and seize the throne. This messenger had come all the way to the Laurel Kingdom to ask Prince Babel to become the banner of the rebellion.
"Can His Majesty not be returned to normal by killing that woman?"
"That has been attempted many times. However, no one has succeeded. Everyone ended up losing their lives."
"...Let me think for a moment."
Striking down his father. It was not something he could decide immediately.
"Even as we speak, innocent subjects are losing their lives. Please do not forget this."
"...I know."
Uniting the rebelling nobles and striking down his father. Deciding this was not easy. Even thinking for the sake of the subjects, he felt resistance to wearing the stigma of patricide. It was not just because he cared about his reputation. To Prince Babel, the King was a person he respected. He still felt that way.
His heart wavered. Even so, there was something he could decide immediately. Returning to his home country. He had to return and grasp the detailed situation. That was it.
The army of the Kingdom of Moscow would return. With this, the multinational allied forces completely collapsed.
◇◇◇
Once the army of the Kingdom of Moscow returned home, there was no reason for only the United Kingdom of Westerland and the Kingdom of Wells' army to remain. The army of the Kingdom of Wells also returned. However, this did not mean their battle had ended. From here on, a more intense battle than ever before would take place. Not against the Demon Race, but a battle within the United Kingdom.
The concerns of the countries other than the Kingdom of Wells that constituted the United Kingdom became a reality. The only ones who were able to return safely from the Laurel Kingdom were the army of the Kingdom of Wells. The various nations perceived this as a betrayal by the Kingdom of Wells. For Prince James, it was a suspicion he had absolutely no memory of.
However, it could not be said that this had nothing to do with Hansmann and the others who were left behind, but it was not something to worry about. They had a challenge right in front of them that had to be solved. The difficult challenge of fighting the Demon King's army alone and winning.
"...There is no solution. We can only win militarily."
There was nothing that they, as civil officials, could do. There were no more countries they could request cooperation from.
"Can we win militarily?"
Baldwin cast a question at Hansmann's words. It was a meaningless question. It was obvious that Hansmann did not have the answer.
"...We have no choice but to have them win."
What Hansmann uttered was hope. This made the meeting meaningless. Because it led to no solution.
"What is the Hero saying?"
Moreover, the person they relied on was Fumiya, whose abilities they were supposed to have given up on.
"...He is requesting reinforcements from two countries, the Kingdom of Lydia and the Kingdom of Aria. He likely intends to resume the fight after completing the replenishment of numbers."
"What are the chances of winning?"
"If the Demon King's army has extended its reach widely to other countries, their numbers should have decreased."
The Demon King's army's strength should be dispersed. It was a hopeful observation. The reason Ray extended his hand to other countries was to collapse the multinational allied forces. Once that was achieved, he would withdraw the hands he had extended.
"...It seems the noble house army that attacked Anfang was a crushing defeat."
Here, Baldwin began to talk about the result of having Anfang attacked. However, there was no point in talking about whether they could win against the Demon King's army or not. As the Intelligence Department Head, there were other important matters, and Anfang was one of them.
"I thought so."
He knew they would lose even before they fought. Hansmann was not surprised to hear about the defeat.
"Anfang seems to have become a fortress city. A very robust one at that."
"...I knew they were carrying out expansion work on the defensive walls."
"That must have been completed. It seems it was an impregnable fortress for the noble house army, but I wonder how it is for the regular army?"
The attack on Anfang was not what they had thought. Even if they dispatched the regular army led by Fumiya, the conquest would not be easy. This was the fact Baldwin wanted to convey.
"Why is such information arriving only now?"
As the one told this, Hansmann was not satisfied. The one who conveyed it was Baldwin, the information officer, speaking as if it were someone else's business.
"Information gathering around Anfang had become difficult from a certain point. Could it be that this has been lifted?"
"Even so, if it was such important information, somehow—"
Hansmann's speech was stopped by Baldwin's lightly raised hand. It meant not to say reckless things. Hansmann knew the reason for that.
"We do not have the luxury of playing hard to get. Should we not play all our cards?"
The situation was almost a stalemate. To break through that, they had no choice but to take every move they could. Baldwin believed this was not the time to keep a trump card.
"...You are right. To fight the Demon King's army, we need to increase our own strength. Should we swap the priorities?"
"I would certainly like you to do that. We cannot fight any further just by controlling the area around the royal capital."
Libert, the one in charge of finance, immediately showed his agreement.
The national treasury had been empty for a long time. They had procured military supplies by selling off treasures in the castle or borrowing money using them as collateral. But that had also reached its limit, and now they were in a situation where they were conducting forced levies under the guise of donations.
"What do you think, Beran-dono?"
Hansmann asked for the opinion of the last person participating in the meeting, Beran. If these four agreed, it was the same as confirming the overall will.
"I agree. The dissatisfaction of the noble houses is growing. If we have nothing to give them, there is a possibility they will explode."
Whether King Neil was alive or dead did not matter. A King who repeatedly carries out wartime levies is a foolish king. Furthermore, if he begins to force them, he is a tyrant. A situation where nobles, thinking he is not someone to be loyal to, start a rebellion is entirely possible.
"...Then it is decided. We will move all our cards and do everything we can. By the next time, let each person summarize their plan and report to each other. There will likely be many things that are better to do jointly."
Until now, each person had moved collaborators they were connected to. But the situation no longer allowed for such inefficiency. They needed to gather all the power they had and deal with the matter cooperatively. They decided that. They had been pushed that far.
But even now, they still did not understand. What Ray's goal was. Why they were still alive, why they were being kept alive.
"...It seems they're finally starting to move."
In a place close to the royal capital. In a deserted place off the highway, Ray muttered.
"The conclusion is soon, right?"
Hearing that mutter, Kai judged that the end of the battle was near.
"Not yet. We must make sure not to miss their movements. Right now, we don't yet know all of their cards."
"Maybe they have an unexpected card?"
Kai thought that was unlikely. Ray believed he had already grasped what would likely be their strongest card.
"It means we can't let our guard down. Besides, the Hero is still remaining."
"I think we could kill him now?"
"That is arrogance. I think his magic power has reached a decent level, but still, we can't let our guard down."
He would not make the mistake of repeating failures due to arrogance. Ray had become even more humble regarding his own abilities than before. To Kai, it seemed like an extreme undervaluation.
Even so, it did not mean he was at a stalemate. If there were lacking parts, he could supplement them with other things. Ray thought so and was putting it into action. It was an unfortunate thing for Fumiya. It meant that there were that many fewer openings.
The time for the conclusion is near. No matter how Ray thinks, this is a fact.