Around the time the entire Thedorant front was relentlessly submerged by the flood that was the Imperial Army.
On the southern front, in Benito, the Empire's victory was also becoming nearly certain.
“I will rewrite the Name of Benito. It must be born not as a place shattering the peace of the south, but as a guardian of the place where the Name of God was first cried out.”
A figure from the royal family, whom Kael had found with wide eyes, became King through the endorsement of the surrendered Benito nobles.
On top of that, the Empire, the Holy Church, and all the other southern kingdoms, having now completely turned their backs, came forward to celebrate his accession, making him feel like the real King to anyone watching.
Especially the blessing of the Holy Church was decisive. Their influence is strong in the south.
In a place full of believers who worship the God of Light, there were those who dared to attack the Holy Church.
And yet, for that Holy Church to forgive them all and bestow a blessing, their justification stood incredibly strong.
Of course, there was a political deal behind it unknown to ordinary people.
Naturally, the Holy Church regarded Benito itself with great displeasure.
How could they easily forgive those who dared to attack the Holy Land?
The one who appeased such a Holy Church was the First Prince, Gnaeus, who had gone south before.
If nothing else, for him, who valued Diplomacy and Negotiation for the sake of the Empire, it was a good stage to play an active role.
“Your Holiness. If you would forgive their sins, would not Lunen also look upon all with love? Perhaps all the believers will also praise the mercy of the Holy Church.”
To put it simply, it was a promise that if you paint a Scene of forgiveness, our Empire will match it appropriately.
It was understood that the Power of the Holy Church would absolutely not be weakened by this war.
It was not the words of an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but the words of none other than the Prince of the Empire himself.
In the end, the Holy Church accepted his will and announced that they would directly forgive the sins of Benito, or to be precise, only South Benito.
When that news was delivered, Gnaeus, who had once again visited the Holy Church, said this.
“To those who follow the Name of God, fortune will follow, and to those who defile it, misfortune will follow. O Lunen. Grant light to your little lambs!”
South Benito, which had surrendered to the Empire and received the forgiveness of the Holy Church, would now fare well.
Andrea II and North Benito, still resisting, will suffer to the end.
Gnaeus. Everyone knew the Empire's true intention.
The epidemic had subsided, but the damage was already too severe for them to recover on their own.
The southern forces, the Royal Capital's primary defense, had almost all surrendered.
On top of that, a new King, blessed by the Holy Church, had been established.
“Damn it. At this rate, are we all going to die?”
“This is the first time I've been envious of the southern bastards.”
No matter how much public sentiment Andrea II had bought in the north.
Still, he could distinguish between a place to die and a place to live.
And to top it off, Andrea II had finally abandoned Benito's Royal Capital.
“Your Majesty! Where are you going!”
“Didn't you say you would fight with us to the end!”
The epidemic once. The Imperial Army's offensive once. And the news of the southern defectors was the final blow.
Andrea II also considered this place no longer safe and had left for a castle in the north.
As the king abandoned the royal capital, the chaos reached its peak, and the Imperial Army did not miss the opportunity.
Finally, within Benito's royal castle, high-ranking Imperial officials and the new King of Benito concluded an agreement.
Those in the north are usurpers of the royal family who defiled this Benito.
No one in the south, using this royal capital as the standard, will call that person king.
From now on, South Benito will cooperate with the Empire's war effort in every possible way.
Upon hearing such news, the fleeing Andrea II at first showed madness.
Later, he fell into a sense of failure, frustration, and doubt, unable to even keep himself upright due to alcohol.
It was to the point where it was unbelievable that this was the same king who had once sought hegemony in the south.
Meanwhile, Gnaeus, having finished his work, went to find the Commander-in-Chief of the Empire.
To be precise, it was to see his younger sister, and the man who would one day be his brother-in-law.
“You've worked hard, Your Highness, the Prince.”
“What hard work. They just came right over after a slight poke, Commander-in-Chief.”
“See, Kael. That man… ahem. My brother, what hard work did he do? The one doing the most difficult work right now is Kael.”
“Aha, Bel. No matter how much a wife sides with her husband, it's quite sad for the family to hear, you know?”
“Shut up!”
Gnaeus, who had burst into laughter at Isabelle's shout, resumed his princely demeanor.
And he asked Kael, not as his brother-in-law, but as the Commander-in-Chief of the Empire.
“What happens now?”
“Soon. Benito, Atria, and Thedorant too. Before this winter comes, we will end it all. And we will send all our soldiers back home.”
“I will believe you, Commander-in-Chief. And I will believe you, brother-in-law.”
“Th-the Princess and I haven't even gotten engaged, let alone married….”
“If you've had a lovers' quarrel in front of His Majesty the Emperor, isn't that an engagement?”
Kael and Isabelle, who wanted to object but couldn't, just bowed their heads low.
*
As the battle with the enemy changed from a field battle to a siege, there was a person who had momentarily faltered.
Her name was none other than Kaya Clausewitz. A monster among monsters who had already devoured hundreds of Atria knights on the battlefield.
Every time she descended on the battlefield, the enemy was literally ground up as if caught in a storm.
Before the ruthless might of a single person, the Atria Knights Order finally gave up fighting in the field battle.
They threw away all their pride and what not and sought to fight alongside the soldiers, leaning on the castle walls.
Even when the Novgorod side, which Atria had so looked down upon, made a provocation, they did not budge.
Thanks to that, Kaya, who could no longer build up military merit to report to Kael, was growling quietly.
“That castle. When on earth will we be able to take it down?”
“Just wait a little longer. As soon as that arrives, the castle gates and walls will all be breached.”
Soothing the whining Kaya, Sharlua quietly stared at the huge castle of Atria.
If only that place falls, they will control the passage to the main road of Atria.
Those bastards know that too, so they are fighting desperately, and that siege has already continued for nearly two weeks.
It was a disorganized fight. Even the powerful Novgorod Military had no effective strategy against the Castle.
They had pounded it with siege weapons, but its defense was quite good, and those bastards were also desperate.
However, that resistance would not last long.
Because the Emperor's grace, brought from the Empire, would finally arrive on the battlefield.
‘Will it really be all right later, Lord Kael? I think you're overdoing it a bit.’
I hear there was some trouble with the Ministry of Finance regarding that again.
Isn't it obvious it will collapse someday even if we just pound it with what we've been using?
But to go to the trouble of making that and transporting it, how much tax is it eating up?
Kaya had fumed at that news, but Sharlua, honestly, understands the Empire's Ministry of Finance.
If the existing siege weapons cost 1, that one costs almost 10.
The production cost is a problem, and especially transporting and managing it costs too much money.
Is cost the only problem? It's said to be 10 times harder to move than existing siege weapons.
When that one weapon is moved and fired once, other siege weapons would have been moved ten days earlier and fired 100 rounds!
Isn't this really not right? It's too much of a waste of money! Let's just do it as we've been doing!!
The opinion of the Empire's Ministry of Finance was by no means wrong or an exaggeration.
To the extent that Sharlua herself was briefly unsure about Kael's opinion.
“Dear members of the Ministry of Finance.”
In front of them, Kael brought out a single phrase that would stir a man's heart.
“When it comes to weapons, bigger is best.”
On top of that, the Ministry of War, which was completely persuaded after seeing its performance once, jumped out.
Let's try it once and then talk again. We've checked it first, and this thing, this thing is the real deal!
They said they felt like fools for not having thought of such a simple idea until now.
‘Just how powerful must its performance be, for the Empire's Ministry of War to show such a reaction?’
She was a little curious about that weapon Kael had championed and which the Ministry of War had strongly supported.
Then, something happened that made Sharlua's curiosity grow even more.
The Demon soldiers of Novgorod, who had first seen the transportation process, showed immense anticipation.
“Damn it! Those Empire bastards. They even know how to make something like that. I thought they were bastards who didn't know a thing about romance!”
“Ahem. Watch your language. Isn't it the Motherland of Lady Kaya Clausewitz? If it's her Motherland, of course they can make something of that level. Ah. I still remember the majesty of that weapon.”
“I'm definitely going to be next to it when it fires. What kind of reaction will the Atria bastards have when they see it? I have to see and hear for myself what kind of scream will be heard the moment its projectile clears that castle wall!”
The Emperor's grace that everyone had long awaited had finally arrived on the battlefield.
It took a full three days for the Empire's engineers and technicians to rush over and set it up.
As it gradually took shape, the Atria soldiers beyond the castle walls grew terrified.
What on earth is that? Its size dwarfs anything we've seen so far.
How did they even make that in the first place? What means did they use to bring it here?
It's scary just to look at it, and you're saying what that bastard shoots is the future we must face?
“Deployment is complete. What should we do? Should we propose surrender first, then attack, as always?”
At that question, Sharlua briefly looked at her own people. The Demon soldiers of Novgorod.
Everyone was shaking their heads, their thoughts evident. After going through all that trouble to bring it and assemble it.
There would be nothing more anticlimactic than for the enemy to surrender before even firing it.
As a Demon, no, as a living being, isn't it the romance to fire it at least once!
“…Let's think after one shot.”
“Kuhahaha! Understood!! Boys, get ready!”
“Uwaaaaaaaah!!”
The Demon soldiers run out excitedly.
A super-giant trebuchet. The name Kael had given it was War Wolf.
The monster that would ravage all the castles of Atria had finally begun to let out a furious howl.