The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 428

The Chitae Kingdom was a nation formed by the nomadic Chitae tribe and the settled people led by the Yaehagas Divine King. In the past, it was a superpower that ravaged neighboring countries with the fearsome power of its nomadic cavalry.

However, with the invention of gunpowder weapons, the nomadic cavalry’s mobility was restricted, and the settled people gradually came to dominate the kingdom. The status of the kingdom as a cavalry powerhouse faded.

Nevertheless, Chitae was still a force to be reckoned with, the master of the great plains, a sleeping tiger that all eight kingdoms kept a close eye on.

The current king of Chitae, Sebalhan, who ascended to the throne after a coup, was a young and ambitious figure, only seven years into his reign, especially for a descendant of the Yaehagas Divine Clan.

*********

“So, the esteemed Emperor of the Northern Empire wants us to attack those soulless blasphemers?”

In the capital of Chitae, Junggyeong, Sebalhan frowned as he greeted the envoy from the Northern Empire.

“That is correct. The King’s Church will also give its blessing. This is a righteous holy war.”

“But Naisandokar is not a terrain suitable for cavalry. The path is rough, and there are many goblin tribes. It would take at least a month to get from our capital, Junggyeong, to Naisandokar. And to operate the supply units smoothly, we would have to clear out the nearby goblin tribes first….”

The nomads of Chitae were said to have been riding horses since childhood, reaching a state of perfect unity with their mounts. Even for these nomads, attacking Azadin’s forces through Naisandokar was no easy task.

The distance was too great, requiring a major expedition.

“Rest assured on that point. We will provide guides.”

Surprisingly, the slave traders of the Telbarin Guild volunteered to guide them.

“And instead of gathering in Junggyeong, if the nomadic tribes near Naisandokar gather and attack, it wouldn’t take that long.”

Sebalhan frowned.

He had deliberately mentioned the distance from Junggyeong to show his reluctance for this expedition, but a mere merchant was picking at his words.

“There’s no need for us to shed blood first for the Northern Empire’s ambition. We have plenty of food and livestock. Perhaps, when this Fimbulwinter [a great, harsh winter] ends, the children of Chitae will be the ones who are most unscathed.”

“Is that so? Our investigations suggest a very different story.”

The Chitae Kingdom had a vast territory, and even with minimal farming, they could produce enough food without needing to import it.

They also had the great plains, which were ideal for raising horses.

Under normal circumstances, that is.

But the problem was that the horses were starting to freeze to death due to the Fimbulwinter.

Unless the horses huddled together in stables, using each other’s body heat to survive, they would freeze to death. But where would the nomads find stables?

They hastily set up tents for people to keep the horses warm, but then they couldn’t go out to find grass.

For those who raised horses by grazing them on fresh grass, the Fimbulwinter was hell.

From this winter to spring, half of Chitae’s horses had frozen to death and had to be slaughtered.

Thanks to the resulting horse meat, Chitae didn’t have to worry about food, but at this rate, all the remaining horses would be gone. For the nomads, horses were as precious as their own lives, so seeing them freeze to death felt like a nail being hammered into their hearts.

‘It might sound crazy to kill people to save horses, but my horses are more important than the people of another country.’

The Chitae tribal leaders, upon hearing the proposal from the King’s Church and the Northern Empire to invade Azadin’s territory with their support, thought of their horses’ safety and began to salivate.

In their eyes, Naisandokar was a paradise, a place free from this Fimbulwinter.

It was a land that the Arangi Kingdom had abandoned because of its deep forests and many goblins and bris [a type of monster], but after Azadin took control, he built roads, cultivated the land, and accepted refugees, turning it into a thriving city.

Considering the wealth of Naisandokar, Azadin must have stockpiled food and equipment.

Thinking this, the military leaders had actually been suggesting an invasion of Azadin’s territory for some time.

Then, the Northern Empire, with the approval of the King’s Church, offered to provide Chitae with food, weapons, and information.

However, Sebalhan was somehow reluctant.

“Rumor has it that King Azadin single-handedly occupied Banreung and even completed the Erantri Quest of the Rescue Knights [a legendary quest]. Moreover, the Arangi Kingdom will soon be in his hands, making him a hero of our time. If we attack so impulsively and suffer a setback, we will lose both our reputation and our gains.”

“This is sanctioned by the King’s Church, so there can be no lack of justification.”

“Is that so? I don’t know about the King’s Church’s doctrines, but as a man, I’d be ashamed. We Chitae have been nomadic for a long time and are not starving for food. Even if the Fimbulwinter lasts for another two years, we won’t starve to death.”

However, the nomadic people needed the goods of the settled people: salt, tea, cotton, herbs, and iron ore.

“Survival is already guaranteed, so is it right to invade another country for other luxuries?”

“Your Majesty.”

The military leaders and tribal chiefs were anxious. Their king, Sebalhan’s words were flawless, but he could say that because he was staying in Junggyeong.

Most nomadic tribes, even the chiefs, lived lives not much different from the lower class in the cities.

While the settled people of Chitae obtained salt from the sea and various daily necessities through trade, enjoying a civilized life, the nomadic people obtained them through inland trade. Now that the inland trade had been cut off due to the extreme cold, they needed war.

They had to seize that warm southern land during the summer when the cold was relatively milder.

‘Hmm. The atmosphere….’

Sebalhan was not a fool either. He knew that the military leaders and tribal chiefs were thirsty for war, and if he kept opposing them with his righteous arguments, his subordinates might revolt.

“So, I would like the Northern Empire to provide not just words but tangible help?”

Sebalhan changed his tune, deciding to extract more from the Northern Empire. Instead of opposing the war, he listed various difficulties and demanded more from the Northern Empire. This way, he wouldn’t incur the resentment of his subordinates.

“Of course! We have prepared this.”

The envoy from the Northern Empire presented Sebalhan with documents detailing their preparations and support.

Sebalhan frowned as he read the documents.

“Is this really possible?”

“Yes, of course.”

“……….”

Sebalhan clicked his tongue as he looked at the contents of the letter.

The letter contained war supplies, including arrows, spears, swords, gunpowder, and firearms, as well as 100,000 sacks of barley, 1,000 cartwheels, and even operational plans such as the preemptive infiltration of ogre mercenaries.

‘They can handle ogre mercenaries and bris? These bastards….’

For the Northern Empire, whom the King’s Church had appointed as the King of Kings, to handle the vassals of the King of Fangs.

While the royal families, high-ranking clergy of the King’s Church, and holy knights could at least make excuses for using dark magic to know their enemies and themselves….

Being able to directly control the forces of darkness was a different story.

Ironically, the noble-blooded Cohen Lionheart of the Northern Empire was using heretical sorcery, while the low-born Azadin was closer to the orthodox path.

‘No, Azadin also uses necromancy, doesn’t he? And Sir Sok of the Fimbul Horde is with him too. Hmm.’

Sebalhan estimated the power of the Northern Empire by looking at the amount of supplies they were providing and the dark forces they were mobilizing.

“I understand. Then, I will convene a tribal council and ask for the opinions of the various tribes.”

At the tribal council, the decision to attack King Azadin was passed almost unanimously.

*********

In Naisandokar and Sandokar, Legion, Kalan, and the druids Sedrin and Nicelda were stationed.

They continued their work of developing Naisandokar and Sandokar while searching for Camilla, who had killed Count Ivek of Sandokar.

Naisandokar was covered in lush forests, and Azadin’s kingdom was in need of a large amount of timber.

By logging the forests, they could avoid attacks from the bris and goblin tribes and also be safe from the wild magic’s primal spirits.

However, from some point on, Chitae people began to gather at the border.

They built supply bases to store supplies and sent trade missions to Naisandokar, claiming they wanted to trade.

“These guys are carefully observing our defenses as they pass by. They are definitely not ordinary merchants.”

Legion, the half-elf werewolf, noticed that the Chitae trade missions were more like spies than merchants.

“You’re not the only one who noticed, Legion. What they’re building is clearly a military supply base.”

Sedrin, who was monitoring the situation by flying birds into the sky, said.

“A supply base that can feed at least 20,000 people. It’s definitely not a peaceful trading post.”

A trading post for storing, weighing, and checking the quality of goods was clearly different in structure from a military supply base.

Sedrin, having scouted the Chitae army with the birds’ eyes, was certain that this supply base was for military use and that the enemy’s numbers were at least over 20,000.

“20,000. We have a lot of people too….”

“We’re all refugees and more like lumberjacks than soldiers. On the other hand… those guys are probably Chitae nomadic cavalry. That’s unexpected.”

The nomads of Chitae were originally known for attacking directly, carrying supplies on their horses and switching mounts, without needing separate supply units.

Unlike the settled people who had to prepare various things for war, the nomads were skilled at quick hit-and-run tactics.

However, that was the case when there were no city walls to besiege. If they had to besiege a city, they would naturally need a supply base.

“Maybe it’s because many horses died due to the cold? And their goal isn’t just Naisandokar. They’re planning to attack not just our hastily built wooden fences and earthworks, but even the stone walls.”

Sedrin, observing Chitae’s invasion preparations, realized that they were preparing for a full-scale war, not just a simple border raid.

“Should we report this to the king?”

“Of course, we should. No, I already have.”

Sedrin, using druidic magic, had already sent a message as soon as he confirmed the Chitae supply base.

*********

A message arrived to Azadin that Chitae was building a supply base north of Naisandokar and gathering troops.

Upon learning this, Azadin questioned King Sebalhan of Chitae through the King’s Church.

Of course, Sebalhan, before the attack, feigned ignorance.

‘We have only set up a trading post. Don’t accuse us of something we didn’t do.’

However, even while doing so, Chitae steadily prepared for war.

Thus, Azadin was forced into a two-front war, whether he wanted it or not.