Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 174

Creating a Human Empire with Subordinates 176

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“You don’t like it?”

Calliope tilted her head.

“I don’t like it.”

“Why?”

“It’s a difference of opinion.”

Tiamar shrugged.

“You don’t understand, do you? You’re thinking, ‘We were originally one soul, so how can we have different opinions?'”

“······.”

“Think of it simply. I’m the conscience left within Tiamar. It’s embarrassing to say it myself, but I’m like the humanity that remained within the Evil Dragon Tiamar.”

Of course, dragons aren’t human, she said with a laugh.

“You also worry sometimes, right? You even hesitate at times. Thinking, ‘Is it okay for me to do this?’ There are several conflicting opinions within you.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m like that. Tiamar’s regrets, lingering attachments, hesitations about her mistakes, something like that. It’s only a small part compared to the whole, but… it existed in its own way.”

Memories seeped into Calliope’s mind. It was Tiamar’s thoughts being conveyed to her.

When she met the old god Akakosk through Aleon’s introduction, when she fell for Akakosk’s trick and accepted the souls of the old gods, and until she absorbed and corrupted them all after a spiritual struggle with the old gods.

In an instant, the memories of an immortal being were transferred.

“It’s so convenient to exchange thoughts.”

She sat on the grass and sighed. Then, her breath came out as vapor. Clouds gathered in the sky, and it began to snow. It wasn’t winter, but it was colder than winter, and snow fell heavily.

“It’s a headache because there are too many of you [referring to the influx of memories and perspectives].”

Looking around, her subordinates were handling their respective tasks. However, despite appearing focused on their work, they were inwardly paying attention to the conversation between the two. All the subordinates present must have received the thoughts emitted by Tiamar.

“That idiot Ethemos says we’re perfect beings, but that’s nonsense. There’s no such thing as perfection. Father and I have made countless mistakes.”

And, she added.

“If we were perfect, would we have ended up like this? Father wouldn’t have become a mortal, and I wouldn’t have gone so wild. Edar said, ‘In this world, a god is just a strong being.’ That’s right.”

Another memory flowed in.

When Lord Ailetrione defeated the Evil Dragon Tiamar, the persuasion to bring her back and the attempts to kill her, and even dividing and sealing her soul.

“See? The result is me. A piece of soul separated from the main body.”

She laughed emptily.

“Father isolated me like that. He suspected that I would corrupt other beings. Well, I have no intention of doing that, but considering the sins I’ve committed and the fact that the main body sees the world through me, it wasn’t a wrong choice.”

“······.”

“Going back to the beginning, do you understand why I hate myself now?”

“A little.”

Calliope read hatred in Tiamar’s thoughts. Whenever the human Tiamar thought of the Evil Dragon Tiamar, a deep hatred arose.

Hatred for herself reached its peak. It was hatred for not turning back from the wrong path and continuing to move forward, and she didn’t even consider her corrupted self as herself.

That’s why she chose to become human.

“There are two paths I can take. Return to the main body and remain as a small amount of conscience, or wear the mask of a human and confront myself.”

One of them had already failed. That’s why she was here. The only path she could take was already set.

“Edar promised me. He would give me a chance to correct my mistakes. That opportunity was becoming a human, a subordinate.”

Calliope quietly looked at her and asked.

“Do you dislike it?”

“What? Becoming a subordinate? Or becoming a human?”

“Both.”

Tiamar frowned.

“Well.”

It wasn’t because she was in a bad mood. It was an expression of 고민 [Korean for ‘worry’ or ‘contemplation’] because she had received a question that was difficult to answer immediately. Calliope watched her expression change, which was exactly like her own.

“Well, I think it’s 괜찮은 [Korean for ‘okay’ or ‘not bad’] in its own way.”

Tiamar scratched her head awkwardly as she answered, and Calliope slyly raised the corners of her lips. Then, the ends of her lips trembled awkwardly.

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If you sail through the waters from the southwestern peninsula and head southeast, you’ll find an archipelago. This archipelago, called Motarini, was where the Nagas had established their base, comprised of five islands.

The Naga race didn’t need to live exclusively underwater. They possessed both gills and lungs, allowing them to thrive in both the deep sea and on land.

However, they deliberately established their base on the islands. Creating a civilization underwater proved challenging, and they were relatively late to the game. When the Nagas encountered land civilizations, the Elves and Dwarves were already flourishing with advanced societies under the guidance of the Lord [likely referring to a deity or powerful figure].

Much like nomadic tribes assimilating into settled cultures, they embraced land civilization and adopted a lifestyle similar to that of Elves and Dwarves.

This shift in lifestyle also sparked concern. They shouldn’t abandon their stable base in the deep sea. However, these concerns never escalated. They had lost their bases on the continent, but the archipelago had never been invaded.

– No matter how strong the Elven and Dwarven navies are, that’s all they are. Who can defeat us, who roam the water as if it were our own home?

Even when they lost the Cesena Republic, their mindset remained unchanged. They considered the Naga subspecies as their own, but for the Nagas, the loss of the republic was merely the loss of one base.

– Humans cannot venture out to sea, and even if they do, they will inevitably fall into the deep sea.

That’s what they firmly believed.

Swaaaaaa—

And then, the time came when that belief was shattered.

“Fire!”

More than 50 warships bombarded the central island of the Motarini archipelago. The third island, centrally located among the five, was the capital of the Naga kingdom.

Bang! Bang! Thump!

The shells struck the walls of the capital.

The walls were modeled after Elven barriers and constructed along the coastline. The only area without walls was the harbor entrance. All other points were shielded by high walls.

Even though they had never faced invasion, they hadn’t neglected their defenses. Their confidence wasn’t just empty bravado.

“It’s nothing.”

Only the era had changed.

What use were walls built so high and thick against shells propelled by gunpowder explosions? Against 50 warships, the walls of the old days were simply tempting targets.

Crash!

The walls crumbled helplessly.

The fleet bombarding the capital was the Human Empire’s expeditionary fleet. The commander leading the fleet was Horatio, who sat on a chair on the deck, sipping tea.

“The technological gap is terrifying.”

“That’s right,” the adjutant said, narrowing his eyes beside Horatio.

“Shall we land?”

“No. Let’s observe for a few more days.”

The walls were collapsing in various places along the coastline, creating numerous entry points, negating the need to target the harbor entrance. The expeditionary fleet maintained its distance and continued the bombardment.

“Instruct the bombing ships to fire incendiary bombs.”

Six frigates from the expeditionary fleet repositioned.

Thump—

A heavy cannon sound echoed, and moments later, fire erupted in the city center.

“Are there enough shells?”

“Yes. Ammunition transport ships have just arrived.”

“Good. Then tell them to keep firing. Don’t hold back.”

Bombing ships, also known as mortar ships, were specialized vessels equipped with mortars on their decks. Unlike other warships that primarily used flat cannons on their sides, bombing ships utilized mortars and shells filled with flammable materials.

Whoosh, whoosh…

Though only six ships were involved, the effect was devastating. The flames in the city center raged uncontrollably. Surrounded by the sea, water was plentiful, but the fire proved difficult to extinguish.

Thump, thump—

Crash!

The expeditionary fleet’s bombardment continued for three days.

“The 9th Regiment will occupy the harbor, and the 4th Regiment will proceed to the spawning grounds.”

Boats lowered from the transport ships headed towards the island.

The expeditionary fleet consisted of 71 transport ships in addition to the warships. The troops on board the transport ships numbered approximately 21,000. While the initial force numbered 30,000 soldiers at departure, the number available for landing was significantly reduced due to combat losses and garrisoning bases.

Among them, the number of subordinates was only 1,442.

“I hope there will be fewer casualties this time,” the adjutant said with concern. Despite inflicting damage with the three-day bombardment, it was still the capital of a country, and the opponent was a different race. He worried that the losses might exceed those of previously occupied bases.

“It’s alright. It will be easier this time.”

Horatio watched a seabird circling in the sky above the city.

“As always, deploy the 4th and 9th Regiments after the infantry secures the landing zone.”

“Understood.”

As the boats carrying the subordinates approached the island, Nagas and their subspecies surged from beneath the water, attempting to grab the subordinates or breach the boats.

Stab!

“Get lost!”

Their efforts were futile. The Naga queen had led the elite forces to the land and perished. The remaining forces on the island were weak.

The island’s defenders desperately clung to the boats, but many Nagas died without even making contact. The subordinates hurled spears like harpoons to eliminate the Nagas and their subspecies.

“Smelly bastards.”

Even with greater numbers, the outcome would be the same. Even as the capital of a country, the Naga population was small. With mostly non-combatants and dwindling numbers, the result was inevitable.

Thud! Bang!

“Cowardly monkeys…!”

“Fight fair!”

If they had adopted gunpowder weapons like other races, they wouldn’t have been pushed back so easily. Even in defeat, they would have inflicted considerable damage. However, the Nagas rejected gunpowder weapons.

The Naga’s base was in the sea, and they were a race that often lived in wet conditions.

Carrying gunpowder weapons in such an environment was difficult.

Weapons rendered useless by even slight dampness held little value for them. Their assessment only changed after witnessing humans mount cannons on captured ships and destroy the warships of other races, but by then, it was too late.

The result was this.

“Your queen is dead!”

The regimental commander of the 4th Regiment shouted from the central square of the city, where his regiment was confronting the gathered defenders.

“Our Father has punished your false god! So don’t resist pointlessly and surrender! Then I will show mercy and send you away without pain! Hahahaha!”

“Nonsense!”

A Naga, enraged by the mockery, shot an arrow.

“What is that monkey slandering!”

The regimental commander caught the arrow with his bare hands, broke it, and shouted again.

“Then call her! Call the mother of you bastards and prove that she is alive and with you! Then you can know whether my words are true or not, right?”

But of course, there was no answer. Even as the Nagas called their mother’s name, even as they cried out desperately, there was no response.

“T, that can’t be…”

The Nagas trembled. Something was amiss.

“Why doesn’t the false god you call mother answer? Isn’t it because your mother is dead or has abandoned you? Am I wrong?”

“N, no…”

Even as they tried to refute, their voices trembled and their words faltered.

“If not, call her and show us!”

Despair washed over the faces of the Nagas.

They could have fled at any time. Surrounded by the sea, they were Nagas, more adept in the water than on land. Why remain?

“This place is the sanctuary of the mother… A monkey like you…”

“Monkey? At least we have a father who is still alive and well.”

The regimental commander pointed to the sky.

“Look.”

Just then, the seabird flying above emitted a light. The light wasn’t intense enough to significantly affect anyone in the city, but it was enough for the Nagas to understand.

“My father is there. What about you?”

“We are…”

“A monkey with a father is better than a snake without a mother.”

The regimental commander ridiculed the enemy.

“The only thing that makes you bastards better than other races is that you haven’t received the power of that old god, but that’s not because you refused, but because Father stopped you, right? Ungrateful bastards who don’t even know how to be grateful.”

The reason the Nagas hadn’t fled, despite their ability to do so, was because the capital was the queen’s nest, the base of the being they worshipped as their mother, which they sought to protect.

If their god was gone or had abandoned them…

Was there any reason to protect the nest?

“T, this can’t be! It’s a lie! It’s a lie!”

The Nagas who couldn’t accept the truth charged meaninglessly at the subordinates, while those who did began to flee.

“Leave the ones who are running away alone.”

Horatio received the report on the flagship and clicked his tongue.

“Check if there are any human slaves left in the city, and then destroy it. There’s no value in occupying a place like this, so destroy it thoroughly, ensuring no one can return even after we leave.”

The city, which had been the capital of a race for nearly ten thousand years, met its end. However, the owner of the city had no time to grieve.

Horatio divided the expeditionary fleet into several groups and simultaneously attacked and occupied the Naga’s bases. After the fall of the capital, the Nagas, their power greatly diminished, were easily hunted down even by the dispersed fleet.

If they had heeded the concerns of the past, things might have been different.

If they had established a base in the deep sea, it could have served as a stepping stone for recovery. But they didn’t, and they paid the ultimate price. Following the Orcs and Goblins, another race met its end.