Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 74

I spent several days purifying the city.

I captured the servants hidden throughout the city and raided the Church of the Wolf.

The church was teeming with servants and parasites known as the Emperor’s Curse.

There were more barrels hidden than the orc barrels I had destroyed in the plaza.

“Were you planning to erase the border entirely?”

Marquis Loegene clicked his tongue after receiving the report.

One orc barrel could devastate a small city.

There were over twenty barrels filled with parasites.

‘Why? Why did they increase the number of parasites so much?’

I wondered.

It was an action I didn’t remember.

Had so many parasites ever been used before?

As the Marquis said, it was as if they were trying to turn the border into a no-man’s-land.

I didn’t remember the Emperor’s Curse being so prevalent in my memories.

‘The future has changed.’

I also discovered letters exchanged between the bishop and the servants.

More recent than the letters sent by the Mountain Hermit Nuadhil in Wallachia.

They contained a conspiracy that was not revealed in the previous letters.

‘Are they trying to reduce the number of humans?’

The letters discussed when, where, and how to spread the Emperor’s Curse.

It wasn’t specific or meticulous.

However, it was quite extensive.

‘For now, they are limiting it to Germania. But they also discussed ways to spread the parasites to surrounding countries, including Wallachia, and the entire human sphere of influence.’

I frowned.

‘Fortunately, it’s just starting.’

If there was any consolation, it was that Bishop Bowler was leading the plan in Germania.

And the place where the parasites were cultivated was here, in Zauritz.

Both were problems I had solved.

‘I need to root them out quickly, or it will be troublesome.’

The plan had already begun.

It’s not over just because I caught Bishop Bowler.

Because it wasn’t just a few priests and servants who led the effort.

‘Only the Council can do something like this.’

Vlad created the Emperor’s Curse.

But it is the servants and priests who are spreading the curse.

The Church of the Wolf in Horbide cannot be controlled by Vlad alone.

‘Because the Council founded the Church of the Wolf.’

The power that Vlad can project onto the Church of the Wolf is only a fraction.

He’s doing this with only a fraction of his power?

After openly breaking the agreement in Wallachia?

‘It’s the will of the Council, not Vlad.’

It was clear that the Council’s agreement was being made behind the scenes.

Ignoring me, who holds the ninth seat.

Even if we are in the same seat, we are not treated the same.

‘An unprecedented move. With the aim of annihilating humans. The target area is the path I travel and its surroundings.’

Isn’t it obvious?

Their intention is to turn it into ashes rather than hand it over to me.

They knew I was aiming for Germania, so they took action.

‘This viciousness, this boldness. This is what the Council is like.’

It’s still a check.

Because Tiamar’s influence remains.

They won’t directly project their power into Germania.

But they will try to kill or hinder me indirectly.

In the form of a proxy war.

‘The Church of the Wolf and the servants have joined hands. Is there any guarantee that those who volunteered to be slaves of other races haven’t joined hands?’

Not all nobles are slaves of other races.

Priests and servants are absolutely loyal to Horbide and Vlad, but nobles who pay tribute to other races vary greatly depending on their individual tendencies.

Like Duke Mazenkin and Count Hugo of Wallachia, who serve different races but have different purposes and fight each other.

If not priests or servants, the relationship between nobles and other races was closer to a feudal relationship, where they paid allegiance to the extent that it benefited them.

It was just that the loyalty was too deep because it was too sweet to be loyal to other races.

‘Marquis Loegene is just such a case. That’s why he became a victim, was cursed, and even had a parasite farm created.’

If I had been a little late, the Marquis would have died, and the city would have been destroyed.

‘Germania will be destroyed like this. Many humans in this country will be annihilated. No one will survive except those who are so loyal that they would sell their souls to other races.’

I narrowed my eyes.

‘But even if I stir up the whole of Germania alone, they will only be swayed by the sweet words of the other races.’

How can I root out the influence of the Council in Germania, which is more vast than Wallachia, with hundreds of familiars and thousands of conscripted soldiers?

‘I must avoid being seen as an invader.’

If I am seen as an invader, I will be resisted, and I will only create those who seek the help of other races and pay deeper allegiance.

The other races are the masters who have been loyal for generations, and I am just an invader who has been kicked out of the main family and become a vassal of a rival country.

The other races are plotting?

Who would believe that?

‘I need to win over humans who have not completely fallen to the Council.’

Because the other races are not directly active in Germania.

The Council’s influence is the activity of those who are loyal to other races.

Therefore, this fight is closer to a proxy war between me and the Council.

I will have to fight directly without using proxies.

‘The followers of Horbide, the servants of the blood relatives, and other voluntary slaves of other races. They are the ones who project the influence of the Council. They are the enemies I must face in Germania.’

Before they make these people realize the reality or win over the humans who are watching the situation one by one to check me and achieve their plans, I must conversely gather forces in Germania to confront them.

‘To do that, the first thing I need to get is Thred.

Because Thred is the most justifiable and profitable existence for me.

If I make Thred, who has power comparable to the king of Germania, mine, the number of enemies will decrease, and the force to confront the Council will become stronger.

‘The goal is the same as before. But I need to change the process more boldly. I don’t have time to visit and persuade the nobles one by one.’

I pondered for a moment.

How to make Thred mine,

And quickly win over all the other nobles.

“I think the Founding Festival is an opportunity.”

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up.

The Marquis put down the letter and continued.

“You told my daughter. If you are asked why you came to Germania now, you will answer that you came to participate in the Founding Festival.”

“I did.”

“Because the Founding Festival is an event in which all the nobles of Germania participate. It is not an obligation, but it is a matter of pride for a noble not to be able to participate or not to participate.”

Indeed.

I stroked my chin.

“If you don’t have time to visit and persuade them one by one, you can gather them all together. That’s what you mean.”

“Yes. It depends on how well you speak.”

I chuckled.

“There’s no problem with that. The reason I was able to come this far is thanks to this tongue of mine.”

The Marquis also laughed and nodded.

“Then what remains is…”

Boo——

The sound of a horn echoed.

Thump— Thump—!

Following that, the rough sound of drums also echoed.

Rachel opened the door to the guest room and looked at me.

Reading her thoughts, I went outside the mansion.

As I headed towards the castle walls, the horns and drums grew louder and louder.

The city was in an uproar as if it had been attacked.

“······.”

On the other hand, silence fell on the castle walls.

Everyone was looking at the front of the city, the horizon.

It was noon when the summer heat had arrived, and heat haze was shimmering.

Light was flashing on the distant horizon.

That light was not imbued with power, but reflected light.

The light reflected by the gear worn by the humans walking towards the city.

The number of lights was a legion, so it was impossible to count.

“Th, Thred! It’s Thred!”

A flag with two golden eagles intertwined.

A huge flag embroidered with gold thread fluttered in the wind.

The flag received the light more strongly than any other gear and emitted a golden light.

A soldier who discovered this from the watchtower shouted urgently.

Boo——

The sound of the horn continued again, and dust rose.

Dust rose between the glittering lights and rushed in.

They were the Knights, thousands of knights riding horses.

“Thred is coming!”

Someone shouted.

“Run away! Run away!”

Someone screamed.

What they saw in front of them was not just the horizon.

There was a temporary camp built between the horizon and the city.

The camp was divided into three, and inside were my soldiers and Loegene’s soldiers.

Soldiers ran out of the camps on the left and right.

“Open the gate! Quickly!”

“Come quickly!”

People on the castle walls shouted, stamping their feet.

The distance between Loegene’s soldiers running away and the gate,

The distance between Loegene’s soldiers running away and the knights rushing in,

The distance to the knights was closing faster.

“Th, th, those idiots!”

“Why are you standing still!”

Meanwhile, the camp in the middle was quiet.

No one was looking towards the city.

They were packing their gear and lined up in front of the camp.

The number was only 500, which was too shabby.

Drrrrr——

The earth trembled as so many horses kicked the ground.

The vibrations caused by the horses could be felt even on the castle walls from afar.

The horses increased their speed as they got closer to the city.

And as they got closer to my soldiers, they aimed their lances.

“It’s over…”

Someone muttered with deep regret.

How could hundreds of infantry stop thousands of knights?

The moment they touched the lance, their bodies would be torn apart and they would not be able to recognize their shape.

There was no one who did not imagine such a future.

“······.”

In front of the enemies rushing in, shaking the ground,

The familiars were waiting for their master’s orders without fear,

The freed slaves aimed their bronze cannons.

And in front of them stood the wandering knight Calliope alone.