Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 93

Creating a Human Empire with Subordinates 95

You Are Livestock

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A clear blue sky, not a single cloud in sight.

*Screech——*

A kite [a type of bird of prey] glided, watching the ground below.

On the ground, fields transitioned from summer to autumn.

Trampling the swaying barley, two armies faced each other.

One side was the Germania Kingdom army, and the other was the Cerdtlet Duchy army.

A confrontation between those trying to protect the throne and those trying to usurp it.

In the middle, a man rode a horse and climbed a small hill.

“There are many of them.”

He stroked his chin, examining the Duchy army.

The soldiers lined up seemed to number at least 40,000.

“Didn’t they say the Wolf Cult had revolted? Their numbers should have decreased significantly, but it doesn’t seem like they have.”

He tilted his head, examining the Duchy army again.

No matter how many times he counted, the number didn’t change.

What was the estimated size in the initial report?

*‘60,000. They said that the armies of the old Duke Cerdtlet and the young Duke Cerdtlet merged without much conflict. Combining the two, it would have reached nearly 60,000.’*

But, 60,000 to 40,000?

A decrease of 20,000 is significant.

Considering how many Wolf Cult believers there are, less than half have deserted.

Moreover, didn’t they fight several battles before arriving near the capital?

“It’s hard to believe, even seeing it with my own eyes.”

The Cardinal had confidently asserted that there would be at least a threefold difference in numbers.

Were there so few apostates, or so few defectors?

“Or perhaps they killed all the priests who led the revolt.”

A vassal who followed him up the hill spoke.

“If they did that, they would be punished by heaven.”

“Hasn’t the punishment of heaven already been given?”

He, Count Tili, smiled, the corners of his mouth turning upward.

The punishment of heaven he referred to was what happened in Kiruna.

Horbid had tried to annihilate the citizens of Kiruna, but the young Duke Cerdtlet had stopped him.

“It seems that even Lord Horbid can’t do anything about that guy.”

“Count, be careful with your words. There are many listening ears.”

Tili shrugged.

“Whether they listen or not, the truth is the truth.”

“Sigh···.”

Tili chuckled at the vassal’s sigh.

“To stop God’s punishment… It’s definitely a great achievement. If the rumors are true, he has achieved the greatest feat a human can achieve.”

This is a world where even a mere priest cannot be easily touched by a great lord, lest the priest borrow the name of God and punish the lord.

But to receive punishment from God beyond a priest?

And to overcome that punishment?

Is this truly an achievement a human can accomplish?

“But that’s it. I don’t know how he stopped the punishment, but the punishment isn’t over, is it? From the moment he incurred God’s wrath, the ending was decided.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

Tili looked at the Germania Kingdom army.

The army that the king and cardinal had summoned to fight against heresy.

Even at a rough estimate, their numbers were more than double that of the Cerdtlet Duchy army.

“There really are many. Was it 90,000? I never thought I would see so many people gathered in one place in my life.”

“Considering that Cerdtlet is also a vassal of Germania, it means that Germania has mobilized an army of over 130,000 purely with its own capabilities.”

“The damage to the country must be immense.”

Tili nodded.

“Both sides intended a short battle and gathered quickly, so the battle will end today… but the casualties will have long-term consequences.”

A significant number of men able to participate in the war within Germania were mobilized for a sudden civil war.

Even if the royal army wins overwhelmingly, at least 40,000 casualties will occur.

From a national perspective, it is by no means a small amount of damage.

“What is it about the throne that makes them so greedy?”

The vassal muttered in incomprehension.

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Clearly, the throne is valuable.

But if asked if it’s worth betting everything to challenge for it,

At least he would answer without hesitation: absolutely not.

“Moreover, there’s not even a chance of winning.”

Waaaaaaaah———!

A cheer erupted.

A group passed in front of the royal army’s ranks.

Knights holding large sacred objects symbolizing Horbid.

Hundreds of knights blessed by Horbid.

A knight order of the Church State composed of those blessed by God.

“Well, there’s nothing more to see.”

Since the outcome was obvious, the vassal clicked his tongue.

“The former Duke wasn’t a fool. What was the reason for waiting quietly for the throne to be handed over? It’s because he knew this would happen. So he endured and waited, didn’t he?”

Tili shook his head.

“I don’t know what drove that young lord this far.”

“Perhaps it’s because of the Emperor’s curse.”

“Curse… are you talking about the rumor?”

“Yes. That strange rumor. If that’s true, though…”

He recalled the rumors circulating about the curse.

One of the various rumors that had been circulating since Edar arrived in this country.

The rumor about the curse was the most interesting.

It was about the Wolf Cult spreading the curse.

“—So the young lord was furious and destroyed the temple and resolved the curse, which was an absurd story, but looking at how things are going, it seems like there has to be that kind of relationship, doesn’t it?”

Tili was silent at the vassal’s confident question.

Considering that the Wolf Cult was designated as a heresy, a punishment of annihilation was issued, and even a knight order that hadn’t been dispatched for hundreds of years was sent, there was clearly some kind of relationship between the two.

A very large one at that.

“Who was it who said there were many listening ears?”

The vassal closed his mouth and avoided his gaze.

“Don’t think any deeper about this. It’s dangerous.”

Tili warned the vassal and stroked his neck.

The warning he gave to the vassal was also a warning to himself.

Because the deeper he thought, the more uneasy he felt.

Because the rumor shook his beliefs.

Because of the doubt of *what if it’s true*.

The more he thought about the rumor, the more he felt his heart going out to the young lord, and he stopped thinking.

*‘It’s full of things I can’t understand.’*

Why on earth is he aiming for the throne of Germania?

Why on earth is the Church State responding so extremely?

Why on earth are the vassals of Cerdtlet following a heretic?

Nothing has been clearly revealed.

Everything is just rumors upon rumors, circulating as speculation.

*‘40,000. There’s no way those many people don’t know that the Duke has been designated as a heretic. Are they not afraid of God?’*

He looked at the Cerdtlet Duchy army lined up with precision.

From there, two people were riding horses and approaching.

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Sitting inside the tent, I pressed my temples, fighting a severe headache.

Since the light shone in Kiruna, the headache hadn’t stopped.

Fortunately, the mild fever and dizziness had disappeared.

I sighed deeply and leaned my head back.

“Are you alright?”

Calliope whispered cautiously beside me.

“You should rest more···.”

“Then who will command?”

“We will.”

I smiled at her resolute words.

“Don’t do that. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I have to do it now.”

I took out a cigarette and put it in my mouth.

It wasn’t even noon, but it was already the fourth one.

Considering that I usually only smoked one or two a day, it was too much.

But if I didn’t smoke like this, the headache would be too severe.

While turning the tent into a raccoon den [messy and filled with smoke], I massaged my neck.

– Your body doesn’t seem to be in good condition.

A kite, Griff’s familiar, landed inside the tent.

“There’s nothing wrong with my body.”

If there’s a problem, it’s the soul.

I swallowed the words and waited for Griff’s next words.

– The orcs have crossed the border.

“That’s quite daring.”

I narrowed my eyes.

I thought they wouldn’t cross it if they could help it.

The pressure from the Council of Representatives seems to be stronger than I thought.

– The tribe is Black Sun. Orcs led by Ginoric. The number is over 170,000 as I told you before, and about 10,000 have crossed the border.

10,000.

A number comparable to Ugdashi’s tribe.

In the past, it would have been considered a full-scale war.

But not now.

“What about the evacuation order?”

– It’s already been issued. There are no casualties. But it seems like the city will have to be rebuilt.

“As long as there are no casualties. Cities can be built any number of times.”

– Yes. An evacuation order has been issued throughout the Great Plains, and we plan to hold out in Olymus. Do you have any other instructions?

I stroked my chin with my index finger and said.

“No. I’ll leave the command on that side to you. Wait for me in Olymus, but if necessary, you can come out and thin them out.”

– I understand. By any chance, if we confront them, there won’t be a full-scale war or anything like that, right?

“Don’t worry. Those guys didn’t come down to settle things with us.”

Orcs are stupid, but they’re not hopelessly stupid.

They know that I have the power to perish with them.

Therefore, they won’t overly provoke me.

“If they were thinking of a full-scale war, they should have all crossed over. Why did only some of them cross over? Halfway.”

– Isn’t it an advance party?

“10,000 as an advance party?”

Ugdashi, who was trampled by me, was about that many.

Would the tribal chief Ginoric not know that?

“It’s not an advance party. They’re just pretending to attack because they can’t overcome the pressure from the Council of Representatives. Rather, if we confront them and cause damage, that guy will like it.”

– He’ll like it?

“He can excuse to the Council of Representatives that he is fighting hard and get rid of tribes that don’t listen to him with someone else’s hands.”

– That’s… that pig is using his head a bit.

It’s a slightly larger local war.

The Council of Representatives must have requested it from the orcs.

Because the elves and dwarves are confronting each other.

To provoke me in their place.

“If we lose in Germania or drag out the time, the rest will cross over, but if not, they will be wary of our capabilities and won’t cross over.”

– I understand. Then we will move according to the existing plan.

The kite picked up the peanuts on the table as the connection with Griff was cut off.

I stroked it and looked at the old vassal.

Cerdtlet’s old retainer, Helmut.

“How is the state of the army? Have there been more defectors?”

“No. There have been no defectors since yesterday.”

“That’s a relief.”

Previously, I had summoned Nuadil and the assassination squad.

The reason was to hunt Wolf Cult priests.

Because the Wolf Cult was spreading the Emperor’s curse, and there was a risk of them causing an uprising to disrupt the rear.

And the prediction was correct.

Immediately after inheriting the Cerdtlet Duchy, reports came in one after another that Wolf Cult priests were inciting believers to revolt.

Even though the assassination squad moved, the area was so wide and the number of priests was so large that nearly half of the army defected to suppress the uprising.

Without a single fight, tens of thousands of troops were reduced.

But this was good enough.

*‘It means that more than half of the territories have not had an uprising.’*

If I hadn’t sent the assassination squad in advance, I would have had to face the entire Germania with just the soldiers mobilized from the Great Plains.

“Don’t stop those who want to defect due to the uprising. Even if you win the battle, it’s meaningless if the territory collapses.”

“I understand.”

*Boo————*

The sound of a horn rang out, and Rachel entered the tent.

“Gerhard has arrived.”

I left the tent and saw a large army appearing in the rear.

Lundringen, Rozenne, Wallachia – an army waving various flags.

Four people riding horses, led by Gerhard, came to the front of the tent.

“Your Majesty, 8,000 mercenaries from the Northern Wallachia Governorate have just arrived.”

Gerhard got off his horse, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head.

“There are 12,000 people here. I could have mobilized more, but I had to prepare for unrest in the territory.”

After that, Julia Rozenne lightly bowed her head.

“I only have 200 guards. In reality, they won’t be of much help in battle.”

King Pave Kusrorf of Wallachia chuckled.

“I never thought I would set foot on Germania land in my life.”

Lastly, I looked at Pasimea.

“1,000 conscripts from the Great Plains. 14 cannons. There’s not enough gunpowder. It’s better to avoid a long-term battle.”

“The battle will end with this one time.”

I smiled as I looked at the four people.

“Gerhard, Julia, Pave, Pasimea, thank you all for following my call. I’m sorry, but it doesn’t seem like there will be time to rest. We should start right away.”

The number they mobilized totaled about 21,000.

A number comparable to the number of defectors from the army due to the Wolf Cult uprising.

With this, I had about 60,000 soldiers in my hands.

“Gerhard, immediately form a formation and prepare to attack.”

“I understand. What will Your Majesty do?”

I looked at the royal army in front.

The atmosphere was chaotic as the reinforcements arrived.

“I’ll go have a conversation for a while. Pasimea, follow me.”

I mounted my saddle and rode my horse into the field.

Calliope and Pasimea followed.

“What are you going to say again?”

“I have to satisfy their curiosity.”

“Curiosity?”

“I spread all sorts of rumors through Griff’s spies, but I didn’t talk about my purpose. Those who attended the Cerdtlet banquet know me, but those who didn’t don’t know me.”

Even if they know, it’s probably about being a bastard or a parricide.

“They’ll be curious why I’m not satisfied with Cerdtlet, why the Church State is so hostile to me, and why Cerdtlet and Rozenne, these people, follow me, who has become a heretic.”

I will declare it.

Just like I declared it in front of the vassals of Duke Cerdtlet.

“Will it be meaningful?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

There are many people like Duke Cerdtlet and Ibella in the world.

They will not acknowledge the truth even if they hear it and will resist.

“But still, I want to speak. The truth they don’t know and the wrong misconceptions.”

In the middle of the two opposing armies, I stopped my horse.

Pasimea used magic to amplify my voice.

“Okay. Start.”

Hundreds of thousands of enemies only looked at me.

I stroked my neck once and raised my chin.

“I am Edar. Edar Lundringen. The rightful successor of Cerdtlet, the lord of the Oroco Great Plains, the Margrave of Northern Wallachia, and the one who holds the ninth seat of the Council of Representatives.”

A murmur was heard from the royal army.

“Those who think of themselves as human, listen.”

I spread my right hand and raised it to head height.

“You are livestock.”