He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 66

“The Greenskins’ strength lies in their numbers, but that’s also their weakness.”

Even though many are Goblins, their sheer numbers can still overwhelm.

However, having so many mouths to feed makes it difficult to move the army efficiently.

Moreover, for a tribal society too crude to be called a civilization, unifying the army’s supply and command system is impossible.

In short, they won’t move that massive army as a single, coordinated unit, even for pillaging.

“That’s what we need to exploit.”

“Are you saying we should defeat them piecemeal?”

“That’s part of it, but we also need to prepare our defenses before they can unite.”

Before they surround us, while they’re busy pillaging, we need to gather the resources necessary for defense.

Food, weapons, and, if possible, manpower.

Manpower can be addressed with the exponentially increasing number of refugees we rescue.

The main problem is supplies.

“As the war becomes more visible, merchants are becoming scarce. Of course, there are peddlers who chase battlefields, but they’ll charge exorbitant prices.”

“I figured. I have no intention of dealing with them. In times like these, we need to requisition.”

“Requisition? Surely, you don’t mean requisition from the people in the rear [civilians]? We can’t do that.”

Van Horn reacted almost violently to the word ‘requisition.’

Those who have always hesitated to requisition, claiming to protect the people, couldn’t change their attitude so easily.

Of course, it wasn’t just moral reasons; squeezing the poor would never secure enough supplies.

“Of course, I’m not saying we should squeeze them dry. We should obviously be emptying the lords’ pockets, right?”

“Lord Shadow… the lords won’t just hand things over because we ask nicely.”

“Ask nicely? I have no intention of asking. I clearly said ‘requisition.’”

“……?”

Van Horn looked blank, as if my words were beyond his comprehension.

The other Rangers weren’t much different.

Seeing these earnest friends, I chuckled and elaborated.

“Right now, the western lords, the surrounding petty lords, are gathering everything they can and holing up in their castles.”

They’ve squeezed the farmers dry and extorted wealthy merchants under the guise of protection money.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve amassed enormous stockpiles.

“Naturally, we’ll requisition those supplies.”

“So, you’re saying we should rob them…?”

“Tsk, tsk, not rob, requisition. Strictly speaking, it’s ‘reverse requisition.’”

Even I thought my answer was brazen, and the Rangers were dumbfounded.

But it was undeniably an attractive plan.

“There must be a lot they haven’t moved into castles or fortresses yet, so there’s plenty to take. Besides, baronies and earldoms are bound to have lax defenses.”

“W-Well, that’s true, but… won’t they retaliate? What if they all come here…?”

“That’s impossible.”

I smiled wickedly and explained why.

“By now, the Central Army will have moved. The moment they leave their homes to attack us, their empty houses will be raided. They know that, so they can’t do it.”

Even before coming to the Western Territory, I had ordered the Captain of the Guard.

To watch the Western Territory and apply military pressure as soon as there were signs of rebellion.

I even told him it was okay to attack in an emergency, so the thoughtful Captain of the Guard would take care of it.

“……Just one question, did His Majesty foresee all of this?”

“Probably… I guess so.”

It was funny that I, the emperor, had to answer like this.

“I don’t like that Rangers have to play the role of bandits… but since the targets are those guys, I guess we should think of ourselves as righteous thieves. Alright, let’s start right away.”

Thus, the Rangers, transformed from a patrol into a band of Robin Hoods, immediately began reverse requisitioning throughout the Western Territory.

* * *

“Oh, lord! If you take this too, what will we eat!”

“Shut up! Isn’t this all for the noble people who protect you? Shut up and get lost!”

Already a poor village, struck by famine, and now they’re taking even the grain for seeds because a war broke out, leaving farmers and serfs breathless.

Moreover, hearing those who had ignored the Greenskins and bandits now talking about protecting them only fueled their anger.

“Bullshit! When have you ever protected us?!”

“What? You bastards really need to die to come to your senses!”

“At this rate, we’re going to die anyway, so what does it matter-“

Swish!

“Ugh!”

“Insolent peasants dare to….”

But the farmer who resisted in desperation became a ghost on the spot, killed by the knight’s sword.

The others, who had shown signs of rebellion, had no choice but to succumb.

If there were only ordinary soldiers, they could have overwhelmed them with numbers, but as long as there were superhumans called knights, it was impossible for farmers with only hoes to revolt.

No matter how likely they were to die if they did nothing, no one wanted to throw away their lives when there wasn’t even a 0.1% chance of winning.

“Hmph, act your part, pathetic-“

Whoosh, thwack!

“Cough…?”

The knight, who had arrogantly spoken after killing an insolent farmer, was pierced through the neck by an arrow that suddenly flew from somewhere.

Of course, no matter how skilled a knight was, there was no way to survive if his trachea was damaged and his aorta was severed.

“C-Cough….”

“Wh-Who is it! Who shot the arrow-“

“Look over there!”

While the other knights and soldiers were surprised, one soldier pointed to the roofs of the surrounding houses.

There, the Rangers were aiming crossbows and bows, as if they had been there all along.

They were ready to rain down arrows of justice on the looters at any moment.

“Target the soldiers. I’ll handle the knights.”

“Yes!”

Shush! Swoosh! Swoosh!

“Aaaagh!”

“Save me!”

The soldiers, who were focused on requisitioning, no, looting, couldn’t possibly respond to such a surprise attack.

Moreover, the soldiers, whose armor was less protective than the knights’, were helpless against the Rangers’ sharp shooting.

“You bastards! Don’t run away, fight-“

“Yeah, don’t run away.”

Thwack!

“Fight back, friends. I’m too lazy to chase you.”

So, I left the small fries to the Rangers and focused on the knights.

“Uwoooo! You bastard!”

“All brawn and no brains.”

Thwack!

I lightly beheaded the knight who was shouting and trying to swing his sword down.

Judging by the faint aura on the sword, they were a bit more skilled than the ones I crippled last time.

But my level was already beyond being stopped by a few of these guys.

Clang! Thwack, slash!

“M-My arm!”

“Behind you! Watch out!”

“Aaaagh!”

An arm flew off from my sword strike, I stabbed them in the back with high-speed movement, and by the time they turned around, another head had been harvested.

If they had faced many strong opponents or were well-disciplined and skilled in group combat, they wouldn’t have been so easily toyed with.

But those who had only faced the weak couldn’t possibly have that.

“I, I surrender!”

Clang.

The last remaining knight even surrendered.

The soldiers who had survived without being hit by too many arrows immediately threw down their weapons and lay flat on the ground.

“Good, cease fire! Everyone, come down! It’s requisition time! And you guys over there.”

“Yes? Are you talking to us?”

After ordering the Rangers to cease fire, I called out to the people who were watching the carnage with blank expressions, yet also with a hint of satisfaction.

“We’re from the patrol. The lords of the West have joined hands with the Greenskins and started a rebellion. Therefore, we’re here to requisition for the war effort. So, cooperate with the requisition.”

“I, is that so….”

When I said that, the people showed disappointment.

They seemed to think that I had come to squeeze them dry after all.

“Then immediately take your share of those things. You can also take the weapons, armor, and belongings of those soldiers.”

“……Yes? You’re not telling us to offer them, but to take them?”

“Of course. However, we will also be taking requisitioned goods, so keep that in mind. Why? Do you not like it?”

“A, no. No… Thank you, sir!”

But when I allowed what I called ‘reverse requisition’ and described as a ‘trickle-down effect,’ they rejoiced as if their mouths were about to reach their ears.

Of course, the supplies that the lord’s soldiers were trying to take away were ultimately what they had, so at best, they were just getting them back.

But those who had already suffered from severe exploitation couldn’t possibly refuse such a thing.

So, they didn’t even care that the Rangers were taking some of it. No, they were looking at them as if they were saviors.

“Let’s give those bastards a taste of their own medicine!”

“B-But, they’re nobles, is it okay?”

“Didn’t you hear just now? They rebelled by siding with the Orcs, right?”

“That’s right, then they’re not nobles, they’re traitors!”

“Hang them!”

Moreover, they were hanging the lackeys of the hated corrupt lord and earning extra income from their belongings.

There was no way they could be dissatisfied with the Rangers.

“This is the trickle-down effect, khehehehe!”

“……I don’t know what the trickle-down effect is, but it seems a bit wicked, Lord Shadow. Anyone would think you’re a villain.”

“Tsk, tsk, a villain? I’m a champion of justice fighting for the people.”

“…….”

Herman’s eyes became very cold, but I cleared my throat once and spoke solemnly again.

“Then let’s hurry and find more villains.”

Thus, the Rangers, who had moved again, enthusiastically raided the weak spots of the surrounding lords, opening their coffers.

“Here, these are all yours.”

“R-Really?”

“Yes. For the time being, take care of yourselves with this. There may be battles in various places during the rebellion, so create a self-defense force with the weapons. Understand?”

“Y-Yes, I understand. Thank you so much, Ranger.”

And we gave away what we couldn’t take to the local people without regret.

Since there were many places to loot anyway, there was no need to be attached to the supplies.

Moreover, it was a good choice to secure public sentiment and give the people a means to survive during the civil war.

“The number of refugees is still increasing, but the food situation has actually improved. At this rate, we can last for a year.”

“We are mobilizing the refugees to manufacture arrows and weapons. If necessary, we can use them as reserve soldiers.”

As the military rations were secured, the refugees who had flocked to the headquarters could naturally be recycled as labor.

As we steadily prepared, what was coming finally arrived.

“Urgent report! A large Greenskin army is coming this way! Estimated strength of at least 100,000!”

“The time has come.”

It was time to write a legend.