Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 394

394

This Opportunity

It was shortly before the Nudia royal family’s letter reached Klausen.

King Saradin, staying at Basura County, was racking his brains.

The collapse of the first defense line, the deaths of numerous soldiers, knights, and commanders…

The death of Marquis Volko Redenen, the commander of Hispania, in the midst of that chaotic battle, was enough to trouble him, but nothing was as pressing as the problem of refugees flocking in from all directions.

The public sentiment is the will of heaven.

King Saradin knew very well that even if individual voices were weak, when gathered, they held more power than any authority.

As refugees gathered from all over, the already turbulent public sentiment began to stir with ominous rumors, and if things went wrong, a rebellion could break out in the wake of the war.

The king being so close to the front lines would originally be an unimaginable act of treason.

However, the fact that the king was staying at Basura County, not the royal castle, was a major vulnerability for King Saradin.

‘The royal castle, the royal palace, disappeared in a huge fire.

More than half of the kingdom’s territory was ravaged by the enemy, and countless people lost their lives.

And tens of times more people lost their homes and are pathetically wandering.

Yet, I…’

All he could do was retreat to this place, watch the situation, and retreat again if things didn’t look good.

That was all King Saradin could do.

He even thought about going to the battlefield and fighting alongside his men, but if the king disappeared from the kingdom, that would be the real end, a shortcut to utter ruin.

King Saradin knew this well, so all he could do was trust Aiv and wait.

He wanted to calm the angry public sentiment and alleviate Hispania’s efforts to accept the refugees, even if only a little, but since there was nothing he could actively do, his worries only grew day by day.

‘Please, God.

Save Nudia.

Protect the poor people of the kingdom!’

As if hearing the young king’s prayer, dramatic news arrived the next day.

The allied forces of Nudia and Hispania had stopped the enemy from breaking through the second defense line.

Moreover, they hadn’t just stopped them, but completely crushed them, and at the forefront was a man named Kim Yu-hyun from Hispania, who had single-handedly faced the Nudia army in the past.

It was said that he had stepped forward again this time and killed the highest-ranking Celestial [a powerful being from the opposing force], who was, without exaggeration, the linchpin of the enemy forces.

‘Thank you, thank you!

Thank you so much for hearing my prayer!’

If the second defense line were breached, it would take no more than three days to reach Basura County, and usually only two.

Therefore, if that happened, King Saradin was even contemplating fighting and dying with arms in hand rather than fleeing to Hispania.

But the news of a successful defense, and a great victory at that, was like being brought back to life for King Saradin, an event that made him want to dance with joy.

“Your Majesty, a letter has arrived from Aiv Gi Lestion.”

Immediately after the news of the victory, a letter arrived from Aiv, who was, without exaggeration, the pillar of the royal family.

King Saradin, receiving it and expecting an urgent report on the victory, exclaimed ‘Huh?’ with a slightly embarrassed look after reading it for a while.

‘Am I seeing something wrong?’

King Saradin thought so, looked at the letter in his hand for a moment, shook his head lightly, and read the contents again.

―As you have already heard, our side has achieved victory.

Damage has certainly occurred, but it is said to be light compared to the damage suffered by the enemy.

The reason I am sending this letter to Your Majesty is not to report on this battle.

As you have heard, Marquis Volko Redenen, the commander of Hispania, was killed in the previous battle.

The three marquises of Hispania, that is.

―

At Aiv’s emphasis, King Saradin bit his lip slightly.

There were two people in the Hispania army who should never be killed or injured, and one of them had died.

The head of the marquis family, of which there were only three, the commander of the Hispania army, that is.

Moreover, it was said that he stayed until the end to protect the retreating allies, even though he had time to escape, so Hispania and Nudia had no choice but to mourn his death.

‘Right now, everyone is just mourning.

But later, even if things go well now, Hispania will definitely hold onto that matter and nag.’

‘We lost one of our three marquises to help you, but what did you do, Nudia?’ They would have every right to say that.

Immediately, the knight of ‘Hispania’ named Kim Yu-hyun made a decisive contribution to crushing the enemy.

Also, it was Hispania’s efforts that greatly broke the enemy’s confident advance, especially Zion Klausen, who was called a war hero, made the greatest contribution.

Since all the major achievements were being made by Hispania, Nudia couldn’t raise its voice, even though they were fighting together.

If the Hispania army and Kim Yu-hyun were to leave now, everything would fall into the hands of the Holy Prussen and the Celestial within a week.

‘I have to give something to Hispania so that they can’t make unreasonable demands in the future.’

Politics is ultimately about give and take.

However, there is a difference in what is received and given.

King Saradin knew and understood that.

In that sense, he thought he should offer something to Hispania now.

―And the one who played a huge role in this battle is a knight from Hispania.

I heard that he is close to Zion Klausen.

In many ways, it is fortunate for Nudia, but it is not entirely pleasant news.

―

If someone saw this, they might say it was too much to be relying on Hispania.

But the world of politics, the world of power, is much more ruthless than imagined.

Even in the midst of losing the war and being pushed back, they are wary of someone’s power growing and trying to suppress that power in any way possible.

If they win the war, those who have contributed to it will have a much more prosperous time than before, but those who have not contributed to it will have a much worse time than before the war.

And on the ring of power, the political arena, that small difference acts as an enormous force that can be pushed back in an instant, so it was natural to react sensitively.

Moreover, this is not a problem between nobles, but a matter between countries.

If Hispania is rising like crazy and Nudia is constantly falling, the one who would not welcome it the most would be Aiv, who is in charge of all of Nudia’s affairs.

―In the meantime, Zion Klausen has made a secret request.

It would be quite rude in peacetime, but in the current wartime, Nudia can fully accept it, and at the same time, it is a request that can be used to show off to some extent.

―

With Marquis Volko dead, Zion Klausen is now the commander-in-chief of Hispania.

No, from the beginning, Marquis Volko’s participation was due to Queen Vanessa’s concern about the military hierarchy, so in fact, Zion was the practical commander from the beginning.

If he makes a request, it will ultimately be a request from Hispania, and if they agree to that condition, Nudia can have some indemnity for the events that will occur later.

But what Zion Klausen, the great hero of Hispania, demanded was quite difficult.

To be more precise, it was quite embarrassing and absurd from Nudia’s point of view.

―Zion Klausen is requesting that the measures that have strictly prohibited the residence of the kingdom’s people in the area for the management of the border be lifted and that refugees be allowed to settle and live in the nearby land.

―

The closest city to the border is naturally the castle of Basura County.

The rest of the cities, even a small village, are located inside that border.

It was a measure taken because of how much suffering those who have to fight with Hispania every now and then and live between the Klausen Frontier and Basura County have to endure, and how often the country changes every time the situation changes, and it was a natural step.

―Zion Klausen mentioned that Nudia and Hispania are now close to a blood alliance beyond the level of an alliance anyway.

Along with the words that it is strange to fight like before when they fought together, got hurt together, and shed blood together.

Frankly, I partially agree with his words.

We have come through such difficult times together, and if the relationship breaks down again in a few years, Nudia’s damage will be greater in nine out of ten cases.

Peace is not an option but a necessity for Nudia, Your Majesty.

―

King Saradin fully agreed with Aiv’s words.

Nudia’s land, more than half of its area, was literally devastated due to the fierce battle with the Holy Prussen.

The number of soldiers who died or were injured far exceeded tens of thousands, and many times more people of the kingdom lost their homes and lands and are wandering in unfamiliar places today.

In this situation, if Nudia pushes back the Holy Prussen and the relationship with Hispania goes wrong, any fool would know that that day would be Nudia’s last.

―Hispania, Zion Klausen, could have made other demands, but they only demanded that from Nudia.

He is definitely not just a kind person, so he must have made such a request with the aim of gaining profit.

But unfortunately, his request is quite attractive to Nudia as well.

Immediately, conditions have been created to settle refugees near the border and stabilize the situation.

They won a great victory just before completely annihilating the enemies, and the land near the border is quite fertile, so villages and cities will be established quickly if there are people.

Until now, the relationship between the two countries was strained, so it was not a place where people could live, but from now on, it is expected to be quiet for at least several decades, so it would not be bad to settle the kingdom’s people there and seek stability with the help of Hispania’s power.

Only when the rear is stable can a foothold for a reversal be prepared.

―

King Saradin had no choice but to nod because everything he said was right.

Although they won a great victory, the war could be prolonged, and if that happens, the logistics problem for the soldiers will become serious.

They will not be able to escape the current situation by relying only on Hispania.

Furthermore, refugees are also the people of Nudia.

Hispania is accepting them for justification and humanitarian reasons, but if many of them refuse to return to Nudia and remain in Hispania, Nudia has no power or justification to forcibly bring them back.

In other words, Nudia is knowingly pushing its people into Hispania.

In other words, Hispania is newly acquiring ‘people,’ which are most essential to the kingdom.

‘In order to prevent the kingdom’s people from leaving Nudia, to boost people’s morale, and to take advantage of this great victory, we must settle the kingdom’s people on the border.

It is annoying to build villages or cities that may become important places in the future near Hispania, but it cannot be helped.

There are not many options.’

Of course, many problems will arise.

Immediately, those who will manage the security there will not be Nudia’s soldiers, but Hispania’s soldiers, or more precisely, the soldiers of the Klausen Frontier.

The side with the largest number of security maintenance troops is currently Klausen, and Nudia is currently focusing on maintaining the defense line, except for a small number of elite troops to protect the royal family.

Naturally, the influence of Klausen will be strong in the newly built villages or cities.

In other words, the land is Nudia, but the public sentiment is more towards Hispania, which is a picture that Nudia can never welcome.

―Zion Klausen’s request is for the purpose of asking us a question.

Will you take some losses and risks and walk the path of victory with them?

Or will you return to the days when you were wary of each other and wasting time like before?

I don’t like either of them, but as Your Majesty knows, Nudia doesn’t have many options.

Therefore, I evaluate that part positively and send this letter.

I think that the problems that will occur at the border in the future can be solved by Your Majesty regaining public sentiment by demonstrating your outstanding abilities.

―

Aiv’s long letter ended there, with the words that he would await King Saradin’s decision.

Sharrarack―.

King Saradin, who put down Aiv’s letter, sighed.

Nudia, which boasted almost equal national power to Hispania until decades ago, suffered damage that was difficult to recover in that short period of less than 10 years.

The previous king lost his mind due to the fanatics of light, and the nobles showed an ugly sight of betraying the country and sticking to the doctrine of light after being swayed by the temptations they offered.

Even the people of the kingdom were divided and suspected each other, and even came to the point of wielding violence and killing each other, so it was a situation that could be said to be precarious [풍전등화 – Pungjeondeunghwa, literally ‘a lamp before the wind,’ meaning extremely unstable].

‘It is so sad, cruel, and miserable to have no choice.’

If you don’t have power, you will be chosen and you will have no choice but to move by others.

Accepting the logic of the world, simple but more cruel than anything else, King Saradin called the chief of staff and the vassals who were waiting outside.

He ordered them to write a letter to be sent to the Hispania royal castle and a letter to be sent to Klausen.

The content was simple.

Both countries are struggling due to refugees, so how about changing the perception of the border so far and building villages in places suitable for refugees to settle and showing clear security to stabilize them?

Of course, it is difficult for Nudia alone, and the refugees who came with only their bodies cannot build villages and cities with their bare hands, so they added the condition that Hispania, specifically Klausen, would provide support.

In the process, there was extreme opposition from some, but King Saradin rejected them.

They cannot present a proper solution, and they cannot control the anxiety of the refugees, so if they just keep the flocking refugees, they do not know what will happen, so King Saradin’s firm mind was that they should take action in some way.

‘I must pray that Nudia will recover quickly and become a strong place that can embrace the people and cities here.’

King Saradin thought so and sent a person to the Klausen Frontier.

That situation, this situation where Nudia made such a decision, was the best situation Zion wanted.

After all, the best thing is land, and that was the moment when his big picture was drawn.

―――――――Afterword―――――――

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