𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥!
Upon hearing the situation from Kytes, Count Doros let out a deep sigh.
“I knew they were fools, but I didn’t think the people in the royal capital were this foolish.”
He rubs the area between his eyebrows with his right hand.
The wrinkles etched into his old face seemed to express his distress.
I wonder if those fools shouting brave things like “the demon race is our sworn enemy” understand how much this country’s economy depends on the clandestine trade with the demon race.
Well, probably because they don’t understand, they can enjoy playing at war so carelessly.
“It’s not unreasonable that they don’t understand about the clandestine trade because it’s a secret. But I wish they would consider the difference in national power.”
Kytes also let out a bitter smile.
They are comrades.
Their ages and positions are different, but they are bound by a common understanding that they should not fight with the Masrur Kingdom.
After the current Demon King, Ingral, ascended to the throne, Masrur has been pursuing a policy of reconciliation. There have been minor border skirmishes, but almost all of them were instigated by the Lintrite Kingdom.
Because of this, Kytes was able to become acquainted with Ingral, but it is also a fact that Kytes is one of the people who strongly believes that they should not fight with Masrur.
The reason is simple, because they can’t win.
If they fought a hundred times, they would lose a hundred times.
That’s how much of a difference in strength there is. As a sharp-witted warrior, he decided that they should not fight.
Count Doros is a little different, as a politician, he avoids antagonizing Masrur from an economic standpoint.
The people in the royal capital may not want to admit it, but in terms of production capacity and capital strength, they are roughly at a disadvantage of ten to one.
If Masrur were to seriously wage an economic war, Lintrite would probably go bankrupt in less than three years.
“Why don’t they understand that the reason this hasn’t happened is because Demon King Ingral respects us as neighbors and friends…”
“If you ask me why, the only answer I can give is that they are fools. I am utterly disgusted.”
They called Kytes a traitor for proposing peace on equal terms.
Perhaps in the king’s mind, the Masrur Kingdom is an opponent that can be easily defeated.
“How do they plan to wage war in the first place? What about supplies? Food? Even when fighting the rebels, Gaillia is the one providing them.”
It’s because the government can’t prepare them.
Count Doros generously lends them out, and while he doesn’t demand repayment, it’s not a gift either.
It’s up to the royal government to think they’ve received it.
“May I ask one thing? Count.”
A modest voice rises.
The only civilian allowed to attend the meeting between the general and the count, Lionel of the [Hope] clan.
He also knows Demon King Ingral, and because General Kytes unabashedly calls him his prized pupil(protegee), Count Doros wanted to meet him.
“I think Lintrite Kingdom is probably aiming for Gaillia. Not the Masrur Kingdom.”
What Lionel threw in with a calm face was a verbal bomb.
In front of the surprised general and count, the civilian strategist presents his theory.
Since escaping from the royal capital, he had been thinking.
About the clumsiness of the Royal Army.
The escape from the underground prison of the royal castle where he was detained can be explained by the fact that his allies were too good.
The problem is what happened after that. They probably have pursuit units running in all directions.
This is strange in the first place.
Even considering the rumor operation conducted by strategist Kirill.
The only place General Kytes, who is suspected of colluding with the Masrur Kingdom, can flee to is Masrur.
So it’s inevitable that he would pass through Gaillia.
They didn’t have to send the entire army, but they could have deployed about five thousand troops from a single battalion.
Compared to about a hundred elite troops from the Kytes family, it’s too unreasonable to send out about 120 or 150 soldiers in small numbers.
To put it more vulgarly, it’s too stingy.
“If you think about it, you can see the goal of the royal government. They wanted to get the two of you together.”
Kytes, who is in collusion with the Kingdom of Masrur, sought help from Doros. In other words, he is also a rebel.
With this logic, a just cause for invading Gaillia is established.
“But, young man. The pursuit squad was desperately trying to defeat us, weren’t they?”
“Yes, that was the problem with my idea.”
Lionel nodded at Kytes’ words.
If the goal is to bring the general and the count into contact, a more careless pursuit would suffice.
“But I reconsidered. That must have been the captain’s own decision. Gathering nearby units and such, his actions were too inconsistent.”
In other words, he was too eager for success and overdid it. Furthermore, he probably wasn’t a veteran who would be informed of the upper management’s intentions.
“Anyway, the formalities are now in order. They will attack soon. Not to fight Masrur, but to completely rob Gaillia of its wealth.”
“. . . I see. I understand why you, Kytes, would want to boast. It’s too valuable a strategy to leave in the wild.”
Count Doros sighed deeply.
He is a man who has ruled the vast land of Gaillia for many years.
He knew the value of this land well.
“A land that occupies twenty percent of the entire kingdom, a population that reaches ten percent, a productivity that exceeds thirty percent, and probably a treasury that reaches half of the national treasury. Of course they would want it.”
“Yes, they would reach out not just from their throats, but from their stomachs and intestines as well.”
Lionel nodded at Doros’ words.
“So, the Lintrite Kingdom has finally reached the point where it has to eat its own feet to survive.”
Kytes shook his head in exasperation.
It’s not the end stage, is it?
𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝟒
