Published at 12th of September 2020 8:45 am

Chapter 343: The first and last war

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

For the Aion Kingdom, the remote city of Tsige that seeks independence is a rebellious element.

Put in an extreme manner, they are no different from the rebel army.

Even if this may be a chance for the major power of Aion to show an opening, the other countries have to worry about things like the possibility of a battle with the demons on the side, so they can’t capitalize on it or anything.

Until now, it was simply just one of the many issues within the country.

Right after Aion dispatched a large army to Tsige which could be considered a national border of theirs in their eyes…Patrick Rembrandt made his move.

“To think Tsige would announce independence. So that’s how they will be going. That rascal has gone back to his young days. I can easily imagine him grinning in amusement at this.”

The main hyuman states, neighboring settlements, and the big cities that are connected by the Golden Highway have a grand amount of coin circulating.

Of course, inside the Aion Kingdom as well.

The letters that were sent to governors, authorities, and wealthy merchants directly had a declaration of independence written down in a flashy manner.

The content that followed after was the lack of commitment from the Aion Kingdom and their resentment for it; in other words, their justified cause -their excuse.

Also…there was a long list of promises in regards to the surrounding settlements and big foreign countries about how their relationship will be in the future in the case Tsige wins their independence.

That’s where the problem comes.

They were announcing in an easy to understand way, not only to the settlements in the Aion Kingdom, but also to the foreign countries that: ‘If you agree to supporting us and providing assistance, we will promise these benefits for this amount of years’. In modern terms, it would be like publicizing the manifesto to the world.

Academy Town, Rotsgard.

The old friend of Rembrandt, Zara, who received a letter addressed directly to him, chuckles as he guesses that Rembrandt will be creating a big event.

This is not just a simple civil war.

They have a clear aim for their independence, and have a vision for the future after that.

‘We are trying to become a new country’.

‘There’s no benefits if you were to watch as an onlooker as if it is someone else’s business, but if you cooperate with us, there’s these merits’.

‘By the way, in the worst case that Tsige is suppressed, there’s no assurance that you will be able to maintain the same market state, you know?’.

‘Most of the merchants that are savvy about the market in this city would be gone after all’.

‘Also, if Aion were decent rulers, this wouldn’t have happened in the first place’.

‘Will you go for the relationship that will certainly be better than it was before, or will you go for the new relationship that will be beginning from zero and don’t know where it will be going?’.

‘Now, which side will you take?’.

That’s mostly how it went in the letter.

Well, the duty one has towards the Aion Kingdom and the difference in scale.

This is especially so for the settlements in the kingdom itself, but in the case where they don’t take the side of the Aion Kingdom, even if Tsige were to achieve independence, there’s no knowing what will happen to the supporters of this.

It is filled with holes, moreover, there’s not a millimeter of thought about what would happen if they were to lose -a crazy letter.

But they have stated the merits clearly.

“Shaking the kingdom internally, and a request for support from the outside countries basically threatening them that there’s no assurance things will stay the same.”

Normally, even if Tsige were to achieve independence, being at the corner of the Aion Kingdom, they would be harassed heavily by Aion and you could easily imagine that they wouldn’t be able to function as a country -no, even their future management as a city would be at risk.

Tsige has the special weapons that are the wasteland and the Golden Highway.

Money and skilled adventurers gather in Tsige the most out of all the world.

There’s materials that you can only get in Tsige, and they have also secured a path that is the Golden Highway which a single country can’t block.

In the case when independence is truly achieved, the relationship one has with Tsige is certainly a worrying matter for rulers.

A small yet powerful country might be born after all.

“Hmm…at this rate, the four major powers, no…even the central states might get involved. But Aion is still a major power even if rotten. Even if you make plans, unless you fight back at least for a little bit, you will just end up being crushed, Pat.”

He heaves a small sigh.

His face once he raised his head had a sharp glare and a ferocious smile.

Zara rang the loud and clear bell, calling someone to come.

Without much delay, one of his subordinates entered the room after knocking the door first.

“Is there anything you need?”

“Yeah, send this to Tsige as fast as possible.” (Zara)

“Understood.”

Zara gives his subordinate the letter that he has signed in the part that promises to provide support, and has been resealed.

“What’s that about ‘If it is now, I can build you a vacation house in Tsige’. You should have just been honest and written the last part only. Good grief. Where would he even build it within that already cramped Tsige? …I won’t refuse what’s given though.” (Zara)

The last part that was most likely written only for Zara.

The first thing was: ‘I already know you will support us, so I will prepare you a vacation house in advance’, which Zara already mentioned.

And the other one was… ‘I will be doing my first and last war for the sake of my dream’.

For these two who swore to each other in their young days that they wouldn’t profit from war, these words of his friend were terribly heavy and resolute.

“But man, he has bad timing. Rotsgard is still suffering from expenses. The most I can do is give them a bit of monetary support. Let me pay you the remaining at a later time, okay?” (Zara)

Rotsgard that normally has a surplus of people and supplies is currently in the middle of reconstructing itself.

They have no leeway to support the Academy, the city, or a war.

Even if he wanted to do something using the Merchant Guild, there’s a limit to what he can do.

Even so, he began to consider what he could send to Tsige from his own personal funds he could move.

And it wasn’t long after those letters were received that the Kuzunoha Company received a lot of words of support.

The Academy Town, Rotsgard; in support of Tsige.

◇◇◆◆◇◇◆◆◇◇◆◆◇◇◆◆

“A change in the position of the Dragon Knight divisions? At a time like this?”

“Yes, cancel all defense in the north. Please harden the defenses of the west going from the important points first.”

“…That’s quite the drastic action. It is true that there’s currently no movements from Aion yet though…”

“We will support Tsige’s independence.”

“…Huh?”

“Debts must be repaid as soon as you can. I run on the principle that, when I can pay back a debt easily, I pay it back. I owe Tsige a debt of gratitude for helping me out when we were on the verge of being overflowed with Empire spies in the country after all.”

“Do you think…they will be able to win their independence?”

“Hey…do you think we can dig a tunnel at the west mountain range?”

“What are you thinking, opening a hole at your own national border, Empress-sama?”

“Then, at present, please provide support with the Dragon Knight divisions. Godspeed.” (Sairitz)

“…”

“Godspeed.” (Sairitz)

“…Okay, but what about our relationship with Aion? It will definitely worsen with this.”

“That’s political talk. It is not something for you to worry about.” (Sairitz)

“Right. You did manage to return the Priestess-sama to our country, even if temporarily. I will believe in you.”

The man in charge of the dragon knights leaves the place of the Empress.

The Empress of the Lorel Union, Sairitz, had already begun acting even before the letter had arrived.

Sairitz, who is deeply connected to Tsige to begin with, placed the Aion Kingdom and Tsige on a balance, and had already chosen Tsige. Whether she actually chose Tsige or the Kuzunoha Company, only she knows.

Sairitz has judged that the sun of Aion Kingdom is sinking, and the sun of Tsige is rising, and she is acting accordingly.

“Picnic Rose Garden…and Apple. I really can’t envision Tsige in a tragedy with these cards in their hands. Depending on the situation, I will go as far as move the dragon knights to support Tsige’s independence.” (Sairitz)

The letter, that might even make foreign countries move, had already shown an effect on someone, even though they haven’t seen it directly.

The Lorel Union core; in support of Tsige.

Changing locations, at a salty wind town.

The port town of Koran that is close to Tsige.

Even though they are close, they didn’t receive the letter announcing Tsige’s declaration of independence.

“‘The guild won’t forgive the countries who make use of adventurers in war’…was the common knowledge we worked with, but…”

“Yeah. Now that we are experiencing it, there certainly is no clear regulation in regards to the adventurers participating in the war themselves.”

“Rather than all these Guild matters, I consider the Rembrandt Company more dangerous…”

“Spontaneous stuff are also in the line of requests after all. It has been a while since I have felt like my face has been slapped with a bag of gold coins.”

Adventurers clad in the aura of seasoned fighters were talking as they watched the sea.

Their eyes were not looking at anything in particular, just staring far off.

They must have their own thoughts about it.

They were a party that was active at the wasteland in the past.

It is a team that’s originally not that attached to Tsige.

Parties that are simply there to test their mettle and improve themselves isn’t that strange.

“Even though I want to polish myself more in the Mist Town, to think I would have to participate in this petty stuff like a war.”

The leader of the Birgit party, Bir, mutters.

He who holds the rare job, samurai, which only one person in Tsige has, was passing his days training in the Mist Town.

Within his party members, there is a healer with high commanding ability, a spear user, and a water element unique job; a pretty decent composition. They are high ranking and had made a name for themselves in the past, so of course the Birgit party had gotten the attention of the Merchant Guild of Tsige.

And so, they have been given a request and have been stationed in Koran to bolster its defenses.

It has a reward that would let them not worry for money for a while, but for these people who have gotten used to the wasteland, this kind of job was slightly boring.

“In this occasion, our training at the Mist Town must have been an influential factor, but it was most likely due to the job of Git.”

“…Yeah, I am aware of that. But jobs are basically one with the adventurer, you know? There’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Right, sorry about that.”

“And so, got any good ideas?”

“…Honestly speaking, nothing. Only that we should do our very best.”

It seems the topic has changed. The healer, Ranai, and the water element mage, Git, were talking without showing any sort of discomfort.

The view of the evening sea is beautiful.

A beautiful sight of the sea dyeing red was breathtaking to the extent that it would make you forget that the flames of war are approaching Koran as well.

“Can’t your training obsession consider the situation a bit more? Can’t it be at a later time? Doing stuff like this that’s unrelated to work is a bit rough, you know.”

“I didn’t think it would turn out like this. I swear.”

Bir had been mindlessly training in the Mist Town.

That’s why he at first completely refused the request saying he had no business with Koran.

But advice came from an unexpected place.

From his teacher.

He told Bir about a new training method after learning that Koran is a port town.

That’s why Bir spoke to his comrades, accepted the request that had an outstanding reward, and now they are here.

The healer and the spear user, who have a decent amount of common sense compared to the others in the party, were feeling chills at what would have happened if they had refused the request of a gigantic and fearsome company like the Rembrandt Company.

And that training in itself is making them depressed.

“Hey, you guys! This is a request from Tuna-san. I will be your opponent today as well.”

The shadow of two people…no, of two fishes were seen from the evening sea.

One of them raised their ‘hand’ and spoke to Bir and his group.

A neptune of the same species as Tuna.

Bir’s group had been completely armed even though they were sitting at the beach.

“An!”

“Chovy!”

Bir and Git called the names of those fishes.

Their tone was like that of calling a rival, and also as if they were talking to hateful bitter enemies.

“Now then, I hope you will be able endure for a bit more, ‘promising adventurers’.”

“No, they won’t!”

An and Chobi, who had a glistening long and thin body that resembled that of anchovies, were neptunes despite their looks.

They are acquaintances of Tuna, and are training Bir’s group in Koran.

But their way of fighting and the fact that they are anchovies seemed to piss off Bir…

Without even a signal for the fight to begin, An and Chovy raised a hand.

When they did, several shining daggers appeared from thin air…no, not daggers, but anchovies.

“Now, show us that you can get out from this, adventurers! We will show you the tip of our secret techniques, the Gatling Anchovies!!”

“Today, it will end with just the tip again!!!”

The sharp school of fishes mercilessly shot towards Bir’s group.

“Even though we would probably not lose against them one against one!! That’s unfair!!”

“I am already tired of eating the fishes that were impaled in me!!”

The unique job that’s said to rival even an army when fighting in the sea, Ocean One.

The job Git has.

But it looks like even she isn’t invincible against the rulers of the sea, and she was facing the school of fish together with the Birgit party with a desperate look on her face.

“Ooh, they have brought a whole lot of anchovies today as well. Those adventurers are impressive.”

“There’s apparently one of them who has a special job that’s like the guardian god of the sea or something like that.”

“It has begun? In that case, let’s come back to get them after around 1 hour.”

“The sea birds have also begun to gather. To think that we would get a good haul every day, I am glad we joined the side of Tsige.”

The fishermen of Koran watching the sight of the first rate adventurers, who are in a sense desperately fighting even more than they did in the wasteland, would at times cheer them on.

It was a pretty extreme sight, but it has become a daily event for Koran lately.

They have all gotten used to it.

But there’s no doubt that, right now, Koran has assorted a fighting force that is far and beyond the scale of the town.

The defense of Koran is flawless.

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