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Chapter 262: The Reason for Fighting
Chapter 262: The Reason for Fighting
Chapter 262: The Reason for Fighting
The princess is alive.
This rumor first spread not in the human kingdom, but in Elvrande.
No one knew who started it, but the rumor was surprisingly detailed.
Margareta Rustel is currently in Roseron, and she looks physically and mentally healthy.
Whats astonishing is that she declared that she wont return to her homeland. What is her reason?
She betrayed the elves and sided with the humans. Leobold Vandus became her lover.
Except for the first paragraph, none of them were true.
Margareta decided not to return because of Drizden.
She knew he wouldnt welcome her, so she stayed in Bagran to find a way out.
Also, she didnt side with the humans and Leobold wasnt her lover.
Of course, it was true that she had some affection for him, but it wasnt enough to call it love.
But there were hardly any elves who understood her situation in Elvrande.
The elves who heard the rumor threw the newspapers on the floor and spat.
Dirty traitor! She finally joined the humans!
We should have known when she was hanging around the human autonomous region!
How dare she bear a human child as a princess?
Its because of that traitor that Eldgrasil didnt choose a new guardian!
Elvrande was such a closed country that it was easy to incite them.
It was extremely difficult to refute this at a point where most of the power was held by the Assembly and the Council of Elders.
Naturally, Princess Margareta became a traitor who tried to cause internal strife in Elvrande and was stopped by Drizden.
It was a clumsy script that even a child would laugh at, but the elves believed it.
They had no time to think differently when all the newspapers and people around them shouted that she was a traitor.
Drizden, who drove public opinion, also considered the possibility that Tirendell had joined Bagran and moved his assassins.
When the royal family members who had no presence died one after another, Elvrande turned upside down.
The emperor passed away Who did this?
It must be Tirendell! He not only ambushed and killed the Kelodian minister, but also attacked the Assembly!
-Was he hiding all this time?
Since there was a precedent, no one doubted that he was a monster.
Thanks to that, Drizden was able to hide the fact that the guardian ceremony was canceled, and succeeded in leading a strong public opinion.
He stood on the podium of the Assembly and spoke.
We elves have achieved great feats on this land since we escaped from human oppression. The airships that humans use could not be built without our technology. The Goliath, which is the main force of war today, originated from our golems.
The elves are so great. But there are still races that dont acknowledge that. There are many races I can name, but I especially want to mention one. Its humans.
Drizden maintained a straight posture despite his old age, and his voice was loud.
Thanks to that, the elves gathered at the podium were overwhelmed by his aura.
Look at the humans ingratitude. Listen to their nonsense. They oppressed and suppressed us even though they couldnt achieve anything without us. And they lured an innocent princess to their side.
At this point, some elves raised their arms and shouted.
Traitor Margareta!
Kill the princess!
Of course, they were audience planted by Drizden beforehand.
He gestured to calm down the noise and then spoke with force.
The princess sided with the humans, and Tirendell is assassinating our ministers. What should we do at this point? What should we elves do for justice and peace?
War! War!
The only good human is a dead human!
A wave of cheers swept over the podium.
Drizden raised his fist as if to answer them.
Unfortunately, there is no center in the current royal family. Then someone has to lead Elvrande, right? Proud citizens, if you trust me, if you hate humans, please vote for me. Just as I stood up for you!
Oooh!
For Drizden!
We cant tolerate even one dissenting vote!
The general vote began in an enthusiastic atmosphere.
Some members secretly opposed Drizden, but they didnt have the courage to express it.
The vote was completely open.
There was no member who dared to cast a dissenting vote in front of thousands of elves watching.
Thus, the bill to temporarily implement total control was passed with 99.5% of votes.
The person appointed as the first president was Drizden Featherwood himself.
He revealed that he casted his own dissenting vote and drew more fanatical support.
Even if everyone trusts me, I will doubt myself. Thats how I, Drizden, live.
Who doubts him!
Now we are one with Drizden!
Attacking him is attacking us!
As the flag of Elvrande fluttered, Drizden waved his hand to the people.
Thats how he succeeded in taking over Elvrande.
Leobold, who was watching, stuck out his tongue at his skill.
Old ginger is spicy His ability to incite is amazing.
The problem is that his incitement has little to do with his governance.
Elvrande is so big and technologically advanced that it can run decently as long as it doesnt mess up.
But it would be different from now on.
Drizden might have seen everything easily when he was a mere member, but once he became the president and faced Leobold, he would realize that something was wrong.
Suicide or being lynched by an angry mob Either way, it would be a miserable end for him.
Leobold watched Drizden enter the palace as the president.
Three hundred years was not a small time even for elves.
He must have wanted to rest a bit, but he pushed himself to work hard.
In some sense, he couldnt help but admire him.
Its not just because of greed
He probably thinks thats justice.
The result of the war would tell whose justice was right.
***
My name is Tirendell Azus. Im here to work with you, Leobold. I look forward to working with you.
The people who saw his greeting opened their mouths wide.
Tirendell was a living legend, an elf who reached the peak of elven knights.
If he appeared, the human side would abandon the battlefield and run away.
His long hair and black eyepatch were symbols of elven knights, and even of Elvrande itself.
And he became Leobolds subordinate.
Leobold, who sat on the throne, smiled slightly and said.
Tirendell and I have had a lot of things happen. He tried to take my life and we fought on the battlefield. We decided to forget the past and start anew. I wont say get along well, just dont cause trouble.
There were quite a few people who were uncomfortable with the race of elves itself in this place.
Especially Valgard.
He showed his grudge from the Great War as soon as Leobold finished his speech.
An elf half-breed, huh? Should I kill only half of you?
I wont refuse if you want to fight. But youll be the one to die.
Instead of backing down, Tirendell chose to confront him and Valgard snorted.
Stop it. If we fight, well get smashed by someone scary.
Thats right. Hell make you regret for the rest of your life. So behave yourself.
Leobold, who was sitting on the throne, looked very different from before.
There was a small golden circle floating behind his head, which reminded him of the ancient gods.
Granden recalled a verse from a myth he knew.
Do not resent him, do not look at him directly. A dazzling light will envelop you. And everything will be peaceful
The dazzling light seemed to refer to the halo behind Leobolds head.
At first, he suspected it was magic, but seeing Steffina shake her head, he thought otherwise.
That is a power that only gods can show Has the lord finally entered the path of godhood
In fact, Leobold had shown many inhuman powers before.
It was not strange that he had such a halo when he was a human from another world.
He suits being a god more than the countless minor gods that exist
He didnt think Leobold would be pushed back even if the gods or dragons from the Great War appeared now.
No, rather, he had a high chance of destroying them and unifying Astera.
And then he would eliminate the nobles and go for complete integration
Granden did not agree with his ideology.
But why couldnt he use his great power for the commoners?
Surely we look like the same beings in his eyes
Because he was a giant, because he was too high up, he couldnt feel the small differences.
Granden decided to accept it instead of denying it.
Because what he had changed in Roseron for a few months was better than the changes in 200 years.
The restrictions on beastmen were lifted and elves gained freedom of residence. Greedy merchants were punished and security was perfect.
On top of that, the overall income increased and smiles bloomed on peoples lips.
Also, many crops and inventions that were being tried in the direct territory were finally bearing fruit.
The dwarves boasted that our lives would change from the roots in a few months.
Since Leobold achieved all this, there was no reason to oppose him anymore.
Granden was a stubborn knight, but not a selfish noble who only knew himself.
Anyway, it seemed that people had more or less accepted Tirendells joining.
No one would dare to oppose what the lord wanted to do.
He looked around at them and said.
It seems there is nothing more to say. Now we have one thing to do. Start the real conquest war. The preparations are already underway, but there is something left to do. Modify your ether hearts. Ill do it one by one, so dont be afraid and wait. First, Valgard.
The one who was called shook his head.
I dont want to touch my ether heart that Altema modified.
It will be twice as strong as it is now. Do you refuse?
Ill think about it again.
Tirendell.
Yes, Lord Leobold.
Whatever they talked about, Tirendells attitude was unusually polite.
Leobold gestured with his eyes and people murmured and left.
The only ones left were Tirendell and Arma.
You must know enough about my identity.
I heard you are a hero from another world. You came on a huge ship.
With the power of that ship, I can fix your eyes. Of course, I can also upgrade your ether heart significantly.
My eyes Really?
I dont lie. And I only make one offer. Will you do it?
Thank you for your consideration. Please fix my eyes.
Arma, get ready.
Yes.
From then on, Tirendell followed Leobold around.
He started to act as his escort knight.
Naturally, Camilla was annoyed and others were also puzzled.
When did he change his attitude so much after cursing and fighting him?
Whether they said it or not, Tirendell didnt stop following him.
Leobold had no choice but to sit him down and say.
There are more important things than following me around.
What are they?
Elvrande has started rearming.
Tirendells eyebrows twitched.
Walker showed him a screen where a parade was taking place.
Thousands of Goliaths marched in perfect formation along Medeas avenue.
The surprising thing was that Dresden and other council members were in the procession.
Dresden How dare he
The emperor is dead. The core power of Elvrande is now the Congress.
They must have pinned the blame on me.
President Dresden is inciting the people by saying that you are still hiding in Elvrande. He also denounced the princess as a traitor.
Crunch.
Tirendell gritted his teeth and muttered.
Ill go and kill him.
No, you cant kill him now.
Do you want to push Elvrande into the abyss of war?
Its a process of changing it into a state that I can easily devour.
That kind of scheme will only increase the damage.
Can you be sure that the damage will increase as a result? Even if you kill Dresden now, someone else will take over. If you kill him, another one will pop up. It wont solve the root problem.
Then what should we do?
We have to crush them head-on. We have to break their illusion that elves are stronger and the dominant race of Astera.
If the Congress mobilizes everything, it might be really dangerous.
At most, theyll drop the floating continent.
Tirendell looked at Leobold with suspicion, who was calm as if he had no emotions.
After all, the master in front of him was not an ordinary human.
The ether he felt from him had already far surpassed Valgard.
Even if it was a god or a dragon from the Great War, they wouldnt be able to stand against him.
Then tell me what I should do.
Elvrande wont start a war right away, so help me with the conquest of Galisto. Ill prepare a Black Knight for you, so get your eye surgery and train.
Leobolds voice was gentle, without any trace of resentment.
Even though they had cursed and fought so much
Tirendell looked at him and slowly bowed his head.
I understand.
After he left, Leobold grumbled.
Did you see his eyes? If he was a woman, he would have been in my bed by now.
Arma casually said.
Maybe hell come to me someday and ask me to swap bodies with him.
Is that possible?
Ive perfectly analyzed his mental ether, so its possible anytime. I can also put your soul into a female body. Whether that body can withstand it is another question.
It meant that he could make a soul exchanger, a relic of the prophet.
Thats horrible.
Anyway, I think his body can no longer handle your power. Thats why Im preparing a new body for you.
A new body I hope it looks like my original face if possible.
Are you preparing for your return to Earth?
No, I just want to be close to my original body when I meet the prophet someday.
To Arma, Leobold was a believer who worshiped the prophet as a god.
The only fanatic.
What would he think if he met the prophet someday?
The prophet, who was no different from a god, might not give much meaning to it, but he hoped he wouldnt be rude.
He had been suffering for so long with the idea of meeting him.
***
When Bagran and Elvrande were quiet due to internal problems.
Barak, the crown prince of Zaium Empire, was restless.
He had sent Count Croitz, but there was no contact at all.
It seemed like she had turned off the communicator.
Was it a mistake to send her? I dont know what hes thinking.
He got an unexpected contact from someone.
It was Duke Pangral.
He sent a gift of one carriage and a count-level envoy to deliver a letter.
He came out so politely when he had only been hostile before, so the crown prince gladly accepted the communicator.
The duke said something surprising.
I will fully support your ascension to the throne.
Why do you suddenly say that? You must have a reason. Tell me without any pretense.
Are you satisfied with what Count Vandus is doing? I dont understand his actions at all.
What do you mean by that?
Count Vandus killed the princess of Elvrande and cut off the arm of the envoy from Galisto. And he doesnt give any explanation. No one would think thats a responsible attitude of an imperial count.
And?
Moreover, he ignored my request for an explanation. He probably didnt listen to your words either.
Hmm
He wasnt wrong, so the crown prince swallowed his groan.
Count Vandus actions were definitely excessive.
He had been turning a blind eye to them because of his various merits, but
The duke added another weight to the crown princes wavering mind.
Do you know that? Theres a rumor that a new weapon was made in Bagran.
A new weapon? Do you mean the Black Knight?
Not Goliath, but a cannon. It fires ether stones and explodes them. Its so powerful that it can smash any Goliath in one shot.
What? He has such a weapon and doesnt report it!
I dont want to shake your trust in him, but he must have other intentions. Otherwise, why would he make such a thing right after mass-producing Black Knights? Even if we concede a hundred times, shouldnt he contact you first instead of Imir Republic?
Imir Republic got it first
They say its so powerful that even the dwarves shudder. The Iron Council says that the era of Goliath is over.
Now the crown prince began to doubt if Leobold was actually a traitor.
Otherwise, his actions were incomprehensible.
Duke Pangral tried to smooth things over by saying that it was all just rumors, but the crown princes eyes had already turned upside down.
Why dont we join hands instead of him?
After all, we are nobles of Zaium. He may have the title of imperial count, but he is from Bagran by birth. And he openly encourages his soldiers to hate nobles. He says he will create an equal world.
An equal world can freeze
In fact, Leobold didnt say such things to his soldiers.
He was born and raised in the Human Alliance, where rank system was familiar, and he was a person who recognized the difference in ability.
He just thought that as long as one was born as a human, one should be guaranteed at least a minimum life unless one gave up being a member of the Human Alliance.
That was justice and efficiency for him.
Anyway, because Leobold spread such rumors, sparks flew to the wrong place.
The crown prince could no longer trust him.
But he couldnt call him and punish him right away.
He was too afraid to face him directly.
Duke Pangral comforted him.
Ascend to the throne. I will deal with the traitor with Galisto.
Oh, will you do that for me?
We cant be lacking in facing the enemy of the empire. We need an alliance with the Holy Kingdom.
Count Vandus is a monster who defeated the Elven Knight and Tirendell. Even the Holy Knights cant match him.
If they were ordinary knights, yes. But the Holy Kingdom recently succeeded in digging up a relic. Its a relic of the god that was used in the Great War. If its that, it should be enough to face the count.
How did you know that before me
Dont misunderstand. They contacted me before you ascended to the crown prince.
The crown prince was suspicious, but he decided to trust him for now.
In the worst case, he wouldnt be the one to lose.
But he wasnt sure if he could win against Count Vandus with that.
In the worst case, I might consider joining hands with Elvrande.
He ended the communication and secretly used his hand to contact Elvrande.