The Prince Wants to Retire

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The Crown Prince Wishes to Retire

49. Creating a Common Enemy (2)

Kariel’s next move after enticing the Pirate King was the media.

While many within the Empire were well aware of the demons’ actions, those from the old Southern Kingdoms couldn’t care less about the happenings far away.

With rapid reforms, they were too busy worrying about their own lives to pay attention to issues from those distant lands.

Thus, it was necessary to clearly convey that demons could threaten their lives.

“‘Open the hazardous areas! If not, we will treat you as the Enemy of Humanity!’ This was Ignit’s ultimatum to Roman.”

“Scholars largely agree that Roman is likely allied with the Dark Mages.”

“If Roman disregards the Empire’s concerns, there’s a high chance of a continental war erupting.”

An ultimatum was officially given to Roman, and simultaneously this information was disseminated through the media.

With a strong rationale, Roman had no viable means to refuse.

But that wasn’t all.

Thinking they might not grasp the seriousness of the situation merely through words, heavy pressure was applied.

The Empire quickly began to amass military supplies and resources at their impregnable fortress, signaling to the outside world that war was imminent.

“Are they really preparing for war?”

“If it’s the demons, what can we do?”

As signs of war re-emerged, the people of the South finally understood the gravity of the current situation.

Recognizing the seriousness, it was time to move to the next stage.

“Are the demons, who once sought to destroy the entire continent, returning once more?”

Historians began to raise alarms about the dangers posed by the demons.

Through past examples, they continuously reminded everyone that if the Demon Gate were to open, the continent would fall into ruin, slowly painting Roman as the Enemy of Humanity due to his alliance with the Dark Mages.

As awareness grew across the West Continent, this realization gradually seeped into the East Continent as well.

“Is it true?”

“Indeed! There are rumors that Ignit is willing to go to war against Roman!”

“Wow… then doesn’t that mean we should start preparing our defenses here as well?”

As news about Ignit spread through merchants, the nations of the East Continent engaged in heated discussions.

Some speculated whether Roman would truly take such drastic measures, while others argued it was time to ally with Ignit and press an attack on Roman.

As the sense of crisis began to heighten among the nations of the East Continent, fresh reports of war signals coming from the West Continent emerged.

“They are really preparing for war.”

“Indeed.”

In the area once occupied by the fallen Southern Kingdoms, large-scale construction was underway.

Hundreds of buildings were being modified to produce military supplies at any moment to rebuild the devastated Southern region of the continent, and railroads were being prioritized to connect to the West rather than the center.

This was obviously construction aimed at war, and the information spread rapidly to the East Continent.

In response, Roman felt cornered.

Despite being considered somewhat stronger than Ignit, the tides had changed.

Following Kariel’s rise to Emperor, rapid developments had brought Roman and Kariel’s powers closer together, especially with the unification of the West Continent, rendering Roman unable to resist Ignit alone.

Thus, the nations of the East Continent needed to unite, playing on emotions to draw them onto his side.

Naturally, this information reached the Empire’s ears.

“Your Majesty! It seems Roman is planning to formally ally with the nations of the East Continent.”

Kariel nodded slightly at Talion’s report as he looked toward the Attendant Hall.

“What’s the situation there?”

“There are no significant movements.”

“All the more reason to be cautious. The silence feels suspicious; it seems they’re planning something.”

Through the Secret Guardians, they had monitored regions where Dark Mages were likely to be hiding, but there had been no major movements.

However, with Ignit potentially about to strike, their silence could indicate preparations were being made.

‘What are they planning?’

After a moment of thought, Kariel frowned and asked the Attendant Hall.

“What’s the possibility that the demon army has completely crossed over to our side?”

“About 30%.”

Talion’s grim expression tightened as he heard the response.

“Thirty percent, you say?”

“Yes, it’s possible they’ve already begun the process to open the Hell Gate.”

Sighing at the worst-case scenario presented by the Attendant Hall, Kariel inquired, “What about Sandria?”

“Not yet.”

Hearing Talion’s report, Kariel turned to the Attendant Hall again.

“Does this feel weird to you?”

“Yes, the spells they’re using are certainly worth investigating.”

The Sandria Empire, worshiping a desert god, had various deities believed in across its regions, with a plethora of tribes and corresponding gods.

What was intriguing was that the power they wielded was classified as sorcery. The troubling aspect was that this sorcery bore similarities to the ancient shamanistic magic used in the West Continent, particularly in the realms of blood and darkness.

Exchanging offerings to gain power or summoning forces in exchange for a price showcased their unique sorcery.

“So, are they connected to the demons…?”

“The worst case is that they are apostles who have made contracts with the God of Hell.”

Kariel’s expression darkened at the Attendant Hall’s words.

“Still, one interesting point is that the Sandria Empire does not particularly favor the Dark Mages.”

“That is curious.”

The tribes of Sandria were known to dislike Dark Mages who entered into contracts with demons.

This meant they could leverage this situation.

“For now, we need to conceal any information regarding Hell and focus on driving out the demons.”

“Yes.”

To elicit cooperation from even a fraction of Sandria’s tribes, this approach was necessary.

Intriguingly, while the Sandria Empire was referred to as a desert empire, it held limited influence over the East Continent, largely due to the autonomous rights of each tribe.

While Sandria had an emperor, their power wasn’t as formidable as that of the Empire or Roman.

The greatest Tribal Chief in Sandria.

The authority to summon tribes.

The ability to amass troops in a situation where the Empire was threatened.

Except for these, the authority to intervene in each tribe was exceedingly restricted.

Thus, Kariel considered how to use this situation to his advantage.

Of course, splitting the East Continent before targeting Sandria was the priority.

“What about the Pirate King?”

“Not yet.”

Kariel frowned at Talion’s reply.

He thought this was the perfect time to forge an alliance. Making a deal now would create the desired divide between North and South.

“A bit disappointing.”

“I’m sure we shall hear from him soon. The Pirate King is well aware of the significance of this opportunity.”

Kariel nodded at Talion’s words.

Now was nearly the only chance to solidify the Aisa Archipelago’s position as a neutral nation.

Perhaps by seizing this moment, they could maintain that neutral status for decades or even over a century.

Having already explained the situation to the pirates in Salem, they would rally all connections they could muster.

“Let’s calmly await developments.”

“Yes.”

*

However, despite such discussions, they were moving busily.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs formally protested to Roman, while Talion sent spies to stir public opinion within Roman’s borders.

Simultaneously, the Attendant Hall consistently released evidence regarding demons obtained through the Secret Guardians, applying pressure on Roman.

This led to a split in opinions within Roman’s ranks.

“Is this really the right approach?”

“Why must we become the Enemy of Humanity?”

Despite Roman being a centralized state, he couldn’t control all the nobles.

There were bound to be those dissatisfied with the current situation.

Not every noble was aware that the higher-ups in Roman’s court had allied with the demons.

Thus, feelings of betrayal intensified.

If they had known from the start, it might have been one thing, but being blindsided and branded as the Enemy of Humanity felt unjust.

If it were merely the nobles, it wouldn’t have been too bad, but even the military, known for their strong loyalty, began voicing their discontent.

Consequently, fractures began to appear in the core of Roman’s regime.

As the Southern nations of the East Continent quietly observed this situation, they started shaking their heads in disbelief.

“Roman is finished.”

“It’s a situation where even uniting our strengths wouldn’t suffice…”

After their last deliberation, the Southern nations of the East Continent finally made their decision.

They secretly contacted the pirates, and those messages swiftly reached Kariel.

“The time has come.”

At last, the awaited moment had arrived.

Now that the hesitant Southern nations of the East Continent had made their call, the situation was half resolved.

“Tell the Pirate King to set a date.”

“Yes.”

As Talion bowed and left at Kariel’s command, they decided that only the Imperial Guards, Achelio, and Glen would accompany him, intending to keep the number of attendants to a minimum for secrecy.

The problem arose when Talion insisted that he too, as a member of the Imperial Guard, should accompany them.

“Your Majesty, I’m also part of the Imperial Guard! Why exclude me?”

“No, you’re the Head of the Intelligence Department; you must secure the capital.”

“Protecting Your Majesty is far more important!”

“Hey! Are you kidding me?”

In response to Talion’s nonsensical reasoning, Kariel exploded angrily, causing Talion to sulk and bow his head.

“Have you abandoned your duty just because you have a Master now?”

“That’s not the case!”

“Then let me accompany you. Honestly, I’m better at identifying assassins and agents than anyone else.”

With a troubled expression, Kariel finally sighed and granted permission.

Then, as they were heading out, they also decided to bring only the best of the Shadows for information gathering.

“Your Majesty.”

“What is it?”

“The Imperial Palace Knights are feeling left out.”

Achelio suddenly came in, stating the Imperial Palace Knights felt neglected.

“Left out, you say?”

Kariel tilted his head at Achelio’s words.

“They expressed their discontent, saying you seem to trust only the Shadows too much. Although they’ve been by your side since your time as Crown Prince, they want you to trust them a bit as well.”

Kariel nearly snapped at Achelio’s comment, but he swallowed his words.

This had likely been building up for some time, and with a sigh, he had no choice but to allow them to join.

However, he made it clear that the number would be limited to ten.

Just like that, the Imperial Palace Knights began to organize themselves.

“Done!”

The last knight to make the cut clenched his fist, letting out a triumphant shout.

Despite being covered in wounds, he cheered, causing Kariel to shake his head in disbelief.

“Must you go this far?”

“We’re against the enemy. To be honest, I think even this is insufficient.”

Kariel sighed at Achelio’s remark.

The idea that this, with two Masters and elite Imperial Guards, could be inadequate was hard to swallow.

Nevertheless, since they were heading toward the heart of the pirates, it was natural for Achelio to feel concerned.

*

Ultimately, with the strongest ten knights from the Imperial Palace, the best Shadows, two Masters, and the Imperial Guards forming a somewhat extravagant team, they gave up on taking a small airship.

The magically enhanced airship soared into the night sky.

With the new magic applied to it, the ship swiftly headed East, reaching Salem in no time.

“I greet Your Majesty!”

“Sorry for being late.”

As the pirate executive bowed and spoke, Kariel wore an apologetic expression.

Even by ship, it would take quite a deal of time to reach the Aisa Archipelago, making their arrival just barely on time.

“There’s no need to worry; we have some time.”

“Some time, you say?”

“Yes, the meeting place is a small island located at Aysarman. It’s only half a day away, so you can take your time getting there.”

Kariel raised an eyebrow at the pirate executive’s words.

“Half a day?”

“Yes, it is an immense honor for us that Your Majesty trusts us, but others may not feel the same way. Therefore, to build trust, we prepared the meeting place a bit farther from the Empire’s territory.”

Kariel’s eyes widened at the pirate’s words.

This meant the leaders of other nations had also agreed to this arrangement.

Should something happen, the Empire’s navy could respond immediately. The representatives from the Empire, including Achelio, nodded with smiles toward the pirate.

“Thank you.”

Kariel expressed his gratitude for the unexpected gesture and slowly boarded the ship.

Thanks to the executive’s words, they reached an island with majestic buildings in just a few hours.

“I greet the Emperor of the West Continent.”

At last, they met the leaders of the East Continent, who bowed to Kariel, the unified emperor of the West.