The Prince Wants to Retire

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Crown Prince Wants to Retire

49. Creating a Common Enemy (3)

The East Continent, which has a territory wider than the West Continent.

However, a quarter of it was a desert, and one-fifth was ruled by the northern horse tribes.

Therefore, if you only consider the regions other than that, there wasn’t much difference from the West Continent.

The wealthy southern nations, including Roman, had been unable to achieve the unification that had eluded them for hundreds of years.

Yet, Ignit had accomplished it once again, truly deserving of respect.

“Nice to meet you.”

Smiling as he received everyone’s greetings, Kariel shook hands one by one before entering the building.

Inside, the place was adorned with antique decorations.

Exquisite items, which no ordinary nation could even dream of possessing, were placed all over the building, along with various convenience facilities.

Upon entering, it was immediately evident just how sincere the pirates of the Aisa Archipelago were about this matter.

The Pirate King personally came out to greet them and led them to the conference room.

“Feel free to discuss. I will take my leave now.”

“No.”

Kariel firmly shook his head at the departing Pirate King.

“You, who created this gathering, also have the right to sit here.”

At Kariel’s words, the Pirate King looked at the other leaders. He worried they might take offense.

Although the Empire was recognized as a neutral nation, it was likely that the other kings would not see it that way.

However, they simply nodded without showing any particular reaction.

The Empire, having unified the West Continent, had no grounds to refuse the acknowledgment from it.

“Shall we finish our business and enjoy the facilities here afterward?”

“Please do so.”

As the King of Wingzar replied, the others bowed their heads in agreement.

“Excuse me, but may I ask what the Empire’s plans are moving forward?”

At the king of Wingzar’s question, others looked at Kariel with curiosity.

Although they had convened due to the unpleasant situation, their anxiety still lingered. While Ignit was strong, Roman was much closer geographically, and they feared they might end up being discarded if they didn’t have a proper plan.

To ease their anxieties, Kariel replied firmly.

“First, the issue of Roman transcends continents; it is a problem for humanity.”

As Kariel spoke, he instructed Talion to bring forth a map.

There, written in blue, were the names of the alliance focusing mainly on Ignit and the southern nations of the East Continent.

“Human Alliance”

The King of Wingzar murmured in a daze at the words “Human Alliance” inscribed on the map.

“The Human Alliance…”

“By the way, should we refer to Roman and its allies as the Anti-Human Alliance?”

At Kariel’s statement, the leader of one nation quietly asked.

“May I inquire why the north and Sandria are excluded?”

As his question sank in, everyone looked back at the map, their expressions reflecting curiosity as they gazed at Kariel.

Then, with a serious expression, Kariel spoke.

“For now, I consider the northern nomadic tribes to be neutral. It seems unlikely they would be persuaded, and we don’t have the resources to extend all the way to the north.”

The northern nomadic tribes were famous for their strong pride.

They were a stalwart people who would not easily compromise with anyone.

It would be far easier to target the allies of Roman than to persuade these tribes, which were made up of numerous clans like Sandria.

“Later on, we can persuade them during the war with the demons.”

“Do you plan to persuade them?”

“Yes. First, we will target Golan.”

At the King of Wingzar’s words, Kariel laid out the plan to target the nomadic tribes as well.

He intended to unite the nomadic tribes centered around Golan, the largest force.

So, how would they persuade Golan?

“Uh… Golan…”

At that moment, one of the kings, having caught on to Kariel’s plan, began to sweat nervously. The other kings looked at Kariel with surprise.

“Correct. We will unify the nomadic tribes centered around Golan.”

As Kariel spoke, he gazed at the map.

The nomadic tribes were scattered everywhere.

The territories where they operated were vast, akin to Sandria.

Yet, they couldn’t be called an empire because they weren’t united like Sandria, which presented the appearance of being bound together.

For hundreds of years, Roman had fostered divisions to prevent their unification.

Kariel, on the other hand, planned to support them in uniting.

While Roman was so engrossed in the Human Alliance that they wouldn’t notice, if Kariel assisted Golan and encouraged their unification, it would likely be achievable.

Then one of the largest forces in the East Continent would be on the side of the Human Alliance.

As he wrote down the current situation on paper, Kariel noted:

Roman ↔ Southern Alliance

Roman ↔ Nomadic Union

Nomadic Union ≈ Southern Alliance

Sandria (Neutral)

If the Nomadic Union and Southern Alliance were tied together under the banner of the Human Alliance, and if Sandria were left neutral, a vastly advantageous situation could be established.

Nomadic Union

↓

Ignit → Roman

↑

Southern Alliance

A situation where they were pressured from three fronts.

In this situation, Roman’s only escape would be to rally all the nations of the East to respond.

However, there were countermeasures already in place.

“We will shake the allies of Roman with the title of the Enemy of Humanity.”

As Kariel grinned and spoke, the leaders of the East Continent nations swallowed hard.

The best method would be to shake Sandria.

However, if they truly were connected to hell, there was a high chance they would join the plans of those wanting to open the Hell Gate.

Rather than spending energy on low-probability targets, it would be far easier to strike at the allies of Roman.

“Are we not targeting Sandria?”

In response to the King of Wingzar’s question, Kariel hesitated for a moment before addressing the leaders of the East Continent.

“Can you keep what I’m about to say secret until the right time comes?”

At Kariel’s words, everyone nodded with tense expressions.

Then, Kariel began to speak.

He explained the overall situation and noted that Sandria also likely had ties to hell.

Then the leader of the nation bordering Sandria spoke up.

“Indeed, that seems plausible. Many among their tribes worship subterranean deities.”

“Hmm… However, not all tribes do. Some worship sun gods, while others worship deities of abundance.”

Several leaders explained, revealing secrets passed down through their royal families over generations.

It was true that there were tribes within Sandria that worshipped underground gods. But conversely, there were many who worshipped deities like sun gods found in nations of the West Continent.

“Then can you persuade these tribes?”

At Kariel’s request, the kings bordering Sandria nodded.

If they could just delay matters by dividing Sandria, the best scenario could unfold.

There was no need to drag Sandria into the Human Alliance.

If they could buy time until the full-blown war with Roman began, that would suffice.

“With this, the major plan is set.”

Having said that, Kariel smiled and asked those gathered at the meeting.

“Do you all agree to the creation of the Human Alliance?”

At Kariel’s question, all present nodded in agreement.

“Good. This means that at least those present here have become allies of Ignit.”

As the news of the new alliance was sealed, everyone rose from their seats, smiling.

“It must have been a tiring long meeting, so please rest well here. Though it may be lacking, we will serve you to the best of our ability.”

At the Pirate King’s words, everyone nodded, and soon beautiful women came to escort the leaders one by one.

Lastly, a beautiful woman approached Kariel, but he raised a hand to stop her and looked at the Pirate King.

“May I speak with you separately?”

“Yes.”

Suspecting that something important was about to be discussed, the Pirate King gestured for the women to leave and sat down with a tense expression.

“You’ve done well, but I would like to ask one more favor.”

“Please, go ahead.”

At the Pirate King’s request, Kariel looked at the map.

The map spread across the table only depicted the West and East Continents.

But there were many more continents in the world.

There were also massive islands in the south, smaller than the West Continent but formed of several large isles, and to the west lay the New Continent.

“I will also seek assistance from the New Continent and the Southern Islands.”

“Hmm…”

The Pirate King swallowed hard at Kariel’s proposal.

The East Continent was about to be attacked by demons, so it made sense to align interests there, but the New Continent and Southern Islands were a different story altogether.

The massive sea would create a natural barrier, and it seemed unlikely they would risk sending reinforcements.

“There are records in ancient documents that demons once attacked the Southern Islands.”

“…Is that so?”

“While I don’t know about the New Continent, at least the Southern Islands may have a possibility of receiving support.”

The Pirate King nodded gravely at Kariel’s assertion.

“If so, we will give it a try.”

“Please focus solely on the Southern Islands. We will take care of the New Continent ourselves.”

At Kariel’s statement, the Pirate King’s expression grew strained. Kariel, hoping to ease his mood just a bit, said,

“Take a look at this.”

“What is this…?”

Kariel revealed a new map.

It illustrated the major trade routes.

It was a classified map outlining the logistics network of the unified Empire.

However, on this map, it appeared that all the main trade routes by sea were routed through the islands occupied by the Aisa Archipelago.

Trade routes from the East Continent headed toward the Aisa Archipelago.

The trade route aimed at the massive Southern Islands connected through the islands occupied by the pirates.

Even some trade routes heading toward the New Continent were adjusted to partially pass through the islands the Pirate King had conquered.

“We will link the islands of Aisa to create a new trade network.”

“If that happens…”

“You should be able to expect proper imports.”

The promise made in Salem.

To fulfill it, Kariel modified the trade routes, and the Pirate King expressed his gratitude.

“Also, I will support the establishment of agricultural and industrial zones on the islands.”

“Even that…?”

“Wouldn’t it be beneficial for the merchants to use the trade routes properly?”

The plan was to support the making of ports and simple processed goods to ensure the trade routes passing through the islands of the Aisa Archipelago were properly established.

“Of course, this won’t be free.”

“I will pay the price.”

As the Pirate King spoke seriously, Kariel beamed and nodded.

“Since we have this opportunity, perhaps we could build a more detailed plan?”

“Yes, I will do that.”

Excited by Kariel’s suggestion, the Pirate King nodded vigorously as he explained their circumstances and shared plans with Kariel.

They even drafted detailed plans, including giving up some islands to Ignit or allowing the islands they conquered to be on long-term lease for several decades to build ports.

*

After discussing for a long time, Kariel took a short break and immediately returned to the Empire.

As if waiting for him, the next plan of the Empire was set in motion.

“Define Roman as the Enemy of Humanity!”

The official announcement of the Ignit Emperor.

This was equivalent to the will of the entire West Continent.

Simultaneously, many of the southern nations of the East Continent collectively defined Roman as the Enemy of Humanity.

This threw the confused nations of the East Continent into chaos.

They were left undecided, debating whether they should fully turn against Roman, who had dominated the East Continent for a long time, or wait a bit longer to see how things played out.

As chaos descended upon the East Continent, Ignit promptly made the next announcement.

“Plans for the Human Alliance are underway. We invite allied nations to combat the Enemy of Humanity.”