Chapter 263:
It was a fact that everyone had forgotten, but at this point, the legitimate ruler of Bagran was Princess Adela.
She had not yet had a coronation ceremony, but she was the only one who had the blood of Bagran, and this was recognized by many people.
But what really mattered was who had the actual power.
Adela enjoyed a wealthy life as a successor, but she had no real authority.
Her role was to wake up in the morning, receive the greetings of Count Vanduss officials, glance over the piles of documents on the carriage, and nod her head.
She was excluded from the work and it did not cause any problems.
Adela began to feel dissatisfied with this treatment over time.
She had made a promise with Count Vandus that after Bagran stabilized, they would review various issues and exchange opinions.
In other words, they agreed to rule Bagran together.
But he seemed to have no intention of doing so, and he expanded his influence.
Not only that, but all kinds of people flocked to the palace, who had nothing to do with Bagran.
Adela was very unhappy with this situation, but she could not do anything about it.
Her few confidants advised her not to oppose Count Vanduss faction.
Your Highness, I understand your feelings for Bagran. But Count Vandus is a very scary person. You must not confront him.
His people are even more so. Especially that bald guy He has a combat power that can look down on the royal guards.
Then what do you want me to do?
The confidants suggested this to Adela, who was frustrated.
Give up the throne to him.
It would be better to let him become the king of Bagran and promise your safety.
What do you mean give up? The throne of Bagran is a sacred right bestowed by the Astera Pantheon!
It was absurd to give up the throne to a mere nobleman who had no blood relation with the royal family.
But Count Vandus was in a situation where he had all the authority, and most of the royal guards were loyal to him.
He even organized his own company and competed for the market share.
Bagran itself was falling into his hands.
It was impossible for a young princess who was not even 15 years old to resist him.
Adela was not as stupid as her sister Eolin, so she knew her reality well.
Moreover, the dark clouds that began to gather recently made her nervous.
What on earth did he do? He had enemies everywhere.
There was a rumor among the palace maids that a war would break out soon.
Wow, what does it mean that the letter from the imperial prince of Galisto is red?
Red means a serious warning, right? What did he dislike so much
He made the lion of Galisto lame and didnt give any explanation. Its understandable.
And he also reversed the charge of killing the elf princess You know, there was a firework in the sky a while ago. The airship exploded and killed the elf princess along with it.
Doesnt that mean Elvrande and Zaium are targeting this country?
You have to include Galisto too. They are determined to stake their lives and gather their armies. Its a big trouble.
When she heard this far, Adelas thoughts expanded to the point where she had to participate in the war as a royal family member.
Just like King Bagran III did in the front line against Elvrande.
It was an absolute duty that could not be avoided by being born as a royal family member.
It was not imposed on a young girl, but once she started to be afraid, she felt like she had to rush to the battlefield right away.
God, I dont want to die
Adela was young and did not know much about the world.
Yet she knew very well how huge Elvrande and Zaium were.
She heard rumors that Count Vandus had great skills, but she thought he would be no match for the two empires anyway.
It was not wrong from a general perspective.
No matter how strong an individual was, it was almost impossible to oppose a huge force.
In addition, the bureaucrats that Leobold planted in the palace encouraged her decision.
Your Highness, instead of spending every night in anxiety and worry, why dont you give up the throne and live comfortably?
You also tell me to give up the throne
Think about it. If a war breaks out and we win, it would be great. But we cant ignore the case if we lose.
Nod nod.
Most of the responsibility will be on Count Vandus, but you will not be able to avoid all of it.
Why? I didnt do anything
Because you are a royal family. That is the fate of those who have the ether bloodline.
There is no one else in Bagran who is a royal family except me Will they still kill me?
Excuse me, but Princess Eolin is alive. She is now a noble of Zaium, so she will have no trouble ruling Bagran again.
Th-that
Now Adela was obsessed with the delusion that a war would break out and she would be executed.
If her sister Eolin took her place, there would be no greater tragedy.
What should I do?
Blame everything on Count Vandus. Give up the throne and secure the minimum living conditions. Then everything will be resolved naturally.
She did not want to hand it over to a nobleman who was not even a royal family member, but she could not ignore the realistic aspect.
Princess Adela listened to the advice of the maids.
Isnt it better to save your life first and then plan for the future?
If you ask Count Vandus nicely, he will guarantee you a comfortable life as much as possible.
We will also follow you to the end, Your Highness.
It was a lie.
Leobolds influence had already reached them deeply.
They agreed to give up their noble titles in exchange for maintaining a wealthy life and a minimum of honor.
They secretly communicated with Arma through ether, and neither Adela nor her few confidants knew anything about it.
Thanks to that, Adela made a wrong decision.
I guess I have to avoid the storm Ill meet Count Vandus. He promised me the treatment as a royal family, so he wont treat me so badly.
But what was this?
She was surprised after meeting Leobold.
He had a brilliant halo behind his head.
It was not magic, but what was it?
It made her feel comfortable and warm just by looking at it.
The ether of the mind that emanated from the halo turned into a wide-area blessing and had a slight influence on the surrounding people.
It was just making them feel good for now, but if they entered the battle, it could have amazing effects such as secreting adrenaline and eliminating fear.
This was all the result of Armas complete analysis of ether.
If the results of Armas analysis and the fusion reactor of Settler ship were combined, they could look down on Asteras faith.
Anyway, Adela was overwhelmed by Leobolds atmosphere.
I heard you gave up the throne.
Ill ask you, Count Vandus. Do you have confidence in making this country prosper? Can you raise the name of Bagran and make it honorable?
Leobold knelt before her and kissed her hand.
Tell me what you want. I will keep my promise to Prince Ruad of Soshin and not abandon the name of Bagran. And I will also promise you a decent living so that you wont suffer from poverty.
Then, then Come on, bring me the seal and the crown.
An impromptu coronation ceremony was held.
Princess Adela personally placed the crown, the symbol of royal authority, on Leobolds head as he knelt.
With this, Leobold Vandus was confirmed as the sole and legitimate king of Bagran.
All the civil and military officials who attended the ceremony confirmed this, and Conrad, the chief secretary, recorded it in the law and codex.
On August 3rd, 1038 of the Continental Calendar. Leobold Vandus ascended to the throne of Bagran.
***
Leobold became king, but nothing much changed.
He had been holding all the power in Bagran before.
He allowed Princess Adela, who had renounced her succession rights and retired, to stay in a separate palace and provided her with the utmost convenience.
He promised her a wealthy life and gave her a bundle of gifts, which relieved her and a few of her close aides.
But not everyone welcomed his ascension.
Princess Eolin, who had married into Zaium, officially opposed Leobolds ascension through a formal letter.
But the opposition of a foreigner had no great significance.
Leobold didnt care and issued a proclamation throughout Bagran.
All nobles in Bagran must return their titles by August. The compensation will follow Article 15, Section 3 of the Codex.
It was an order to return all titles, not just for major nobles, so there was considerable resistance.
But the current king was an absolute ruler who held everything in Bagran.
He had enormous wealth and military power, and above all, he had a blue dragon with him.
The nobles recalled the memory of Zigarion burning down the western territory and one by one returned their titles.
Of course, there were some factions that opposed it.
The ether bloodline is given by the gods. How can we return it?
The compensation is nothing but preserving our property. This is not enough.
Some nobles tried to hold out until the end, citing the fact that the neighboring countries were not stable.
They judged that Zaium would not remain silent.
But their judgment turned out to be wrong.
Zaium did not take any concrete action even after August passed, and Leobolds promised deadline approached.
He sent knights, including Balgard, to several territories that were still holding out.
The knights armed with black armor literally trampled down the territories.
The death of Ander Viscount, who resisted until the end in the north, and Armas return of his title marked the end of any nobles in Bagran.
Of course, this was only officially so, and it would take a considerable amount of time for people to accept it.
Leobold and Armas various technologies and inventions would shorten that time.
As soon as the integration was completed, Leobold announced a national development plan.
It was an ambitious plan to lay railways throughout Bagrans territory and complete urbanization within three years.
It also included a logistics system using airships and an overall improvement of agriculture and fisheries, including livestock farming.
The bureaucrats who learned of this were in an uproar.
They thought it was impossible to complete everything within three years.
And when Arma was appointed as the new finance minister, their dissatisfaction reached its peak.
How can someone who is not even an ether bloodline be the finance minister of new Bagran?
The finance minister is originally an imperial position. Adopting it is disrespectful to the empire.
I admit that he has served well for His Majesty Vandus so far, but finance minister is too much It would be right to choose from among central bureaucrats.
There was so much talk that Leobold called Arma and them in.
You seem to be dissatisfied with Arma being appointed as finance minister. Then let me ask you one thing. Director of Resource Industry.
Yes, Your Majesty.
How many mines are there in Bagran?
13 14 as far as I know.
The bureaucrats breathed a sigh of relief when an easy answer came out unexpectedly.
In fact, they had done a lot of prior learning before meeting with the king.
It was obvious that he would ask various details according to his personality.
But this was just the beginning.
When Leobold asked about the amount of minerals produced from each mine, the supply plan for scarce copper, and even the latest mining technology introduced from Imir Republic, they began to stutter.
I dont know anything about that
Is that so? I think Arma would know well.
He gestured, and she coughed and gave a perfect answer.
She even mentioned the silver separation method, which even the dwarves might not know well.
What are the advantages of the silver separation method?
It is much faster to separate silver than the conventional extraction and amalgamation methods. And it doesnt require a large number of workers, so it saves costs.
She recited it on the spot as if she had invented the silver separation method herself.
The director of resource industry couldnt even judge if it was right.
Leobold nodded and pointed to another bureaucrat.
He was startled and answered his question, but somehow it seemed suspicious.
On the other hand, Armas details were perfect.
Listen, gentlemen. Arma has raised the eastern territory to the same level as the western territory according to my orders. The cities of Lantis and Ohamel have higher incomes than any other cities in the country. Do any of you have achievements that match him?
They all had nothing to say and just looked around.
There was a rumor among Leobolds aides that Arma was a real deal, but this was beyond imagination.
He didnt care about the field, so he was well-versed in everything from fisheries, livestock farming, mining, etc. and seemed to be familiar with the field.
In fact, this was because the existing bureaucrats didnt know much about the field.
Anyway, the bureaucrats had no choice but to accept Arma as finance minister.
Leobold emphasized again.
There is no such thing as a given position in new Bagran. It doesnt matter what title you had before, or how much wealth you have. Bring me results.
Result-orientedness had its dangerous aspects, but there would be no major side effects as long as there was Arma, a fair being.
Anyway, she started working on remodeling Bagran after taking office as finance minister.
Bagran is small with a population of about 3 million, so its hard to see great effects. At best, we can activate agriculture and fisheries and add some industries.
Well have to eat Galisto.
Galisto was a fairly large country with a population of 7 million.
It was a minor level compared to Zaium, but it was the biggest one around Bagran.
Its various industries were also developed, especially mining and ether engineering.
If we absorb Galisto, well have a population of 10 million, and if we include Gram Kingdom and neighboring kingdoms, 12 million.
It was only 1/9 of a mega citys population, but it would explode once nitrogen fertilizer was produced.
Leobolds short-term goal was to integrate Zaiums southeast and form an independent region.
It would be better to avoid a full-scale war with Zaium until then.
But he didnt intend to completely avoid war.
Leobold summoned the military and diplomatic bureaucrats.
As you all know, the conflict with Galisto has reached its peak. War is inevitable, but it will be quite different from the previous ones. Keep that in mind and attend the meeting.
Camilla also attended the meeting.
She smirked when she heard Leobolds words that he would not use even one Goliath.
Then what are you going to use for war?
People. War is originally done by people. We have to teach that to Galisto.
It was doubtful whether it would go as he thought.
***
After Leobold cut off the arm of Galistos envoy and sent it back, the relationship between the two countries was almost severed.
Galisto denounced Bagran and began preparing for war.
There was a strong public opinion that they should teach Leobold, who acted arrogantly, a lesson this time.
The two countries had never been on good terms, but Leobold was more so.
He stole three of our airships and didnt return them. We must get them back this time.
He should have bowed down and entered if he became a vassal, but he cut off the envoys arm? Does he think Galisto is a joke if he shows some strength?
His Majesty Vandus combat prowess is undeniable, but war is not done by ones personal power. We have to teach him that.
However, Galisto was not reckless in preparing for war.
They thoroughly analyzed several battles that Leobold participated in and concluded that a frontal confrontation with Goliath would have little chance of winning.
His martial arts that smashed Tiren and dozens of Elven Knights are honestly admirable.
The knights also said that a frontal confrontation would be suicidal. Therefore, we have to find another way.
The way Zaium dealt with Tiren would be good. Its to give up the battlefield where he appears and push elsewhere.
But Galistos strategists were skeptical about this method.
It was doubtful whether it would work on Leobold, who overwhelmed Tiren and Elven Knights, when they couldnt even properly blockade Tiren.
Some even argued that Leobold cutting off the envoys arm itself was a trap.
He openly picked a fight, which means hes already prepared. We shouldnt be swayed by his actions.
Weve been insulted, but if we stay still, the nobles will rise up. We have to retaliate by any means necessary.
Galistos politics were divided into hardliners and moderates, and they had a fierce debate.
What stopped them was Pangral Archduke of Zaium.
He secretly visited Galisto and urged them to follow his will.
It is clear that we have to break Vandus nose this time. He is acting arrogantly and ignoring the summons of our country.
But how do we do that His power is formidable.
Palcus II, who had recently become king, was grinding his teeth at Bagran and Leobold, but he had no clear breakthrough.
Pangral Archduke whispered to him secretly.
Ive dug up something from the Holy State. They call it a relic of God, but it has tremendous power.
Palus II opened his mouth wide.
A relic of God Thats amazing.
I dont know exactly what it is yet, but its something that blocked countless Goliath units during the Great War. That should be enough for Vandus.
A joy finally appeared on Palcus IIs face.
That should definitely work against Vandus!
Plus, Ill activate Meteor Strike when he shows up. I wont actually do it, but he wont notice it easily.
Oh, Meteor Strike would definitely help tie his ankles.
This should be enough.
Palus II began to increase his troops with Pangral Archdukes cooperation.
And that inevitably reached Armas ears.
The relic of God that Pangral Archduke mentioned is a fragment of Terahok, the god of time and space.
Like Cain?
Yes. It contains a part of the godhood, so it can perform great powers. According to the tests done by the Holy State, it can stop time as well as slow down a large area if there is ether stone. For example, like this.
The screen Arma showed had a scene where dozens of Goliaths ran and were slowed down by a large area slow.
The speed was reduced by half, which was enough to make them look almost stopped.
Thats amazing. Can you break it?
Of course. But the effect of that fragment is not all. According to Margretas notes, if certain conditions are met, the caster can go back in time.
Go back in time? Like I went back to Earth in the 21st century?
Only the soul, not the body.
Thats a vague power.
Its useless if the casters soul goes back to the past, not sending the opponent.
Arma said quietly.
You can assassinate. Aether sensitivity is attached to the soul.
So you mean I can go back to before I was born and assassinate myself?
There are many factors to consider, such as dimensions, so I cant say for sure.
Arma had grasped the essence of ether, but it was different when time and space were mixed.
There was still a lot he didnt know about this ether universe.
Anyway, it was clear that Galisto was preparing for various things.
They secured the relic of God and planned to get Pangral Archdukes support, so they might be confident in their own way.
But they would be quite embarrassed when they met the Bagran army.
What they fought with their Goliaths was not Goliath.
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