章 16: Prologue
Vittelvarlay, capital of Revlon, sat in the center of the great empire, which spanned the
entire northwest area of the northern continent.
In the days of the unified Revlon Empire, this massive capital had been the seat of
power for the entire northern continent, and it had managed to maintain its splendor
even after the country was divided in two.
Towering buildings constructed of beautifully polished stones, broken up by
expansive roads and parks, sat behind the capital's colossal wall. The city gave off a
festive atmosphere, as people dressed in all manner of clothing passed through or
stopped to chat with one another.
In the center of the capital sat the majestic Dyonburgh palace, which completely
dwarfed the city surrounding it.
Off in a far-flung corner of the palace, several people—who, together, essentially ran
the Great West Revlon Empire—were talking animatedly among themselves. At the
front of the intricately decorated parliamentary chambers, Emperor Gaulba Revlon
Selziofebs sat atop the throne, giving him a commanding view of the room.
The emperor's forehead was creased with deep wrinkles below his delicately combed,
soft, white hair, which matched the long beard sprouting from his chin. His eyes were
sharp, intense, and piercing. Atop his head he wore a golden circlet, practically buried
in precious gems—the imperial crown. Dressed in luxurious clothes and a flowing
cape, the emperor sat with his chin propped on his fist, the intricately designed royal
scepter by his side, making it known to all who entered the kind of power he wielded.
A sloppily dressed, though handsome, young man stood next to the displeased
emperor. Five consuls sat in designated seats in front of these two. Facing them all was
a room full of senatorial seats, arranged like an amphitheater. However, all fifty
senators were currently standing, yelling as loudly as they could to be heard above
one another.
"The number of monsters in Wetrias has increased dramatically as of late, and they've
taken heavy losses. The town itself is practically closed off! We should send the
imperial army at once. Wetrias borders the river, and while the eastern empire
currently seems content to wait on the far shore, it's only a matter of time until they
cross!"
"What are you saying?! We already have a contingent of the Northern Imperial Army
permanently stationed in Wetrias! They should easily be able to wipe out whatever
little monsters are bothering them!"
"He speaks the truth! We'll be the laughingstock of the east if we mobilize the Northern
Imperial Army—2,000 soldiers if you count the surrounding domains—to provide
support. To say nothing of the financial burden it will put on the nobility. You don't
think they'll simply pay with a smile, do you?"
"Watch your tongue! It must be nice to stay walled off between the forests surrounding
the Urat and Siana mountain ranges down south! Would now be a good time to bring
up the stories I've heard about soldiers from the Southern Imperial Army being
dispatched to slay monsters and perform other menial work?"
The senators were evidently out for themselves, each only interested in securing
whatever was best for their own faction. The argument continued as the men hurled
insults at one another. Since the Great West Revlon Empire was broken up into four
regions, scenes like this were common, with the senators constantly jockeying for
power.
The emperor glanced at the handsome man beside him as the unpleasant argument
continued. Salwis du Ohst was the steward of the royal palace, charged with assisting
the emperor in both public and private affairs. He rarely ever showed any emotion,
save for the simple grin that permanently graced his face.
Emperor Gaulba leaned over to Salwis, whispering so the nearby consuls couldn't hear
him. "What do you make of these monsters?"
The consuls and senators were too busy arguing among themselves to pay any
attention. Salwis continued to face forward as he spoke in a low voice.
"My guess is that the east finally secured the beast tamer ability our spies previously
caught wind of. I'd imagine they're planning to make their way down from Wetrias to
the port of Bulgoh."
The emperor grimaced at this.
"According to reports, ogres and giant basilisks have been sighted around Wetrias. If
this is true, it's a threat we can't afford to ignore."
"But the east hasn't responded to this threat, meaning we can't be certain they're not
the ones behind the attacks. What if they're just trying to tie up our forces?"
The emperor shifted on his throne, his eyes never leaving the scene in front of him.
"Hmph. If the eastern brat was that simpleminded, we'd have swallowed him up long
ago. Maybe they just haven't been able to muster their full forces yet. Maybe they're
planning a surprise attack."
"So, should we leave the defense of Wetrias up to the Northern Imperial Army?"
The Northern Imperial Army was led by Lieutenant General Minzaya du Orberoid. He
was charged with defending the entire northeast region of the Great West Revlon
Empire, and was currently stationed where the Aegene and Siary rivers met, forming
the boundaries with the Soowin Kingdom to the north and the Holy East Revlon
Empire to the east.
"No. If we do nothing and things escalate in Wetrias, we could very well be inviting
Jeroyna to attack us as well. We need to avoid further driving a wedge between the
north and the south."
The emperor drummed his fingers on one of the throne's armrests.
"However, if we leave this up to Minzaya and his aggressive posturing, he might just
abandon Februent and make a mad dash to Wetrias. We can't leave the north
undefended."
Emperor Gaulba let out a heavy sigh.
Salwis continued. "I imagine the events in Rhoden pushed the east to act now."
The emperor's brow furrowed at this offhand remark.
Salwis was referring to the coup d'e tat currently underway in Rhoden. The Holy East
Revlon Empire had supported the second prince, Dakares, as the successor to the
throne, while the Great West Revlon Empire was backing the first prince, Sekt. Prince
Dakares had attempted to assassinate both Prince Sekt and Princess Yuriarna, another
possible successor to the throne. However, they had recently received reports that
Prince Sekt had managed to turn the tables on Dakares. Still, with Princess Yuriarna
dead, it left Sekt as the heir apparent to the Rhoden Kingdom.
With Prince Sekt's support, the Great West Revlon Empire planned to join forces with
the Rhoden Kingdom to invade the Holy East Revlon Empire. If all went well, the two
sides would once again be reunited.
But before they could act, the attacks in Wetrias had begun.
Gaulba figured that the Holy East Revlon Empire had decided now was the time to
draw first blood, before Prince Sekt could take the throne and formalize his
relationship with the Great West Revlon Empire.
"Without a doubt. We need to get that little Rhoden runt to hurry up and put himself
in power."
Emperor Gaulba stood, grabbing his scepter and stamping it on the ground several
times. The squabbling senators immediately went quiet and turned their attention
toward the emperor. He cast an angry gaze across the room.
"Quiet!" The emperor's voice boomed throughout the chamber. "If we leave Wetrias to
fend for itself, it will only be a matter of time before those insurgents to the east make
their way across the river. In addition to dispatching the Northern Imperial Army to
Wetrias to secure a swift victory, I will also be dispatching troops from the Southern
Imperial Army, based in Tarbol."
A wave of groans rippled through the gathered senators. An older man within the
crowd raised his hand. The emperor tilted his chin, inviting the man to step forward.
The man bowed briefly before speaking.
"The Tarbol region is frequently under attack by monsters from the Urat and Behyon
mountain ranges. Excuse my insolence, but I fear that… were we to dispatch the
Southern Imperial Army to Wetrias, this could have an impact on trade between the
north and south."
Several other senators nodded in agreement. The emperor stroked his beard,
contemplating the situation.
"Send Lieutenant General Keeling's army in Hartbahlk to Tarbol. The Tarbol militia
will have to suffice until they arrive."
"But that will leave Hartbahlk undefended…"
The ridiculing voices of the other senators cut the old man off.
"That region is protected by forests on either side. What is there to defend?"
Several senators laughed at this.
"Have you said your piece? If there are any other objections, let them be known now."
The senators exchanged glances before returning to their seats. Only the old man
remained standing.
Salwis looked around the room, declared the issue settled, and moved on to the next
agenda item.
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