5. Invasion>-From a conversation between Narasha I and Viscount Tallin☆ ☆ ☆The Lagrang region, located in the northeastern part of the Kingdom of Taran.
Situated beneath the Sky Mountains, roughly midway between the border of the Kingdom of Tian and Taran’s capital, Stantal, this region had long been better known by its epithet:
It was a land so blessed that one could not help but feel it had received divine favor.
When grain was planted, it grew three or four times more than in other regions. The grain produced in Lagrang was enough to feed all of Taran and still have surplus left to export to Tian.
The mountains adjacent to the Sky Mountains never ran dry of gold, silver, iron ore, and rare metals, no matter how much they were mined.
The people were always healthy and overflowing with talent.
There was even a study by the Exile Grand Council of Magic stating that those born here had, on average, Vander values about five points higher than others.
The Kingdom of Taran had not originally been a strong nation.
Taran became a powerful kingdom two hundred years ago, after Stantal I—who had slaughtered Taran’s royal family in a rebellion and newly ascended the throne—swallowed up the Lagrang region.
Because Lagrang had been so bountiful, it had grown complacent in peace. Stantal threw his full might against it and conquered it, and after that, the Kingdom of Taran developed at a rapid pace.
Taran’s food, talent, and wealth all came from this place.
If this place were taken, the Kingdom of Taran’s strength would immediately plummet to half its current level. No, in the long term, it would fall even lower.
Conversely, the enemy’s strength would increase by just as much.
Naturally, the Kingdom of Taran had always striven to protect this region. Even more than its capital.
And until now, not once had the Lagrang region ever been breached.
No—not even the borderlands outside Lagrang had ever been breached.
Because they were Taran, a military superpower.
That was why the shock was all the greater.
“Narasha, that insane bastard…….”
Stantal IV, who ruled Taran in the king’s stead, ground his teeth.
To think he would be stabbed in the back like this!
When Usharan started a war, he had been moving troops so that he could devour it the moment it showed an opening. He had never dreamed that Tian would strike him from behind.
To begin with, when he heard that Narasha couldn’t even control a single Gran-Bander and had let him run loose outside, he had thought the man merely clever but ultimately a fool. And yet he had pulled something like this!
Though he had let his guard down, he had by no means neglected the borderlands. No, rather, because Tian was in chaos over the transfer of royal authority, he had kept military discipline at the border stricter than usual, intending to invade at once if the chance arose.
But Narasha’s preparations had been even more meticulous.
Count Roman and that Sword Duke Kirain had pretended to gather armed groups for defense, then charged in all at once.
Thanks to that, the border was breached before their own great warriors could even rush there, and the enemy was now racing fiercely toward the Lagrang region.‘Narasha… that brat prepared quite a lot.’To Stantal IV, who had ruled the powerful nation of Taran until the age of ninety, Narasha was nothing more than a brat who had just ascended the throne. He had never expected the border leading to the Lagrang region to be breached by such a fellow.
Now he could no longer look down on him. The man was proving himself through results.
At least for this moment, he had risen high enough to oppose him.
That was why it was now time to crush him with all his might.‘Brat… I was getting restless anyway, so this is perfect. I’ll use this chance to plunder your capital and everything else.’Perhaps this was for the best. While those Usharan bastards were also distracted by war, he would crush Tian himself. He would not even let them reach the Lagrang region.
“Attend me! Summon all four great warriors except Kranon!”
The four Gran-Banders who upheld the Kingdom of Taran, excluding Kranon, who guarded the border with Usharan.
Four Gran-Banders would be more than enough to utterly trample that brat.
Before they reached the Lagrang region, he would crush them at Talos.☆ ☆ ☆“…
So Dragona is being called over there again this time?”
“That’s right, Sian.”
“And Father is already over there?”
“…
That’s right.”
Crack.
After hearing his brother’s words, Sian felt something twisting unpleasantly inside him.
For a family that lived apart from the world, his household was far too entangled with it.
His family members were not weak, but there were certainly people on the battlefield stronger than his father and brother.
Having thought that far, Sian reached a conclusion.
If King Narasha continued to wage wars, and if he placed the Roman family at the vanguard, then Sian would have no choice but to be dragged along.
He had to settle this directly.
Having thought that far, Sian headed for the royal palace.
If it came to it… he intended to use his last resort as well.
“Do not worry. The Lagrang region will be the last war.”
“Hmm…….”
King Narasha looked calmly at Sian, who was wearing a somewhat sullen expression, but inwardly he was feeling anxious.
Judging by the expression on the child named Sian’s face, it seemed he was nearing the limit of his patience.
In fact, the way he kept clenching and unclenching his fist clearly expressed his willingness to use his hands if necessary, making him extremely threatening.‘Whew… yes… he has endured quite a lot already…….’For someone possessing absolute power, he had indeed endured a great deal.
What Narasha was most worried about right now was neither the old man Stantal nor the great warriors of the Kingdom of Taran.
To win the war, he needed the Roman family’s help.
The problem was how long Sian, standing before him, would tolerate that.
The moment Sian judged that blowing off Narasha’s head was the easiest way to keep the Roman family from being entangled in war any longer, the Narasha royal house would come to an end after only a year.
Thinking that, Narasha sighed inwardly.
In every way, he was superior to the child named Sian before him.
Power, wealth, influence went without saying, and even in the art of handling people, connections, judgment, wisdom, social tact, dignity as a king, charisma, and the charm to lead people… he was overwhelming in every respect.
But because of one thing—just one thing—in which he was inferior to the child before him, he always had to watch the boy’s mood.
“In any case, we cannot continue a war of conquest for long. The limit of how far we can advance is Lagrang.”
“…….”
Seeing Sian’s expression, which seemed to say he did not understand, Narasha felt that further explanation was necessary.‘Haa… to think that I, a king, must even play the role of a teacher…….’“First, I will state the premise. I want talents like Count Roman and Sir Rian to overflow within the nation, but I absolutely do not want someone with power like yours to raise Tian up.”
“Mm… why is that?”
Sian asked, curious. Was it not good for a nation to have many powerful warriors?
“Because… talents like Count Roman or Sir Rian can be made, and they can be found. But someone like you cannot be made, and there will be no one like you in the future or the past.”
At those words, Sian began to understand to some extent.
Gran-Banders and Masters were not common, but they had always existed and lived among society.
But another being with strength like his might appear in Tian, yet they would never work for Tian.
“What I want is not a kingdom that borrows the power of one extraordinary individual, but one where the nation itself constantly produces powerful warriors and forces, and grows through a proper system… no, not a kingdom, but an empire.”
A proper organization must not depend on the ability of a single person.
Humans were imperfect beings, and if an organization depended on one human, it would collapse greatly.
Only by establishing a system that could constantly produce outstanding talents, and by repeating the virtuous cycle in which those talents developed the organization, could it grow.
That was the first condition of the thousand-year empire he dreamed of.
“What about this incident?”
“This incident… I am sorry. But to control a man named Karagul, I needed your power. Such a thing will never happen again.”
“Hmm…….”
When Sian looked reasonably convinced by his frank admission, King Narasha continued.
“I want to make Tian strong without borrowing your power. If that is my aim, Lagrang is absolutely necessary, and that is why the war’s limit is the Lagrang region.”
“Hmm… why is that? Wouldn’t it be better to annex all of Karan or Taran?”
“To proceed to the next stage, what would be needed is not Count Roman’s power, but yours. I repeat: in truth, I do not much like borrowing your power.”‘Because I fear what I cannot control…….’There was no need to reveal his weakness, so he swallowed those words.
Every time he saw the child named Sian act, he had to worry that the backlash would return to him.
And if that backlash returned even once, everything he had gained until then would lose all meaning.
“Mm… I understand. You mean there is no particular need for me to exert myself, right?”
“In truth, if things go according to plan, there will be no need for your power. Tian’s power alone should be sufficient. You are only using your strength because you are worried about Count Roman and Sir Rian, are you not?”
Narasha deliberately spoke as if Tian and Sian were separate.
“Mm… that is true. Then… this will be the last time, right? The war?”
“That is right. If we take only the Lagrang region… Tian will become at least twice as strong as it is now… and then no one will dare pick a fight with us. I have already laid out all the plans for afterward, so do not worry.”‘Hmm… should I compromise around here…….’If it was only this one time, he could endure it to some degree. If there was no war, then no one would threaten his brother or father, so he would be able to wander about with an easy mind.
“Fine. Just this once.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“Ah, and one more thing!”
King Narasha focused his attention on what Sian would say next.
“Take me and my brother out of that thing called Dragona. Ah! And Sir Selin too.”
“…….”
“We’re going to follow Father around. I don’t have the spare attention to worry about that side too. You know… what was it… the thing we were in before… the 3rd Knight Order. Put us there. It’s safe, and just right.”
“…
Very well. I shall do that. If things go according to plan, your father will never be in danger… but if you are that worried, do as you wish.”
“I’m worried that plan will go awry. Whew… Ah, and please keep it a secret that I made this request.”
“…
Do not worry.”
After Sian left, King Narasha caught his breath.
Now the problem he had been most worried about had been resolved.
All that remained was to settle the Lagrang region.
If, with their help, he could just take Lagrang into his hands… Tian would be able to take its first step toward becoming a mighty empire that need fear no one.
Thinking of that moment, King Narasha smiled.