Vol 7 Chapter 6

ACT 6 Shrine of War

Schudenberg Kingdom, Bristania Kingdom, Sinius Principality……..some time ago, the rulers of the Three Kingdom fought over the supremacy of the continent using the War of the Shrines. The disturbing incident was reported in many places.

And there were also the ominous predictions from shrine priests……in recent years, the political situation became messier and caused a lot of issues. The kings began to feel anxious and eventually agreed to the Armistice Agreement over the border dispute. The agreement was rapidly made. But some problems occurred in the final stage. The influence of the Three Kingdoms in the Nagaran war was almost equal. Since it was a push and pull battle, it was hard to distinguish the borders.

That caused problems with the Armistice Agreement. They all wanted to expand their territories even further. They naturally asserted their rights and argued.

“That territory is ours. Didn’t we capture that castle a long time ago?”

“Bah, you’re just trying to plunder it using a lousy method.”

“Please refrain from saying that. Do you really want to continue the war for such a petty reason?”

The Schudenberg and Bristania Kingdom were loudly arguing while the Sinius Principality just sat quietly in the middle.

“Do you know how much we invested in that territory?”

“The territory is more about the people than the money. Didn’t half of the residents from that territory immigrate to my kingdom?”

“Be quiet! The important thing is who occupied the castle in the end.”

“If you put it like that then my troops were the ones who expanded the territory. If the battle continued then of course I would’ve taken over.”

“What? Are you insulting the honourable soldiers of the Bristania Kingdom? Did you want to try it?”

“No problem!”

The low level argument continued as the candles started to burn down. At that time, the Archbishop who was the mediator for the war talks suggested.

“Then how about all Three Kingdoms jointly manage the Nagaran territory.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“There’s an old saying. The sovereign reigns but does not dominate.”

“The sovereign reigns but does not dominate?”

The kings looked at him with eyes that asked what he was talking about.

“Is there a reason that your Majesties covet that territory?”

“When a territory is expanded, it brings peace and well-being to the residents……”

“This is the reason?”

The Archbishop smiled and briefly summarized.

“Isn’t it because of the tax obtained from the territory?”

“Hehehe, well. That is also important.”

They all blushed and coughed as their reason was explicitly pointed out. The reason that the kings desired the territory was indeed money! In fact, the kings were only focused on making money from the territory. Once they occupied a castle, it was possible to request a monthly tax from it. Taxes are responsible for the finances of the kingdom……..it was also an enormous help in funding the war between kingdoms. It was a cycle of them receiving the funds and using it to fund the war, capturing more castles and gaining even more money.

“If that’s the case, then this map isn’t needed.”

The Archbishop put the map away and stood up.

“Let me clarify the key points. The important thing isn’t permanently ruling the castles in Nagaran. It is for the money to enter Your Majesties pockets. Of course, you would be offended if you received less than the others. The heart of these talks is to divide it fairly so that everyone can be satisfied. If so, the solution is very simple. Although you will rule the area, you won’t dominate it.”

“…….I don’t understand so can you please explain it more easily?”

“The conclusion I was trying to reach is to open up Nagaran to the foreigners.”

“Foreigners?”

“Yes, the foreigners don’t really belong to any royal families. Although they follow the rules of the nation, they can’t really be called residents. We will give them the chance to rule a castle in Nagaran. Then they will have to pay a tax that the Three Kingdoms will share.”

“Hoo……”

A King began to show interest.

“I don’t need to explain how diligent the foreigners are. To them there is no night or day. One foreign merchant once spent 3 days and nights setting up a shop. They’ll work both day and night once they’ve captured a castle. Your Majesties purses would become thicker even faster.”

The Archbishop explained with a satisfied look.

“And once the foreigners occupy a castle, the soldiers will be able to relieve their nerves. After the long war the soldiers’ nerves are sharp and there are risks that a minor emotional fight will cause the war to spill over.”

“Indeed……..!”

One king burst out with admiration. Thanks to the Archbishop’s proposal, all the arguments were solved. They didn’t need to compromise and their pride also wasn’t hurt. Once the territory develops more, the income will become larger so there was no reason for their stomach to hurt. Because Nagaran had 12 castles, the income could be divided into 3 fairly. They also didn’t need to invest large amounts of money to restore Nagaran, an area that had become impoverished from the many years of war. At that time, the King of the Sinius Principality looked worried and opened his mouth.

“But the foreigners sometimes go too far.”

“Um, that’s right. I don’t know how honourably they will fight.”

“If the war is opened to the public, I’m afraid Nagaran will become even more impoverished.”

“Then wouldn’t rules be necessary?”

The Archbishop spread out a thick parchment. Using a pen he wrote down the special laws for Nagaran.

“This much should be enough. If we do any more then it will give the feeling of excessive interference.”

“It’s not bad”

“Okay. I’ll follow you to the end in this matter.”

The kings became satisfied and signed the Armistice Agreement. And the news was announced to the entire continent a few days later. Episode II: