Chapter 22

The Haiselk Empire was a small country in a region where countless kings and lords vied for power.

The first war after its founding was considered a defensive war, where the enemy's main force was lured into their territory and annihilated in the field.

Having achieved a decisive victory, the Haiselk Empire, riding the momentum, annexed the territory of the opposing country.

In a region where small countries were scattered, the balance of power was crucial. The surrounding countries, alarmed by the rise of Haiselk, formed an alliance and invaded, but after decades of prolonged warfare, Haiselk was the only country left standing.

To the surrounding mid-sized countries, Haiselk was a troublesome small country that had overstepped its bounds and continued to expand.

Initially, all countries felt this way. The first to notice the anomaly was the Liberian Commercial Federation when one of its vassal states suffered a major defeat and requested reinforcements from the mainland.

Liberia sent an excessive 10,000 troops, bringing the total to 15,000 when combined with the vassal state's forces, which outnumbered Haiselk by more than two to one. The terrain also favored Liberia, and everyone expected a decisive victory. However, the result was a crushing defeat for Liberia, and the vassal state had to cede part of its territory to Haiselk.

The strength and combat experience of Haiselk's soldiers, which were unheard of in a small country, forced Liberia to revise its perception and pay a high price.

Next to notice was the former Kingdom of Kanoa. A border lord, feeling threatened by Haiselk's expansion, clashed with Haiselk over the control of a river.

The battle lasted only six days, and the lord lost his entire territory. The lord and his family were all killed, and the land was seized by Haiselk.

This was when the neighboring country, Ferius Creist, witnessed the threat of the Haiselk Empire. However, welcoming the weakening of a fellow mid-sized country by a newcomer, Ferius did not offer any cooperation or aid, choosing instead to remain a spectator.

Subsequently, the former Kanoa and Mayard, facing a defensive war and a just cause, also submitted to the empire. The remaining mid-sized countries in the north were reduced to three. With Haiselk's territory now surpassing that of mid-sized countries, it was unclear how far Haiselk's territorial ambitions would extend.

What was once a small territory, comparable to a goblin's body, had become one of the largest in the region.

Moreover, if the half-paralyzed Ferius fell, no surrounding country could stand against it. The three major powers, being immovable, would not act, and the calculating Haiselk Empire would not provoke them.

The anxiety and fear of the surrounding countries were leading to unprecedented events.

In a room of the Kingdom of Creist, which bordered both Ferius and Liberia, the knights were on full alert.

One of the invited dignitaries, Hugo Eavans, the Foreign Minister of the Liberian Commercial Federation, sat at one end of the round table. He formed a fire magic spell and lit a cigar, puffing out purple smoke.

One of Creist's guards, noticing the activated fire magic, gave Hugo a suspicious look. Hugo had been a foreign minister for ten years, but his path had not been smooth.

He had fought on the battlefield as an infantryman and experienced countless battles. His bald head was a result of being burned along with his helmet.

Even in his old age, he was confident he could handle a few infantrymen, but he knew his skills would not be effective against the guards of representatives from various countries.

"Your dedication to duty is truly commendable."

Hugo, smiling with his scarred cheek, praised the Creist knight, but the response was cold.

"Thank you."

With the addition of the Kingdom of Ferius and the Duchy of Mayard to the war against the Haiselk Empire, Hugo and the other members of the Liberian Commercial Federation were initially in high spirits, but recent developments were not favorable.

The two countries, which had been struggling, had fallen into a pitiful state. The Duchy of Mayard had been conquered, and the Kingdom of Ferius was preoccupied with defending its mainland.

The prospect of Haiselk being bogged down on multiple fronts was enough to disappoint Hugo.

Hugo looked around the table.

In the center was Chester Creist of the host country, the Kingdom of Creist. To his right was Baliston Ferius, the king of Ferius, who was under invasion by Haiselk.

Compared to his muscular brother Winston, whom Hugo had met during a previous meeting, Baliston's already thin frame had become even thinner. His complexion was poor, but his eyes were more intense than when Chester had last seen him. They were the eyes of a man who had lost his composure and was cornered, a type of person Hugo liked.

"Indeed, the Kingdom of Ferius is in a dire situation. I never thought Mayard would fall and lose more than half of its field army... It's truly pitiful, and I can't find the words to express my sympathy."

Hugo was the first to speak.

"Ha, thank you for your kind words. I never thought we'd be in the same position as Liberia."

Hugo's sarcasm was met with a fierce glare from Baliston.

"Well... the same position? I don't recall Ferius losing a third of its territory like Mayard."

"That's enough. We didn't gather here to enjoy polite conversation."

Chester, the host, intervened. Hugo had no intention of seriously provoking Baliston. He was just warming up his mouth before getting to the main topic.

"Indeed. Let's skip the formalities. By the way—"

Hugo paused and looked at one corner of the table.

"Who is the beautiful young lady?"

At the end of his gaze sat a young girl. From her gestures and demeanor, it was clear she was of noble blood, but Hugo had no information on her. This was supposed to be a multilateral meeting involving Liberia, Ferius, and Creist.

The limited number of close aides stood behind the main figures at the table. Only those with significant influence over the fate of their countries could sit here. To Hugo, she seemed out of place.

"Mayard."

Baliston answered, and the girl continued.

"My name is Rita Mayard. I am representing Mayard."

Hugo's mind raced. He had not met her personally, but he knew of her existence.

"Ah, you are Lord Yuse's daughter. I'm surprised you managed to escape. However, it's odd for a representative of a fallen Mayard to be here."

Rita answered without being emotionally swayed by Hugo's words.

"Thanks to a reliable knight... Indeed, Mayard has lost more than half of its territory, but Celta still remains."

After a moment of thought, Hugo clapped his hands.

"Celta... Yes, the water resources and waterways there were economically strategic, but now they only function as a base for the lake dragons. With a strong navy and the remaining soldiers, the benefits are minimal. Haiselk wouldn't bother with it."

While Hugo understood that the large Lake Celta and its surrounding rivers were strategically important for resources and the economy, the current inhabitants brought more disadvantages than benefits.

Moreover, despite being weak in land combat, Mayard's navy, which had long controlled the lake, was highly skilled. Hugo regretted that Haiselk was not foolish enough to easily engage and suffer losses.

"Yes, that was true until recently, but the lake dragons have been defeated."

Hugo's face, which had remained composed since the meeting began, finally twisted.

"Defeated recently, you say?"

"Yes, they have been defeated."

The lake dragons, while classified as sub-dragons, were among the most powerful monsters. Their massive jaws could crush even ogres and trolls. When a lake dragon attacked a Liberian water city before the change of leadership, it took the sacrifice of two and a half squadrons of the defense force to defeat it.

Such a large-scale sacrifice would have reached Hugo's ears through merchants and spies.

"That's excellent news. The brave soldiers must have worked hard."

"Fortunately, there were no casualties."

It was Chester, who controlled the opposite shore of the lake, who interjected.

"Against the lake dragons?"

Hugo's lips twisted in disbelief.

"Thanks to Mayard's navy, Creist's knights, and the visitors from another world. They didn't quite achieve a one-to-a-thousand ratio, but they performed as well as a hundred or two hundred soldiers."

Chester clapped his hands, and one of the young men standing by the wall stepped forward.

"One of the visitors from another world."

"Nice to meet you... My name is Yuto Asama."

The young man who introduced himself had black hair and black eyes. He seemed young and inexperienced, and his movements were stiff. Without the information that he was a visitor from another world, Hugo would never have believed he was the one who defeated the lake dragon.

"Indeed, to defeat a lake dragon at your age is truly remarkable. The name of your world is quite exotic. If we weren't in this setting, I would love to hear the story of how you defeated the lake dragon."

Hugo wanted to assess the magic and skills the young man possessed and how he fought, but he understood that the people at the table were not foolish enough to reveal such information.

"Not at all. I just followed the orders of Creist's knights and fought."

The appearance of Rita and Yuto, as well as Chester's strategy, was clear to Hugo.

"Young as you are, both Lady Rita and Lord Yuto are truly excellent."

Hugo said this half in flattery and half in sincerity. Creist, with its connection to another world, had developed both militarily and economically. The idea of human resources falling from the sky was something Hugo wished was just a fairy tale.

"Let's get back to the main topic."

Chester said this with satisfaction. Hugo was confident that the discussions among the three countries were already concluded.

"The suzerain and former vassal states, the interests of the lake, and the military balance—these are the materials I will use in the negotiations."

"Let me be straightforward. Ferius seeks a strong alliance. A four-country alliance, with Lake Celta as the economic zone, focusing on both military and economic cooperation."

Baliston suddenly launched his attack on Hugo.

Hugo believed that diplomacy was not much different from war, and in fact, he strongly believed that war was a part of diplomacy.

Being placed in such a position, Hugo was already frustrated that the groundwork had been laid before the verbal battle even began, but at the same time, it was an attractive proposal.

"That's a bold move."

Forming an alliance would immediately lead to a full-scale war with the Haiselk Empire. However, this proposal could not be ignored for the future of the Liberian Commercial Federation. The growing Haiselk Empire would eventually have to be confronted.

To secure as many rights as possible—Hugo's mind was working at high speed. Unbeknownst to him, he was genuinely enjoying the situation more than when he was engaged in trivial conversations.

"Please continue. This is a crucial discussion that concerns the glory and decline of our countries."

The scarred skin on Hugo's face twisted when he smiled, but he no longer felt the pain.