37-94

EP.94 Balkan Civil War (6) 

While Yuno enjoyed a happy life in Ellerst and Diane’s group drove Mayer and Baron Kimberly hard to secure and develop more of Yuno’s territory budget, the time for the decisive battle between Prinz and Heinrich was drawing ever closer. 

Prinz’s Private Palace. 

“How are preparations for arming our troops coming along?” 

Because most of his forces were noble retainers, their equipment was generally a bit inferior to that of regular troops, so Prinz had ordered that arming them be made the top priority. 

“The classification by troop type is complete, and with the cooperation of the Blacksmiths’ Guild through the Alchemists’ Guild, preparations are underway! Everything should be finished within a week.” 

“A week is too late! There are only ten days left until the showdown with Heinrich, and the soldiers need time to get used to their new weapons! Get it done within five days, no matter what!” 

“Yes, Your Highness!” 

After the subordinate in charge of armaments left, Viscount Toys approached with a piece of intelligence. 

“Your Highness, it seems our forces may be slightly inferior to the Second Prince’s side.” 

“What do you mean? Didn’t we say we have far more noble retainers than they do? Even if you add up the retainers from twenty baronial families, that’s only about the size of one count’s retinue. And the viscounts and barons under the counts should be on our side too…” 

Since many of the high nobles at the core of the state council disliked Heinrich’s attitude, more of them had sided with Prinz. 

“Yes, that’s true… but it turns out that quite a few small noble families have even broken their vassal contracts with marquises and counts and sent their retainers to the Second Prince’s side.” 

“Hmph… So they’re gambling with their own lands… They must think losing their territory is no big deal if Heinrich wins.” 

“Yes. And it seems there are more mercenaries from the Kingdom of Alto than we expected. We tried to make contact, but they had already signed with the Second Prince’s side, so the only mercenaries we managed to hire were a few bands from Mehican.” 

Toys apologized, saying he wasn’t in charge of mercenary contracts but was acting as Prinz’s advisor. 

“No need to apologize. But the numbers aren’t that different, right?” 

“That’s correct. According to our intelligence, the Second Prince’s side has about 60,000 troops, and we have 52,000. It’s not an insurmountable gap.” 

“And our knightly orders are superior, right?” 

“Definitely. Not only in numbers, but the quality of knights from high and mid-level noble families is on another level. Unfortunately, Master Lichtenauer has retired, and Viscount Shupire is in the Royal Guard and can’t participate, and other masters have declared neutrality, but the other side also has no masters, so our knightly orders are certainly superior.” 

“Heh, at times like this, it’s such a shame Yuno was injured in the elf lands. If he were here, he’d surely be on my side.” 

Prinz lamented that if Yuno were on his side, Eliza and Catherine Aragon would be as well. 

“Haha, if you think about it, the territory with the greatest power in Balkan right now is Teshidanikana. Isn’t that a land with three masters?” 

“Is that so? No, with Lichtenauer retired and pledging loyalty to Yuno, that makes four. Hahaha, a territory with half the empire’s masters… If we lose, maybe I’ll have to run to Yuno. Hahaha.” 

Toys was startled by Prinz’s joke and scolded him for already thinking of losing, but Prinz just grumbled that he couldn’t even joke, and continued his strategy meeting with Toys. 

Nine days later, in front of the Adria Plains. 

At last, Prinz’s army and Heinrich’s army faced off. 

Prinz’s army, showing off their shiny new weapons, formed five layers of the classic imperial line formation, with archers and the knightly orders ready to charge into any gap in the Second Prince’s lines. 

“But Viscount Toys, isn’t the enemy’s formation a bit odd? Even if the Second Prince is ignorant of military affairs, he must know that setting up camp with the Lake of Spirits at his back means total annihilation if he loses…” 

Count Zion, a key warlord from the empire’s southwest supporting the crown prince, voiced his doubts about the Second Prince’s formation. 

“If he loses this battle, his head is forfeit, so maybe he doesn’t care about the troops.” 

“Well, that’s just like the Second Prince! After what he did to my daughter… I’ll take his head myself this time!!” 

Count Zion ground his teeth, thinking of Heinrich. 

Three years ago, when his daughter had just debuted in society at age twelve, she attended a party at their city mansion. Seduced by Heinrich, she went out on a date with him at night. Zion, seeing a chance to connect with the royal family, allowed it but his daughter never came back. 

He searched Heinrich’s palace, but Heinrich just repeated that he’d sent her home by carriage. Zion scoured the capital for her, and two days later, his daughter returned in disheveled clothes, locked herself in her room in a daze, and committed suicide a year later. 

Zion was sure Heinrich had violated his daughter, but with no evidence or witnesses, and his daughter unable to speak due to trauma, he could only weep over her cold body. 

Because of this, as soon as the current crisis began, Zion threw all his forces behind Prinz and was still seething with rage. 

Prinz calmed Zion by promising that if they won the battle the next day, he could have Heinrich’s head. 

After the mood settled and the formation was reorganized, the tent flap opened and a messenger rushed in. 

“Your Highness! An urgent letter from the Alchemists’ Guild!” 

“What? Can’t you see we’re planning strategy? Leave us!” 

“Oh, but it could be truly urgent! Give it here!” 

The messenger handed over the letter, saluted, and withdrew. Prinz broke the seal. 

“Hm? Diane?” 

“From the First Princess? Well, the Alchemists’ Guild does follow her. Thanks to her, we don’t have to worry about weapons or supplies. What’s it about? A new weapon, maybe?” 

As Toys praised Diane and wondered aloud, Prinz didn’t reply, and all the nobles looked at him. 

Clenching his teeth, Prinz dropped the letter and trembled, his handsome face twisted in anger, making everyone wonder about its contents. 

“What’s wrong, Your Highness? Why are you… Gasp!!” 

Toys, standing beside Prinz, cautiously picked up the letter and, upon reading it, froze in shock, making the nobles even more curious. At last, Prinz spoke. 

“Count Zion! I’m afraid I can’t give you Heinrich’s head after all.” 

“What? What do you mean…?” 

Prinz ordered Toys to read the letter, and Toys, voice trembling, read Diane’s message aloud. 

“Blood test results for His Majesty Karl III: Cause of death determined to be a parasite. Not poison, so it didn’t react to the reagent. The parasite does not naturally occur near Adria, but is native to the area near Poligal Island. Normally harmless to humans, but reacts violently with certain drugs and dissolves the stomach.” 

Bang!! 

“If it’s near Poligal Island, that’s close to Count Dietrich’s domain, isn’t it?” 

“The Second Prince definitely poisoned His Majesty! This isn’t a civil war anymore, it’s a campaign to punish a traitor!!” 

As Prinz’s aides clamored, Toys tried to calm them. 

“Calm down! That’s still just circumstantial evidence! There’s no direct proof!” 

“Proof? The fact that Heinrich is still alive is proof enough! Your Highness, mobilize the imperial army immediately!!” 

Prinz also trembled with rage, but realistically knew Toys was right. 

“Let’s win this battle first. Once we’ve won, I’ll have Heinrich tried for treason and dismembered!” 

“Yes, Your Highness! We will do our utmost!!” 

Thus, Diane’s letter became the catalyst for Prinz’s aides to unite once more, and the civil war that would decide the fate of the empire was about to begin.