NOVEL NEXT Chapter 255
Bernard was utterly immersed in his writing, but oddly enough, he found himself crossing over to the Northern Dragon Lord Directly Governed Territory.
Only after mobilizing all the stealth magical tools and skilled techniques he could procure from the underworld was he able to infiltrate the Dragon Lord’s territory at Jenis’s request. The Great Sage did not ask him to perform an assassination or anything of that nature. He was visiting the land of dragons as a diplomatic secret envoy.
As he stood waiting silently on the plain for a moment, an old man dressed in a Golden Robe slowly approached Bernard. It was the Dragon Lord, who had taken on human form through transformation magic.
“Silverpoint Count.”
“Dragon Lord.”
The dragon lord conjured a chair with magic on the open field and gestured for Bernard to sit. When Bernard complied and took his seat, the Dragon Lord created another chair for himself and sat across from him.
“The situation is not entirely positive.”
The dragon opened the conversation first. The demon hunter shrugged, looking as if he didn’t understand the implication.
“Well, the situation on the battlefield is overwhelmingly favorable for our forces. Have you ever seen the Demon King backed into a corner like this?”
“What I’m referring to is the situation in the west. Whatever is happening in the east, if it does not immediately affect the west, it means nothing to this dragon. You should know that the preservation of our race is our top priority. Only if you understand that can you expect meaningful results in negotiations with our kind.”
“I know. I have been aware of this from the start.”
“Then you must also be aware that the rebellion of the demon race in the west is being subdued swiftly by the succubi’s actions. The Great Sage’s offensive was underwhelming, and the promised reinforcements did not arrive in the west. Naturally, I did not move either. If there’s no guarantee that we can bring down the Demon King’s Castle soon, I cannot commit to strengthening our forces independently. The Demon King is strong. If our tribe fights with the Demon King’s Army, you will likely prevail in the end, but I do not believe our race will survive.”
“Then at least halt the wyvern support. If the aerial supply from the wyverns to the Demon King’s fortress stops, the advance of the imperial army will go much smoother. Once our army besieges, the Demon King’s Army won’t have a way to breach land supply lines. If we succeed in starving the fortresses blocking our advance, the war will end quickly.”
“How long does it take to starve a single fortress?”
“At least four months should suffice.”
“Then you’re saying that if we wage war in that manner, we have to wait a year for the Demon King’s defeat to be confirmed. This time, I won’t ask anything else. How long do you think it will take if the Demon King sees us as an annoyance and attempts to subjugate us by force again?”
“Dragons are a powerful race. I can’t say for sure that the Demon King would win.”
“I don’t believe I could last a week in the presence of the Demon King’s power. If she genuinely intends to annihilate or enslave our race, that is. Of course, in the midst of that, I could inflict considerable damage on the Demon King’s Army. But that would only be beneficial for you.”
“If you were to rise against her directly, I promise you an alliance beyond non-aggression. This was stated directly by the Imperial Great Sage.”
“Did you gain the Emperor’s approval for that?”
“His Majesty would not oppose it.”
“That’s not enough. I know the Great Sage is the second-in-command of the Empire, but such a significant decision cannot be made based solely on the Chancellor’s words. At the very least, for an alliance discussion to start, bring forth a letter from Rose Caprice. I will not accept anything less.”
In other words, while a state of tense cold war could be accepted just on Jenis’s pact alone, entering into a genuine allied state for a joint assault on the Demon King required an official request from Rose. The reality was that neither Rose nor the Imperial Assembly was even aware of the secret diplomacy transpiring between Jenis and the Dragon Lord. This was not a matter that could be handled easily.
“Still, it shouldn’t be too difficult to withdraw the wyverns.”
“Withdrawing the wyverns would be clear proof that the Demon King would set her sights on my race for extermination. I’m discussing this under the assumption that fighting you would threaten my tribe’s safety, yet suddenly changing the opponent to the Demon King doesn’t seem to benefit me in any way. If you’re just going to make such fruitless proposals, I suggest you leave. If you continue to chatter nonsense, I will kill you and actively cooperate with Moriarty to send dragons after your kind’s annihilation.”
It was a simple yet terrifying threat. Bernard felt cold sweat trickle down his forehead. The mission he was assigned was far from trivial. He could not afford to be discovered by accident nor make any mistakes during the mission. If he botched this diplomatic assignment and unintentionally escalated the conflict with the dragons, it would be the allied forces of the Empire and Eramenia, diligently working hard, that would find themselves in a ridiculous position.
“Then is there any way to ensure that the western rebellion doesn’t lose its momentum?”
“It’s tough. The succubi’s spy network is robust, and just by meeting with you, Silverpoint Count, I am already taking considerable risks. While the succubi can’t spy on activities within this territory, the moment I cross the boundary of my domain, they watch everything outside. If I make even a clumsy attempt at support, it’ll be flagged as treason, and we’ll be marked for extermination, leading to the imminent extinction of our kind.”
“Hmm…”
Bernard accepted the harsh truth that he could no longer extract any meaningful results from the Dragon Lord. The dragons were also in a precarious situation. Having lost half their race in the ongoing war, they genuinely feared that escalating conflict would lead to their species’ extinction.
They were monsters, yet now they were more like gray characters hoping for some form of peace. But like any gray character, the moment they judged that submitting to the Demon King held greater benefits than preserving their race, they could easily turn into a formidable foe.
Prodding them further was too dangerous. Bernard prepared himself to report zero gains today as he bowed to the Dragon Lord.
“It was an honor to meet you today. I hope we do not meet as enemies later.”
“It feels strange to send you away without providing a good answer today. This might not be of much comfort, but let me share one piece of information.”
“I would be grateful to hear it.”
Bernard nodded. The Dragon Lord pulled out a black piece of paper from within his robes and showed it to Bernard. Bernard cautiously took the paper and asked.
“What is this…?”
“It’s a letter circulated to the entire Demon King’s Army. It’s a proclamation about declaring an empire and ascending to the throne as emperor. It demands absolute obedience from the local warlord factions surviving within the Demon King’s Army. However, the letter sent to me has an additional condition.”
“What condition is that?”
The Demon King’s letter was written in a script different from the Empire’s standard. The scholars at the Magic Tower, or Jenis Harker himself, could perhaps read it, but even Bernard, despite his vast knowledge, had not learned the script of the demon race. Seeing that the hunter could not read the letter, the Dragon Lord explained it himself.
“It says, ‘Submit only in form. Doing so will not anger me greatly.’ If the declaration of the empire’s formation aimed to induce my absolute submission, then it must have some other purpose. I can’t be certain, but it seems Moriarty wishes to legislate the order of the realm…”
“Are you saying they intend to create laws?”
“One peculiarity is that the proclamation states that the new empire will redefine the social hierarchy of its constituents. It’s a strange phrase. To establish a social class system through law is indeed an odd endeavor…”
Bernard nodded, wearing a perplexed expression. The Audrich Empire did not have a legally established class system. Slavery was abolished centuries ago when the Audrich Kingdom’s army entered Caprice. In the tumultuous era when northern demon races needed to include every able-bodied person for conscription, the king deemed the institution of slavery detrimental to society rather than beneficial.
However, due to social trends, a practical class system was being maintained very firmly. The Empire actively encouraged the use of the term “people” to signify that all citizens were free individuals. Legally speaking, members of the Empire could hold any public office, except for the emperor and his heirs. Extremely rarely, someone born of noble blood, like Count Anton Caprice, could marry and wear the crown.
Yet, there existed a virtually insurmountable gap between those with titles holding voting rights in the Imperial Assembly and ordinary people without. At least due to the prolonged warfare, new nobility had risen from commoners to baron status through military merit, but without such military achievements, commoners faced significant difficulty in rising to nobility, and their political voice remained quite limited.
If the Moriarty Empire were to be established, there wouldn’t be many countries to serve as a model. The ancient Caprice Empire’s historical records were so vague that details on its governance system were murky. Various other nations lacked the systematization that Violet desired.
If the Demon King aimed to establish an empire and stabilize social classes, it’s likely that she would attempt to mimic the current Audrich Empire. It then raised the question of why the Demon King felt the need to do so at this moment…
“Does the Demon King’s Army recognize our human captives as members of the state, Dragon Lord?”
“Under certain circumstances, if they cooperate sufficiently, it is possible.”
The Dragon Lord nodded, appearing to share the same thoughts as Bernard. Realizing he had gleaned crucial information, Bernard began preparing to return to the Empire.
“Thank you for the valuable information. Today’s conversation will serve to keep the channels of dialogue open between our two factions.”
“Do not misuse our communication to pressure me. Such petty political tricks will be met with severe retribution through force.”
“We do not wish for the dragons to turn completely hostile against us. Then I shall take my leave.”
“Be cautious not to be discovered. While I trust your experts, it’s never too much to be careful.”
Bernard and the Dragon Lord simultaneously rose from their seats. The chairs conjured by the Gold Dragon vanished in a puff of smoke. As the Dragon Lord turned to return to his nest, Bernard hastily made his way toward a small dock where a tiny boat was anchored across the plain.
“The ones who have grievances against Audrich are quite formidable.”
Muttering a complaint, Bernard recalled that he too once wandered the underworld, unable to adapt to the Empire’s order. Thanks to maintaining minimal chivalry, he had yet to engage in serious crime before meeting Walter during his youth.
However, if he had not met Walter early on and had instead succumbed to reality, he might have realized that collaborating with the dark guilds could yield greater profits than shattering them.
The enslaved humans in the north, too, would surge forth, eager to catch the Demon King’s eye if just given the slightest chance.
“Damn it, all I want is to write quietly, and yet here I am embroiled in this dangerous mission…”
Bernard plopped down into the small boat, grasping the oars with both hands. The succubi’s surveillance didn’t extend to the sea. While it might not be completely out of reach, the monitoring of the Demon King’s army on the waters had weakened significantly since the Kraken’s death, allowing Bernard a fair chance to escape undetected if he remained cautious.
Additionally, the sheer absurdity of sailing a mere small boat across the western coast of the continent to reach the Northern Expeditionary Force’s occupied territories certainly added to the madness. Although the boat was far from ordinary, being provided by the Great Sage, the ordeal of crossing the vast sea for days relying solely on his arm strength would rank among the worst hardships Bernard had ever faced.
“I hope this helps us win… If not, I swear I’m really going to be mad, truly, really mad…”
The sight of the hunter rowing with vigor toward the sea felt rather lonely. He was always suited to solitude, but after having lost the friends he had made, he felt even more isolated and lonely than before.