NOVEL NEXT Chapter 210
“Really? You want to hold peace negotiations in Westphalia?”
“Yes, it seems a person named Valenshtein has conveyed this. He says we should end this tedious war as soon as possible.”
“Hmm…”
Polena reports the situation.
At face value, it’s a proposal that wouldn’t do us any harm since it might mean the complete end of the church’s offensive, which has threatened us all this time.
However, that’s beside the point. I could only feel a sense of surprise at the flow of the current situation.
‘…Who would have thought things would go this way? It’s not bad news, but it’s happening a lot faster than I expected.’
The peace negotiations taking place in Westphalia.
Once this negotiation concluded, the dreadful war would finally end, and peace would finally come to the Sacred Empire, but that situation could hardly be called happy.
Originally, we should be at the tenth year of this war, not pushing it twenty more years into the future.
The time when this drawn-out war would end after thirty years would be then, and by that time, all of the key figures of the war, including Emperor Sijip, Valenshtein, and Friedrich, would be dead.
Moreover, the Sacred Empire has suffered an enormous loss, with 30% of its population annihilated.
The empire’s economy and everything else had reached a state of collapse.
It was as if the flames of hell had burned everything down, leaving only ashes with nothing left to burn, and peace negotiations were happening in such a state.
‘But now, this negotiation is happening at the tenth year of the war, and it’s not even at the behest of the Emperor but of Valenshtein…’
The situation has changed dramatically from the original story I knew.
However, understanding the reason behind this wasn’t too difficult for me.
‘What else could it be? It’s all because of me.’
No kidding, the unexpectedly swift opportunity for peace was indeed a result of all the things I had done.
Valenshtein, the head of these peace negotiations, was the very one who forcibly removed that stubborn Emperor.
Originally, Valenshtein would have been loyal to the Emperor, only to be assassinated out of fear of his growing power.
Despite the urging of the witch Hestia, who was a crucial ally at that decisive moment, he never lost faith in the Emperor, which ultimately led to both his and his faction’s demise.
The reason he could make such a decision, despite having a firm conviction, was because my actions have helped him perceive the harshness of reality very clearly.
Due to my existence, the “enemies” he had to face had become absurdly strong.
The Lorend Region, which was supposed to suffer a significant blow from General Spinola, had instead obliterated Spinola’s forces and was currently lurking with Friedrich, eyeing the empire’s northwest.
The previously cautious Franz Kingdom openly invaded the empire and had already occupied the Lorend Region.
In the north, the Kalmar United States suffered a defeat under Chris IV, but the once-mighty King Gustav, who had defeated Valenshtein in the original story, was still alive and kicking.
And in the west… the Bohemia that should have been destroyed long ago remained intact and had established itself as a powerful force threatening the empire as a core of the Heretic Alliance, backed by the formidable Dragona Empire.
Valenshtein found himself in a situation where he had formidable enemies everywhere.
Meanwhile, the Emperor, instead of trying to reduce the enemies, was executing all the ministers who opposed his will, making it even stranger for Valenshtein to feel safe.
‘And the crucial point is… the circumstances surrounding Valenshtein have become too favorable for him. At this moment, there’s no one left who can check his actions.’
Originally, General Spinola should have still been alive, and General Tilly should have quickly regained power thanks to the Emperor’s swift support.
However, General Spinola’s army, which should have returned to reorganize after defeating Lorend, had been scattered, and he himself had died from a fit of rage.
Moreover, General Tilly’s faction had weakened considerably due to the dire internal situation of the Sacred Empire compared to the original story.
In other words, one of the two wolves holding Valenshtein back, the one named Spinola, had gone to the afterlife, while the other was severely injured.
Thus, both external and internal factors had perfectly set the stage for Valenshtein to act freely, leading him to easily succeed in the rebellion that should never have happened.
‘Though it wasn’t my intention… everything seems to be going well now. At least this will end the war quickly and lessen the suffering of many people…’
From the moment I stumbled into this world, this had been my goal.
Facilitating a quick conclusion to the war was unknowingly falling into place, and I couldn’t help but feel a strange sensation.
I hadn’t predicted this conclusion when I started my plans.
From the moment I was banished, my goal had simply become to live comfortably and well, and even immediately after regaining my identity as the son of the Lord of Bohemia, I was focused on protecting myself and my family.
The matter with the Dragona Empire… honestly, it was mainly a lucky outcome brought about by Estelle and Cazerose.
Helping Friedrich was not purely for our benefit; it was more of a human factor.
It was like the feeling of not being able to leave the town idiot who’s too nice all alone.
Luckily, as a result, Friedrich, who would have been a beggar wandering around sadly after losing the battle in Lorend, was now receiving hospitality in Lorend and managing to live decently.
On the other hand, the Franz Kingdom was merely intervening for their own benefit as they saw their situation improving.
In conclusion, I hadn’t specifically aimed for this situation, but all my actions had led to this current state.
And at this moment.
I willingly decided to accept the situation laid out in front of me.
‘Well… in any case, since this opens the way to the final finale… I guess it would be wise to follow through?’
In the original story, the conference in Westphalia took about five years.
The outcomes of thirty years of war had intertwined many forces, causing situations to become increasingly tangled, and even during the negotiations, wars were still raging elsewhere, resulting in shifting scales of power depending on the victors.
‘Fortunately, that won’t happen this time, but it still won’t be easy. We must extract as much as we can from this conference.’
Through all our efforts thus far, the position of Bohemia and the Heretic Alliance was evidently stronger.
Conversely, on the other side were the Emperor, stripped of real power, and Valenshtein, who had no reason to accommodate the Emperor’s concerns, as key figures in the conference.
With a determination to get as much as possible, I ordered Polena.
“The Emperor wishes to negotiate, so of course, we must attend. Polena, prepare for us. Given the circumstances, I think it’s best I go in place of Father.”
“Yes, understood, Master.”
Thus, Polena answered with a bow, displaying a resolute determination on her face for a moment, but I didn’t dwell on it as I began to contemplate the negotiations ahead.