A Treacherous Courtier Manages the Empire Well

103 – The Death of Landor-1

War was on the horizon.

The elven society could not contain their anger upon hearing the news of the Wood Elf and Dark Elf elders being killed by humans.

“Disgusting short-lived beings! They must all be killed!”

A force of 50,000 troops was assembled from the nearly one million elves living on the island, including active-duty and retired warriors. At first glance, the number may seem trivial, but considering that the majority of the 50,000 were high-ranking elemental mages, with thousands being top-tier mages, it constituted a formidable force.

The High Elf Elder Lord did not stop there.

“Dragons will come flying towards us. To fight them, we need Dragon Hunters.”

Gathering the most powerful several hundred top-tier elemental mages from elven society, the Elder Lord formed a specialized team.

Knowing that it would be impossible to defeat a dragon one-on-one, they believed that with hundreds of top-tier mages fighting together, they could intimidate the dragons enough to deter them.

And they were right.

They understood well that dragons were creatures of immense fear.

“Condemn the disgusting short-lived beings who killed our kin!”

“Show the anger of the Mother Tree!!!”

Thus, the elven society, ablaze with unprecedented fury, began preparing for revenge against the Wood Elf and Dark Elf elders who, after going to negotiate, were betrayed.

Amidst the frenzy of war preparations,

The incarnation of the Mother Tree, with Lorumar’s soul embedded in her heart, simply watched all these events with vacant eyes.

She seemed completely ensnared by the High Elf Elders.

Therefore,

“The High Elves are preparing for war. They have formed a hunting team dedicated to dragons, and mobilized over 50,000 high-ranking elemental mages as warriors. Even for you, this won’t be an easy fight.”

The fact that Mother Tree was resisting Lorumar’s soul and providing her daughter with real-time insight into all these events as a final act of defiance was something the High Elves could never know.

Having heard all these stories from the young World Tree, Adran furrows his brow seriously.

“After the Dragon Kiat, we must fight the elves of the World Tree.”

The war showed no signs of abating.

Adran’s expression was one of curiosity as to what misfortune had befallen them to cause such relentless events. The phrase, ‘It’s a worn-out novel’s worldview…’ didn’t escape my lips.

“Another war in the end.”

As Adran muttered despairingly, everyone in the room bowed their heads.

Selene.

Karl Hansen.

Myself.

And Karia.

Everyone fell silent, until Karia spoke up.

“If you ask for Karamba’s help?”

“Due to Prince Amir’s rebellion, many imperial citizens have sacrificed themselves. They’ll likely focus solely on recovery. They may send reinforcements, but the moment the war turns into a prolonged one or there’s even a slight chance of losing, they’ll likely consider withdrawing the troops.”

“It’s understandable. If not, Karamba will be doomed.”

“And how to persuade the dragons?”

Upon Adran’s words, Karl Hansen spoke.

“Even if there are hundreds of top-tier elemental mages, it doesn’t mean they can defeat a dragon, right?”

At his words, the young World Tree nodded.

“True. Human. However, a single top-tier mage who commands dozens of top-tier elementals can even change the location of a small mountain. If such beings were to charge in by the hundreds… the dragons might win, but it would be a tough fight.”

“And the dragons wouldn’t want such a tough fight. They are cowards to the point of making pacts out of fear just from the possibility of being hurt by my holy sword alone.”

“Correct. The High Elven elders understand the essence of dragons well. They’d rather give up the war altogether than risk even a minor injury, knowing that if dragons fought with full resolve, one dragon could wipe out the entire fantasy realm, but they would rather abandon the war than suffer even a minor wound.”

Everyone nodded.

Dragons, afraid even of holy swords, are creatures who do their best to avoid the possibility of being hurt. Would such beings be willing to risk injury while fighting hundreds of top-tier mages?

That possibility seemed slim. Even if we were to ask for help, they would likely try to avoid any involvement until the empire was on the brink of collapse. We all knew that fact well.

“Dragons are reluctant. Karamba is reluctant. Then all that’s left is Aylam’s army… with at least high-tier mages. If they were to fight alongside hundreds of top-tier mages, how many losses would the imperial army suffer…”

“Ultimately, the longer the war drags on, the more disadvantageous it becomes for us. With Karamba still recovering and the dragons, who detest the idea of getting hurt.”

Selene’s words were on point.

But that’s why everyone was troubled.

“We need to settle this in the short term, but with an army of over fifty thousand elemental mages, what options do we have…”

I voiced my opinion.

“In the end, wouldn’t it be as simple as extracting the soul of Lorumah, embedded in the heart of the Mother Tree? Elves have never really experienced a proper war in thousands of years, have they? Concentrate forces on one side and deploy humanoid forces to the empty stronghold to rescue the Mother Tree?”

“While it’s true that elves haven’t experienced war for a long time, it doesn’t mean they’re fools. Excluding dragons, if we were to combine all of Aylam’s imperial army, how many would that be?”

“About three hundred thousand.”

At Adran’s reply, the Mother Tree sighed.

“That won’t be enough to draw out the entire Elven army. Unless seven dragons and the entire Karamba army gather. Even with just thirty thousand human troops, if only ten thousand of them were to face fifty thousand troops, they could be a formidable opponent.”

I wanted to say that statement was false, but considering that even Dark Elves and High Elves, who were just scouts, endured hundreds of bullets, it might not be entirely wrong.

Moreover,

“Dark Elves and Wood Elves are certainly threats, but we must also consider that High Elves are beings who wield the power of pacts.”

We had to consider that they were currently using the power of the Mother Tree’s pact freely.

It was a suggestion that a monster-like High Elf, commanding hundreds of top-tier mages alone, could emerge, and if that were to happen, one person could potentially face thousands of imperial soldiers.

“The conclusion is that Aylam’s army alone is insufficient.”

“If Karamba provides full support and the dragons passionately engage in the war, even at the risk of injury, your tactics, Randor, might have a chance of success.”

The question was how.

How to get those cowardly dragons to the front lines with enthusiasm and how to motivate Karamba, whose wounds have yet to heal, to muster the entire army with such determination.

Silence filled the room for a long time.

Adran was the first to rise from his seat.

“Let’s call it a day. It’s already dawn. There’s nothing to be gained by staying up like this.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Young World Tree, we will definitely resolve this. It’s a matter of the fate of the human race.”

“I’ll help in any way I can. The enemies don’t even dream that Mother shares her vision with me. It will surely hold great strategic value.”

“Of course. Young World Tree. Let’s end it here today.”

The seats were settled like that. Karina and I ended up sleeping in one of the hotels in the capital city. Even after showering together on the top floor of the spacious suite room and lying down on the bed, we remained silent for a while.

Then suddenly,

Karina tightly held my hand.

“Randor.”

“Why, my dear?”

“I promise there will be nothing to make you unhappy. Even if I have to suffer a bit, I will never, ever make you unhappy.”

I couldn’t smile at those words.

“I do not wish for you to be hurt.”

Karina avoiding the tragic unfolding.

So that she could have a happy ending.

That was the conclusion I desired.

But what meaning would it have if Karina were to get hurt to save me?

“Even if sacrifices are made, you sacrificing yourself for me to live, what good is that?”

Karina chuckled and nestled into my arms. She deeply breathed in my scent.

“No matter what happens, we’re in this together. So promise me. Never… never leave me behind. I’d rather die first. If you were to die before me, I couldn’t bear it…”

I held Karina tightly.

“That won’t happen. Never. So sleep tight, Karina. I love you.”

I kissed her forehead. She shivered like a child for a moment before falling deeply asleep.

But I couldn’t sleep.

It wasn’t because of despair that sleep eluded me.

It was because of what Karina had just said.

I pondered over her words for a long time and finally devised a plan.

I gazed silently at Karina.

“I’m sorry.”

I apologized to her in advance.

It was an unheard apology, but it was necessary since if she knew the truth, she would never have allowed it.

After confirming she was sound asleep, I quietly slipped out of the hotel.

And then,

“Karl Hansen.”

“Hmm, what, what is it?”

“Wake up. Let’s go meet the Emperor. And contact Rashid Sultan as well. Tell him to teleport discreetly right now. Tell him to fly to the capital city of Aylam secretly, without anyone knowing.”

“R-Rashid Sultan?”

“Yes, right now. Within an hour. Keep it strictly confidential.”

“What on earth in the middle of the night…”

“Hurry.”

Karl Hansen faithfully followed my instructions. He urgently made a magical call through the emergency communication line, and Rashid Sultan, in response to that call, teleported to the capital city of Aylam a month later.

Unlike during Sultan Saladin’s time, now the crescent triangle and the capital of Aylam were connected through teleportation, so it was possible.

“What is going on?”

And Rashid Sultan was led to the underground of the palace, a perfect place for a very confidential conversation. There, Karl Hansen, I, Adran, and the young World Tree were waiting for Rashid.

“We’re short on time, so I’ll explain briefly, Rashid Sultan.”

I quickly explained the current situation humanity was facing to him. I described how we must go to war and end it as a short-term conflict.

“Reasonable. If we go for a prolonged war, Karamba will have to withdraw its forces. This is because the aftermath of Amir’s actions hasn’t healed enough yet. There is currently no capacity for a prolonged war.”

“I understand.”

“Moreover, not all tribes will be willing to participate. It’s clear that the tribes that suffered greatly during Amir’s military rebellion will push the relatively unscathed tribes to join the war. Even if we explain it as a crisis for all of humanity, if one can pass on the responsibility to others, they will definitely do so.”

“We’ve suffered significant losses and cannot afford to send troops. Send those tribes instead.”

“Why should we go? The losses those fellows suffered aren’t that significant.”

Rashid Sultan exhales deeply, as if foreseeing all sorts of subtle power struggles and conflicts about to unfold.

“I feel embarrassed, but that’s the reality. The only army I can muster is made up of nomads from the wastelands. Even if the nomads from the Western Great Plains or the troops from the heavily afflicted Southern Region come, it will probably only be half of them.”

“We need to mobilize them all. To concentrate the 50,000 elven troops in one place, we need that level of military force.”

“Isn’t that difficult to achieve, Randor?”

“Yes. So, if we add a more compelling reason, won’t they be more willing to act?”

“A more compelling reason?”

In response to Rashid’s question, I explained the plan I had just come up with, looking at Karl Hansen, Adran, the young World Tree, and Sultan in turn.

Everyone’s faces contort in shock at my words.

“Randor. That’s…”

“If we stick to just that, even tribes that suffered great losses will have no choice but to send all their forces…”

“Randor, that’s too risky.”

Despite everyone’s reaction, I firmly nodded my head.

“This is the only way. To ignite the lukewarm dragons with determination and force Karamba’s tribes to deploy their entire military might.”

I took a deep breath.

It wasn’t that I wasn’t nervous.

I summarized the core of my plan, clenching my trembling fist to hide it.

“I must die.”