novelraw Chapter 118: So the Tyrant Was Me
Chapter 118: So the Tyrant Was Me
The question Westheid raised was met with silence.
The topic was a bit too grim and heavy, but it was also extremely crucial.
It was true that Qinghui Territory had fallen, but it hadn’t been a one-sided slauther. There had been some resistance; the territory was lost piece by piece, not in a total rout.
Under such circumstances, a majority of Qinghui Territory’s people had naturally managed to escape. However, Westheid had since made a "strategic withdrawal" to the Imperial Capital, where he fell into a state of despair and debauchery, completely forgetting that he even had subjects.
"Despite the significant delay in communication between the border and the Imperial Capital, I’ve still managed to gather some intelligence over the past two years."
In the end, it was Yolanda who spoke up:
"After Qinghui Territory fell, most survivors naturally became refugees, wandering the Borderland. Many flooded into the Empire to make a living, but few were able to establish a firm foothold. A good number ended up as slaves. The other refugees established settlements in the Borderland, just barely managing to survive."
The border wasn’t necessarily barren. The lands surrounding Purity Forest were actually quite fertile and rich, enough for the refugees to survive.
It was just that without the protection granted by a Celestial God, it was all a castle in the air, liable to vanish like a bubble at any moment.
It was certain that the survivors were having an extremely difficult time.
"Alas, I have failed them."
Even with his standards of morality, Westheid couldn’t help but feel ashamed, sighing with regret.
But it seemed his moral standards were still a bit too high.
"Brother, you have done nothing to wrong them."
Yolanda, a seasoned feudalist Warrior whose mind had been thoroughly poisoned by the ideology of the noble Elite, immediately corrected Westheid’s mistaken point of view:
"As the people of Qinghui Territory, they are duty-bound to devote their all to their Lord! To say nothing of the fact that you already fulfilled your responsibilities, leading your house in battle until the very last moment before retreating. Is that not enough?"
"Perhaps some unruly commoners will still complain about your indifference, but how could such short-sighted subjects possibly comprehend their Lord’s difficulties? If anyone should be sorry, it is they who should be sorry to you! As the people of Qinghui Territory, they ought to possess a dauntless spirit, ready to sacrifice everything for their homeland! As well as absolute loyalty to you!"
"...You do have a point."
Westheid met the platinum-blonde girl’s deep, determined purple eyes for a moment, realized he could never convince her, and simply shrugged, acquiescing to Yolanda.
"However, if we’re to reclaim our homeland, the support and strength of our people are also very important. When it comes to recruiting and building an army, the Qinghui People are naturally the most suitable. Therefore, I cannot allow the Qinghui People to remain in such a sorry state."
Westheid pounded his fist on his leg. "Now that we’re wealthy, we must of course declare our resolve to reclaim our homeland to all our people."
"Yolanda, proclaim this to all the Qinghui refugees on the border, then order them to assemble... That reminds me, where would be a good place for our fleet to dock and establish a forward base?"
Yolanda replied, "On that subject, there is an interesting matter to bring to your attention."
The platinum-blonde girl walked to an open area, activated the holographic map from the Floating Battleship, and uploaded her data, causing the full extent of the Qinghui Territory to be clearly displayed.
The territories of the Imperial "Branches of Prosperity" varied in size, but they were generally comparable to an Imperial Province. The Qinghui Territory was centered on the Purity Forest, expanding outward from there.
Yolanda pointed to a riverside area and said:
"Among the refugees from Qinghui Territory, someone has already gathered several hundred thousand people and established stable towns here. We won’t even need to put in much effort; we can just use this location as our base of operations."
Westheid raised an eyebrow. "Isn’t this a little too close to the Chaos Boundary? The location is excellent, though. It’s right by the Ying River. We can cross it and begin retaking our lands. It’s a perfect spot for a forward base."
The Ying River originated in the Purity Forest and also served as the Boundary River between the Empire and the Qinghui Territory.
After the fall of the Qinghui Territory, this river became the bulwark holding back the further encroachment of Chaos, making its geographical position extremely important.
Duke Qinghui waved his hand expansively. "Then have the fleet dock here and set up our base... By the way, who was it that organized the refugees? Does our Qinghui Territory still have such a capable person?"
"Roy, a Second-class Tax Officer of the Qinghui Territory. He was previously responsible for collecting taxes from the small villages on the border."
"A man of such talent was doing such trivial work? His abilities belong in my court!"
Westheid grew indignant upon hearing this. "Was he framed and suppressed by some petty villain? To bury such a fine talent!"
"Brother, he was once your Courtier."
Yolanda’s expression soured. "Roy was promoted for his outstanding performance, but he was later expelled from the court after angering you by advising a reduction in taxes."
"..."
’What? So I was the incompetent ruler all along?!’
Westheid felt the way Mivana was looking at him from the side was a bit strange, and he quickly let out a few embarrassed coughs.
"Ahem... Now that you mention it, I remember him. He was indeed a good man. Actually, I deliberately transferred him out to temper him for a couple of years. The young need to have their sharp edges worn down to go far. See? And now, it’s paid off, hasn’t it?"
"That tax officer isn’t exactly old, but he’s not young, either."
Yolanda, however, failed to pick up on Westheid’s awkwardness and stated in all seriousness:
"Also, Brother, please don’t assume from this that Roy is a Loyal Minister to the Qinghui Territory. His ability to gather the refugees on the border and establish a foothold didn’t rely purely on his own skills. According to reliable intelligence, he has accepted aid from the Ring of Clear Skies."
’Foreign powers are involved?!’
Westheid’s gaze lowered. "The Ring of Clear Skies... you mean that group of Witches who operate outside the Realm of Order? Are you certain?"
Yolanda nodded. "It’s highly likely. The legacy of the Witches of the Ring of Clear Skies is impossible to hide. In the border regions, only they would have the power to help refugees establish a settlement this close to Chaos."
"Therefore, Brother, I recommend that after the fleet arrives, you take Roy and the others into custody. Then, we can investigate how many spies the Ring of Clear Skies has planted and arrest them all. As for the people in the settlement, having received the Witches’ grace, their loyalty to their Lord must be called into question. It would be best to re-educate them thoroughly."
The look in Yolanda’s beautiful eyes grew increasingly cold as she delivered a speech that even Westheid found to be utterly outrageous.
’I thought my own shenanigans during the Secret Realm Trial were absurd enough, but I never expected you, Yolanda, to be the real extremist!’
Westheid almost lost his composure. He shook his head and said:
"There’s no need for that. Even if Roy truly accepted help from the Ring of Clear Skies, it’s hardly a crime. Setting aside the fact that the Witches themselves can be considered allies in the fight against Chaos, what right do I have to condemn a group of starving people for accepting aid from others? Should I have demanded they starve to death rather than accept charity?"
At least, such outrageous behavior was rare in the Empire and certainly not encouraged.
"The Knight Lords of Yonglan would."
Just then, Mivana suddenly spoke up:
"If they were Knight Lords, they would sooner let the serfs in their territory starve to death than permit their people to flee... because that would bring shame upon the Lord."
The Lady Knight revealed a single golden eye from behind her violet-black hair. She seemed to be recalling something, and a look of sorrow and melancholy filled her gaze.
’The Country of Yonglan... that’s right, that’s how it is there,’ he thought. ’The land is barren, the class system is rigid, and anyone not a member of the Knight Class isn’t even considered human.’
Westheid had a good idea of what Mivana was thinking and said:
"Which is why I would never blame my people for that... In any case, let’s send the Floating Battleship carrying the engineering corps over first. We’ll gather refugees along the way and then rendezvous by the river."