novelraw Chapter 113 : Declaration of War (1)
Chapter 113 : Declaration of War (1)
Chapter 113: Declaration of War (1)
“I hope you’ll provide full support, both materially and spiritually, for the upcoming clash between Dellowell and Mallet.”
Eugene went straight to the point.
“If anyone has objections, please speak now.”
“……”
A brief silence fell.
It wasn’t because he had said something reckless or forbidden.
All three of them were feeling it at once.
The flow of mana swirling around him had changed completely from before.
And there could only be one conclusion drawn from that.
The Special Task Force Commander nodded and said,
“…You’ve returned, Carter. To your original self.”
“…Yes. It’s all thanks to you, sir.”
How on earth—?
It was a question better left unasked.
The circumstantial evidence was clear enough.
Just his confident assertion that Dellowell and Mallet would soon clash was proof that he had done something to provoke Dellowell’s wrath.
And yet, to speak so boldly could only mean one thing—there was no chance any evidence of it would surface.
‘In that case, there’s no need to dig further.’
Lieutenant General Alvin came to his own conclusion and cautiously turned to Edel.
“Your Highness.”
“Yes.”
“My apologies, but would it be all right if I spoke to Colonel Carter first?”
“As you wish.”
With the formal permission granted, it was time to get an answer to the question he had been holding.
Alvin’s sharp gaze fixed on his subordinate.
“Colonel Carter.”
Sensing that something serious was coming, Eugene straightened his posture.
“Yes, sir.”
“When I aided you before, it was because I believed you would shatter the current rot and bring stability to the Empire.”
“Yes.”
That belief hadn’t changed.
In the Ribenia Empire, Eugene Carter had always been at the heart of change—whether for better or worse.
Even when he was once arrogant and full of hubris, always stirring up noise wherever he went.
“But tell me, Carter… do you know that another word for reform is revolution?”
Eugene paused briefly before answering with a calm face.
“Of course I do.”
“And that revolution inevitably brings collapse?”
“…Yes.”
“Then let me ask.”
Alvin folded his arms and questioned,
“Are you a reformer seeking to build a new system? Or a revolutionary aiming to destroy it?”
Depending on his answer, Alvin was prepared to make a different choice—
even if the princess herself tried to persuade him otherwise.
To the superior’s heartfelt question, Eugene gave a faint smile.
“Neither.”
“…Then what?”
The words he needed to say had already been decided.
“I simply have someone I want to save.”
His gaze drifted toward the empty air.
“And who might that be?”
“I can’t tell you.”
But at least, this much I can promise.
“At the very least… I won’t make a choice that betrays trust.”
“Trust, huh….”
It was a word the old Eugene would never have uttered. Alvin slowly unfolded his arms.
“If you say so, then so be it.”
I’ll try believing in that so-called trust of yours.
Muttering to himself, Alvin turned to Michel and Edel.
“Regarding equipment and personnel support—will that be acceptable, Your Highness?”
Before the beasts had risen to power, the Special Task Force had been an organization specialized in information warfare.
Later, it was restructured into a unit specialized in anti-beast operations.
As time passed, its members became masters of fighting beasts.
Yet one thing hadn’t changed—
whether past or present, the Special Task Force despised large-scale wars between humans.
For its commander to agree to provide both equipment and personnel support meant that the situation was dire indeed.
And Edel Ribenia was not someone who would fail to grasp that.
In other words, her answer was already determined.
However, before agreeing, she asked me something else.
“This battle—can we win it?”
A question whose true intent was unclear.
“…No.”
I didn’t bother bluffing.
There was no need, and even if I tried to hide it, the truth would come out eventually.
Edel placed the tip of her left foot on the table and spoke lazily.
“Hm… and yet you’re asking the Special Task Force and Karbenna to take part in a battle we can’t win?”
“We may not win… but we won’t lose either.”
The crucial point lay in that ambiguous middle ground.
Either way, this battle would be short and fought at close range.
It wasn’t going to be an all-out war where both sides poured in everything, nor an annihilation meant to tear the enemy apart completely.
Dellowell merely wanted to showcase their overwhelming might for a brief moment.
Their ideal outcome was for the enemy to surrender in fear before the display ended.
Conversely, the longer the battle dragged on, the more advantageous it would become for our side.
‘Winning the battle doesn’t mean winning the war.’
They had always justified their every conflict under the name of a holy crusade—
a war for God, a war to prove the will of God.
That was why defeat was intolerable.
Defeat meant the denial of their god itself.
But if the battle ended in a draw—
If they didn’t lose—then they would likely accept that and withdraw.
A fight where everyone is a loser could, paradoxically, make everyone a winner.
Edel, after hearing my answer, raised her hand to her lips for a moment before stepping back.
This time, Michel spoke up instead.
“Judging from what you’ve shown so far, and from what you said during the summit and the agreement, the chances seem slim, but…”
Her emerald eyes flashed as she alternated glances between Edel and me.
“Shouldn’t we at least prepare for the possibility that Dellowell might declare war solely on Mallet?”
“……”
As expected of Michel, she went straight to the heart of it.
But there was no need to prepare for that.
“That won’t happen.”
“…And why is that?”
“Because the one declaring war isn’t the Chairwoman or Her Highness, but Archbishop Dominico.”
Dominico Nimbus.
A man who never forgave anyone who undermined his authority.
He was surely already convinced that I was the one behind all this.
Not because he had any clear evidence or testimony—
but because once he designated someone as an enemy, he never retracted it.
If there was no wrongdoing, he would fabricate one; if there was only a small mistake, he would turn it into conviction.
Michel and Edel, having quickly understood what I meant, added their own comments.
“So, you’re saying he’ll brand every faction that insulted both himself and the Orthodox Faith as evil.”
“Even with the Special Task Force’s involvement, huh? That guy’s probably convinced that won’t be enough to stop them from opposing him.”
To summarize their remarks, I added,
“It’s the conclusion I reached after considering everything—the position of the Orthodox Faith’s leader, Dellowell’s conviction, and Dominico’s own temperament.”
Then Lieutenant General Alvin interjected.
“In that case, things will go much more smoothly.”
“Yes.”
There wouldn’t be much objection to labeling Mallet as evil.
After all, the Orthodox Faith had long criticized the Duel organization, and Duel had indeed been uncooperative with the Empire.
But if they intended to brand both Karbenna and the Imperial Special Task Force as evil as well—
That would inevitably spark backlash.
In the end, this was a battle to define what “evil” truly meant.
If we lost, we would be defined as evil.
But if we simply didn’t lose, no one could define us that way.
Seeing that all three of them were nodding in agreement,
“…Seems we’re more or less on the same page.”
I grinned and spread my fingers.
“Then, shall we start crunching the numbers?”
Eugene Carter, Edel Ribenia, Alvin Caldwell, and Michel Bernhardt.
The four key figures exchanged opinions on various matters and then dispersed.
Not long after, around 1 p.m.—
The projection orb hanging in the Special Task Force’s lobby flickered to life for the first time in a while.
Most of the members, including Eric Belfor, stood before it, waiting for Dellowell’s special declaration to begin.
Karbenna was no different.
More than four hundred cadet candidates gathered at the Plaza of Glory, all staring in the same direction, swallowing nervously.
At every location where a projection orb had been installed—
the Centre Central Train Station lobby, the Ribenia Fountain in the capital Arpe, Delazia Park deep within the Imperial Palace, and the plaza in front of Saint Dominico Cathedral—
Tens of thousands of people had gathered.
Responding to their anticipation, the orb began projecting the podium of Dellowell’s Flavia Cathedral.
Before long, Archbishop Dominico appeared on the platform, and the murmurs of the onlookers grew louder.
Dominico stared down at the script laid before him for a moment, then lifted his gaze to the front.
“For a long time, our Ribenian Orthodox Faith has endeavored to persuade Duel and its subordinate faction, Mallet, who have accepted and exploited mana.”
His eyes kept dropping toward the papers below.
“Mana is both a test and a warning. Its existence constantly challenges our faith and watches over those who stray from the righteous path.”
Therefore, we must always remain vigilant.
Though he openly glanced at his notes now and then, not a hint of wavering appeared on his determined face.
“We cannot deny its existence itself. Mana, too, is a creation of God—that much is undeniable.”
But we must reject its corruption.
“We must overcome that wicked temptation and become beings closer to God. That is our divine mission.”
As his preamble continued, emotion began to surge, and anger gradually crept into the archbishop’s expression.
He turned a page, his lips trembling slightly.
“As was declared in the Centre Agreement, our Ribenian Orthodox Faith has both the duty and the divine mandate to impose firm and decisive sanctions for the preservation of the Empire’s peace.”
“This, too, is the sacred command given to me by God Himself.”
Having said that, Dominico drew in a breath and shouted even louder,
“Starting this Friday, we shall commence a holy crusade against Duel—Mallet and Karbenna!”
Murmurs erupted.
Even among citizens who had followed the Imperial Summit and the Centre Agreement through the media, the content of this declaration of war came as a shock.
They had expected Mallet, of course—
but most hadn’t imagined Karbenna would be targeted as well.
It seemed the Orthodox Faith had anticipated such reactions.
This time, Dellowell’s Inquisition Director, Heinrich Peregrine, stepped forward to continue the announcement.
“The Royal Academy Karbenna and Duel—Mallet have long maintained various forms of exchange. However, it has recently been revealed that during these interactions, they have persistently engaged in acts of blasphemy.”
The murmuring grew louder at the word blasphemy.
But none of the noise reached the speaker on the cathedral’s podium.
“Moreover, evidence has surfaced indicating that a small number of their members infiltrated Dellowell and stole a holy relic from within the fortress walls.”
Director Heinrich then struck the podium, speaking in a firm tone.
“Dellowell does not wish for needless sacrifice. We seek only sincere repentance—and genuine reform.”
He then raised his right index finger high.
“Before the crusade begins this Friday, the leaders of Mallet and Karbenna are to convey their intentions to us. All decisions shall depend on their response.”
“May you choose wisely and with prudence.”
With those final words, all the projection orbs went dark at once.