Sword of Salvation-Chapter 104: - Battle In the South

It had been two days since the former crown prince led more than forty thousand soldiers to the eastern side of the empire.

For two days, Athenia had also been whispering hints of rebellion into the ears of several citizens. With the rising food prices due to Oz and his subordinates’ actions, it wouldn’t take long before the citizens began to demonstrate.

Today, Mariel once again accompanied Athenia in carrying out her mission. They walked through the city’s slums, asking the citizens about their conditions. Occasionally, Athenia would take out platinum or gold coins to give them. And, of course, she never forgot to mention that she could do nothing because her father held all the power.

They spent time on the streets until late afternoon.

"You spent 840,000 escal today," Mariel said as they walked toward the former residence of Marquis Sergey. "Combined with the previous two days, you’ve spent exactly 2 million escal."

"I still have 47 million escal from Vincent’s wealth that was transferred to me," she responded casually. "I don’t mind spending all of it on this cause. But when will we start distributing the supplies?"

"With the current situation," Athenia continued before Mariel could respond, "the value of money will plummet drastically. The scarcity of food makes the money I distribute worthless. If this continues, I wouldn’t be surprised if the price of a single loaf of bread reaches a platinum coin."

"As soon as news of the defeat of the soldiers led by the former crown prince spreads," Mariel explained, "the situation will worsen. Once reports of the first city’s fall emerge, we can expect a massive decline in trade activity. Dependence on marine products will increase. So, the situation won’t become extremely dire in the immediate future."

"But marine products aren’t stable. They won’t be able to sustain the city’s food needs for long. Especially if other cities fall, naval soldiers will be deployed to assist the ground forces. Maritime activities will be paralyzed."

Mariel nodded in agreement. "If it reaches that point, the effort to restore the empire will take significant time and energy. We can’t let the situation develop in that direction. But we can’t distribute supplies until the emperor is truly weakened."

"So, you want me to continue my efforts as they are?"

Mariel nodded. "Do it until the city’s citizens demonstrate and demand that you replace the emperor," he instructed. "Remember, our job is to make you a hero. Once you ascend the throne, we will immediately distribute supplies and withdraw all troops."

"However," Mariel continued, "we can distribute the supplies earlier if the emperor decides to go to the battlefield himself. We can seize power by force and establish you as the ruler. This option will result in less damage to Moskvallha."

"Do you think the emperor will join the battlefield soon?"

Mariel had deliberately sent Celinee to lead the Mangolla troops to draw the emperor there. That way, Stewart could break through from the south unimpeded. Mariel would face the member of World Order while Celinee eliminated Zalestino.

"We just have to wait," Mariel finally answered—deciding not to share his thoughts with Athenia.

--------[ ooOoo ]--------

The troops Stewart brought had been divided into three divisions.

The first and second divisions each consisted of twenty thousand soldiers. Their task was to occupy and secure the areas they had conquered and taken control of. The first division handled the western areas, while the second managed the eastern ones. They were also responsible for supplying logistics to the third division.

The remaining soldiers automatically formed the third division—led directly by Stewart and General Rutherdof. This third or main division was responsible for advancing and conquering populated territories they encountered. They were the primary combat force.

So far, they had taken control of a total of fourteen villages and one small city. And now, the main army led by Stewart was camping about ten kilometers from Eolamoza—one of the eleven major cities of the empire. Aside from the fact that night had fallen, the presence of enemy forces prevented Stewart from attacking Eolamoza immediately.

"Their number is around sixty-five thousand, Your Highness," one of the scout soldiers reported. "We couldn’t confirm exactly who is leading them, but we heard that Prime Minister Viertino is with them."

"What about Zalestino?" Stewart asked. "Did you hear any Moskvallha soldiers mention that old man’s name?"

"No, Your Highness. Aside from the names of some of their military leaders, there was no name close to or equivalent to the prime minister."

"Alright, thank you for your report. You may leave. Make sure you and your comrades get a full rest."

The soldier nodded, expressed his gratitude, and immediately left. Only Stewart and General Rutherdof remained inside the medium-sized tent. With the soldier’s departure, the prince’s attention returned to the map on the table. General Rutherdof had marked several points to reflect the actual situation.

"Will you face Prime Minister Viertino yourself, Your Highness?" the general asked. "I’ve heard that his strength is rumored to be on par with the emperor. But if Your Highness wants to conserve your energy for facing the emperor, I will do my best to stop the prime minister. After all, I am the pride of Denland’s army."

Stewart smiled at the words of the fifty-year-old man. "I will handle Viertino, General," he said. "If Zalestino appears, I want you to hold him off until I arrive. After all, I still want to be the one to personally behead that man."

"Hm... What if he brings Princess Julia and forces Your Highness to surrender?"

Stewart didn’t immediately answer that question. He couldn’t. Even though he had considered that scenario from the beginning, he still hadn’t found a solution. If he were extraordinarily strong, he could snatch his sister away right in front of them. However, Stewart wasn’t that powerful.

"Should we try sending infiltrators to confirm the princess’s whereabouts?" the general asked—offering a suggestion as well. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"...That’s a good idea, General. Thank you. Please select three or four of the most skilled soldiers for that task."

"Of course, Your Highness. I will take my leave now. I will return immediately after finding the right soldiers for the mission."

Stewart nodded. And with the general’s departure, he was now alone in the tent set up for his rest.

Stewart’s eyes immediately sharpened as they focused on the map. His mind raced, thinking of the right strategy to destroy the forces Viertino brought without suffering heavy casualties. If he couldn’t do it with minimal losses, Stewart would have no choice but to resort to brutal tactics.

"But... what if Julia isn’t with them?"

That question had crossed Stewart’s mind before. However, he had refused to dwell on it. What had happened in Vallhamoza was too clear to conclude otherwise. One hundred percent of the soldiers who had attacked him were elite imperial troops. It was difficult for Stewart to assume there was another perpetrator.

What now made him reconsider that question was the fact that Moskvallha had yet to send a demand letter. He had deliberately attacked openly to let them know he was coming. Stewart had expected Zalestino to send someone to read a demand letter in front of him. However, no envoy had ever arrived.

"Did I misjudge the situation?"