Mysterious Job Called Oda Nobunaga - 165

In the castle of Maust, where Hasse’s army has been wiped out and peace has been restored, Rumi, as king of the Kingdom of Thirlwil, issues an imperial decree to defeat the rebels.

In the chair of the castle where I was master, there sits Rumi now. A temporary throne.

“Thanks to you, the stability of the kingdom is now more than accomplished. Let me begin by thanking you.”

The sovereigns, including myself, bow down before Rumi I.

No one here doubts Rumi as king.

The fact that the kingdom has been split in two and there has been a struggle for the capital has been a good thing. If the political situation had remained stable, the proclamation of a new king by the king’s sister would not have been taken seriously.

However, for a long time, the position of king was reserved for those who conquered the capital by force. So it is not surprising that Rumi acts as king and cries out for Hasse’s overthrow.

“As king, I command you…. Destroy the false king and his gang who sit in King’s Landing, and do your utmost to unite the kingdom as one.

“On behalf of my subjects, I, Althrod Nayvre, Regent, answer you. I will devote my life to the King and I will surely achieve the unification of the kingdom!

“Arsrod Nevre, Regent, stand up!”

I slowly raise myself up at Rumi’s words.

“I give you command over the city. You will take this sword, which was enshrined in the temple of the royal guard, as a sign of your authority.

I accepted the sword reverently.

It’s a strange thing, when you think about it. When I made Hasse king, I had no intention of marrying a royal. I thought that taking a wife from a family I would one day destroy would only bring resentment.

Hasse should have married Rumi as a yoke so that I would not cross him.

And yet, for whatever reason, Rumi has become the greatest card I can play to build my nation.

“King’s Landing has fallen once. It’s no big deal. I’ve got a plan in place.

“I’m counting on you. The days of daily human bloodshed will soon be over.

It is true that the more blood I shed on the battlefield, the more the area I control expands, and the more land there is without war. It’s ironic.

I turned my back on Rumi and faced the sovereigns.

“Those who are willing to follow me and fight for you, stand up. His name will be recorded by the historians as the authentic history of our nation.

Of course, no one remained seated.

One by one, the lords who had rushed to the scene from all over the region rose to their feet.

Some were in armor because it was wartime, some were in the ordinary clothes of nobles, and some were in ceremonial dress because they were in the presence of the king.

Some are the oldest, like Laviala, who has been with me since my birth; others, like Maissel Uge, who has been my vassal in the expansion of my power; still others have come with a hundred men from the distant isles; still others are furry northern lords from Tarsha, participating as ruling lords.

All are mixed, but they are the perfect number to take King’s Landing.

“Mr. Arsrod …… No, Regent, do you have some sort of plan?”

Raviara asked me.

“It would be easy to bring down King’s Landing itself. But to set the city on fire is something the King of Thirlwil should never do. If a war were to break out inside the city, it would be out of control.”

I continue.

“So we will slowly surround the city from the outside, forcing it to give up its resistance. Once he realizes that there is nowhere else to run but King’s Landing, Hasse will see no other way but to give in.

“What exactly are you going to do?”

I couldn’t help but smile.

It’s going to be a siege of epic proportions, the likes of which have never been seen in history.

“First, we will pass through the capital and take control of the southern part of the kingdom, which is almost the only part of the kingdom that follows Hasse’s lead. At that point, the areas controlled by Hasse’s side will cease to exist besides King’s Landing.

My words start to stir people around me.

I see some faces that say, “No way. Of course they’re right. I would have thought they would have stormed into the capital with a huge army, even if they didn’t destroy it or loot it.

“Wouldn’t that take some time, Mr. Arsrod …… Regent?”

“It will. But even if we attack King’s Landing from the west, there is a high risk that Hasse will escape to the east. If he escapes into the mountains and resists us, it would be troublesome, wouldn’t it?　Then we’ll make sure they can’t get anywhere. Besides–”

To tell you the truth, this is my true intention.

“Wouldn’t it be more beautiful for the unification of the kingdom if the final battle were to take place in the capital?”

●

I took the lead in deciding on the detailed organization of the troops. This is only natural since I have been appointed commander-in-chief.

As the days go by, more and more lords have declared their willingness to follow me.

We can easily move over 100,000 men. It is impossible and inefficient to gather such a number in one place, so we will take several routes to approach the capital.

The strategy meeting was held only with my chief advisors and influential people like Tarsha.

I decided to use a certain place as a base.

“This is a great fortress, albeit a cathedral. It’s very convenient.”

My first destination is the Cathedral of Orcent.

It is the home of my old enemy, the High Priestess Camito.

“Do you think that …… he’ll follow us?

Raviara looks worried, but I guess that’s to be expected. He is the enemy that has caused me the most pain.

“That’s why. That’s why he knows that he can’t choose to go against me here.

The man is not stupid enough to resist.