The Extra Wants To Live

After a persistent search, the eggs that the monster had not been able to move were found. They were discovered in a mound of dirt that appeared to have been hastily covered over a small hole where the eggs had originally been laid. Perhaps the monster had moved all the eggs it was holding and then came back to try to move the rest.

It was fortunate that the monster had high intelligence. They didn't want to give up a single egg, and because they were all gathered in one place, the searchers were able to find them all at once. Five eggs remained, and after much thought, Carl decided to pack them up and transport them to Himmeln along with the report, rather than destroying them all. The soft eggs were almost as big as a person's head, so they had to be packed very carefully. However, there was no certainty that the eggs would reach Himmeln safely, as they might rot along the way. Nevertheless, they were loaded onto the carriage and transported as carefully as possible.

The casualties were immediately recovered, and Carl, who had been treated by Milton, led all the troops to thoroughly search the forest. Camilla wouldn't have done it sloppily, but they double-checked just in case. After two days of personally inspecting the river and pond, Carl finally spread the news that he had successfully defeated the monster.

The river remained under control, and searches continued, but the high tensions had eased significantly. The perimeter and search efforts gradually relaxed, starting from the lower reaches in the southwest, until eventually, only the upper reaches from the Celle Mountains retained perimeter forces. The corpse of the slain monster was taken to the nearby Gilin Castle for examination. Those who saw the horrific creature shuddered but praised the Laurel Unit. Carl's Laurel Legion had once again driven away the darkness that had fallen over the eastern part of the Empire. A massive propaganda campaign was launched to calm the chaos, and the people soon regained their composure. However, the Laurel Alliance in the eastern part of the Empire was still on high alert, as many traces of that giant monster had been found along the upper reaches of the river, extending from the Celle Mountains.

Carl immediately summoned the lords of each territory belonging to the Laurel Union. It took less than ten days for all the lords of the eastern part of the Empire to gather in silence in Bemale, a territory bordering the Celle Mountains, including the upper reaches of the river that had been the center of the monster incident. Everyone rode their horses and ran like mad as soon as they heard the news, not wanting to arrive later than the other nobles. Even if there are only three people, humans are inclined toward politics. Would anyone want to leisurely go sightseeing, knowing that others are talking behind their back?

"I received a reply."

Upon arriving in Bemale, Carl was having a hectic time. In that place where numerous nobles had gathered, the only person who could deliver news to Carl was Camilla, who could come and go from the imperial palace as if it were her own home. Camilla handed Carl a letter from Yusuf. Although she did her best because of the urgency of the matter, it had taken an unusually long time due to Yusuf's situation, which made it difficult to deliver the letter.

"The civil war in Tumaris expanded into a war of succession among the Sultans."

As Camilla handed him the letter, Carl began to think about many things. He first opened the letter and looked through it.

"… … ."

Things weren't going well. The original Hadad sect, centered around the Arbana River, was joining forces with Yusuf to recover its territory. However, Yusuf had virtually lost his influence over the territories in western Tumaria, far from the Arbana River and near the Celle Mountains, bordering Hardion. This problem arose due to the Padishah's worsening illness and his inability to manage state affairs. Yusuf was taking care of state matters on behalf of the Padishah, aligning with the Hadad Order.

However, the issue was that Yusuf's authority was not formally recognized by the Padishah, who had been out of his mind for a long time and was unable to sort out the issue of succession. In this situation, Yusuf, who was only the son of the Padishah and had no qualifications to rule as regent, was taking charge of state affairs, inciting the other sultans' greed. With Tumaria on the brink of collapse, Yusuf, who was trying to protect it, was instead criticized as an evil being aiming to destroy the nation.

Several sultans unanimously claimed that Yusuf was plotting to take over the position of Padishah and was trying to force his father to death. However, since Yusuf had the firm support of the Hadad sect and the people centered around the Arbana River, their efforts were not successful. So, they chose to join forces with the Qua Hadad sect, which had been declared heretical by the Hadad sect. The Qua Hadad sect claimed they were not heretics but rather a faction that had adopted a new interpretation of the Hadad doctrines. The sultans calling for Yusuf's overthrow were also seeking recognition of the Qua Hadad sect as an official sect.

It was evident that these factions were plotting to take over Tumaria by empowering each other. In this situation, Yusuf had only one option regarding the horrific monster outbreak in western Tumaria: he had to make a decisive move.

'So we're going to end up at war with Tumaris.'

Yusuf made a decision to protect Tumaria. With incredible boldness, he recorded detailed information about western Tumaria and relayed it to Carl. And, in place of Yusuf, he asked Carl to rule over the western part of Tumaria bordering the Celle Mountains and to quell the chaos.

Yusuf, who cared deeply about the future of Tumaria, asked the Empire to attack Tumaria's land for the sake of its preservation. This was a choice based on the trust between Carl and Yusuf but also on a calculated judgment. Western Tumaria was now under the control of the Qua Hadad sect and the sultans who sought Yusuf's downfall. Because of this, Camilla had to travel deep into Tumaria, resulting in a more than ten-day delay in exchanging letters.

In other words, if Carl attacks western Tumaria, the Qua Hadad sect would be forced into a two-front war, with Yusuf attacking from Arbana. Yusuf would be able to conduct 'purges of heresy' and 'rebellion suppression' while greatly minimizing his losses, allowing him to focus on stabilizing Tumaria after the conflict is resolved.

Carl taking over western Tumaria? There's no need to worry about that. Yusuf knows very well how wise and thorough a man Carl is. Carl's unification of the eastern part of the Empire was not simply to keep Tumaria in check but also to become emperor, supported by a powerful military. In this situation, if Carl continued to insist on ruling over western Tumaria while conflicting with Tumaria, he risked being tied down when he needed to mobilize his army.

Carl must step down peacefully after Yusuf wins the civil war. Of course, if it ends like this, Carl has no reason to attack western Tumaria. What value is there in invading lands he cannot possess and defending the enemy's territory? So, Yusuf set a limit for Carl's 'plunder' and told him to take whatever he wanted within that limit. As if that weren't enough, after Yusuf won the civil war, he promised Carl many things in various fields, including trade and diplomacy.

This treaty would be concluded after Carl becomes Emperor and Yusuf becomes Padishah. However, the benefits from 'plundering' western Tumaria now are far from negligible. Thanks to the small rivers flowing from the Celle Mountains, some areas had become fertile lands, attracting many people and creating a splendid civilization. Even within the boundaries set by Yusuf, Carl could still obtain abundant gold, silver treasures, and other valuable items.

Additionally, the Empire would celebrate the plundering of western Tumaria, viewing it as a righteous conquest. With Yusuf's withdrawal of western troops to the east, Carl would likely achieve victory without much difficulty.

It's not that it's a bad opportunity; it's just something that needs to be done.

'But this is a war that cannot be waged without Azgoth's permission.'

The problem is that Carl cannot wage war on his own.

Azgoth governed the affairs of the empire both internally and externally with an internal-oriented policy.

It must have been so bad that there had been no major wars for several decades.

In this situation, if Karl unilaterally invades Tumaria, it will be difficult to handle the aftermath.

'If it were Azgoth, he would tell me to do it. But I have to convince Aric and avoid Adrian suspicion.'

Azgoth will gladly accept this huge deal.

But Aric will naturally be strongly opposed to it, and Adrian will also be very suspicious.

"… … ."

Camilla silently watched Carl, whom she hadn't seen for about ten days, resting his chin on his hand and staring at the flickering candlelight.

The numerous appearances of Carl that change with the flickering candlelight feel unique.

Camilla hesitated with her lips pursed, then slightly crossed the line.

"If you need a justification for war, I will take action."

Carl, who had been lost in thought at Camilla's words, slowly rolled his eyes and looked at her.

Camilla was startled for a moment, as if her heart had been pierced by an ice pick.

This was because Carl, who had been pretending not to care about her but secretly considered her special, now saw her as a perfect 'tool'.