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Chapter 201: Divided Empire

The 830th year of the Altera period was a turbulent year for the Enzo continent, especially for the Rakil Empire. The empire emerged victorious in the years-long war with the republic, ousting the invaders more swiftly than on any other front. This victory showcased the might of the continent’s largest country, both for its people and for outsiders.

However, the euphoria of victory was short-lived. Rumors of the assassination surrounded the sudden death of the emperor led to a power struggle between Princes Gnaeus and Remus for the throne. Despite the recent end of the war, a tense atmosphere enveloped the empire.

The relationship between the princes Gnaeus and Remus deteriorated day by day, and an unexpected situation arose. The southern lords declared independence and formed a military alliance under Prince Vasilius.

What seemed like a collaboration between Princes Gnaeus and Remus to quell the rebellion took a dire turn. Gnaeus attempted to assassinate Remus, leading to the worst-case scenario: a battle in the imperial capital. The capital was engulfed in warfare, resulting in the loss of numerous buildings and even more lives.

The chaos brought on by the sudden demon rampage and the appearance of a huge monster led to the collapse of the imperial capital’s defense system from within. This turmoil ultimately ended with Prince Remus’s victory in the battle for the capital.

However, this victory solved nothing. The reason was that Prince Gnaeus had already escaped from the besieged capital. His escape was via a route designed after the underground tunnels used in Republic fortresses for transporting supplies and personnel; it was a path undetectable from the surface, ensuring a swift and safe exit.

The escape route, constructed in the utmost secrecy, went unnoticed by Prince Remus and his faction. This secret passage led to the eastern part of the empire. Prince Gnaeus, having safely fled through it, conducted his formal coronation ceremony in that region.

The empire had three national treasures, symbolic of the emperor’s power and traditionally passed down to the rightful ruler. These were the crown, the scepter, and the orb. Although they were normally kept in the deepest vaults of the treasury, these treasures had been cleverly smuggled out by those in Prince Gnaeus’s faction.

In addition to the national treasures, a substantial amount of wealth had been taken from the national treasury. All that remained were mostly large sculptures and paintings, items too cumbersome to transport.

Furthermore, the eastern part of the empire, where Prince Gnaeus had fled to, was untouched by the ravages of war. Since it faced the seal, it thrived on maritime trade. There, Gnaeus assumed the throne, boasting an unscathed land, considerable wealth, and most importantly, the legitimacy ensured by the national treasures.

Many lords supported Prince Gnaeus’s ascension to emperor. Although he was a defeated contender, he possessed the national treasures, symbols of imperial authority. Additionally, he wielded substantial wealth from controlling the eastern region, which he generously distributed to buy support, quite literally.

On the other hand, Prince Remus, the supposed victor, found himself in dire straits. He had seized the imperial capital, the heart of the empire, with his military might. However, after the battle, the capital lay in ruins. Urgent repairs and pacifying the populace were essential… but there was a glaring issue: the lack of necessary funds.

The reason was clear: the wealth had been taken by Prince Gnaeus’s faction. All the valuable things were taken away, and even the national treasures symbolizing the imperial authority were missing. What Prince Remus had won was merely a devastated capital.

Upon realizing this, Prince Remus immediately ordered the pursuit of Prince Gnaeus and his followers. However, the escape route designed for the emperor’s safe evacuation was not something easily traceable. It didn’t even traverse above ground, rendering the searches outside the capital utterly fruitless.

By the time the underground tunnel within the imperial capital was discovered, it had already completely collapsed inside, making it impossible to determine where the exit led. Prince Remus learned of Prince Gnaeus’s whereabouts when he heard reports of his appointment as emperor in the east.

Enraged by Prince Gnaeus’s coronation, Prince Remus immediately sought to mobilize his army to conquer the eastern part of the empire. However, his close advisors desperately tried to stop him. The reason was that his soldiers were in no condition to fight.

It was inevitable that there would be casualties in a battle against the numerically superior defensive forces and the strengthened human soldiers, known as demons. Although Prince Remus had succeeded in capturing the imperial capital, his forces suffered significant losses.

Moreover, the damage to the “Imperial Sword Knights” his most elite unit, was far beyond expectations. Many knights were lost, including a group of five who were cut down by Antares and a unit that was reduced to a single piece of charcoal by Kalervo, who had turned into a grotesque demon.

It was no exaggeration to say that the loss of such elite soldiers was several times worse than losing ordinary soldiers. Those who had recovered enough to fight constituted less than half of the entire army.

But the primary reason his advisors stopped him was not this. It was the impending arrival of winter.

In normal times, the vast empire could mobilize its army even in the dead of winter with a bit of strain. This was possible because the imperial treasury was always rich in funds and food supplies, and the number of standing soldiers was overwhelmingly higher compared to other countries.

However, these were not times of peace. The war had just ended, making it impossible to muster any more troops than what was currently available. Moreover, due to the siege of the imperial capital, there was a food shortage. Both soldiers and food supplies were insufficient for waging war against the well-provisioned eastern part of the empire, which could afford it.

Another problem was the lack of lords supporting Prince Remus. Although his relatives and their faction were supposed to be his allies, Prince Gnaeus had already completed his coronation ceremony through official rites. This meant that the emperor had been formally established.

This changed the situation drastically. These lords had hoped to gain power and influence as the emperor’s relatives, not to become rebels. Except for a few, the factions that were supporting Prince Remus pledged allegiance to the new emperor.

The bad news persisted. The half-destroyed imperial capital was overflowing with impoverished people; this actually led to an unprecedented decline in public order. Fortunately, Prince Remus’s soldiers were strong and capable, and they somehow managed to maintain order with those who were able to move. However, the citizens didn’t miss any opportunity to escape the capital and were fleeing continuously.

Nevertheless, Prince Remus and his advisors began to plan countermeasures once the imperial capital stabilized. Their first action was to hold a coronation ceremony.

Even though the national treasures for the ceremony were lost, Prince Remus used replicas to conduct his coronation. Thus, he too was inaugurated as the Emperor of the Rakil Empire.

The only ones who pledged allegiance to Emperor Remus were his long-time advisors and the lords around the imperial capital who had surrendered before the attack. However, his control extended over a larger area than Emperor Gnaeus’s. This was because he had seized control of the imperial northern territories, which had become a power vacuum due to the war.

The army loyal to Emperor Remus was still dealing with the aftermath of the war, so they remained in the northern territories. They submitted to Emperor Remus and ended up occupying the north, thereby granting Emperor Remus control over a larger territory than Emperor Gnaeus.

Both Emperor Remus and Emperor Gnaeus declared their respective states to be the Rakil Empire. By doing so, each claimed to be the legitimate Emperor of the Rakil Empire, labeling the other as a mere usurper.

However, this situation led to confusion, as it effectively created two Rakil Empires. Consequently, in later times, Emperor Remus’s state was referred to as the Northern Rakil Empire and Emperor Gnaeus’s as the Eastern Rakil Empire.

Despite claiming the imperial throne and expanding their territory, the Northern Rakil Empire was still impoverished. Emperor Remus could have demanded food reserves from his vassal lords, but this risked further weakening their already fragile loyalty and potentially turning them into enemies who might betray him at any moment.

The situation in the imperial capital was so dire that it warranted taking this risk. Just as Emperor Remus was about to ask the lord to make donations, an unexpected offer of help came. It was from King Vasilius…. the rebel who made the southern lords, including his mother’s birthplace, independent.

To be precise, there was a military coalition known as the Oath Alliance, formed by nations that had declared independence along with King Vasilius. This alliance proposed to support the Northern Rakil Empire. The offer entailed providing the Northern Rakil Empire with essential supplies at a minimal cost…. almost for free, in return for acknowledging the member states of the Oath Alliance as independent nations.

Since it was located in the southern part of the empire, the Oath Alliance has not been affected by the Republic like the Eastern Rakil Empire. Although the Oath Alliance had few countries bordering the sea, their lands were fertile and rich in mineral resources; the alliance was capable of providing all the materials the Northern Rakil Empire needed.

The impoverished Northern Rakil Empire saw a glimmer of hope; receiving support could save its people and repair the imperial capital. Meanwhile, for the Oath Alliance, this was an opportunity to have themselves formally recognized as independent by the Rakil Empire. The deal offered advantages to both parties.

Although the deal promised ample benefits, Emperor Remus showed reluctance to accept it. In his eyes, the Oath Alliance was merely a band of rebels who should rightfully be kneeling and begging for forgiveness from him, the emperor. The fact that these rebels were acting as if they were his equals was particularly distasteful to him.

Emperor Remus recognized that there was more at play than just emotional considerations. He discerned an unspoken intention of the Oath Alliance: by ensuring the survival of the Northern Rakil Empire, they aimed to divert the Eastern Rakil Empire’s focus away from themselves.

A group of rebels or a false emperor claiming the same title as himself. It would be obvious which one he would move to subjugate first. In other words, as long as the Northern Rakil Empire existed, the likelihood of the Oath Alliance facing attacks from the Eastern Rakil Empire remained low.

While the two Rakil Empires were busy undermining each other, the Oath Alliance would grow stronger, deepening relationships with foreign powers and preparing for the eventual conflict with the Rakil Empire. Seeing such a future, Emperor Remus was reluctant, both emotionally and politically, to recognize the independence of the Oath Alliance.

However, if they didn’t accept the proposal, the Northern Rakil Empire might not even survive the winter. Emperor Remus’s advisors desperately tried to persuade him, arguing that it was better to endure the humiliation now and, after gaining more strength than when they had attacked the imperial capital, to oust both the false emperor and the rebels.

With the persuasion of his advisors, Emperor Remus finally agreed. Consequently, the Northern Rakil Empire was able to address its food shortage and repair the imperial capital. The empire managed to survive the winter without weakening as much as the Eastern Rakil Empire had anticipated.

With the arrival of spring, the two Rakil Empires clashed fiercely. The victor was the Northern Rakil Empire. However, even that victory was not a comfortable one. Unlike the Northern Rakil Empire, which waged an all-out war, the Eastern Rakil Empire had more leeway. Even in defeat, they had enough time to retreat.

Nevertheless, the state of having two Rakil Empires remained unresolved. In the spring of the year 831 of the Altera period, the Rakil Empire was definitively divided into three separate factions.

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TN: And with this the fourth volume: Liberation ends and the next chapter marks the start of the fifth volume: Journey

TN: What I also like about this novel is that most if not every character that was introduced comes into play later in the story.

In summary the Empire was divided into: Northern Rakil Empire, Eastern Rakil Empire, Oath Alliance.

Oath is not a translation; it is literally pronounced as oath in Japanese.