Merchant Noble is out (3/4 chapters for today)
Lureid Kingdom
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The Laplace Kingdom bordered three countries to the east, south, and southeast.
(Illustration by Mitemin)
The relationships with neighboring countries were typically defined by either attacking or being attacked, making them effectively potential enemies. Among them, relations with the eastern neighbor, the Lureid Kingdom, have been particularly tense.
Laplace had always been wary of Lureid.
The Margrave of the Eastern Marches, who was granted military autonomy and significant power in exchange for defending the border, stood as a testament to this vigilance. Additionally, the now-deceased Leo, known for his military prowess, was stationed in the east during his time as prince, further emphasizing the kingdom’s concern for eastern defenses.
Meanwhile, the Lureid Kingdom, unlike Laplace, which bordered the sea to the north and west, shared its borders with other nations to the west, south, and east. In this precarious position, Lureid had long coveted Laplace as a means of reducing its potential enemies. It was unthinkable for Lureid to overlook the current weakened state of Laplace.
—
The King of Lureid, Tuffman Lureid, lumbered into the reception room, his massive frame shaking with each step. Previously, he had always been carried indoors on a palanquin by ten strong attendants. However, at his minister’s suggestion, he had recently begun walking for the sake of his health.
“Haah… haah…” (Tuffman)
Even walking was a struggle for his obese body. He collapsed into his throne, taking deep breaths to recover.
“You may enter.” (Tuffman)
Once the king’s breathing had stabilized, the minister opened the doors to the reception room.
“Oh, nobles of Laplace! Welcome, and thank you for traveling such a great distance.” (Tuffman)
The king rose from his throne to personally greet those entering the room. These were the nobles of Laplace who had refused to surrender to Casablanca and sought asylum in Lureid.
“This is my first audience with Your Majesty.” (Laplace Marquis)
“And what brings you here today?” (Tuffman)
A marquis from Laplace spoke on behalf of the group, offering a petition.
“Currently, the Laplace Kingdom is in utter chaos. Queen Casablanca has been slaughtering us nobles indiscriminately, and many innocent lords are now fleeing for their lives. We have come to humbly request that King Lureid mediate between Casablanca and us nobles.” (Laplace Marquis)
The news of Casablanca’s purge of the nobility had, of course, reached the ears of the Lureid king. However, he feigned surprise and expressed sympathy and condolences for the nobles’ plight.
“Hm. The slaughter of innocents weighs heavily on my heart, even for a foreign land.” (Tuffman)
Yet he followed with a hesitant, apologetic expression.
“However, no matter the reason, intervening in another nation’s affairs risks provoking the surrounding countries.” (Tuffman)
The nobles were taken aback by the king’s unexpectedly lukewarm response. Given the perfect opportunity to invade Laplace, they had assumed Lureid would eagerly agree to assist. Panicked, they pressed further.
“We, the nobles of Laplace, will guide Your Majesty in justifying Lureid’s intervention.” (Laplace Marquis)
“No matter what you claim, the neighboring nations will not be convinced.” (Tuffman)
The king shook his head slowly, then looked wistfully up at the ceiling, murmuring.
“Ah, if only there were a suitable candidate…” (Tuffman)
“Sire, one stands here before you.” (??)
A voice responded to the king’s remark. It came from behind a curtain near the throne, where someone had been hiding.
“Hm?” (Tuffman)
“Ah…” (Laplace Nobles)
The nobles, searching for the source of the voice, gasped when the person revealed themselves.
“L… Louis-sama…” (Laplace Nobles)
“Oh, Louis Laplace. I was planning to introduce him to you nobles as a surprise later.” (Tuffman)
The nobles reacted predictably, much to the king’s amusement. In contrast, Louis wore an expression of utter displeasure.
“Hey, you lot! I’ve been listening from back here, and I’ve had enough of your brazen lies!” (Louis)
Unable to contain his anger, Louis stormed forward, his once-regal bearing unchanged, and confronted the nobles.
“You claim Casablanca has lost control? That she’s committing massacres? And yet, wasn’t it you nobles who sided with her against me? Huh?” (Louis)
“Louis-sama… it has been a long time.” (Laplace Nobles)
To the nobles, Louis was someone they had ultimately abandoned. They couldn’t merely feel awkward, they were downright terrified. Heads bowed, they trembled under Louis’s fiery glare. Kneeling, avoiding eye contact, the nobles endured Louis’s torrent of grievances.
“Shut up! When Casablanca and I were about to face off, wasn’t it you who abandoned me? Thanks to you, I had no choice but to flee from Casablanca! This is all your fault! And now you come crawling back, begging for help because Casablanca is about to crush you? You’re reaping what you sowed!” (Louis)
“Y-yes, it’s true we couldn’t rally to your side in time back then. B-but we never actually sided with Casablanca. It’s just that gathering troops took longer than expected…” (??)
“I was bedridden with illness during that time…” (??)
The fact that the nobles had abandoned Louis had indirectly helped Casablanca seize the throne. Each noble now scrambled to make excuses, but their feeble justifications only fueled Louis’s fury further.
“Enough!” (Louis)
The King of Lureid stepped in to pacify Louis, who was now on the verge of physically striking the nobles.
“Louis Laplace claims that the current Queen Casablanca unjustly usurped the throne. Is this true?” (Tuffman)
“Yes, that is correct.” (Laplace Nobles)
Under Louis’s fiery gaze, they had no choice but to nod. The king’s greasy face broke into a wide grin as he clapped his hands.
“That is unacceptable. A usurper on the throne poses a threat to our neighboring kingdom. Lureid will support Louis Laplace to restore order and rightful rule to the Laplace Kingdom.” (Tuffman)
“Your Majesty, thank you. With Lureid’s support, reclaiming the throne will be effortless.” (Louis)
Louis bowed in gratitude, pledging his allegiance. Satisfied, the king turned to the nobles.
“You shall aid Louis in overthrowing the false queen, yes?” (Tuffman)
“Y-yes, Your Majesty. We are deeply grateful for your support.” (Laplace Nobles)
“Then, let us waste no time. Minister, prepare the expeditionary force at once.” (Tuffman)
With Louis Laplace and the great nobles of Laplace once again united, the legitimacy and likelihood of success for an invasion of Laplace were now assured. The king promptly ordered preparations for war.
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