Plain Girl Hero of Darkness
Young People Leaving Hive - (3)

[The kingdom of Arsbelt appeared on the historical stage during the year 700 of the Lunar Calendar.]

There were more countries back then, and they were all fighting to dominate the continent. The empire was established during that chaotic era. The most popular theory holds that the empire was founded by the landlord of the Kingdom of Farnesse, Richard Heinz. He revolted because of the corruption of the Kingdom, and gathered many comrades to build his own ideal state, and set out to the north.

However, there is no conclusive evidence to support this theory, and many scholars dispute it. It made no sense for a Royal landlord to have the luxury of deflecting and establishing an independent state.

There is no doubt that the political scene of the Kingdom at that time was riddled with corruption. However, Chief Minister Leonheart Varquez used his extraordinary political skills to revolutionize the political views of the Kingdom during this era, so the time period was suitable. That is the reason why this theory is becoming mainstream among scholars.

The second popular theory of the Church of St. The Illuminas, known as the "Secte Goddess of Citresia" at the time, were closely associated with the founding of the Empire. The reason being the name of their archbishop was among the list of founding members.

However, the Church of St. The Illuminas officially deny this.

The northern lands where the Empire was based were mountains, and the plains were sparse. In addition, the land is not fertile so the harvest is bad. Ferocious beasts also roamed freely, so it was not a suitable place for human habitation.

Despite those conditions, the Empire rose to become a power on par with the Kingdom due to their brilliant Emperor administration. And now, a vegetable called "Ars Pumpkin" that can be grown on barren land is becoming popular in the country.

And this harvest was repaired by the researchers, by order of the Emperor. Moreover, the Empire had many other achievements.

From another perspective, the Empire enjoyed 200 years of strange prosperity as other countries let it. The empire was surrounded by mountains, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Because the land was infertile, the rulers did not care about it.

Against such a background, the Empire enjoyed a peaceful era during this wartime, and could concentrate on building up its national strength. Their past emperors who hated war also played a big role.

The era of warfare, which seemed to be going on forever, ended around the year 950 of the Lunar Calendar. The kingdom grew tired of the long war, and withdrew the troops it sent to other countries. Afterwards, a group of small nations in the south of the continent formed an alliance, and called themselves the Confederation of the City of Sutherland. There was still a small friction between the small countries, but overall, the continent was peaceful.

During that time, the previous Emperor, Ramza the Twelve died of illness in 965 of the Lunar Calendar.

He was only 40 years old, and his reign lasted for seven years.

He was the shortest Emperor. His successor was the First Prince, Diethalm, who was crowned Thirteenth Ramza. At the young age of 15, he displayed excellent political skills, and brought the Empire's prosperity to a higher level. When he reached the age of his predecessor, 40, he was evaluated as the most eminent of all Emperors, and revered as the "Good Emperor", his name was famous throughout the continent.

And that Good-hearted Emperor suddenly declared his intention to conquer the continent. Not only the citizens of the Empire, people from other countries were also stunned by Ramza's statement that hated war just like his predecessors. But the citizens of the Empire did not feel uncomfortable. They were firmly convinced that the Good-hearted Emperor was always right.

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Capital of the Orsted Empire of the Arsbelt Empire, Listerine Castle, Audience Hall

Golden chandeliers hung all over the ceiling, illuminating the room with a brilliant light. A soft red carpet covers the floor, and has an excellent noise-cancelling effect. On the wall at the end of the room was a blue banner with a cross-shaped sword '+'. This is the emblem of the Empire.

The ruler of Listerine Castle, the Thirteenth Emperor Ramza, sat on his throne and listened to reports of war by his followers. Chancellor Dalmes was standing next to Ramza where he should be. The report was made by a young officer of the Empire, General Felixus von Zega, a man whom Ramza considered extremely talented since his youth.

He was one of the three Imperial Generals, and led the elite Azure Knights. Honest and sincere, he was a handsome man who captivated the women in court. These two factors combined to give him tremendous popularity among the masses.

Felixus used a large map on a pedestal to provide a detailed description of the northern, central and southern battlefields. Ramza nodded in acknowledgment, but did not say a word.

"- It summed up my report on the war. With the blessing of His Majesty, we can begin our assault on Fort Gallia. May we obtain your permission, My Lord? "

Felixus asked with a complicated expression. Ramza then whispered into Dalmes' ear. He brashly did so, but Felixus still grumbled in his heart, "This again?" In recent times, Felixus has not had a conversation with Ramza, with Dalmes who has always been a messenger. After wondering, it seemed like it was the same for everyone.

Dalmes nodded respectfully, then replied Felixus:

"On behalf of our Great Emperor: 'It is still too early for that, we will observe every move of the Kingdom.' End of decree."

"... Yes, Your Majesty."

Felixus placed his hand on his chest, took a step back and bowed deeply. He then turned around and walked towards the entrance of the Audience Hall elegantly.

(As expected, the Emperor has been acting strangely in recent years. He didn't talk much in the past, but also wasn't as silent. From his face, he seemed to be sick. But why didn't His Majesty give the order to attack Fort Gallia? I don't understand.)

The battle plans made by General Osborne were unblemished. They had many troops in the south, and their fighting spirit was high. The only surprise is the puzzling report of one of their elite soldiers being killed by a wandering girl.

From the grand scheme of things, it was just a trivial detail. Now is the best time to attack Fort Gallia, which is why Osborne asked Ramza for permission. It does not seem like a sharp decision Ramza made. The thought made Felixus worried.

Felixus left Audience Hall sighing. Dalmes bowed to Ramza respectfully, and followed Felixus. As the two of them exited the Audience Hall, the guards closed the door in a trained gesture. Only Emperor Ramza and a few bodyguards remained inside. As the sun sets in the west, Audience Hall is dyed red.

Ramza expressionlessly just sat on the throne without moving in the slightest.

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...To Be Continue's...