Chapter : 71

“Ah, so not the city, but only ‘some’ of the city council members will surrender?”

Looking at the envoy’s letter, I stared with an indifferent expression. Thanks to me, the envoy began to speak as if making an excuse, sweating profusely.

“Yo-Your Excellency. The heretics currently eating away at the Mangtong City Council have absolutely no intention of surrendering.”

“So you’re saying you’ll do it on your own?”

“That is correct.”

“Hmm….”

In its own way, it made sense.

The Chairman of the Mangtong City Council was a believer in the heretical church.

With the excommunication notice issued in the name of the Holy See, there was no way they would surrender meekly.

How could they lay everything down when the guillotine loomed before them?

Of course, apart from that, I was greatly disappointed.

“For that, your proposal is too shabby. Do I have to let you off just because you say you’ll surrender? You should at least start a rebellion from within and suppress them.”

“The military authority is held by those sponsored by the Chairman of the city council and the heretical church. By ourselves….”

“Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue at the sight of the envoy groaning and floundering.

But I understood to some extent.

It was because, in the era of [Pangea Universalise], heavy armaments like spears and shields were often not permitted within cities. It was to prevent bloodshed internally, which, in turn, was a major factor in concentrating the city's ruling power in the hands of the council chairman.

Of course, it wasn't that they had no hired soldiers or knights at all, but at best, they would be carrying flimsy skewer-like swords for self-defense.

Sensing that my mood was not at all favorable, the envoy hurriedly shouted.

“Your Excellency-! I-instead, we will open a path for you to enter the castle.”

“A path?”

“Yes. Near the port, there is a massive waterway for draining water when it rains. Through there, a large number of troops can be deployed. You will be able to capture the castle very easily.”

“Wouldn’t there be guards in a place like that?”

“That area is under our control, Your Excellency. We came out through there this time as well-!”

If so, there was a fair chance.

If we could just get soldiers inside through that waterway, taking over the City of Mangtong would be very easy—.

But I couldn’t blindly believe everything he said.

‘What if it’s a trap?’

If we pushed in through the waterway and it turned out to be a false surrender, it would be a massacre.

Of course, considering not only the vanguard but also the vast number of soldiers in the approaching main force, the possibility was very low, but one never knew.

It was right to reduce the variables.

“Good. I will accept your surrender. You claim you are not heretics, so how could I, who follows the will of God, turn away?”

“Oh-! Your Excellency. Thank you so much.”

“However, there is a condition.”

“?”

“Set fire to the city at the promised time. In a way that can be clearly seen from afar. When we see the city ablaze, we will enter. And if we don’t see it….”

I paused for a moment, then stared at the envoy and continued speaking.

“I will consider this offer as if it never happened and return immediately. What do you say? Will you do it or not?”

-Tiriring!

[An Insidious Proposal!]

[You have devised a stratagem to ensnare an untrustworthy opponent. If they accept this proposal, they will strive desperately for success.]

[Trait Correction!]

[Your stratagem has a higher probability of being more effective.]

If they wanted to live, they would have to risk their lives.

* * *

“Baaah-! The gods are helping us! As expected of the Lord who performs miracles! Let’s strike them down at once. Baaah.”

“That’s right! Human lord. What’s there to wait for? Let’s just push on through! My hands and feet have been itching to swing a halberd lately.”

The vassals’ opinions were mostly positive. Indeed, in [Pangea Universalise], it was a very common occurrence for an enemy cornered in a dead end to collapse due to internal strife.

This was especially true the more complicated the internal affairs were, as in a city. Betrayals occurred easily because each party had various interests.

But Magician Agpiel had a slightly different thought.

“Isn’t there a possibility of it being a trap?”

“Baaah?! Magician-nimu! A trap. That can’t be. Baaah.”

“Tsk, think about it. Isn’t it too coincidental? For a defeated chairman to recover his fallen prestige, what better way is there than this?”

“Hmm. Now that I think about it, that seems plausible, My Lord. Especially deep and narrow passages like a waterway are good places to drive people into and kill them. If we are hit with a fire attack, we would be completely trapped.”

“Yes, Sir Biden put it well. It’s too dangerous.”

“Hmm.”

As expected, the only one who thought similarly was Magician Agpiel. Satisfied, I nodded my head.

“I already demanded something more from them. As I thought about it, it seemed too suspicious.”

“What might that be?”

“I told them to set fires throughout the city. A fire so large that it could be seen from outside the castle. I warned them that if I don’t see it, I will return immediately, so they will be too busy setting fires to think of anything else.”

To start a fire visible from outside the castle walls, they would truly have to run around setting fires until their feet were sweating.

They would probably have to mobilize all the people they hired, so it was virtually the same as starting a rebellion from within.

If they set the fires and I just left, they would literally be dead men.

“Hahaha. You are quite mischievous.”

“For excommunicated people to survive, they should at least make that much effort. I will only accept them if they risk their lives.”

Honestly, the offer to just open the gate was quite impudent.

Weren’t they essentially trying to get something for nothing?

From my perspective, I had nothing to lose as I could just wait for the main army. If the heretics wanted to live, they had to pay a price.

‘Hmm, come to think of it, why do I seem to be setting fires every time I attack a city?’

Suddenly remembering the past siege of Markel City, I stroked my chin. I recalled burning the city down when I captured it back then, too.

The entire area, blazing fiercely.

Of course, I wasn't the one who did it; Biden did.

‘Hmm, surely there won’t be another great fire this time, right? The cleanup would be difficult.’

At the pointless thought, I let out a chuckle.

Probably not.

Surely, they wouldn’t burn down the city they lived in completely.

* * *

In the secret office of a Mangtong City Council member.

The council members who had resolved to switch sides were bewildered by the story the envoy brought back.

“So, he told us to burn the city?”

“Yes, councilman. He said to start a fire so large it can be seen from beyond the castle walls. If he doesn’t see it, he’ll just turn back….”

“Ha! Good grief.”

In other words, he was telling them to invest everything with no way back.

“But what can we do? The vanguard alone numbers 5,000. There are stories that the main force following them exceeds 30,000. We can’t stop them.”

“That’s right. This is no time to be picky! I hear the one leading the main army is the Prince-elector of Bohemia. That crazy elf.”

“Good heavens…. Why is that unkillable, war-crazed specter here?”

The council members lamented.

No matter how they thought about it, there was no positive news whatsoever.

One mountain after another.

Perhaps this old proverb was meant to describe this very moment.

“Ugh. Whether we like it or not, we must decide quickly.”

“We have to side with someone we can at least talk to….”

Thus, there was ultimately only one choice they could make. The city council members, having reached a consensus, spoke to the envoy.

“Go to the Margrave at once and tell him we will do it. Tell him to give us the desired date and time, and we will carry it out as ordered.”

“Understood.”

“Then take this gift and go at once.”

The chest the council member handed over was brimming with silver and gold coins. It pained them greatly to prepare it, but wasn't it better than dying?

Money you can’t use in the afterlife anyway.

By greasing the palms of the Bellua Margrave like this now, they would create opportunities to make money later.

Then, a thought struck.

“Um, but how much fire should we set?”

One councilman asked.

“Shouldn’t we set it on all fronts? It seems to me that the Margrave wants to ‘purify’ this city. For a Margrave renowned for his piety, won’t this city look like a pit of hell?”

“Haa…. How vicious, truly vicious.”

“Well, still. To please His Excellency, we must do it. Don’t you agree?”

But what could they do?

The ever-pious Bellua Margrave wanted it.

The council members intended to give him what he wanted.

A truly perfect ‘purification’.

* * *

Near the waterway of Mangtong City’s port.

Following the information provided by the colluding council members, I was waiting nearby on a small boat.

“Is there no news yet?”

“No, My Lord. Nothing yet.”

“Huuuhmm. Did these bastards lie?”

“Wait a little more patiently. Hasn’t the promised time arrived yet?”

“Still, you never know, Agpiel.”

Magician Agpiel chided me for being frivolous, but I paid him no mind.

The number of troops mobilized this time was a staggering 500.

The amount of supplies consumed for this operation was also enormous. We built boats, and fearing reflections in the moonlight, we coated weapons and armor with charcoal.

And yet, with the promised time approaching, there was still no news?

This might turn out to be very unamusing.

“My Lord. The signal is up.”

“Is it?”

“Yes, they say fire has been observed from the outside.”

The messenger managing the signals whispered to me after looking outside.

Fortunately, the city council members had moved as promised.

“Good. Then we rush in like an arrow and seize the city’s interior.”

I immediately gave the order to the soldiers and entered the waterway.

Just like this, we would suppress the city guard, who couldn't get their bearings due to the arson, and capture the Chairman of the city council—.

“We’ll be inside the city soon. Everyone, be on your guard! A minor mistake could put everyone in danger.”

-A fierce roar-

[High Combat Power Correction-!]

[The soldiers’ discipline increases.]

[Notice: They will follow your instructions well even amid the chaos.]

Of course, I had no intention of being careless.

As the garrison of a large city, they were bound to be elite soldiers. Therefore, I sternly warned the soldiers and quickly dashed into the city.

However.

“Uh…?”

“What is this??”

It wasn’t the garrison that welcomed me.

-Fwoooooosh!

It was a ferociously burning fire and black smoke. Enough to cover the entirety of Mangtong City.

“Damn it-! Again?”

And seeing it, I let out a sigh.

[Great Fire!]

[You have once again committed large-scale arson. Once is a coincidence, but twice is intentional. Your actions will become widely known to the people of the world as the destroyer of cities.]

[Notice: Infamy increases. Please be careful.]

[Notice: You have obtained a new title, ‘Purifier of Heretics’.]

Somehow, I felt like I was just accumulating strange misunderstandings.