Chapter 181:
One day, a rumor began to circulate in the Baltin Kingdom about Lota.
“They say a unified dynasty has been established in the Kashmir Region!”
“They say a rural lord named Otto de Scuderia has unified the lands of Kashmir and crowned himself King?”
“But wasn’t Kashmir part of our Kingdom in the first place? Our ancestors originated there.”
But that was only temporary.
The people of the Baltin Kingdom soon put the gossip about the Lota Kingdom out of their minds.
Because the Kashmir region was so remote and insignificant, there wasn’t much interest in its affairs.
“Kashmir magic stones for sale!”
“Buy cheap Kashmir magic stones!”
“Kashmir magic stones for sale, Cheap!”
But when the merchants from the Ego Troupe appeared and started selling inexpensive Kashmir magic stones, the story turned different.
Magic stones were a very important resource in the world.
Magic stones, which were concentrated sources of mana, were an energy resource utilized in various fields, making them highly valued by nations worldwide.
The Baltin Kingdom was no exception.
Last winter.
The Kingdom of Baltin was paralyzed by a severe, unprecedented snowstorm.
The damage was staggering.
With tens of thousands of casualties, the entire kingdom was devastated.
The biggest reason for the high number of casualties was the fact that the Baltin Kingdom didn’t even have a small magic stone mine.
Sure, there was a small coal mine, but it was woefully insufficient.
So the Kingdom relied on coal and wood for most of its heating fuel.
But magic stones were in a league of their own.
A single cobblestone-sized magic stone could keep a family warm all winter long.
In terms of energy, coal and firewood was nothing compared to the equivalent from a pebble-sized magic stone.
“Damn it! Don’t cut in line!”
“Limit on the purchase quantity per person? Goddamn it!”
“Give me one first, me first!”
The people of the Baltin Kingdom swarmed like bees to snatch up the Kashmir magic stones.
The demand for magic stones skyrocketed due to the extremely harsh and dreadful winter experienced last winter.
And since Kashmir magic stones were of such high quality and so inexpensive, it made sense to buy them, even if it meant going into debt.
Once purchased, they could be hoarded and sold later at a higher price, yielding enough profit to justify the initial investment.
Thanks to this, the news reached the ears of King Chech IV.
“What? Kashmir magic stones are being sold?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Hoo! Who would’ve thought there was a magic stone mine in the Kashmir region!”
Who would have thought that Kashmir, a province that seemed to have no useful resources, would have actually turned out to have a magic stone mine.
“Kashmir magic stones are cheap and of very good quality. Some say their purity rivals even those from the Caliph Kingdom.”
Caliphate magic stones were renowned around the world for their high purity and consistency.
Of course, when it came to high purity and stability, the Sahara Kingdom’s magic stones were considered the top luxury.
However, due to its high cost and limited availability, it was rarely used in everyday life.
It’s like using a butcher knife to kill a chicken, right?
“Hoo! To rival the magic stones from the Caliphate Kingdom! Unbelievable!”
King Chech IV was very surprised to hear that Lota magic stones were said to be on par with those from the Caliphate Kingdom.
In fact, it was quite natural.
Why?
The Lota magic stones currently being circulated in the Baltin Kingdom were actually from the Caliphate Kingdom.
“It’s not surprising at all. With the recent blizzard crisis, demand for magic stones was already high, wasn’t it? So, it’s only natural for the people to be ecstatic when good-quality and affordable Kashmir magic stones flood the market.”
“So…”
Chech IV’s expression suddenly turned cold.
“You mean, those Lota scoundrels are selling magic stones from our lands and making a profit.”
“That seems to be the case. They may call it Kashmir magic stones, but in reality, they’re probably mined and sold by Lota.”
“Otto de Scuderia, what a snake, he dares to commit treason, claim to be king, and he conceals the discovery of a mine of magic stones, and then hides it!”
King Chech IV slammed his fists down on the armrests of his throne.
“Your Majesty, Otto de Scuderia is a treasonous traitor who has taken over the Kashmir region without your permission!”
“Sire, if we continue to allow this, it will not be right!”
“Otto de Scuderia and that wretched Estate Lota must be punished!”
Even his own vassals were furious.
“Otto de Scuderia, that bastard! Despite This Majesty’s broad magnanimity and mercy bestowed upon you! Abandoning the motherland and discovering a magic stone mine without reporting it! Is this not an insult to This Majesty?”
As Otto had suspected, the officers of the Baltin Kingdom, including King Chech IV, were aware of some things about the Lota Kingdom.
As the saying goes, Birds listen to daytime talk, and mice listen to nighttime talk1, and no matter how well Otto controlled the information, it would eventually leak out.
“Send our troops forward to Dunhill Fortress at once! Send inspectors and knights! And deliver an edict to Otto de Scuderia!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Thus, the Baltin Kingdom, spurred by the incident of magic stone sales, began to take a genuine interest in the Lota Kingdom.
After neglecting and abandoning the Kashmir region for the past 50 years, they suddenly showed interest when a magic stone mine was discovered.
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Otto circulated the magic stones to attract the attention of the Baltin Kingdom and made his way to the Kashmir Mountains.
Otto looked out from [Fort Chergori], the front line of the Lota Kingdom, to the Baltin Kingdom’s [Fort Punhill], about five kilometers away.2
He licked his lips as he gazed beyond the Punhill fortress, where a jando jutted out from a sheer cliff.
A “jando” is a narrow path along a cliff where shelves are installed.
The [Serpent’s Path], located behind the Poonhill fortress at the moment, stretched an impressive 3 kilometers in length.
The Serpent’s Path was one of the few roads directly connecting the Kashmir region here to the mainland.
If one wanted to reach the continent without using the Serpent’s Path, they would have to travel northwest and then descend across the Haver Prairie.
Of course, that would put them right on the border with the Arad Empire, the current dominant power.
So for the Kingdom of Lota, the Serpent’s Path was practically their only viable option.
The problem was that the Serpent’s Path was owned by the Baltin Kingdom.
For the Kingdom of Lota to expand into the Continent, it was essential to seize control of the Serpent’s Path.
No, it was more than that.
Beyond the [Punhill Fortress] lies the [Toorong Fortress], through which the Snake’s Path leads.
The Toorong Fortress served as the ultimate defense line of the Baltin Kingdom, making it the most critical strategic stronghold.
For the Lota Kingdom to expand into the continent, it had to navigate a complex and challenging process that involved traveling along the Serpent’s Path, crossing the Punhill Fortress, and ultimately capturing the Toorong Fortress.
This meant that the Kingdom of Lota was at a severe geographical disadvantage.
The Baltin Kingdom, on the other hand, had the advantage of both offense and defense.
‘I don’t see any way out of this.’
Camille felt a suffocating sensation as he gazed into the distance at the Serpent’s Path.
Taking control of Punhill Fortress seemed feasible enough.
But just the thought of leading the army through the Serpent’s Path made him break out in a cold sweat.
Why?
Because the slightest misstep on the narrow path would send one tumbling down a thousand foot cliff.
Even if they made it through the Serpent’s path safely, there was still a problem.
If the Baltin Kingdom, which had concentrated its forces at Fort Toorong, blocked the narrow Serpent’s path, there was no telling how much the Lota Kingdom’s army would suffer.
If they forcibly pass through the Serpent’s Path to break through the Toorong Fortress, the corpses of the Lota Kingdom’s army would form a mountain.
‘Expansion to the continent… Is it really possible?’
Frustrated, Camille looked back at Otto.
“What are you planning to do?”
Otto remained silent.
“These bastards, Tsktsk!”
Otto snarled, staring off into the winding Serpent’s Path in the distance.
“Why are you angry?”
“Because I envy the Kingdom of Baltin!”
“What?”
“How much do you think they’ve been getting away with with their tolls, HuhHuh!”
The Kingdom of Baltin had been charging very high tolls to those traveling up and down the Serpentine Road, particularly to the merchants.
It was true that Ego himself had paid an exorbitant amount of tolls every time he traveled between the continent and the Kingdom of Lota.
“That’s a real honey-sucker, just sitting around and earning money!”
“…Was that the only reason you got mad?”
“Just that?! What a waste of money! Oh my! How much toll did Ego Troupe pay all this time! If it weren’t for the toll, our profits would have been even greater!”
“….”
“Such a groundbreaking revenue model, isn’t it? I want to taste it.
“Isn’t it time for you to think about something other than money?”
“Huh? Like what?”
“How to defend this place, how to get past Fort Punhill, how to take Fort Toorong. Isn’t that what you should be thinking about?”
“I’ve already done that?”
“Huh?”
“I’m done thinking about it. We just need to add some reinforcements to our forces here at Fort Chergori. We don’t need much, maybe a 1000 men?”
“Will that be enough?”
“It’s enough. Overflowing even. So don’t worry, let’s go now. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
With that, Otto left Chergori Fortress and headed back to the Lota Palace.
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A few days later.
Count Theodore arrived in the Kingdom of Lota with orders from King Chech IV of the Baltin Kingdom.
He was sent as an inspector to deliver Chech IV’s edict to Otto, as well as to observe the affairs of the Lota Kingdom.
‘I came as an inspector, and they didn’t try to send me back, nor did they bribe me. Even when I passed through the border fortress of Chergori, no one stopped me. Does that mean they won’t hide anything?’
That’s the only conclusion he could come to.
If they had something to hide, they would have tried to conceal it somehow, but the Lota Kingdom treated Count Theodore too comfortably.
Moreover, they even provided a guide to ensure that Count Theodore and his party wouldn’t get lost.
‘Surely they’re not going to boldly assert their independence against their own mother kingdom, the Baltin Kingdom.’
With that thought in mind, Count Theodore thoroughly inspected the Lota Kingdom.
‘This place is no longer just rural lands. It’s not an exaggeration to say that it has laid the foundation of a Kingdom. Goodness gracious, when did the Kashmir region develop to this extent?’
Count Theodore was aghast at how far the Kingdom of Lota had developed beyond his expectations.
He thought it was just the discovery of a mine of magic stones, not this much advancement.
‘We need to nip this in the bud. We must establish the master-slave relationship firmly. Otherwise, we must suppress it. We must securely tighten the leash.’
In Count Theodore’s judgment, leaving the Lota Kingdom alone seemed to pose a significant threat to the Baltin Kingdom in the future.
‘When I return, I will strongly suggest to His Majesty to vigorously suppress the Kashmir region.’
With such thoughts, Count Theodore met Otto.
“Your Majesty, has come”
The courtier’s booming voice rang out.
“You have traveled a long way.”
Otto, who had already entered, seated himself on the throne and greeted Count Theodore.
At this, Count Theodore…
“How insolent!”
Count Theodore cursed at Otto.
“Otto de Scuderia, how dare you acknowledge the inspector sent by His Majesty while seated on the throne! Get down this instant…”
Instantly.
*Tap*
Camille’s sword touched the base of Count Theodore’s neck.
“If you utter another disrespectful word to His Majesty, I will have you beheaded on the spot. This is the first and final warning, Count Theodore.”
** ** **
TL/N:
1. Even if someone tries to tightly control information, eventually it tends to leak out, much like how birds and mice hear different things at different times.
2. Chergori – means Eagle Hill (Ref actual place)
Punhill (Ref actual place)
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