“Divide and rule the Holy Kingdom together, shall we?”
At Leclerc’s proposal, I fell silent for a moment.
Divide and rule.
Another way to put it would be partition or occupation.
To put it simply, he was suggesting we split the Holy Kingdom and share it rather than trying to take it all for ourselves like greedy pigs.
“…What’s the price?”
Fine.
I wasn’t opposed to the idea.
To be honest, the Holy Kingdom is far too large for the Kingdom of Ulranor to handle on its own.
Its population is four times ours, and its territory is of a similar scale.
Absorbing such a massive amount of people, who speak a different language and have a completely different culture, would make governance incredibly difficult.
Do you think the people of the Holy Kingdom, suddenly stripped of their country and reduced to a minority, would meekly submit to our rule?
It would take at least several decades just to subjugate them.
If their sheer size is added to the mix, managing them would become an impossible task.
The worst-case scenario?
Ethnic conflicts and systemic differences could plunge everything into chaos, to the point where occupying them might turn out worse than leaving them alone.
So, I was willing to entertain their request to share the pie, as long as they presented conditions that were worth considering.
“Of course, we’ve prepared something in return. In the form of diplomatic support,”
Leclerc said, smiling as he presented the compensation the emperor had prepared.
“The Kingdom of Ulranor doesn’t directly border the Holy Kingdom. It’s separated by the Kingdom of Kailas.”
“That much is common knowledge.”
“In other words, in order to attack and occupy the Holy Kingdom, you’ll first have to deal with the obstacle of the Kailas Kingdom. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Hearing this much, I could already tell what he was proposing.
“You’re saying that if we conquer the Kingdom of Kailas, you’ll recognize it as a legitimate act?”
“Sharp as ever. That’s exactly it.”
I had already planned to crush Kailas for the audacity of helping the team that abducted King Carl VII.
Our military was already crafting a suitable pretext for the invasion.
When the time came to march, we intended to use that excuse to assert the legitimacy of our military action… but truthfully, I hadn’t expected anyone to buy it.
No matter what justification we presented, other nations would still see it as a war of aggression.
At best, we intended to use the excuse as a surface-level defense.
But now the Federated Empire was offering to officially recognize it?
That was a significant advantage.
This meant we could maintain the prestige and international credibility we would otherwise have lost.
“If you’d like, we can even bring in the Kingdom of Ormera. Their royal family owes us quite a few favors,” Leclerc added.
If we could involve Ormera, which borders directly beneath Kailas, the diplomatic risks would be almost negligible.
If the countries most directly connected to the situation had no objections, what could the others do?
At most, they’d issue formal criticisms and then let the matter drop.
In short, the only diplomatic obstacle that made crushing Kailas somewhat bothersome would be effectively eliminated.
“Of course, you’ll have to give them a piece of the Holy Kingdom’s land, too. Perhaps a region equivalent to one or two average-sized counties.”
“That much is manageable,” I replied with a nod.
With conditions like this, the deal was worth accepting.
I’d need the Parliament’s approval afterward, but it would almost certainly pass without issue.
“Then, how much territory do you plan to take? We can’t let you have too much.”
“Don’t worry, I know the meaning of ‘reasonable.’ Let’s see… here’s the capital of the Holy Kingdom, isn’t it? How about we split it starting around here?”
In exchange for their support, the empire wanted roughly 30% of the Holy Kingdom’s land—focusing on the northern regions around the Holy See, which bordered their territory.
“That’s a bit excessive, don’t you think?”
“We’ll be handling the troublesome parts of this operation for your kingdom. Isn’t it fair to be compensated adequately?”
“Still, it’s problematic if you only take the prime land.”
The regions the empire wanted were some of the most fertile in the Holy Kingdom.
These areas had abundant rainfall, thriving dairy farming, and vast agricultural lands.
In other words, this was resource-rich, highly productive territory with a significant population base.
According to internal records, about 45% of the Holy Kingdom’s population resided there.
We had our eyes on those regions too, but taking it all?
That’s unacceptable.
If they had mixed in some less desirable areas, it might have been a different story.
“Let’s be reasonable and limit your claim to this area,” I said.
Unfolding a map that detailed the Holy Kingdom’s geography and terrain, we drew lines across it, marking possible borders for the division.
What followed was an hour-long debate of adding this area, excluding that one, and making adjustments to find middle ground.
Finally, we reached a conclusion.
“Let’s use the Arthua River and the Phinis Mountains to the north of the Holy See as the boundary. Dividing it along natural borders seems clean and practical, doesn’t it?”
“It’s a bit smaller than I’d hoped, but… well, it’s not bad.”
The final agreement involved mixing fertile land with wastelands, giving the empire about 35% of the total area.
While the land area they received increased slightly, the population they’d govern was reduced proportionally.
We also adjusted the borders so that natural landmarks clearly distinguished each region.
It wasn’t a perfect outcome, but it was a compromise both sides could reasonably accept.
“As for Ormera…”
“We’ll give them the land below Lake Engawa. That should be more than sufficient for just standing by quietly.”
The southeastern region, known for its successful fisheries, would be given to the Kingdom of Ormera as compensation for their passive involvement.
While it didn’t have valuable mineral deposits or rich black soil, it was a region where fish were abundant.
The existing infrastructure was also well-established, making it a fitting reward for a maritime nation like Ormera, which would certainly welcome the increased access to water resources.
“Any further objections? If not, we’ll finalize the division with this plan.”
“Make sure to draft an identical copy for us. I’ll need to bring it back to His Majesty for review.”
“I’ll even have it gilded for you.”
And so, much like how Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union divided Poland, we finalized our plan to carve up the Holy Kingdom.
Of course, resolving the issue of territorial division didn’t mean everything was settled.
Devouring an entire nation comes with countless complications to consider—like, for instance, military matters.
“The Holy Kingdom’s military isn’t much of a concern. Even their so-called elite knights are inferior to our regular cavalry.”
“I’d heard they were just flashy in appearance and lacked real combat experience, but is it really that bad?”
“Indeed, it’s that bad. I can confidently say that losing even once to them in battle would be a disgrace we’d carry for the rest of our lives.”
Fortunately, in this case, there wasn’t much to worry about militarily.
The enemy simply wasn’t dangerous enough to warrant serious concern.
Whether it was the empire or our forces, we could crush them easily by sending just a portion of the veterans who had fought through the harsh winters.
What’s there to worry about?
Even accounting for the Kingdom of Kailas, three to four divisions with a few supporting units would suffice.
If we added the local garrison troops, five divisions would be more than enough to get the job done.
The only headache was the cost of the expedition, but that could likely be covered with the military funds saved from the halting of combat on the current front.
“Does the empire plan to deploy troops as well?”
“We’ll handle our share. We’re not so shameless as to leave everything to your kingdom and just sit back waiting for the spoils.”
To prevent any backstabbing and to save costs, we agreed that each side would mobilize an appropriate number of troops to secure the regions they intended to claim.
Just like Germany and the Soviet Union had done during the invasion of Poland in World War II.
The more directly involved they were, the harder it would be for them to back out or make contradictory claims later.
“Let’s leave the military talk at that… and move on to another topic,” I said.
Having included all of this in the confidential agreement we drafted, we shifted the focus of the discussion.
“The Goddess Church. What do you plan to do about it?”
Religion was the next point of conversation.
As I’ve mentioned before, the Goddess Church is the common faith of this continent.
Unless you’re talking about culturally distinct nations like the Daiching Empire or the barbarian tribes of the far northern reaches of the Federated Empire, nearly everyone on this continent reveres the Goddess.
Under normal circumstances, this shared religion could serve as a foundation for international harmony.
But in times like these?
“Let me be clear—there is no way the empire will submit to a church controlled by your kingdom. It’s simply impossible, both practically and emotionally.”
“I understand. If I were in your position, I wouldn’t accept it either.”
Far from fostering unity, religion had now become a spark for conflict.
With the Saintess now in our possession, the Kingdom of Ulranor had nearly absolute religious authority.
We were in a position to boldly declare that the Holy Kingdom was unequivocally wrong, and that we held the truth.
Having gained such authority, it was natural for us to plan on remodeling the Holy See to our liking once the war with the Holy Kingdom was over.
However, it was understandable that the Federated Empire would not be on board with this plan.
While they might agree that the Church was corrupt and needed reform, they wouldn’t want to hand over the entire claim to religious legitimacy.
“Then, do you have any alternative proposals?” I asked.
“What about conducting the Church’s reformation as a joint effort between our two nations? We could divide the positions and assign people to roles that suit each of our interests,” Leclerc suggested.
“That doesn’t sound like a particularly smooth solution.”
Although I voiced my dissatisfaction, it seemed clear that Leclerc didn’t have a better alternative or compromise in mind.
Dividing the leadership evenly wouldn’t lead to an effective organization.
It was obvious the Church would be paralyzed, mired in endless factional disputes instead of accomplishing anything meaningful.
Judging by Leclerc’s tone, it felt like he was just improvising and saying whatever came to mind. Was he grasping at straws, desperately trying to convince us?
‘Well, there’s no helping it.’
If it was too difficult to seize control of the Church, the only choice was to change the approach.
“How about this instead?” I countered, presenting a proposal to Leclerc.
“We strip the Holy See of all its authority and divide it between us. Control over appointments, ordinations, everything.”
The immense authority of the Holy See?
Its influence spanning the entire continent?
If I couldn’t have it, I’d rather destroy it entirely.