Chapter 79: Request for Passage to Conquer the Holy Kingdom

“Stripping away… their authority? What exactly does that mean? I can’t quite wrap my head around it.”

Leclerc, bewildered by a concept he’d never encountered before, looked at me in confusion.

His war-hardened mind seemed to struggle with the unfamiliar idea, so I added further explanation.

“It’s exactly as it sounds. You understand why the Holy See wields such immense influence, don’t you?”

“Of course. It’s because they control the Goddess Church in every nation and can issue commands as they please. The Holy Father is the ruler of all believers.”

“Well, my plan is to put an end to that.”

My idea is a derivative system loosely inspired by the Church of England back on Earth, specifically the one established during Henry VIII’s reign in the 16th century.

When Henry VIII declared the Reformation, he essentially created a church where the monarch served as its head.

He stripped the Pope of all authority—rights to appoint clergy, judge ecclesiastical cases, and ordain bishops—and claimed them for the monarchy.

While the doctrine and scriptures remained the same, it was effectively a separate religion.

“It was reckless, but thanks to that, England freed itself from Rome’s influence.”

We intended to do almost the same thing.

The monarch would be granted authority to oversee all religious organizations within the nation and reign as their de facto leader.

Every clergyman would first and foremost be a subject of the state, even before being a member of the bishopric.

The only difference in our version would be acknowledging and accepting the existence of the Holy Father.

But that wasn’t out of respect for their authority or tradition—it was purely a strategic move.

“Each nation will handle the management and administration of their believers independently. As for the Holy See, we’ll keep it as a puppet to justify our actions when necessary. Wouldn’t that be useful?”

Once the war is over, all the current clergy, including the Holy Father and saints, will be purged.

This is almost a certainty, regardless of how the war unfolds.

The resulting vacancies can be filled with individuals who possess the appropriate qualities.

We’ll gather a few hundred people, assign them positions, and name the institution the “New Holy See.”

It will serve as an outsourced organization for our doctrines.

“Its size should be reduced.”

There’s no need to maintain its original scale.

A modest building on a vacant piece of land and a small estate for subsistence will suffice.

Just enough to scrape by.

As for the location… putting it in Ulranor or within the Federated Empire’s territory would be too blatant, so somewhere within the Holy Kingdom’s lands would be more appropriate.

“If we were to abolish the Holy Father entirely, other nations would resist. Leaving a semblance of it intact is the best way to use it to our advantage.”

Despite the convenience of outright abolishing it, there were two main reasons for adopting such a troublesome approach.

The first reason, as I mentioned earlier, is a diplomatic concern, and the second is a practical matter.

Leaving the management of the national religious orders and the interpretation of doctrine for political arguments to an external body is far more efficient.

This strengthens legitimacy and objectivity.

Wouldn’t it be beneficial to have a dedicated organization to handle such subtle, tedious tasks on our behalf?

“What do you think? Does this idea appeal to you?”

Leclerc pondered for a moment before asking me a question.

“Would it be possible to send our own people to this newly established Holy See?”

“There’s no reason why not. However, it’s worth noting that this institution will merely be a puppet. The selection of personnel won’t make much of a difference.”

We’ll ensure that it’s tightly controlled, limited solely to the tasks assigned to it.

Beyond that, it will be completely powerless.

The extent of their freedom will be confined to research on scriptures and academic pursuits.

Sending particularly talented individuals would be a waste.

It would actually be better to appoint those who are well-versed in theology, subservient to power, and good at cunning manipulation—the type of people you find in any organization but should never allow into senior positions.

“According to your plan, wouldn’t that mean even outsider nations like the Kingdom of Ormera or the Kingdom of Caledona could gain authority over their own religious orders?”

“Precisely.”

“Could they also utilize the Holy See for their purposes?”

“No, they could not. Control over the Holy See will remain a shared asset exclusively between our nation and the Empire.”

Other nations on the continent will benefit from the absence of religious interference but will not be granted the privilege of manipulating doctrine at will.

That privilege will be reserved for us alone.

The conversation ended, and a brief silence followed.

Leclerc took a sip of his hot coffee, then slowly opened his mouth to speak.

“…It’s an odd plan, but it’s better than handing the entire Goddess Church over to someone else. Very well, I accept your proposal.”

“A wise decision.”

Thus, we succeeded in reaching an agreement regarding the fate of our enemies.

Although it was a tedious process, the cooperation with the Empire was now secured, and nothing stood in our way.

“Unload all the ammunition, everyone! Looks like it’s our turn to be deployed!”

“Attention, all personnel! Conduct a full gear inspection and have all marching supplies ready by tonight!”

“Load all the hardtack and jerky onto the wagons! If you don’t want to starve and suffer on the way, make sure they’re packed to the brim!”

The unit that would be dispatched to the Holy Kingdom was quickly selected.

It consisted of two divisions from the Central Army, two additional divisions known for their unwavering loyalty, which had recently been withdrawn from the western front, and an artillery regiment equipped with rockets, howitzers, and cannons.

Since it would take some time to gather sufficient provisions, the expeditionary force was scheduled to deploy in two waves.

The first wave, comprised of the Central Army, would march ahead to subjugate the Kingdom of Kailas.

The second wave would follow, joining them later.

“But isn’t this plan a bit too careless? I mean, even if the Central Army is strong, are 20,000 troops really enough to conquer an entire kingdom?”

“No problem. Honestly, I think even 10,000 would be more than enough.”

From a tactical perspective, it wasn’t exactly an ideal plan.

In situations like this, you’d want to overwhelm the enemy with a single, decisive push, yet this approach relied on staggered deployments, which was a textbook mistake.

However, that didn’t concern us in the slightest. After all, why is staggered deployment criticized?

It’s because dividing forces makes them vulnerable to being defeated in detail.

But if the vanguard can crush and rout the enemy outright, then who cares about tactical shortcomings?

“How could we lose when the tiers of our armies aren’t even comparable?”

The Central Army’s combat prowess was undeniably among the world’s best.

The only force that had ever posed a challenge was the Empire’s Southern Front Army during past conflicts.

Even they were no match for us now, thanks to the introduction of advanced weaponry and revamped strategies.

Technologically, we were at least two centuries ahead of our neighboring countries, making it practically impossible for us to lose.

Unless the enemy had three or four times our numbers, defeat wasn’t even a consideration.

Of course, that’s assuming equal levels of skill and expertise, but…

The Kingdom of Kailas? Let’s see.

Their total military strength was around 50,000 or maybe 60,000 at best, wasn’t it?

“Even if they mobilized every soldier they had, their entire army would still be smaller than our Northern Army alone. If they manage to hold out for even a few months against us, I’d say they’ve done an exceptional job.”

“I suppose that’s true, but…”

“If you understand, go grab a map and keep it handy. We wouldn’t want you getting lost on the way.”

Taking on a nation so weak that it’s at the mercy of the Holy Kingdom is easier than twisting a child’s arm.

Unless they have a Napoleon or an Admiral Yi Sun-sin among them, there’s no way we lose.

“Who do you plan to appoint as the commander of the expeditionary force, sir?”

“Is Mauer available right now?”

“Are you referring to Lieutenant General Mauer, who just returned? He’s on leave, sir. He said he was too exhausted from the Northern front and needed a break.”

“Then leave it to Vaden. He’s the kind of guy who’ll achieve the objective no matter what mission you give him.”

“Understood.”

Thus, Lieutenant General Baden, the current deputy commander of the Central Army, was chosen as the commander of the expeditionary force.

Once all the preparations were complete, we boldly declared war on the Kingdom of Kailas.

To be precise, it was less a declaration of war and more a mix of coercion and provocation under the guise of a request:

[We seek to punish the Holy Kingdom for their defiance of God’s will and their descent into corruption. We ask that you lend us passage through your territory.]

“If you cooperate, we will welcome you as brothers in faith. However, if you refuse, you will be deemed heretics just the same.”

This was the essence of “Request for Passage to Conquer the Holy Kingdom.”

The demand for military passage to attack the Holy Kingdom sparked heated debate in the political circles of Kailas. A few days later, we received their response:

[We have carefully reviewed your proposal; however, due to our unavoidable circumstances and our diplomatic principles, we cannot take part in any direct or indirect acts of hostility against the Holy Kingdom, with whom we have cultivated a mutually beneficial relationship. Such actions would tarnish our diplomatic honor—]

The reply was filled with flowery rhetoric and indirect expressions, but the gist was simple.

“We don’t want to side with you. Even if our heads are smashed in, we’ll support the Holy Kingdom. Stop trying and leave us alone.”

A truly foolish decision.

If they had bowed their heads, we might have treated them kindly.

Instead, they willingly invited their own punishment.

Having confirmed their stance, we readily cast aside any mercy.

“Saintess, I leave it in your hands.”

“Yes, sir. Everyone, those who side with the greedy pigs of the Holy Kingdom are no different from apostates! If you are truly faithful servants of the Goddess, you will join us in punishing the Holy See!”

“The representative of the Goddess herself has spoken! Let us crush the spawn of Satan to the last one!”

“Capture them and clear the path to the Holy Kingdom!”

The Saintess Aemon declared the Kingdom of Kailas a heretical nation alongside the Holy Kingdom, and the expedition began.

Under the rallying cry of religious fervor, Lieutenant General Baden’s army departed to the thunderous cheers of the faithful and confidently marched eastward.

“Report! We’ve successfully breached the border gates!”

“We’ve captured three fortresses and pillaged the local supply depots!”

“In open battle, we’ve crushed Kailas’ main force of 40,000 troops! We’re now advancing rapidly toward the capital!”

“The remaining forces have surrendered and abandoned resistance! All of their territories are now under our control, sir!”

With one victory after another, the army managed to conquer the entire country within just two weeks of their arrival.