"Holy Emperor, I bring you news of the war," said a man in shining armour, adorned with a cloak bearing the symbol of an inverted cross signifying their Almighty God, who was kneeling in the middle of the throne room while the most important ministers and courtiers of the Holy Empire stood to the side.
"Speak," he commanded in a clear and authoritative voice. The Holy Emperor sat on his throne, his posture erect and proud, his authority supreme. His gaze scanned the paladin kneeling before him, but there was no threat in his eyes, only deep wisdom and fatherly love. His imposing, muscular body was clad in shining armour, adorned with precious stones and gold, reflecting the light that bathed the hall. Despite his warlike bearing, his face was that of a handsome and noble man, with a square jaw, a straight nose and piercing blue eyes. His appearance inspired respect, but also confidence, making him the best Holy Emperor the Holy Empire had ever known.
The kneeling paladin looked up at the Holy Emperor, "Your Majesty Augustre von Humec, allow me to pay my respects. We have received current information from the front lines, the front is in a stalemate, the crusade is currently in a stalemate, the elves have a cruel advantage in the forests, and the war is unfortunately bogged down in the forest giving the elves, a considerable advantage. The Emperors and Kings are growing impatient with the lack of news of the progress of the war and the damage caused by the elven guerrilla warfare," he announced.
The Holy Emperor listened attentively to the paladin's report, his gaze becoming more serious as the paladin spoke. Finally, he spoke in a calm but resolute voice.
"I see... The situation is difficult, but we cannot abandon our crusade against the elves. We have a mission that God has ordered us to carry out, and we must do so, no matter what the cost. We must eliminate these heretics who pray to a different God than we do. I have confidence in our troops, and I know that we are capable of defeating the heathen who have refused to submit to our God. We just need to find a way to break their advantage in the forests.
The ministers and courtiers nodded in approval, while the paladin rose slowly, respectfully.
"I understand, your majesty. We will do everything we can to support the crusade and find a way to defeat these heretics!"
The Holy Emperor gave him a kind smile in response.
"I would expect nothing less from you, my dear paladin. Be sure that I am proud of each and every one of my soldiers, and that I pray for their safety and success. You may withdraw now, and may the divine light accompany you to the battlefield." He said as he cast a blessing on the paladin.
The paladin bowed his head respectfully, then turned to leave the throne room, leaving the Holy Emperor and his followers in silence.
Moments after the paladin left the hall, an advisor spoke, "Your Majesty, the forest is an obstacle to our troops. The elves know every tree and every corner, while our soldiers wander into the woods. If we burn the forest, we could easily dislodge them from their positions and win the victory!"
The Holy Emperor, in response, said, "Burn the forest, you say? Do you want to cause the death of thousang living beings, and not only elves. But the animals, our citizens, nature, all will be victims of our war.
The counsellor will reply, "Your majesty! War is not for the faint of heart. We must make hard choices to protect our people and our Empire. If we do not burn the forest, then how many more lives will be lost? We must act decisively if we are to emerge victorious from this war with the fewest casualties!"
"I understand your arguments perfectly, Councillor. But we cannot stoop to such an act of barbarism. There must be another way, a way to win this war, without sacrificing lives in this way," he shook his head in response.
Another advisor suggested, "Can't we just surround them? We could cut off all supplies to their armies so that they would die out. They will be forced to leave the forest sooner or later to feed themselves," he said.
An advisor declined this suggestion, "Impossible, their race are protected by the sea and the only way to enter is through this forest, otherwise it is impossible to surround them.
The advisor tries to persuade the Holy Emperor, "Your Majesty, war is never fair or beautiful. It is brutal and cruel, and sometimes sacrifices must be made to achieve peace. We have a duty to protect our Holy Empire, even if we have to get our hands dirty, and this is our opportunity to assert ourselves to other empires and kingdoms!
The Holy Emperor sighed, "You are right, Councillor. I hate destruction, but I cannot ignore the realities of war. We will burn the forest, but we will make sure to minimize collateral damage and reforest the area once the war is over. May God guide us through this difficult ordeal," he prayed with a desperate look at the turn of events.
"May God guide us through this difficult trial," recited the various supporters of the Holy Emperor in the throne room.
"Send a message to all Empires and Kingdoms! The Holy Army will move! Let the Emperors and Kings prepare to march towards the light of God! We will launch a decisive attack against the elves! All paladins of the Holy Empire will be mobilized for war, the Holy Empire will officially enter the war!" He ordered the ministers of war.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" shouted the Holy Emperor's messengers as they emerged one by one from the throne room.
The Holy Emperor raised his head and looked up at the frescoes on the ceiling which showed a mysterious blurred man, shrouded in a divine aura, reaching out to the desperate people of Humec. He closed his eyes for a moment and thought, In the end, I could not resolve this conflict peacefully, I am ashamed God Almighty. Please look after us, your people. Protect the victims of this war... The Holy Emperor suddenly opened his eyes and stood up. "Head for the front line!" he shouted
"Yes, Your Majesty!" shouted the followers who were following him from behind.
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"Your Majesty, an emissary from the Holy Empire has arrived! He awaits an audience!"
The Emperor looked out the window, lost in thought. In the end, this man could not stop the war from coming to life. This is destiny, we cannot stop what is destiny, as God intended. "We are going to war, prepare the army! We will leave at dawn!" the Emperor shouted to the messenger.
"Yes? Why?" he asked as he heard the Emperor's shocking words, which is normal since such a mobilization cannot be done without starting a world war.
"We are going to war with the Holy Army, it is no longer a war between races. It is a war for God! Warn all the nobles!" he ordered in an authoritative tone and with a piercing gaze giving anyone who looked at him a palpable tension.
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty!" he replied as he quickly left the throne room.
At the same time, all over the Empires and Kingdoms, Kings and Emperors discovered the news of the Holy Empire's move.
In a southern Empire.
"Send a messenger to all the nobles of the Empire! Gather the Dukes, Marquises and Counts to the palace as soon as possible!" shouted a fat man with folds and bulges of fat on his belly, thighs and arms that distorted the royal garments he wore every time he moved. His double chin hung limply and his eyes were small and sunken in deep sockets showing an ugly appearance to those who saw him, caused by a sedentary life spent eating rich and succulent food.
"Damn it! Augustus, decide to move now? We must move as soon as possible, or our Empire will fall behind!" he shouted to his frightened and nervous followers.
"Ye-Yes, Your Majesty!" they said, running noisily into the palace.
In a kingdom to the east.
"Prepare the supplies, faster! Come on, our King is impatient!" Shouted a human general to some subordinates.
"General, why must we join the Holy Army in their battles, are we not the proud Kingdom of Kried?
"Jester! You know nothing, we must follow the Holy Army! The word of the Holy Emperor is the word of God, the kingdom must follow it if you don't want our kingdom to be wiped off the map!
In several kingdoms to the west where the front line was.
"Finally? It's about time, we can finally end this war!" King Eros von Keups shouted with a delighted look, "Gentlemen, prepare to have hundreds of elven beauties in our beds in a few days! Ah ah ah!" he shouted to his followers and the other Kings who were sitting next to him on a converted throne.
"Yes, ah ah ah! With the Holy Army, we won't be afraid of those damned beasts, it's just a matter of time before all the armies of the human race move!" laughed another King who affirmed the words of King Eros.
These scumbags, have they no humanity in them? thought another King on the far left, hearing the jeers of the others. I sent a letter to the Holy Emperor for a passive negotiation between the elves and the humans... but it doesn't seem to have borne any fruit. Only God knows what will happen soon, he thought, lost in thought, looking at the front line before him.