Chapter 268:
The battle ended in the blink of an eye.
It was a battle that was destined to end in an instant from the very beginning.
Otto knew all too well what the Raging Wolf Clan's army, or more precisely, Bekyum, was going to do.
Therefore, he made a very bold strategic decision to occupy the Blood Ridge one step ahead of the Raging Wolf Clan.
Following the battle with the Erzsebet Kingdom's troops, they rushed to the Blood Ridge without rest.
This allowed the Lota and the Thunderhoof Clan to take advantage of the favorable terrain, thus effectively sealing the battle.
In addition, the horn blown to stir the Uruk Wolves in the Raging Wolf camp into a frenzy?
This was a fight they couldn't lose, even if they wanted to.
Ultimately, thanks to Otto's scheme, the Thunderhoof Clan easily overwhelmed the main force of the Raging Wolf Clan.
And….
*Thud!*
The chieftain of the Raging Wolf Clan, Bekyum, who was fighting against Bagram, suffered a fatal wound and fell to the ground.
Bekyum couldn't rise to his feet.
They had sustained such a severe injury from Bagram's swing of Astra's axe that Bekyum died instantly.
“CHWIIIIIIIIKKKKKKK!!!!"
Bagram let out a roar of victory.
"Raging Wolf tribe! Chiiik! Surrender now! Your chieftain has fallen! Chwiikk!! Lay down your weapons and surrender! Chwiik!"
As Bagram announced Bekyum's demise, the warriors of the Raging Wolf Clan immediately dropped their weapons and surrendered.
No matter how fierce and skilled the warriors of the Raging Wolf Clan were, they were no match for Bagram, mounted on Chawchaw and wielding Astra's axe.
“Waaaaaaaaaah!!!”
"Chwiiiikk!!!!"
The shouts of the Lota Kingdom soldiers and the warriors of the Thunderhoof Clan echoed across the Blood Ridge.
“Well done.”
Otto patted Bagram on the shoulder, offering him encouragement.
“Now the Uruk Plains belong to you, and you'll be an Orc Lord.”
“Ch.. Chiiik."
Bagram wore a look of trepidation at the whole situation.
He never imagined that he would gain control over the Uruk Plains in just a month and a half.
“Thank you… Chwik… so much. Chiik…. My friend.”
Bagram sincerely expressed his gratitude to Otto.
“I don't know how to repay this favor. Chwiik.”
"I told you. Just repay it slowly over your lifetime."
Otto smirked.
"And I also said that this is just the real beginning."
"Are you talking about Bathory? Chwiik?"
“Yeah.”
Otto nodded his head.
“She must have been resurrected by now?”
“Chwik. Even if she's resurrected, it won't matter. Chwik. I'll crush her again. Chwik. So she can never rise again. Chwik"
"That's easier said than done."
“Chwiik…?”
“Bathory wasn't the only one resurrected.”
“Wh-What do you mean by that, Chwiik?”
"Along with her, the heroes who were buried in the underground tomb of the Erzsebet Kingdom's royal palace have also been resurrected."
“CHIIIKK?!”
As someone who had played the game as Bathory before, Otto knew exactly what was about to happen.
The Heroes Bathory resurrected.
They were all knights who had achieved great feats and whose names were etched in history, serving as guardian spirits protecting the Erzsebet Kingdom even in death.
They were all renowned heroes with incredible abilities, making it no easy task to face them.
Although they were resurrected through evil dark magic, it was still a decision the heroes made during their lifetime for the future of their Kingdom.
The power of the resurrected heroes as Death Knights was no joke.
Moreover, unlike ordinary undead monsters that only possess brute strength, they also retained all of their intelligence and wisdom from their human days.
Reborn as the Queen of Corruption, Bathory not only possessed her own immense strength but also commanded hundreds of elite units.
In truth, Bathory's campaign only truly began after she activated her Holy Artifact, the Corrupted Heart.
"From now on, it’s crucial."
Otto advised Bagram.
"Immediately ascend to the throne, crush any dissenting factions, and stabilize the Uruk Plains. Only then can you face Bathory again. Don’t let your victory make you complacent, the moment you do, the Uruk Plains could be destroyed in an instant."
“Chwiik! I understand!”
Bagram took Otto's advice to heart.
Bagram's trust in Otto was absolute.
If Otto asked him to die for him, Bagram was willing to do it.
Before long, Bagram had come to trust and follow Otto as more than just a friend.
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The news of the defeat of the Kingdom of Erzsebet spread across the entire continent in an instant.
It was certainly news that could not be taken lightly.
It was hard to believe that the powerful Kingdom of Erzsebet had failed in its campaign to conquer the Uruk Plains and had suffered a crushing defeat.
Nor was that all.
The Kingdom of Erzsebet not only suffered defeat in the Uruk Plains but also sustained significant damage from surrounding factions, losing over 20% of its territory and several strategic locations.
In addition, the kingdom's power tilted sharply after a trade dispute with the kingdom of Lota.
As a result, the prestige of the Kingdom of Erzsebet was severely tarnished, and it became a subject of ridicule among various kingdoms on the continent.
On top of that, by losing influence over the Uruk Plains and the smaller kingdoms to the south, the Kingdom of Erzsebet suffered a tremendous economic blow.
Originally, it had amassed wealth by controlling the flow of logistics in the southwestern part of the continent, but now that was no longer possible, making it difficult to gain benefits from intermediary trade.
As a result, the surrounding kingdoms around the Erzsebet Kingdom were excited and eager to capitalize on the opportunity.
However, Otto intervened and cautioned those surrounding forces.
“Your Highness, Archduke.”
As soon as Otto returned to the Lota Kingdom after his journey in the Uruk Plains, he met with Archduke Wazir.
"Please tell the surrounding kingdoms to cease their attacks on the Kingdom of Erzsebet immediately."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
Wazir tilted his head in confusion.
It was no wonder, as Otto's choice was not something that could be easily understood from a common-sense perspective.
At the moment, the Erzsebet Kingdom was in turmoil.
Moreover, the fate of King Bathory himself was still uncertain.
Now was the time to row hard while the tide was in their favor, not a time to ease up on their offense.
“Why stop the attack now?”
"Because Bathory will return."
"Hmm?"
"The corpse disappeared right before oue eyes."
Otto explained the situation to Wazir while hinting that Bathory would return even stronger.
"Is that really true?"
“Yeah, it's pretty bad.”
“Hmm.”
“Moreover, in an ancient secret document I accidentally acquired, there was a plan stating that if the Kingdom of Erzsebet faced a crisis, they would resurrect the Great Heroes from the dead to help them through the crisis.”
“Resurrecting the Great Heroes….”
Wazir listened to Otto's words, pondering for a moment before nodding in response.
“If it's the Erzsebet Kingdom, they would definitely commit such an act. Understood. I will send an official document to our allies, requesting them to cease their attacks."
Although Wazir honestly didn't fully understand, he accepted it since Otto said so.
After all, the Kingdom of Erzsebet had been a great kingdom for a long time, so it wasn't unreasonable for them to be capable of such things.
“Thank you.”
"Ah, and by the way."
“Huh?”
“You should visit the Arad Empire sometime soon.”
“Me?”
Otto blinked, pointing to himself.
"Well, who else would it be but you?"
“Why?”
"Rowena wants to see you."
“Me? Mmm.”
Otto was slightly taken aback by the unexpected request for a meeting with Rowena.
Rowena is one of the key figures behind the [Territory War].
She is also the most dangerous and fearsome among the current emperor's siblings in the Arad Empire.
“Why did she suddenly want to see me?”
“I don't know.”
Wazir wore a complicated and subtle expression.
“Perhaps she wishes to become acquainted with the King of the Kingdom of Lota, a rising power in the west of the continent?”
“Is that so?”
“Why would you be asking? Someone with your level of intelligence wouldn't be oblivious to this.”
"That's true."
"Anyway, if you have time, make sure to meet her. This is a reciprocal meeting regarding the recent movements of the Arad Empire's army, so treat her well."
"T.. Treat her well?"
“You may be the King of a rising power, but don't you know that you still have to entertain the Archduchess who guards the western border of the most powerful Kingdom in the world? That's what I mean."
Wazir made a gesture of rubbing his palms together.
“Haha… hahaha.”
Otto chuckled in a somewhat awkward manner.
Of course, Otto was quite skilled at that.
Pride?
Otto was willing to put it aside for the sake of the national interest.
Given Otto's nature of pursuing practical benefits, he had no reason to pride himself in front of those who were strong, wealthy, and powerful.
"If you dress up nicely and flatter her a bit, Rowena will surely be charmed."
“Eh…?”
“I don't know about you, but this one is the best on the continent.”
Wazir made a gesture pointing to Otto's face.
"You're much better than the male hosts working in salons. Hehehe."
"……"
"Anyway, make sure to do well."
Otto, suddenly treated like a male host, wore a dumbfounded expression.
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On Otto's orders, Wazir sent a diplomatic missive to the neighboring kingdoms around the Kingdom of Erzsebet, asking them to stop attacking and reorganize.
Most of the forces, upon seeing the diplomatic documents, immediately ceased their attacks.
Since the Lota Kingdom was in a position akin to the leader of the anti-Erzsebet coalition, most of the forces complied with the request without any objections.
However, this was not the case for some kingdoms.
They simply could not understand or accept the diplomatic documents sent by the Lota Kingdom.
They could hardly grasp why they should stop, when they could continue to gnaw away at the territory of the Erzsebet Kingdom.
Those forces, having crossed the point of no return in their offensive, continued to attack the territory of the Kingdom of Erzsebet, trying to gain as much advantage as possible.
In the meantime.
"Listen, everyone."
Bathory, transformed into the Corrupted Queen, entered the great hall.
“Y-Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty! Are you alright?”
“Ohhh!”
The nobles of the Kingdom of Erzsebet were utterly astonished when Bathory, who had been missing for days, suddenly reappeared.
The nobles were shocked not only by Bathory's reappearance, whom they believed had died alongside the Royal Guard Order, but even more so by her appearance.
From head to chest.
The scars that snaked from top to bottom were horrifying.
Moreover, her pallid skin, bluish lips, and glowing red eyes added to the unsettling sight.
When she reappeared, she looked like a corpse, not the beautiful, vibrant woman she had once been.
“Before we start this court meeting….”
Bathory opened her mouth to speak.
*Shudder!*
The nobles trembled in the chilling atmosphere.
The breath of death emanating from Bathory gnawed at the life force of the nobles, enveloping them in an overwhelming sense of pressure.
"I have heard that… there were disloyal individuals… who sought to crown a new King during my absence…"
At that, the faces of the nobles who had argued for crowning a new King turned ashen.
After Bathory had gone missing along with the Royal Guard Order, some of the nobles suggested crowning one of the collateral branches of the royal family.
Although that suggestion stemmed from their thirst for power, it wasn't entirely unreasonable.
They were in a state of emergency.
In a situation where the life or death of King Bathory remained uncertain, it was hard to imagine how much worse the state of the Kingdom would become if the throne was left vacant for too long.
While it was somewhat hasty, there was some justification for their concerns.
However, with Bathory's return—though she did not appear to be in a normal state—it was only natural for the nobles who had advocated for crowning a new king to find themselves in a difficult position.
"Y-Your Majesty! We were only acting out of concern for the kingdom's well-being! Please, kill us!"
“Please, kill us!"
The nobles all slammed their heads on the floor in unison.
With Bathory's eyes wide open and alive, their attempt to crown a new king could justifiably be deemed treason, leaving them with no excuses.
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