# The War Lords of the Southern Six Nations
To simplify the situation, the crusader army of the Southern Six Nations can be understood as facing a comprehensive crisis. From the beginning, it was a war lacking justification, compounded by the diminished authority of the Pope and the Church who directly authored the declaration of war.
While priests might have commanded respect when divine power existed, now they were little more than nagging foreigners (or traitors). Though they still maintained support among the common people, their position was somewhat ambiguous from the perspective of nobility and royalty.
When power holders heard that "the Saintess has fallen and the Lord has abandoned humanity," they didn't respond with "Oh my, what a wicked person."
Instead, they had more nuanced reactions like, "Hmm, does this mean we can now expel priests from court?" or "It was the priests who kept putting strange things in our beer, wasn't it?" or "How much could we raise if we taxed the monasteries?"
After all, no power holder is masochistic enough to desire a society where religious authority supersedes secular power. Priests who could no longer heal people rightfully needed to return to their original duty as guardians of morality and ethics.
The reason they didn't directly oppose the Pope was simple: the Pope still wielded divine power. Being the only user of divine power at this point meant being the only person blessed by the Lord. That made opposition quite difficult.
"Logically speaking, we shouldn't be at war."
This wasn't about war being wrong or some ethical condemnation of pointing swords at fellow humans. Ethics were ultimately unimportant.
The problem was economic.
The Great War had devastated the world just four years ago. Though the Southern Six Nations weren't direct participants, they still bore the costs incurred during wartime, and the half-ruined great powers had aggressively exploited them through culture, diplomacy, and trade.
At this point, no ruler in their right mind wanted war. Adults who force others to do what they don't want are all old fogeys.
And the theories of "young social activists" rebelling against old fogeys always sound plausible:
-If the Lord is truly omnipotent, is it possible for us to betray Him?
-If the omnipotent Lord created us humans, aren't all our actions ultimately His will?
-If the Lord loves humanity, wouldn't He ultimately be satisfied with what we do?
When such anonymous spam messages suddenly appeared...
"Oh?"
"Hmm."
"Well..."
As it happened, the priests who should have been blocking these messages like anti-virus software were being dragged around half-paralyzed.
"It's logical, isn't it?"
The secular royal families could examine these new heretical spam messages quite seriously.
-The Church should be a shepherd who loves people, not a guide for humanity!
-Priests should prioritize teaching love over doctrine, bishops should act as parents to believers rather than wielding secular power, and the Pope should spread proper faith through philanthropy, not war!
-As the Lord's foremost followers, shouldn't priests embrace the people with the Lord's exalted love rather than ruling over them?
No matter how much priests tried to block these messages, spam always finds a way through. This anonymous spam carpet bombing inevitably caught the eyes of the nobility (that is, the literate class).
The message that power should be returned to secular rulers instead of the Church was truly...
The Lord might not see it that way (though there was no way to confirm this anymore), but it was certainly satisfying to those sitting on expensive chairs.
With Lorensia and Leonor temporarily withdrawing due to their mutual conflict, Elsros reaching a premature culmination point and stalling, and Albania repeatedly performing poorly since the start of the war...
"Your Majesty, even now countless brothers of faith are groaning in pain on the front lines...!!"
The king of Belacria—the strongest nation in the Southern Six Nations, the center of north-south trade, and occupying the central part of the Southern Six Nations including the Papal Territory of Ovidis—smiled slightly at the archbishop's words.
"That is indeed unfortunate."
"Boy King" Carlos III del Solar, now a brilliant golden-haired young man who could hardly be classified as a boy anymore, looked at the aging bishop with the gaze of a young man who could call the older generation "old fogeys" without anyone being able to stop him, given his power.
Carlos III, like all monarchs of this era, is selfish, greedy, and cunning. The important point is that he is cunning, as the first two traits are merely average characteristics of nobility worldwide.
As cunning people typically do, Carlos approaches new information with suspicion. He holds the typical monarchical attitude that everything except his own words and judgments must contain falsehoods.
"Elsros surrendered three cities in just ten days, while Albania hasn't properly set foot across a single border."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"What are your opinions, my lords?"
Those who simply stated that Elsros was competent and Albania incompetent could not enter this royal audience. Those who merely recited universally apparent facts had all been expelled from Carlos's court.
His subjects needed to present "new or unusual" opinions that their monarch might desire.
"Could it be that Elsros is staging a deception in collusion with Equitania, Your Majesty?"
"Why do you think so?"
"Even capturing one city requires time to secure the entire territory. Planning further advances would leave the rear vulnerable, necessitating careful occupation. Yet Elsros's advance speed defies convention."
"You believe they can leave their rear unprotected without issue?"
"Indeed, Your Majesty. If these are territories deliberately surrendered by Equitania, it would not be incomprehensible. In fact, the Elsros forces, after ten days of rapid advance, have now halted and fortified their lines—suggesting this territory was part of an agreement between Elsros and Equitania."
"Interesting."
The courtier withdrew with a sigh of relief at Carlos's satisfied smile. Another nobleman stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, I believe Albania and Equitania have joined hands instead."
"How so?"
"Given Elsros's advance speed, Equitania lacks the national capacity to handle a two-front war. If Equitania's king has any sense, he would desire peace with Albania."
"What does Albania gain?"
"While Elsros ties down Equitania's main forces, Albania could invade Elsros without opposition. Unlike Elsros, which has advanced its main forces deep into Equitanian territory, Albania remains stationed in its homeland, claiming 'poor performance' while delaying the crusader army."
"That too is interesting."
Carlos surveyed his courtiers, asking if there were other opinions. The courtiers hesitated, withholding their answers.
"Is this all?"
As Carlos's brow furrowed, the courtiers hastily bowed their heads. They needed to produce some opinion. In this atmosphere, one courtier rose.
"Your Majesty, I believe the conflict between Lorensia and Leonor is an even greater problem."
"Continue."
"Despite the Pope's directive, Leonor attacked Lorensia. Isn't the main reason the southern crusader army is conducting the war with its own strength, without support from other countries, due to the internal strife between these two nations?"
"And?"
"Just before Leonor stationed troops at Lorensia's border, a Krasilov envoy visited Leonor."
"Did Krasilov try to interfere with the crusader army?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. If Leonor had complained to the Pope about this, the Pope should have rightfully condemned Krasilov. However..."
"The Pope couldn't touch Krasilov."
Throughout the Church's long history, there had never been a case of issuing a major excommunication against all great powers. Even if possible, doing so would inevitably incur massive political costs and burdens.
Moreover, the current situation was even worse. Divine power was gone, wasn't it? It could be said that the Pope's excommunication could never cross the threshold of a "great power."
Despite Krasilov daring to disrupt the crusader army's rear at this point, the Pope's silence could mean the disintegration of the crusader army.
"This is evidence that with sufficient national power, the Pope cannot resist."
Finally, the answer Carlos wanted emerged. The Boy King smiled down at his subjects.
"Moreover, doesn't Ovidis belong to this country?"
"Indeed it does, Your Majesty."
"I have always wondered. Do the people of Ovidis serve me or the Pope?"
No courtier answered this question. Any answer risked offending the king.
"All people of this land should rightfully serve their king. Isn't this true of Ovidis as well?"
"It is so, Your Majesty."
"If we rise like Krasilov, Tilles, Kalion, and distant Droan, would the Pope dare send directives through mere bishops? Or would he come out into the secular world himself, stand in this court, and directly tell me what he desires?"
Carlos finished with a smile.
"March forth. If the Pope wants this country's soldiers and wealth, we shall provide them. Dispatch legions to the south."
As the courtiers began exchanging glances at this sudden command, Carlos continued.
"And order them to call every land they tread upon Belacria. After swallowing all southern lands, would the Pope dare mobilize war saying 'the Lord desires it'? If we stand at the same height as the so-called 'great powers' of the north, and can hold even the Pope in one hand, who would dare call us merely a small southern nation?"
After devouring all countries of the Southern Six Nations, after subjugating all these southern lands, this country would no longer be called a kingdom.
The term "Southern Six Nations" itself would disappear. It would become "Southern Belacria." Like Northern Krasilov, Eastern Tilles, Western Droan, and Kalion of the Five Seas. It would become a great power representing one region of the continent.
And afterward, as the only nation directly embracing the Papal See, as the guardian of papal directives, as the parent of all people...
The name of Boy King Carlos III would become Emperor Carlos.
"If even that kid has moved, then it's over."
After dismissing the messenger who brought the urgent news, Vitorio sank deeply into his throne and looked down at the court.
In this vast reception hall where the Saintess stood alone, Vitorio said with a smile:
"According to plan."
Minimal losses, active avoidance of engagement, and...
Discord among the enemy alliance.
"Yes, Your Majesty. As Your Majesty desired."
They evacuated all areas in coordination with Elsros's advance. Though massive costs were incurred, they ultimately managed to lead the enemy army to its culmination point with minimal losses.
Albania's legions now remain at the border. Even if the attacks cease, they will not stop suspecting Elsros.
Lorensia and Leonor withdrew from the crusader army as soon as the holy war began. Those old rivals have deployed armies at each other's borders, grinding their teeth.
And Belacria. The country embracing the Papal See has begun moving south. They claim to be dispatching troops to support the crusader army, but well...
When foreign armies cross through, would they really just quietly follow the road?
Armies naturally consume finances and provisions exponentially proportional to deployment distance. Only demons and elves have overcome the physical limitations of long-distance deployment. Unlike elves who fly through the sky or demons who eat humans, humans need money and food to fight.
Elsros and Albania must now check Belacria. This doesn't mean they can focus on the immediate crusade.
Additionally, the Saintess's condemnation of the Papal See continues to spread throughout the Southern Six Nations.
The Pope has no strength left to urge on the crusade. Before the war even began, he had exhausted all his political capital.
Now for the final bet.
"Any word from Krasilov?"
"They asked for a month."
"Good."
They would throw the northern half of the Southern Six Nations, centered on the Papal See, to Krasilov. All of Leonor, Lorensia, and northern Belacria.
Then claim the southern half of that half—Elsros, Albania, and half of Belacria.
Finally, conclude the agreement at the Papal See, led by the Saintess.
"The wise end wars before they begin."
Vitoria concluded with a smile.
"Tell the Hero Party to begin."
As all the war lords of the Southern Six Nations draw their swords against each other...
And behind them, as the Pope and the Saintess reach out to the people under their respective doctrines...
The Pope could now declare with certainty in this situation:
That the Lord did not desire this (Deus non vult).