For the record when I came here I looked at it and thought of this idea after many other ideas were thrown in the bin.

  Mood ain’t great here for sure.

  Oh measly peasants! Sad for what?

  Granted they’re in the near state of being conquered but that’s beside the point!

  Revel in being consumed by the great E-M-Peer!

  Ah, that limpire is called the Igrend dempler!

  Isn’t that so manly, so imperial, so weird?

  …Yeah.

  Now to explain, this empire is highly… conquistic? Conquering? A-Anyway, it expands it’s borders like it’s Rome.

  Except unlike Rome, it patiently waits.

  And is also the de facto hegemonic power.

  Like~ al~ways~!

  The sky's grey. Neat.

  So?

  Well the berlin wall is smol. With it being small, it isn’t exactly rich in manpower is it?

  Man, am I great at exposition!

  I wonder if they have toilets here? I don’t need to pee but…

  What was I– oh, rrrriiiight.

  So basically, this imperial expansion reached their borders after the conquest went well.

  Their next target is the guys on the other side, the Pertulan republic.

  A republic in my fantasy world?

  Unacceptable!!!!

  The geography the Berlindos kingdom has, is very, very good for both defense and offense.

  Like a natural land border.

  Or a fort?

  Though in terms of resources, it’s barren.

  I stare at the gate.

  Weeeeeeeeeeell.

  I configure!

  Passing the guards and opening the door inside, it looked elaborate.

  Like a maze.

  This… might take me a while?

  So let's talk about my, yes my! Genius plan!

  The army is god awful here.

  That’s why it’ll get turned into either territory of the growing empire, or become a vassal state.

  Chances are it’ll just be a duchy though.

  How do I know this?

  I don’t.

  You probably do though!

  …Uh, I dunno, I didn’t read the wiki.

  Damn not here either?

  Ughhhhhhhhhhhhh.

  Perhaps this could change if the events of time were changed eh?

  Lets say, that in turn, the kingdom had a way to fight back?

  But it only has five thousand they could muster!

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Against tens of thousands?

  Haha.

  Little. Weak. Pathetic. Unfair.

  Un…fair..?

  UN……FA…I…R……..!?

  Hahahahahahaaaa….

  I already got the direction.

  The ultimatum.

  A straight threat with no courtesy to be found.

  Arrogance to the extreme.

  Confident in a foregone conclusion.

  ‘Submit.’

  Such ease in the matter for the prideful.

  Like lambs there was only one option.

  In a conference silence was the void.

  A quiet sigh left the King.

  It seems only a requiem was fit for this place. Already cracks were becoming too large to contain.

  The deadline peering it’s head over the wall.

  The law only had to say a single sentence. Nay a single word.

  ‘Accept.’

  Yet it stuck in the throat.

  Being urged every second.

  Before the pointlessness.

  The only respect, the only dignity left was crumbling.

  In this vast expanse of space, a hole engrained itself.

  Then it was time.

  Suddenly the door opened.

  “Hey hey! It’s a me again!”

  Boisterous and loud.

  The person who opened it was lightly smiling.

  A strange air lingered before it erupted.

  “Who are you to enter–!”

  Hesitance in the minister's eyes. Reeling from the walking of the person wearing strange clothing unlike nobles or commoners.

  As if flying they stopped just before the King.

  Preemptively kneeling.

  “Fealty for the king. Entran Duscin Berlindos.”

  It was strange.

  Someone who waltzed in and bowed before their newly chosen master.

  How laughably arrogant.

  “Speak. Who are you?”

  Their spread lips twitched.

  “A simple mortal following your majesty.”

  “You dare not speak your name?”

  “Heed it little. For it matters not. What does, lies next door.”

  Mere word games.

  The King narrowed his eyes.

  Arrogance.

  “Trust. You need trust. Don’t you. Luckily there are many means. Ah, pardon such coarse language. If it were felt as disrespect, it was meant not.”

  Unbelievable.

  No words could be said for such a stranger.

  A disparaging image beyond the simple minded nature.

  “To display such trust may I demonstrate? If it so tilted your majesty, please, by all means, the head of your servant is easy to have.”

  Incessant speech.

  But grasping straws in a situation about to set ablaze everything, even if it was the consequence for later…

  If it was only the cost for a single life…

  If it were not a mistake…

  Too little was known of this stranger.

  So was time.

  For this kingdom.

  “Show your worth.”

  “Very well.” They stood up and bowed.

  They snapped their fingers.

  Holes from the ceiling opened.

  Falling through it were long metal sticks.

  “A mage?” one of the ministers let their thoughts slip.

  “Dare I say… Hm, a first time merchant? Free of charge.” They grabbed one of the metal sticks.

  Slowly they observed the stranger holding it.

  Indeed, it did not invite approval.

  “For an army to win, they simply need superiority in their veins. In one way or another.”

  Strategy and tactics for the cunning.

  Power for the aggressive.

  Defense for the passive.

  Stability for the well rounded.

  The stranger grabbed the small round cylinder. Tearing it and pouring it into a cup on the side of the stick.

  “In that… oof. Regard,” the stranger put the torn white cylinder at the end of the stick with a hole. “There are many variables. Such as–”

  They rammed a thinner smaller metal stick into the open end. Eventually returning it to the place it was at.

  Pulling a lever at the end, they breathed in.

  “What would be a means to the end.”

  “....”

  –Bang!

  A shock so loud, it was as if retribution was upon them. Many faces became surprised.

  “...What… is that?”

  “The start of a long line that made the ever so danger of battle trivial with many graves under it’s belt.”

  The King stared at the stranger.

  The servant with magic.

  Throughout the entirety, that unpleasantness never faded.

  But it was this decision that would bring perhaps a chance.

  The King saw the servants smile, never leaving their face.

  The conclusion was already made.

  Those hollow eyes were now with the King.