Chapter 16: Acquiring Arms with Empty Hands

Jakus’s declaration served as a clear weather vane for the countries of the Far East. Although everyone speculated about the terms Prince Andrei had offered to secure Jakus’s full support, this did not stop the vassal states, ever quick to follow the prevailing wind, from swiftly voicing their allegiance. After all, the Yamato had ruthlessly struck the nomads in the three southern provinces, so it was only natural for these kin peoples to support their brother factions.

By afternoon, all the vassal states had publicly pledged their support to the Grand Duchy of Belia, declaring their troops would fall under the direct command of the Belia family and contributing resources with painful generosity. This suddenly added fifteen divisions to the Grand Duchy’s forces, even if all were poorly equipped cavalry divisions. They lacked artillery; some divisions didn’t even have fifty light machine guns. In fact, that might be an overstatement—some cavalry units had a third of their soldiers armed only with sabers and spears.

Despite the poor equipment, the Yamato were oblivious; all they felt was as though they had stirred a hornet’s nest. The Far East, this dilapidated house, had seemed ready to collapse, and they had intended to barge in and bring it down with a single kick. Instead, when they struck, the house stood firm, and suddenly a group of burly men appeared, ready to beat them back. What grounds did the Yamato have to argue?

This news startled Zhang Shan’s cheap, fever-recovering father. “What? Andrei persuaded that old fox Ilata? Tell me, what did he put up as collateral?”

Prime Minister Slava shook his head. “Your Majesty, if His Highness intends to pledge any of our nation’s assets, we must be informed. Whether minerals, ports, or even national tariffs, many assets can theoretically be mortgaged. But in all cases, it is impossible to bypass the relevant domestic officials.”

The old duke’s expression was priceless as he muttered in the ancient Rasian tongue, “So that kid pulled off a wolf in sheep’s clothing with empty hands?”

Slava shrugged. “It seems so. The secret agreement’s details have yet to return. His Highness only conveyed the message and did not betray our interests. I’ve heard there’s even profit to be made.”

“….”

International relations are often brutally ruthless. Unless the nation’s survival is at stake or there is a severe imbalance of power, most exchanges are mutually beneficial trades. Even if one suspected that Ilata was Andrei’s supporter, the old duke quickly dismissed the idea—the impoverished nomads had never truly entered the core power of the Rasian Empire. They were mere auxiliaries and could not influence the Belia family’s succession; they were simply not qualified.

“Seems I’ve underestimated our family’s stallion,” he said.

This time, the prime minister was speechless.

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War often aims not only at tangible battlefield gains but also psychological impact. When one side is isolated and unsupported, morale collapses and surrender becomes more likely. Some nations or peoples excel at waving the white flag. The Rasians were different—they were naturally warlike. Moreover, these recent uplifting reports had greatly boosted the morale of their officers and soldiers.

First, they learned of the Landud battle, where their prince had shattered an entire regiment, capturing nearly a thousand prisoners. Just as everyone began to regard Prince Andrei as a rising star of the military, they heard the candid and inspiring broadcast of the third prince. Although they mourned the old king, the injured second prince, and the fallen crown prince, the emergence of the third prince more than made up for it. To the frontline troops, Andrei was a reassuring presence.

For the Belia high command, knowing that Andrei had swiftly dealt with the powerful Jakus Khanate was a delightful surprise.

“Hooray!” Anthony, upon hearing the news, actually jumped up in the logistics department. A two-hundred-pound man leaping—witnesses later compared it to a full-grown bear doing tap dance.

Anthony had it rough. Horses were demanded everywhere, but the duchy had no stud farms of its own. God knows how sky-high prices for horses became during wartime. Inflation during war was common knowledge.

He had prepared for the worst, ready to pay 200 rubles for an ordinary draft horse.

Now, all that expense was gone!

Though it took time to gather horses from Jakus, this did not stop Anthony from pulling some slick moves.

“Hey, your horses are too expensive. How about we buy them for 30 rubles each and count the rest as a contribution to the nation?”

“Our logistics department doesn’t have that much cash right now. If you don’t want to join the army, how about taking horse vouchers? When Jakus’s horses arrive, you can pick an equivalent one with the voucher.”

In the past, nomads, scarred by broken promises from former emperors, would have refused such an offer. They had been burned many times by IOUs that were never honored.

This time was different!

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With Jakus’s nationwide broadcast as a guarantee, the logistics department spent less than fifty thousand rubles over two days and managed to secure nearly ten thousand horses from various places, swiftly hauling artillery, ammunition, and supplies to the front.

A week later, when the first batch of Jakus’s gifted horses reached Barovsk, those nomads clutching vouchers finally breathed a sigh of relief. They not only had not lost out but had even gained a bit. Jakus’s horses were of higher quality than their own.

The inexperienced Rasian logistics officers allowed the nomads to choose freely, which brought broad smiles to the eyes of the keen-eyed horsemen.

Thus ended the logistics department’s hopes and wishes.

In truth, Zhang Shan had done enough to satisfy the Belia ministers. A crown prince who did not recklessly meddle with military power and managed to secure logistical support was sure to be welcomed by the military.

They never expected that the first aid to arrive would come from this country: the Asgard Empire’s capital, Yggdrasil.

Originally, the capital had a different name filled with many “wood” characters. When the Asgard emperor adopted the title Odin, he simply renamed the imperial city Yggdrasil. This was largely due to their reverence for the mythic hero Siegfried, the dragon slayer, and their practice of valkyrie spirit transformation, embedding their entire mythology within their nation.

In any case, it was also a way to glorify themselves.

Within the palace known colloquially as the Golden Palace, Emperor Odin III received the envoy from the Rasian Empire’s Grand Duchy of Belia.

“Your Majesty, I represent our crown prince, Andrei Vladimirovich Beliaski, and have come to request your support.”

On the throne sat a young, golden-haired emperor, his porcelain skin and exquisitely doll-like features, coupled with deep blue eyes, stunning all who beheld him with his rare beauty.

When he spoke, his voice carried a magnetic quality, tinged with a subtle androgyny.

“Interesting. My nation has never had dealings with the Grand Duchy of Belia. Why should I support you?”

“Because aiding Belia aligns with the interests of the Asgard Empire!”