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IBHJ Chapter 113
🕑 Added 2023-02-22 05:22:39 +0000 UTCAs soon as Kay returned to the front lines with two warehouses full of grain, Artoria's side was still out hunting and stockpiling food.
However, with the abundant food supply, Shirou's side gained a significant advantage. They could fight longer and hold out until the enemy was weakened by hunger. The prospect of running out of food was no longer a concern.
Kay joined the battle and together with Shirou, they successfully defended their territory. The war dragged on for a long time, with both sides trying to gain the upper hand. But in the end, Shirou and Kay emerged victorious.
Looking back, Shirou's knowledge of farming and his ability to increase the food supply was instrumental in their victory. Without it, they would have lost the war long ago.
Kay's forces split into three, ruthlessly raiding villages and disrupting the enemy's resource production.
Upon hearing the news, Artoria was taken aback and puzzled as to why the enemy persisted in fighting despite their lack of resources. Nevertheless, she quickly rallied her troops to counterattack and emerged victorious in every skirmish.
It must be noted that Merlin's education had been a resounding success. In matters of military strategy, Artoria proved herself to be exceptionally skilled, and Kay was no match for her.
For two years, Kay was compelled to gradually withdraw his defensive line and assume a strictly defensive stance.
Although Artoria's forces maintained the upper hand and demonstrated their martial prowess, Merlin was surprised to find that despite their victories, their morale remained low, while the enemy's morale was alarmingly high.
What's more, each time Artoria's troops halted to rest and recover, the enemy would launch frenzied attacks upon them, as though they were rabid dogs.
Merlin couldn't help but wonder what was happening.
Could this even be possible? Weren't they afraid of depleting their food reserves?
It was clear that Arotria's forces had been squeezing the nearby villages so much that they were on the brink of rebellion. But what about the other side?
Intrigued by this mystery, Merlin used his special privileges to spy on their enemy.
He nearly got a heart attack!
On his side, they were so impoverished that they had to divide a single grain of rice into ten portions, while on the other side, thirty granaries were overflowing with supplies!
And to his astonishment, they were even constructing another granary!
What in the world was going on here?
Had they used magecraft to manipulate the dream world?
But after conducting a thorough investigation, Merlin was stunned to find no evidence of such tampering.
If not through magecraft, where could they possibly obtain so much food?
Did it just fall from the sky?
Merlin was dumbfounded and disoriented. And in the midst of his confusion, Kay and his forces launched another attack.
Desperate and with no other viable options, Artoria was forced to resort to squeezing the villages once more in order to secure the necessary military provisions.
"Please bear with us a little longer! We'll make it up to you once the war is over!" Artoria said.
However, to her dismay, there were few responses and every villager appeared pallid and gaunt. They had been squeezed by both Merlin and Artoria for two long years, leaving them with not a single grain of rice in their homes.
In stark contrast, Shirou's situation was vastly different. When he accompanied the tax collector to collect food from the nearby villages, the villagers greeted him with enthusiastic cheers, referring to him as their king.
Overwhelmed by the villagers' enthusiasm, Shirou spoke out, "My dear subjects, a bright future awaits us all! Can you see it? Our wicked enemy is already beginning to falter, but our triumph is not mine alone. It belongs to each and every one of us! Our war is not a quest for conquest, but a fight for our beautiful homeland and a better future for ourselves."
The villagers cheered, their faces lit up with hope and love. Shirou continued, "Therefore, I have decided to reduce taxes in half this year. And for families with soldiers, there will be a further 20% reduction in taxes."
The crowd erupted in a frenzy of excitement, clapping and cheering, grateful for their ruler's generosity.
---"This war is not one of conquest, but rather a battle for our own bright future." These words struck a deep chord within the hearts of the people.
Moreover, the fifty percent tax reduction proved to be a practical benefit for the villagers, which further strengthened their loyalty towards Shirou. The vision of a brighter future, coupled with tangible benefits that served their interests, drove the people to cheer out loud.
"King Shirou!"
"King Shirou!"
The cheers continued endlessly, echoing throughout the villages and beyond. It was a testament to the faith and trust that the people had placed in Shirou.
The kingdoms simulation persisted for five long years. In the first two years, Merlin and Artoria managed to keep Shirou and Kay on the back foot, leaving them constantly out of breath.
However, thanks to Kay's unwavering defense, and Shirou's diligent efforts in farming, the concern of food shortage was eventually eliminated. And with that, Kay was able to turn the tide and begin harassing Merlin and Artoria during their production season.
Despite being unable to win, Kay's forces continued to harass and disrupt the enemy's production efforts. As a result, Artoria's kingdom eventually became impoverished and the people began to suffer. Driven to desperation, they rose up in rebellion against their own ruler.
Determined to restore order, Artoria led her troops to quell the rebellion while simultaneously launching an attack on Kay. Thanks to their superior military strategy and the formidable Dragon Factor, they had never lost a battle.
But despite their unparalleled track record, victory proved elusive in the end. They had been on the verge of victory, but then, suddenly, it all slipped away from them.
Overwhelmed, exhausted, and famished, Artoria's forces were eventually overpowered by the rebel and they were ultimately presented to Shirou as a token of surrender.
As Shirou made his grand entrance amidst the resounding cheers of the people, Artoria's expression became one of complete shock. It was as if she had been defeated by society itself. This unexpected turn of events had utterly shattered her worldview, far exceeding anything she could have ever imagined.
Merlin was also tied up by the rebel and mercilessly hung by Kay for his amusement. Merlin looked at Shirou and couldn't help but ask, "How did I lose?"
Merlin was baffled by the outcome. Despite observing the world with his own eyes, he couldn't comprehend why he had lost. He had never lost a battle before, and yet, this time, he did. He had been winning the fight, and then suddenly he lost.
Shirou's victory seemed to defy the conventional laws of warfare, as he had somehow managed to emerge victorious despite being outmatched on the battlefield. This left Merlin even more puzzled and bewildered. In response to his confusion, Shirou simply shrugged and replied with a note of innocence, "I don't know either. All I know is farming."
"I won't accept this! Let's play another round!" Merlin gritted his teeth and his eyes burned with a rare flame of determination, and he started the game again.
However, Merlin and Artoria found themselves defeated even more swiftly than before!
The reason for their failure was that Kay had become familiar with their strategy. He would simply bide his time, defend against their attacks, and wait for Shirou to begin farming before launching a relentless campaign of harassment on their production efforts.
This snowball effect continued to grow in strength, and in less than four years, Merlin's kingdom was ultimately defeated.
Merlin tried to play a few more games, but in the last game, he finally broke down.
Instead of waiting for the people of Merlin's kingdom to rebel, Shirou took the initiative. As the villagers teetered on the brink of oppression, he issued a decree, proclaiming, "Those who surrender shall be treated as citizens, exempt from taxes for two years, and granted ten bags of rice."
And then?
There was no "and then."
Merlin simply broke down.
Shirou had gained control over the starving populace, who had surrendered with their entire families.
Merlin and Artoria, the only ones left in the palace, sat amidst the chaos. They were soon surrounded by Shirou and Kay's troops, who had arrived in force.
In reality, it was nearly time to force them to commit suicide, as the game had ended. Merlin, with his mentality shattered, had accepted defeat and stopped playing. Even a phantom in the shape of a lump of sweet potato appeared in his mouth, a testament to his overwhelming despair.
"I lost...I actually lost so miserably..." He muttered to himself.
Artoria also broke down, holding her head and trembling in the corner.
Kay felt a twinge of guilt and called out to Merlin in a small voice, "Great sage?"
Merlin muttered to himself and let out a bitter laugh, "Great sage...hahaha... Where's the great sage? I'm just Merlin, a useless Merlin..." The phantom lump in the shape of a sweet potato in his mouth seemed to grow even larger as he spoke.
"Are you okay?" Shirou asked as he walked over.
"I'm just a small, useless Merlin..." Merlin repeated with a defeated expression.
"Don't be so discouraged," Shirou reassured him. "I wasn't the one who defeated you."
Merlin turned to look at Shirou, his eyes blankly asking, "Then who was it?"
"It was humanity," he replied with a smile.
"Humanity?" Merlin asked with a hint of confusion.
"Yes, it was humanity that defeated you, not me."
"Humanity...humanity..." Merlin repeated to himself, lost in thought.
Shirou chuckled and continued, "No matter how powerful an individual is, they cannot surpass the power of a group. And no matter how intelligent an individual is, they cannot be smarter than a group. So, don't underestimate yourself, Merlin. It was not me, but humanity who defeated you."
Merlin raised his head and looked at Shirou. He saw a bright smile and a pair of fiery eyes.
"I see... no wonder..."
No wonder, you're a vessel.
Merlin thought to himself.
