Was it better to expand outward, or focus on developing internally?
The Lumbart Kingdom beyond the mountains had recently been thrown into chaos by a cult, and the country had been unable to contain its spread.
The Empire had secretly dispatched a Light Church team to gather intelligence, and they were now discussing the matter of war against the Lumbart Kingdom.
Although the Empire was vast and rich in resources, it still fell somewhat short compared to the Lumbart Kingdom.
Though the Lumbart Kingdom was a small nation, the location it occupied was extremely advantageous.
If they could take control of the Lumbart Kingdom, the Empire's influence could spread into the central regions of the continent.
The Five-Nation Alliance that had invaded the Empire years ago had already become vassal states, and their newly appointed rulers were all utterly loyal to the Empire.
At the same time, the Empire had launched propaganda campaigns within those five nations and ultimately won over the people.
Now that these issues had been resolved, the only path toward making the Empire even greater was expansion.
After the nobles discussed the matter, Emperor Sapota finally made his decision.
The Empire did not wish to remain confined to one corner. Since it now possessed such favorable conditions, it would begin expanding toward the center of the continent.
The process would be quite long, and the flames of war would bring countless casualties.
But as long as the people of the Empire could gain sufficient benefits, most of them would still support the war.
The Empire used a standing volunteer army system and also possessed massive reserve forces, so civilians would not be forcibly conscripted. Support for the war within the country would be quite high.
At the same time, many new inventions from the Imperial Engineering