Ch.16Chapter 16. Zeilant Defense (3)

“An armistice agreement? ……..Excuse me for a moment.”

Lynn snorted as she spoke—

Then covered her mouth with her sleeve and shook with laughter.

As if the mere mention of that term was utterly ridiculous.

I watched her face steadily without showing any emotion.

After laughing for quite some time, Lynn finally sighed and spoke.

“Haa. That was amusing. Yes, an armistice agreement. And your condition is 1,300 gold?”

“That’s correct.”

In that moment.

Lynn Brans’s expression, which had been playful like a mischievous girl with a hint of laughter, suddenly turned cold as if it had been rapidly frozen.

She looked down at me with half-dead eyes.

The lofty attitude that only someone who had reached the position of a nation’s sovereign could possess reminded me anew that she was the leader of the Brans Army.

“Why should I?”

Yes. That’s the kind of response that makes this worth dealing with.

I smiled as I spoke.

“Because my proposal is an opportunity that the Brans Army cannot afford to miss.”

“Is that so?”

She began twirling a strand of her long blue hair around one finger.

At this point, she wasn’t even looking at my face anymore.

“Hey. What’s your name?”

“I am Swen, an envoy from the Lunarian Army.”

“Right. Envoy from the Lunarian Army, whatever. You do understand what an agreement is, don’t you?”

“I do.”

And then.

With an incredibly cold gaze—staring at me as if she would devour me again—she spoke.

“I’ll be honest. Last time, our army was ambushed and suffered a major defeat. We were careless. We couldn’t conquer your country with 8,000 troops. I’ll admit that. But you know what? I’ve sent 23,000 troops to your country this time. You’re aware of that, right?”

“Of course I am.”

“I don’t know how many more troops you’ll scrape together, or if you’re planning another surprise reinforcement like last time… but listen.”

She rose from her throne and slowly approached me.

With each step she took toward me, I felt as if I were being enveloped in a suffocating pressure.

Killing intent!

I could feel overwhelming killing intent from her movements alone.

I even had the illusion that a cold that cut to the bone was striking me.

Is this what a monarch of a powerful nation is like?

An ordinary person would surely be crushed by this killing intent, unable to even voice their opinion properly.

But so what?

I am a man with Intelligence 100.

Even at this moment, I’m certain. She will have no choice but to accept this armistice agreement.

I didn’t avert my gaze for even a moment as she approached.

“Your army is finished. Even though defensive battles are more advantageous than offensive ones, with this difference in troop numbers, you absolutely cannot win. Even with brilliant generals, it wouldn’t be easy… Ah, right. Do you know who the vanguard commander of our army is?”

“Would that be the illustrious General Irene?”

“Yes. So, whether you offer 1,300 gold or 3,000 gold, I have no intention of making this agreement.”

After saying that—

She crouched down to match eye level with me as I knelt.

The scent of what seemed to be her perfume sharply struck my nose.

Even this enchanting fragrance carried a chilling quality that evoked fear.

‘So they have things like perfume in this world too.’

Of course, from my perspective, I was merely having such trivial thoughts.

“Am I crazy? Hm? If I cut off the head of Lunarian, the ruler you serve, not only will I get 1,300 gold, but Zeilant Castle will roll right into my hands. Why should I accept an armistice agreement with you for this amount of money?”

She stared directly into my eyes, as if waiting for my answer.

There’s an incredibly beautiful woman right in front of me… but this is a dangerous situation, isn’t it?

Nevertheless, I wasn’t fazed at all. My predictions are always right.

I fell into thought for a brief moment.

If this agreement is destined to be made—it means that Lynn Brans, with her current hardline attitude, will change her stance.

That would mean this agreement would ultimately benefit the Brans Army as well.

I can predict the outcome, but I don’t know what process will lead there.

However, no matter how varied the process might be, if the result is predetermined, there must be a plausible path to it.

In that case—I have no choice but to chart the course myself.

I slowly raised my tongue as a brush.

“Because accepting this money and making an armistice agreement with us will ultimately benefit the Brans Army.”

“…What?”

“I’ll say it again, accepting this money and making an armistice agreement with us will ultimately benefit the Brans Army.”

“……”

After hearing those words, Lynn silently stared into my eyes for a long time.

As if we were having a staring contest, how much quiet time passed?

“…Haa.”

Lynn made an expression like a child bored with a new toy, sighed briefly, and spoke.

“What is this? Just empty bravado. I thought you might have something substantial.”

“It’s not bravado.”

“…Look. Normally I should just send you away, but since you’re somewhat good-looking, I’ll specially explain this logically. 1,300 gold has absolutely no merit for our army. I told you, I wouldn’t do it even for 3,000 gold. Do you think it makes sense to ask us to give up a war we’re definitely going to win for pocket change? Really… or perhaps.”

As she said this, she lifted my chin with two fingers.

Then, lightly running her tongue over her lips… she appraised me.

“If you offered yourself to me, I might consider it…♡ You know, I prefer pretty and delicate-looking men? Huhu…♡ What do you think? Would you like to serve me at night?”

“No, I would not.”

“…How boring.”

Only then did she slowly rise and return to her throne.

And then she said with finality:

“I have no intention of making an armistice agreement. Go back to your ruler and tell them that. Of course, I’m not sure if your ruler’s head will still be attached when you return.”

I looked at Lynn as she gestured for me to leave.

And then I instinctively realized.

If there was a turning point in this ‘predetermined’ agreement—it would be now.

“Are you really not going to make the agreement?”

“No.”

“You will regret it. Certainly.”

“Sure, sure. Everything you say is right. Anyway, I won’t do it.”

“It is you, Lynn Brans, who has rejected this armistice agreement, not me. You are the one who has kicked away this opportunity. Do you agree?”

“…Hey.”

Lynn looked at me with an irritated voice.

“Be grateful that I am the ruler of the Brans Army. If this were Serpina’s country in the north, you’d have lost your head already. Got it? Anyway, I have nothing more to say to you, so go back.”

“……”

To be honest.

In this situation, it was extremely difficult to imagine how the agreement would be reached.

What should I do?

I was about to fall into contemplation for a moment, but—

“What are you doing? Not leaving? Or do you really want to go to prison? Should I send you there?”

‘It’s okay. It will go as I intend. This armistice agreement will definitely be made. I don’t need to worry.’

She began twirling her hair with her finger.

What a peculiar habit.

I rose from my seat at Lynn’s urging and slowly spoke.

“You will come to regret it.”

“Yes, yes. Hurry up and go back. I’ll be busy regretting it.”

I slowly turned my back and walked away.

It’s fine.

No matter what happens, this armistice agreement will definitely be concluded.

It will go as I intend.

My words are absolutely right.

Because I am—

“My lord!!”

——-Intelligence 100.

“What is it? I told you not to come looking for me during an audience.”

Lynn looked at the soldier who had burst into the audience chamber—

And then, her expression began to turn ashen.

“…What? You?”

Lynn’s gaze was fixed on his right arm.

I turned my head slightly to check the uniform of the soldier who had burst into this place.

The armor he wore was different from that of our army, but there was a familiar point nonetheless.

The red cloth tightly bound around his right arm.

Just seeing that, even I could immediately recognize who this soldier was.

That man was a messenger.

And there was only one moment when a messenger would rush to the ruler with such an urgent voice regardless of the situation.

That is—

“Se-Serpina Army…!”

When someone has initiated an attack.

“The Serpina Army has marched on Kelstein Castle, a territory of the Brans Army, with 55,000 troops!”

* * *

“…Huh?”

Lynn was startled and dropped the strand of hair she had been twirling with her fingers.

But that didn’t change the situation.

“We must prepare quickly! My lord, your orders!”

‘Serpina? At this point? Why?’

Because their borders were adjacent, the Brans Army was constantly monitoring the movements of the Serpina nation internally.

According to recent intelligence, although they had conquered the north, rebels who didn’t recognize Serpina kept appearing here and there in the north, so the outlook was that they wouldn’t focus on external expansion for the time being as they needed to sort out internal matters.

‘Was the intelligence… wrong? Or did they deliberately spread false information…?’

In any case, what had already happened couldn’t be undone.

Currently, Kelstein Castle, which was adjacent to the border with the Serpina Army, had only about 20,000 troops.

Originally there were more, but weren’t they being used to attack Zeilant Castle this time?

They couldn’t pull troops from the south where they were at war, and using troops from the east was concerning because of the Aeshus Army in the east.

In the end, the most rational decision was—

To recall the 20,000 soldiers sent to attack Zeilant.

The western front was also the closest in distance.

No, to begin with, that was the only way to stop the Serpina army.

Even if they couldn’t take Zeilant, it wouldn’t have much impact on their army, but if they lost Kelstein Castle, which was like a fortress, it would be over.

All the castles that existed from here to Anel were just mediocre ones.

Moreover, the opponent was the Serpina Army, the hegemon of the north. They would surely conduct a blitzkrieg at an unbelievable speed.

And the moment that thought occurred—

—Shiver!

A feeling as if a ghost was crawling up her spine made her whole body go cold.

‘No way…!’

Lynn slowly turned her head to look at the envoy from the Lunarian Army who was walking out with his back turned.

He had definitely said this:

“Because accepting this money and making an armistice agreement with us will ultimately benefit the Brans Army.”

‘That bastard… did he know this would happen?’

His strangely confident attitude.

The way he kept insisting that ‘it would benefit the Brans Army.’

His behavior would make sense if he knew all this, but.

Nevertheless, an unresolved question remained.

‘But how?’

How could an envoy from a minor country know that the Serpina Army would attack?

In any case, she needed to make an armistice agreement now.

She needed to retreat safely and deploy as many troops as possible to the northern front.

“Hey! Stop right there!”

“……”

The white-haired man—Swen—who was about to leave the royal castle, slowly turned his head to look at Lynn.

And then, with a truly brazen expression, he opened his mouth.

“What is it?”

“…Th-that…”

Lynn bit her lower lip tightly.

It wouldn’t look good to call back an envoy from a minor country that she had once dismissed, but she knew well that there was nothing more foolish than losing Kelstein Castle because of unnecessary pride.

Isn’t that why she could rise to that position?

“…Fine. I’ll do it. The armistice agreement. 1,300 gold. You’re lucky. You’ll be the envoy who made an agreement that prevented war. You’ll probably be greatly welcomed when you return to your country—”

“Lady Lynn.”

The envoy from the minor country cut off her words.

In normal circumstances, this would have been cause for great anger… but the fact that the Serpina Army was marching here even at this moment had unsettled Lynn Brans’s mind so much that she didn’t even care.

“Did you say 1,300 gold?”

“Hm? Uh… yes. That’s right. 1,300 gold. I’ll do it for that. Specially.”

“That condition seems difficult.”

“…What do you mean?”

Swen approached Lynn closely and knelt as he had done before.

And then, with a consistent, very confident voice, he said:

“It should be 3,000 gold.”

“Hm? 3,000 gold? …Well, I don’t really care about that, but do you have the money?”

“Pardon? Us? Why are you suddenly asking that…”

Swen tilted his head at the question about having money.

As if to say, what are you talking about?

And—

Lynn finally realized what Swen was trying to say and spoke with an astonished voice.

“…You, don’t tell me…”

In her ears, Swen’s voice echoed again.

“It is you, Lynn Brans, who has rejected this armistice agreement, not me. You are the one who has kicked away this opportunity. Do you agree?”

‘…!!!’

Swen proposed a slightly different condition with exactly the same tone as before.

“I’ll take 3,000 gold. If you give us the gold, we will make an armistice agreement with you. We promise not to pursue the retreating Brans Army.”