Ch.182Safety Measure?

======[Amin]======

‘Let’s ambush the Empire while they’re in the midst of internal strife.’

Under normal circumstances, such a claim from Amin would never have been accepted.

However, those with the authority to restrain Amin’s actions, those with the intelligence to anticipate what consequences his plan might bring, had mostly departed eastward with Orhan.

It wouldn’t be fair to blame Orhan for his rashness. He, too, could not have anticipated that Amin would come up with such an insane idea as attacking the Empire.

In fact, had it not been for the subtle instigation of the sorcerers, Amin himself would have remained guarding Ordos, albeit with complaints.

The low-ranking warriors, who had never cared about complex political situations to begin with, didn’t strongly oppose Amin’s promise of battle and plunder.

They too had grown weary of idly wasting time in the capital without participating in the great war.

The only obstacle was that they would be disobeying Ser Khan’s orders… but here, Amin’s boldness shone through.

Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Amin’s recklessness was on display once again.

If one didn’t think about the consequences, creating a forged order was simple.

An order to send troops to stir up trouble if chaos erupted in the Empire.

Words that Orhan had never uttered suddenly transformed into Ser Khan’s secret command with just a stamped piece of paper.

“If Ser Khan returns, even execution would be too lenient for this!”

“All that matters is results. Just results. If things go wrong… we can always flee with the entire family.”

Jargal gasped in horror, but Amin merely waved his hand dismissively.

He remained nonchalant, as if he had no attachment whatsoever to this land, the territory of Aishan.

It wasn’t completely baseless nonsense.

Amin’s maternal family was a powerful clan, and if the entire family defected, there would be no shortage of tribes willing to welcome them.

Someday, if Orhan’s forces began another eastern campaign, they would perish like weeds in a wildfire… but Amin had a conviction.

The conviction that his father, Orhan, would never again have the opportunity to attack the east.

After the Empire’s civil war was resolved, they would bare their teeth at Aishan for breaking the agreement and launching a preemptive strike.

Preoccupied with that, they wouldn’t even turn their eyes toward the east, helplessly letting time slip away.

‘In the end, he’ll die trapped in Ordos.’

Orhan had already passed his fifties, and how much longer could he possibly live?

Even at most, he wouldn’t survive another twenty years. After that, there would be nothing to worry about.

Though he wasn’t counting on it… perhaps those sorcerers might somehow take care of Orhan.

Amin had it all planned out. At least in his own mind, it was a perfect plan.

Jargal, who was listening, could only sigh inwardly.

=====[Haschal]=====

It was around 3 AM when I returned to the First Prince’s Palace after leaving Leonore with Asha.

“I’m glad to see you’ve returned safely. I take it wasn’t a trap?”

Despite the late hour, Leopold was still awake, waiting for me in his office.

Given that the matter concerning Leonore was a significant variable, it wasn’t incomprehensible that he would stay up all night waiting…

But wouldn’t he be embarrassed if he dozed off during tomorrow’s court meeting?

I don’t know. It’s not my concern anyway. He’ll surely be careful.

If it becomes too difficult to endure, he could always pour some black tea into his stomach.

“It was indeed Leonore’s own letter. There were no suspicious presences on the way either.”

I was certain of this, as I had been vigilant not only for human presence but also for any magical means, monitoring the flow of mana as I moved about.

“That’s fortunate. With this, can we assume that Leonore has decided to entrust her safety to us?”

“Well… that depends on the conversation we’re about to have.”

I perched on the sofa in the office and nodded.

Perseval quickly poured me a cup of black tea. What’s this? His perception has improved quite a bit. Is it because I fed him meat?

Indeed, people need to eat meat to function properly.

The old tale of a bear becoming human after eating mugwort and garlic must be false. In reality, it must have feasted on tiger meat, right?

After lifting the teacup to moisten my throat, I relayed Leonore’s message.

—-

“Hmm…”

Leopold found it interesting that she wanted revenge, but he was skeptical about the strategy of targeting Isabella’s subordinate nobles first.

“If we capture one and interrogate them, wouldn’t something come out? Fire knows the answer.”

“Is that a Ka’har proverb…?”

“It’s my own principle.”

Water also knows the answer, but if there’s a means to keep someone alive, fire is more reliable.

Even terrorists armed with religious fanaticism tend to seek painkillers instead of faith after repeated burning and cooling.

“Well, if he doesn’t confess willingly, won’t it just increase suspicion towards us? Interrogation doesn’t always yield results.”

“If an answer doesn’t come out, we can simply increase the intensity. Even the most steadfast person will spill the truth when both mind and body are broken down by pain and drugs.”

“That sounds like something Isabella would say…”

That’s too harsh.

At a glance they might seem similar, but they’re completely different acts.

“There’s a decisive difference. That woman tortures the innocent, while we’re applying due interrogation to criminals.”

“…I’ll consider it as a second option. Kidnapping a noble of the capital is complicated and dangerous… but if all other options are blocked, then we won’t have the luxury of being selective.”

In the end, it was put on hold.

Perhaps because of the incident where he lost two masters in a gamble, Leopold seemed to want to avoid risks as much as possible.

Objectively speaking, it’s understandable that he’s reluctant to make risky moves when he’s already in an advantageous position, but…

“Your Highness Leopold, one who fears injury cannot achieve victory.”

“And one who enters the battlefield without armor is quickly stabbed to death. Isn’t that right? I understand the princess’s impatience, but now is not the time to throw ourselves into danger. It’s time to accumulate sufficient strength.”

Ah, really. He never gives in…!

Leopold calmly savored his black tea. So leisurely that it was almost irritating.

Am I being too impatient?

…Could that be it?

Certainly, rationally speaking, it would be better to wait until forces are gathered rather than risking a counterattack by being reckless.

After all, it’s just a matter of waiting four or five days at most.

“There’s no need to be hasty. Time is on my side. The moment Landenburg and Faelrun arrive in the capital, Isabella will be like a mouse trapped in a box. Any plan we proceed with after that will be without issue.”

Leopold declared, as if to drive a wedge into my concerns.

…Alright, let’s be patient a little longer.

It’s only five days at most, and no major incident should occur during that time.

Taking the safe option is the right choice here.

If we were to be reckless and fall into a trap, all our efforts thus far could be in vain.

“…Let’s wait for now. Your Highness Leopold’s words have merit.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

Leopold smiled with relief as he set down his teacup.

“Now then, I need to discuss something slightly different.”

It’s a side note, but one as important as the main point.

I’m going to question whether you’ve been deceiving me.

“A different matter? Speak freely.”

I released some of the pressure I had been suppressing and looked directly at Leopold.

“Princess Leonore told me something. She said Your Highness intends to confine her in a convent. Is that true? It seems different from what you promised. Were you planning to deceive me, saying you’d at least spare her life…?”

It was a warning-laden statement, making it clear what I might do if he admitted it, though he probably wouldn’t.

“No, deception…? Sending her to a convent is only natural. It’s the only way to protect Leonore, who will be branded as a witch’s daughter.”

Huh…?

Contrary to my expectation, he did admit it with his own mouth, but his expression wasn’t that of someone who had been caught, but rather one of bewilderment.

As if wondering what nonsense I was talking about.

“If she enters a convent and lives quietly, even the church followers of the Holy State and other nobles won’t push too hard to cut off the witch’s bloodline. Let me ask in return, how did the princess plan to protect Leonore?”

…I hadn’t really thought about it.

“…I was just planning to keep her by my side. I thought that even if the capital nobles were hostile to Leonore, there wouldn’t be major issues if I brought her to the border territory. I also thought the Holy State would back down if I opposed them.”

“I’m not sure if it would be that simple… but if that’s what you want, so be it. I’ll respect the princess’s wishes.”

Making my accusation seem foolish, Leopold nodded willingly.

What’s going on?

Was it my misunderstanding…?