Ch.286Revolutionary Princess NPC. (1)

What I’m doing now is neither an act to prevent war, nor an action to resolve the situation. However, it’s enough to make the Empire, the Chancellor, and the nobles who leech off the Holy Nation pay attention to internal matters rather than scraps from outside.

“I apologize. If I had built more trust and spoken better…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I wasn’t expecting much from the beginning, and if they hadn’t been suspicious at all, I would have been wondering if I needed to cut off the revolutionary group’s leadership.”

The uses of my skill, [Imperial Quality], are more versatile than one might think. The condition of ‘defeating an opponent’ can be triggered simply by creating subordinates through my work as the temporary secretary to the Academy’s dean, or even through a casual drinking contest. It’s so simple to increase my chess pieces depending on whether I’m aware of this or not. And just now, an executive from the revolutionary group lost a drinking contest with me and easily spilled all their information. It was quite entertaining.

“But you can’t keep increasing your pieces this way. No matter how well you hold your liquor, your body won’t be able to handle it at this rate.”

“Well, that’s true. But we’ve only entered phase two. That’s not something for you to worry about. More importantly, did you find out what I asked you to?”

“…Yes. I’ve confirmed that people from the [Holy Nation] have infiltrated the revolutionary group. This is something even the executive you just met doesn’t know.”

“Just as I thought.”

Mac, a former imperial knight and kidnapper who has somehow become actively helpful to our cause, diligently reported the information I had instructed him to gather. Well, the situation isn’t bad, but it’s not good either.

“Well done. Keep moving as you have been. I’m planning to maintain phase two while preparing for phase three. Please continue gathering information and tracking them. And keep spreading those rumors.”

“Understood. Then, I’ll be going now, Sir Dolph.”

“Hmm?”

“Please take good care of Her Highness.”

“…Sure, whatever.”

Mac, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, looked at Dolph with a solemn expression like a knight truly serving his lord, then separated from us and disappeared down another alley. What’s his deal? Has he really fallen for me? Next time we meet, should I order him to cut off what dangles below his waist if he’s feeling lustful toward me?

“…Let’s not do that. From what I can see, that fellow has a somewhat different feeling.”

“Oh? What kind of feeling then? This is my first time seeing something like this, so it’s hard for me to judge.”

“When you were executing Phase 1, I was watching him carefully…”

After Mac disappeared, Dolph, who was moving with me, explained. He said that as a former knight, Mac probably never wanted to do spy work in the first place. And after being thoroughly defeated by me while acting as a spy and kidnapper, he likely made a judgment about which side deserved his loyalty as a knight—the currently broken Empire or the princess who had grown stronger and was trying to prevent war even outside the country.

So what, he’s genuinely pledging loyalty to me as my knight? Wow! I’ve never had a retainer who was truly loyal in my life. I really don’t know what to make of this!

“Well, I’ve also sworn loyalty to you.”

“You just felt indebted because I saved you after Jack beat you to a pulp, right?”

“…That’s true, but that’s precisely why I think he developed a similar loyalty to you after being defeated—isn’t that sufficient evidence?”

“I kind of understand, but something feels off. What are you guys? Masochists? Perverts? Do people from our country only become loyal after getting beaten up?”

“I don’t know about him, but I’m not.”

Having a bit of a masochistic streak myself, I can tell that Dolph definitely isn’t a masochist. If he were, he would have been eager to take a hit from Jack’s lawyer fist that day. So, is Mac really a masochist? Wait, I just got chills. Could it be that this is the kind of feeling Jack has toward us? I never expected to be on the receiving end of such a lesson!

Continuing our pointless conversation, we enter our hidden lodgings. After confirming that no one is around, Dolph begins to speak again.

“You said we’re still in phase two, but the number of assassins and kidnappers sent from the central government has decreased significantly. At this rate, it will take at least another month to reach the 1,000 chess pieces you mentioned. Moreover, from what the executive said earlier, it seems the revolutionary group’s leadership not only doesn’t trust Your Highness but even has hostile intentions. Do you plan to continue increasing your numbers through ‘conversation’ like this?”

Dolph, who has been part of the operation from the beginning—or rather, whom I’ve made work covertly since coming to the Empire—spoke as if worried about the slowing situation and the seemingly complicated circumstances.

The designer of this operation is, of course, me, Ragni Bluemoon. They are people who understand perhaps only half of what I’m trying to do and follow along. And I’m not particularly hoping for their understanding either.

“That’s right. The next time we meet the revolutionary group, I’m thinking of heading to their branch. Also, Viscount Hurk should be starting to notice something strange by now. It’s about time we consume all the forces attached to him as well.”

“When you say you’re going to the revolutionary group, it means you might end up fighting them. Does that mean you’ll repeat what you did in phase one…?”

The current operation is divided into four phases.

Phase 1: Leak information that I’ve returned to Viscount Hurk’s territory to the proxies sent by the imperial central government, then subdue those who take the bait and turn them into my chess pieces through force. In this operation, less than half of the humans completely submitted, and the rest had to be killed. After giving them three commands through the ‘subjugation’ effect of [Imperial Quality], they would eventually try to betray me.

However, only I know about this three-command effect. The other half, intimidated by the absolute command authority, properly became my chess pieces. I used them to spread rumors that I was here, and counter-rumors that it was false information, creating a double operation to keep the imperial center, especially the Chancellor, from taking their eyes off this area.

As a result, he sent a considerable number of covert operation units here. I captured them as they came and turned them all into chess pieces. By this point, about 70% joined my side. This was thanks to them quickly giving up after seeing the actions of the chess pieces already on our side. And once we had more hands here, we entered Phase 2 involving the revolutionary group.

There were already many people among the populace who were dissatisfied with their daily lives being disrupted due to this war—no, just the war preparations—and I used the covert operation units I took from the Chancellor to further incite their discontent. Yes.

[Have you heard? The princess wasn’t actually kidnapped by Natie, but fled from the imperial palace?]

[I heard she ran away because the Chancellor tried to violate her?]

[Huh? I heard she fled because her father… the Emperor tried to marry her off to an old man more than 40 years her senior?]

[Wait, isn’t the age gap between the Chancellor and the princess about that much?]

[This is really valuable information, but apparently the princess has been living in hiding for three years already, pregnant…]

I’m shaking the very foundation of the Empire’s pretext—my return. At first, it was low-grade romance rumors that were easy for the people to listen to and good for gossip over drinks. Then, using the covert operation units to continuously spread rumors and add flesh to them, eventually leading to the exaggerated—yet not so exaggerated—rumor that the princess who opposed this war had fled the imperial palace and was hiding within the Empire, preparing for ‘rebellion’.

Thus, in the rumors, I became an unwed mother with three children, and the people’s discontent gradually grew. And as a result:

[Now!! The Imperial Palace doesn’t care that the people’s lives are becoming destitute, and they’re hiding their own power struggles and starting a forced war for their own power games!! The princess!!! We have obtained ‘reliable’ information that she is preparing for rebellion within this Empire!!]

[Not only Viscount Hurk but also Duke Helgot’s faction are war-mongering nobles who deliberately support this forced war to suppress the princess’s position from the Emperor’s side and advance themselves to the center!!!]

[Will we continue to watch as the nobles and the imperial family drive the people to the battlefield while they sit in their castles and enjoy the spoils!!!]

Resentment toward the imperial family for starting a forced war under the pretext of retrieving me. And despite all these rumors spreading, dissatisfaction with me, the hiding princess. Plus the rumor that this hiding princess is preparing for ‘rebellion’ during the war. I can proudly say there is no better spice than this to make the people raise their voices of revolution toward the imperial family.

“No, subduing the revolutionary group with swords and guns isn’t difficult for me now. But even if I suppress them with weapons, the ‘small spark under my control’ that I’ve fanned would burn uncontrollably. That would make me no different from those who want to start wars and make blood flow.”

My goal is neither war nor using the people to overthrow the imperial family. If I had wanted to do ‘just that sort of thing,’ I wouldn’t have needed to take such troublesome actions.

“Then, what do you plan to do? Information suggests that Viscount Hurk will no longer tolerate the revolutionary group’s voice…”

“Dolph, why did you seek out Jack?”

“Pardon?”

When I tilt my head and ask like a Zen riddle, Dolph, who has been brewing tea for me after I drank so much alcohol, looks up in surprise. As expected of a master of cutting ties, he’s quite perceptive. I was feeling thirsty anyway.

“Well, it’s true that I sought out Jack. But ultimately, it was to meet Your Highness…”

“Heh. No need to be so flustered. Even a child could tell which one would appear to be a ‘hero’ to you—a helpless girl or someone with enough power to not yield even against the Empire’s assassination squad.”

“…I’m ashamed.”

Drinking the tea he offered, I shake my head. What he had hoped for, what he had wanted—I think it was the right thing too, so his apology isn’t necessary.

“Now, Mac is working, so you should work too. We’re going to strengthen Viscount Hurk’s judgment.”

“By that, you mean…?”

If the lord of this territory, whose hands, feet, ears, and eyes I had cut off, has now started to think that the revolutionary group is a ‘threat’ even though he can’t see or hear them, then clearly the next step is forceful suppression. So, before excessive force is gathered, I need to give him information to make him want to move.

“Make sure the attack information that the revolutionary executive mentioned today is secretly passed to the Viscount.”

“Are you planning to annihilate the revolutionary group? If that happens, what was truly just a spark could become a forest fire…”

Seeing him express this natural concern, I smile. Hmm, he brews good tea. This would be comparable even to Rey’s.

“Don’t worry. While I may not be a natural-born hero like my husband, I do have enough ability to put on a ‘heroic play’.”

This is the beginning of a play that will move both the revolutionary group and the Viscount’s forces—a play where only I will benefit.