Ch.56Chapter 56. Your Actions Are Plain to See

“Clean up the Aeshus army? Suddenly?”

“Yes.”

I closed my eyes.

Then, slowly putting on my “very impressive advisor expression” that I had practiced many times, I spoke.

“After the failure of our strategies with both the Allepel and Charam armies, the atmosphere within the Aeshus army has become concerning. Some subordinate generals seem to be questioning Baranga Yurie Aeshus’s leadership. In this overall chaotic state, Yurie appears to be planning to finally deal with the weaker nations to the rear to make up for her mistakes.”

“Really? How do you know all this?”

“I sent out intelligence agents recently.”

Of course, everything I said was a lie.

But I could feel that my background—where all my seemingly absurd deductions had proven true—was strongly swaying her mind.

“Now is precisely the time. Build a small fortress as quickly as possible near Valharat Castle to use as a forward base, then advance. You must build the fortress. A location right next to the mountain range would be good. This is our opportunity while the Aeshus army hasn’t yet fully dealt with the Charam and Allepel armies. As for troops… the number currently stationed in the east should be sufficient.”

“Why the fortress?”

“Building a fortress there will gather favorable energy for our army.”

She listened to my nonsense very seriously, resting her chin on her hand as she fell into thought.

Forty thousand men.

It was a somewhat insufficient number to attack Valharat Castle, but… it would be difficult for her to completely ignore my words now, of all people.

Nevertheless, I hadn’t ruled out the possibility that she might not listen to me.

Working under her in the Brans army for the past few days, giving her advice, I had vividly realized something.

Lynn fundamentally doesn’t trust others. So even if it came from me, it would be difficult for her to easily believe such fanciful talk as “favorable energy gathering for our army.”

Yes.

What I wanted to say wasn’t just this.

Valharat Castle was merely fake bait to hide my “real request.”

Let me cast the lure now.

A lure that someone like her would definitely bite.

“For the vanguard… yes, General Chel would be good.”

“Chel? The one in the south?”

“Yes. Or perhaps giving General Kalintz, who is currently under disciplinary action, an opportunity would also be good. Since the momentum is completely on our side.”

“It’s a bit difficult to pull Chel out, and Kalintz is quite unreliable. Anyone else?”

Right now.

I rolled the bait on my tongue and spat it out.

“Actually, I think it doesn’t matter who goes… as long as it’s not General Irene.”

* * *

“…Huh?”

Lynn caught the name that came out of Swen’s mouth.

As long as it’s not Irene?

Lynn tilted her head and asked curiously.

“Irene? Why not her?”

“Ah… well.”

At her question, Swen broke into a slight sweat—then spoke as if he didn’t know what to do.

“I’m not exactly sure myself… but I sense an unfavorable energy.”

“Unfavorable energy?”

“Yes. I haven’t mentioned it separately, but I often attempt to communicate with the heavens. To respond appropriately in moments when we need to pray to the heavens, like last time, daily communication is essential.”

Lynn could understand this immediately.

He actually went to a strange cave when he had no work, meditating with a soldier standing in front of him.

As his lord, she could have forcibly pulled him out if she wanted, but since he didn’t seem to be doing anything dangerous, she just left him alone.

‘So in that cave, he’s communicating with the heavens or whatever.’

It was complete nonsense.

But because it was coming from him of all people, it seemed extremely plausible.

After all, she had come to acknowledge his abilities by now.

While she still didn’t intend to trust him unconditionally, his excessive focus on self-preservation—laughing off even humiliation—had loosened her vigilance, making her think he might not be such a big shot after all.

Swen continued, making exaggerated gestures while looking up at the sky with his eyes closed.

“Like this… I speak to the heavens with my heart. What should we do going forward? What is the most efficient path for us to decide on?”

“…I see?”

Of course.

It would have been complete nonsense.

If the speaker hadn’t been Swen, who had called down a meteor from the sky.

He had actually performed miracles.

He read international politics like a ghost and kept saying only correct things.

Swen’s track record made this madman’s nonsense seem very plausible.

“For this operation, I did consider General Irene, the ‘siege specialist’… but strangely, her compatibility with this operation is not good. It’s too dangerous. So…”

Swen slowly opened his eyes and spoke with a slightly trembling voice.

He looked like someone who was clearly afraid of something.

“I believe General Irene’s life would be in danger.”

“…!!!”

“Therefore, it would be better to use someone other than General Irene. She is a pillar of our army. It’s not that we wouldn’t win if we sent her, but it’s inefficient to risk her life on a problem that could be solved by sending another general.”

“…I see.”

After saying that, Lynn immediately fell into thought.

Re-invasion of the Aeshus army.

Although Swen said he had personally sent out intelligence, it was still uncertain since she hadn’t heard it directly.

Even though he had shown real miracles and somehow everything he said turned out to be correct—

If she moved troops again and suffered losses, she would likely find herself in a truly dangerous situation.

After Kalintz had already wasted all the surplus troops except those guarding the border.

Forcing conscription would clearly lower public support.

Normally, she would have thought more carefully.

‘Irene’s life… could be in danger?’

Just with that premise added, Lynn’s thought process twisted too easily.

The Swen she had observed so far, although he had an excessive desire for success to the point of smiling through humiliating remarks—was nonetheless an extremely capable advisor.

His advice was always right. At first she thought it was close to clairvoyance, but his recent advice had also been based on reasonable grounds.

Of course, he was making the absurd claim that he was “communicating with the heavens”… but he had already proven through results that he could communicate with some great being.

There were rumors he was a magician, but as far as she knew, magic didn’t exist in this world—

And the “magicians” she had learned about from ancient documents didn’t perform rituals to communicate with the heavens.

In other words.

Doesn’t this mean she could eliminate Irene… without any risk?

Honestly.

She disliked Irene.

She hadn’t liked her from the moment they first met as the daughter of a knight guard.

There was no special reason. Thinking about it now, that was correct—there was no reason. At first, she thought it might have been because Irene was better than her in every way, but in the end, she was the ruler and Irene was just a subject.

But to just bring Irene in and execute her?

Honestly, she could do it if she attached a suitable reason, but this would certainly be a high-risk action.

If she became known as a tyrant like Serpina, many things would become difficult going forward.

Unless she had built an overwhelmingly powerful force like her, the current Brans army was not at Serpina’s level.

She was cunning but not stupid. Dealing with Irene should preferably happen on the battlefield. The most natural scenario would be for her to die in battle.

Honestly, her decision to leave her behind to defend the fortress last time—she later seriously thought it had been a misjudgment. Anyone could see she had sent her out to die.

Fortunately, Swen had somehow managed to prevent it from becoming obvious.

And now.

One of her subordinate generals, who “seemed to only say correct things,”

Was saying that Irene’s life might be in danger.

Lynn looked around.

Farfalle wasn’t here.

Only two guards on duty had heard my conversation with Swen.

This is enough.

She could eliminate Irene without any rumors.

Swen himself was closer to being petty than expected. She was confident she could manipulate him as long as she gave him what he wanted.

She thought.

That the real opportunity had finally arrived.

That the moment had come to clean up “the real thorn in her side” in a slightly different sense!

Moreover, according to his words, as a result of the battle—Irene might die while recapturing the castle.

Of course, she might not die, but working with Swen, there was a high possibility of finding another opportunity through “communication with the heavens.”

Normally she would have thought more carefully…

But in front of such tempting bait, she was quickly running through happy scenarios like an ordinary person.

“…Alright, Swen. Since it’s your opinion, not just anyone’s, I’ll consider it positively. Of course, the final details might change a bit, but that’s okay, right?”

* * *

I looked at Lynn, who was deep in thought after hearing my words.

Think, and think again.

Think several more times and decide for yourself.

About “how to use my strategy.”

Please think and think again.

A chance to use my advice has come, hasn’t it?

Valharat Castle doesn’t matter anyway, right?

That’s not what you want, is it?

You want to kill Irene Juliette, don’t you?

Don’t you want to eliminate her without any risk?

Pretend to be generous.

Soon, you’ll summon her and order her with a kind smile, saying you’re giving her an opportunity.

To build a small fortress in front of Valharat Castle and attack using it as a base.

You’ll need to follow my advice exactly. If anything deviates, the fate I seem to have predicted might be twisted.

In the end, you’ll surely tell her with a smiling face that you “expect her to achieve merit.”

Ultimately, you’ll build the fortress and then hand over full authority to her.

You will definitely do this, Lynn Brans.

Your actions are so transparent to me…!!

“…Alright, Swen. Since it’s your opinion, not just anyone’s, I’ll consider it positively. Of course, the final details might change a bit, but that’s okay, right?”

‘It worked!’

With certainty, I bowed to her and said:

“I understand. However, if we delay too much longer, everything could go wrong again, so please move as quickly as possible.”

“Alright. If we really acquire Valharat Castle with this… I’ll appoint you as our army’s new national advisor.”

“…!!!”

I put on the most surprised expression I could muster.

Then, with a slightly trembling voice, I said:

“If… if you do that, I promise to serve Lynn with complete loyalty from now on.”

“Good. But don’t get your hopes up too much. Changing a national advisor isn’t as simple as you might think.”

I knew that much.

Those words were her way of trying to keep me.

In her eyes, I was someone so obsessed with success that I would laugh off even her insulting remarks.

But.

Because of that, I felt grateful to her.

Thank you, my lord. For remaining sinister until the end.

For moving exactly according to my thoughts.

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”

“Alright. Anyway, you’ve worked hard until now. You can rest until I give you another mission.”

“I’ll be waiting for that day when you call for me.”

I slowly left the royal palace.

Of course, I had no intention of seeing her again.

This was my last private audience with her.

‘Now I should make my preparations.’

I hurriedly made my way home.