187th Episode: It’s Time to Show Our Strength (1)
The ones who were flustered by Ghislaine’s actions were not only the high-ranking nobles of the Crown Prince Faction and Duke Faction.
It wasn’t just a matter of being confused; there were those who were genuinely worried about direct losses.
These were the nobles who had trusted Rosalyn and invested a huge amount in her merchant group.
“War?! What about the cosmetics production then?!”
“If Baron Penris loses, we lose all the money we’ve invested!”
“The technology for cosmetics will surely end up with the Duke Faction!”
They had no choice but to gather daily and express their concerns about the current situation.
There was a strict order from Marquis Branford that no one should intervene, leaving them with nothing else to do.
They lamented to Rosalyn out of frustration, but she was just as taken aback by the situation as they were.
“Ugh, war! Starting a war in a situation like this! Are they out of their minds?”
In fact, Rosalyn seemed to be in the most precarious position among them.
She had confidently gathered investors only to find herself on the verge of disaster.
Besides financial loss, the authority of the House of Marquis and her own reputation were at stake, making it truly maddening.
Meriel, who had invested a larger sum than anyone else, continuously shared her worries with Rosalyn.
“What should we do? If Baron Penris loses, the losses will be enormous.”
“…We have to pray for a victory.”
“Didn’t they win a war before? So maybe they’ll win this time too? Just a hunch.”
It was more of a hopeful thought rather than a genuine instinct, but neither of them dared to point that out.
“…Sigh, honestly, I don’t know.”
Rosalyn shook her head with a complicated expression.
Comparing the known information, objectively, Count Cabaldy was far superior in power and reputation.
She had heard rumors that Ghislaine sold food to acquire troops, but it was hard to believe they could defeat Count Cabaldy.
Meriel continued, looking worried.
“We can at least hold out with the food we have, but other nobles won’t be able to. We need to placate them until the results come in.”
“That’s right. Otherwise, there’ll be chaos.”
Both of them held some responsibility for the current situation because they had actively promoted and rallied investors.
The number of nobles who invested in the cosmetics was quite substantial. Thus, they had no choice but to attend the ‘Investment Victims’ Meeting’ disguised as a banquet daily.
As much as they wanted to run away right then and there, hiding or fleeing would certainly lead to their downfall, so they had to endure.
Still, their authority was strong enough that no one openly expressed their anger yet.
Instead, they gathered in small groups in the corners of the banquet hall, sharing their worries.
“What do we do? I put in 3,000 gold! If Baron Penris loses, we’re in big trouble!”
“Just think of it as not being my money. It makes it easier to bear.”
“Honestly, it really isn’t my money!”
“Don’t do that!”
“…What?”
Some were tapping their feet in frustration after dragging in someone else’s money, while others still held onto the thread of hope.
“Does worrying like this solve anything? Let’s hold onto hope and muster some strength!”
“That’s right! Let’s all give it our best! Yeet!”
“Yah!”
“Yeet!”
“Honestly, it seems like we’re all in deep trouble here…”
Of course, not everyone had let go of their worries.
“Come on, let’s not stress too much. It’s not good for your health! Let’s look back at our homes, reflect on our daily lives, and realize how precious the things we used to enjoy are…”
“Shut up.”
“What? What did you just say?”
Crash!
The confrontation between those who had let go of their hearts and those who were enraged seemed endless.
Wine bottles and glasses flew around the banquet hall.
In the midst of it all, whether someone had set a fire or it was just an accident caused by a falling candle, flames began rising in one corner of the banquet hall.
“Fire! Fire!”
“Everyone, get out! It’s a fire!”
A noble, still dazed, asked, “Is it good news?”
“It’s a fire! Get your act together!”
With this daily chaos continuing, Meriel and Rosalyn were truly at their wits’ end.
Finally, after pondering for a while, Rosalyn asked Meriel with a serious look, “Do you have any cash left?”
“What? I spent it all on food! I can’t add any more!”
Startled, Meriel said, shaking her head.
“No, I’m not talking about investing more… I’m trying to hire a few skilled people to send to the battlefield.”
“Why? Are you planning to assassinate Count Cabaldy? Do you really think that’ll work?”
“That’s not it! If it looks like we’re going to lose the war, we need to rescue Baron Penris immediately. And if possible, let’s send a priest along too.”
“We can probably manage to find decent mercenaries… but a priest might be tough.”
Temples, like Mage Towers, were not allowed to participate in wars. This was a matter of doctrine beyond the law.
Temples dedicated to the Goddess of War only permitted fighting against heretics and vile beings.
Given that the number of priests who could wield Divine Power was incredibly low, rural territories only had a few preachers to spread the doctrine.
Rosalyn bit her lip and continued speaking.
“That’s why I asked if you had cash. If we frame it right and say it’s donations, they’ll probably accept it along the way.”
“Hmm, yeah, that could work… But if the marquis finds out, it could get ugly.”
“Exactly… We’ll just keep an eye on the situation, and if it looks like the baron is going to lose and things get dangerous, we swoop in to save him.”
They couldn’t interfere during the war. However, if it was after the war, a priest could step in from a humanitarian standpoint.
Even if it was a loophole only available to nobles.
“We’re not directly intervening in the war. We’re just… helping the noble who lost the war. Even if Baron Penris doesn’t surrender, we could have our side represent him.”
Rosalyn planned with the possibility of Ghislaine’s defeat in mind. She aimed to send capable individuals and ensure Ghislaine’s survival at all costs.
If it got dangerous, they could rescue Ghislaine first and declare an immediate surrender under the guardian’s rights. If the name of the House of Marquis Branford was presented, Count Cabaldy wouldn’t just charge in recklessly.
’Yeah, maybe that’s for the best. We could just live under the marquis, right? Maybe as a son-in-law… Oh dear, what am I thinking?’
She had no intention of marrying such a strange person, but at least she’d secure the cosmetics technology.
Considering the authority of the marquis, her credit and reputation, and the damages that might be seen by the merchant group, it was essential to keep Ghislaine alive.
Meriel understood what Rosalyn meant. It was blindfolding while pretending to see, but if the timing was right, it would be possible to mediate under the excuse that the war had ended.
It was possible to mediate on the excuse that something happened.
“Y-Yeah. But for that, we really need to find capable people, and it’s going to cost quite a bit. Plus, we need to find a priest, right? I bet everyone will want cash.”
Since it’s a dangerous job, it was obvious that the payment would all be in cash. They needed to be able to bail out at any time.
Moreover, priests always preferred cash to avoid unnecessary trouble and criticisms.
Meriel cautiously pointed it out, but Rosalyn, determined, remained unfazed.
“We have to find a way. If Baron Penris dies, we’ll suffer a much greater loss.”
“Alright. I’ll try to be as flexible as possible.”
Thus, the two scraped together whatever little money they had and sent ten rescue (and assassination?) experts along with one priest to the battlefield.
With a warning to be observant and to jump in when needed.
*
Reading the declaration of war tied to an arrow, Count Cabaldy gritted his teeth.
The justification for the war set by Ghislaine was simple.
– I will reclaim my ‘precious’ territory residents who are being oppressed and punish Count Cabaldy.
Among the territory residents who had lived in the former domain of Count Digald, many had fled, unable to endure the lord’s tyranny.
As soon as Ghislaine took over Penris, he courteously requested the surrounding lords to return the fleeing residents.
Naturally, the lords ignored him. Why would they return workers who came on their own?
They made excuses like they had no idea, didn’t know of such a thing, and refused the repatriation.
Count Cabaldy was also busy rounding up refugees from nearby territories to work in the iron mines.
After all, they were criminals who had left the territory without permission, so he had no qualms about treating them like slaves, regardless of whether they lived or died.
But to think he would use that as a justification.
“This arrogant little brat, how dare he present this as a justification! Did he think I was that foolish?”
Ghislaine hadn’t protested or made any requests since then, so he had forgotten about it. He had passed it off without much concern, thinking it made sense that some powerless punk would act like that.
But now he realized he had provided the surrounding lords with an excuse to declare war at any time.
“Could he have predicted all of this and made that request? No, that’s absurd. He probably just thought it was a good opportunity and made up some flimsy justification.”
Count Cabaldy forced himself to calm down.
He had been startled at first by the sight of the large army, but the situation wasn’t all that bad after all.
Since they had picked a fight first, if he pushed them back and seized Penris, he could easily obtain food.
Of course, engaging in battle would be somewhat daunting due to the opponent’s numbers. He couldn’t guarantee victory in a direct confrontation, and even if he did win, it would just be a pyrrhic victory.
But the opponent would face the same dilemma.
“He knows that too, so he’s probably just laying siege and not attempting an assault.”
The Penris Army hadn’t even brought siege equipment.
If the Count’s forces, including powerful armed soldiers, fought along the castle wall, victory wasn’t guaranteed for either side.
So it was clear that they were hoping for the enemy to starve and perish.
The reason Count Cabaldy was furious was precisely that.
He wasn’t worried about losing the war. The thought of him losing never crossed his mind.
It was simply his pride that was hurt. The mere idea that such a brat thought he could defeat him was a humiliation he could not tolerate.
“That brat who wasn’t even born when I ascended to lordship… How dare he scheme against me with such shallow tricks!”
How much did he underestimate himself to think he could just wait without siege weapons?
“Ugh… I must repay this humiliation properly. To that brat’s father too.”
Count Cabaldy’s gaze darkened ominously.
He planned to crush Perdium, using the sin of having raised a successor poorly as justification. He needed to show what happens to those who underestimate him.
Despite everyone starving, the morale of the soldiers was dwindling day by day, but he had no doubts about his impending victory.
The soldiers’ morale was dropping day by day due to hunger, but he had no doubt about his victory.
“As soon as Count Desmond hears the news from our territory, he will act.”
This time, he had been a bit careless about the Cabaldy territory, but Count Desmond could never give up this place. If he did, they wouldn’t be able to secure a proper supply of iron ore.
Moreover, the Duke Faction must have surely entered negotiations with the Crown Prince Faction.
Count Cabaldy was convinced that the Crown Prince Faction would never have allowed this matter to unfold.
“What a foolish idiot. Just because they’ve built up some reputation for their fortress, they’re making stupid decisions. Did they really think they could defeat me with such pathetic tactics?”
He was a noble supported by the Dukes, a strongman of the North, and had an inseparable connection with the Grand Lord Desmond.
That’s why even the high-ranking nobles of the Crown Prince Faction couldn’t easily touch him.
Yet that madman clearly didn’t understand that and was blinded by the immediate profit in front of him.
“All he knows how to do is gamble; he doesn’t understand politics or war at all.”
He just had to wait. Once the reinforcements from Desmond arrived, he would easily crush that guy.
With the Dukes’ support, it was certain that the Crown Prince Faction would not interfere.
“Your luck ends here. I swear I will make you and your father shed tears of blood.”
Count Cabaldy suppressed his rage and waited.
He vowed to kill that brat with his own hands.
*
While Count Cabaldy was grinding his teeth waiting for reinforcements, the atmosphere of the Penris Army grew increasingly relaxed.
Especially the knights were flaunting their arrogance with smug expressions.
“Ah, I was hoping to stretch my legs this time. Is my mana-infused sword that frightening?”
“Those guys are holed up in their castle and won’t come out. Aren’t they all tail between their legs? Well, we are pretty strong. Hehehe.”
“Just sitting here means we win, right? This is such a sweet deal! Hahaha!”
The enemies could hold out long without food. Even if they wanted to fight, their troops were outnumbered.
They must be stuck worrying and unable to do anything.
As these thoughts naturally bled from the knights’ mouths, a relaxed atmosphere spread among the soldiers as well.
The soldiers who had been tense after being dragged along suddenly brightened up with relief.
Winning a war without even fighting? Now, that was something they couldn’t resist.
“Wow, our Lord really picked a great moment.”
“I heard rumors about him being a weird lord, but he’s actually quite sharp, isn’t he?”
“Right! He’s someone who wins wars without fighting. Truly impressive!”
With no fighting required, compliments came easily. It felt so good to be at ease.
And with Chief Officer Claude meticulously sending supplies, no one went hungry.
“If every war were like this, I could do this a hundred times!”
The soldiers were busy praising Ghislaine.
The forcibly brought Dwarves and Mages were comfortably relaxing in their tents, enjoying their leisure.
“Ah, what’s this? I was scared for no reason. Why did they even bring us here if they’re just going to sit around?”
“What’s there to do if they surrender over there?”
“Oh man, not having to work and getting to rest for the first time in a while is just fantastic. Right?”
Freed from excessive labor, the Dwarves and Mages smiled brightly.
After a few days of relaxing, they even started to think that the battlefield was quite nice.
Just as everyone was satisfied and having a good time, Ghislaine, who had been staring at the enemy’s castle for days, suddenly issued a new order.
“From now on, we’ll dig tunnels.”
At that, everyone had the same question in their minds.
‘Why? We’re winning just by sitting here, so why do that?’
Looks like it was time for the nonsense to start again.
The lord was about to announce another weird plan.
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