CH 165

Chapter 165 - Evil Design

Updated: 4 hours ago

T/N: Sorry for the long wait. I'll try to translate more when I have the time.

I was dressed up in the waiting room for the entertainment at the New Year's party.

The knightly families from all over the territory have gathered at New Nellie Castle to greet the New Year.

It was two days ago that all the knights in the service of the Quardenze family had gathered, and today the banquet had begun in the morning.

"How is the condition of your neck? Is it painful?"

"I'm fine."

"This armor was actually used by Master Cassia. Please be aware of it."

The main event of the day is the one trick show that each of us, Fanny and I, perform.

This year, my performance is a one-woman show called "The Red Devil and the Princess Goryohime," a play based on an old tale of my grandmother and grandfather. I play two or three roles by myself, but basically I play the grandmother's role.

I didn't have a particular costume in mind, but Tesh took the trouble to prepare armor from the warehouse for me.

It was a little awkward to use such a relic for a banquet performance, but my father had given me permission to do so, and I couldn't say no to the old servants who were peacefully telling me stories about my grandmother's past while they were taking care of the armor.

'Ah. I understand."

Since the shape of the armor does not change between women's and men's, people will not think I am a crossdresser even if I wear it.

If it had been game-style bikini armor, I would have been a complete pervert.

I thought it would be small, but it's surprisingly wearable.

This armor was apparently worn by my grandmother when she was still young, around early elementary school age in prehistoric Japan.

Each part seems to be divided into smaller pieces, and thanks to the servants who adjusted it to my body shape, I was able to put it on without too much difficulty. If I were on my own, I would never have been able to put it on, and it would have been difficult to take it off.

Fortunately, I did not know my grandmother's face, so the perverse act of wearing the girl's armor barely gave me an erection. It was a close call.

I have prepared a substitute for the treasured sword. Please take this one.

It seems that the props used in the play were as good looking as the armor.

One of the servants, holding a sword in both hands, kneels down on one knee and offers it to us with his arms outstretched like a school principal handing out a certificate of merit.

The sheath of the treasure sword has a mosaic pattern of alternating pale blue, blue-green, and white minerals embedded in it, and the picture of a snake expressed in an abundance of bright jade is quite a sight to behold.

It looked as if a snake was swimming on the surface of the water, which reflected the sunlight and glistened.

"Is this a water snake?"

"Yes. I prepared this for you because I thought it would fit your story."

Water snakes are a form of folklore widely believed in and around New Nellie City.

It is a fairy tale about a snake that swims up a large river to reach a mountain that rises upstream. Eventually, the snake reached the top of the mountain, where it is said to have transformed into a serpent with powerful magical powers.

The sheath of this treasure sword seems to be made in the motif of a serpent fighting against the torrent of a great river.

When I put my hand on the scabbard to check if there was any design on the sword body, the door was opened.

The door was opened and I was about to check if there was any design on the blade when the door was opened. I am sorry, but please come to the hall immediately.

As soon as he entered the room, Tesh said so and had the wardrobe attendant's servant stand back. From his appearance, I could tell that this was an urgent call.

I wondered if I should take off my armor, but it had taken me an hour to put it on.

The fact that Tesh had the wardrobe mistress down means that there was no time to spare to change. I decide that it's better to just keep going.

"I'm going to go. I'll be right there."

I leave the small room for changing and walk down the hallway at a quick pace. Perhaps it was the unfamiliarity of my armor, but I was out of tune, and the sound of metal scraping against metal was grating on my ears.

I don't know what the call is about, but I don't think Tesh has heard the details either. I remained silent and followed Tesh's lead.

"Excuse me, sir," he said. "I have brought the young master with me."

Although a banquet was supposed to be going on in the hall from the morning, the lively atmosphere characteristic of a drinking party could not be felt from the other side of the door.

I felt my heart beat a little faster at the quietness of the room.

I go in.

When I stepped into the hall, the smell of the military filled the air.

My father and a knight are sitting around a long desk placed in the center of the spacious room with difficult expressions on their faces.

The knight's family members who would have been with him seemed to have already left the room. All that remained were the current knight and an old retired former knight.

Perhaps because they were in the middle of a banquet, the knights were dressed in neat, military-like clothes.

"Father, is there something wrong?"

A couple of old men's eyes widened when they saw me.

I wondered what in the world they were surprised about, but I guess they realized that the armor I was wearing belonged to my grandmother. I felt their eyes were not on my face, but a little lower down, on my armor.

The armor was similar in shape, but different enough in design to identify the individual. No wonder some of the older generation remember their grandmother's armor.

'Wilk come here."

I follow his words and take the seat that is conveniently left open for me, facing my father.

As soon as I sat down, the knight sitting next to me opened his mouth.

"The territory of Evenapis has been attacked. A message was received earlier today, and a report has just been sent to the castle."

"I see."

Even though it was just after the new year, the Evenapis family, which is also my mother's family, was apparently attacked by another family.

The Evenapis territory has enemies to the west and south. That area is crowded with a large number of halfway independent noble families that do not belong to either the Kingdom of Levith or the Jinkaen Empire.

"Could it be that the western part of the region, which has been stretched thin by the absence of the knights, was attacked?"

I look at my father and I pose the question.

Just as the knights of the territory are currently gathered in the city of Newbery, the knights of the territory of Evenapis gather in the city where they are based during this time of the year.

The city of Haritos, the home of the Evenapis family, is located in the eastern and southernmost part of the territory, so the western side of the territory will be thin on the ground this time of year.

"The invasion will come from the west and the south at the same time."

My father answered shortly. That meant that more than one noble family had attacked the Evenapis family.

Even independent forces can join hands or flip-flop when their interests coincide.

Due to the spread of a strange disease caused by the magical beast Elsinia, the Evenapis family is currently in a situation that could be called a windfall.

The reason why they have not been invaded by independent forces until now is due to their alliance named the Kingdom of Levios and their strong relationship with the Silopeia and Quardenze families in the north.

"In the west, the enemy's main ancestral army has already crossed the border and entered. To the south, fighting seems to be going on in the city of Haritos, but fortunately, the enemy forces have only been confirmed to be mainly knights."

As if to continue his father's words, one of the knights made a supplementary comment.

"In light of what he said, there is a strong possibility that the noble families on the west and south sides are working hand in hand. It would be a direct advance by the nobles because they are convinced that the Evenapis family members cannot come to the west side."

Considering the strength of the territory, it is not difficult to repel one or two independent forces with the military strength of the Evenapis family. However, the longer it takes, the more exhausted they will become, and above all, it may trigger a rush of other independent noble families to join the war.

As allies of the Quardenze family, it would be better to send out reinforcements and cooperate in the early crushing.

"What do you think?"

In response to my father's question, I tell him my thoughts.

"I think that if we send reinforcements from Quardenze, we can kick them out early."

The problem is the main ancestral army coming from the west, but considering the number of soldiers, I think this too can be kicked out without the nobles having to leave.

Since the geographical advantage is on the side of Evenapis, the enemy nobles will flee back to their own territory if the number of troops is reduced to some extent. Defense and invasion are different.

"Hmm."

"...... and I am sure the enemy is well aware of that. There may be some other movement, and we should explore the surrounding area while preparing reinforcements."

Even if there were no alliance, there is no way that the small noble families could defeat the martial Evenapis family even if they joined forces somewhat.

Ironically, it is the independent noble families who have been exposed to the violence of the Evenapis family for many years that understand this the most.

It's the beginning of the year and the knights are away, so let's attack them. I don't think there are any fools who think optimistically that if they are lucky, they will get the territory ....... If there were, I would like to ask them how they have been able to maintain their independence until now.

"In other words, there must be some kind of scenario that will lead to victory in this invasion."

My father affirmed my statement, still looking as difficult as ever.

It seems that my father also suspects that there is something behind this invasion.

"I already know something," he said. "There was an uproar in the Galiana household."

"The Galiana family?"

It seems that some members of the family who were unhappy with the current head of the family have rebelled against him. There are many Aterahan-leaning families there, and they probably moved to eliminate him before he could consolidate his position in the capital in the spring.

The Galiana family was part of the Quardenze allied forces in the Battle of Nambonan City.

If the spring comes as it does, the Galiana family will be completely recognized as a Levios Kingdom Quardenze noble family. Although it may be too late for them, this winter is their last chance to escape.

And because of his commoner background, Viscount Galiana has been taken lightly within the Galiana family, so it is not surprising that there are those who are considering eliminating him, whether they actually do so or not.

It is a pity that Viscount Galiana was killed in a silly power struggle, because he was an aristocrat and a good man who understood what he was talking about.

If he survived, I wonder if he could be hired as an official merchant of the Quardenze family or as my commercial advisor. It would be impossible to have a male ancestor who is not related to me by blood.

"Is Viscount Galiana safe?"

"I have been aware of the discord in the family for some time, and I have taken refuge in Quardenze with my own forces. Read this."

My father tossed the letter and it glided across the desk to me.

I skimmed it over and read it quickly. "I'm sorry to just barge in. A member of my family has rebelled, and I was wondering if you would be willing to help the Quardenze family. As the rightful head of the Galiana family, I fully accept the intervention of the Kuordenze family." ......

The text could be interpreted as the Galiana family's vassalage to the Quardenze family.

I wonder if it is a characteristic of the Nambonan merchants that they do not simply get up when they fall. ......

"I've been consulting with you for some time now."

Viscount Galiana had the idea of placing more importance on the Quardenze family than on the Aterahan family, and we could see that he wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to get closer to them at once.

As can be seen from the current five noble families of the Kingdom of Levios, the current era of miscellaneous noble families will soon come to an end. I have heard that Viscount Galiana also has similar thoughts.

Viscount Galiana may be thinking of consolidating his position as the oldest member of the faction by quickly vassalizing the Quardenze family.

Considering his skillful evacuation and his villainous face, it is strange that the rebellion seems to be Viscount Galiana's strategy.

"It is hard to believe that the entire Galiana family plotted the rebellion without any plan," he said. There are too many followers in Galiana Milord's hands, and she will not be defeated so easily.

If one wanted to easily succeed in the rebellion, it would be an essential requirement to defeat the Viscount Galiana within Galiana territory.

If he is killed in his own territory, he can be silenced as much as he wants, and no matter who becomes the new head of the family, it is like non-interference in internal affairs ...... non-interference within the family, and the other families cannot complain.

But that can be more difficult than it seems.

As my father said, Viscount Galiana has a very large number of follower soldiers as his pawns. The reason is simple: Viscount Galiana is a slut.

Among the main ancestors, the main ancestor born between a slave and a slave ancestor, that is, a child born with the blessing of a spirit, has a strong sexual desire. It would be more accurate to say that they have a sex drive on par with that of ordinary men.

Naturally, they do whatever they want to do, and they can do what they want to do.

I couldn't decide if this was serious or a joke, but Viscount Galiana told me that he had never performed a hand job in his life. He is a man full of romance whose spigot is always inside a woman.

The squires in Viscount Galiana's hands are, in essence, children he has made by having women here and there. With such a large number of guards, it would not be difficult for him to escape from Galiana's territory.

If he missed it, that would be the end of it. No nobleman would support a Galiana like a renegade vassal. Especially the head of the House of Aterahan.

The Aterahan family values righteousness, so it is not ...... that they will not accept a rebel who goes against reason, such as the expulsion of the head of the family.

As with any aristocratic family, to allow or support the banishment of the head of the family is to sow the seeds of disaster in one's own family. Where there are many family members and relatives, disaffected elements may be activated.

Unless the head of the family is a dark lord who cannot exterminate magical beasts and spreads misfortune to the surrounding area, he will not be recognized so easily.

In order not to destroy the house by the boomerang theory, it is unlikely that a rebel will be recognized while there is a legitimate head of the family.

"...... Even if the other house were to recognize the rebel, it would be after the dust has settled."

Even if recognized, it would be limited to cases where the rightful head of the family abandoned his attempt to regain his position or failed to return for an extended period of time, thus solidifying the rebel's effective control.

It is very difficult to say whether this is really possible.

If the Quardenze family, which has the cause of helping the unjustly chased Galiana family head, makes a move, the surrounding noble families of the Quardenze faction will also move in tandem.

The city of Avraur, the Galiana family's stronghold, would soon fall.

If they were to plot a rebellion, they would also have to consider what to do if they missed Viscount Galiana.

"Does this mean that the invasion of the Evenapis territory and the disturbances in the Galiana family could be linked?"

"It is not impossible. But it's a very poor idea on its own. You can't even call it a plan."

With the power of the Quardenze family, it is not impossible to deal with those two problems simultaneously. It is not a matter of stalling.

"It would be much more realistic for Galiana Milord, pretending to be exiled by her family members, to move to invade the interior of Quardenze."

"Indeed, my father is right, there is even a possibility that Viscount Galiana will betray the Quardenze family."

The local knights and soldiers, including the nobleman's army led by a large number of followers, must be tense.

The father exhaled and left the rest of the explanation to the knights.

The most pressing issue was the countermeasure against the invasion of the Evenapis family, and the conversation proceeded with the idea of preparing reinforcements for the time being.

In particular, it was important to deal with the main ancestral army that had entered the western part of the city, and the Galiana family disturbance did not require such an urgent response.

With all the knights in attendance, the military discussions proceeded smoothly.

The basic policy was for the knight families in the southern part of the Quardenze territory to form an army and suppress the enemy in concert with the local Evenapis army.

It was at the stage where they had to gather troops for reinforcements.

A loud "Come in" was heard from the other side of the door, and one of the military officers entered the hall as if he had fallen down.

"Urgent news!　General Galfis, you are now engaged with the old Voistra's main ancestral army!　At the same time, a detachment is approaching Nambonan City!　The general of the detachment is Spiaseik Verret!　This is the Army of the Lords, too!"

Everyone in the room, except me and my father, was a knight or former knight, so the news didn't cause a stir like the rest of the small army.

Rather, an ear-splitting silence enveloped the room. I looked at the military officer with such attention that I stared at him and kept my mouth shut.

"Go on."

When my father threw a low voice to cut through the silence, the military officer straightened his posture, raised his voice, and continued his report.

He said that at the frontline base, my grandfather was engaged with several main ancestral forces of the former Voistra, and that another unit of the Spiaseik family was approaching the city of Nambonan.

According to the military officer, the battle at the frontline base, which began on January 3, is expected to be still ongoing today, January 7, and the city of Nambonan may have already started fighting depending on the advancing troops.

When the report was over, the military officer collapsed and fell to the ground, as if he had lost strength from having accomplished his role.

His dingy clothes and facial expression indicated that he had ridden his horse through the night.

Even so, it was a very early arrival for a messenger from Nambonan City. It was a good thing that I had instructed them to strengthen the communication network within the territory in response to Rumon's recommendation.

My father did not try to hide his grim expression as he exhaled deeply and muttered to himself, "I am glad that we have decided to strengthen the communication network in the territory in response to Rumon's recommendation."

"I have no doubt that ...... Spierzeig's scheme is a good one."

The invasion against the Evenapis, the rebellion of the Galiana family, and the massive counter-offensive campaign against the Quardenze territory.

My father was convinced that the Spiaseik were behind all of this.

The Galiana family, which has discord within the family, "will not have time to interfere with the Quardenze family if they rebel in line with us.

To the independent forces hostile to the Evenapis family, he said, "If you invade with us, the Quardenze will not be able to send reinforcements."

The Quardenze family's influence was weakened as a result, a development that was desirable for the old Voistra, even though it showed advantage to the other side.

The financial problems of the old Voistra, as mentioned by Rumon, would be relieved if they could loot the city of Nambonan.

The fact that they once called themselves a royal family was no joke. It was a very devious strategy.

"It is urgent that we reinforce General Gulfis, ...... father ......" he said. This is our first priority.

The knights reply in unison. Their voices were full of urgency.

"It is not good for the city of Nambonan to be taken now. Rouse the army as soon as possible, ASAP."

"Ha!"

Each knight straightens his back and waits for the next instruction from his father.

"Evenapis," he said, "but we will only reinforce the city of Haritos. Command is at ......."

For the Quardenze family, abandoning the Evenapis family in their crisis would be bad for their reputation, so they have no choice but not to send reinforcements.

My father named several knightly families in the southern part of the Quardenze territory who would be in charge of reinforcements, and told them who the general of the reinforcements would be.

I think the most pressing issue is with the main ancestral army advancing in the west, but can we leave that side alone? As I was thinking this, my father made a supplementary comment.

"Meryl told me that there are reinforcements on the west side. I don't know where they are, but we can count on them now that we need as many troops as possible. Considering that Spierzeik is active in the dark, if we are not careful, the mainland army may appear in Haritos as well. Our priority is to strike there first."

I pictured the map in my mind, wondering where the reinforcements would come from, but the Silopeia family was the only one I could think of in terms of location.

Perhaps the knights were also wondering where these reinforcements were coming from, but they were in no mood to ask such a question carefree now.

Well, since my mother, who is from the Evenapis family, said it would be all right, it would be better to trust her. Every fiefdom has a secret or two.

"The Galiana family's disturbance will be put on hold for the time being. Keep a close watch on Galiana Milord to make sure she doesn't get herself into any more trouble."

If this happens, Viscount Galiana, who has taken refuge in the Quardenze territory, is like a bomb.

If he were to receive sweet words from the Spierzeik family and sympathize with them, an enemy would suddenly appear in the interior, and this would be a major crisis for the Quardenze family.

My father presented a general policy for the defense of the city of Nambonan, and the knights hurriedly worked out the details.

As I watched this scene, I felt a sense of irritation that bordered on indignation.

I wondered how long it would take to get to the city of Nambonan with the army up and ready to go.

Even as we were doing this, the city of Nambonan might be under attack by Spierzeik's army.

According to the message, the number of soldiers in Spierzeik's army was estimated to be less than 40,000, while the number of soldiers in Quardenze's army, which was originally stationed in Nambonan City, was estimated to be 60,400. The number is said to be 0. There will not be much time, but the number of soldiers will increase even more if they are drafted from the surrounding villages and towns.

I think it is better to rush in and fight with the local soldiers while the number of soldiers is still higher.

As a lover of love and double peace, I would prefer to avoid fighting against the nobility, but there is no way I would feel nothing if my city were to fall.

"Father."

And my father has not shown what is most important, what is holding him back. It is the nomination of a general for the defense of Nambonan City.

Right now, I am the only one who can take on the Lord's Army that is attacking Nambonan City.

Even an army with a large number of knights might be able to drive them back. However, if we were to go head-on against the main ancestral army, we might lose a lot of knights. Considering the future management of the territory, that is something we should not do.

Under the current circumstances, where we cannot read how deep-rooted the Spierzeik family's schemes are, it would be a bad move for my father to leave the city of New Nellie.

My father must order me to be the general-in-chief of the defense of Nambonan City and reinforcements for my grandfather.

"...... what?"

It was such a reply, as if he didn't like my call.

Oh, by the way, Viscount Galiana said. My father is very overprotective of me.

In the Battle of Nambonan, the only enemies were commoners. But this time, my opponent was Spierzeik Verret, the heir apparent and next head of the Spierzeik family. It would be a battle between the main ancestor and the main ancestor.

My father must have already decided in his mind that I would be the general.

I knew better than anyone that he was not a foolish head of the Quardenze family who would invite a crisis to the Quardenze family out of love for his own child.

If I waited, my father would appoint me general-in-chief by the end of the war council, but right now I feel that even the time to wait for that is too short.

I think I am just one step short of being ready.

Then all I have to do is to encourage him to take that step.

I put my hand on the Water Snake's treasure sword at my waist.