CH 79

“And that is why I swooped in and took in Cattleya as she was about to face a terrible fate, and we left the second official residence of Duke Pottinger together,” Hilda finished.

Hello, this is Makoto.

It’s past 8 o’clock in the evening, and I’m listening to Hilda-san’s monologue in the deserted cafeteria of the girls’ dormitory.

“That was also tough for you, wasn’t it, Cattleya-san?” I asked.

“Umu, I didn’t think that the upper ranks were so rotten,” Cattleya said. “Originally, I was thinking of entrusting my sword to you, Makoto, but I ended up entrusting it to Hilda-sama, it’s unfortunate.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” I said, “now that Hilda-san has joined our faction, you will also join our faction, Cattleya-san. There’s no problem.”

“Umu, thank you, Makoto,” Cattleya said.

To summarize the story, the shadow warrior Grave is a shitty bastard, and Deborah is a chicken lady in both name and mind.

That’s why they think I’m a false saint hired by Carol.

“However, I wonder why the Dokuro Corps haven’t protested the false saint claims,” I said.

“It seems that Deborah thought you had potions hidden for treatment.”

“I’m not sure how she thought we’d put fingers back together without some exotic potion,” I said.

“Somehow, I feel like Vivian-sama wants to make Caroline-sama the villain here,” Hilda said.

“Why is she making Carol her enemy?” I asked.

“I don’t understand that, I tried to skim through the histories of Vivian-sama and Caroline-san, but there was no point of contact,” Hilda said.

It’s the height of the information power of the shadow warfare specialists.

Battles start from the preparation stage, and in spying, the ideal is to win without fighting.

For that reason, there are no flashy battles, so it’s a little lacking in spectacle.

I folded my arms and grumbled.

On top of the cheap table in the lower-class noble’s area is the tea that Shirley-san served.

“I wonder if there will be retaliation from the Pottinger Faction because of this,” Corinna said.

“I don’t think so, Corinna-san,” Hilda said.

“Then in that case, when will you pay us the money you owe us?” Corinna asked.

“You love money, don’t you?” Hilda said. “It will be delivered tomorrow.”

Corinna-chan laughed warmly.

You sure do love money, Corinna-chan.

“It looks like there will be reinforcements from the head office,” I said.

“Well, the number of espionage pawns has decreased too much, so some will be replenished, but I think the main unit will come from the second year as planned,” Hilda said.

“Why?” I asked.

“A rebellion is brewing in the Pottinger Duchy, and the intelligence branch is desperately trying to put out the fires,” Hilda said.

“Because James-okina is dead?” I said.

“No, because the taxes are high, and the people are furious,” Hilda said.

“That would make them mad,” I said.

It’s good news that the intelligence headquarters is involved in maintaining their territory.

“Next week, just once. Grave will probably do something, and after that, there won’t be any flashy moves until next year,” Hilda said.

“What are they going to do?” I asked.

“It’s an assassination of a saint candidate,” Hilda said. “If you’re gone, Makoto-sama, the centripetal force of the Saint’s Faction will be gone, so after that they can cook Caroline-sama’s goose in any way they please.”

“I won’t let them do that, I’ll crush Grave,” I said.

If I fall, then Carol will fall.

I will absolutely protect Carol.

“That is why, Makoto-sama, there is also a way to set up a counter-maneuver and assassinate Grave,” Hilda said.

“I won’t do that,” I said. “When I start assassinating, it becomes a habit. No one will follow a saint who can only solve things with violence.”

Hilda-san smiled as if she was convinced.

By the way, the useless Yuri-Yuri-senpai, who was drinking tea in silence next to me, also smiled.

“Shirley-sama is good at serving tea for us, isn’t she?”

“Not so much.”

“Then let me give you this delicious tea,”

“Uwa, this is the black tea from the subcontinent, is it good?”

“It’s a treat, Dulcie-san, as a reward for all your hard work.”

“I will devote myself to it…”

The maids are interacting in the back.

Dulcie has a lot to learn.

Misha has dignity even though she looks like a little girl.

By the way, the subcontinent is Not-India.

Subcontinental tea is very expensive.

As expected of a duke’s house.

That’s just their power.

“I’ll let you know if there are any signs of them moving,” Hilda said.

“Thank you very much, Hilda-senpai,” I said.

“I’m happy to be able to work as an intelligence agent for the first time in a long time,” Hilda said.

“Have you been quiet all this time?” I asked.

“I was tired of having my foolish Otou-sama use my maid without permission, and having our foolish shadow branch use my poisoners without permission, depriving me of one of my tools,” Hilda said.

Ah, was it Count Gustav Mahler who sent Shirley-san to the temporary holding cell where Margot-san was waiting for her?

The poisoners must also be that maid at the welcome party.

When I thought it was strangely fast and clear cut, it was the work of the Mahler family.

“The Shadow Warfare House doesn’t do a lot of defensive battles, but I will do my best, so please don’t abandon us,” Hilda said.

“It would be outrageous to abandon you, Hilda-senpai,” I said.

“Ohoho, now that we have shadow warfare specialists, the saint’s faction is safe,” the useless Yuri-Yuri-senpai said.

Well, this person can also do covert espionage, but the main thing is politics and faction management, so I can’t complain.

“That’s right, why don’t you buy Corinna-chan some new glasses from the faction’s funds? That beauty is wasted right now,” Yurisha said.

“I. Don’t. Want. It,” Corinna said immediately.

Yep, she may not be able to convince her.