Chapter 153
Chapter 153: Is the Situation a Bit Uncomfortable? (2)
Claude dug at his ear with his pinky before asking again.
“War? You mean that thing where people swing swords and shields at each other, right?”
“Yeah, that. It’s about time we start preparing for war. Oh, of course, we also can’t neglect territory development. We need to do it as quickly as possible. You know we don’t have much time, right?”
Claude was flabbergasted, his mouth working without making sense.
This was ridiculous. Preparing for war is not some child’s play, and how can you develop territory and prepare for war at the same time?
But still, I had to ask why he was suddenly spouting such nonsense.
“Why the sudden talk about war preparation? What do you mean there’s no time?”
Ghislaine sighed inwardly.
‘How should I explain this?’
If I said I knew the future, they’d definitely think I was crazy.
So, I had no choice but to introduce topics one by one to pique their interest.
Starting with the closest and most certain danger.
“As everyone knows, Count Desmond is targeting us.”
At those words, the retainers’ faces darkened.
Those present were somewhat aware of the events surrounding the war in Perdium.
Given our strained relationship with the Great Lord, Count Desmond, worry was only natural.
However, Claude, who had joined the territory after the war, shook his head without a hint of concern.
“I thought about that too, but now the situation has changed a bit.”
“What situation?”
“We’re now part of the Crown Prince Faction. Even if we were at full strength, they would hesitate to provoke us with a broken force. That would be utterly nonsensical.”
As Claude passionately expressed his views, the retainers’ expressions brightened.
Believing in the Crown Prince Faction and that while Count Desmond restored his forces, they could strengthen their own gave them renewed hope.
But Ghislaine shook her head with a smirk.
“But what if Count Desmond disregards the Crown Prince Faction and rallies his remaining forces to attack us right now? Can we stop it?”
Claude responded with a somewhat uncomfortable expression.
“Probably… not?”
It was only with the traps set by Ghislaine before they had won. There was no way the same strategy would work twice; fighting again would mean certain defeat.
When it came to comparing strength, it was like a fight between a child and an adult.
“Right, we can’t stop them. But if they charged in madly, what would we do?”
Claude answered confidently.
“They’d have to gather all the remaining troops in the territory to invade, but then Count Raybold, the other Great Lord, would hit them from behind. Count Desmond isn’t foolish enough to be unaware of that. So, we have plenty of time to strengthen ourselves.”
Claude’s judgment was logical.
If Count Desmond recklessly waged war, the greedy Count Raybold wouldn’t just sit idly by.
But that was merely the surface view. Claude still had no idea how the real situation was unfolding.
Ghislaine crossed her arms and scanned the retainers.
“Well, I have something to say about that too. Lowell, bring it here.”
Lowell, who had been watching for cues, hurriedly brought a stack of documents.
Ghislaine handed the papers to Claude and said, “Before we left for the capital, I had Lowell look into Count Desmond’s movements. Check it out.”
Claude quickly examined the documents.
With the current information-gathering ability of the Penris Territory, it was hard to know the precise situation.
The documents Lowell brought were mostly rumors from merchants and ordinary citizens circulating about Desmond.
However, that was sufficient information to grasp Desmond’s movements.
His activities were quite overt.
“Large-scale conscription and training… bulk purchasing of herbs… bows and arrows… recruiting free knights…”
There were numerous suspicious aspects in the flow of Count Desmond’s finances. However, one particular detail stood out.
He was purchasing iron ore in large quantities from Count Cabaldy’s Territory, located between Penris and Desmond.
“Buying this much iron ore?”
Count Cabaldy’s iron ore is known for its high quality. Because of this, it was treated as a strategic resource, making it hard to obtain even with money.
Yet, for some reason, such a precious resource was flowing abundantly towards Count Desmond.
“Why so much…?”
Claude’s head became cluttered.
The most crucial materials for preparing for war are food and weapons. And iron ore is an essential resource needed to create and maintain those weapons.
It was an excessively large quantity just for replenishing a depleted force.
Other measures were equally excessive. Pouring such amounts of money and manpower into preparations would make it difficult to properly run a territory.
“Is he really… preparing for war?”
It’s clear he was preparing for war. Though the exact target was still uncertain, there was no room for complacency.
We already had a grudge against Desmond, so the probability of this place being a target was high.
Seeing Claude’s increasingly hardened face, Ghislaine asked, “So? Is the situation a bit uncomfortable?”
Claude nodded obediently.
Even though Ghislaine was allied with the Crown Prince Faction, once war broke out, reinforcements would be hard to obtain.
And relying solely on support from the Crown Prince Faction was not wise. If Desmond charged in recklessly and then negotiations began, the Crown Prince Faction would be helpless.
“Indeed, it seems we might see war.”
At those words, the moods around the room darkened.
This cursed territory faced bad news nearly every day.
‘Oh, honestly, it might be easier just to let it all collapse. Only then would we avoid this situation!’
Seeing the gloomy faces, Ghislaine secretly clicked her tongue. At this rate, we were walking into defeat even before the war started.
Amidst this depressing atmosphere, only Claude held his ground, offering his opinion.
“The immigrants will be arriving soon, so we need to stabilize the territory as much as possible before then. If we parallel territory development with war preparations using limited funds and manpower, our progress will inevitably slow.”
Though currently tied to Penris by the favor received from Ghislaine and the slave contract, he had originally been a scholar at the Academy.
Whether he became a future scholar or politician, losing the opportunity to gain fame and achievements was not what someone from the Academy should do.
For Claude, the Penris Territory was both a place to live for the rest of his life and a means to achieve his ambitions.
‘If I can turn this territory from nothing to a Great Territory… I could leave my name in history.’
That’s why Claude genuinely contemplated how to benefit Penris.
“What about stationing soldiers from the House of Marquis Branford here? Even if the numbers are small, what matters is showing that this is Marquis Branford’s territory. Doing so would make it harder for Count Desmond to attack us.”
The retainers nodded in admiration at Claude’s clever suggestion.
If soldiers from the House of Marquis Branford were stationed here, it would greatly help deter war.
Attacking a place where the Marquis’s soldiers were would be tantamount to directly attacking the Marquis.
Claude continued, “Having the army of another lord stationed here is humiliating, but the Marquis is an exception. As the guardian of our lord, he has enough justification, and it wouldn’t tarnish his honor too much.”
Others nodded in agreement, finding it hard to think of a better way.
It seemed like the safest option without incurring major losses, allowing them to focus solely on developing the territory.
Even Belinda and Kaor, who usually opposed for the sake of opposing, remained silent this time in agreement.
Ghislaine surveyed the group with a wry smile.
‘If other lords found themselves in the same situation, they’d likely follow Claude’s suggestion.’
It was the most logical, least burdensome, and safest method.
The problem was that behind Count Desmond loomed the most powerful Duke Delphine.
‘We can’t hide this forever.’
I had been concealing unnecessary anxieties until now, but it was time to bring things to light.
From now on, we had to unite and race towards a larger goal. Even if they didn’t believe me, I had to instill at least a sense of crisis and suspicion.
Gathering my thoughts, I spoke seriously.
“Count Desmond is not alone.”
“Oh, right. I heard he got married. The Countess is rumored to be incredibly beautiful. It seems people need power to attract others.”
“…That’s not it. Behind Desmond stands Duke Delphine. Count Desmond’s will is the same as Duke Delphine’s will.”
The retainer’s faces turned pale as they processed Ghislaine’s cruel words.
Duke Delphine, a name so fearsome that even uttering it was frightening; the kingdom’s top power.
If Ghislaine’s words were true, this territory was as good as doomed.
The retainers exclaimed in shock, “No way! Why would a Great Lord from the North bow to a Southern Duke?”
“Do you have any evidence backing this up?”
Just when Ghislaine was pondering how to convince them, Claude spoke with a vacant expression, as if he had come to a realization.
“Um… but the lord’s words could be true. If Count Desmond is acting as a neutral noble at the behest of the Duke…”
Ghislaine lit up and quickly chimed in.
“Exactly! You get it? That’s the trap that Duke Delphine has been setting up for a long time. Ah, I was struggling to explain, but you clearly learned a lot.”
Claude, suddenly feeling chills, skimmed through the documents again.
Count Cabaldy belonged to the Duke’s faction.
No matter how much Count Desmond claimed neutrality, there was no reason to sell this much iron ore to a territory that wasn’t even part of the same faction.
And this volume… even at the original price, any territory would find it hard to bear such a quantity.
‘Could it be that the Duke is indeed supporting Count Desmond from behind?’
If Count Desmond truly had the Duke backing him, then stationing soldiers from the House of Marquis Branford would be of little use.
If the Duke intervened later to mediate with appropriate justification and compensation, the Crown Prince Faction would have no choice but to accept.
This territory wasn’t valuable enough yet for the Crown Prince Faction to risk war against the Duchy.
“It’s hard to believe… but if it’s true, we’ll have to rely on ourselves for protection.”
It was uncertain. Hard to believe. But such risks couldn’t be ruled out.
At Claude’s words, the retainers’ faces grew even darker.
In an effort to lighten the mood, Ghislaine spoke cheerfully.
“Well, what the Duke is doing isn’t the main concern for now. The issue is we have to fight Count Desmond soon. We all understand we can’t avoid war, right? Let’s think about how to deal with it.”
Everyone fell silent. How is the Penris Territory with almost no soldiers supposed to stop Count Desmond?
Claude asked on behalf of everyone, “What’s your prediction on the timing, my lord?”
“It’ll take at least six months for Count Desmond to make a move. After what happened to me in Perdium, that’s a fact. He’ll need time to rebuild his forces.”
Losing troops was a problem, but given the complications in Perdium, Ghislaine knew Amelia’s rebellion would also require more attention in the coming months, making immediate action in six months hard.
But there was no need to relieve the tension by discussing that now.
Upon hearing ‘six months,’ Claude suddenly looked timid, glancing at Ghislaine.
“Preparing for just half a year won’t be enough to win a war. We might not even finish training new recruits in that time.”
“And so?”
“If Count Desmond disregards the Crown Prince and declares war… then we should run.”
“What?”
Before Ghislaine could respond, Belinda, who had been silent until now, interjected.
“I agree it’s better to run when war breaks out, but right now, we don’t need to.”
Everyone looked at her in confusion.
Didn’t the lord and chief officer just say war was imminent? Yet, she claimed there was no need to flee?
Feeling everyone’s gaze, Belinda proudly raised her nose and said, “We just need to take Count Desmond or Count Almond’s head, right? I’m good at that. I’ll finish it quickly.”
Knowing Belinda’s intentions made Ghislaine’s heart ache a little.
If the opponent were an ordinary noble, she could probably succeed in the assassination without issue, as her skills were exceptional.
But not when it came to a Great Lord like Count Desmond.
Finding him in a heavily guarded lord’s castle would itself be challenging.
Even if she lucked out and managed to kill him, escaping from the castle would be even more difficult.
Even someone as skilled as Belinda would be doomed.
“Sometimes assassination is the most effective and swiftest method, but… it’s too dangerous.”
“Come on, by myself it might be tough. But if Kaor and the mercenaries go with me, we’ll succeed!”
Kaor, who had been listening with a yawn as if this didn’t concern him, suddenly perked up with a bewildered expression.
“What? Me? Why me?”
“You take a bunch of mercenaries and make a big ruckus in front of the lord’s castle. While everyone’s attention is on you, I’ll cleanly take Count’s head and be done with it.”
“Are you crazy? You’re asking us to get killed there!”
“If your life can prevent a war, that would be a valuable sacrifice! You love fighting, don’t you?”
“I don’t want to die in such a stupid fight!”
“All fights are the same! What are you nitpicking about?”
“Ah! You go instead!”
While the two squabbled, Gillian stepped forward with a serious expression.
“My lord, if we can’t avoid war, please let me take charge of the mercenaries for a while. I will do my best to postpone the timing of the war. Meanwhile, please expand our forces and seek help from the Crown Prince Faction.”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“I’ll raid the merchant groups supplying war materials. At first, blocking supplies will delay preparations. If they pull manpower to catch me, that will also slow down their preparations. Leave it to me.”
Ghislaine smiled brightly at those words.
That method was something she had often enjoyed using in her past life. It’s like these mercenaries were truly of the same mind in that regard.
“That method isn’t bad but… if you do that, Gillian will be treated like a bandit. I don’t want someone serving me to carry that kind of reputation.”
Ghislaine shrugged and continued speaking.
“I understand the intentions of both of you and appreciate your commitment to the territory, but… just keep that thought in mind.”
Though their reasons differed, both Belinda and Gillian were willing to risk their lives for the sake of the territory, which was commendable.
Unlike the two, Kaor, who seemed to have no thoughts, was asked by Ghislaine.
“Kaor, do you have another opinion?”
“If they just come, we fight, right? I’ll lead the charge. But you have to increase my payment.”
“Oh, this stout fellow.”
Seeing Kaor’s bold and simple attitude made Ghislaine chuckle as she shook her head.
Looking at the four who showed no sign of wanting to avoid a fight, Claude asked again.
“Are you really not considering running away?”
“Not at all.”
“Ah, my fate is like this. Then, it would be better to mobilize all resources and prepare for fortification from now on.”
“Fortification…? Are we going into defense?”
“Exactly. The greatest advantage of our territory is the tremendous food production. If we build a castle to the level of a fortress and hold out until the Crown Prince’s reinforcements arrive, we should be able to last.”
Gillian narrowed his eyes as he questioned, “Even if we build a fortress, we need a certain number of combat personnel. Won’t we be short on soldiers?”
“We can request more soldiers and knights from Perdium right away. Let’s see if we can find some more conscripts. If everyone wants to live, we’ll have to figure something out.”
The retainers all nodded in agreement. This was the most secure and realistic plan put forward so far.
Ghislaine also nodded, saying, “Alright, let’s go with that for now. We need to stockpile supplies so we can respond to any enemy attacks at any time.”
While she outwardly accepted Claude’s suggestion, her inner thoughts were quite different.
‘It seems everyone is starting to feel at least a bit of tension. I need to maintain this atmosphere for a while.’
Claude’s proposal was the most realistic and sound response given the current situation.
But to counter the Duke, mere preparation would not suffice.
They needed to find ways to move that exceeded expectations, things the enemy could never predict.
Ultimately, whatever strategy they attempted, if they failed, they would die. Therefore, the only way to survive was to maximize the chances of success.
‘I’ll take the lead this time.’
Ghislaine had no intention of sitting around and waiting for the enemy to make the first move.
A good opportunity would soon present itself. In that gap, she planned to land a proper strike on Count Desmond and incur a significant loss.
