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The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

Chapter 170: Use What Can Be Used

After delivering the villagers taken by the bandits back to their village, I quickly left and made my way back to the Imperial Capital to report to the Adventurers’ Guild.

“Excuse me. I’d like to see Sheila. Here’s my guild card.”

“Ah, you’re Eir. I’ve been expecting you. Please wait in the reception room on the second floor.”

“Understood.”

After thanking the receptionist, I entered the designated reception room and waited for a while.

“Hey there. Sorry to keep you waiting, Eir-kun.”

“Hello, Shalara-san. And thank you for coming, Sheila-san.”

It wasn’t just Sheila who entered through the door; the Guild Master, Shalara, came in too, smiling broadly as he took a seat across from me.

“I heard the report, but it sounds like it was quite the ordeal.”

“Yes, it was a bit challenging, to say the least.”

“Haha, I see, I see. So, can you tell me what was difficult?”

“Sure.”

I explained the details of the bandit subjugation request, and as I expected, Shalara showed no signs of surprise while listening; rather, it felt like he was confirming some answers.

“…Afterward, I personally made a reward agreement with the villagers and rescued the others who were taken.”

“I see. Got it. Now, can you inform me about the combat situation between the adventurers who took on this request and the bandits?”

“Absolutely. First off, regarding whether they could kill the bandits, out of ten people, two couldn’t manage to kill anyone until the end, while six somehow managed to kill while suppressing their emotions.

One of them seemed to enjoy killing, and another ignored the subjugation request and tried to help instead. When I pointed that out, they resisted. They seemed to realize how dangerous it was afterward and ended up suppressing their emotions like everyone else to take down the bandits.”

“Hmmm. It seems that kid should be observed a bit longer.”

“Next, about situational awareness. Though there was an unexpected betrayal, most of them were left bewildered and couldn’t act. However, they seem to possess the necessary knowledge as adventurers, so there were no issues with their actions inside the cave.”

“Understood. Thank you. I’m glad we entrusted this to you.”

Shalara nodded in satisfaction that I could discuss things with him, and beside him, Sheila summarized the report on paper.

“But who would have thought we’d encounter a demon?”

“That caught me off guard as well. If we hadn’t taken on this request, there’s no doubt we would have been wiped out. Well, it seems you had some sort of inkling, though.”

“Ahaha, I didn’t really anticipate a demon showing up. But I did suspect that something was moving behind the scenes.”

“Right? That’s why they probably used us, an SS rank team.”

I wasn’t sure how much information he had, but it was certain that choosing us as supervisors meant he realized the request wasn’t ordinary.

“So, Shalara-san, how much do you know?”

“Well, according to my investigation, the children who were taken have all been brought to small nations like Saramāju or Clan as slaves.”

“I see. What do you think based on that information?”

“Hmm. There are several possibilities, but the most likely one is…”

“A war?”

The moment I uttered the word “war,” Sheila, who had been summarizing the report, stopped her hand and looked up with a confused expression.

“Do you think so too?”

“Yes. If it were just one nation, we might have considered other possibilities, but with other nations involved, that seems to be the only option.”

“Exactly. I think the same.”

It appeared Shalara shared my thoughts, and his previously smiling face turned serious.

“I’m glad you’re of the same opinion. If it were just me, I wouldn’t have been able to gain any certainty. I’ll report this to my superiors.”

“About that, could you wait a moment?”

“Why’s that?”

“Considering that they’re already gathering slaves and forming pacts, we’re quite behind in this situation.”

“True. That’s why I think we should quickly inform the higher-ups and take measures.”

“I understand that’s the right course of action, but I don’t believe it will lead to a fundamental solution.”

“Could you explain why?”

My words seemed to pique Shalara’s interest, and he sat back down on the couch to listen closely.

“First of all, if we act just because they’re gathering slaves, the populace will panic, and the other side might hasten their plans to attack. Besides, even if Imperial citizens are being kidnapped, the reasons are relatively weak, and we’d have no justification to strike back.”

“Right. The populace is quite astute about signs of war, and the other side isn’t foolish. If we’re already on the defensive, an attack would not bode well for us.”

“Yes. While our nation has top-tier forces like the Sword Saint of the Holstein family and the magician of the Valentine family, plus Meijina from Suzette Imperial Academy, they are not invincible.”

“Exactly. Since they are humans, there are limits to their stamina and magic power. With no knowledge of how many enemies there are, we can’t be overly optimistic about winning.”

“Indeed. So, how about we secretly infiltrate the enemy nation and strike first?”

“Strike first. So you mean to take down the country that’s trying to start a war?”

“Correct. However, we won’t wipe them out entirely. Our targets will be the chaotic country of Saramāju and the small nation, Clan. If we take them down and acquire documents relating to pacts and war with other countries, we’ll gain a justified cause for war ourselves while also pressuring the other nations.”

“I get it. You’re suggesting that there may be members of the Empire within Saramāju or Clan, right?”

“Precisely. Plus, Saramāju is a country formed by criminals, so even if it falls, no one will mourn its loss. Clan, being a small nation that would cease to function if its upper ranks are taken out, poses no problem either. The nearby Holy Country or Magic Kingdom should take care of things afterward.”

“I follow you.”

It seemed Shalara understood my line of thinking as he took a sip of the now cold tea.

“However, I think that would still lack efficacy as a cause. If it’s labeled a forgery on our part, it would be pointless, and, in fact, we’d just end up creating more enemies.”

“Yes, but what if Saramāju and Clan abducted foreign princesses or high-ranking nobles?”

“…I see. If that happens, even without direct evidence of war, we’d have proof for a preemptive strike. But do you have a lead on this?”

“Of course.”

I pulled out a brooch with the emblem of the Valentine family from my pocket.

“This is from the Valentine family… Ah, so you’re the only son of the Valentine family, Lewis Valentine, known as that prodigy.”

“Yes. And I happen to have acquaintances who are princesses of the Empire, second daughters of marquis families, a princess from the Beast Kingdom, the saintess from the Holy Country, and even a descendant of the first sage from the Magic Kingdom, as well as relatives from the God Tree Kingdom. What do you think? Don’t you think I have some good cards?”

“Wow. Good cards? More like overkill! And to call such people cards is downright terrifying to me.”

Shalara said this while dramatically hugging himself, smiling before nodding.

“I completely understand your plan. If it can all be settled this way, that would be a blessing. War consumes money, and whether we win or lose, it rarely brings about anything good.”

As he said, the longer a war drags on and the larger in scale it becomes, the more costly it is, and it causes unrest within the populace, leading to potential internal divisions.

Also, if we lost, the people of the Empire would lose their homes, and even if we won, just managing the acquired lands would be costly, leaving little to gain.

“So, when do you plan to strike?”

“I intend to take them down during the long summer break.”

“That’s quite soon! I thought it would be winter or next year.”

“Winter makes movement difficult around Valentine territory due to snow, and waiting until spring would almost mean the others are fully prepared for war, making it a hassle to attack.”

“I see. So you aim to strike while they’re busy with preparations and can’t spare their attention elsewhere.”

“Exactly.”

“Got it. Can I assist you in any way?”

“Well then, could you issue guild cards for nine fake high-rank adventurers? They’re likely seeking strong slaves, so high-rank adventurers will be easy targets.”

“Understood. I’ll have them ready in a few days, so come by to pick them up when it’s convenient for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Also, just to be safe, I’ll inform a few people about the situation to prepare for a potential failure on your part. Is that alright?”

“Of course. That’s all from me. So I’ll take my leave now.”

“Yeah. You’re always welcome back. Anytime you want.”

“Thank you very much.”

I expressed my gratitude to Shalara and left the room, returning to the academy while pondering the personnel selection for the operation and how to persuade them.

 

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