Chapter 187
Chapter 187: It’s Time to Show Our Power (1)
The ones bewildered by Ghislaine’s actions weren’t just the high-ranking nobles of the Crown Prince Faction and Duke Faction.
It wasn’t just a simple shock; there were those directly worried about losses.
They were the nobles who had trusted Rosalyn and invested a huge amount of money in her merchant group.
“What do you mean there’s a war! What will happen to the cosmetics production now?!”
“If Baron Penris loses, we’ll lose all the money we’ve invested!”
“The technology for cosmetics will definitely end up in the Duke’s hands!”
They could only gather every day to vent their worries about the current situation.
With Marquis Branford’s strict orders not to intervene, they had no other options.
They expressed their frustrations to Rosalyn, but she was just as bewildered by the situation as they were.
“Ugh, a war! To start a war in a situation like this! Is he insane or what?”
In fact, Rosalyn was likely in the most insane position among all of them.
She had confidently gathered investors, only for the situation to spiral towards disaster.
Beyond the financial loss, the authority of the Marquis House and her own credibility were at stake, which drove her to the brink of madness.
Meriel, who had invested the largest amount, also bombarded Rosalyn with worried remarks daily.
“What should we do? If Baron Penris loses, the damage will be tremendous.”
“…We have to pray he wins.”
“Didn’t you say we’ve won a war before? So perhaps we can win again? That’s what my instincts say.”
In truth, it was more like a wish than any instinct, but neither of them dared to point that out.
“…Sigh, honestly, I don’t know.”
Rosalyn shook her head, her expression complicated.
Based on the known information, objectively, Count Cabaldy had the upper hand in both military power and reputation.
She had heard rumors that Ghislaine had acquired soldiers by selling food, but it was hard to believe she could beat Count Cabaldy.
Meriel continued with a concerned look.
“We might manage to hold out with our stored food, but other nobles won’t. Until results come in, we need to soothe them.”
“That’s true. Otherwise, it would be chaos.”
Both of them held some responsibility for the current situation. They had actively promoted the investment and attracted numerous investors.
The number of nobles investing in cosmetics was considerable. So, they found themselves attending daily the ‘Investor Victims’ Meetings’ disguised as banquets.
If it were up to them, they would want to escape right now, but hiding or fleeing would spell disaster, so they had no choice.
Still, their authority was strong enough that no one could openly express their anger just yet.
They simply gathered at corners of the banquet hall in small groups, pouring out their worries.
“What are we going to do? I invested 3,000 gold! If Baron Penris loses, it’s a big deal!”
“Think of it as not my money. It makes it easier to be at ease.”
“No, seriously, it’s not my money!”
“…Huh?”
Some folks were anxiously stomping their feet over borrowed money, while others still clung to hope.
“Will just worrying like this lead to any solution? Let’s keep the hope alive and give it our all!”
“That’s right! Let’s all cheer each other on! Yeah!”
“Cha!”
“Yeah!”
“Cheering won’t change the fact that we’re all doomed…”
Of course, there were those who had completely emptied their minds.
“Alright, let’s not worry too much. It’s not good for your health. Let’s reflect on daily life, realize how valuable the things we used to enjoy were…”
“Shut up.”
“What? What did you just say!”
Crash!
The clash between those who had emptied their minds and those filled with anger continued endlessly.
Wine bottles and glasses flew through the banquet hall.
In the midst of it all, whether someone had started a fire or just a candle had fallen, flames began to rise from a corner of the banquet hall.
“Fire! There’s a fire!”
“Everyone, retreat! It’s a blaze!”
One noble, still dazed, asked,
“Is it good news?”
“It’s a fire! Get it together!”
With this kind of chaotic scene happening every day, both Meriel and Rosalyn were truly at their wits’ end.
Eventually, after a long moment of contemplation, Rosalyn seriously asked Meriel,
“Do you happen to have any cash left?”
“What? I spent it all on food! I have no extra money!”
As Meriel gasped, Rosalyn shook her head.
“No, I’m not saying to invest more… I was thinking of buying a few capable people to send to the battlefield.”
“Why? Are you planning to assassinate Count Cabaldy? Do you really think that’s feasible?”
“Not that, but if it looks like we’re going to lose the war, we need to bring Baron Penris back immediately. If possible, I’d like to send a priest along too.”
“We can manage to find some usable mercenaries, but… isn’t it tough to find a priest?”
Temples, like Mage Towers, cannot participate in wars. It’s against the law, based on their doctrine.
Even the temple dedicated to the goddess of war only allows battles against heretics and sinful beings.
Since there are very few priests who can use divine power to begin with, there are only a handful of evangelists in the rural territory.
Rosalyn bit her lip and continued,
“That’s why I asked if there’s cash. If I ask for donations while casually implying I’ve acquired them, they might just accept.”
“Hmm, yeah. It might work if I insist on it… but if the Marquis finds out, it would be problematic.”
“So… we can wait and see. If it looks like Baron Penris is going to lose and it becomes dangerous, we’ll rescue him.”
One cannot get involved in a war. However, if the war is over, a priest can step in on humanitarian grounds.
Even if it’s a roundabout way that only nobles can utilize.
“We’re not directly intervening in the war. We simply… rescued a noble who lost in the war. Even if Baron Penris doesn’t surrender, we can represent him.”
Rosalyn devised a plan, keeping in mind the possibility that Ghislaine could lose. The aim was to send competent fighters to ensure Ghislaine’s survival.
In a dangerous situation, they could first rescue Ghislaine and declare an unconditional surrender in the position of guardians. Simply using the name of the House of Marquis Branford would likely deter Count Cabaldy from recklessly attacking.
“Yes, perhaps it’s better for that to happen. I could just live under the Marquis house, right? Maybe even as a son-in-law… Oh, what am I thinking?”
While she had no intention of marrying such a strange man, at least they would secure the cosmetics technology.
When considering the authority of the Marquis house, her own credibility and reputation, and the damage the merchant group might face, it became clear that they had to rescue Ghislaine at all costs.
Meriel understood Rosalyn’s intentions. It was a gamble, but if they timed it right, they could mediate using the excuse that the war was over.
“Right. But for that, we really need to find capable people, and that will cost a lot of money. Plus, we’ll have to find a priest too, right? They’ll only accept cash.”
It was obvious that for dangerous jobs, payment would be received in cash. They needed to be able to pull out at any moment.
Moreover, priests preferred cash to avoid any scandal that could arise from taking extravagant items.
Meriel cautiously pointed this out, but Rosalyn, having made up her mind, remained unshaken.
“We have to come up with something. If Baron Penris dies, we will suffer much greater losses.”
“I get it. I’ll try to arrange as much as possible.”
Thus, the two of them pooled whatever cash they could muster to send ten experts in rescue and assassination (??) alongside one priest to the battlefield.
With strict instructions to be cautious and pick their spots.
*
As Count Cabaldy gritted his teeth waiting for reinforcements, the mood among the Penris Army grew increasingly more relaxed.
Especially the knights, who flaunted their arrogance and even swaggered a bit.
“Oh, I thought I’d stretch my legs this time. Do you fear the sword honed by my mana?”
“Those guys are just holed up in their castle. They’re totally spineless, aren’t they? Well, I guess we’re a bit strong. Ha ha.”
“We just have to sit here and we win, right? This is so easy! Hahaha!”
The enemy couldn’t last long without food. Even if they wanted to fight, they knew their forces were outnumbered.
It was clear they were stuck in a situation where they couldn’t do anything and could just worry.
As such thoughts flowed naturally from the knights’ mouths, a sense of relaxation spread among the soldiers.
The soldiers, who had been dragged in with tension, brightened up with relief.
Winning without even fighting? No one could resist that.
“Wow, our lord really picked a perfect timing.”
“I heard rumors about him being a strange lord, but he’s actually quite intelligent, huh?”
“Exactly! A guy who wins wars without fighting is truly outstanding!”
With no fighting, praise came naturally. They were comfortable and felt great.
Moreover, Chief Officer Claude was efficiently supplying provisions, so they didn’t go hungry either.
“If wars were like this, I’d do it any number of times!”
The soldiers spent their time showering Ghislaine with adoration.
Even the dwarves and wizards who were dragged in kicked back and enjoyed their luxury in the tents.
“Oh, what is this? I was scared for no reason. What are we even doing here?”
“Seems like if they surrender, we won’t have much to do.”
“Oh my, slackers like us finally get to take a break! Isn’t this the best?”
Freed from excessive work, the dwarves and wizards burst into smiles.
Having plenty of rest over a few days, they even began to feel that the battlefield was quite acceptable.
As everyone reveled in satisfaction and contentment, Ghislaine, staring at the enemy’s castle for days, suddenly issued a new command.
“From now on, we’ll start digging tunnels.”
At those words, everyone had the same question in their minds.
‘Why? We’re winning without even moving, why would we do that?’
It seemed like the nonsense talk cycle was starting again.
Their lord was once more announcing a peculiar plan.
