Chapter 495
Chapter 495: Just a Quick Task (2)
People didn’t retaliate immediately like before.
The first reason was that Ghislaine had given them a heads-up, and the second was that it was clear they wouldn’t listen anyway.
So they decided to wait and see what was said, since they promised an explanation.
Ghislaine felt a bit disappointed with that reaction.
“Ahem, anyway, I’ll explain. Listen carefully. The King and the Duke are trying to exchange something.”
Information was flooding in from the spies sent to the capital.
The other retainers didn’t know much, but Ghislaine and Claude, who received the reports, had a rough idea of the situation in the capital.
Ghislaine summarized what she had been thinking with the information she just received.
“What do you think? Doesn’t it seem strange? The Duke and the Salvation Society have been relentlessly targeting the royal family, and now they suddenly want to stop the war and negotiate. It also means the King must be receiving something.”
As Ghislaine spoke, people nodded. Claude was the first to rub his aching face and said,
“It’s definitely odd. With the Northern Army missing, it should be easy for the Duke and the Salvation Society to topple the royal family. That priest from the Salvation Society could assassinate the King at any time.”
“Exactly, but that guy is still cozying up to the King. It means he still has something to gain. It’s not like he’s hiding it; all the nobles know it.”
“And there’s no need for him to strike the King, who’s on their side.”
“True. For the Duke, it doesn’t make sense to fight the royal family when they have to deal with me.”
Ghislaine continued seriously.
“Actually, I could fight the King right now. But I want to know what he’s willing to give them. That would be the fundamental reason this war started. I also wonder what the Salvation Society is planning to give the King.”
It must be something extremely important for both sides. Ghislaine wanted to know what it was.
Claude understood Ghislaine’s meaning perfectly.
“So… ‘confirming’ means you’re going to ‘seize’ that item, right?”
“…That’s right. You got it.”
Just finding out wasn’t enough. There was a chance they might not grasp it properly.
The best way was to take it and confirm it.
Everyone nodded. If they wanted to know, they would first seize it. It was a classic Ghislaine method.
“Will you wear a mask when you go?”
“Then they won’t take out the item.”
“What’s your plan?”
“I’m thinking of stealthily following them to the negotiation. If I can, I’ll snatch it beforehand.”
“…Can you do that?”
“If you make it possible, everything is possible. What can’t be done?”
“…”
Everyone fell silent. With such confidence, there was nothing to say.
Ghislaine was the person who had accomplished everything that everyone said was impossible.
In the silence, Belinda stepped forward.
“Then I’ll go with you.”
Belinda was now an overpowered individual. Especially in stealth and ambush, she was unrivaled in the territory.
However, Ghislaine shook her head.
“No. I planned to disguise myself and follow. The more people there are, the harder it is to hide.”
“But it’s too dangerous. What about Ereness or Parniel?”
Both of them were the elite of the Northern Army. Even if just one of them followed, they could turn the capital upside down.
Still, Ghislaine shook her head.
“I told you, I’m going in disguise, right? Do you think those two can hide their identities?”
“…”
People looked at the two. Ereness had pointy ears, and Parniel was too big. Both had appearances that stood out.
It was also true that the more people there were, the harder it would be to keep their identity hidden.
In the end, it was best for Ghislaine to go alone if she wanted to follow in disguise.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m a master of disguise. But you all have to create an escape route for me.”
There would be formidable figures coming from both the royal family and the Duke’s faction. It would be impossible for Ghislaine to deal with them all alone.
So she needed allies to assist her.
“It’s impossible to bring the entire Northern Army if we find out the negotiation location. Let’s prepare only the elite.”
Ghislaine and the others put their heads together.
Whether the negotiation would happen indoors or outdoors and how many would show up from each side were uncertain, so they had to prepare operations in advance for various scenarios.
While they brainstormed strategies, everyone was deeply worried.
There was no chance to oppose; once Ghislaine decided on something, she would push forward without hesitation.
Eventually, Belinda spoke up with a worried tone.
“Please be very careful. If it gets too dangerous, just run away. You don’t have to know what their identities are, right? There might be another opportunity later.”
“Got it, stop worrying. I’ve been learning from you recently, after all…”
Confirmation!
Ghislaine’s body grew hazy as darkness spread. It was her mother Anette’s technique.
Whenever she found time, Ghislaine practiced her mother’s technique. Since she had already reached a high level once, it wasn’t too difficult for her.
Though she wasn’t as skilled as Belinda yet, she was capable enough for stealth.
‘This is oddly similar to the mana flow.’
It seemed that once you reached the top level, everything eventually converged into one. Her mother’s techniques had some resemblance to the magic book that inspired Ghislaine in her past life.
The application methods were different, resulting in opposite outcomes though.
Thanks to Ghislaine showing her technique, Belinda felt a little more at ease. With that level, she could likely avoid detection by ordinary knights.
“I’ll head out first, so the Northern Army should move to the first base. Once I find out the negotiation location, I’ll send Dark, so make sure to prepare accordingly.”
Ghislaine departed on horseback toward the capital. She had to abandon her horse on the way, so the Black King stayed with the Northern Army.
Ghislaine urged her horse forward as quickly as possible. The sooner she arrived, the easier it would be to orchestrate her plans.
Sneaking into the capital while disguised, Ghislaine sought out a certain noble.
It was Baron Andy Share, who had previously delivered supplies for the Crown Prince faction in the North. She had received a small bribe from him in the past.
“Y-you are?”
Baron Share was taken aback when Ghislaine appeared in his office. He never imagined that the person marked as a traitor would show up in the capital.
Ghislaine waved her hand cheerfully.
“Hey there, how have you been?”
“W-what is happening? You, Count, shouldn’t be here.”
Baron Share looked around his office nervously. If he got caught, it would mean his death.
He had been worried that the bribe he accepted previously might be found out.
“I made sure that no one is around, so there’s no need to fret.”
“No, regardless…”
Baron Share looked dumbfounded. He had always known Ghislaine was bold, but he never expected her to show up in the capital alone so blatantly.
Ghislaine plopped down on the sofa in his office and said casually,
“So, how’s Marquis Branford and everyone doing?”
“Well… I can’t say they are doing well, but they are still safe.”
“Good, they better be. Otherwise, there would be big trouble. No, big trouble might come soon?”
With a slightly ominous look in her eyes, Baron Share swallowed hard and asked,
“W-what brings you here?”
“I’ll be blunt. I need your help.”
“What can I possibly do…?”
Baron Share stammered, his face filled with fear. It was evident that whatever Ghislaine wanted, it couldn’t be anything ordinary.
The atmosphere in the capital was already terrible. Even Baron Share was being cautious, fearing for his life.
Moreover, although he was a noble, he was really just a title-holding, fallen aristocrat. He was merely one of the royal family’s lowly secretaries.
His duties typically involved delivering military supplies to the North and passing on orders.
Seeing Baron Share, who was so terrified, Ghislaine couldn’t help but laugh.
“It’s really nothing much. I heard that the King and Duke are negotiating. Can you tell me the date and location?”
“Not yet, it hasn’t been decided.”
“Really?”
“Yes, His Majesty is being very careful about the location and time. Right now, all the high-ranking officials are focused on that matter.”
Ghislaine nodded. It seemed reasonable. In order not to betray each other, they had to focus heavily on preparations.
“I came just in time. But the troop to follow the negotiation should be ready, right?”
“Yes, yes. The scale of the troops that both sides will mobilize has already been agreed upon. Each side will have 50,000, and the royal knights will also participate.”
At that, Ghislaine’s eyes lit up.
“That’s perfect. Please include me among the troops. I’ll be hiding my identity and staying there.”
“Huh?”
“Even a mere secretary can manage to insert one soldier, right?”
Baron Share narrowed his eyes in disbelief. Why would the Duke, known as the strongest in the North, disguise himself as a regular soldier?
As Baron Share recalled everything Ghislaine had done until now, he quickly understood her intentions.
“Y-you’re not planning to cause a scene at the negotiation, are you?”
“Yes.”
Baron Share was momentarily at a loss for words at Ghislaine’s overly confident response.
When he regained his composure, he shook his head vigorously.
“Then I’ll be done for! After an incident arises, it will quickly be uncovered that it was me who arranged for the Count to be there!”
“Just run away.”
“Huh?”
Ghislaine leaned back comfortably against the sofa and continued speaking.
“Before the negotiation starts, look for a chance to escape the capital. Isn’t your job as a secretary to go here and there? It shouldn’t be tough to get out of the capital.”
“Where should I run to…?”
“You know I’m serious when I offer, right?”
At her sudden comment, Baron Share nodded. He was notorious for being stingy, but when he decided to spend, he truly did so generously as the Duke of Penris.
Ghislaine made a circle with her finger and said,
“Come to Penris. I’ll give you a nice position. Good salary, a good house, and if you want, I can even give you retirement funds. Enough to live off comfortably for life.”
Baron Share gulped. The atmosphere in the capital had been so terrifying lately, and he had been very worried.
The reason he managed to survive was that he was not an important noble. He couldn’t say he was deeply tied to any faction.
“That means I could easily lose my head if things go sideways.”
He truly was the epitome of an ordinary administrator who only followed orders.
Yet now, the richest Duke in the kingdom was asking him to come to his territory, promising to take good care of him.
‘This is an opportunity!’
Baron Share had no family. As a fallen noble, he had ended up living alone.
Since the King took power, dreams and hopes had vanished. He was just struggling to make it through each day.
Refusing such an offer would be foolish.
Baron Share cleared his throat a few times, then rummaged through his desk and handed over a document.
“There’s the 2nd Corps that will follow the negotiation. I’ll process your enlistment into the 3rd Infantry Division starting tomorrow.”
“What’s this document?”
“It’s nothing special, just information about what’s happening in the capital at the moment. This is all I know. Being a lowly secretary and all… Hehe.”
“Ah, I really appreciate how fast you work, Baron.”
“You must ensure your disguise is solid. And you absolutely must not cause an incident until you reach the negotiation.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve had my fair share of hardships as the junior.”
I’ve had quite a bit of experience since I joined a mercenary group in my past life.
It was an unbelievable statement, but Baron Share merely nodded. As long as he timed it right, he could escape without issue.
“I also need to check the status of prisoner transportation soon. You’ll learn the negotiation date and place once you enlist, but if anything is decided before I leave, I’ll let you know immediately.”
Ghislaine had already heard the information that Berhem was devouring people in the capital.
Various officials were moving about to fill the quota. Baron Share was in charge of checking whether the prisoners were being brought in properly.
Ghislaine nodded in response.
“Understood. So when you decide on a day to escape, please let me know. I’ll call knights separately. I have a quick way to contact them.”
At those words, Baron Share smiled brightly.
Tracking the situation meant he could just bring a few soldiers along, so escaping wouldn’t be an issue. Those soldiers would just follow him without knowing the reason.
The problem was the bandits lurking everywhere. It would be tough to deal with them with only soldiers.
If the Penris knights provided protection, he would feel safe.
“Thank you. I will do my best for this kingdom!”
How fickle human hearts are. As soon as he decided to run away, Baron Share switched his stance completely.
‘Honestly, I believe the Northern Army will win.’
The Duke of Penris had saved the mangled royal army and wiped out over 200,000 troops from the Duke’s faction.
If he were to risk his life, it would be wise to bet on this side.
Of course, if the royal army and the Duke’s faction joined forces, the outcome was uncertain. After all, they had the Kingdom’s Greatest Sword and the Captain of the Royal Knights on their side.
‘If the Northern Army loses, I should run away.’
Crossing over from Penris to another kingdom would likely be easier. Anywhere would feel safer than the capital.
“By the way, how will you disguise yourself?”
“It’s not that difficult. Just remember the changed face well.”
Thud thud thud.
Ghislaine manipulated her facial muscles using mana. The downside was that she needed to keep injecting mana, but the consumption wasn’t that significant.
Soon, her face changed completely. Baron Share gaped in astonishment.
‘Wow, she really can do anything.’
At this level, even someone familiar with Ghislaine would probably fail to recognize her.
Thus, Ghislaine enlisted as a lowly soldier in the 2nd Corps.
After all, the royal family was continuously recruiting soldiers targeting the Northern Army.
It wasn’t that hard to enlist; the tricky part was getting into the exact unit she wanted.
Having confirmed her enlistment, Ghislaine happily walked into her assigned unit’s barracks.
“I’m Dugly, the new recruit! Nice to meet you!”
“Oh, a newbie has arrived.”
“Your voice is booming! You’re full of spirit!”
“Great attitude!”
The veterans laughed joyfully as they sat and grinned. It was always a delightful occasion when a rookie joined the army.
And Ghislaine immediately faced a rather humiliating situation.
“Hey! Newbie! Go wash some clothes! The atmosphere has been bad lately, so we’ll use this to substitute for your initiation! After you finish with this, clean up our gear too.”
The senior soldiers hurled smelly clothes at Ghislaine.
“…”
“What are you doing? Hurry up! Want to feel the consequences of slacking off? Want me to show you how army life feels?”
“…”
Ghislaine was fully immersed in the absurdities of the barracks.
