Chapter 74

Just as Leon had predicted, Albe Corsini was plotting a conspiracy in Fasa.

“About these supplies to be sent to the front lines, let's delay them a bit.”

“No, Lord Corsini. But time is of the essence.”

“I'm not doing this for no reason. We haven't secured enough horses and carts, have we? And is there only one front? We need them for the city's defense and to send to the fleet, don't we?”

“Then please contribute some of the carts that Lord Corsini owns. The Signori Family is working hard to support the war effort, why does the Corsini Family have nothing?”

“I would have, if I had anything. But compared to the Signori Family, I am a man of no possessions.”

“If only you couldn't talk.”

“What did you say? Just do as you're told! Have you forgotten that I am currently the person in charge of the city's defense?”

Albe Corsini went around everywhere, carrying out all sorts of sabotage.

For Albe, this war was a good opportunity to check Leon and the Signori Family, who had ‘grown too big.’

He would be criticized for obstructing the war effort, but that was that, and this was this.

If Leon was defeated in battle even once, he could bite and tear at him.

He had heard that even if you disliked someone, you should pick the time and place for your checks, but Albe, full of greed, could not think like that.

It is the way of man to not see even an inch ahead.

Those who had risen to high positions were no exception.

Albe aimed the sword in his heart at the Signori Family and Leon.

“With this, I shall become the pinnacle of Fasa……!”

***

The three basic elements of human life are clothing, food, and shelter.

Among them, one can manage to live without clothing and shelter.

The proof of that was our very own mercenaries.

It was natural to not have proper lodging in the field.

Because of that, our poor mercenaries had to sleep on the cold, hard ground with just a blanket every day.

Seeing them crawl out of their blankets on all fours every morning, unable to even open their eyes properly, I couldn't tell if they were really beggars or soldiers.

Sob sob.

It's all because I'm not good enough.

But even without a home or clothes, you must feed them.

For one, if a person can't eat, their judgment becomes clouded, and they can't fight properly.

But to cut off the food supply.

What Albe Corsini was doing was truly petty.

Frankly, if our mercenary company collapses, does he have the confidence to win against the coalition forces?

He'd probably just run away like last time.

“It seems we need to move the plan forward.”

“Is there any good way? The Urdino Ducal Army is hiding in that fortress like that and won't come out.”

“Don't worry. We'll be able to sort out the Urdino Ducal Army soon enough.”

“Is that really possible?”

Everyone looked at me with eyes full of disbelief.

It seems I've chosen my subordinates poorly.

To have so little trust.

“If I were Duke Urdino, I would try to drag things out until the other coalition forces capture Fasa.”

“That's why we have to make them come out.”

“Don't tell me?”

The bewildered mercenary officers whispered among themselves for a moment, then seemed to realize what I was about to do.

“Are you really going to use that?”

“There's nothing I wouldn't do to win.”

“But……”

“Send a message to Ishmael. Tell him it's finally time for the pirates to shine.”

As I pulled out the trump card I had been holding back, sighs spread among the mercenary officers.

“Our captain is truly as vile as a demon……”

“How can he even use pirates……”

“Who was that just now?”

“……”

I glared, but everyone shut their mouths and pretended not to know.

Damn it.

“Everyone, just hurry up and do as you're told.”

***

Although they had been defeated once, the atmosphere in the Urdino Ducal Army's command was not bad.

So what if they lost once?

In any case, they hadn't lost many troops in the battle.

Most importantly, their main force was intact, and also, the core of it, the Duke of Urdino and the high command, were safe.

However, it was unavoidable that Cavaldi's pride was wounded.

“I underestimated the enemy too much……”

“No, Your Highness. It was we who were too reckless.”

“No. That was my mistake. It was I who made the final decision.”

“Victory and defeat are commonplace in battle. What's important is not winning the battle, but winning the war.”

Everyone, noticing that Cavaldi was in a bad mood, desperately tried to accommodate him.

If they couldn't even manage this level of flattery, they couldn't be the Duke's close aides!

Cavaldi did blame himself, but that was only for a moment.

Having quickly recovered from his wounded pride, Cavaldi swaggered and laid out his argument.

“That friend named Leon Gryph did quite well, but he can't see the big picture of the war.”

“Why is that, Your Highness?”

“Once you've won, you should either keep pursuing and press on or retreat, but aren't those fellows loitering around this fortress? It's foolish to stay in a place where you could be hit by a counter-attack. If it were me, I would have retreated.”

“Ohh. Indeed, Your Highness' insight sees right through the enemy.”

“Everyone, listen. We will first use this fortress as a base to wear down the enemy. In the meantime, when the other coalition forces burn Fasa, we will then attack the retreating mercenary bastards from the rear.”

The moment Cavaldi declared with confidence.

At that moment, a messenger appeared on the road.

“Your Grace! Look! It's a messenger!”

“Has good news arrived already? Let's hear it!”

Cavaldi stood up, his face beaming.

“Where are you from? Messina? Pescara?”

“No. Your Grace the Duke! I am on my way from Urdino!”

At the unexpected words, everyone's eyes widened.

“What? Why from there? I told Viscount Alconte to postpone any report unless it was urgent.”

“It is an urgent report! While Your Highness was away, Urdino was attacked by pirates!”

“What?”

At the shocking news, Cavaldi and the Duke's vassals were aghast.

“When I departed, the pirate bastards had entered the pier and were setting fires and plundering wantonly! The acting lord, Viscount Alconte, has requested that Your Highness return to Urdino at once.”

“Why the pirates! Why on earth! Th-those bastards who had been quiet all this time, why all of a sudden!”

***

“A message from Ishmael. The pirate fleet is successfully attacking the Urdino port.”

“Yoken, that guy was complaining, but he's certainly full of enthusiasm. He did well.”

“It seems that guy didn't want to leave empty-handed either.”

A few days before the war broke out.

Having detected a strange sign, I had negotiated with Yoken, one of the five pirates of the Golden Sea whom I had taken captive.

In truth, it was closer to a threat than a negotiation, but what could I do.

Anyone with an axe blade held to their neck has to nod their head as desired.

So, negotiating with Yoken was not difficult.

“Hey, let's do a job together.”

“What? What do you want from me?”

“Just the thing you guys do best. You just have to do that one thing.”

“The thing we do best? Piracy?”

“Yes, a war is about to break out in Fasa soon. At that time, you guys can rob the empty house. After that, we take what we can and go our separate ways, that's it.”

“Why should we trust you and do something like that?”

“Theo.”

“Whoosh─ Whoosh─. Axe coming through.”

“Wait! Wait! I'll do it! I'll definitely do it!”

「Trait Activated: Descendant of a Demon

Do you know the dictionary definition of confirmation bias?」

Anyway, Yoken wanted to save his life and also get rich.

Besides, it wasn't a losing proposition.

While Fasa was holding down the enemy's main force, wasn't plundering the city that the enemy's main force had left a piece of cake?

But Yoken was a born pirate.

In other words, he possessed both vileness and cunning.

The reason Yoken was called 'old man' by the pirates was not actually because he was old, but because he was wise 'for an orc.' According to Ishmael, it was a very species-discriminatory remark, but anyway, Yoken presented a condition.

“Ah, well. I get putting this Kobold friend named Ishmael as a watchman. If it were me, I wouldn't trust a pirate either. That's right.”

“Don't drag it out, what do you want?”

“If the operation fails, I'll have to take all the blame, right? But I don't want that.”

“So?”

“As it happens, I have some pretty good friends. I was wondering what you'd think about working with them.”

“Friends? Hey, where do you have friends? …It's not what I'm thinking, is it?”

“It is. One of them died recently, but there are still three left.”

“You crazy bastard.”

“But you liked it, didn't you?”

“Fine. Let's do it right away.”

What does it mean to have good connections?

Even in modern society, which is much more advanced than now, the influence of blood ties, regional ties, and school ties was significant; in the Middle Ages, even in a fantasy setting, it was bound to be even more so, not less.

Yoken persuaded the other pirate bosses with the bait of a safety guarantee (the axe blade must have been scary) and succeeded in bringing them in as partners.

This was the reason why a large-scale pirate fleet invaded Urdino.

“It's working.”

“Really? This is working?”

Even within the mercenary company, there was a strong atmosphere of half-belief.

But this too was a strategy used in .

Intervening in the conflict of a third party in the early game and using them like an ally.

It was using that in reverse.

It was a method that became unusable in the late game when forces were almost unified, but it was still effective now.

“I don't know if this is really a good idea.”

“Don't worry. The suspicion that we hired pirates won't reach us.”

“But it's a plan that's perfect for being called a madman.”

“What did you just say?”

“Nothing. It was the sound of the wind.”

“I don't think so.”

“If you're too persistent, you won't be loved by your lover.”

“Like I care. I don't even have a lover.”

“Why are you so obsessed with having a lover? Like someone who's never dated.”

“……Damn it. Just prepare for battle.”

As soon as the topic of war came up, Theo's face immediately turned serious.

“Even if the pirates burned down his territory, will Cavaldi really come out? If it were me, I would just retreat or watch the situation carefully.”

“Isn't it because Cavaldi is a Duke that he doesn't think like that?”

“Is, is that so?”

It seemed that because this was an era where intangible authority was generated by bloodline alone, the ‘Duke Cavaldi is no ordinary man hypothesis’ was accepted as is.

“Besides, Cavaldi is a man with more competitive spirit than people think. You all saw Rhom getting beaten by the knight who suddenly popped out earlier in the day, right?”

“We saw it. Don't tell me, that person was the Duke of Urdino? The Duke himself joins the battle?”

“That ‘don't tell me’ is probably right.”

There are two types of commanders.

The former is the one who jumps directly into battle, and the latter is the one who commands from the rear.

It's hard to say which is better.

Both have their pros and cons.

What's certain is that Cavaldi is the type who prefers to seize victory himself rather than stay in the rear.

Indeed, the 'ostentation' trait in was also related to competitiveness.

If that point remains unchanged this time, then there's no doubt.

“The Duke of Urdino will definitely come out to give us a blow.”

Selvi, who was in charge of information gathering for the mercenary company, also nodded.

“I've certainly heard that the Duke of Urdino is very vain. He won't just put up with the humiliation he suffered this time. He will surely try to make up for it somehow.”

“Right. Besides, we have the impression of not being accustomed to land warfare. Even if we won once, it's only once, right? If it were me, I'd aim for now too.”

“That makes sense.”

Fortunately, everyone was convinced by my strange psychological analysis.

“Then what should we do?”

“What else is there?”

“Pardon?”

“We have to show them how an ambush is done.”

I grinned.

Then the mercenary officers also gave a wicked smile.

“As expected of our captain. More vile and cheap than anyone.”

“……”

These bastards, really.

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