Chapter 104 – 104. Bless These Wonderful Loyalists of Prince Canin (3)
– One –
“Let’s start with the proper greeting again, Sir Lampage. Long time no see.”
“Yes, Sir Octopoda. Truly, Sir Octopoda, I never thought you and Sir Demosi would marry.”
At the innocent greeting, Octopoda’s expression is bittersweet.
“Is that why my unrequited love was so famous? Sir, it’s as if you were a mathematician looking at Laphroaig’s Last Theorem.”
“It feels like the same difficulty, in that it seemed impossible by my standards.”
A useless greeting went round once.
However, Viscount Uwebol could not bear to say hello to Estrus.
It was clear that no one would welcome it, but the situation like this made me feel embarrassed and distressed.
“Lord Lampage.”
“Yes, Sir Demosi.”
“We’re not in a position to ask for useless greetings, so let’s get down to business.”
Her voice was full of thorns.
Whatever she may have been in the past, now she was enjoying a burning honeymoon with Octopoda.
Whether or not he was aware of such a situation, Viscount Uweboll, who talked about the past without notice, did not look nice.
From what she heard, Viscount Uwevol seemed to regret that they had been linked.
Only then did Viscount Uwebol, who felt sorry for him, choose a moment of silence.
He was a talented person and a strong talker, but he was not a very sociable person.
“Sorry, Sir Demosi.
“I’ll accept your apology. So, what do you want to say after coming all the way here?”
Viscount Uwevol had to choose his words carefully.
Even before he came, and even after he was kidnapped, he made so many mistakes that it’s hard to even list them.
The fact that the negotiations had gone through the water was already palpable, but we still had to go through with it.
He was such a person.
“I’ll be honest and tell all of you straight. Could you be the strength of His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Why are we?”
“Duty of a Subject of the Empire,”
“You can eat your dick like that.”
“…”
It’s so frustrating right from the start.
“Plenty of rewards and protection from the Regal,”
“It’s a piece of shit. I think we’re more competent than you guys. Hey, you fucking bastard. You’re suggesting that we die in the hands of the Regal while serving as arrow holders instead of the prince. Isn’t it?”
At Monohorn’s sharp criticism, Viscount Uweboll had to make every effort not to frown.
At an unfavorable moment, you have to endure any insult.
This is negotiation, this is politics.
He learned that and practiced it.
“…”
“Do you see this bastard? Is it your habit to keep your mouth shut when stabbed?”
“It’s not like that.”
“No? Yes, it’s not that I don’t have a habit of keeping my mouth shut, can’t I deny that I’m going to die instead of the crown prince?”
“…”
These are people who never compromise on what they don’t want.
In addition, he was a negotiating partner with whom nothing would work, whether it was the imperial etiquette or the dignity of the nobility.
He had to desperately try to come up with a way to convince them.
“Hey. If we die, what will you pay for our lives? If I were to die instead of the crown prince, we don’t have any children by our side. Besides, if one of us dies, the other spouse will die at the same time. There’s no one to receive the reward instead. “But what reward? Huh? Bark. Fuck you. Say anything, you fucking bastard!”
Monohorn shouts indignantly.
Everyone nodded at Monohorn’s words.
“Hey~ Our monohorn is good~♬”
“Monohon, good talk!”
“Hero, it’s cool♡ I feel refreshed inside!”
The Honeywet couple and Urmama enthusiastically cheer Monohorn’s words.
Although the others did not respond as well as the three, they fully agreed with him.
Viscount Uwevol chews his lips.
“If you go to the imperial palace with me and become subordinate to Her Highness the Crown Prince, Regal will not be able to touch you carelessly. At least the minimum level of safety is guaranteed compared to now, so can you deny this?”
“You can’t kill them openly, they’ll fake an accidental death after an assassination, or they’ll be kidnapped and used as a test subject, or brainwashed and turned into his limbs. If the imperial faction’s force and power were enough to contain the Regal in the first place, why would they want to enlist us? “We are disloyal to the Emperor. We are people who are not willing to sacrifice for the Emperor. It is difficult for you to believe in us. After all, there is no role we can play other than an arrow holder for the Crown Prince. And honestly, , You are subsuming it to use it for that purpose, right?”
“…”
Margarita’s words were untrue.
Except for loyalists, no one is willing to die for the next great emperor.
So, when necessary, even a part of it must be driven to death.
Even if it was to protect the prince’s life.
This is an acquisition for deception in the first place.
That was the essence of this negotiation.
He knows too.
That’s why I no longer talk about honor or the responsibility of being a citizen of the Empire.
“Why is that? Are you in a bad mood?”
“No… No, honestly. It’s very unpleasant.”
“I guess so. As loyalists of the empire, you wouldn’t understand us. But, look at our faces. I come from a rural village where the influence of the empire is virtually out of reach.”
Margarita touches her chest.
“Two wandering mercenaries,”
Margarita’s slender fingers point at Jose and then at Benison.
“A sub-race girl sold as a slave, a savage serf who was the arrowhead of Yeongjijeon,”
Margarita points to the Monohorn couple.
“Two weak scholars,”
Margarita’s fingertips move to the Octopodas.
“A former saint who was abused for decades as a high-class hostess to high-ranking nobles, their children, and influential people in society.”
Margarita’s fingertips, pointing at Ada, trembled.
“An unjust victim of long-term sexual abuse that you turned into a prostitute.”
By the time Margarita’s fingertips point to Estrus, her Viscount Uwe Boll’s head drops.
Among them, only two scholars, the Octopodas, have lived fully within the borders of the Empire.
All others are unprotected within the borders of the Empire.
Why are there so many people who have suffered damage within the framework of the empire gathered here?
Viscount Uweboll is frustrated when he sees that most of them are made up of only those who have not been favored by the Empire.
“Still, I commend you for not having a minimum of conscience and for not mentioning the duties and responsibilities of subjects anymore. But, now on what grounds are you going to persuade us to accept the order to die in place of the crown prince?”
“You mean the cause…”
“Yes. The cause of the imperial faction.”
“…”
Viscount Uwevol had difficulty answering.
Dizzy.
Want to vomit
Only such thoughts run through my head.
In the end, he couldn’t come up with any justification.
Iron pudduck.
He gets up and gets down on his bare knees.
Get down.
Linda bowed her head.
“Help me.”
Viscount Uwebol pleads with tears in his eyes.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
Bang your forehead on the floor
“Please help me. I will die before everyone else. All members of the Imperial faction will be prepared to die before you, and I will serve as your shield with all my body.”
Thump, thump, thump, thump!
The intensity of his forehead hitting the floor intensifies.
His forehead bursts open and his blood seeps out.
“I will hold Regal by the ankles until the very end, and when his arms are cut off, I will bite his heels with my teeth.”
Thud! Thud! Thud! Bang!
“Kkeuuuk! Woe, His Highness, the Crown Prince, Kkeuk! We need your strength!”
Quaang!
He puts his head on the floor and trembles his body.
He couldn’t move at all, and his movement stopped just as he banged his head on the floor.
He passed out with his head bowed.
“Sister Ada, can you wake that bastard?”
“Yes, monohorn.”
Woo woo woo.
Ada unleashes a healing spell with all her might.
Viscount Uwevol’s blown forehead heals, and the broken skull is joined.
The blood stops and new flesh grows.
Bones stick together, breathing becomes stable.
Soon, he comes to his senses.
Woo woo…
Viscount Uweboll let out a long sigh.
Guess you’re wrong
As Ada healed his wounds, they denied his allegiance.
He could clearly sense that Ada’s restoration of him had a clear meaning of rejection.
“Viscount Uweboll.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t abuse your body for the purpose of being sincere. There’s no one here who’s easygoing and foolish enough to fall for you with such an emotional appeal.”
Ada’s calm words were apparently stern rebuke.
Viscount Uwevol’s face turned bright red.
I’m embarrassed.
He was the worst and lowest response he could do, but he was desperate enough to squeeze out only this.
Without a chance to use his brilliant mind, they only pushed him hard.
He was ashamed and wanted to run away right now.
“Now, let’s put an end to the pointless and expendable debates and discuss a negotiation plan that can actually benefit both parties. If we drive Regal into a corner, and the crown prince, we, and the imperial faction can survive, wouldn’t that be the best option?”
Octopoda convinces others to respond rationally.
Rather than driving him emotionally to increase his enemies, remind him that a coordinated response is effective.
This suggests to Viscount Uwe Boll that it is possible for the crown prince and his party to form a loose but mutually beneficial alliance, rather than a relationship between the prince and his vassals.
They were aware of Viscount Uweboll’s approach from the beginning, and had discussed countermeasures in advance.
After driving him into a corner, we discussed making it hard for him to say no by giving us mutually beneficial directions.
“You and the imperial faction… Are you saying that we want to form an alliance with each other?”
The eyes of Viscount Uwevol are moving.
After seeing his reaction, the party feels that their response plan was appropriate.
They weren’t idiots either, so they knew this would be far more beneficial than an emotional response.
Only Estrus had a hard time accepting it, but everyone else agreed.
“That’s right. It’s hard to trust us even as an emperor faction, and it’s hard for us to believe in the imperial faction either. So, rather than push each other’s backs to die first close to each other, maintain a loose cooperative relationship and help each other, jointly against the Regal. Wouldn’t it be better to spread the battle lines?”
“Sir Octopoda…”
Tears again form in Viscount Uweboll’s eyes.
Octopoda and Demosi knew that he had a cunning political sense.
So, in order not to get caught up in his pace, I proposed to wield him according to my liking.
Of course, it also doubled as taking out Estrus’ anger.
Their ploy seemed to hit the mark.
“Then, what form of alliance do you want?
“Of course it is. To put it bluntly, it is because the imperial faction is more incompetent than us. Wouldn’t it be necessary for us to form a losing alliance and be forced to make unilateral sacrifices? It’s no different.”
The proof was that the atmosphere had changed to a conversation that was much more direct and concise than an ineffective conversation between each other, and that each person had a heartfelt conversation.
“Still bitter, Lord Octopoda.”
“I’ve spent over 30 years just spreading life and death with the tip of my tongue. It’s like an occupational disease, so I hope you understand.”
“Okay. Then, you said that we should form a united front because you knew that Regal was organizing a large army?”
“That’s right.”
“Haa… As expected, I seem to have looked at you guys too easily.”
Democy smiles softly.
“If you were thinking of pacifying your fears through the dominance of information, I’d like to say that you looked down on us too much.”
“… Was the reason why this forest was so unusually thick as a plan to prepare for war?”
“I’ll make no comment.”
“… Oh my god.”
Viscount Uwevol seemed to have heard enough of her confident smile.
“Really, truly, do you intend to deal with 200,000 troops with only you?”
“It’s close to impossible. But, rather than us going against Regal in the Islands, this side seems to have a much better chance of surviving.”
“… How far are you looking from this periphery?”
Viscount Uwevol was in great awe of the brains of the Octopodas.
As long as he didn’t know about Margarita’s superpowers, he couldn’t help but mistakenly figured out all of this through the predictions of Octopoda and Demosi.
Not showing all hands is a traditional technique for gaining an edge in negotiations.
No one knew that, at least not among those who were at the forefront of the negotiations.
“The emperor faction’s goal, the crown prince’s survival plan, the Regal’s goal, the Regal’s countermeasure, the Regal’s war plan, the size of the corps, the Regal’s legislative plan. Well, I’m predicting this much.”
“Oh, my God…!”
Viscount Uwe Boll had goosebumps all over his body.
He thought it was not the time to keep his neck stiff in concealing his intentions.
Rather, he even thought that it would be better to bring the prince to them and entrust himself with them.
Seeing their old friend’s reaction, Octopoda and Demosi felt a bit bitter and guilty at the same time.
Still, survival comes first.
There is no need to be sentimental.
“We have been foreseeing almost every political situation within the Empire, and periodically checking to see if it has been true. We cannot reveal any sources, but we have also confirmed that almost everything has been exactly as predicted. And We are preparing the best response plan that we can choose.”
“Did you know I was coming?”
“We knew that when we came nearby. We only thought it was a Regal spy who came to spy on it, but we never imagined that Lord Lampage acted alone. I sincerely apologize.”
Knowing so much about the situation on the continent, he had such strong doubts as to whether there was an omniscient person.
But as soon as he was assured that there was no such terrible person, Viscount Uweboll breathed a sigh of relief.
Of course it was an illusion.
A person close to omniscience definitely existed.
But no one corrects his misunderstanding.
Although spears and knives were not rampant here, it was a clear battlefield.
“Then, I would like to ask you a question. In what form do you want to form an alliance with us? No, no. We will change the question. What would you like us to do, please advise.”
The long awaited question finally came.
Demosh was in a situation where his plan had worked, and he cheered a little inwardly.
“As Lord Lampage knows, we are not a rebel. We have not organized a rebel or anything like that, and we are not raising them. It is just a gathering of Eros Paradise participants to survive the Regal. The place we fled just happened to be the unexplored land here in the north. The community created by the blessings of chance like that represents our identity.”
“… It’s a very nice coincidence for a coincidence.”
“Yes. After helping each other, we’re ready to survive. I think it’s thanks to the goddess’ protection.”
“Is that so.”
Viscount Uweboll’s gaze lingers on Ada for a moment.
“As expected, the saintess was rescued by these people from the regal demon beast?”
“Yes. They are my benefactors. They are also the strongest supporters who cherish and protect me.”
“Is what Sir Demothy just said true? Swear by the Goddess?”
“Yes. I swear to my mother, there are no lies. Neither the reason we met nor the rebels.”
The weight of her words is very heavy.
In particular, if she swore before a goddess, it could never be false.
So Viscount Uweboll could fully trust that they were not rebels.
“Okay. I fully believe that you are not part of the rebels.”
Demosh nodded her head.
“As we did not gather to prepare for such a large-scale war, we cannot be sure of the victory or defeat of the war against the Regal. , We must one day be captured or die.”
“I agree.”
“If Regal wages a war against us with only her own soldiers, the financial burden she will bear is great, and the troops she has trained will be sacrificed and lose her military superiority within the Empire, which will cause the Imperial Army to fight for a ridiculous cause. It’s a ploy to shed blood on behalf of your own soldiers.”
“As you have predicted, if his scheme succeeds, his military superiority will exceed that of the Empire itself. He will raise new troops to fill the vacancy of over 100,000 Imperial soldiers who will be sacrificed in this war. If you do, it’s almost impossible to predict how long it will take or how many resources it will consume.”
“So wouldn’t it be most desirable to prevent the Imperial Army from entering the war?”
Viscount Uwevol nodded in agreement.
“After informing the saintess that she is alive, it would be most desirable to swear to the goddess in front of the public that the existence of the rebels is a fiction. The war that Regal seeks to wage will surely lose its cause.”
“But it must be too dangerous for Ada-sister~”
“… Estrus. Are there any other alternatives?”
“Huh~ I don’t know~ but don’t her smart older sister Ya and her older brother know something~?”
Estrus smiled briskly and twisted his hair.
Viscount Uwebol smiled bitterly and turned to Demosh.
“Is there a proper way?”
“How about a relay using a wide area communication magic tool?”
“Hmm. Can the public believe that alone?”
“Even if you go to the system and give a speech to only the citizens of the system, the target audience is too limited. To overturn public opinion about the imperial army’s participation in the war, it would be essential to use a wide-area communication magic tool to broadcast throughout the empire or to visit the empire. , The latter is just as dangerous as going to the island. We are fortifying here. As far as getting out of here, we want to avoid it until Regal dies.”
“Haa… I’m worried that Regal will retaliate against the crown prince if the imperial faction actively defends the saintess…”
Demosi’s eyebrows went up.
Her tone lowers.
“Did you mean to unilaterally force our sacrifices without taking that much risk?”
“That’s…! I’m sorry…”
“Even if we don’t respond anyway, we’re still in danger. Do you think the Crown Prince won’t be in danger? I’d rather deprive the Regal and the Papacy of the justification for war, drive them into a corner, and join forces with the media. Don’t you think it’s safer in many ways to reduce Regal’s options by worsening public opinion against them?”
“…”
“I understand that you agreed. So do your best to help the rebels clear their name. Let all the imperial faction risk their lives to secure Ada’s identity. Fight like crazy to prevent the Imperial Army from entering the war. Regal If this rampage comes against us with only the privates he has raised, there is no need to stop it at all. We will risk our lives and take care of it ourselves.”
“That…”
“I’m not done talking. And the Imperial Faction do everything in their power to protect His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince. Let’s each take care of their own lives. This is a loose alliance that we can offer you, mutually beneficial. This is the way to go.”
“Is there any other, better way?”
“You think. Is there a better way than this?”
Viscount Uwevol had no choice but to remain silent.
He also felt that this was the best option.
However, his loyalty forces him to find out if there is a more selfish way to make the emperor and crown prince safer.
“We will mobilize all the enlisted soldiers and imperial troops we can mobilize, and we will escort the saintess and you. Wouldn’t you like to start with the imperial system and go on a tour of the entire empire together to soothe the people of the empire?”
“And after destroying Regal’s justification for participating in the war, are you going to naturally kidnap us to the Crown Prince?”
Monohorn pointed out sharply.
Sweat beaded between Viscount Uweboll’s forehead.
“…”
“Shit, don’t hold your mouth shut and answer me.”
“It’s… Your choice,”
“Leave it to me. Tens of thousands of nuggets surround us, pull out spears, aim their bows, finish loading their magic shots, and say, ‘Hey, choose wisely.’ Wasn’t that what you were thinking?”
“…”
“Is this bastard bluffing all the way? Sister Estrus, this bastard is just picking his head right now.”
“Is that so~? I agree~♬”
Faced with the threat of the two, Viscount Uwe Boll could no longer utter his words of protest and had no choice but to shut him up quietly.