Chapter 214 – 214. Duke’s Eleventh Sabotage (2)

– One –

“As you said, it has become a politically embarrassing situation.”

“Yes. The way it inflicted a moral blow on Your Highness was so insignificant that I ignored it.

The head butler and Regal were analyzing the current situation of the attacks by the media with serious expressions.

The head butler couldn’t see, but he was also attending the Chiba-do meeting.

Of course, she was perched under Regal’s desk with great posture, so the manager couldn’t see her.

Whenever she wanted to give her opinion on something of her own, she shared her written words, as she always did, by scribbling with her own slender fingers on her regal thigh.

She was doing her part at the meeting with that alone.

Although she was sticking to the uncomfortable method of writing, there was almost no chance that Regal, who could read her desires, would misread them.

“Your Highness. Isn’t the collusion between the media and the imperial faction an established fact with no perfect physical evidence?”

“It would make sense to see it that way.”

“So why don’t we start with retaliation first? If we leave it like this, it will just drag on.

“… Let’s resume the assassination?”

“That’s right.”

Regal’s eyebrows narrowed.

The butler’s opinion has some validity.

It is because if the situation is not changed in such a rough way, the current media has no choice but to continue to be battered.

“As expected, manpower is a problem. Both combat personnel and special operations personnel, except for the personnel deployed in the current operation, only those with flaws remain to be deployed in regular operations. Wouldn’t it be difficult to carry out operations with them alone? I have to find it.”

The reason for dismissing the preemptive strike proposal proposed by Chiba yesterday was the same.

First of all, it is urgent to find another replacement manpower.

“That’s why. I think it will be necessary to recruit some heavy-mouthed people from among the soldiers.”

“Are you talking about the soldiers?”

This time, the butler’s eyebrows narrowed.

Something seemed wrong.

“Do you think it would be difficult to use the enlisted soldiers?”

“Isn’t that the case anyway? Even if they use the privates under the vassal, their identities are exposed too much. If the fact that they suppressed the media by force is revealed while they are still receiving moral criticism due to the instigation of the media, it will be even worse. Aren’t you going to be cornered?”

“Hmm…”

Regal thought that using the privates of his vassals would be a suitable alternative.

That’s why I shouted at Chiba, but even that was overruled by the butler.

It should have been possible if he suppressed the backlash and pushed forward, but since the butler’s concerns were not entirely wrong, Regal’s troubles inevitably deepened.

“Uh, uh…”

Regal closes his eyes and groans as he shudders.

The butler looks at Regal with worried eyes.

“Your Highness? Are you sick?”

Swoop, Swoop.

Regal stroked his thigh and shook his head.

When he opened his eyes, as if he had thought of something good, his eyes were shining brightly.

He was smiling brightly at the butler.

“Chief Butler. We all agree on the need for a preemptive strike against the media, don’t we?”

“That’s right.”

“But the problem is not the manpower to implement it. It is difficult to use both operatives and privates because of practical problems. Isn’t that so?”

“Right now, that’s the biggest problem.”

Regal gathers her thoughts for a moment.

And nodded.

He seemed convinced of the breakthrough he had conceived with Chiba.

“Then, what about the rebels and the lowly?”

“That, um…”

The butler tried to question what Regal had said, but in an instant understood what kind of idea he had reached.

Regal’s suggestion was to re-use the trick the butler devised when he kidnapped Canin.

In the end, it was a way to achieve its goal without actually committing combat personnel by brainwashing the necessary personnel and encouraging them to commit suicide bombing.

“That seems possible enough, Your Highness.”

“It seemed so. Where are the Warlock Corps currently stationed to carry out brainwashing operations?”

“Returned to the underground lab of Single Malt Reservoir.”

“I see. What is the inventory status of materials detained in the laboratory?”

“Currently, about 300 are ready.”

“Are they all non-participants?”

“That’s right.”

Regal and the butler face each other and smile.

Regal really liked the butler’s servile smile.

Regal’s smile deepens.

“300 may not be enough.”

“Right now, even tomorrow, about 500 additional birds can be secured without difficulty.”

“Hmm. Wouldn’t it be fine if we gave them names like suicide bombers?”

“It’s about to explode anyway, but the name doesn’t mean much, doesn’t it?”

“That’s true. But they have their own uses, so wouldn’t it be better to give them a name? That’s right. I’m going to claim to be a fierce republican fighter, so give it a name like a republican fighter suicide bomber.”

The head butler widens his eyes.

It was because the name Regal gave was more plausible than I thought.

“Have you already thought of what tone to shout and enter the order to carry out the suicide bombing?”

“What? It’s not that difficult, isn’t it?”

Seruk, Sararak.
Flange, Flange.

Regal smiles and pulls out a copy of the newspaper.

Open the newspaper wide and read it with your eyes.

“Now, look. It’s a newspaper published yesterday.”

“Oh, is it Trend News?”

“Hmm? I picked up something. Is it a newspaper you know well?”

As if Regal was surprised, she opened her eyes wide and looked at the owner of the house.

The head butler nodded and glared at the newspaper.

“Isn’t it the newspaper that has the most subscribers around the current system?

“I see. Why is it the most troublesome?”

“Because the tone was inconsistent.”

“Hmm? Explain in detail.”

Regal only read one side of the newspaper called Trend News, so he couldn’t grasp the details and their tone.

However, listening to the butler’s words, it seemed like it would be possible to draw a very interesting picture.

“The first page mainly contains content favorable to His Highness and the Emperor. As it is published centering on the system, it seems to satisfy the taste of conservative readers.”

“I see. Even at a glance now, I can only see articles written with a very biased perspective on the conservative side.”

“Yes. On the other hand,”

Saralak, Saralak.
Flutter, flutter, flutter.

The butler opens the newspaper completely.

When the innermost, central part of the newspaper is opened, all the pages of the newspaper, which had been folded one after another, are unfolded.

“Look here.”

Wriggling

Regal’s eyebrows narrowed.

Regal’s right hand grazes her thigh.

Of course, what his fingers grazed was Chiba’s thigh.

“… Just looking at it makes me angry.”

“Yes. As such, in the middle, only articles that are thoroughly biased toward the progressive are published.”

“This is embarrassing even to see it as progressive. Isn’t it completely slanderous?

Gulp.

Looking at Regal, who was quite angry, the butler swallowed dryly.

The butler could understand his anger.

What Regal was looking at was an article that speculated that Chiba was a sub-species from a receptionist or prostitute.

Based on the testimony of an unidentified person, there are many people who have been served alcohol and sex by women who look like her at a cheap bar in her brothel.

Even, in the name of guaranteeing the truthfulness of the article and the subscribers’ right to know, the article described in detail the bedtime experience with Chiba.

Even illustrations depicting the bizarre situation were printed in the newspapers.

The woman depicted in the illustration was a painting that described her characteristics so well that anyone who saw it could recall Chiba’s face.

A newspaper called Trend News was slandering Regal and Chiba by reporting on things that did not exist based on anonymity.

Yes.

It was not a criticism, but a simple and intuitive slander itself.

If he saw himself consumed as the gossip of the knights, there would be no reason not to be enraged by it, even if not a Regal but a saint.

“In fact, it is entirely thanks to these gossip articles that this newspaper called Trend News has been able to secure the largest number of subscribers. Another success factor is that the knights praising the nobility and the imperial family are also loaded together.”

“I see. In addition to gossip articles for fun, do you mean writing articles from various perspectives that can satisfy all readership?”

“Yes. I’m busy writing provocative articles in the way of pouring out articles behind anonymity or not.”

Was it because he could clearly sense her displeasure from Chiba’s trembling under his desk?

Regal’s eyebrows furrowed even more.

“Keuheum… But isn’t that enough reason for you to pay special attention to that newspaper?”

“Ah, that’s it…”

The head butler rolled his eyes with a somewhat embarrassed face.

He seemed to have a hunch that if he uttered the following words, Regal would surely be furious.

“It’s okay, so tell me.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Hurl.
Gulp.

The butler takes a sip of tea and tries to calm down.

Then, take a short deep breath and report to Regal.

“The trend news success model has become a fad, and newspapers published by other media outlets have begun adopting the same method.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, yes. Other newspapers have recently been increasing circulation by publishing gossip articles denouncing the morality of Her Highness and the Duchess. At the same time, the newspapers of the same date also published articles praising Her Highness. Like, this is…”

“You feel like you’re being mocked.”

“That’s right…”

Woo woo woo woo.
Wriggling

Regal grabs her thighs.

His hands are shaking.

“That’s right…”

Tok, tok, tok.

Regal’s index finger taps the desk.

He glared at the newspaper and looked up into space.

He sometimes shuddered and stomped his feet involuntarily.

Regal’s face was flushed red.

“Hmm…”

He let out a long sigh.

He raised his left hand and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“Let’s say it for now.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Split the suicide bombers into three groups.”

“… In groups of three?”

Regal nods his head.

He writes three names in three circles on a piece of paper.

“Republican fighter suicide bombers, imperial flag unit suicide bombers, fundamentalist extremists. This should be enough.”

“It seems that the republican militants and the imperial flag units are radical elements that stand for progress and conservatives, respectively. What kind of banner do the fundamentalist extremists raise?”

“It’s nothing special. You can just interpret it as supporters of the most devout and most extreme denomination.”

“Then, can we assume that they are a group that has risen up to criticize the current unethical behavior of the media based on the original text of doctrine?”

With an admiring expression, Regal nods at the head of the house.

“As expected, you and the butler seem to have a good conversation. Criticize the overly stimulating and obscene articles, and say that it is completely against the will of the goddess. You can quote some of the appropriate passages from the original text of the doctrine. If you say so, it will be effective.”

“Um…”

The butler let out a groan full of admiration.

Honestly, watching the butler come up with such an idea in that short moment, he thought he couldn’t help but respect Regal.

Beyond simply terrorizing the media, they oppress the media by sending a message to society.

In the process, surely someone will deeply sympathize with and participate in it.

Like the suicide bombers created through brainwashing by the dark magic corps under Regal, the majority of the crowd inspired by the message will not destroy the press and journalists by throwing their whole bodies at it.

However, it may be enough to criticize the media and have a fatal adverse effect on the number of copies sold.

As a result, it will be possible to impose sufficient sanctions on these unethical media behaviors.

Of course, Regal’s purpose is simply to attack and destroy, but he even considered preventing similar problems in the future with some design.

“Why, butler? Do you think there is something wrong with my opinion?”

“No. I just admired for a moment because I had respect for devising such an effective method.”

“Huh, people, really. Even if you don’t flatter me like that, I know your heart.”

“But wouldn’t it be necessary to show respect sometimes like now? It’s not particularly difficult, but if this makes your Highness feel good, I’m willing to do it more often.”

“Heh heh heh. That’s it. This, itchy face.”

Having said that, Regal seemed to be in a good mood.

No one would ever feel bad about being respected and admired by people like their limbs.

“Anyway, if it doesn’t seem to be a problem, go ahead. How long do you think it will take?”

“Considering the gathering of additional materials, it will take at least three weeks to start.”

“I see. From then on, do not rush, but proceed one by one, one by one, in order. Once terrorism-related articles are sufficiently reported to the public through the media, from there on, proceed simultaneously.”

“Okay. Can I arbitrarily select the brainwashing message for each group?”

Regal nodded her head willingly.

It was because, out of all the desires the butler uttered, not a single thing looked impure in Regal’s eyes.

In his heart, there was only a desire to be recognized by Regal.

“Like that. Oh, I’d like this tone to be emphasized when typing the message. Don’t hide behind anonymity and pour out rubbish articles, and keep ethics by getting censorship through the right institutions. Three. All three groups felt outraged at different points, but I hope news outlets will accept that all three groups emphasize the need for real-name certified stories and external censorship.”

“Ah, I see what you mean. I’ll take care of the other parts at will.”

“Yes. Do you have any other agenda?”

The butler glances out the window.

It was an early summer day when the days were long enough, but the sky was already colored by the sunset.

It’s already past dinner time.

The owner of the house nodded his head with an apologetic expression.

“We wanted to discuss measures against the emperor faction, but it seems a bit late.”

The butler seemed to be conscious of Chiba, who was waiting for Regal, and hinted at his sorry feelings.

“It’s okay. Let’s discuss it.”

But Regal didn’t mind that at all.

It was because he was already one with Chiba under his desk.