第６３４堀：潜入ブリーフィング (Part2)
“No, they have fields and such. They’re somewhat self-sufficient,” I explained. “The main thing is that since they’re high up on a mountain, securing fuel and firewood is essential. Of course, they also bring in food supplies, so merchants are constantly coming and going.”
“In that case, it seems we should look into the details of those merchants,” Britt noted.
“Exactly. Merchants definitely have the most frequent contact with the outside world. While connections to nobles and royalty carry more weight, they don’t visit nearly as often.”
“That makes sense. It would be strange for foreign nobles or royalty to visit frequently. In fact, isn't being sent to the headquarters on a mountaintop effectively a severance of social ties? Wouldn't you agree, Princesses?” Britt asked, turning the conversation toward them.
“Yes,” Carrie replied. “Being sent to the mountain headquarters usually implies that, for various reasons, one can no longer show their face in society.”
“As Carrie says, that is often the case. However, now that you mention it, that means the headquarters is populated by such former nobles… How troublesome. As Yuki-sama said, conducting a top-secret infiltration for investigation was the right call.”
“Indeed. If we had carelessly charged in through the front, it might have actually worsened the standing of Heiden and Findar.”
“To former foreign nobles who have nothing to do with the situation, we would appear as nothing more than simple attackers.”
It’s great that they’ve accepted the necessity of an undercover investigation, but were they really prepared to just break through the front at first? Man, I see why the Boss insisted they come with us. They’re basically ticking time bombs that would cause even more trouble if left to their own devices. In a way, I’m glad we’re babysitting them.
“In that case, having the Princesses participate in this operation is quite a boon,” Britt said.
I must have looked confused because Britt immediately followed up with an explanation.
“I mean that since the Princesses might be acquainted with these former nobles, they might understand the various connections at play. While there will be people we’re forced to eliminate, it would cause a lot of problems if they turned out to be former high-ranking nobles. It’s best to avoid that if possible.”
“Ah, I see.”
True, killing a former bigwig from another country would be a massive pain later on. Even if we crush the mid-level Divine Faction members at the Haile headquarters, the lower-ranking members will survive, and they could use the death of a former noble as political ammunition against us.
As I was thinking that, the Boss chimed in.
“That is a possibility. In that case, we need to investigate the people at the headquarters as much as we can. If we handle this poorly, it could turn into Weed, Heiden, and Findar versus a coalition of pro-Haile nations.”
Ugh. I hate the sound of that. No matter how you look at it, I’d be the one doing all the fighting. And I don’t mean just fighting on the front lines—I mean fighting *everywhere*. I’d be a literal workhorse, dragged from one 'glorious' battlefield to the next, working myself to the bone.
“However, this might actually be a favorable opportunity. If we show the former nobles who have entered the priesthood the atrocities being committed by a faction of the Haile Church, they may take our side,” Jorgin suggested.
He can be quite ruthless, but considering the future, it’s a necessary move. You can never have too many allies.
“Then, to identify these former nobles, I believe we should ask for help from Kagura, Duke Kamishiro, and the Principal. While we have some knowledge, it only covers a small portion,” Carrie suggested.
“I agree with Carrie. Lady Kagura is a current student, and Duke Kamishiro is the founder of the academy and a director who decides on the acceptance of international students. The Principal, naturally, manages an academy that accepts students of various nationalities, so he would certainly have knowledge regarding foreign nobility.”
Fair point. We wouldn’t be able to tell who’s who. We need people who can make those calls.
“…True. The academy’s cooperation would be helpful. However, Kagura’s health took a serious hit during that last incident, and it might have left some emotional scars. I don’t want to push her,” the Boss said, showing a rare hesitation about involving Kagura.
Well, I heard she collapsed and was throwing up, so I get why he doesn’t want to force it. Besides, Kagura is originally a diplomat for negotiations with Weed.
“…I understand your feelings, Yuki-sama. However, keeping her in the dark would also be a problem. Kagura is not unrelated to this matter. I would like to inform Mikos and Solo as well; would that be alright?”
“True, keeping them out of the loop entirely isn't great. But if Princess Carrie tells her, Kagura might push herself out of a sense of duty… It might be better to have Duke Kamishiro tell her. If I say it, it’ll probably feel like a command anyway.”
“…Understood. We shall leave the explanation to Duke Kamishiro.”
And so, the infiltration briefing proceeded, and all that was left was to wait for the day of the operation.
By the way, during our preliminary training, we got a look at how the two Princesses move, and man, they can actually fight. It’s at a level where you just know they’d try to act on their own if you left them alone.
These Princesses are a handful.
Fight!! For the sake of peace!!
Corporate Slave Warrior Steve!!
Episode 2918: Forced Overtime Again Today
May there be a future for tomorrow’s wage slaves!!
*Note: This program and novel are a limited-time broadcast available until January 10, 2018. (Just kidding.)*