Cracks you can’t hide (2)
“aaagh!”
Roaring!
“What’s going on!”
“Boo, fire!”
A garrison that had fallen asleep in the middle of the dense forest without anyone noticing.
As the rain of arrows wrapped in red flames poured down in the darkness, the soldiers hiding inside were shaken and confused.
Of course, the flames quickly spread to the nearby area, and the inside of the garrison was enveloped in chaos.
“It’s an enemy raid!”
“Oh, turn off the light!”
“Impossible!”
It was already full of confusion to respond calmly. It was so unpredictable that he was not even prepared for it.
Even more so, the opponent revealed through the flames was refined even at first glance.
It was said that they were highly trained troops.
“sh*t… … ! who the hell… … .”
sudden uproar.
The commander, who had been intoxicated with sleep, muttered in dismay as he walked out of his sleep.
It belatedly tried to control the soldiers, but it was already too late. It was clear that the enemy knew of this garrison’s existence and had prepared for it.
This raid is no accident.
‘… … I can’t.’
The commander wet his dry mouth and hurriedly looked around.
Then, he gesticulated urgently to the subordinates passing by and shouted.
“hey! Get your horse ready! I’ll get out through the back door!”
“yes?! Then, what about the enemies… … .”
“Should I even care about that!”
“Ah, I see!”
The subordinate moved quickly at the commanding officer’s threat.
Meanwhile, the commander bit his thumb nail with a gloomy face as he watched his subordinate run to find his horse.
“sh*t… … .”
My mind was complicated.
Of course, life was important, but this situation itself was fatal to him.
‘If I do something wrong, the entire family won’t survive.’
At least you should be informed about this situation.
Because incompetent human beings were not needed by ‘Him’.
There was no mercy, let alone a chance.
Therefore, it was necessary to inform the ‘information leak’. Unless you want to taste hell more terrible than death.
“Commander! I have a horse!”
“… … good!”
The commander commanded urgently as he mounted the horse brought by his subordinate.
“Dispose of anything that could reveal the culprit. I will get out first and inform him of this.”
“All right.”
“Hey!”
Hee hee hee!
Do-do-do-do-!
As soon as the whipping was applied, the horse moved its legs to get out of the fire.
Scenes of mayhem passing by between the fast-moving eyes.
Even as the commander squeezed the reins, he did not stop screaming.
“It’s pierced! Stop it!”
It had been a long time since the enemy troops had reached the garrison. At least the soldiers had to wait until they could get out of this camp.
“I mean make the most of your time! If it’s not enough, even if you throw yourself away… … Whoops!”
Hee hee hee!
Cheeky!
“Hey, Commander!”
In an instant, the horse whose body had been pierced by a flying arrow lost its balance and collapsed, and the commander’s body was thrown to the ground with futile ease.
“Keugh… … sh*t!”
Blood dripped from his forehead, blocking his vision.
However, the commander quickly got up and started running while rolling on the floor. There was no time to check where the arrows had come from. He overcame the shock of falling from the horse with a stronger concentration than ever before.
“Where are you going?”
“… … !”
However, someone blocked the commander’s path.
It felt like my heart was sinking. The commander turned his head while clutching his chest in surprise, and soon he was able to identify the owner of the voice.
“Long time no see.”
“You, you… … .”
A golden rapier in a black suit.
He was a familiar man. A middle-aged swordsman who wields an elegant sword was a difficult tribe to find even in the Empire.
“Ah, Count Andro!”
One of the top five swordsmen in the Empire, Count Andro. That other nickname was the first sword of the first prince.
It was only now that I had met him face-to-face, that I could finally confirm the cause of this attack.
‘… … 1st prince.’
From noble mtl dot com.
My body moved to the other side with the urgency to tell this fact right away.
It was superhuman psychic power.
But unfortunately, that was the commander’s end.
squeak-
“… … gagging.”
dump-!
So the body collapsed to the floor.
It was a futile end compared to the pitiful struggle of getting up and running while falling off the horse.
The Count looked at it coldly, lowering his gaze.
“… … It was too.”
To be precise, I focused my attention on the face that had said it hadn’t been in a while.
“Count, we have annihilated all enemies inside.”
“Good job.”
He nodded at the report of the subordinates approaching behind him.
True to their word, no more living enemies were seen.
“Shall we ask the soldiers to find something that can be evidence from inside the camp?”
“There is no need for that. There is already more solid evidence than anything else here.”
“As for the evidence… … .”
Corpses of already dead commanders. However, the identity of the commander was already well known.
“I am the 4th Prince’s servant.”
* * *
“… … also.”
The first prince clenched his fists as he listened to the message sent by his subordinate.
The rage felt in his trembling body was enough to make the body of the attendants shrink.
It is true that even when the Count’s troops were sent, he was dubious.
Is there really a military force secretly fostered by the 4th prince there? Can we trust the words of an unknown human?
After giving the order, thinking about it calmly, it even felt like it was a hasty action.
But the intelligence was right.
Indeed, there was a secretly hidden camp in the southern forest, and traces of him were found along with the 4th Prince’s loyal servants.
It was the truth without the slightest hint of lies.
Didn’t I say that too much anger makes you cold?
The first prince scratched his head in a cold voice.
“Bring the communication magic orb right away.”
“Me, Your Highness. Why is the magic ball… … .”
“Didn’t I tell you to bring it right away!”
Clink!
“… … .”
The glass thrown by the first prince was shattered and the pieces scattered into the air.
The attendants bowed their heads so deeply that their heads touched the floor.
But I didn’t like the look either.
“Immediately bring the magic orb and establish communication with that crow.”
“majesty… … .”
“I won’t say it again.”
“… … I will obey your order.”
The attendants hurriedly left their seats.
It’s so funny how they run away.
Even in anger, the first prince pursed his lips and laughed at them.
“No matter how much I think about it, it seems that an unknown human being is more helpful than those idiots.”
These are not empty words.
A crow appeared out of nowhere. He gave himself two presents, playing a uniquely auspicious role.
Unlike so far, when I only felt the feeling of being pulled over by him, I can’t see any room for the situation to turn over even though it was only two spies.
He was obviously better than a hundred of those guys who couldn’t come up with any countermeasures for that long.
But then, one attendant who remained spoke cautiously.
“… … majesty. Something doesn’t feel right.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m telling you something about that ‘crow’ character.”
The attendant continued talking with a thoughtful expression.
“He definitely gave me the same secrets as the 4th prince’s secret wife. But isn’t it strange? Finding out and sharing such important issues so easily… … .”
“Does he have other intentions?”
“Obviously it is. Otherwise, it is inexplicable.”
The information he gave me was unknown to anyone other than an insider deeply involved in the 4th Prince faction.
Aren’t they things that they couldn’t even guess until the intelligence came in!
But give it away without any intention?
Who do you think is an insider?
Moreover, the money he demanded was absurdly small compared to the value of the information.
Considering those things, it would not be an exaggeration to say that there was only a rather suspicious smell.
“I rather see it as a trap. That, too, must be a ploy to use the First Prince’s Highness.”
“under.”
However, the first prince frowned and showed displeasure.
“I can’t help but look like an idiot when he looks so nervous.”
“majesty.”
“why? Are you afraid that your favor will disappear from me?”
“… … .”
The attendant closed his mouth and was silent.
Unfortunately, the first prince already fully trusted the ‘crow’ who brought him two presents.
In his eyes, even that small requirement seemed like a means to make a kite with himself.
Because of this incident, he blindly believed in a person he did not know his face or identity.
“I will not tolerate bullsh*t. If you can afford to say something like that, find a way to pressure the cheeky Fourth Prince.”
“… … .”
“To turn it off.”
“… … All right.”
That’s how I left to the last remaining attendant.
When the surroundings finally became quiet, the first prince continued his happy imagination with a satisfied smile.
‘If I pressurize him with this information, he will surely lose his strength and fall.’
Got some good weapons. So now it was my turn to wield it.
And before that, it would be necessary to communicate with the person called the crow.
“Because he might have a better plan.”
The first prince’s smile deepened.
And the laughter continued until the communication phrase left by the ‘crow’ arrived.
… … gradually. Slowly, from the depths of your heart.
Gradually, the first prince was dependent on a man he did not know his name or identity.
* * *
“It was a success.”
“Right.”
“Well, I didn’t expect it to be solved this easily.”
George shrugged and put the report down.
It was a report from the guy. Items with detailed descriptions of Prince 1’s movements and the situation in the imperial palace.
But I looked at it and said nonchalantly.
“It was predestined since I already handed that information to him.”
“Is that so?”
“Because he was more afraid of the fourth prince’s power than anyone else.”
The fear and uncertainty of losing one’s place.
They were resolved with the information I gave about the 4th Prince. also made sure
As expected, the 4th prince was showing his ambition.
Naturally, as the first prince, he must have felt like he had found a way out.
“Even so, the emperor’s favor hasn’t changed yet.”
“No matter how hard you try to pressure him, he won’t budge.”
I agreed by nodding my head at George’s words. The emperor must be the one who knows the fear of the 4th prince better than anyone else.
Then, the situation after that was simple.
‘The situation will gradually escalate.’
It was similar to stimulation.
A person who reacts sensitively to small stimuli at first, but as time goes by, he adapts to radical stimuli… … .
To make matters worse, this situation was a great stimulus from the beginning.
‘From his point of view, he will gradually lose his qualms and will want stronger intelligence.’
The first prince moves according to the flickering hope. And we just need to use it to create a rift.
Of course, once a crack has formed, it will gradually grow into an intensified conflict.
It was literally what I was hoping for.
“If so, will you hand over new information to the first prince?”
“Okay, keep making small demands and dig in slowly.”
But there is no need to hand over the good information now.
I calmly looked at him and continued talking.
“It’s as if he’s already in my hands.”
If subjugation is going to be maintained even without giving new information, there is no reason to consume limited information in advance.
You just have to induce them to bloom in a better direction at a better time.
For that, it was necessary to take a break for a while.
“We just need to do what is necessary until then.”
My gaze landed on a piece of paper lying on the desk.