495

Episode 495: I have something to do. (2)

People didn't react as immediately as they used to.

Firstly, because Jiselle had already warned her in advance, and secondly, because it was obvious that she wouldn't listen even if she tried to stop her anyway.

So I waited with the intention of hearing what he had to say. He said he would explain.

Jiselle felt a little offended by that reaction.

"Ahem, anyway, I'll explain. Listen carefully. The King and the Duke are trying to exchange something."

Information was coming in in abundance from spies sent to the capital.

Although the other vassals didn't know, Giselle and Claude, who received the report, knew roughly what the situation was in the capital.

Jiselle organized and spoke about what she had been thinking and the information she had obtained this time.

"What do you think? Isn't it strange? The fact that the Duke and the Salvation Church continued to target the royal family, and that they suddenly stopped the war and started negotiations. And that the King agreed to receive something."

People nodded as they listened to Giselle. Claude was the first to speak, rubbing his swollen face.

"It's certainly strange. With the Northern Army out, it would be easy to overthrow the royal family with the power of the Duke and the Salvation Church. That priest of the Salvation Church could assassinate the king at any time."

"That's right, but he's still hanging around the King. That means he still has something to ask the King. He has no intention of hiding it, and the nobles all know it."

"And there would be no need to attack the king who joined hands with them."

"That's true. As a duke, you have to fight me, so there's no reason to fight the royal family either."

Jiselle continued speaking with a serious expression.

"Actually, I can fight the king right now. But I want to see what the king has to offer them. That must be the fundamental reason why this war started. I'm also curious about what the Salvation Church has to offer the king."

It must have been an exchange of something very important to both sides. Jiselle wanted to know what it was.

Claude clearly understood what Giselle meant.

"So… … when you say you're going to 'verify', you mean you're going to 'steal' the item, right?"

"… … Right. I understand."

It wasn't enough to just figure out what it was. I might not be able to figure it out properly.

The best way was to steal it and check.

Everyone nodded. If you want to know, just take it away. It was truly a Jiselle-like method.

"Are you going to wear a mask…?"

"Then they won't take out the stuff."

"What should I do?"

"I plan to infiltrate and follow them to the negotiating table. I'll raid them before then if I can."

"… … Is that okay?"

"If you try, anything will work out. What's impossible?"

"… … ."

Everyone kept their mouths shut. There was nothing to say when he said that.

Because Jiselle is the one who has accomplished everything that everyone has said was impossible.

Belinda stepped forward into the silence.

"Then I will go with you."

Belinda was now a superhuman, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that she was at the top level in the territory, especially in infiltration and ambush.

But Giselle shook her head.

"No. I plan to follow them in disguise. The more people there are, the harder it is to hide my identity."

"But it's still too dangerous. What about Lady Erenes or Lady Parniel?"

The two men were the best forces in the Northern Army. If just one of them followed, they would be able to reduce the capital to rubble.

Still, Giselle shook her head.

"You're going to disguise yourself and go to the negotiation table? Do you think those two can hide their identities?"

"… … ."

People looked at the two. Erenes had pointy ears and Parniel was too big. Both of them had unusual appearances to disguise themselves.

It was also true that the more people followed, the harder it was to hide one's identity.

In the end, it was best for Jiselle to go alone, hiding her identity and following along.

"Don't worry. I'm a master of disguise. Instead, you all need to create a retreat route for me."

It was clear that many notable figures from the royal family and the dukedom would come. It would be impossible for Giselle to deal with them all alone.

So he needed an ally to help him.

"Even if we find a place to negotiate, it's impossible to take the entire Northern Army. Let's just prepare the best."

Jiselle and the people put their heads together.

Since we didn't know whether the negotiations would be held indoors or outdoors or how many people would come from both sides, we had to plan our strategy in advance to accommodate various situations.

Everyone was racking their brains to come up with a plan, but their worries were more than a little worrying.

There was no excuse or time to object. Once Giselle decides on something, she is the type of person to push ahead with her own ideas.

Finally, Belinda asked with a worried tone.

"You really have to be careful. If it's dangerous, just run away. You don't even have to know what it is. You might get another chance later."

"Okay, don't worry too much. Lately, I've been… … mastering the Belinda technique quite a bit."

grasp!

Giselle's body became blurry and darkness spread. It was the technique of Giselle's mother, Annette.

Whenever she had time, Giselle would learn her mother's techniques. It wasn't that difficult for her, since she had already reached a certain level.

I'm not as skilled as Belinda yet, but I'm good enough to use it for sneaking around.

'This is strangely similar to the flow of mana.'

It seemed that when you reached the highest level, it all came down to one thing. Her mother's techniques had something in common with the magic books that had inspired her in her previous life.

Although the results were completely opposite because the application methods were different.

Thanks to Giselle's demonstration of her skills, Belinda felt a little relieved. She should be able to avoid the eyes of most knights.

"I'll go first, so the Northern Army should move to the first base. Once I find out where the negotiations are, I'll send Dark, so make sure to prepare."

Jisel set out for the capital on horseback. The Black King remained with the northern army as he had to abandon his horse midway.

Jiselle rode as fast as she could. The sooner she got there, the more smoothly she could plan.

Giselle sneaked into the capital in disguise and went to find a noble without showing any sign of being there.

It was Baron Andy Shear, the royal secretary who had been delivering supplies to the North for the royalist faction, and I had once received a small bribe from him.

"What about you?"

When Jiselle appeared in his office, Baron Share was surprised. He had never imagined that he, who had already been branded a traitor to the kingdom, would appear in the capital.

Jiselle smiled and waved her hand as if she was happy to see me.

"Hey, how are you?"

"What, what is going on? The Count should not be here."

Baron Share looked around his office, even though it was his own office. If he got caught, he would die too.

I was anxious because I was worried that I might get caught for giving a bribe in the past to ask for a favor.

"I came after making sure there was no one around, so don't worry too much."

"No, no matter what… … ."

Baron Share opened his mouth in amazement. I knew he was a big shot, but I never thought he would come to the capital so openly and alone.

Jiselle spoke leisurely, plopping down on the sofa in her office.

"Is everything going well with the Marquis of Branford?"

"Well… I can't say he's doing well, but he's still safe."

"Yes, we should. Otherwise, we'll be in trouble. No, will we be in trouble soon?"

Baron Share gulped and asked at the ominous look in Giselle's eyes.

"Wh, why do you come to me?"

"I'll get straight to the point. Can you help me?"

"What power do I have… … ."

Baron Share's face was filled with fear as he trailed off. He didn't know what Giselle was asking for help with, but he knew it wasn't something ordinary.

The atmosphere in the capital was already the worst. Even Baron Share was on guard, fearing that he might lose his head if he made a mistake.

Moreover, he was a nobleman, but he was a fallen nobleman who only had a title. He was just one of the low-ranking secretaries of the royal family.

At best, his job was to provide military supplies and deliver orders to the North.

Giselle laughed heartily as she looked at the frightened Baron Share.

"It's really nothing. I heard that the King and the Duke are negotiating. Please tell me the date and place."

"Not yet, not yet decided."

"Really?"

"Yes, Your Majesty is very careful about the place and time. Right now, all the high-ranking officials are focused on that part."

Jiselle nodded. It made sense. They had to put a lot of effort into their preparations so that they wouldn't get stabbed in the back of the head.

"I'm not late. But I'm sure you have enough troops ready to negotiate?"

"Yes, yes. The size of the troops to be mobilized by both sides has already been agreed upon. Each side will have 50,000 troops, and the Royal Knights will also be joining."

At those words, Giselle's eyes lit up.

"That's good. Please put me in the army that's following you. I'll hide my identity and stay there."

"yes?"

"Even if you are a low-ranking secretary, can't you put in one soldier?"

Baron Share furrowed his brows in bewilderment. Why would the Earl of Fenris, known as the strongest man in the North, disguise himself as a mere soldier?

Baron Share, thinking about what Giselle had done, quickly figured out his intentions.

"S, you're not… going to the negotiation table and… getting into an accident?"

"yes."

Baron Share was momentarily speechless at Giselle's confident answer.

He soon came to his senses and shook his head violently.

"Then I'll die! After the accident happens, it'll be quickly discovered that I was the one who put the Count there!"

"Run away."

"yes?"

Jiselle continued, leaning back comfortably on the sofa.

"Before the negotiations begin, take the opportunity to leave the capital. Your Majesty, you have many places to go on business. It shouldn't be difficult to get out of the capital."

"Where to run away to… … ."

"You know that when I give, I give, right?"

Baron Share nodded at the unexpected remark. The Earl of Fenris was known for being a cheapskate, but he was also a very sharp shooter.

"Gisselle said, making a circle with her finger.

"Come to Penrith. I'll give you a good job. A good salary, a good house, and if you want, I'll even give you a retirement fund. Enough to live comfortably for the rest of your life."

Baron Share gulped. He was already worried because the atmosphere in the capital was so scary these days.

The reason he survived was because he was not an important noble. He could not say that he was deeply connected to any particular faction.

'Instead, it means that if you make a mistake, you'll be like a mayfly that could lose its head at any time.'

He was a man who was a typical example of an ordinary administrator who did only what he was told.

But then the richest man in the kingdom, Earl Fenris, calls you to his estate, promising to give you a lot of money.

'This is an opportunity!'

Baron Share had no family. As a fallen nobleman, he ended up living alone.

After the king took power, all dreams and hopes disappeared. It was a situation where I just lived day by day, unable to die.

If you refuse this, you're an idiot.

Baron Share cleared his throat several times, then searched through the bookshelf, took out a document, and handed it to me.

"There is a 2nd Corps among the corps that will follow the negotiations. I will process your enlistment into the 3rd Infantry Company of the 2nd Corps tomorrow."

"What is this document?"

"It's nothing much, but it's information about what's happening in the capital right now. That's all I know. I'm just a low-level secretary… … Hehe."

"Ah, I really like how our Baron gets things done quickly."

"You must be sure to disguise yourself. And you must not cause any trouble until you reach the negotiating table. The atmosphere has been very bad since the corps commanders were replaced."

"Don't worry. I've been the youngest for a long time."

I joined a mercenary group in my previous life and it lasted a really long time.

It was something he absolutely could not believe, but Baron Share simply nodded. He knew he could just run away when the time came.

"I have to go out soon to check on the prisoner transport situation. You will know the date and place of the negotiations when you enlist, but if anything is decided before I go out, I will let you know as soon as I get out."

Information that Berhem was eating people in the capital had already reached Giselle's ears.

Several officials were on the move to fill that number. Baron Share was among them, in charge of ensuring that the prisoners were coming in properly.

Jiselle nodded and answered.

"Okay, then tell me when you catch me running away. I'll call the knights separately. I have a quick way to contact you."

At those words, Baron Share smiled brightly.

Since he only needed to take a few soldiers with him to assess the situation, there was no problem in running away. The soldiers would just follow him without even knowing what was going on.

The problem was that there were bandits swarming everywhere. It was difficult to deal with them with just soldiers.

I could feel safe if the Knights of Fenris were there to protect me.

"Thank you. I will do my best for this kingdom!"

The human heart is truly wicked. As soon as he decided to run away, Baron Share changed his position.

'Honestly, I think the Northern Army will win.'

Earl Fenris saved the royal army from being decimated and swept away the Duke's army of over 200,000 men.

If you're going to walk your life, you should walk this way.

Of course, if the royal army and the duke join forces, it's impossible to know what will happen. They have the First Sword of the Kingdom and the Royal Knight Commander.

'If the Northern Army loses, we must run away.'

It would be easy to move from Fenris to another kingdom. I felt more at ease anywhere than in the capital.

"By the way… … . How are you going to disguise yourself?"

"It's not that difficult. Just remember the changed face."

Knock knock.

Jiselle used mana to adjust her facial muscles. There was a downside to this technique, which required constant infusions of mana, but the consumption wasn't that great.

Soon, Giselle's impression changed completely. Baron Share's mouth dropped open when he saw that.

'You really know how to do everything.'

At this point, even people who know Giselle wouldn't be able to recognize him.

So, Jiselle enlisted as a low-ranking soldier in the 2nd Corps.

Anyway, the royal family was continuing to recruit soldiers targeting the northern army.

It was difficult to get into the exact unit I wanted, but it was easy to enlist anywhere.

Jiselle, whose enlistment was confirmed, happily entered the barracks of her unit and reported.

"I'm the newly enlisted Douglas! Please take good care of me!"

"Oh, there's a newbie."

"His voice is loud and full of spirit."

"That's a very good posture."

The veterans sat and laughed. It was always fun to see the youngest troopers come in from the army.

And as soon as she arrived, Giselle encountered a rather embarrassing situation.

"Hey! Youngest! Go do some laundry! The mood has been bad lately, so I'll take this as a substitute for the initiation ceremony! After you're done with this, clean up our equipment."

The senior soldiers threw musty-smelling clothes at Giselle.

"… … ."

"What are you doing? Aren't you going quickly? Do you want to get in trouble? Show me what military life is like?"

"… … ."

Jiselle was experiencing the barracks absurdity with her whole body.