Chapter 355 – 355. Struggle, and Struggle (3)
– One –
“Whoa…”
The butler sits down on an armchair in the corner of his room and sighs.
The way he was dressed and his hair slightly disheveled seemed to represent the tiredness built up in his old age.
Inside the room, where frugality itself seemed to be used as an interior accessory, the armchair he leaned on was almost the only luxury item.
The moment when you are all alone, not caring about anyone’s gaze, the moment you don’t have to struggle in fear of being read,
Smart.
Someone’s knock breaks his peace.
Swoop.
Shasha shak.
The head of the house jumps up and quickly straightens his clothes and hair.
Shortly after he completely regained his usual color,
“Come in.”
Visits are permitted without asking the visitor’s identity.
Not only were there few people who would visit his residence without a message at this hour, and whoever came could not be treated lightly.
It’s because there was no time for that.
Click.
Squeak.
“Chief butler. Can I go in?”
“Ah, Duchess. Welcome.”
He returned to his usual neat appearance and greeted Chiba as if he had just been working.
Of course, even in the heart, it is rearmed.
“Why did you come to this humble place at this late hour?”
“I just wanted to congratulate you for your hard work. I had a lot of trouble organizing the late team and rushing to participate.”
“No. I don’t know what happened to Your Highness, but he just did what he had to do as a subject.”
Swoop.
Chuck.
The head of the house bowed down to show modesty.
At the same time clearing his mind.
It was because he knew very well that there was no way that Chiba would have come at this late hour to express his congratulations.
“Whoa… Even if they don’t play a big role, I don’t think there’s anything more I can ask for if they connect a private communication network between us and my husband.”
“My heart is the same as that of the Duchess. It would be nice if I could at least know the news of Her Highness…”
They are silent for a while with dark expressions.
Whether it was dispatching a large-scale additional force or a rescue team, it was essential to connect Regal with a private communication network in order to respond appropriately to the current situation Regal was facing.
It was clear that the situation would be much better than it is now, even if only the relay devices that would connect the public telecommunications networks were placed in the right places.
“The communication with the expeditionary force, including the consort, has been cut off for too long, so people who don’t even know the subject are spreading rumors about the expedition failure? There’s nothing to do.”
Chiba starts to get excited.
Seeing that even the nape of her neck turned bright red, the frustration she felt and her stress seemed not small.
“There are already too hasty opinions such as organizing the 3rd Expeditionary Force, convinced of failure, or constructing a fortress in the northern unexplored lands to keep the rebels in check. I think I am.”
“I fully agree with what the Duchess said. Looking at the situation, it seems that the imperial faction is leading such public opinion.”
“What are you talking about, butler?”
“Even if His Highness returns safely, a political death sentence is put down, a funeral is held, and a burial is completely in the political world…”
I couldn’t continue talking to the butler.
Chiba was trembling with her face white.
“Sorry, Duchess. I think the wording was inappropriate.”
Swoop.
The butler bowed deeply.
Chiba nodded her head without saying anything, but she couldn’t easily recover from her shock.
‘My husband is alive and well. The fact that I am alive is proof of that, and the fact that there are no warning messages in the status window proves it. The vice-gun is unharmed. The vice-gun is unharmed. The vice-gun is unharmed. The vice-gun is unharmed. The vice-gun is unharmed. The vice-gun is unharmed. My husband is all right…’
She desperately soothes her heart.
After a while she was able to calm down, but her complexion was still pale.
“Whoa… Anyway, you’re saying that the imperial faction is the problem, right?”
“That’s right.”
“I guess I’ll have to give you a warning sooner or later in my own way.”
Chiba’s eyes brightened ferociously.
The head butler was the one to bow her head once, as if telling her to do as she wished.
“More than that, the butler. I want to ask you something.”
Again, she brings out her point.
“Please Xiamen.”
“From the perspective of the butler, what do you see as the purpose of the person named Vladnok Baldiard?”
“Are you referring to the purpose of asking to accompany the expedition to the north?”
“Yes. Throughout the entire interview with him, I read through his secret desires, but all I could see was his erratic and dirty desires, such as wanting to harass me or meet me in private. It was difficult to infer his purpose.”
Throughout the interview with Vlad Nok, he wanted to lick her feet or spank her ass.
He wanted to see her flesh, he wanted to piss on her.
The reason why she did not throw away Vladnok even while enduring such a disgusting color of desire was because she was absolutely reluctant to let her special powers be known to the outside world.
If she hadn’t had to hide this ability of hers, it was clear that she would have given up on Vlad Nok long ago.
“Um…”
Whoops, whoops.
The house boss strokes his chin.
It wasn’t that he didn’t know the answer, but he seemed to be organizing his thoughts.
“His true notes have been reviewed with Special Operations agents over the past few days. However, even if you compare the handwriting and examine his past activities that the operatives have been investigating, most of the notes are presumed to be his own experiences.”
“Huh…?”
Chiba didn’t want to see the messy private life of any man who wasn’t even Regal, so she didn’t even bother looking at it.
However, the butler seemed to have found Vladnok’s motive there.
“Judging from that, it seems that he still can’t let go of his strong attachment to the saintess. That’s why he came to ask me to accompany him to the retinue sent by his family this time?”
“Hmm… If the second expeditionary force that has set out as a starter is trying to capture her saintess and her party and bring them back to her system, is it an ulterior motive to step in and steal her saintess at that time?”
“I think he requested an accompany for that purpose.”
Food.
Chiba laughs.
As if she had seen some filthy filth, her brow twitched with a slight frown.
“I see. Even at his age, he seems to be living a life faithful to his desires.”
“Still, thanks to the memoirs he gave and the media companies he bought and the civic groups he bribed, I was able to more effectively bury the suspicions related to Your Highness. If you use it enough to use it, you don’t have to deal with it again.”
Chiba nods her head.
Her expression turned cold.
“If he ever comes into contact with you again, he’s someone you don’t want to see, so take care of the lower ones.”
“All right.”
The butler readily accepts her order.
It was because, even when the butler judged based on his past activities, the person named Vladnok was no more than a parasite of poor quality.
“Is there anything more to discuss, Duchess?”
“No. Nothing in particular. I’m sorry for interrupting your rest at such a late hour.”
“You’re welcome. It’s getting late, so the Duchess, please go in and rest.”
“Is it so.”
Another angle, another angle, another angle.
Squeeze, snap.
She goes out
Dump.
“Whoa, whoa…”
The butler slumps on an armchair.
That’s right.
Drurrrr
I’m going to fall for it as it is.
He had long since forgotten all about Chiba’s fear of escaping, and her will.
His situation was no different from that of a wild animal that was captured and domesticated.
– 2 –
The commander’s barracks of the 2nd Expedition.
The place had an atmosphere that was not very different from that of the mourning house.
“Did you mean over 30,000 people were swept away by the fire?”
“Yes, general. And that would be a relief, but the damage is sure to increase in the future.”
With a calm complexion, the brigadier general who was beside him replied.
Hearing the prediction of a bleak future, the warden’s expression collapses a little more.
“Why? Why do you expect that?”
“The death toll is 30,000, but the number of wounded is well over twice that number. There are many of them who are in critical condition, and among those who are not, there are many who die from infection.”
“As for the priests? Didn’t nearly 40,000 priests, especially professional healing priests, increase?”
Swoop, Swoop.
The brigadier shakes his head.
He had a very sad expression on his face.
“They do a lot of damage too.”
“Were they not inside the shield when the explosion occurred, but they were still far away from the flames?”
“No. Not only was there no front and back in the sudden fire that broke out all over the field, and we went to the place where the fire was fierce to save the seriously burned soldiers.”
“Her…”
“Furthermore, not only the priests belonging to the church, but also the war priests belonging to the allies came forward and suffered losses, so the number of priests to take care of and treat the wounded is extremely insufficient.”
The warden lowers his head.
He had no choice but to admit that an unexpected situation had arisen due to his wrong judgment, and now it has spread out of control.
Chuck.
He bows his head deeply in front of the commanders.
His shoulders tremble
It was as if he was forcibly holding back the outburst of tears.
“I’m sorry.”
His voice trembles.
But he struggles to keep his composure.
It was because he knew full well that the sentimental work of honoring the soldiers who died in tears would not help anything in the current situation.
“Now, General…?”
“Because of my stubbornness and misjudgment, His Majesty’s proud soldiers and his precious subjects have indeed died in tens of thousands of absurd numbers, and are still dying. I really have no face…”
“General…”
The warden lowered his head, and everyone was speechless.
Even the officer dressed as a wizard, who gave him face-to-face and insulted him, looks at him with a solemn expression.
“It’s not difficult for me to step down as second-in-command immediately. I have no intention of dwelling on my position, and since I haven’t completed the mission Your Majesty entrusted to me, it’s only natural to take responsibility for it.”
“Oh no!”
“It doesn’t make sense! You say that the general is holding the post of second-in-command, but isn’t he actually taking on the role of commander-in-chief? How can an unprofessional duke lead an expedition alone?!”
Chuck.
The warden raises his hand to restrain the rebel commanders.
A bitter smile crept on his lips.
“Even if I offered my thanks, wouldn’t the position of second-in-command be left vacant anyway? Wouldn’t someone among you, in order of rank or better judged than me, fill that position?”
“Haona…”
“Fine. Listen to me. Are you saying I’m resigning right now?”
“…”
The commanders are somewhat relieved and silent.
The commanders’ resistance to his resignation was not simply because the major general was popular.
This is because an irreversible situation could have occurred if the chain of command was confused at this time when the damage of the allies was severe.
It was in the midst of chaos, but the Imperial Army was cool-headed.
“To resign now is not only betraying His Majesty’s trust by evading the responsibility of leading the expedition, but it is certain that it will have a negative impact on the expedition’s execution. I’ve come to know for sure from this incident, but only His Highness the Duke is carrying the heavy burden of the expedition. It makes me anxious about making them lose.”
“Kuhm, keuhum…”
“Uhm…”
The generals let out a cough.
While the flames were raging for a while, the commander-in-chief, Regal, took refuge in a safe place with the guards he had brought, and did not show his face.
Even though Regal’s bodyguards were well equipped to put down the fire, he was solely concerned with quelling the grievances around him.
From the fact that he fled from the eyes of his soldiers, to the fact that he extinguished fires only in his vicinity, everything was caught in the eyes of the soldiers of the Imperial Army and even reported to command.
Because of that, Regal not only lost trust among the commanders of the Imperial Army, but also received resentment.
“Don’t show any displeasure. No matter how much His Highness is in the position of Commander-in-Chief, he’s just a nobleman who only did politics in the bond system. Besides, His Highness’s choice to escape was my fault for not properly controlling the entire campaign. Wouldn’t it?”
Hard.
The large colonel, who seems to be able to tell that he is a soldier, grinds his teeth.
“No, what the hell are you talking about? Isn’t it your Highness’s will to arbitrarily retreat? What responsibility does the general have?”
“Stop.”
Wow.
The warden stomps his feet with an aura, and opens his eyes at the colonel.
By doing so, he blocks criticism towards Regal.
“Just as we are not familiar with politics, Your Highness is just not familiar with war. If you use that as an excuse to insult the commander-in-chief after this, I will take away your rank badges before I return them. “
“…”
The colonel is silent.
But his face was full of displeasure.
However, the dissatisfaction was not resolved, it seemed that the others were the same.
The warden was not so stupid as to be unable to read their eyes even when he saw them.
He opened his mouth in a low voice.
“I understand that everyone is dissatisfied, but for now, the success of the expedition comes first. And then…”
His expression subtly changes.
His tone was very low and subdued, as if revealing a secret story.
“There have been many bad results due to our negligence, but didn’t Your Highness make a big mistake this time? Besides, he was even discovered by a considerable number of soldiers. So, in order to overcome our difficulties, Even if you ask for something from Your Highness and your family, it can be said that you have the right to ask for it a little more confidently.”
The facial expressions of the imperial army commanders changed.
“Justice is necessary for warfare, but cause is also very important for political power struggles. Since we learned from Your Highness during our expedition together, shouldn’t we put what we have learned into practice? You will do.”
Seed profit.
The warden laughs.
Other commanders smile just like him.
Since the major general had only supported Regal, all the commanders of the imperial army present were suspicious of whether he had changed his mind and entrusted himself to the aristocrats.
However, he clearly proves that he wasn’t thinking about it by revealing his true intentions this time.
“What do you intend to ask of Your Highness, General? Or rather, what do you intend to do next?”
“Hmm… First of all, taking care of the soldiers’ injuries should be the priority. Immediately after that, after subjugating the rebel fortress in front of you,”
In response to a commander’s question, the warden reveals his plan in detail.
Commanders nod or ask questions.
The warden responds to it, butts his head with them.
He carefully listens to the opinions of others, not to be as arbitrary as before and give reckless or risky orders.
Both the warden and the other commanders were able to conclude the meeting satisfactorily.
The Imperial Army was still capable in the face of the crisis.
